Hot and Bothered - Erika Wilde Page 0,51
own voice.
“Want to tell me about it?” he asked.
No, she really didn’t, mainly because there was so much she didn’t understand, and she suspected she’d look like an idiot trying to explain what she, herself, couldn’t make sense of. So, she gave him a brief summary, just enough to satisfy his curiosity. “The only thing I can remember is being chased by a man, and I couldn’t escape him.” And she was so grateful that she’d woken up before he’d captured her, because she didn’t want to think about what fate he might have had in store for her.
Awareness glimmered in his gaze, making her wonder if he knew the significance of her dream. Then he lifted the covers, beckoning her to his side of the bed. “C’mere and let me hold you,” he whispered.
She couldn’t refuse something so elemental, the need to be held and comforted. She scooted over to him, welcoming the shelter of his arms surrounding her. Snuggling close to his warm, naked body, she draped her thigh over his and rested her head on his chest. She inhaled deeply, and the male scent of him soothed her frazzled nerves and relaxed her, as did the absent way his hand stroked along her side and over the curve of her waist.
“Are you sure you’re ready to go back to work tomorrow night?” he asked a few minutes later, his tone low and gruff.
His question didn’t surprise her, because she knew how much he objected to her returning to work so quickly after the accident. She glanced up at him, taking in his gorgeous features, that sexy mouth that could curve into an irresistible grin as well as do incredible, wicked things to her body. “Is there a valid reason why I shouldn’t?”
He looked mildly annoyed with her argument. “You know I think it’s too soon, and after what happened at the restaurant this afternoon with that guy, I’m thinking you might need more time.”
And she’d use that time to sit at home and contemplate what she couldn’t remember. Ugh. “We’ve already talked about this, Noah. I have to go back, for me.” She refused to be a victim to unexplainable fears, and she needed to move forward with her life, despite her memory loss. “I feel good physically, and it’s only for a few hours.”
He sighed, the release of breath ruffling her hair. “You know I had to ask.”
“Yeah, I know.” Stifling a grin, she placed a kiss on his jaw then laid her head back on his chest, amused by his attempt to be gruff when she knew he was as soft as a marshmallow inside. His caring and tender attitude toward her was what she adored about him, despite how overbearing he could be at times. No wonder she’d fallen in love with him and agreed to be his wife.
Love. The word resonated in her chest, filling it full with the rich, precious emotion, along with the security of belonging to someone else.
It was the first time she’d thought of Noah in terms of love since being diagnosed with her amnesia, but the sentiment felt perfectly right, as did being a part of Noah’s life.
She sighed, and cuddled closer, so very grateful that at least her relationship with him, and their future together, was something she could believe in and trust. Grateful, too, that this incredible man made her feel so safe and secure when everything else seemed so muddled and uncertain.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Natalie punched in a new drink order to Murphy behind the bar, then loaded her tray with a fuzzy navel and two bottles of beer to deliver to another table in the establishment. She scooped up a bowl of peanuts and gathered a few extra napkins just as Gina sidled up next to her at the bar to place a drink order of her own.
“You have new customers at table nine and fourteen,” she said, slanting Natalie a quick, attentive glance. “Would you like me to take their orders for you?”
Natalie had only been on her shift for about thirty minutes, but within sixty seconds of working the floor she’d known that she was going to have to prove to her coworker and boss that she was fully capable of handling her job—no coddling necessary. Unfortunately, she hadn’t quite convinced them that she was more than ready to tackle a three-hour shift, and that her partial memory loss wouldn’t affect her getting the job done since she could still recall drink orders.
Topping the