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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’ar"

The shortened version of his name, only used by his closest friends, slipped fro froht As if he’d heard it before or ed 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 for himself to say love--then ould 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 nant wo?

Which further proved to hi 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 lanced up and their eyes aze 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 aith 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…Ihappened so fast, and then at the hospital…" She lifted her hand in a helpless gesture that onlyyou, 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 aet back home? I can’t fly without identification"

The itated she became He slid onto the couch beside her and aardly 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 hen 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 oftenor late at night During the day you left your BlackBerry at hed "See this is why I have such a hard ti like that It isn’t me"

Her lips turned down in a frown and she leaned away from him

To cover the sudden aardness, he stood and went to his briefcase to pull out his laptop He stood for a long moment with his back to her just so he could co He didn’t want to hurt her, damn it But one of them was crazy, and he didn’t want it to be him

He finally went back to the couch, opened the laptop and set it on a cushion next to her

"If you have any proble new ones, let hted here"

"And ht, frustrated voice "How ah her hair, which only drew attention to the dark bruise et you horandmother to fax a copy of your birth certificate? It’syou can fly with the birth certificate but you’ll be subjected to closer scrutiny by security"

"Couldn’t we take your jet? Oh, I guess… Sorry" She broke off, seely embarrassed at her slip

"I have more than one," he said dryly

She continued to stare at hi it? Wouldn’t it be easier to fly without identification if ere on a private jet?"

He cleared his throat and then rubbed the back of his neck "Let’s just say I have a newly developed phobia of flying on small planes"

She frowned "I must sound so insensitive I’m just… This has been a rotten trip all the way around"

"Yes, I suppose it has been for you," he murmured

He eased back onto the couch beside her as she tapped intently on the keys He hated how unsure of hiry at Not her

If she was to be believed, her life had been completely upended By hi that she was telling the truth No matter how bizarre and unlikely such a scenario seeure out what the hell he was going to do with the woman he supposedly loved and the child she carried His child

Six

"This rehts we spent at my house," Bryony said as she forked another bite of the seafood into her ned to hearingand resuaze downcast, almost as if she kne ill at ease he was