her.
âYouâre responsible. You chose everything in here except the bed,â he told her as he eased her down to the chaise.
âReally?â
âYou bet,â he said, and pulled the drapes open to reveal a night sky twinkling with stars now that the storm was over. Returning to her, Matt lifted her healthy foot and started to remove the flat shoe.
Claire yanked her foot up toward her chest, wrapped her arms around it. âIâ¦I think I can manage.â
He hesitated a moment, then stood. âIâll get your pajamas for you.â
âMatt, wait.â
He stopped in front of the chest of drawers and looked back at her. âYeah?â
Nervous, Claire plucked at the fabric of her slacks. âI know that this is your room, too,â she began. âI mean, I know weâre married and you and Iâ¦that weâ¦â
Matt retraced his path to her side. âLook at me, Red.â
When she didnât, he tipped her chin up. Desire gleamed in his silvery eyes. And for a moment nerves gave way to excitement as an answering need licked through her.
âI want you. Make no mistake about that. And Iâd like nothing better than to carry you over to that bed and make passionate love with you all night.â
Claireâs heart jumped at his words. Another shiver ofexcitement shot through her blood, along with a jolt of fear. âMatt, Iââ
âBut as much as I want that, I know you donât feel the same way right now. So Iâm going to sleep in the guest room tonight, tomorrow night and every night until you tell me that you want me to share this room with you.â
âThank you,â she whispered, both relieved and disappointed.
After showing her where everything was in the adjoining bathroom, he pulled back the bed covers and laid out her pajamas. âIâm going down to lock up for the night. Iâll be back up in a few minutes with your medication.â
âOkay,â Claire told him as she picked up the ivory silk pajamas.
He paused at the doorway. âSure you donât need any help?â
âNo, thanks,â she said, but as he left the room, Claire couldnât help feeling a twinge of regret.
Â
Matt pulled the bedroom door closed behind him. Leaning against it, he squeezed his eyes shut and battled the desire that clawed at his gut. He could still taste her, feel the imprint of Claireâs body pressed against him, smell her scent on his skin. For a few moments downstairs when she had kissed him back, and again when he had first brought her into the bedroom, she had been his Claire again. It was as though nothing had changed between them, as though she had never walked out on him, as though the past six months had never happened.
Only, those six months had happened, Matt reminded himself. She just didnât remember them. And no matter how much he loved and wanted Claire, he couldnât afford to rush her.
He needed to stick to his plan if this was going to work, Matt told himself. Sucking in a breath, he opened his eyes and headed downstairs. And the only way to make it work was to earn her trust. Otherwise, when Claireâs memory returned, he didnât stand a chance of her forgiving him.
Too bad patience had never been one of his strong suits, Matt thought as he put on a kettle of water to make tea. While he waited for the water to heat, he recalled the terrified look on Claireâs face when that storm had rolled in earlier and the way she had clung to him. The fist around his heart squeezed tighter as the unwelcome images painted by the investigatorâs report came back to haunt him.
All too easily he could envision Claire as a frightened toddler, cowering inside that confessional box in the empty church while a hurricane raged outdoors. Anger churned anew inside him at the details heâd gleaned from the report, making him grateful that even prior to the assault and her amnesia, Claire