More than a surprise, Catherine realized. She had never thought Celia would ever lose her composure, but she was coming very close.

“And so are you,” Cameron said. “More beautiful than the last time I saw you. And generous, as usual. Hu Chang couldn’t have chosen anyone better.” He turned to Luke. “I hear you’ve been busy. I got a very irritated report from Tashdon about you.”

Luke stiffened. “He said that you told him to hurt Catherine. You didn’t, did you?”

“No, but I told him to stop her. I didn’t want her hurt. It evidently didn’t translate well.”

Luke frowned. “She had the right to do what she wanted. I would have helped her.” His expression cleared. “But I’m glad you didn’t mean anyone to hurt her. I didn’t think you’d do that.”

“I’ve just been getting advice from Luke about my garden,” Celia said. “But it’s time to eat. We came in to get breakfast orders. I’m a magnificent cook. Won’t you change your mind and stay?”

He shook his head. “Thank you, I have things to do. Another time.”

Celia smiled brilliantly. “Anytime.”

Catherine inhaled sharply. That intimate smile could not be misinterpreted.

My God, they were lovers.

“No. You’re reading too much into—Dammit, I can’t get through to you. Your mind is all over the place.”

“Lovers.”

“Catherine, it’s not—”

“It doesn’t matter to me. I don’t care.”

“Cameron has to go, Celia,” Catherine said. “Could I help you make breakfast? I’m sure I’m not as good as you, but I’ll play kitchen help.”

Cameron was silent a moment. “She’ll have to find someone else to help.” He smiled recklessly. “Have you forgotten, Catherine? You’ve just offered to be my backup. I’ve decided to take you up on it.” He went back, grasped her wrist, and pulled her to her feet. “Let’s go.”

She could see Luke staring at her with a puzzled expression. If she struggled or caused a scene, she didn’t know what his reaction would be. The last thing she wanted was for Luke to confront Cameron. “If that’s what you want.” She smiled at Luke. “We’ll be back in a couple hours. Why don’t you help Celia?”

He nodded. “I will.”

She glanced at Hu Chang. He was very still, his eyes narrowed on her. “You handle everything here, okay?”

“With my usual splendid efficiency and understanding.” His glance went to Cameron. “And you will do the same, I trust.”

“You can count on me trying my utmost to do that,” Cameron said.

The next moment, they were out of the room and in the hallway. She immediately pulled her wrist away. “That was unnecessary. Why did you do it?”

“Because if I’d left you for the next four hours to come to your own conclusions, you’d have developed a mind-set that I’d have had to use a diamond-tipped drill to get through.” He opened the front door. “It was easier to confront the problem now.”

“There is no problem.”

He led her to a dark blue Mercedes at the curb and opened the passenger door. “Not now that I have you where I can control it. We have a couple hours waiting at the hospital for Blake to do his job. I should be able to get through to you by then.”

“All you should be concentrating on is getting Jack Sen away from here.”

“And I would, if it weren’t for you, dammit.” He started the car. “But it’s not happening. So I’ll have to—”

“Adapt? Isn’t that what you said?”

“Multitask. Now be quiet and let me get to somewhere that I can talk to you.”

“Why do you have to go anywhere special? After all, you’re a double threat as far as communication is concerned.”

“Evidently I’m not communicating too well at the moment,” he said grimly. “We should be at the hospital in fifteen minutes. Just don’t start building your mental scenarios until we get there.”

“This is completely unreasonable. I have no interest in—”

“Fifteen minutes.”

It was closer to ten minutes when he pulled into a curbside parking space across the street from the hospital with a clear view of the garage exit. Not really clear, she thought. It had started to rain, and the large drops driving against the windshield would have made it hard to see the exit anyway. They were completely cocooned in the rain driving against the car.

He put the Mercedes in park and turned to face her. “Yes, Celia and I had sex several years ago,” he said curtly. “We were not lovers, the way you would define it. There’s no reason for you to go off the rails like this.”

“I agree. What you did with her or any other woman should mean absolutely nothing to me.” She unsnapped her seat belt. “I was just surprised. I suppose I shouldn’t have been since you obviously had her house code. It didn’t sink home when you walked into the dining room.”

“I’ve never used the code before. She gave it to me when I put her on her flight home from Bangkok.”

“Hu Chang said she’s almost fanatically cautious about giving that code out. You must have been special to her.”

“Special? No, more in the line of unfinished business.”

“I didn’t mean to pry.” She wasn’t looking at him. “You don’t owe me any—”

“Hush.” His hands were suddenly tightly grasping her shoulders. “I know I don’t owe you anything. I’m straightening this out purely for my own benefit. Something’s going on between us, and I won’t have it destroyed almost before it begins.”

“There’s nothing to straighten out.” She still wouldn’t look at him. “There’s a sexual attraction, of course, but that wouldn’t give me any right to resent anything you do now or have done in the past. We’re both mature adults who live their own lives. This brief encounter will lead nowhere and shouldn’t be perceived as—”

He muttered a curse, then she was in his arms, his mouth on hers, his tongue playing wildly, deeply, with her own.

Heat. Tingling between her thighs. Breasts taut, swelling.

Her mouth was opening wider as she made a sound of need deep in her throat.

Fight him. This is crazy. Crazy …

Her blouse was open and her bra unfastened …

“Catherine.” His hands were cupping her breasts, then rubbing, pulling at the nipples.

She lunged upward as she felt his teeth gnaw at her nipple.

Need.

His hands were squeezing, his mouth moving. “Beautiful … Give me more.”

She couldn’t help but give him more. Her breasts were swelling with response to that erotic stimulation, pushing against his lips, his tongue. She moved closer, lifting, offering. “That’s right,” he murmured. “Let me have them. Let me play…”

Not play, she thought hazily. Her whole body was on fire, and he was drawing a response with his mouth that was driving her crazy. But maybe it was play to him. Maybe he knew what he was doing to her and—

“No.” She jerked away from him, her eyes blazing. “What the hell are you doing?”

“What you want me to do.” He was breathing hard, his cheeks flushed, his eyes glittering. “What I want to do. Don’t give me that bullshit about being civilized, mature adults. What we’re feeling is purely barbaric, with nothing civilized about it.” He watched her tuck her breasts back into her bra and start to button her blouse. “I want to be inside you. If you’d let me, I’d pull you in the backseat right now. It’s raining so hard no one could see us. But I wouldn’t give a damn if they could see me over you, in you. I need you.”

And she needed him. She had never needed anyone like this before; the intensity was taking her breath, melting her. She shook her head. “I … give a damn.”

“I know. I can see it.” He moistened his lips as he gazed at the curve of her breast as she buttoned her blouse. “And that’s why I’m holding on.” He drew a deep breath. “Believe it or not, this isn’t my usual—” He stopped and started again. “I don’t know why you have this effect on me. It must be a punishment for past sins. It’s not happened before.” His lips twisted. “And I assure you I’m usually civilized and mature in my sexual encounters. I can’t allow myself to be anything else.”