Kate laughed, swiping a hand across her forehead. “No. You’re royalty. I don’t know of too many blue bloods who go around remodeling.”
Stepping over the debris, he made his way to the door. Kate was right behind him. Extending his hand, he helped her over the rubble and out into the hallway.
“How about we take our tools to the kitchen?” he said, smiling when she rolled her eyes. “That room is hideous.”
“I’d rather go to the kitchen and make some lunch, because you only had coffee for breakfast and my toast wore off about my fifth swing into that vanity countertop.”
Her glistening forehead, the smudge of dirt streaked across one cheek, instantly had Luc recalling a little girl with a lopsided ponytail chasing a dog through a yard.
“You used to play with Booker,” he muttered, speaking before he fully finished assessing the image. “At my family’s vacation house in the US.”
Kate’s eyes widened. “That’s right. I did. Did you have a memory?”
Rubbing his forehead, Luc cursed beneath his breath when the flash was gone. “Yeah. I’ve known you a long time, then.”
Kate nodded, studying him. “I’ve known you since I was six.”
“I’m a lot older than you.”
A smile spread across her face. “Ten years.”
“How long have we been together?”
Kate glanced away, biting her lip and focusing on anything but him.
“I know the doctor said to let me remember on my own. But I want to know.”
Those doe eyes came back up to meet his gaze. “I started working for you a year ago.”
Shock registered first. “You work for me?”
He tried to remember, tried to think of her in a professional atmosphere. Nothing. He’d actually rather remember her in an intimate setting, because that was what crushed him the most. They were engaged, they were obviously in love and he couldn’t recall anything about the deep bond of their relationship.
“What do you do for me?” he asked. “Besides get me hot and make me want you. And how did we manage to get around the family rule about not mixing business with pleasure?”
Pink tinged her tanned face as she reached out, cupping her hand over his cheek. “I’m your assistant. I’m not telling you anything else. All right?”
Sliding his hand over hers, he squeezed it, then brought her palm to his mouth. “All right,” he said, kissing her. “But I can’t believe I let my fiancée work.”
Her lips quirked. “Let me? Oh, honey. You’ve never let me do anything.”
Laughing, he tugged her against him. “I have a feeling we do a lot of verbal sparring.”
A lopsided grin greeted him. “You have no idea.”
When he started to nuzzle the side of her neck, she eased back. “I’m sweaty and smelly, Luc. I don’t think you want to bury your nose anywhere near my skin right now.”
He slid his tongue along that delicate spot just below her ear. “I plan on having you sweaty later anyway, Kate.”
Her body trembled. He didn’t need to spell out how their day would end. Sleeping next to her last night had been sweet torture, but seeing her come apart at his touch had been so erotic, so sexy.
He couldn’t wait to have her. Couldn’t wait to explore her, get to know her body all over again.
“Has it always been this intense between us?” he asked, still gripping her hand and staring into those eyes any man could get lost in.
“Everything about our relationship is intense,” she murmured, staring at his mouth. “I never know if I want to kiss you or strangle you.”
“Kissing,” he whispered against her mouth. “Always choose kissing, my doce anjo.”