CHASING TROUBLE

“Why, to see if my aunt’s guest is completely comfortable, of course,” he drawled. “Are you?” he prompted huskily.

She had been until he had entered the bedroom, Caroline acknowledged. Now her earlier tension had returned with a vengeance! And not just her tension… Caroline felt at a distinct disadvantage lying here in bed, with only the duvet to cover her as Nicholas looked down at her with lazily appreciative eyes. She felt surprisingly hot; her breasts were tingling, the nipples hard and sensitized, and a burning ache between her thighs. An ache she knew Nicholas could so easily satisfy… She swallowed hard. “I’m fine, thank you.”

He gave a mocking inclination of his head. “There’s nothing I can do to make you feel more…comfortable?”

Her eyes flashed darkly as color filled her cheeks again. “Absolutely nothing!”

“No?”

“No! Nicholas, what are you doing?” she demanded indignantly as he sat on the side of the bed, his weight pulling the duvet tightly across her body, the material chafing across her roused breasts and almost making her groan out loud.

What was wrong with her? She wasn’t this person; had never been this person. Had never been a woman who only had to look at a man-a certain man-and want to throw off all her clothes and offer her body. She shook her head determinedly. “You have to go, Nicholas!”

“Have to, Care?” he teased, edging close to her.

“Don’t you see-” She broke off as he lifted a hand and curved that warmth against one of her heated cheeks. “Don’t, Nick…. Nicholas,” she groaned achingly as he began to lower his head towards hers.Contentt bel0ngs to N0ve/lDrâ/ma.O(r)g!

Nicholas knew that he shouldn’t. But he had to; he couldn’t help himself. How could he not kiss Caroline when she lay there looking so sexy? When her every glance-although she probably wasn’t even aware of it-was inviting him to do so?

Nicholas deliberately held her gaze with his as he came to a halt with his lips mere centimeters away from hers, the warmth of their breath intermingling as he looked deeply into her eyes. He had told himself earlier that he was only coming to his old bedroom to check that Caroline was okay; that once he had done that he would leave. One look at her-her hair spilling across the pillow beneath her, those eyes as warm as chocolate-and Nicholas knew he had only been fooling himself with that excuse, that he had come to Caroline’s bedroom for one reason and one reason only: he hadn’t been able to stay away.

Why hadn’t he? What was it about Caroline that drew him to her like a siren’s lure? Until he had the answer to those questions, he knew he would be wise to resist that lure. He straightened abruptly. “You’re right,” he grated as he stood up and moved sharply away from the bed. “I should go.”

“Nicholas?”

“What?”

He looked so angry, Caroline acknowledged heavily. With her? Or with himself? She wasn’t sure; she only knew that whatever emotion had prompted him almost to kiss her a few seconds ago had now been replaced with cold dismissal.

She blinked. “Why are you so angry, Nicholas?”

His mouth twisted self-effacingly. “It’s nothing a cold shower won’t cure.”

Her eyes widened as his meaning became clear. Nicholas was as aroused by her as she was by him. Even here, in his aunt’s cottage, he wanted her. She gave a sad shake of her head. “We really need to talk, Nicholas,”

“What is there to talk about?” he came back tauntingly. “You’re the one who’s determined to hold yourself back. You don’t want to let yourself experience anything new and I don’t have the strength to convince you to do otherwise,”

Caroline gave a pained expression. “You’re being unnecessarily cruel, Nicholas,”

Nicholas gave a rueful shake of his head. “Oh no, Care. Forgive me. It’d be really stupid of me to give you more reason to dislike me than you already do.”

Caroline could see why he thought that, but she couldn’t let him know how she really felt-how she’d been feeling for a while now… She grimaced. “I don’t understand you half the time, Nicholas -that is something completely different from dislike.”

He raised his eyes to the ceiling. “Heaven preserve me from any woman who tries to understand me!”

He meant to wound. Caroline was sure. And he succeeded. He also succeeded in reminding her that he wasn’t a man who had ever committed his emotions to any woman. Just as she wasn’t a woman who entered into affairs with a man simply because she wanted him.

There was nothing in the least simple about her feelings for Nicholas.

“And heaven preserve me from a man who’s reached the age of almost thirty-seven without even coming close to committing himself to any woman!” she came back, feeling no satisfaction as she saw the ice enter Nicholas’ gaze.

“I’m sorry, Nicholas.” She gave a heavy sigh. “Can’t you see we’re just trying to hurt each other? Deliberately. Cruelly.” She gave a sad shake of her head.”I really don’t want to do this.”

Nicholas could see that by the unhappy curve of her mouth, the pain in the dark depths of her eyes. Damn it, he didn’t want to hurt Caroline. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He just didn’t seem to be able to stop himself…

“You’re right.” He nodded abruptly. “Get some sleep. We have to leave early in the morning if we’re going to get to the stadium in time for the match.”

Her eyes widened. “Won’t the snow have stopped them from playing?”

“A little bit of snow has never stopped them from playing soccer,” he assured her derisively. “Now, I had better get out of here- before Aunt Mae decides to come and investigate!” he added affectionately before closing the bedroom door softly behind him as he left.

How Caroline wished that she and Nicholas could have had a normal, easy working relationship. But today had proved that they never would. That they never could…Never even did in the first place.

_________

Caroline felt less convinced of that the following afternoon.

By tacit agreement she and Nicholas had barely spoken on the long drive after taking early leave of Aunt Mae. The roads had been cleared of snow but the ice still made driving hazardous, requiring Nicholas to keep his full attention on the road and other traffic. With a brief stop for lunch, they barely made it in time for the match to start.