Dating was fun. Women were fun. He loved the female gender as a whole, and certain members of it with feverish enthusiasm, but he’d never been blindsided like this.

“Is there someone in your life?” he asked. “A boyfriend, a lover, a significant other?”

Shaking her head, she said, “I told you, romantic relationships aren’t possible for me.”

“I get it. You’re talking to a reformed commitment-phobe. I’ve said that very thing countless times. We’ll just take it easy for a while, okay?” He wanted to add the word “exclusive” in there somewhere, but was afraid to scare her off. still , he couldn’t bear to share her. Not when he knew she was his. Knew it absolutely. “Let’s go in and sit down. We can talk over dinner and drinks.”

Her gaze lowered to his mouth and his dick twitched shamelessly. “You won’t get offended if I don’t eat, Will you?”

“You’re not hungry?”

She shook her head. “I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Listen, I don’t want to freak you out, but . . .” He hesitated, knowing he could really f**k this up.

“But?” she prodded, meeting his gaze again.

“I grabbed a hotel room nearby. Not because I thought I’d take you there tonight,” he assured her hastily. “Just because I planned on shooting for a fol ow-up breakfast date.”

“Real y?” she asked drily, with a sparkle in her eyes. “Either way, you’re very optimistic.”

“More like unable to accept failure. Not about this. So you want to grab a bottle of wine and go there? I got a suite, so the bed’s in a different room. We can just sit in the living area and talk?”

It took her a long moment to answer, one in which he could see her visibly struggling with the idea.

“Or we can go into the restaurant,” he offered. “I’m fine with whatever you’re most comfortable with.”

“No. Let’s go to your hotel.” Siobhán exhaled in rush. “I don’t have much time, so quiet would be good.”

Her all usion to the end of their evening got him anxious again. “Okay. Let’s go.”

* * *

Siobhán settled on the smal sofa in Trevor’s hotel room and noted the carry-on and duffel he’d been carrying earlier. “You were supposed to travel today.”

He tossed his black suede jacket over the back of an armchair and took a seat on the sofa beside her. “Yes. I’m part of a scholarship program Gadara Enterprises is sponsoring at the University of North Carolina. I’m an EMT with an Army medic background, so I’l be attending med school.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“Yeah. This morning I thought my life couldn’t get any better. Obviously, I was wrong about that.” He reached for her hand, linking his fingers with hers. “What do you do?”

“I study infectious diseases.”

Trevor grinned. “We’re both in the health field, then.”

She could see he thought that was another sign they were meant to be together. “I work in an underground laboratory. Weeks can go by during which I see only my col eagues. Today was the first time in a long time that I’d seen the sun.”

His smile faded. “Are you working for the government?”

“Not quite.” She looked down at their joined hands. “But the disease I’m presently focused on does have some military applications.”

“Are you trying to save lives or end them?”

“I’m searching for a cure.”

His breath left him in a rush. “That’s good. I couldn’t see it being the other way. Not with you.”

Siobhán squeezed his hand, loving his tender healer’s heart. “Maybe you’l see now why it’s not possible for us to date. You need to go to North Carolina as soon as you can. You shouldn’t have missed your flight today.”

“Hang on.” He stood up and went to his duffel bag, then returned with the envelope of photos she’d left for him at reception. He sat and poured the pictures out onto the sofa cushion between them. “This is my sister’s family. The only family I’ve got left. This is my newest nephew. He was named after me, but I’l never get to see him in person.”

She looked up into his face, trying to gauge his feelings about that. “Oh?”

“Apparently there was a bit of a screw-up and the military reported me kil ed in action. They paid out four hundred thousand dol ars in life insurance money, which my sister used to set up col ege funds for her kids and to move into a bigger house. Gadara Enterprises has some government contracts and contacts, and they worked something out so that my sister gets to keep the money if I stay dead. I’m not sure how that al

worked out, but I know my sister really needed the money and I can’t pay it back, so the best thing for all of us is for me to let them believe I’m gone.

I’l never be able to cal or send gifts or stop by.”

Siobhán set her hand over his and gave a comforting squeeze. “I’m sorry, Trevor.”

She knew Raguel would’ve strengthened the fictional background story with mental suggestions that eased Trevor’s focus on the logistics and possible workarounds.

“I’m tel ing you this,” he went on, “because I want you to know that I understand how these things work. I know the difficulties some of these government arrangements can cause. But I don’t think that means we have to throw away any chance we have of seeing where this can go.”

His tenacity moved her. That trait had helped him survive the pit he’d lived in for a year. It was also likely to cause problems between them if she left him with any memory of her at all . The best thing she could do would be to wipe him again, then leave him sleeping on the couch with a plane ticket from Ontario to North Carolina on the coffee table.

The firm weight of conviction and resignation settled over her. She knew he was okay, that he would continue to be okay. She knew from seeing him in the atrium at Gadara Tower that he would be content, even happy. That was enough for her. She could live with that and be satisfied with that. She’d have to.

Calmly, she took the photos from his hands and put them back in the envelope, then set them aside on the coffee table. Trevor watched her, his eyes heating as he judged her mood. It was as if he could see inside her and knew that her heart was beginning to beat faster, that excitement was quickening her blood. She wanted more of him before she said good-bye for the last time. She wanted to feel his lips on hers . . . his hands on her bare skin . . . the weight and heat of him against her . . .

For just a moment.

Tilting her head up, Siobhán offered him her mouth. He stared at her lips, his breathing quick and audible.

“Siobhán . . .” He slid closer. His arms circled her slowly and careful y, as if she might bolt if he moved too fast. “I won’t say no. I can’t. But this isn’t why I brought you here.”

“I know.” She’d seen his intentions when she touched his hand. He was actual y afraid to take things to the physical level, afraid she wouldn’t believe his sincerity if he did.

But she did believe him. And she trusted him. Cared for him. Wanted him.