Twice as Hot (Tales of an Extraordinary Girl #2)(49)

"Hardly. This is the address on my driver's license, so I knew I'd have a key. I used the only one I didn't recognize, and what do you know, the door opened."

"Well, you can just give the key back. You don't live here anymore." He arched a brow, his fury fading to...amusement? Still he didn't back away from me. "Says who?"

"Says me." My head tilted to the side. "Says Lexis, I'm sure." The fury returned, stronger than before, nearly sparking. "I'll come over any time I damn well please."

"Why?" I asked - again - then cursed under my breath as the answer popped into my head. He was here to monitor me, as he'd told John he would. I would have been happy about that if I didn't so easily recall the way he'd sworn never to kiss me again. "Never mind. I'm buying a vicious dog. He'll chew you up and spit out your bones."

"I'm sure he'll try. "

Infuriating, conceited man. Did he know what a turn-on that was? Probably. I tried another approach.

"As you can see, I'm fine. I'm not causing any trouble or using any of the elements irresponsibly. You can go."

The rumbling started up again. "I'm not going anywhere. There was a box on your porch when I arrived.

I took the liberty of opening it," he added, not even pretending to be ashamed.

Another present? And he had dared to open what was clearly meant for me? "You had no right!" Rather than defend his actions, he continued throwing words at me as if they were weapons. "It was from your secret admirer."

Deep breath in, deep breath out. Calm is your friend. "Well, what was it?"

"Lingerie. With the words Wonder Girl sewn onto the ass of the panties." Totally not what I'd expected him to say, and my lips curled into a slow grin.

His eyes rounded like saucers. "You think this is funny?"

"Well, yeah." I probably should have been offended. I mean, really. Lingerie most likely given to me by a man I'd never even met. A man who'd stolen my fiance's memories, no less. But part of me realized that if it was M-Squared doing the sending, he was finally tapping into Rome's psyche and learning about me. What I liked, what I didn't. That was just the sort of gift I would have swooned over had Rome given it to me.

"Where's the box?" I asked.

His mouth straightened into a mulish line as he braced his hands beside my temples. "Don't worry about that. I'm taking care of it."

If I inhaled deeply, my nipples would brush his chest. "I'm not worried, I just want to see them."

"Too bad. Now listen. I stopped by the lab on my way here. There were no prints on those chocolates, but they were a very expensive brand, so we've got agents hacking into the distributor's database to see who made the order and from where."

Mmm, chocolate. Was that my stomach rumbling? "Sounds like a plan." I flattened my palms on him to push him away, but his heart beat faster and harder than I had imagined, and I could only stand there in wonder, savoring the feeling. And though his shirt kept me from actual skin-to-skin contact, the heat of him enthralled me. "Now back off?" It was a question when it should have been a demand.

Rome didn't. Rather, he pressed closer. So close my hardened nipples finally, blessedly brushed his chest. I gasped; he hissed in a breath.

"Memory Man," he said, voice strained, "has probably been in this house. With my memories, he'd know the best ways inside."

"So we're one hundred percent sure it's him? And really, you fortified the place with all kinds of security."

"Not one hundred percent, no, but we're pretty damn confident. And he'd know exactly what security measures I used and how to bypass them."

"Oh." How easy it would be to slide my hands up and around Rome's neck. How easy to draw his head down for a kiss..."Well, he hasn't hurt me. If it's him." Was that breathless temptress me?

"Not yet. But let's say that he wants you to fall in love with him the way you fell in love with me. I mean, we know he liked my memories of you. And if we're right, he's trying to romance you, win your heart.

When you fail to react the way he wants, he could become angry."

"First, for all we know, whoever it is leaving me these gifts just wants to sex me up." I spread my fingers, felt his nipple harden underneath my palm. "Second, who says I can't fall in love with Memory Man?" Rome stiffened. He gripped my arms and shook me, forcing my attention to his face. "Don't kid." I snapped out of the sensual fog, and my hands fell to my sides. "Who's kidding? He's now in possession of your memories of me, which means he's the closest thing I've got to the real you. "

"He's dangerous, Belle."

"So are you, and we made things work. For a while."

His grip tightened and he leaned down, placing us nose to nose, his choppy breath trekking over my lips.

"You like taunting me, don't you? Well, guess what? It works. I can't f*cking get you out of my mind." He released me long enough to slam a fist into the plaster just beside my temple. "That kiss was a goddamn mistake. It was supposed to purge you from my thoughts, make me stop wondering what you taste like."

He'd wanted to forget me entirely? To never think of me again? Suddenly I felt as if I'd been strapped down and cut open, salt poured into the wound. "I think I hate you right now," I said honestly.