The Millionaire's Secret Wish by Leanne Banks Page A

kept her eyes open and felt as if she were staring her destiny in the face.
    He reached for her again in the middle of the night. A quick, hot coupling steeped in raw need that left her both breathless and sated. Then in the morning he made love to her slowly again, as if to savor her presence in his bed. He made love to her as if she were the most delightful surprise he’d ever found. His lovemaking made her want to be more to him, do more for him. Being this close to him made her want to heal all his wounds and make his wishes come true.
    Afterward, with the sun shining through the curtains, she stared into his eyes and said, “I love you.”
    His eyes widened slightly and he took a quick breath. “You don’t have to say that.”
    “But I do,” she said, touching his face and wanting to touch his heart. “Why do you look so surprised?”
    He shook his head. “I haven’t heard that from anybody for a while.”
    “There’s something I don’t understand,” she said. “This thing that’s between us is so strong. I don’t understand why we haven’t been more involved with each other the last several years.”
    He glanced away and narrowed his eyes. She could feel the distance between them grow immediately. “It’s complicated,” he said.
    “How?” she asked. “Tell me how.”
    He covered her hand, but still didn’t meet her gaze. “I think you’ll remember what you need when you’re ready, and I think it would be better to remember things about us on your own.”
    “But—”
    A dog’s bark interrupted her.
    Dylan chuckled. “My dream dog’s bladder is probably about to burst. I’ll take Tonto out,” he told her and dropped a kiss on her lips. “You can rest a little longer.”
    Watching Dylan tug on his jeans and leave the room, she struggled with a sense of incompleteness. There was clearly a reason she and Dylan hadn’t been more involved just before her accident, and he knew what it was. Sitting up, she closed her eyes and searched her mind for answers, but all she saw was a black void. She felt as if she were pounding on a steel door. She needed to know. Whatever had come between them was still hovering like an unwelcome ghost.
    Grimly she sensed that whatever was in the past would continue to come between them unless she remembered it and banished it. If Dylan wouldn’t tell her, then she would seek her information anywhere she could get it.

Eight
    A ccording to their agreement, Alisa should have left on Monday, but neither Dylan nor Alisa mentioned it. She wanted to stay, and although he hadn’t spoken the words, his actions told her he wanted her to stay, too.
    Dylan made love to her every night, but he stopped short at verbal professions. It was strange. Even though they didn’t discuss it, Alisa felt a strong, underlying sense of commitment that flowed between them. She hoped she wasn’t fooling herself.
    Driven to know more about her preaccident experiences with Dylan, she visited the hospital psychiatrist and expressed her frustration over the blanks in her memory. He told her any number of things couldtrigger her memories. Then again, some of her emotions could block some of her memories for a while. He reminded her that she was still recovering and to be patient.
    Alisa didn’t appreciate being told to be patient, which indicated to her that she’d never been much for settling for the status quo, so she made arrangements to meet with Kate and Amy the following day. They met at a tearoom in downtown St. Albans, and Kate brought along her baby, Michelle. They ordered tea and cakes.
    “Omigoodness, she’s such a little lady,” Amy said of Michelle as the baby daintily picked at the dry cereal Kate put on her high-chair tray.
    Kate laughed. “She’s probably good for about thirty minutes, then I’ll need to bow out. She can scream with the best of them.” She turned to Alisa. “I’m so glad you called us. I’ve been wondering how you’re doing.”
    “Good for the