Free Her Secret, His Love-Child by Tina Duncan

time.
    ‘Have you eaten?’ he asked, pulling off his tie and unbuttoning the collar of his shirt.
    Katrina shook her head. ‘No. Not yet.’
    He undid another button. And another. Katrina tried not to stare, but found her eyes straying to the triangle of golden skin he’d revealed.
    ‘Do you still like Chinese?’ Alex asked, his fingers working the next button free.
    By this stage half of his muscled chest was bare. Alex looked good naked; his body was taut and toned.Katrina took full advantage of it before she realised he was waiting for her reply.
    Dragging her eyes back to his face, she nodded.
    ‘There’s a list of restaurants in the third drawer down in the kitchen. Why don’t you call the Chinese and order while I have a quick shower?’ he suggested, pulling the open shirt out of the waistband on his trousers.
    Katrina forced herself not to look down, even though the temptation to do so was strong. Was he doing this little striptease deliberately? she wondered, dragging in a breath before releasing it slowly. ‘Fine. I’ll do that.’
    Alex shrugged off the shirt and let it dangle off one finger. ‘Good. I shouldn’t be long.’
    ‘Do you have any preferences?’ she choked out.
    He flashed her a smile that made her go weak at the knees.
    ‘You choose. You know what I like.’
    He turned and walked out of the room.
    Katrina stared at the strong planes of his back. She did know what he liked—and she wasn’t just thinking about food!
    She remembered several memorable occasions when they’d showered together, taking it in turns to wash each other. There was something very sensual about the combination of soap, water and skin that brought her out in goose bumps just thinking about it.
    The Chinese food arrived not long after Alex had opened a bottle of crisp white wine. Katrina cautiously dished the food up on to the expensive china plates she’d found in the kitchen.
    ‘One of these days you’re going to have to master the art of using chopsticks,’ Alex mocked as she picked up her fork.
    Her mouth twisted. ‘I’ve tried, but more food ends up in my lap than in my mouth.’
    ‘I know. Do you remember the night I tried to teach you to use them?’
    Katrina’s eyes met his, the memory of that evening washing over her.
    Alex had decided that a penalty-and-reward system would help her to learn more quickly.
    Her reward had been a kiss. Her penalty had been the loss of an item of clothing.
    She hadn’t learned how to use chopsticks that night; she didn’t think they’d even finished their meal. But she’d learned a lot about herself and about the depth of her desire for Alex.
    Heat flooded her insides until she found it difficult to sit still. ‘Don’t, Alex. You promised you’d give me time.’
    Alex shook his head. ‘No, I didn’t. I said I was willing to let our relationship progress naturally. There’s a big difference.’
    Katrina was beginning to realise that. ‘I should have known better than to trust you. I thought you meant I could set the pace.’
    ‘I’m not waiting until hell freezes over, if that’s what you’re thinking. I expect there to be progress.’ He gave her a wicked smile. ‘And I never said that I wouldn’t give the pace a nudge along every now and again, did I?’
    ‘Alex…’
    He held up his hands, his electric-blue eyes wide and innocent. ‘All we’re doing is talking.’
    ‘Is that what you’d call it? I’d call it a trip down memory lane.’
    That nudge he’d just mentioned was also a blatant attempt to seduce her with memories.
    Alex took a sip of wine before answering. ‘And what’s wrong with that? I see nothing wrong with reconnecting with our past. We used to have some pretty good times, if you remember.’
    That was the problem.
    She did remember. And she’d rather she didn’t.
    She remembered their first meeting in her boss’s office, where one look from the tall, dark-haired, blue-eyed stranger had left her both breathless and