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his spine. She made him feel too much. It was dangerous.
    He liked his relationships with women to be simple and disentangled. Controlled. He decided long ago that he’d be a fool for no one. His mother had been a very public fool for his father, being his mistress for thirty-two years. And Jesse had been used by women for his entire adult life—they’d wanted him to buy them a car or jewelry or to meet people he knew. Jesse hadn’t cared; he’d wanted to be seen as the big man. Damn fool.
    He had to walk away from April quickly—before history repeated itself and he became a fool for her. Emotions this strong led nowhere else. He’d seen it often enough.
    But first his honor compelled him to let her know the truth. She deserved it. “The only thought in my mind was kissing you.”
    Her chestnut eyes were earnest as they looked deeply into his. “We’ve acknowledged a certain attraction between us.”Her tongue darted out to moisten her lips. “Seth, promise me you won’t use that to encourage me to give in on the hotel issue.”
    Attraction? He almost laughed at the understatement. “April, this isn’t merely an attraction for me.” He closed his eyes to make the admission come more easily. “I’m sure you’ve guessed how badly I want you. So badly that when you’re near I can’t stop the images of you in my bed. But it won’t happen. I won’t let it.”
    â€œIt’s problematic for you,” she said, repeating their phrasing from the car trip.
    â€œTell me you weren’t sleeping with my brother a few weeks ago.” Merely saying the words ripped a hole open in his chest, but it had to be said. Needed to be answered.
    â€œI don’t think I was,” she said uncertainly. Her eyes shifted to the left. She’d wondered the same thing.
    His whole body clenched tight and he had to relax his jaw to speak. “You can’t guarantee it, though, can you?”
    She slid down from the piano, straightening her long skirt as she answered, “No, I can’t.”
    Although he’d expected the words, they still acted as a bucket of ice water over his head. He folded tense arms across his chest. “Convince me you’ve really lost your memory. Show me some irrefutable proof.”
    â€œI can’t,” she said, her forehead puckered in a frown.
    Something inside him pushed farther, wanting to sever the invisible cords that had bound him to her in such a short space of time. He pushed his shoulders back. “Sign the contract to give me my hotel back.”
    â€œSeth, you know I can’t until I’ve regained my memory.”
    â€œSo you say. If you can’t guarantee you weren’t recently sleeping with my brother, or prove you’ve lost your memory or sign my hotel back, then do one final thing for me.”
    â€œWhat is it?” she asked warily.
    â€œStop making me want you more than my next breath.” The words were wrenched from his throat. “I refuse to hand over control of what I think and do to a physical desire. I won’t .” He would never be love’s fool.
    Unable to stand her proximity any longer—especially with his admission hanging in the air—he stalked to the far side of the ballroom. He slammed a hand up high on a round pillar, his back to April. But he felt her follow, bringing her brand of damned temptation with her.
    â€œThis isn’t what I want either,” she said with a slight tremble in her voice. “I don’t even know who I am, or if I can trust you fully. But…”
    He turned slowly, taking in the picture of her biting down on her bottom lip, trying to contain what she’d been about to say.
    â€œBut?” he asked, knowing he should walk away. Run.
    She dragged in a breath, then spoke in a rush. “The only things that have made sense since I woke up are playing music and your kiss.