Page 53 of Marriage Masquerade

He nodded and continued to unbutton his shirt. Gemma watched as more and more of his chest was revealed. Her heart rate sped up, and her breathing grew shallow. He was a beautiful man, strong, sleek, male.

And she was in love with him.

How would it feel to touch that bronzed skin, feel the heat, run her fingertips over the contours, to let her lips and tongue taste him, caress him?

She spun around, then felt stupid staring at the door.

“I need the bathroom,” she said, and almost ran from the room.

“You are acting eight, not twenty-eight,” she admonished herself when alone.

Splashing water on her face, she quickly brushed her teeth and drew a deep breath. Another. Gradually, her rioting senses calmed.

“I can do this,” she told her reflection.

She could go into that room, get ready for bed while Nikos used the bathroom and get in the bed. They’d already proved it was possible to sleep and nothing else. She’d turn her back on him, make sure her hands stayed firmly away from his tantalizing skin and go right to sleep.

Feigning sleep when Nikos returned to the room a few minutes after she’d dashed off her clothes and jumped beneath the covers didn’t fool him for an instant. Resolutely, she kept her eyes tightly shut, her hands in fists.

He switched off the lights and climbed into his side of the bed.

She wondered if she could breathe.

“Do you like Megan?” he asked, making no effort to be quiet.

Gemma debated for a moment whether or not to answer. But he knew she wasn’t asleep.

“Yes. She and I hit it off instantly. Sometimes that happens.”

“They didn’t have a simple time of it,” he said, moving, settling in.

Gemma froze. What was he doing? The mattress moved again, and she felt the warmth of his leg beside her. Scant inches separated them. How could she be expected to sleep with him so tantalizingly close?

“What do you mean?” she asked.

Talking would be good. She could concentrate on Nikos' deep tones and maybe fall asleep that way.

Though she instantly felt wide awake and not the least bit sleepy.

“They were sweethearts during college, then had a big fight. Neither can remember what it was about, but they went their separate ways. Neither he nor Megan knew she was pregnant.”

“So they did just get married four years ago,” she murmured.

“He was on an assignment to the United States and ran into her at an art gallery featuring a new artist. They’d been lovers in college. For ten years, she’d thought he’d abandoned her. And when he found her again, he told her he thought she’d run away with another man. It’s hard to rebuild trust once it’s been shattered.”

“They seem perfect for each other. And both children are precious.”

“I want to discuss something with you,” Nikos said, slipping his arm beneath her neck and slowly drawing her closer.

Instantly, heat cascaded through Gemma. She could hardly breathe. How could she talk? His body was hard against the softer curves of her own. His scent seemed to invade every cell. Bracing herself, she found her hand pushed against his chest. She could feel the slow, steady beat of his heart. Her fingers curled slightly, feeling the strength of his chest.

“What?”

One word. If she could say one word, she could say more.

At least she hoped so.

Right now, all she could do was concentrate on the sensations that swept through her. His arm beneath her neck, her head resting against his shoulder. The heat beneath the sheet that enveloped them both. His steady pulse felt steady against her fingertips while hers was racing.

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