The Ultimate Seduction

Chapter Nine

It was nine-thirty the following morning before Noah heard the upstairs shower turn on, and assumed that Natalie had finally gotten out of bed. As for him, he'd been awake since before his alarm clock had gone off at six. He'd taken his own shower, had quietly gotten dressed for the day, then left Natalie burrowed deep in the covers while he headed downstairs. He wanted to get some work done in his office before she woke up and he finally explained her past relationship with Chad Freeman.

Last night, the woman in his bed had been completely and utterly insatiable to the point of exhausting them both, he recalled with a smile. They'd made love three times, and once their passions had cooled, peace and calm had settled over her. When she'd snuggled up to him and asked him to just hold her, he hadn't been able to shatter the cocoon of intimacy with a serious discussion. He knew there would be plenty of time for that later.

Like this morning, just as soon as she came downstairs.

With a resigned sigh, he put away the paperwork he was researching on the Internet, grabbed Natalie's case file and headed into the kitchen to make a fresh pot of coffee for her, and himself. He could use another dose of caffeine to get him through the next hour or so.

By the time the coffee was done percolating, Natalie walked into the kitchen wearing a pair of cotton drawstring pants and a blouse she hadn't bothered to button up all the way. Her hair was still damp and combed away from her freshly scrubbed face, and she greeted him with a soft "good morning," an affectionate kiss on the cheek and a sweet smile he knew he could get used to seeing every day for the rest of his life.

His heart thumped hard in his chest, the knowledge that he'd fallen in love with this woman undeniable. She fit so perfectly in his life, in a way he'd never imagined any woman could. For years he'd embraced his playboy, bachelor image, enjoying brief relationships that made no demands on his carefree lifestyle and emotions. No attachment beyond sexual pleasure meant no potential heartache to deal with, and that motto had worked just fine for him.

Until Natalie. He'd taken her in, made her a part of his life, and now he was in so deep every fiber of his being tensed at the thought of losing her, which was a distinct possibility. Their relationship, their affair, had been instigated under false pretenses, and it was only a matter of time before everything came to a head and she realized the truth. He could only hope and pray his feelings for her would be enough to repair any damage he'd done to her emotions.

She withdrew two mugs from the cupboard, finding everything in the kitchen, in his home, with ease after nearly a week in his care. "I can't believe you let me sleep in so late," she chastised lightly.

He poured the coffee into their cups, and she added the creamer. "You obviously needed it."

She grinned impishly, her eyes dancing with a mischievous light he knew he was eventually going to douse as the morning turned to more somber matters. "I guess I did need the rest," she admitted.

And not just because of their night of intense, sizzling lovemaking. The distressing situation she'd endured at work had obviously contributed to the stress and tension, heightening her need to work off the restless apprehension that had settled over her. She'd chosen to lose herself in sensual sensations, and once she'd slaked her lust, she'd been physically and emotionally wasted. After their intense encounter, deep, uninterrupted slumber had consumed her, which had been for the best, he knew.

She picked up her mug and took a sip of the steaming brew, and the opening in her blouse gave him a glimpse of the faint, crescent-shaped red mark on the swell of her breast.

He reached out and touched the blemish his teeth had left on her smooth skin, and winced in contrition. "I'm sorry about doing this to you."

"No, you're not," she refuted, her tone playful. "And neither am I, though I'm glad you're not leaving your love bites in plain sight for everyone to see."

Leaning close, he nuzzled her neck, inhaling the fresh, clean scent of shampoo and mint toothpaste. "I'd like to," he said throatily.

God, he'd never been so wild and untamed with a woman as he'd been with Natalie last night. But it had turned him on to claim her in such a brazen, primitive way, and obviously it had aroused her, too. Just thinking about her eager, shameless response to the way he'd taken her the first time last night sent a rush of heat to his groin.

Before he gave in to the desire to take her up against the table for a morning quickie, he inhaled a deep, steadying breath and switched mental gears. "Want me to make you breakfast?"

"I'm not overly hungry." She set her coffee on the table, then pulled a box of Raisin Bran from the pantry and a bowl from the cupboard. "I'll just have a small bowl of cereal. By the way, I was thinking we could go shopping today to buy a gift for Cole and Melodie's wedding tomorrow."

He nodded. "Sounds like a plan." He leaned his hip against the counter as she added milk to her flakes. He let her enjoy a few mouthfuls of her breakfast before deciding to get business done and over with. "Natalie, we have to talk."

She carried her bowl to the table and sat down, a small, hesitant smile on her lips. "I figured as much, since you said that last night before I distracted you," she said, and took another bite of her cereal.

He felt a perceptible change in her, a reserve that was nearly tangible. "Not that I'm complaining about your persuasive methods," he assured her, wanting to be certain she knew and understood that he'd been a willing participant in their sexual encounter from the moment she'd kissed him in the foyer. "But there's something I have to tell you."

She met his gaze head-on, and he couldn't miss the uncertainties and fear that had found their way back into her expressive eyes. "You know who's after me, don't you?"

He felt as though he'd been suckerpunched in the belly. He didn't know how she knew, but he suspected it was mostly intuition on her part. She might have lost her memory, but she was a sharp, insightful woman, and it didn't take a master's degree to figure out that someone was following her, considering how bold Chad had been in his pursuit so far.

There was no way to soften his answer, so he gave it to her straight. "Yeah, I do. And it's someone you know. Someone from your past that you don't remember because of your amnesia. And you need to know who this person is so you can protect yourself."

She shook her head, her confusion and apprehension plain. "I don't understand."

As her lover and the man who'd taken it upon himself to be her guardian, it was his job to make her understand. No matter how painful the process, no matter that his revelations might trigger a flood of memories that would be the beginning of the end for them. He had to level with her, at least about her relationship with Chad so she knew what kind of danger she was up against.

He sat in the chair next to hers at the table, and took a long drink of his coffee for fortitude. "Before you moved to Oakland, you lived in Reno. Do you remember that?"

Her brow furrowed into a frown, as if she were trying to recall that time in her life. "Parts of it," she said vaguely.

He waited a little longer for her to mull over the information he'd given her, but nothing seemed to click into place for her. Not yet, anyway.

He continued to feed her more facts, a little at a time so he didn't overwhelm her. "You went to college at University of Nevada, Reno, and you were dating a man by the name of Chad Freeman."

She set her spoon in her half-eaten cereal and pushed the bowl aside, her appetite obviously gone. "The name-it's familiar somehow."

But she wasn't placing the man's name with a face-yet. Noah knew he had no choice but to connect the link for her. Reaching for the file folder he'd brought into the kitchen with him, he withdrew the photo her old landlady had given him. He was all too aware of the personal risk he was taking by showing her the picture, bringing Chad Freeman between them.

But his choices were limited, and he wasn't about to sacrifice her safety for his own selfish desire to completely erase her past with a man who'd abused her. "This is Chad Freeman," he stated, and forced himself to turn the picture around for her to see.

Her eyes widened, and her face turned chalk white. "Oh, God," she croaked, visibly shaken. "He's the man who cornered me in the restaurant." She raised her gaze to Noah, panic and confusion etched across her expression. "And what am I doing in that picture with him?"

Seeing how traumatized she was by the photo, he tucked it back into the folder. "Like I said, you were dating him for a few years. He's the man I believe is after you, Natalie."

She shook her head in denial, her shock rendering her momentarily speechless.

He hated putting her through such emotional turmoil, but her life and future were at stake. "Natalie, honey, I need to know if you remember if this is the man you were running from before you were hit by the car."

She squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her fingers to her temple, as if trying to conjure images in her mind. When she looked at him again, her distress was prominently stamped on her features. "I-I don't remember!" Her breathing had grown labored. "Are you saying that an old boyfriend is stalking me?"

"All the evidence that I've been able to come up with leads to Chad." He placed a comforting hand over hers, not surprised to find her skin cool and clammy. "He's getting bolder in his attempts, and you need to know who and what is threatening you."

"But why would he want to hurt me?"

Because Chad Freeman was a deranged son of a bitch who didn't deal well with rejection, Noah thought bitterly. But he kept his own personal theory to himself, instead revealing to Natalie what he'd discovered from her landlady, Vivian. He explained how Chad had become more domineering of her and mentally abusive, and how his temper had exploded when she'd taken on a job as a showgirl to earn some extra money. When she'd broken off the relationship he'd stalked her and finally physically attacked her one night after work.

Disbelief and horror flashed in her gaze, and she abruptly stood up, her entire body stiff. "Why don't I remember any of this?" she demanded, her tone high and shrill and near hysterical.

Concerned that the overload of information he'd given her, all of which she couldn't recall, would cause her to have a nervous breakdown, he stood, too, ready to catch her if she fell apart. "According to the doctor who treated you the night of your accident, he explained that your retrograde amnesia could have been caused not only by a head injury, but by something traumatic you might have suffered before the accident, and that might have been Chad following you that night. As a result, your memory is blocking out your past with him and other recollections you might not want to remember."

"But I do want to remember," she insisted angrily through clenched teeth, "because I can't go on like this much longer!"

Unable to help himself, he gathered her into his arms, holding her close to soothe her anxiety and fears. "I've got Bobby working the case, along with me and Cole. We're going to find him, Natalie," he said fiercely. "And in the meantime, I'm going to do everything in my power to protect you."

Unfortunately, despite his best intentions and resources, he knew she wouldn't be completely safe until they caught Chad.

"By the power vested in me, I now pronounce you man and wife," the minister said, closing his Bible and looking up at Cole and Melodie with a smile. "You may now kiss your new bride."

Sighing wistfully, Natalie watched as Cole lifted Melodie's veil, gathered her into his strong embrace and gave her a kiss that had the congregation of family and friends applauding their new marital status. Flanking the happy bride and groom as best man and maid-of-honor were Cole's two siblings, Noah and Joelle, who were beaming with pride.

Joelle's husband, Dean, had opted out of the wedding party in order to take care of his daughter, and he sat next to Natalie in the second pew from the front with five-month-old Jennifer perched on his lap. During the ceremony he'd kept the baby quiet with a bottle, but now the little girl seemed to know it was time to celebrate the joyous occasion and wanted to add to the good cheer. She waved the rattle her daddy had put into her pudgy hand, shaking the noisemaker with enthusiasm and squealing delightedly for good measure.

Natalie laughed, completely charmed by the sweet baby and the obvious affection between father and daughter. Dean was a doting daddy, and she felt so fortunate to be a part of the close, loving dynamics of the Sommers family.

After the upsetting day she'd had yesterday since discovering that a sadistic ex-boyfriend was stalking her, and after experiencing vague recollections of her past with Chad throughout the afternoon and evening, Natalie was grateful for the reprieve of Cole and Melodie's wedding. Despite the occasional concerned glance Noah cast her way to make sure she was doing okay, the day was filled with joy, laughter and an abundance of smiles, and the cheerful atmosphere made her forget about her own problems for a little while.

With the ceremony over, the wedding party and guests poured out of the church and followed the bride and groom to a nearby country club for the reception. The ballroom was huge, filled with white streamers, iridescent balloons and lush, fragrant floral bouquets on every table. Cole and Melodie sat up on a higher platform, just the two of them, while the bridesmaids and groomsmen were able to sit at a reserved table up front with their significant others.

Finally, after all his best-man obligations were fulfilled, Noah settled into the chair beside hers, looking breathtakingly handsome in his formal black tuxedo and lavender bow tie that matched the bridesmaids' gowns. His striking blue eyes glimmered with enjoyment, and he wore a bad-boy grin just for her that jump-started her pulse.

He dipped his head close to hers, and his warm male scent added to the desire settling low and deep within her. "Have I told you how incredibly sexy you look in that dress?" He trailed a finger along the line of her shoulder, bared by the design of the outfit.

She shivered at his seductive touch and welcomed his playful charm, immensely pleased that he liked the sleek, wine-colored dress she'd chosen with him in mind. "You've told me, oh, only about a dozen times."

Beneath the table, he flattened his hand on her knee and skimmed his hot palm under the hem of her dress and up her thigh. "But what I haven't told you is that I can't wait to find out what you're wearing beneath it."

His boldness caught her off guard, considering they were seated with four other couples and his baby niece was nearby. She clamped her legs together before he could discover that the only things separating his searching fingers from her flesh were thigh-high stockings and bikini panties.

She caught his wrist, and a playful, arousing game of tug-of-war ensued beneath the linen table cloth. "Behave yourself," she murmured, her cheeks heating with a blush.

A sinful grin canted the corners of his mouth. "Now, what's the fun in that?" Withdrawing his hand, he winked at her, then turned his attention to his sister and brother-in-law. "Hey, Dean, how's the consultation work going?"

While other guests seated themselves and black-jacketed waiters circled the room to take drink orders from the tables, Natalie listened with interest as Dean and Noah discussed the free-lance business Dean had recently started. Since he'd been the CEO of a traffic-control business in Seattle before selling his company, he now offered his expertise to construction firms with bids and estimates on high-dollar projects. Natalie was amused to discover that Dean also accompanied his wife on the occasional bail-recovery assignment she took on through the investigative agency.

As the conversation continued between couples and the band struck up some light dinner music, Jennifer was passed around the table to familiar faces to keep her amused and occupied. When it came to Noah's turn to take her, he did so without hesitating, his big hands easily fitting around her little waist.

He held her up in the air and wiggled her until she gave him a big, toothless smile. "How's my favorite niece?" he said, his tone deep, but infinitely gentle.

"She's your only niece, Noah," Jo said wryly, pointing out the obvious.

"Which makes her my favorite," he said, never taking his gaze from the little girl in his arms. "Isn't that right, princess?" He blew a raspberry on her neck, making her squeal with delight and clasp his cheeks in her hands.

Natalie laughed as Jennifer tugged at his bow tie and grabbed at the flower on his lapel, and Noah fended off each of her attempts with a tickle or something equally distracting. And when she drooled on his crisp white dress shirt he didn't so much as blink twice.

Natalie didn't know, or perhaps didn't remember, that he had a such a soft spot for kids, but there was no denying how full her heart felt at the sight of Noah with the baby girl, and just how comfortable he was playing with her. The man would make a great father one day, and the thought made her own stomach flutter at the notion of being the one to carry his child.

The salads arrived, followed by dinner, then pure celebration took precedence for the rest of the evening, along with traditional wedding customs. The bride and groom shared the first dance, then cut the big, elaborate four-tiered cake, which was then served to the guests.

Melodie tossed her bridal bouquet to the small group of unmarried women, and while Natalie had joined in on the festivity with Joelle urging her on, she'd never expected to be the one to catch the bundle of flowers. She stood off to the side, and no one was more surprised than her when the bouquet hit her in the chest and dropped right into the hands she automatic shot out in front of her to protect herself from the floral slingshot.

She was rewarded with cheers and congratulations, and her gaze sought out Noah, who was watching her with a smile. Their connection was intimate and soulful, but she detected a deeper reserve about him, as if the fact that she held the flowers in her hand was a trick of some kind. Yet they were engaged, which meant there was just as much reality attached to the tradition as wishful thinking.

As the single men gathered out on the dance floor,

Cole removed the garter from his wife's leg and shot it out to the crowd of bachelors. Aggressive and competitive, Noah jumped high to snatch the garter out of the air and claim it for his own. The men around him clapped him on the back, seemingly grateful that they weren't next in line to slip on the old ball and chain. When Noah started toward her with his prize in hand and a predatory, determined light in his eyes, excitement took hold.

Without warning or hesitation, he wrapped a strong arm around her waist, hauled her close and kissed her, staking a claim on her in front of family and friends in a way no one could misinterpret.

She was his.

By the time he lifted his head and grinned down at her, she was completely breathless, aroused and flushed from his very public display. As she met Noah's tender, affectionate gaze, her heart swelled with love for him, so full it felt near to bursting with emotion.

And for the moment, for the night, the feelings between them were all that mattered to her.

By eleven that night, the wedding revelry had died down considerably, leaving the last of the die-hard party guests to bring the evening's celebration to a close. A couple of dozen people remained, milling around and conversing with friends, and taking advantage of the music the band was still playing.

Since Cole and Melodie had slipped out of the reception an hour earlier to get a head start on their wedding night, Noah had taken it upon himself to issue goodbyes and thank-yous to the guests as they left the dwindling party.

After bidding Melodie's father and his date a goodnight, Noah headed back inside the ballroom to see how Natalie was holding up and if she was ready to go, too. It had been a busy day and evening for both of them. From across the room he spotted her sitting at their table with no other adult company. His breath caught, and his heart seemed to lodge in his throat at the sight that greeted him.

Wearing that sexy dress with her hair in a fancy knot atop her head, Natalie was beautiful enough to stop him in his tracks. But it was the picture of her holding a sleeping Jennifer snuggled in the crook of her arm that gave him a jolt he felt all the way to the depths of his soul. Natalie's expression was serene as she gazed at the baby girl, her features reflecting awe and contentment.

And that sense of security and peace would soon be shattered, he knew. Maybe not tonight, but there was a man out there determined to wreak havoc on Natalie's life, who would also put in jeopardy the tenuous relationship they'd forged. Sooner or later, the truth would be revealed.

Pushing the disturbing thought aside, he strolled across the room to Natalie. He sat down in the chair next to her, and she looked up at him with a soft smile.

"I see you got roped into baby-sitting," he commented, amazed that the baby could sleep through the loud music blaring out of the speakers.

"I offered my services." She glanced down and drifted her fingers over the soft tufts of blond hair on the little girl's head in a loving gesture. "Jennifer was getting fussy and I thought I'd give Jo and Dean a break so they could enjoy a few dances without worrying about the baby."

"That was nice of you." Then again, he wasn't surprised. The woman had a generous, giving heart.

She shrugged. "Considering the very busy day she had, all it took was a few sips of milk from her bottle and she was out like a light."

Noah highly suspected that Natalie's maternal instincts had a lot to do with why his niece was cuddled so trustingly in her arms, as well. He experienced a twinge of envy as he took in the way Jennifer's cheek was pressed to Natalie's soft breast. He knew from personal experience just how comfortable those twin pillows could be.

He looked out toward the dance floor, finding his sister and brother-in-law enjoying the tunes being played. Jo was obviously teasing Dean over something that made the other man unexpectedly grab her around the waist and twirl her around in a series of fancy dance moves, which made Jo laugh out loud. Her blue eyes sparkled, and Noah loved seeing his sister so happy, and no longer allowing past mistakes to dictate her future. Both Noah and Cole had Dean to thank for Jo's transformation, and considered him as much a part of the family as another sibling.

"Jo and Dean seem to be having a good time," he said, speaking what was on his mind.

"Hmm, so am I," Natalie replied, her gaze never leaving the baby in her arms. She pressed a finger against Jennifer's tiny palm and the little girl instinctively clutched Natalie's ringer in her sleep. Natalie sighed, the sound rife with longing. "Isn't she just the sweetest thing you've ever seen?"

Leaning close, Noah nuzzled Natalie's neck, inhaling deeply of her warm, feminine fragrance tinged with the scent of baby powder. "After you, yes."

She shivered and cast him a look filled with sensual promise-for later. "You know how to say all the right things, don't you."

He grinned rakishly. "I speak the truth."

She rolled her eyes and returned her gaze to Jennifer. "Just look at her, Noah. She's so perfect."

"That's because she's sleeping," he said, a teasing inflection in his tone. "You obviously haven't been on the receiving end of her crankiness. Jen takes after her mother. When she's in one of those moods she reminds me of Jo when she's ticked off." He shuddered for effect.

Soft laughter escaped Natalie. "You are so bad." She met his gaze, suddenly growing serious. "Holding her in my arms, I realize that I want a big family someday, especially since I was an only child and didn't have any siblings. I want that, for me and our children."

Our children. Oh, wow. Her reference to them having babies together struck him square in the chest, toppling him a bit off balance emotionally. He wanted things with Natalie that he'd never dreamed possible, never allowed himself to believe could be his. A wife. Babies. A family of his very own. It all seemed so close, so within his reach-yet they were living a lie, and their relationship was still precarious at best.

"What about you, Noah?" she asked, her question definitely calling for an answer, especially since she believed they were engaged to be married and a discussion about kids would be perfectly normal. "Do you want a big family?"

He swallowed hard and dredged up the most honest response he could put together. "Yeah, when the time is right, I would love a big family."

She gave him a soft, lingering kiss on his lips. "I'm glad we agree on that."

Minutes later, Jo and Dean came up to the table, breathless and looking like newlyweds themselves, and Noah was grateful for the interruption, which distracted Natalie from more talk about babies.

"I think us old married folk are going to head home and put the little one to bed," Dean said.

Noah witnessed a shared look between the couple, and saw Dean's excuse for what it was-the chance to spend a romantic evening with his wife. Noah understood, because he couldn't wait to get Natalie alone, either.

Natalie brushed her lips over Jennifer's brow, then glanced up at Jo. "If you ever need a baby-sitter, just let me know. I absolutely adore her."

"Thank you for the offer. And judging by how content she looks, I think the adoration is mutual."

Dean gathered up his sleeping daughter while Jo collected the baby paraphernalia on the table and dumped it into the diaper bag. With one last goodbye, the trio exited the party, leaving Noah and Natalie sitting alone at their table.

Just as the band switched to a slow ballad, Noah picked up Natalie's hand and caressed his thumb over her knuckles. "How about one last slow dance before we head home, too?"

She nodded and stood. "I would love that."

He led her out to the parquet floor where only a handful of other couples were enjoying the music, and pulled her tight into his embrace. She wrapped her arms around his neck and flowed into him, breasts to chest, thighs to thighs. He splayed a hand at the small of her back and aligned their hips, too. Their bodies brushed with every movement, heightening the awareness between them.

Natalie looked up at him, her gaze searching his in the dim lighting. "Noah-when are we getting married?"

Her unexpected question startled him for a moment. Then frustration settled in. It was getting more and more difficult to keep up the pretense between them, to continue to let Natalie believe something that just wasn't real, no matter how much Noah wished otherwise. "We haven't set a date yet."

"Maybe we should," she said, smoothing her hand beneath his suit jacket, her palm coming to rest over his rapidly beating heart. "That way I can have something to look forward to and start planning."

He hated denying her anything, but refused to put such a life-altering change into motion when their engagement was based on fabrications. And more and more he wanted their relationship based on reality, truth and trust. "When your memory returns we'll talk about it," he said, giving her at least that much. "I promise."

She released a soft sound teeming with impatience. "There you go again, coddling me."

He allowed a slight smile to make an appearance. "I'm not coddling you. I just think that discussing a wedding date isn't as important as making sure you're better and your memory is back to normal."

It was obvious by her determined expression that she disagreed. "All right," she finally relented. "But just for the record, I don't have to like your way of thinking."

He chuckled at her bit of defiance and tucked her head against his chest. "I didn't expect you to, sweetheart."

As the music played, she softened against him, as much a part of him as the steady beat of his heart. And that's when he knew that he couldn't go on Like this, deceiving her with their relationship, playing with her emotions. The complete truth had to be told, their circumstances and feigned engagement explained, even at the risk of losing her.

But first he wanted one last night with her.