Enticed by His Forgotten Lover by Maya Banks Read Free Book Online Page A

next to her and handed her the glass. She drank thirstily until half the contents were gone and then handed him back the glass.
    “Thanks. That should do the trick.”
    “Is this something that happens regularly or is it just the excitement of the day?” he asked suspiciously.
    “I’m borderline hypoglycemic. My blood sugar gets too low every once in a while. Pregnancy sort of messes with that and I have to be careful to eat regularly or I risk passing out.”
    Rafael swore under his breath. “What if you were to pass out when you were alone?”
    “Well, the point is to make sure I don’t pass out.”
    He scowled and then checked his watch. Only five minutes had passed since he’d placed the order.
    “I’ll be fine, Rafe,” she said softly. “My grandmother is a diabetic. I’m well acquainted with how to handle low or elevated blood sugar.”
    The shortened version of his name, only used by his closest friends, slipped from her lips as if she’d used it a thousand times before. Coming from her, it sounded…right. As if he’d heard it before or maybe even encouraged her to use it.
    He put a hand to his nape and looked away. Why couldn’t he remember? If he had truly been involved with this woman, and if, like she’d said, they’d formed some romantic attachment—he couldn’t quite bring himself to say love —then why would he shove her as far from his memory as he could?
    She kicked off her shoes and then curled her feet underneath her on the couch before grabbing one of the cushions to snuggle into. It occurred to him that if they were a real couple he would have sat beside her and…cuddled. Or maybe offered her a foot rub. Weren’t pregnant women supposed to have swollen ankles or something?
    Which further proved to him that the idea of him falling in love and spending four weeks wrapped up in one woman was just…ludicrous. He dated. He even had relationships, but they were on his terms, which meant that his female companions didn’t come to his penthouse. If they had sleepovers, it was done in one of his hotels. He certainly didn’t engage in cuddling or cutesy things that a man would do for the woman he loved.
    But then she glanced up and their eyes met. There was something in her gaze that peeled back his skin and squeezed his chest in a manner he wasn’t familiar with. She looked…tired and vulnerable. She looked as if she needed…comfort. Hell.
    “Rafe, he got away with my purse,” she said quietly.
    He nodded. The police had come to the hospital to take her statement but it was doubtful they’d find her attacker.
    “I didn’t think…I mean everything happened so fast, and then at the hospital…” She lifted her hand in a helpless gesture that only made his desire to comfort her stronger.
    “What is worrying you, Bryony?”
    “I need to cancel my credit cards. My bankcard. God, he’s probably already emptied all my accounts. My driver’s license was in it. How am I supposed to get back home? I can’t fly without identification.”
    The more she spoke, the more agitated she became. He slid onto the couch beside her and awkwardly put his arms around her.
    “There’s no need to panic. Do you have the telephone numbers you need?”
    She shook her head and then laid it on his shoulder, her hair brushing across his nose.
    “I can look them up on the internet if you have a computer.”
    He snorted. “Do I have a computer… I’m never without an internet connection of any kind.”
    She lifted her head and stared into his eyes. “You were when you were on the island.”
    His brow crinkled. “That’s impossible. I wouldn’t have just dropped off the map like that. I have a business to run.”
    “Oh, you kept in touch,” she said. “But you often made your calls or answered emails in the morning or late at night. During the day you left your BlackBerry at my house while we explored the island.”
    He sighed. “See this is why I have such a hard time with the story you tell.