Modern Romance October 2016 Books 5-8. Kate Walker

she’d lost a part of her soul to him.

      She seized on his words, glad of an excuse to get out of this far too intimate space. ‘I know a place near here...’

      Ben smiled, and before Lia could stop him he’d whipped the sheet from her body. She squealed as he effortlessly lifted her into his arms. He strode into the bathroom and put her down to switch on the shower. She shivered with anticipation, unable to help herself.

      Under the powerful spray of the water moments later, as Ben lathered shampoo into her hair and massaged her skull, Lia was glad she was facing away from him so he couldn’t see her face. Because suddenly she felt bereft. It was Sunday evening and their weekend was almost over.

      She’d left him behind in Bahia because she’d known that he’d slid under her skin...and now? Lia closed her eyes, as if that could help block out the suspicion that sliding under her skin was only the half of it. She was afraid she’d lost a whole lot more than a piece of her soul to Ben Carter.

      He turned her around then and she kept her eyes closed, desperately telling herself, as his clever hands explored her slick body, that this was just lust clouding her brain and making her think crazy things.

      For a moment she felt almost angry—that he’d managed to seduce her soul as well as her body so easily. Damn the man. She’d never wanted to go the way of her father—crippled by rejection. Not that Ben would even reject Lia—oh, no, she couldn’t imagine him being so crass. He would do it with a silky touch and a devastating kiss and leave her reeling, wondering what had just happened...

      But now Ben was sliding his hands between her legs, finding where her body was her ultimate betrayer and saying, ‘Look at me, Lia.’

      So, even though it was the last thing she wanted to do, she welcomed the distraction from her whirling, dangerous thoughts and assured herself that she would be fine. And she opened her eyes and kept them on him even as he tipped her over the edge and she screamed out her release...even as she was afraid that her worst fears would manifest in spite of everything.