Tall Dark and Hungry(37)

Terri yawned and slid into the front seat of Bastien's Mercedes, murmuring a thank-you as Bastien closed the door he'd held for her. He was so considerate, she thought on a sleepy sigh, watching as he got behind the steering wheel and started the car. And handsome, and sweet, and sexy, and smart.

Closing her eyes, she found herself nodding off as Bastien backed out of the parking spot and steered the car for the exit. When Terri blinked her eyes open again, it was to find they were pulling into the underground garage of the Argeneau building.

She tried to wake herself up as Bastien parked the car, but it seemed a terrible effort. Terri was still half asleep when she stumbled out, and was grateful when Bastien appeared at her side and drew her under his arm to steer her toward the elevator. Terri was even more grateful when, after she staggered wearily a couple of steps, he scooped her into his arms to carry her the rest of the way.

"She's exhausted,"she heard Vincent comment. "What did you do to the poor girl?»

If Bastien answered, Terri didn't hear. She snuggled against his chest and nodded off to sleep again.

"Here you go, baby.»

Bastien's soft voice roused Terri enough to realize he'd set her down on something soft, and that he was now working on the front of her shirt. She forced her eyelids up to see him bending over her, his face a picture of concentration. She supposed sitting up to help would be a good thing, but she felt almost drunk with exhaustion. Terri lay, eyes closed and half asleep, as he undressed her, removing first the top and bra she'd redonned to accompany them to the hospital, then moving on to her jeans and panties. He talked to her soothingly the whole while.

"There you are,"he said.

Terri snuggled down into the cool crisp sheets with a little sigh as he drew the blankets up to cover her. Then she promptly tumbled back to sleep.

The awning over the bed was black.

Terri stared at it sleepily, wondering why that was. Her room was decorated in rose and blue, and the awning over the bed was a royal blue with stars on it that never failed to make her smile when she woke up. A sleepy murmur beside her, followed by an arm snaking around her waist, promptly gave Terri the answer.

Bastien. She wasn't in her room; he must have put her to bed in the master suite last night when they returned from the hospital. She had been too tired at the time to notice. She'd been rather exhausted by the evening's events.

Terri closed her eyes as memories of the night before washed over her in tingling clarity. Last night had been… She let her breath out on a sigh. She'd never experienced anything like it. The passion, the hunger, the need-Terri had not just wanted Bastien last night in the living room, she'd craved him. Her skin, her lips, her whole body had ached for him with a desperation that, even now, made her toes curl.

Bastien sighed in his sleep and rolled away, withdrawing his arm as he did so. Terri took advantage of the moment to ease out of bed. She needed some time alone to think. Things were moving so quickly, time rolling by so fast, her emotions were building at a frightening rate. She just needed a little breathing space, time to think over what had happened and what to do next.

If there was anything to do, Terri thought, collecting her clothes from the floor, then crossing the bedroom to the door to the guest bathroom. Of course, she did have a choice in this matter. Either she continued in the affair she'd started with Bastien last night-though "affair"seemed a cheap word; the man wasn't married and neither was she, and that was what "affair"usually connoted-or she stopped it now. Which wasn't really any choice at all, Terri decided. She didn't want to stop.

A little sigh slipping from her lips, she turned on the shower, adjusted the temperature, and stepped under the spray. The water beat down hot and pulsating on her head and shoulders, and Terri turned slowly, sighing with pleasure as it massaged her back, her side, her chest, and then her other side. Finally, she paused in her slow spin with her back to the spray again.

No, there wasn't any choice at all, she thought as she reached for the soap. Closing her eyes, Terri tipped her head backward and allowed moments from the night before to drift through her mind. She ran the small bar of soap over her skin. Bastien's tenderness, his passion, his kisses, his body driving into hers…

She wasn't at all surprised at the way her toes curled against the tile floor of the shower, or the lingering tingles that spread where her hands moved the soap. Just thinking of what she and Bastien had done, what she'd felt, made her hungry to experience it again and again. Who could willingly give up the chance at more of what she'd enjoyed last night? Or any of the laughter and sharing and pleasure that Terri had experienced since coming to New York?

She couldn't, and she was willing to admit it. But she was risking her heart and knew that, too. That was where the problem came. Every moment that Terri spent with Bastien pushed her that much closer to loving him. He was special. She'd never met anyone like him, and she knew she never would again. It was as if Bastien had been custom-made for her, and put on this earth for her to find. They talked endlessly when together, liked and disliked many of the same things, worked well together in a crisis-and as for last night, if he'd found it as pleasurable and explosive as she had…

Terri opened her eyes and turned in the shower to allow the water to spray away the lather on her body. Had Bastien found as much pleasure in last night as she? She thought he might have, but perhaps it was always like that for him. Perhaps it had only been so new and explosive for her because of her lack of general experience. She and Ian had been young, and eager, and filled with the selfishness of youth. Looking back, she could see that now. At the time, Terri had no more concerned herself with his pleasure than he had with hers.

But the answer to her question seemed simple. If the choice was to end it or to continue her enjoyment for as long as she could, then she would continue as long as she could. Even if it only lasted the two weeks-one week, now-that she had left here in New York. It might hurt like the very devil when it ended and she went home, but oh, the memories!

Deciding that, since she had only a limited time here, she would go right away to make some more memories, Terri turned off the taps, slid the shower door open, and stepped out onto the fluffy rose-colored bath mat. She snatched a small towel, wrapped it around her wet hair, then grabbed a larger one and wrapped it around herself. Then she started forward, only to pause in surprise at the sight of Bastien standing in the open bathroom door. He was completely and unselfconsciously naked. And he was breathtakingly beautiful.

"I woke up and you were gone,"he said simply. Stepping forward, he slid his arms around her, pulled her against his chest, and lowered his head. Terri thought he was going to kiss her. He didn't. Instead, he nuzzled his nose into the crook between her shoulder and neck, and inhaled. "You smell like peaches."He licked her neck. "Good enough to eat.»

"Peach soap,"she breathed, her eyes drifting closed.

She tilted her head slightly to expose her neck to him. Bastien took advantage of the offering, and he nibbled a path to her ear. Terri moaned and shuddered, then lifted one hand to catch her fingers in his hair. She held him in place as she turned her face until their lips met. Bastien accepted the offer at once, kissing her hungrily.

She sensed him stretching past her, and vaguely heard the sudden rush of water. Terri was even half aware of his urging her backward, but her mind was passion-clouded, and she was taken by surprise when she felt the drum of water on her back.

"What?"she asked, breaking their kiss.

"I need a shower, too. You don't mind joining me, do you?"He ran one finger lightly down her chest, caught her now soaked towel, and pulled it free. It dropped to the floor of the shower with a wet splat, leaving Terri as naked as he.

"You wash my back and I'll wash yours,"he offered, stepping closer and letting one hand drift down to caress her behind. He urged her against him.

If she had doubted his intentions, the hardness pressing against her stomach cleared that doubt in a hurry. Terri felt a slow smile curve her lips, and she shifted to rub against him. "But I've already showered,"she protested.

"Another won't hurt,"Bastien said solemnly. "You can never be too clean. Or too wet.»

One hand slid around to cup her breasts, and Terri gasped as his other hand dipped between her legs.

"No. You can never be too clean. Or too wet,"she whispered, just before his mouth claimed hers again.

Bastien eased cautiously from the bed, doing his best not to wake Terri. She hadn't had much sleep the last couple of days. Last night had been especially short, thanks to the trip to the hospital. He'd still be asleep himself if a need for blood hadn't awakened him.

Kneeling next to the bed, Bastien opened the fridge hidden under it. He retrieved a bag of blood, then stood slowly and glanced at Terri to be sure she still slept. He wouldn't even have risked collecting the blood from the room if it weren't for the fact that he needed it so badly, and that the fridge in his office was empty. He should have had more brought in, but he kept forgetting. His mind seemed full of nothing but Terri of late.

Assured she still slept, Bastien grabbed the robe off the end of the bed, eased the blood bag into its pocket, and shrugged it onto his shoulders as he tiptoed to the bedroom door. He eased into the hall and pulled the door carefully closed, only then relaxing and moving at normal speed. He headed right to the kitchen. He often found it necessary to consume blood out of a bag, but it was rather like drinking milk out of the carton. A glass was always preferable. And so long as Terri was safely asleep, it was possible.