Page 95 of Taking the Heat

‘For you? My constant companion/obsessive stalker?’ I smiled angelically. ‘No.’

‘Hey!’

‘Fine.’ Moving back to the door, I opened it wide and looked down at the little card I’d brought along with me as a security blanket. Only the two names printed on the paper made it possible for me to even consider going inside.

I rubbed my fingertip fondly along the etched script reading,Henry, and then raised the card to my lips and pressed them against the wordChris.

With my eyes closed, I raised my face up and said, ‘I’m doing this out of love, not fear. I love my sister and I love Chris. There is love, and everything else is just background noise.’

Then, with my heart strong and full of love, I closed the door behind me.

Chapter 29

The second I opened the inner door, I knew someone was there already there. Although the room was as pitch black as the first time, there was a sense of another presence with me, a tingling in the air.

Sure enough, as I closed the door softly and splayed myself against the wall for safety, someone took a nervous breath, and the sound of the ragged hiss made my insides clench. He sounded as though he was sitting on the bed on my side of the room, the sheets making a soft rustle as he shifted his weight.

For a few minutes I stayed pinned against the wall. Despite my grandiose sound bite to Greg, I was definitely feeling the fear. The thumping of blood in my ears made it almost impossible to hear, and my mouth had dried out and made weird clicking noises when I swallowed. If he was straining to hear me as much as I listened for him, I must have sounded like a like a giant cockroach, with thrumming wings and scuttling feet.

It’s Henry or Chris—for god’s sake, you can do this! Walk over to that bed immediately!the stern voice in my head commanded me. I tried to obey.

Pushing reluctantly off the wall, I put my arms in front of me, zombie-style, and took the bravest step of my life. Lifting my bare foot, I moved forward, adrift in the dark harbour of the room. I made the steps as small as possible, my feet dragging along the soft carpet, as I inched my way towards the bed.

He must have heard me coming, my scuffing and sighing about as subtle as a hippo in a bag of Doritos. The bed creaked as he leant forward and stood up. The sound panicked me and I lost my balance—something new for me, I know.

Flailing and falling forward, I pitched right into his waiting arms. He caught me masterfully, wrapping me in a warm cuddle.

For a moment, I relaxed against his chest, allowing the smell of clean male to soothe my rattled nerves. He lifted a hand and stroked my hair, holding me tight. I love having my hair played with, and after being deprived of human contact for so long, the simple gesture made me melt.

While he hugged and patted me, I tried my hardest to work out who he was. Both Chris and Henry are so very similar in height and build, so that didn’t help. They’d smelled different every time I’d been close to them: sunscreen, soap, salt water. Neither of them had a distinguishing body feature—and I’d seen Chris buck naked, so I knew that for a fact.

If it’s Chris, when he touches your skin, you’ll tingle.

But I’m tingling anyway! What if it doesn’t work?

We don’t really have a choice, do we?

My inner crazy talk wrapped up. Steeling myself for a brief burst of bravery, I pulled back from him, preparing myself for a kiss.

He let his hands drop to the small of my back, drawing small circles just above my butt. The movement was so wonderful and intimate and I wanted to give in and enjoy it.

But Chris’ face appeared in my head. I can’t do this!I thought frantically.How can I sleep with someone who might not be the man I love! Get out! NOW!

A dry sob heaved up my throat and my chest hitched with emotion. I pulled backwards, trying to loose myself from his embrace, terror bursting through my thinly veiled repose.

He didn’t let me go. Finding my hand in the darkness, he brought it to his chest …

… and used his finger to draw a T over his heart.

Chris!

And just like that, the universe was perfect. My tears of terror turned to tears of joy and the shaking which had gripped me faded. Chris was here.It was him!

Chris lowered his mouth to mine and I met it passionately. As his lips landed on me, I felt that familiar dizzy sensation, the one that had connected us since that first brush in his coffee shop and had leaped between us ever since. I opened my soul wide to him, intending to never close it off again.

Chris kissed me tenderly, his lips sending sparks cracking along my skin. I raised my hands and threaded them in his hair, pulling him closer to me. In response, he wrapped an arm under my legs and swept me up, holding me tight without breaking the kiss.

Pressed against him, I darted my tongue inside his mouth, forcing my way inside him, the way he’d forced his way into my world. His breath hitched and his fingers tightened on me.

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