Page 20 of Bride Under Contract

He saw the dart of confusion in her eyes, the warmth of her cheek flaring to heat his palm as he denied them.

But surely it was better this way?

He was here to gather information and then get the hell out. He knew, too, that being here always put him in a dark place.

As well as that, she hadn’t been versed in his cold and soulless heart—those gorgeous green eyes were unaware that he had nothing, nothing other than sex to give.

‘You should go in,’ he said, dropping his hand and then watching as she fumbled in her small bag for her key.

Grace took two attempts to get the blasted key in the lock. Humiliated and embarrassed as the sexiest man she’d ever encountered sent her off to bed without so much as a kiss when she’d been so sure.

With her back turned she bit her lip at the sting of his rejection. But, used to hiding her true feelings, she managed an over-the-shoulder smile.

‘Goodnight.’

‘Sleep well.’

She closed the door between them and felt the breeze from the fan, but it neither cooled nor composed her.

She felt awkward and upset that she’d so spectacularly misread things. But as she stripped off her sarong and put out her clothes for the morning Grace groaned in embarrassment when she thought about how she’d shown him the elephant videos, then droned on about her mother.

God, no wonder she hadn’t been on a date in for ever, or been kissed in...

Grace honestly couldn’t remember.

Actually, she could. That guy at teaching college. But as she stepped into the shower his name remained elusive.

Carter wouldn’t kiss like he had.

That much she knew.

Even the shower did little to smother the orchestra trapped in her frustrated body, for it played on tunelessly. Only now it played into a void. She shaved her legs—just because—and she shaved under her arms, conditioned her hair... But it was her centre that ached for attention. Her small breasts felt too big, and between her thighs she ached, even as she wrapped herself in a towel.

Of course he didn’t want her in that way, Grace reprimanded her reflection in the mirror over the sink. He’d merely been passing the time.

Her cheeks were still flushed as she brushed her teeth—and, no, it wasn’t from the wind on the boat or the sun. Replacing her toothbrush, she stared at her reflection in the dim low-wattage light and wished that Carter stood behind her and touched her cheek where he just had. Wished the night had ended differently.

As she lay in bed the monkeys scampered across the roof for a while, but soon even they gave in and she was left with a heavy regret.

She wished she’d known Carter Bennett’s kiss.

Then, just on the edge of sleep, when her defences slipped a fraction, allowing her to wander the unguarded corridors in her mind, she dared admit to more.

She wished she’d known far more than just his kiss...

CHAPTER FOUR

THE NIGHTMARES WERE BACK.

Carter had considered them long since gone, but after more than two decades’ absence they’d returned.

As always, they started benignly. He was casually strolling through Kuala Lumpur Airport, pulling up his boarding pass on his phone, when he heard his father’s voice.

‘Carter, look!’

Nonplussed, he turned and saw Grace, saw her passport lying on the floor.

Just like last time, he decided it wasn’t his problem.

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