Bijou stripped the moment she was safe in her bathroom, tossing her ruined clothes onto a plastic bag she found inside the trash can. It was small, but it worked. The hot water felt wonderful and she let it pour over her head as she worked the long, thick braid loose so she could wash her hair.

“You know you could have been killed.”

She screamed and threw the bottle of shower gel at the intruder, nearly jumping out of her skin. So much for her early warning system. “I locked the door. How did you get in here?”

Remy shrugged. “You didn’t lock your balcony door, and in any case I’m very good at pickin’ locks.”

“Get out of here.”

“We need to talk,” Remy said, resting one hip on the sink.

“We should have talked this morning, you cretin. Not now. Get out of my room right this minute. I’m naked.”

“It’s a little late to suddenly become modest, don’t you think?”

“It really isn’t a good idea for you to be remindin’ me about last night,” Bijou snapped. “Get out of my bathroom right now. I’m hangin’ on by a thread, Remy, and I’ve got a show to do tonight.”

“We’re goin’ to talk.”

“Fine. But not now. Go away, and don’ be thinkin’ you have the right to come into my personal space anytime you like. I mean it, Remy. Just because we . . . We . . . Whatever you call what happened last night, doesn’t mean it’s goin’ to happen again. Go away.”

“It’s goin’ to happen again.”

She wasn’t going to argue that point. If he kept sitting there, all arrogant and hot-looking it might happen again and she needed him gone. Now. This instant. Her body was already coming alive, that terrible craving starting. He had to go.

“Please go, Remy. Please.”

He sighed and straightened up. “But we’re talkin’ after your show tonight. I know you’re goin’ to be tired, chere, but it’s important.”

She didn’t answer, but turned away from him, mostly out of self-preservation. She was truly in trouble around Remy. Her body seemed to rule her head, not the other way around, and she had to find a way to conquer her need of him.

Chapter 10

10

REMY stood in the back of the packed club, leaning against the wall, his arms crossed over his chest, his gaze moving over the crowd restlessly. His leopard had never liked being indoors, let alone in the midst of a throng as big as this one. He was surprised the fire marshal, who was sitting in the crowd, hadn’t complained.