by Nina Blake
Smiling, she couldn’t help but notice his wonderful physique, his toned torso and slim hips. He’d always taken care to exercise, though that probably hadn’t been uppermost on his mind over the last couple of weeks.
His memory might have failed him but his body was clearly in peak condition.
Hands on the waistband of his boxers, Stefan was about to pull them down.
‘Don’t,’ she said.
‘But you said I could swim.’
‘Don’t take your shorts off.’
He raised his eyebrows. ‘Surely it’s nothing you haven’t seen before.’
He’d always been so easy going about nudity; Claire had not. When they’d been together and things had been good, he wouldn’t have given a second thought to stripping off.
‘I’d appreciate it if you’d keep them on,’ she said. ‘That’s all.’
He shrugged. ‘If you like.’
Stefan walked to the edge of the pool and lifted his arms up, the muscles along his side elongating with definition as he looked like a sculpted statue. Pushing off, he executed a perfect dive. As Stefan glided into the water, his shorts slid down, revealing taut buttocks that were a shade paler than the rest of his olive skin.
So much for the boxers staying on, Claire thought, unable to keep from smiling. Perhaps she shouldn’t have been such a prude, after all. He looked pretty damn good.
Stefan pulled his pants up as he swam, stopping when he reached the far edge. As he looked back at her, Claire hoped he hadn’t spotted her appreciative smile but his grin told her he had.
‘Maybe I should just ditch the pants,’ he teased.
‘Maybe you should concentrate on your swimming stroke.’
Turning away, Claire walked over to a deck chair and sat down. He was right. It was nothing she hadn’t seen before and she shouldn’t make such a fuss.
Stefan swam several laps freestyle as if his body hadn’t forgotten how. There were probably other things he hadn’t forgotten how to do, too. His motor skills seemed to be unaffected by his condition.
Floating on his back, he made his way lazily back to the edge of the pool near where Claire was seated and hoisted himself up to sit on the edge of the pool. She wondered if he was doing that on purpose, showing off his body that way.
‘You should take a dip.’
‘You were always a much better swimmer than me,’ Claire said, as if that were an answer.
’The pool’s warm. It must be heated.’ When she nodded, Stefan added, ‘You’ll be warmer in the pool than out. This water feels amazing.’
‘I-I’m sure it does.’
She knew he’d pick up on her hesitation. The offer was tempting.
‘You can leave your underwear on. If it bothers you, I promise I won’t look.’
‘It’s not that.’ The evening had been filled with tension, so a relaxing dip would do her good, damn it. ‘Okay,’ she said.
Kicking off her heels, Claire stood and started to slide off her clothes. Instinctively, she turned her back to him to undress. There was only the dress to come off. It wouldn’t take long.
Suddenly, she heard wet footsteps on the deck behind her.
‘I’ll help you with the zip,’ Stefan offered.
‘You’ll drip on me.’ It was a childish response but she couldn’t help it.
‘No, I won’t.’
She felt the zipper slacken between her shoulder blades as he slid it down her spine to, her lower back. Claire turned her head. ‘There’s a little hook at the top.’
‘So there is.’
As he undid it, the dress became loose and she suddenly felt exposed.
‘I can manage the rest.’
‘I wouldn’t want to drip on you,’ Stefan said as he walked back to the edge of the pool.
Leaning forward, Claire let the bodice slide from her shoulders and the rest of the dress slipped off with ease. As she stepped out of it, she glanced up to see Stefan’s gaze resting on her, his eyes drinking her in.
She draped the dress across the deck chair, her movements self-conscious. It’d been a long time since he’d looked at her that way, with longing, lust and love.
Claire walked to the far edge of the pool, away from Stefan and grateful she wasn’t wearing skimpier underwear. She’d chosen simple, black satin panties and a matching bra so her dress would glide unobstructed over the fabric. Claire reminded herself she that was no more exposed than if she would have been in her bikini.
But her clothes, or lack of them, weren’t the issue. The problem was Stefan’s searing gaze, the fire in his eyes seeming to burn away the fabric away before him.
Claire dipped her toes into the water and it warm, as Stefan had promised.
‘Dive in.’ He was grinning. ‘If I can do it, you can too.’
And have her underwear slip off? No way. Edging her bottom onto the side of the pool, Claire twisted around. Keeping her hands on the pool’s edge, she slowly lowered herself into the water: first her legs slipped in, then her hips, her shoulders, each part of her body, until her head slipped under, too.
She stayed underwater for a few moments, engulfed by the gentle warmth of the water and enjoying the strange sensation of being somewhere else, separated from the rest of the universe.
But as Claire lifted her head above and sucked in some air, she felt the water lapping around her as Stefan approached.
She turned her head and saw his wet hair gleaming behind her, his pale eyes sparkling. He was always so confident, so sure of himself, even now when he’d lost himself. How could that be?
‘I’m going to do a few laps.’ Claire kicked off, swimming to the other side of the pool.
When she got to the far side, she saw Stefan was still standing at the shallow end and watching her, his strong arms draped across the edge of the pool.
Claire did a few more laps, enjoying the warmth of the water as she glided through it, but though the pool was small, she wasn’t a strong swimmer and had to stop. Lifting her arms onto the pool’s edge, she rested her head on her arms.
Stefan waded across to join her. ‘I knew you’d like the water.’
‘I do.’
‘It’s relaxing and I think after tonight’s dinner, we both need to relax.’
‘Hmm.’
He might be relaxed. Claire was anything but.
Perhaps he sensed this, as he moved behind her and moved his hands onto her shoulders. His hands were warmer than the water, his touch firm as he pressed his thumbs in little circles and began to work away at the knots in her muscles.
Stefan knew what he was doing, his movements as practiced as a trained masseuse. She felt herself melt under his touch, felt the tension in her shoulders disappear, felt all her problems slip away.
Lifting her head, Claire let him knead the muscles of her neck until she felt completely relaxed.
‘That feels good,’ she said.
He slid his hands down across her shoulders and pressed a kiss against her neck. ‘Does that feel good too?’
Claire didn’t answer. Couldn’t speak.
Nuzzling closer, Stefan pressed his body against hers and slowly peppered her neck with little kisses. Sparks of electricity shot through her with each touch.
She felt strong. She felt weak. She felt alive.
He spun her around, jamming her body between his and the pool wall. Stefan’s hands dropped to the bare skin of her waist as he pulled her closer, that body that had once been so familiar against hers. Her hands glided up his chest, slick from the water, her fingers slipping easily behind his neck as she draped her arms around him.
Through lowered lids, Claire saw him tilt his head as he leaned forward. She closed her eyes and let it happen. At first she tasted the smokiness of the whisky; then there was only the familiar taste of Stefan, of the velvety smoothness of his tongue, of pleasure sizzling through her body. She felt it deep inside, eating away at her, gnawing at her reserve.
The kiss deepened and he pulled her
closer. Damn it, he kissed her the way he used to and that gave her as much pain as pleasure, but she didn’t want it to stop, wanted it to never end.
Eventually, Stefan pulled away and looked down at her with pale eyes that said he wanted her. She should speak, tell him she couldn’t do this, but the words wouldn’t come.
Pushing her hair behind her shoulders, his fingertips brushed lightly against the curve of Claire’s neck. He slid them across her collarbone, then back over her shoulders, his movements slow and deliberate. Eventually, he stopped, and she realised he’d slid his fingers under the fine straps of her bra.
Claire froze. Knew what was he was going to do. She wanted it. And she didn’t.
She felt his hands slide along her upper arms, the straps slipping with them, though the cups of her bra stayed in place.
How easy it would be to let everything slip away, to let it all slide, to let what would happen take place...
How easy it would be to be hurt again.
Looking up at him, Claire pressed her hands against his chest and pushed him away. ‘I can’t do this.’
She grabbed the rails at the edge of the pool, lifted her foot to the first step and hoisted herself up.
Without looking back, Claire grabbed her things and walked towards the door.
But she heard his wet footsteps behind her.
Knew he was following.
Knew there was only so much she could do to resist Stefan.
Chapter Thirteen
Stefan followed Claire into the apartment, trying to make her listen, but she strode ahead of him and turned towards her bedroom, bidding him goodnight as she walked. He could only watch as she closed the door behind her.
One hand was on the doorknob. It wasn’t just a door that lay between them—a wall, a barrier he couldn’t get past lay in his path. Stefan didn’t know what was happening and didn’t know what had gone wrong.
She’d asked him not to enter, asked him to respect her privacy, and he had. But this was nothing to do with her need for personal space. They had to sort this out.
Only minutes earlier, he’d taken a giant leap of faith and dived into the pool. Stefan hadn’t known if he could swim, though Claire had assured him he could. That was one of hundreds of things he didn’t know but was willing to learn anew, willing to find out.
That was the way to live life—fully, completely, no holding back. Not for him.
He twisted the knob and pushed the door open.
‘Claire,’ Stefan called out.
No answer. The shower was running. Perhaps she hadn’t heard him.
He did a double-take, surprised to see the wedding photo that Claire had brought to the hospital on her nightstand. He couldn’t believe it; she must look at it every day. How could she not still feel something for him?
That was all the encouragement he needed. Stefan walked through the bedroom and stepped in front of the en suite. The door was open.
‘Claire,’ he said again, stopping in the doorway.
She turned to face him, her lips parting in surprise.
Naked, Claire looked even more beautiful than she had in the pool. Naked, he could better see the roundness of her breasts, the curves of her body, the symmetry. She was pale except for the dusky pinkness of her nipples and the brown triangle of hair that hid her sex. She looked so soft, so perfect.
Stepping forward, Stefan lifted his gaze to meet hers. There was a glint of anxiety in her eyes but her face glowed with desire, and she didn’t move away.
Leaning closer, he covered her mouth with his. When she didn’t respond, he slowly pulled away. She wanted him, he was sure of it. It wasn’t possible that he felt this much urgency and passion, and she felt nothing.
Claire’s eyes narrowed, her lips parting. ‘If we do this...one day you’ll get your memory back and you’ll wish we hadn’t.’
‘I want this, and I’m never going to change my mind about that.’ Stefan stepped closer. ‘But if I can’t have you now, that’s something I’ll regret for the rest of my life.’
‘I didn’t plan for this to happen, Stefan.’
Did she think she was in some way to blame for this? That he’d hold her accountable in the future?
Stefan realised this wasn’t about him. It was about her. She’d been hurt in the past.
By him, no doubt.
He couldn’t change the past. Damn it, he didn’t even know what had happened. But he had some control over the future.
Stefan gently cupped her chin in his hands. ‘I care for you, Claire. I have from the first moment I saw you at the hospital. I don’t have a long history to go by; I only know what feels right, and I want you.’
Claire looked down at the floor, and for one horrible moment he thought she was going to tell him to leave. Instead, she stepped forward, her eyes lowered, and stretched her arms out, curling her fingers over the waistband of his damp shorts.
Blood was surging through his body but he didn’t move, just stood, as she peeled away his boxers, and then looked up into his eyes with a gaze that smouldered. Lips parted, she curled one finger, motioning for him to come closer. Stefan thought he was going to explode, there and then.
With her other hand, Claire pulled open the shower door and stepped inside, beckoning him forward with her sultry gaze. She leaned against the tiles, waiting for him, warm water spraying against her shoulders and breasts, the steam rising into the air.
Stefan closed the glass door behind him.
He wrapped his arms around her, hot water gushing over both of them. When he kissed her, Claire kissed him back, her fingers tugging at the back of his head and pulling him closer. Her hands wandered over Stefan’s shoulders, his chest. She trailed kisses over his neck and down to one nipple, the soft tugging making him gasp.
Claire’s hands felt so small against his body, as she slid them over his hips and around his butt to pull him closer. Her hands kept travelling back over his hips and groin. She ran her fine fingers over the length of him and he felt that if the world ended at that moment, he’d die a happy man.
Suddenly Claire dropped to her knees and he felt the heat of her tongue on his erection. God, it felt so good, but that wasn’t how he wanted it to be.
Hooking his hands under her arms, Stefan lifted her back up.
‘We’ve got all evening.’ He kissed her again, deeply and fully. ‘And tonight is for you. I want this to be a night you’ll always remember.’
Reaching across for the shampoo, Stefan lathered it into her hair and massaged her scalp before rinsing it off.
Claire looked a little flushed, a little nervous, but he hadn’t finished with her yet. Nowhere near it.
Reaching for the soap, Stefan rubbed it over her back and shoulders, then ran his hands over her breasts—they were so round, so perfect. He placed the soap back on the tray and tilted his head lower, until he took one succulent nipple into his mouth. He heard Claire moan, just like he wanted.
His lips trailed across the hollow between her breasts, from one nipple to the other, and both ripe for the taking. The lavender scent of the soap lingered on her skin with the freshness of water, and then a taste that must have been purely Claire.
She gasped again. She wanted more. So did he.
Slowly sucking on one nipple, Stefan felt her pelvis arch towards him as Claire moaned more loudly. He had her where he wanted her.
He felt her flinch as he got closer. His fingers hovered over her wet curls as he caressed her with a touch that was barely there, and when Stefan slid his fingers between her thighs, she parted her legs in readiness.
‘I want you inside me,’ Claire moaned.
‘Not yet,’ he whispered.
This was for Claire, slow and delicious and deliberate. She was panting now in short, brisk breaths so he increased the rhythm, almost imperceptibly, until a shrill moan escaped her lips. When she slumped forward, Stefan took her into his arms.
‘I’d forgotten how good that feels,’ she muttered.
Stefan pressed his lips against hers briefly. ‘We’ll make sure you remember this.’
He would, too. He’d remember this new experience, this new beginning.
Reaching behind Claire, he turned off the taps, pushed open the shower screen door and reached across for the towels, passing her one. Her breasts jiggled delightfully as she dried her hair.
She pressed her hair back with the towel. ‘What are you looking at?’
‘You,’ Stefan replied.
He took the towel from her, rubbing it across her shoulders and down her arms.
Claire smiled. ‘I can do that.’
‘I thought I’d take care of you for a change.’
He patted her dry and draped the towel across her shoulders while he quickly dried himself, tossing his towel onto the tiles.
Taking Claire’s hand, he walked through the open door. ‘I haven’t finished with you yet.’
When they reached the bed, Stefan pulled her closer, letting the towel slide from her shoulders.
‘I want to remember every moment with you,’ he said.
There was so much he didn’t know, and couldn’t remember, but he realised one thing with startling clarity—he was going to make the most of every minute with Claire. He was going to make her happy tonight and tomorrow, and maybe the day after that, too, if she’d let him.
He was never going to let her go.
Bending his knees, he slid his hands down her body and lifted Claire onto the bed. She was so light, like a kitten. A sex kitten, Stefan thought with a grin.
‘What are you smiling at?’ she asked.
He prowled over to her, one hand resting on the bed on either side of her head, caging her in. ‘I have every reason in the world to smile.’ He peppered her neck with little kisses. ‘I’ve got you.’
Stefan kissed her nipples again, knowing she loved it. Besides, he enjoyed listening to her little moans. He knew how to get her even more worked up. He pressed his mouth to hers and kissed her wholly, completely.
Her hands travelled down his torso. He lifted himself up to give Claire room, and as he kissed her, Stefan felt delicate fingers cradling his erection. She stroked him gently, taking his length into her hands and guided him inside her.