His name on her lips was like a caress, making him melt.

How could he possibly hurt her? Or punish her?

He loved her.

He would show her how much tonight. With tenderness, not cruelty. If tonight was going to be his last night with her, he wanted to remember it with pride, not guilt, or shame.

Natalie was a wonderful woman. A special woman. She deserved the best he had to give.

‘We really should get back to the party,’ he said, his tone gentle. ‘Don’t worry about the panties for now. I’ll take them off later tonight, when we’re alone.’

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

NATALIE woke to find Mike already up, fully dressed and packing.

‘What…what are you doing?’ she asked, pushing her hair out of her face as she sat up in the bed.

‘Packing,’ he replied. ‘I thought that was obvious.’

His sharp tone shocked her. Where had the tender lover of last night gone to?

‘But it’s only eight-fifteen. We’re not due to be dropped off at Darling Harbour till noon.’

His head lifted, his eyes hard and cold. ‘I don’t like to leave things to the last minute. Which brings me to something else.’

Natalie knew, before he said another word, that she wasn’t going to like this something else.

‘What?’ she demanded to know, fear making her voice sharp as well.

‘I’ve changed my mind, Natalie. Our living together isn’t going to work for me. Sorry.’

Sorry.

Natalie’s hands fell to the bed where she grasped at the sheet covering her lower half, holding onto it for dear life as she was holding onto her emotions for dear life.

Sorry.

One word, delivered without a care in the world.

Sorry.

One word, slashing into her heart and shattering all her hopes.

Of course, she’d been a fool to hope. But it was hard not to when the man you loved had made love to you half the night as if you were the most precious thing in the world to him and that he would never be able to live without you.

Sorry.

Her thoughts whirled as she tried to get her head around that one wretched word.

‘For pity’s sake, cover yourself up, would you?’ Mike suddenly snapped.

Natalie blinked, then stared at him.

Cover herself up? This, from the man who had never been able to see enough of her. Who’d stripped her naked at every opportunity.

Suddenly, he was offended by the sight of her bared breasts? It didn’t make sense.

Unless…

Dared she hope an even more outrageous hope?

Could it be possible?

‘Why?’ she asked him, leaving the sheet exactly where it was.

He scowled at her. ‘What do you mean, why?’

‘I mean why? Why do you want me to cover myself up all of a sudden? What are you afraid of?’

‘I’m not afraid of anything,’ he snarled.