Page 48 of Remember Me

Tears well in her eyes. “I understand.”

There’s something about the way she says those words that tugs at my heartstrings. Something so heartfelt, so genuine. Drawing her closer to me, I plant a chaste kiss on her head. For the first time, I inhale her hair. The delicious vanilla scent wafts up my nose, obliterating the room’s foul odor. I inhale again. Mmm. She smells so good. Feels so good in my arms. Like she belongs there.

Why do I feel so drawn to this woman? So insanely attracted to her?

It’s not just the scent of her silky hair, which reminds me of my late wife’s.

Or her expressive face. Or the sensuous touch of her curves. Or the warmth of her flesh.

There’s something more. Something deeper. Something Kayla and I have never had. An inexplicable connection. An electricity.

Like I’ve known her forever.

CHAPTER 29

Skye

His soft snores fill my ears. Glancing at the couch, illuminated by a beam of moonlight, I can see his chest rhythmically rising and falling. His beautiful face is basked in serenity.

Oh, God! How I long for him to be sleeping beside me. I’ve missed him so much. The soft sounds of him; the hard form of him. Spooned against him. Blanketing me with his body and warmth.

With a mixture of resignation and longing, I pull the scratchy sheet over my chest, then the worn blanket. My mind reflects on this night. How intense it’s been. Maddie’s life-and-death episode uniting us both emotionally and physically.

I want him back in my life so badly. But things are so damn complicated. My charade. The fact that he’s engaged to another. The danger we face with my possible killer still out there.

There’s only one way to end this masquerade: I’ve got to find the person responsible for almost ending my life.

The investigative journalist still in me tells me he or she hasn’t vanished into thin air.

CHAPTER 30

Finn

My eyes peel open as a sliver of daylight trickles through the slightly ajar curtains. Reaching for my phone I left on the side table, I check the time. It’s not even six a.m. I throw off the mildewy blanket I found in the closet and roll off the couch. My body aches; the lumpy couch was far from comfortable.

Scarlet is still sound asleep. Quietly, I watch her, her face peaceful, her breasts heaving with each soft breath. Mesmerized by her beauty, I fight the urge to run my fingers along her gently parted lips.

A little moan escapes them, and for a few seconds, I reflect on how close I got to kissing her last night. So close I could almost taste her lips on mine, feel their tenderness and warmth. She’s all I thought about as I tossed and turned on the couch, unable to get comfortable.

I stare at her as she stirs. Something is so wrong with this picture. She’s off limits. She’s my daughter’s teacher and I’m engaged to another. The woman who made me. I owe Kayla my career; I owe her everything. Yet, right now, all I want is the woman in the bed before me.

I rake my fingertips through my unruly hair like I’m scratching my head. Searching for answers. I need to take a shower. Maybe that will give me clarity and wash away these lustful thoughts.

The shower of this rundown joint is surprisingly good. Though the pink and blue ceramic tiles must date back to the sixties along with the frosted glass shower door, the waterpressure is excellent. The hot, forceful jet that pours from the showerhead soothes my cramped muscles as I lather up my hair with a bit of the cheap, complimentary shampoo. Harsh, it smells nothing like the sweet vanilla scent of Scarlet’s lustrous hair.

Fifteen steamy minutes later, I’m relieved physically, but mentally I’m in a brain fog. Stepping out of the stall, I wrap a skimpy sandpaper-brown towel around my hips, feeling as conflicted as I am confused.

I can’t get involved with my daughter’s teacher. Hands off. It would be career suicide. With my one-man show around the corner, the last thing I need is for Kayla to go ballistic. Or for me to be accused of sexual harassment.

Thinking she’s still in a deep sleep, I traipse back to the bedroom. I’m in for a rude awakening. She’s gone!

CHAPTER 31

Skye

Holding two steaming Cremora-filled coffees, I teeter into our room and my jaw drops. The Styrofoam cups almost slip out of my hands. Finn, with just a skimpy towel wrapped around his waist, stops dead in his tracks. Our eyes lock. The shocked expression on his face mirrors mine.

Hastily, he checks his towel, making sure it’s secure. “Shit... I mean, good morning. I thought you were still sleeping.”