Catch My Breath by Lynn Montagano Page B

promise." He gracefully lifted himself off the bed and left the room.
    I grabbed my phone and scrolled through a few emails. Nothing from Stephanie yet. It was only quarter past four. She still had another few hours before arriving in Orlando. I decided to do a little exploring, as Alastair suggested. I hadn’t really been able to see the whole house yet, and since he was busy, I could snoop around uninterrupted.
    Slipping off the bed, I walked to the hall and through the kitchen. For some reason, I really wanted to see his living room, which I assumed was where he’d spend the majority of his time relaxing.
    Plush cream carpets spread from wall to wall. On the far side of the room was a fireplace. Two oversized, charcoal gray couches were set in the center. Neutral tones were prevalent throughout, with subtle, rich accents of color.
    It was gorgeous, but lacked the cozy, homey feeling I felt at the cottage. Aside from a large black and white photo of London, there weren’t any personal effects. No photos of friends, no photos of family, and, most notably, no photos of a girlfriend. I leaned against one of the couches, grazing my fingers on the material. Beautiful, but too perfect. A person’s home should reflect who they were, inside and out. All I gathered from Alastair’s home were things I already knew about him: pristine, elegant and well put together. Another mask to hide his true self .
    Sighing, I went back to the bedroom and read a little. Once the sun dipped below the horizon, I couldn’t ignore the hunger pangs gnawing at my stomach.
    I crept down the hallway to Alastair's office. The door was wide open. He was leaning back in his chair reading through a folder with his feet propped up on the desk. He looked almost regal as he pinched his lips between his thumb and forefinger. Even in jeans and a sweater, he was the epitome of quiet control and power. It was sexy as hell.
    “Hi.”
    "Hello." He placed the folder down, waving me in. "Did you have a nice time snooping around?”
    “I wouldn’t call it snooping. More like a self-guided tour. Did you get all your work done?”
    “More or less.”
    Something in his stare made me flush. He looked at me with such longing it unnerved me. I averted my gaze and turned to the cluster of photos hanging on the wall. I was still so drawn to the sad little boy in the leaves.
    “What are you doing?” The deceptively calm intonation in Alastair’s voice caught me off guard. When I spun around, a bone-chilling stare greeted me. “These photos aren’t that interesting.”
    “They are to me.”
    “ Why? ”
    “Well, this photo—“
    “Forget about the damn photo for now, please.” Alastair’s brows slashed down. His entire body was rigid and unyielding. Mask or not, he suddenly appeared uncomfortable in his skin. Except for his eyes. They were securely shrouded.
    “Sorry,” I mumbled.
    “Be careful, kitten. You know what they say about curiosity.” He approached with slow, calculating strides. I was his prey, he was my predator. The crazy thing was, deep down, I didn’t mind. I wanted him to pursue me. I wanted to be chased. It was the being caught part that scared me.
    There were so many things about him I still didn’t know. Those eyes had a story. They were veiled for a reason. He kept himself just open and friendly enough to lure everyone in. He only let people see what he wanted them to see.
    “You’re so deep in thought again.”
    Without warning, he grabbed my shoulders and kissed me. Next thing I knew, the wall was at my back and every toned, beautiful inch of him was pressed against me. His kiss was searing and unapologetic. I arched my back, pushing myself into him. A delicious, body-melting tingle coursed through me as he deepened the kiss.
    Before I could put my hands on him, he lifted both my arms over my head and held them firmly against the wall. Not being able to touch him drove me insane. I groaned into his mouth and wrapped my leg around