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Suddenly, her mind was filled with memories of the last time they’d touched. Really touched. All over. Naked. Those memories were enough to ignite a fire in the pit of her stomach.
    “You may not be the same,” he said, breaking into the silence between them, speaking in a low tone, “but you kept your wedding vows.”
    He spoke with such absolute certainty, she wondered how he could be so sure. But of course he was right. “Yes, I kept them.”
    He nodded. “And before doubt starts clouding that pretty little head of yours, let me go on record to say that I might not be the same, but I kept my wedding vows, as well.”
    There was no way. Not that she didn’t think he would have tried, but she knew when it came to sex, some men classified it as a
must have
. She of all people knew how much the old Bane had enjoyed it. There was no reason to think the new and different Bane wouldn’t like it just as much. Just look at him. He was more masculine, more virile—so macho. Even if he hadn’t targeted women, they would definitely have targeted him.
    “Now that we have that cleared up...”
    Did they?
“Not so fast,” she said, trying to ignore it when his body brushed against hers again. Had it been intentional? And why hadn’t one of them taken a step back? “What kept you sane?”
    “Sane?”
    “Yes. You know. From climbing the walls and stuff. I heard men need sex every so often.”
    He smiled and the force of it sent her senses reeling. “Remind me to give you all the details one day. Now, back to our earlier topic, why did you come to the door with a gun and why the packed bags?”
    They were back to that?
    But then maybe they should be. She needed to call a cab and get to the airport. And just like she didn’t want to involve her mother and Aunt Rachel in whatever was going on, she definitely didn’t want to involve Bane. Maybe she should have lied and said she was involved with someone else. Then he would have gotten angry and left, and she would be free to do as the note advised and disappear. Whatever was going on was her issue and not his.
    She nibbled her lips as she tried coming up with something that would sound reasonable. Something that wasn’t too much of a lie. So she said, “The reason for the packed luggage is because I’m taking a trip.”
    He looked at her as if to say
duh
. Instead, he held her gaze and asked, “Business or pleasure?”
    “Business.”
    “Where are you headed?”
    If she told him the Bahamas, he would question if it really was a business trip, so she said, “Chicago.”
    “Fine. I’ll go with you.”
    She blinked, suddenly feeling anxiety closing in on her. “Go with me?”
    “Yes. I’m on leave so I can do that,” he said calmly. “Besides, it’s time I got to know you again, and I want you to get to know me.”
    She drew in a breath, feeling her control deteriorating. Those hazel eyes had always been her weakness.
    She knew she was a goner when he asked in a husky voice, “You do want to get to know me all over again, don’t you, Crystal Gayle?”
    Getting to know Brisbane Westmoreland the first time around had been like a roller coaster, and she’d definitely enjoyed the ride. There was no doubt that getting to know the new Bane would be even more exhilarating. Now she could enjoy the ride as a woman in control of her own destiny and not as a girl whose life was dictated by her parents. A woman who was older, mature and could appreciate the explosiveness of a relationship with him.
    As if he knew what she was thinking and wanted to drive that point home, he caressed the side of her face with the tip of his finger. “I definitely want to get to know you again, Crystal.”
    Then he brought her body closer to his. She felt his erection pressing hard against her middle and a craving she’d tried to put to rest years ago reared its greedy head, making her force back a moan. When his finger left her face to tug on a section of her hair, sensations she