Page 63 of Recipe for Temptation

She sounded so forlorn that Michael felt a twinge of sympathy—and guilt. “We can’t always control who we’re attracted to, sweetheart,” he murmured.

Her lips twisted cynically. “That’s such a typical male thing to say. How many poor women have you fed that line?”

He bristled. “It’s not a line. It’s the damn truth.”

“Right.” Still clutching the sheet to her body, she drew her knees up to her chest, as if she needed another barrier between them. Suddenly she looked very small and vulnerable in the enormous bed.

A surge of protective tenderness rushed through him. “Did someone cheat on you, Reese?”

Something flickered in her eyes before she looked away. “I don’t need firsthand experience to know that cheating is wrong.”

Michael studied her. He knew there was more.

“But, yes,” she said in a low voice, “I have been cheated on.”

Michael’s jaw clenched and every muscle in his body tightened. “What bastard hurt you?”

“My fiancé.”

“You were engaged?”

He watched her throat work with a hard swallow as she nodded. “Four years ago. He was the son of an old family friend. We’d known each other since childhood and seemed like a good fit. That is, until he slept with his paralegal.”

Michael stared at her. He felt violent, his palms itching to inflict pain on the faceless motherfucker who’d hurt and betrayed her.

“Anyway, it was for the best. He clearly wasn’t right for me. Truth be told, I loved the idea of being engaged more than I loved the actual man I was engaged to.” She shook her head at the ceiling, her lips twisting sardonically. “He’d call me a hypocrite if he could see me now.”

Michael frowned, hating the recrimination in her voice. “Are you and Victor on a break? Because if you are, you’re not cheating.”

She wouldn’t look at him. Wouldn’t give him an answer. She didn’t want him getting a foot in the door. Didn’t want to let in the big bad wolf.

Her silence confirmed he was on the right track. “When couples take a break, it’s because their relationship has taken a wrong turn somewhere. You take a break to reassess things, to figure out if your problems can be fixed or not. During your separation, it’s generally understood that you’re a free agent.” Michael watched her reaction to his words, the way her sooty lashes flickered as she looked down, the way she scraped her teeth against her bottom lip.

He pressed his advantage, keeping his tone low and measured. “You’re not cheating, Reese. You’re exploring your options.”

That wrung a grim laugh out of her. “Let’s not kid ourselves, Michael. As unforgettable as last night was, we both know it was nothing more than a one-night stand.”

“You’re wrong,” he said mildly. “By its very definition, the term ‘one-night stand’ could never apply to us.”

“And why is that?” she challenged.

He leaned forward, his voice dropping to a silky murmur. “Because I intend to have you again. And again. And again.”

Her breath hitched, and he watched in pure satisfaction as her dark gaze went to his mouth, then roamed across his bare chest before lowering to where his erection tented the covers at his waist.

Heat flared in her eyes. Above the top edge of the sheet, her breasts heaved as she struggled to regulate her erratic breathing.

“No, Michael,” she whispered.

“Yes, Reese.”

Their gazes held for another long, sexually charged moment before she looked away, expelling a shaky breath.

“This is ridiculous,” she mumbled. “You’re not listening to me. I just explained to you why this was a mistake, and why it can’t happen again.”

“And I’m telling you that it can, and it will.”

“What’s the point?” she burst out in exasperation. “You and I both know this isn’t leading anywhere! In less than two months I’ll be back in Houston, and you’ll be back to enjoying your status as one of the country’s most eligible bachelors. Why ruin lives over what essentially amounts to a summer fling?”

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