CHAPTER SIX
He sipped his coffee then leaned back in the chair, mild amusement reflecting in his eyes. “What do you mean? You know who I am.”
Colette stared at him in frustration. For some reason she was convinced she knew him. Somehow, someway, she knew with certainty that he’d been a part of her life before her amnesia. An intimate part of her life. “Is Hank Cooper your real name?”
He nodded. “It’s what my mama named me and it’s what’s written on my birth certificate.” He gestured to her coffee cup on the table. “Aren’t you going to finish your coffee?”
Warily she moved to the table and slid into the chair opposite his. She wrapped her fingers around her cup, seeking warmth. Her gaze lingered on him, intently studying his bold features, the sensual mouth that had kissed her so completely, the dangerous darkness of secrets in his eyes. Familiar, so familiar. “Are…are you sure we’ve never met?”
He paused a long moment. He sipped his coffee, then carefully placed the cup into the saucer and looked at her, all form of amusement gone from hisgaze. “Actually, we’ve done more than just meet in the past. We’ve been intimate.”
Colette gasped, her mind reeling with shock at the unexpectedness of his reply. “I—I don’t believe you,” she exclaimed.
He shrugged. “Believe what you want.” He leaned toward her, a smile curving his lips. “But it was a wild, unforgettable night for me.”
Colette felt the blush that worked up her throat and swept over her face. “When was this? Where? How did we meet?” Question after question tumbled from her as she tried to fit this information into the blank spots of her mind.
“About six months ago. I was in Las Vegas for business and we met in the lobby of the Stardust casino.”
“Are you telling me you picked me up?” Colette was appalled at the very idea. What on earth had been going on in her life that she would allow herself to be picked up by a stranger in a Las Vegas casino?
“It wasn’t exactly like that,” he said.
“Exactly what was it like?” she asked.
He leaned back in his chair, eyeing her with an intimacy that made her wish she wore something different than the thin blue silk nightgown and robe, something more substantial to ward off the near physical heat of his gaze. “We shared a kind of instant attraction. We talked for a little while, then you went with me to the crap tables. I had a couple hot runs with the dice and we laughed about you being my good luck charm. With the high of the win, we had dinner together, then ended up in your room.”
Once again he leaned forward and the scent of hiscologne eddied around Colette’s head, hauntingly familiar, disturbingly recognizable. His breath was warm, evocative on her face. “It was one hell of a night, Colette. The memory of that night with you is what brought me to Cheyenne.”
Colette’s mouth was dry, and she felt as if her nerve endings had all crawled to the surface of her skin. She was shocked at the circumstances that had apparently brought them together. But there was a certain amount of relief in hearing that they had shared a past, giving a rational explanation for her feelings of familiarity toward him. At least with this new knowledge, she no longer felt as if she were going insane.
Other, less pleasant thoughts shot through her head. “So, what happened? We spent a night together, then you left? Did you leave skid marks in the parking lot?” She was surprised by the irritation she felt.
“Whoa, it wasn’t exactly like that.”
“Dammit, Hank, tell me exactly what it was like.” She stood and shoved her chair aside, frustration searing through her. “I’ve got amnesia. I don’t remember things. Help me fill in some of the blanks.”
She started to pace, her mind still unable to completely fit his words into reality. “Did I tell you what I was doing in Las Vegas? Did you at least buy me breakfast the next morning?”
“No, you didn’t tell me what you were doing there. You did tell me you were sort of involved with somebody, but things weren’t going well. I was only in town for that one night and the next morning we said goodbye and you told me if I was ever in Cheyenne to look you up.”
Although at the present moment Colette knew little about herself, this kind of behavior seemed foreign, distinctly out of character for her. “So, you came to Cheyenne looking for me?”
He nodded. “My previous job ended and I decided to drift in this direction, look you up and see what happened.”
“And what did you expect to happen?” she asked.
Once again he smiled, the gesture not quite reaching the shadows of his eyes. He stood and approached her, cornering her against a cabinet. “I didn’t expect anything, but I’ll tell you what I hope will happen.” He leaned into her, invading her space. “I want to share your bed again.”
Colette’s breath felt trapped in her chest, making it difficult to breathe. She felt the rise of her nipples beneath her gown, as if responding in anticipation to what he suggested. “I’m afraid that’s not going to happen,” she replied, irritated to hear a slight hoarseness in her voice. She cleared her throat and continued, “I’m not in the habit of bedding strangers.”
“I’m not exactly a stranger,” he returned, the wicked smile still curving his lips. He reached out and touched the collar of her silky robe. “You did a thorough job exploring me that night in Las Vegas. You know me better than I know myself.”
Colette felt the heat of his touch penetrate through the thin material, burning her skin as if he branded her. She fought the impulse to jerk away from him, refusing to allow him to see how his touch affected her.
Instead she looked at him with as much dispassion as she could muster. She wasn’t sure whether to believehim or not. Although a one-night stand answered the question of why he seemed so familiar to her, why his kiss had stirred vague memories, it left dozens more questions unanswered. She simply couldn’t imagine herself picking up a guy in a bar and sleeping with him that night.
She frowned as another thought entered her mind. “Six months ago. I would have been pregnant.”
