He suspected she didn't remember the threat that had scared her, and that made her even more defenseless and too damned vulnerable to the guy she'd run away from. He was beginning to think she was the target of a stalker. What else could explain the hysterical words Natalie had spoken last night before getting hit by the car? I'll never be safe. He won't go away.

Right now, with her amnesia, she didn't have the advantage of knowing something was wrong, and her instincts might be skewed by memory loss. Her vulnerability put her too much at risk for another encounter that might turn hostile.

And there was no way he'd allow anything else to harm her, not if he could help it.

He left the rest room and stopped at the vending machine in the waiting area. Buying a roll of the strongest mints available, he promptly tossed three of the peppermint Life Savers into his mouth and chewed. While he waited a few more minutes before returning to Natalie's room, he came up with a game plan. He'd ask her casual, no-pressure kinds of questions and see what she did and didn't recollect. He refused to feed her any information or outright tell her the truth about what had led up to the accident, because if she didn't remember, he knew it would only cause her panic and paranoia.

He popped three more mints for good measure, and when he arrived back in her room, she was settled back in bed with a breakfast tray on the small table in front of her. She was still wearing her hospital gown, but her hair had been combed and was smoothed back behind her ears.

She glanced from her meal to him and wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Blech."

He chuckled as he came up beside her. "That bad, huh?"

"While I can't recall what my favorite breakfast food is, I'm sure this isn't it. Watery scrambled eggs, oatmeal that looks like paste, and dry, cold toast." She indicated each item on her tray with a point of her finger. "The only thing that looks worth eating is the fresh fruit."

He had to agree that her breakfast didn't look at all appetizing. "Then eat the fruit and drink your apple juice, and I'll try to sneak in something good later."

She grinned. "How about a pepperoni pizza?"

He chuckled at her enthusiasm, glad to see she was quickly gaining back her energy. "A big ol' pizza box is a bit obvious, don't you think? That'll have to wait until you're home."

"Home?"

The frown creasing her brows told him that she was having a hard time placing where she lived. Which was perfect for him. "My place. We just moved in together."

"Oh." The one word escaped on a breathy note of sound.

He played his cards very cautiously, not wanting to upset her in any way. "Do you have a problem with that?"

"Well, no, not really." She shrugged. "I mean, if we're engaged, that would make sense."

She was so trusting that he had to push aside another wave of guilt that assaulted him-and remind himself that it was the only way he could keep her safe.

She sighed softly. "I just feel like I'm learning who I am all over again. Or at least parts of who I am."

"That's how it'll be with certain aspects of your memory, according to the doctor." Since she wasn't digging into her breakfast, he filched a grape from the compote and lifted it to her mouth. When her lips automatically parted, he slipped the piece of fruit inside. "We'll do lots of talking and that might spark those repressed parts of your memory."

While her mouth was currently occupied, he casually brought up another subject, wanting to know what she might recall about her past. "Do you want me to contact someone in your family to let them know about your accident?"

"I don't have any family," she said automatically.

Surprised, he asked, "You remember that?"

"Yeah, I do," she said, equally stunned by the knowledge. "You were testing me, weren't you?"

As her fiance, he should have known about her family, and was grateful that she saw his question as a way of testing her mind and memory. That would definitely work in his favor to get information from her. "Yeah, I was. What else do you remember?"

She plucked up a wedge of cantaloupe, slipped it into her mouth and thought for a moment while she chewed. "I remember that my parents died when I was about five in a house fire and I grew up in foster homes."

Oh, wow, he thought, blown away by her confession and unable to imagine what a tumultuous and difficult childhood she must have had. He'd lost his parents, too, but at least he'd been lucky enough to have his brother, Cole, raising him and his sister, Joelle. They'd been a strong family unit-then and now. "How about relatives?"

She shook her head. "Both of my parents were only children, so I don't have any aunts and uncles, and my grandparents are dead, too."

He urged her to take a drink of her apple juice. "Do you remember how last night's accident happened?"

She paused, and he could see her straining to recall details. "I remember walking with you-but I was afraid of something?"

She looked at him with uncertainty in her pale blue gaze, waiting for him to confirm her question. "Yes, you were. What were you afraid of, sweetheart?"

She closed her eyes, and her face scrunched up in an obvious attempt to force thoughts into her head.

"I-I don't remember." Frustrated, she dropped her head back onto the pillow and released a low, discouraging growl. "How is it that I can recall so much about my past-you, even-but I can't remember other things? I feel like there's a huge, gaping hole in my life."

She sounded near to panic over her inability to control what her mind could and couldn't recollect. Weaving their fingers together, he sought to soothe her the best he could. "I'm here for you, Natalie, for anything you want or need. Anything at all." And he meant it, too.

She pushed her breakfast tray aside, her appetite obviously gone. "I want my memory back. All of it," she said stubbornly.

Of course she'd ask for a wish he couldn't grant. Knowing she was desperate, he focused on the positive. "Tell you what, let's concentrate on the things you do remember."

Her gaze touched his eyes, lingering long enough to make him feel as though she could see all the way into his soul. She took in the rest of his features slowly, as if scrutinizing each one, then finally came to rest on his mouth.

"I remember kissing you," she said abruptly, her voice low and husky with awareness. She dampened her bottom lip with her tongue, and her breathing deepened. "Come here," she whispered.

Mesmerized by her request, he moved the small table in front of her completely out of their way and leaned toward her, bracing a hand on the pillow beside her head. The position caused his chest to press against her full, generous breasts, and he had the fleeting thought that he wished they were both naked so he could feel her skin on skin.

He was uncertain what she intended, but whatever she had planned, he was a willing participant.

Her soft, slender hand traveled up his arm to his shoulder, then her fingers slipped through the hair at the nape of his neck and she drew his head down to hers. Lost in the need reflecting in her eyes, he complied, watching as her lashes fluttered closed and her lips parted for him even before their mouths touched.

While their first kiss had been an act of desperation, this one was born of the sensuality that burned bright between them. She nibbled on his bottom lip, and he let her have free rein to taste and explore to her heart's content, no matter the cost to him physically. He was already hard and thick, completely aroused-a normal, lusty reaction when it came to her.

When she deepened the kiss, he welcomed the moist heat and slow, penetrating slide of her tongue, and met it with his own. He stroked long and slow, hot and deep, and she kissed him back the same way, eagerly and instinctively. So much passion. So much heat. Intense and uninhibited.

A purr of pleasure rumbled in her throat, and he groaned in appreciation, too. She was an irresistible temptation, a searing drug to his deprived libido, and she made him restless and hungry for more of her.

By the time she let him go, she was panting for breath and his own pulse was racing wildly. Their faces were still only inches away, and he wanted to drown in those trusting, velvety blue eyes of hers. Wanted to strip away the sheet and the flimsy gown separating them and make love to her.

The latter wasn't an option. Not here. Not now. Not until she regained her memory and could better define her emotions. It was obvious to him that she didn't realize that she'd been avoiding him and her attraction to him for months now. But this Natalie was giving into desires that had always been inside of her, desires she'd hidden from him before today.

Interesting.

A lazy smile hitched up the corner of his mouth. "And that was for-?" he murmured questioningly.

She caressed her palm along his cheek, skimmed her thumb along his full bottom lip, though her gaze never left his. "I needed to make sure what I feel for you is real."

"And is it?" He had to know.

"As real as I know it to be. You feel good and right, and I really like kissing you."

He laughed, relieved, and ran the tip of his finger down the slope of her cute nose. "Just so you know, you have permission to kiss me anytime you'd like."

Smiling, she settled back against her pillows, suddenly looking tired. While she might appear okay physically, he knew it would take a couple of days for her to fully regain her strength again. And right now, she needed more sleep.

He straightened, making a quick decision that would benefit them both. "I'm going to leave, but I'll be back in a little while."