Undone by the Star by Stephanie Browning Page A

into out-and-out lust.
    “Are you walking me to my door, Mr. Daniels?”
    “I am indeed.”
    It was on the tip of his tongue to tell Alex about the flat he’d rented, but sensing her day had been full enough, he held back. Although he felt certain, given everything that had happened this past week, having him move out of The Sadler would be one less complication for her. And him.
    “I expect Grannie’s sound asleep by now,” Alex said. She had spoken with her grandmother before they left the pub, and had had a reassuring report from both the nursing station, and Helen Wolcheski, whom Marc had not yet met, but understood to be worth her weight in gold.
    “And what about you?” asked Marc, “how are you feeling?”
    “Tired, but relieved.” She sighed and leaned ever so slightly against him.
    Pools of light cast by the old-fashioned lamps lining the mews were beginning to work their magic on him. Leaves chattered in the soft breeze and blended with the murmur of sound spilling from the windows of the hotel. Their footsteps were muted as they followed the well-worn cobblestones to the archway which he now knew led to Alex’s flat at the back of the mews.
    Once there, Marc drew Alex into the shadows, hoping to recapture the heat that passed between them in the pub.
    “Alex…,” he began.
    “Shh…,” she whispered, reaching up to stroke his cheek. The stubble of his beard rasped beneath the soft skin of her fingers sending cascades of erotic messages to his brain. He stood stock still savouring her touch yet at the same time, he sensed an unspoken note of sadness that hadn’t been there earlier. It wrenched his heart.
    He could see that her eyes were moist. And her throat trembled with what he hoped was longing. “I adore you,” he said softly.
    “I know.” Alex rose on her tiptoes to lightly kiss him on the cheek, but he twisted his head and captured her mouth with his.
    She didn’t refuse. At first his lips brushed over hers, gently, reassuringly. Then he deepened his kiss, feeling her body arc against his as she fluttered and then surrendered to the passion that electrified the air between them. He heard her give a small moan of pleasure. Desire raked through his body, but he held himself in check.
    He owed it to her not to take advantage of her vulnerability, and he owed it to himself to show her the man he really was, one who cared and respected her, and who would protect her, even if it meant denying his desperate need to be with her.
    Marc cupped her head with his hand and drew her into the hollow of his shoulder. Alex sighed and leaned against him. A limousine had entered the mews, its headlights playing over the courtyard. Marc eyed it warily as it drew up to the hotel’s rear entrance and stopped. Another moment passed and then a uniformed chauffeur emerged from the front of the vehicle. Marc felt Alex stiffen in his arms and raise her head for a closer look. They watched the driver open the rear door illuminating the car’s lavish interior and the couple seated inside.
    “Let me go,” Alex suddenly hissed, pushing against his chest in panic.
    Stunned, Marc widened his arms and drew back. “Why?” he demanded. “What’s the problem?”
    A look of horror had crossed Alex’s face. “This is so wrong. I shouldn’t be here with you.”
    Marc felt the blood pounding in his temples. “But, we’re perfect, you and me.”
    His hand reached out for her again, but Alex had stepped back. She gave her head a quick shake. “You’re a guest of The Sadler.”
    “What has that got to do with it!” Marc felt his jaw harden. After everything that had passed between them, he felt a sudden surge of hurt and anger. “Is it because of who I am?” he demanded. “Or are you just not interested?”
    “This is about me, Marc. Not you!” Her voice was low and insistent, her eyes never leaving the tableau taking place across the mews.
    “I appreciate everything you did for me and my family today,” she