Free Passion Over Time by KyAnn Waters, Natasha Blackthorne, Tarah Scott

He couldn’t—
    But what about—the other afternoon, they hadn’t… not completely.
    Surely he wouldn’t leave with such monumental unfinished business between them!
    That lump in her throat rapidly enlarged and she had to swallow several times. Hiding her sudden emotional turmoil, she offered him a slow, seductive smile. “I had planned to visit you on Sunday, but if this is what you—”
    His jaw tightened, the skin pulling taut over his cheekbones. He grasped her wrist and thrust her hand off his lapel.
    A wave of excitement tore through her. She felt her face flush with it. Her belly quaked.
    “Don’t toy with me, Beth.” He spoke tightly. Grittily.
    Relief flooded her.  Oh, thank God. He was not so indifferent after all. A surge of elation sent her heart’s beat hastening. Put flutters into her stomach. She veiled her eyes, trying to conceal the stab of satisfaction that made her knees weak. Triumph. “I am not toying with you. I’ll find some excuse to give my family. I’ll try to come.”
    She stole a peek at him through her lashes.
    He regarded her in stony silence.
    The rosy glow of her triumph began to fade. She dropped her mouth open, exaggerating her dismay. “Do you not believe me?”
    “Oh, I’d like to believe you. But your past pattern works against you.”
    So he was still angry about her not meeting with him for those two weeks. It had mattered to him? She mattered to him? Her heart took a hopeful little leap. It made her angry with herself. So pathetic. “I couldn’t help that. I told you.”
    A cynical smile quirked his lips. “I think you’re very cunning and clever. I think you do pretty much whatever you choose to do.”
    “Well, it is not like that. But I do want to see you.” She was going to give him the afternoon of a lifetime and he would spend the rest of his days remembering her talented mouth.
    Remembering her .
    She reached for his other hand, met his cold, hard gaze and forced a treasure trove of sexual promises into her smile.
    His eyes darkened to smoke and held her gaze as he slowly lifted her hand and pressed it to his hard, warm lips. Currents of need traveled up her arm and electrified her with desire.
    “Then I’ll see you at eleven,” he said.
    She suppressed a small shiver of anticipation and nodded. They stood staring at each other for several moments. She knew the naked hunger in his eyes mirrored her own.
    Finally, his face eased into a grin. “You damn well better show.”
    Then he released her hand and turned and left. As he departed, she watched his broad-shouldered back with a suddenly aching throat. How would she ever bear the wait until tomorrow? She swallowed tightly.
    He has the power to break your heart apart. You better keep your head, Beth.
     
    * * * *
     
    A note greeted Beth on the sideboard in Grey’s room. His bold scrawl saying he would back around two. Apparently, he’d found something more interesting to attend to. Her spirits crashed to the floor.
    How pathetic. Had she really expected him to be waiting eagerly?
    Yes, apparently so.
    Well, why shouldn’t she have expected that? Her own body was trembling with anticipation. It wasn’t fair that she burned for him when he seemed able to turn his desire for her on and off at will.
    Heavens, she was behaving like a besotted ninny. She tossed the note aside then poured herself a generous glass of wine and quaffed it. Just one glass. That’s all she would take for she hadn’t eaten any breakfast. She’d been far too excited to eat.
    She glanced at the clock. A quarter of twelve. She tapped her fingers on the sideboard. What the devil was she supposed to do until two? She looked around, picked up a book off the table and read the title page. The New American Practical Navigator.
    She flipped through the pages of numerical tables and grimaced. Trust a merchant’s only reading material to be something so dry.
    The door jiggled, breaking the silence.
    She dropped the book and whirled to