Kate laughed. “Me too.” She met his gaze, and her stomach flipped. Lisander smiled, a soft, intimate smile, and then his lips were on hers.
God that kiss, tender, gentle, then firm and masterful. Kate’s head whirled with desire. Lisander leaned his forehead against hers. “Wanna get out of here?”
She tookhim back to her apartment, her desire for this man overriding the thought of Nikos. Lisander’s hands were on her body, caressing, massaging, stroking, and she let go of all her ambitions. Christ, she wanted him inside her, had never felt such a strong desire before. She wanted to be naked with him, fucking him, being fucked in every way there was, giving herself over to him completely.
“Lisander,” she whispered, and heard him groan. In the kitchen, he lifted her onto the counter, his hands reaching under her skirt to tug her panties down her legs, his long fingers caressing her. Kate cupped the hot length of his cock through his jeans and felt how hard it was for her.
“I want you, Katie.”
A punch to the gut.Katiewas Nikos’s nickname for her.Oh, god, Nikos, I’m sorry. She gently pushed Lisander away. “I’m sorry, I can’t.” She couldn’t look at him. He stood, catching his breath, silent for a few moments.
“It’s okay, it’s okay.” He tried to smile, but Kate could see the hurt in his eyes. She slid off the counter and went to him.
“I’m sorry, I don’t know what I was thinking.” She grinned wryly. “I truly am a big old mess at the moment. I have a boyfriend; his name is Nikos. Until I get things resolved with him, it’s not fair to him. Itwouldn’tbe fair to you. I’m just not ready.” She tried to read his expression. “Friends?”
“Always,” he said with a sad smile. Kate stroked his face.
“It’s not that I don’t want you, Lisander. I do. I have ever since that first day. I just have to end things with Nikos first. I don’t want to be a cheater.”
Lisander nodded. “I understand. Look, I had better get out of here before you change your mind and wrestle me to the ground again.”
Kate laughed, grateful for the joke. “Does anything dent your confidence?”
Lisander grinned. “Not really.” He cupped her face in his hand and brushed her lips again. Kate groaned; the taste of his mouth was too intoxicating.
They started to kiss again, then froze as someone knocked at the front door. For a moment, they didn’t move. Another knock, louder. Kate sighed and grinned up at Lisander.
“Disengage, soldier.”
He snickered. Walking away from him, she smoothed her clothing and her hair quickly. Another knock.
“Coming!’
“If only,” muttered Lisander, and she giggled.
“Perv.” She blew him a kiss and skipped to the front door and unlocked it.
Nikos stood in front of her, his face a mask of shock.
Benoit and Shilohsat in the small café, both staring at the photograph in front of them. Shiloh reached over and took Benoit’s hand. He looked up at her, dazed, almost bewildered. She smiled at his expression.
“Our baby. Our girl.”
He laughed softly. “I cannot quite believe it. This is really happening, huh?”
Shiloh laughed and rubbed her belly. “Unless this is a burrito baby.” She watched him as he marveled at the scan photo. “Any names come to mind? Anything butMarcella.”
She regretted her words at once as his face creased with pain. “I’m sorry, Benoit. I didn’t mean to break the mood.”
He didn’t answer, but stared out of the window. The Parisian streets were dark now, streetlights casting long beams over the slick wet asphalt. She watched his face go through a myriad of emotions before he cleared his throat and turned back to her.
“Shiloh … I’m not going to pretend that I didn’t feel something for Marcella and that I probably will always miss her as a friend. But this,” he waved the scan gently, “I am committed to our child now, to trying to make us work.”
She reached over and stroked his face. “Thank you.” She saw the uncertainty in his eyes though, withdrew her hand and sighed. “Things would be so much better if she wasn’t around all the time. Just so you didn’t have to see her, so I didn’t have to see her and know she was the love of your life, that I am your … fallback, your consolation prize.” Her voice was soft, but there was bitterness in her words and angry tears in her eyes.
He sighed and took her hand. “Don’t ever say that.” he sighed, “Marcella is not the love of my life, Shiloh. Don’t you know by now that I loveyou?”
It was the first time he said it and Shiloh’s eyes filled with happy tears. “I love you too, Benoit Vaux.”
