He closed his eyes, recalling Natalie's soft hand on him, her wet mouth. He clenched his jaw tight, and three strokes later he came in a hot, scalding rush that ripped a low, guttural growl from his chest. The explosive feelings went on and on, draining him until he slumped a shoulder against the tiled wall and gulped air into his lungs.

The deed was done, his lust for Natalie slaked for now. Unfortunately, his need for her remained.


Natalie opened cupboard after cupboard in the kitchen, searching for a frying pan to make bacon and eggs for breakfast while fighting back tears of overwhelming frustration. She couldn't even recall where the pots and pans were, for crying out loud. Nothing seemed familiar, and she hated that she felt so weak and helpless.

She wanted to remember. She wanted to feel a sense of normalcy. She wanted to understand the conflicting feelings swirling within her. And mostly, she wanted to understand how Noah could be so generous with her pleasure, yet retreat and keep her at arm's length when it came to his.

It's for your own good.

His words echoed through her head, and another rush of hurt swamped her, adding to her tumultuous emotions. After this morning's incident with Noah, she'd been struggling to understand his actions and make sense of the upheaval in her own mind. Deep in her heart, she knew he was giving her time to accept her new state of mind and adjust to her current situation before adding the intimacy of making love back into their relationship. But dammit, she didn't need him to coddle her when she desired him, heart, body and soul.

While her mind, memories and thoughts seemed so fragmented, Noah was her anchor. He made her feel protected and secure in his presence, as if she honestly had a place where she belonged. And the part of her that felt so lost and disjointed needed to be close to him, emotionally and physically.

He was doing his damnedest to be honorable and noble when that was the last thing she wanted from him. He might have given her multiple orgasms last night, but her desire for him was far from satisfied.

With a sigh of defeat, she gave up on the frying pan and started looking in the pantry for a can of coffee, figuring that had to be fairly easy to find. Her search was fruitless, which only served to mount her growing agitation. Her chest grew tight with distress and her temples throbbed with the beginnings of a headache.

Minutes later Noah strolled into the kitchen, fresh from his shower and looking gorgeous and sexy in faded jeans and a beige T-shirt that outlined his broad shoulders. He took one look at her standing in the middle of the room with her fingers pressed against her forehead and immediately closed the distance between them.

With his thumb tucked beneath her chin, he raised her face up to Ms. "Hey, is everything okay?" he asked in that caring way of his.

She knew he was concerned about her, knew she ought to be grateful that he was so considerate. But at the moment his benevolence was the last thing she wanted from him and he became a perfect target for her pent-up irritation and confusion.

"No, I'm not okay," she blurted, throwing her hands into the air in a dramatic display. "I can't even find a frying pan or can of coffee in this stupid kitchen!"

Reaching for her, he gently pulled her into his embrace, and she automatically stiffened, not wanting to give an inch when he was the source of her cranky disposition. She'd changed into a casual, comfortable cotton dress she'd found in the closet while he'd showered, and the heat and strength of him penetrated the material, sparking a new awareness of him.

"Just relax and don't try so hard." He rubbed his big hands up and down her back in a soothing gesture and kissed the top of her head. His actions were warm and affectionate, but there was no denying he was much more reserved with her after their episode this morning. "It'll come to you in time."

"I don't think I'm a patient woman," she muttered, trying not to groan or give in to his persuasive tactics as he kneaded the taut muscles along her shoulders.

He chuckled softly, his breath warm against her ear. "No, you're not."

She ought to be offended, but he was so sweet she couldn't stay mad at him for long. He melted her irritable mood with his voice, his wonderful hands, his mere presence, and she finally let her tension unravel.

"You're bound to be emotional and sensitive for awhile." He let her go, then guided her to the oak table in the corner of the kitchen. "Why don't you sit down and I'll make you breakfast."

Because her own little tantrum had exhausted her, she did as he asked and settled into one of the chairs. She watched him putter around, finding utensils and food items with ease and whipping up a meal for the two of them as if it were a task he did every morning of the week.

Unlike her, he was back in control, his emotions and the awareness between them seemingly compartmentalized.

Fifteen minutes later he placed a cup of steaming coffee in front of her, along with a plate of scrambled eggs and crisp bacon. The aroma was heavenly, and she ate with gusto.

A sudden thought entered her mind and slipped out before she could stop it. "It's Monday, and I have a test at school today." She was so excited to recall something so mundane yet so crucial to her day-to-day routine that she grinned at Noah, who was sitting across the table from her.

He blinked at her in surprise, a smile of his own making an appearance. "Yes, it is, and yes, you did."

"Did?" She didn't miss the past-tense usage of the word.

"I don't think you should go to school today. It's too much, too soon." He took a bite of his eggs, then added, "In fact, you might want to consider calling the school and taking the whole week off. I'm sure your teachers will be able to give you your daily assignments and you'll be able to make up today's test next week."

She didn't think that would be a problem, either, but she was certain she'd go nuts without doing anything productive for a week, and she wanted, needed, some normalcy back in her life. "I'll call the school and take today and tomorrow off, and think about the rest of the week," she said, giving in that much. She took a sip of her coffee and nibbled on a piece of smoked bacon. "Aren't you going to go to work today?"

"Yes, I'll be working, but not at the office," he said with a shake of his dark head. "I've already talked to Cole, and I'll be working out of the house this week."

Finished with her eggs, she set her fork on her plate and sighed. "Because you feel the need to look after me?"

"I've worked from the office here at the house many times, Natalie, for various reasons, so it's not a big deal." Lifting his coffee mug to his lips for a drink, he met her gaze over the rim, his sensual blue eyes completely unreadable. "That's one of the perks of working for Cole. As long as the job gets done and cases are solved, he doesn't care where his employees work from."

Hearing the respect in Noah's voice, she smiled. "You're lucky to have such a great boss, and brother."

"Yeah, he's a good guy," he agreed indulgently. "I wouldn't be working for him otherwise."

"Have you been working for him long?" she asked curiously.

He looked her way again, the forkful of eggs heading toward his mouth hesitating a fraction, just brief enough to make her wonder why she'd caught him off guard. Until she realized that before her amnesia she probably knew the answer to her own question.

"I don't remember much about your work, other than you being a private investigator," she explained. "Maybe it'll help me remember something if you fill me in on the details from the beginning?"

"Sure." He nodded in understanding and swiped a napkin across his mouth. "After I graduated high school, I joined the marines and spent four years in the service. After that I goofed around with oddball jobs for about a year just to make ends meet because I couldn't make up my mind what I wanted to do." He grinned sheepishly.

She laughed. The bit of humor felt good and lightened the moment between them. "A rebel with a cause, huh?"

"I guess you could say that. I know I was a handful for Cole before I joined the service, but all that discipline straightened me out real fast." Standing, he picked up his empty plate, then hers, and carried them to the sink. "When Cole asked me if I wanted to go to work at the agency to help him out, I thought, what the hell. Why not? So, I guess I've been with Cole for about, oh-" he glanced up at the ceiling as he mentally counted in his mind,"-seven years now."

"And you enjoy the work?" she asked, then drained the last of her coffee.

"Yep, I'm hooked." After grabbing the carafe on the counter, he strolled to the table and refilled first her mug, then his own with the steaming brew. "Every day is a new adventure. All the cases come with a different set of circumstances, and nothing is ever predictable. And the best part is, my hours are flexible, and so is where I do my work and research-like here at home." He winked at her, then replaced the coffeepot back on the burner.

"Noah, the last thing I want to do is put a crimp in your daily schedule," she said adamantly. "I don't need you to baby-sit me or feel as though you have to be at my beck and call because of my memory loss. I'll be fine. Really."

"Sweetheart, humor me." Coffee mug in hand, he leaned a hip against the tiled counter, his lean body drawing her gaze and making her crave him all over again. "You scared the hell out of me when you got hit by that car, and you can't blame me for being a little bit worried about you."

She didn't want to seem ungrateful when his concern was so genuine, so she didn't argue. Instead, she brought up another subject. "When do I go back to work at Murphy's?"