Desire Collection: December Books 1 – 4. Elizabeth Bevarly

and weary that sleep should have come easily. But for some reason her mind wouldn’t let go, wouldn’t allow her to find peace.

      Instead she found herself concentrating on the smallest of things, like the way Piers’s fingers continued to stroke her bare back every now and then, even though he was asleep. Like the deep, regular sound of his breathing and the scent of his skin. She would store these memories and lock them away, and maybe one day she’d be strong enough to think about them, about this magical night, again.

      * * *

      Faye woke to an empty bed and felt a rush of relief. At least the whole morning-after thing could be delayed until she was showered, dressed, packed and ready to leave. She shifted in the bedsheets, catching a drift of Piers’s cologne. Just that tiny thing made her body tighten on a wave of longing so piercing that it almost brought tears to her eyes.

      Instead of giving in to her emotions, Faye did what she’d always done. She focused on what needed to be accomplished first. That, at least, was something she could control.

      Once dressed and packed, she double-checked the bathroom and bedroom to ensure she was leaving nothing behind and headed down the stairs to put her suitcase by the front door. She could hear Piers and Casey in the kitchen. With her stomach in knots, she walked toward the sound. Piers had his back to her and was talking a bunch of nonsense to the baby, who was staring up at him in rapt attention.

      Faye would never have thought her heart could break any further than it already had, but the sight of those two was just about her undoing. Once again, tears sprang to her eyes. She blinked them back fiercely and turned to a cupboard to drag a mug out for her morning coffee.

      “Good morning,” Piers said. “Did you sleep well?”

      “Better than I expected,” she answered shortly.

      “Me, too,” he answered with a smile that sent a curl of lust winding through her.

      This is impossible, she thought as she grabbed the carafe from the coffee machine and poured the steaming liquid into her mug. Just a look from him, a smile, and she was as pathetically eager for his attention as all his other women. Did that mean she was one of them now? She straightened her shoulders. No, it most certainly did not. One night did not change anything as far as she was concerned. If she could just get back to her apartment and back to a routine, everything would be okay.

      She watched as Piers took the baby bottle from the warmer and gave it a little shake before testing a few drops on his wrist.

      “Sir, your breakfast is served!” he said to the infant with a delightfully dramatically flourish.

      Casey gave him a massive gummy grin in return. His little legs kicked wildly as Piers offered him the bottle.

      “You’re good with him,” Faye observed. “Are you still going to keep him?”

      “Yes.”

      The answer was simple and emphatic. No fluffing about responsibilities or honoring his brother’s memory or anything like that. Just a simple yes.

      She envied him his conviction.

      Piers looked up at her and she saw something new in his gaze.

      “Is it ridiculous to say that I love him already?” he asked.

      She’d never known him to sound insecure about anything. Ever. That he should feel that way about Casey just made him even more human, more attractive. She shook her head.

      “No, it’s not.”

      Piers nodded in acceptance and turned his attention back to the little boy.

      Faye took advantage of the shift in focus to start making breakfast. “Have you eaten?” she asked.

      “Yeah, I ate when I got up. It was early, though. I could go a second round.”

      She busied herself making omelets with the last of the ingredients she could find in the refrigerator. It was a good thing the road would be cleared today and that Meredith, who’d been waiting at a motel in town, would be able to come through with supplies.

      Faye was just plating up the food when the phone rang with the news that a crew had cleared the road up to the fallen tree and was now working to clear the log. The news made Faye feel as if every nerve in her body had coiled tight, ready to spring free the moment she could leave the building.

      The next two hours were an exercise in torment as she tried to catch up on emails while Piers lay on the floor and played with the baby before putting him to bed for another nap. The moment she heard a sound near the front door she was up and all but running to let the newcomer inside.

      “Ms. Darby! Are you all right? I saw your car. It’s a miracle you’re still alive!”

      Piers’s housekeeper bustled inside and grasped Faye by her upper arms, giving her a once-over as if checking for injuries. “Oh, Ms. Darby—your face!”

      “It’s okay, Meredith. It’s what happened when the airbag went off. I wasn’t hurt aside from that, and I’m almost all healed,” Faye said as brightly as she could.

      Satisfied Faye hadn’t been seriously injured, Meredith gave her a nod and then drew her in for a quick hug, which Faye endured good-naturedly. She wasn’t a hugger but she was used to Meredith’s overwhelming need to mother everyone in her sphere.

      “I’m fine, Meredith. I take it the road is clear now?”

      “Yes, they’ve moved your wreck to the side and taken away most of the tree. Some of it will have to wait until they can get some heavier equipment up, but there’s room to squeeze by.”

      Faye had expected to feel relieved at the news. Actually, she’d expected to feel jubilant. Instead there was a hollow sense of loss looming inside her. She shoved the thought away before it could take hold.

      “Well, that’s a relief!” she said with all the brightness she could muster. “I think I’m suffering a bit of cabin fever. I can’t wait to get home.”

      “Mr. Luckman! I’m so glad to see you!” Meredith gushed effusively over Faye’s shoulder.

      Faye turned and saw the swiftly masked look of disappointment in Piers’s eyes. Had he really thought that a spectacular night of sex would change her mind about leaving? She already knew there was a flight out early this afternoon. She had to be on it. She couldn’t stay another minute or maybe she would change her mind and stay—and what then? More risk? More chance of loss? More joy and pleasure that she didn’t deserve and couldn’t allow herself to enjoy? No, it was far better that she left now.

      “Meredith, good to see you, too.”

      “How have you been managing?” Meredith said, fussing over him.

      “Just fine, thanks, Meredith. You left us so well stocked we could have stayed here a month on our own.”

      Faye suppressed a shudder. A month? She could never have lasted that long and still left with her sanity intact. In a month Casey would have grown and changed and wound her completely around his pudgy little fingers. And a whole month confined here with Piers? She tried to think of the reasons why that was a bad idea but her newly awakened libido kept shouting them down. Every last one. Which in itself was exactly why she needed to put distance between her and Piers.

      “We have run out of diapers, however,” Piers continued. “I hope you got my text to add them and baby food to the groceries.”

      “I did. But why on earth...?” Meredith looked from Piers to Faye for an explanation.

      Faye shrugged and looked at Piers. “You can explain it. I really need to get going. Meredith, after we’ve unloaded your car, can I borrow it to get to the airport? I’ll organize for someone to return it for you.”

      Over Meredith’s iron-gray curls, Faye saw Piers looking at her again. His expression appeared relaxed but she could see tiny lines of strain around his eyes.

      “Do