Lahat ng Kabanata ng COLLECTION OF LUST AND LOVE: Kabanata 181 - Kabanata 190

His eyes opened, surprising a look of such darkened fear in her gaze that he was momentarily taken aback. He studied the soft quiver of her lips and felt the tiptoeing of something unfamiliar on his skin. Was that really Pamela?‘Don’t worry. I’m not about to die,’ he drawled. And then, despite the terrible aching at his temples, he allowed just the right pause for maximum effect before directing a mocking question at the woman in uniform who was standing beside his bed, her fingertips counting the hammering of his pulse. ‘Am I, Nurse?’Pamela inexplicably found herself seething with anger towards Theodore for displaying his trademark arrogance. He could have risked his life, yet there he was, casually flirting with the nurse! Why had she wasted any time feeling sentimental towards him when she should have known he was as unbreakable as stone? He showed about as much emotion as a rock, after all! She wanted to caution him against his flippant behaviour—but realising it might only agita

Theodore had been transferred to a different side ward, and Pamela walked in to see a small gaggle of doctors gathered around the foot of his bed. There was an unmistakable air of tension in the room.She shot a glance at her boss, who was sitting up in bed, unshaven and unashamedly bare-chested—the vulnerability of yesterday nothing but a distant memory. His black eyes glittered with displeasure as he saw her, and his voice was cool.‘Ah, Pamela. At last.’‘Is something wrong?’ she asked.‘Damned right there is.’A tall, bespectacled man detached himself from the group, extending his hand and introducing himself as the consultant. ‘You’re his partner?’ he asked Pamela, as he glanced down at the overnight bag she was carrying.Pamela went bright red, and she couldn’t miss the narrow-eyed look which Theodore angled in her direction. But for some reason she was glad that she wasn’t the same wild-haired scarecrow she’d been in the middle of the night. That she’d taken the care to wash an

For a moment, Theodore acknowledged the fleeting tension, a subtle discord that quickened his pulse. Wasn’t it curious, he mused inwardly, how such minor sparks between a man and a woman could ignite a rush of thoughts and sensations?Pamela’s suggestion hung in the air, her tone sweetly teasing yet underscored by a hint of challenge. "Then why don’t you give me a pay rise? I could buy myself a newer car."Theodore’s lips quirked in a half-smile, his mind momentarily diverted by the playful banter. He recognized the game they played, the unspoken dance of wit and attraction that simmered beneath their professional rapport. Pamela’s confident demeanor and sharp retorts never failed to stir a reaction from him—a mix of amusement and a deeper, more primal response that hinted at something beyond their usual exchanges.He cleared his throat, regaining his composure as he considered her proposal with a measured expression. Beneath the surface, however, his thoughts lingered on the electric

She turned to look at him—at the ebony arcs of his feathered lashes which were the only soft component to make up his formidable face. She had never seen him asleep before, and it was like looking at a very different man. The hard planes and angles of his features threw shadows over his olive skin, and for once his sensual lips were relaxed. Once again she saw an unfamiliar trace of vulnerability etched on his features, and once again she felt that little stab of awareness at her heart.He was so still, she thought wonderingly. Remarkably still for a man who rarely stopped. Who drove himself remorselessly in the way that successful men always did. Why, it seemed almost a shame to wake him … and to have him face the reality of his convalescence in her humble home.Racking her brain, she thought back to how she’d left the place last weekend, and realised that there was no fresh food or milk. Stuff she would normally have brought down with her from London.Reaching out her hand, she touch

Since his brother had unexpectedly acceded to the throne, things had become even more difficult for him, putting him directly in the spotlight. He was painfully aware that everything he said was listened to carefully, frequently twisted out of context, and then spread around, so he had learned to speak very cautiously.But at this moment, he was experiencing a rare feeling of happiness that was entirely new to him. For the first time since he became an adult, he found himself alone in a small space with a woman who wasn’t trying to undress him.‘I have a slight ache in my …’ he shifted his position as she tucked her surprisingly long legs beneath her and he felt another sharp kick of awareness ‘… head. But other than that I feel okay.’The gleam in his black eyes made Pamela uneasy. She wished he would stop staring at her that way. To distract herself, she gave the fire a quick, unnecessary poke. "Good," she said.Theodore took a sip of his tea, observing the sudden tension in her sho