seat, leaving him standing there feeling dismissed. Danny sighed and, since she was no longer in danger of asphyxiating, went back to his sushi. He picked up his chopsticks and speared a spicy tuna roll.
“Listen, Jordan, I do want to help you out, but I have to tell you that my motives are purely selfish.” She looked at him in surprise. “I want to be with you again.”
She dropped her focus and squirmed on her seat. But her downward-tilted head couldn’t hide the faintest of smiles. That smile made him resolve to buy his own copy of the Fifty Fast Fantasies book he had noticed this morning. Somewhere beneath her polished exterior beat the sensual heart of a woman who had forty-nine more reasons to agree to his plan.
Jordan pushed the tempura around her plate. “So, you’re saying I have to sleep with you to get your help. Why should I? Your brother already said he’d play the part.”
“You don’t have to. But I know you want to.”
Jordan blushed and her tone became defensive. “Could you be any more arrogant?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice the way you look at me? Let’s be honest here. Last night was fantastic. There’s a lot of heat between us, and since we’re both adults, there’s no reason not to enjoy it.”
She sat back and finally looked at him. A slight frown tugged at her mouth. Danny felt the first stirrings of disappointment and waited for her to refuse his offer.
It wasn’t as if he’d never been turned down before but, for once, he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Not from Jordan. Not from a woman so eager to explore her sensuality that she’d buy a guidebook and follow the instructions. After everything they’d already done together, he didn’t think he was rushing her.
“Jordan, why don’t we—”
“Okay.”
“Um, excuse me?” Taken aback, he paused with a piece of abalone halfway to his mouth.
“I said, okay. Another night together in exchange for a few performances.”
Her voice sounded resigned, but there was a glimmer of interest in her light brown eyes, which confused him. Did she really want to do this? He sure hoped so. But he had no intention of being a two-night stand.
“Uh-uh. Not just another night. If I’m going to commit to ten days, give or take, then so are you.”
She didn’t answer directly. “Give or take?”
“Baltimore City’s firefighters work on a rotation schedule. I do two nights, then two day shifts followed by four days off.”
“Oh, this won’t work then—”
He chuckled. “Don’t sound so relieved. I don’t have to be back at the station until Sunday afternoon, so I can take David’s place this weekend.”
Jordan had stopped eating a while ago, but her beer glass was almost empty. Funny, he would have figured her for the white-wine type. But alcohol was alcohol when you needed to boost your courage. Even from across the table, he could see the tension in her posture and the rapid rise and fall of her spectacular chest.
“So how about it, Jordan. Are you up for the challenge? A favor in exchange for some fantasies?”
Although bright spots of color appeared on her face, he knew that she wasn’t choking this time, just battling her good-girl conscience.
“We have a Fridays After Five behind-the-scenes tour of the National Aquarium tomorrow.”
He felt a grin split his face. It wasn’t, “Okay, Danny. I can’t wait to get you back in bed.” But it was an agreement just the same.
She continued as if she didn’t notice his triumphant smile. “Saturday is the barbecue at my parents’ house in Annapolis. Monday night we’re going to Obrycki’s for crabs and on Wednesday, the Orioles play the New York Yankees. And, of course, my grandparent’s golden anniversary party is the night of the eighteenth.”
“I work the night shift on Monday, so I can’t join you for crabs. I can probably leave a little early on Wednesday, though, to go to the baseball game.”
Jordan cleared her throat and folded
“Listen, Jordan, I do want to help you out, but I have to tell you that my motives are purely selfish.” She looked at him in surprise. “I want to be with you again.”
She dropped her focus and squirmed on her seat. But her downward-tilted head couldn’t hide the faintest of smiles. That smile made him resolve to buy his own copy of the Fifty Fast Fantasies book he had noticed this morning. Somewhere beneath her polished exterior beat the sensual heart of a woman who had forty-nine more reasons to agree to his plan.
Jordan pushed the tempura around her plate. “So, you’re saying I have to sleep with you to get your help. Why should I? Your brother already said he’d play the part.”
“You don’t have to. But I know you want to.”
Jordan blushed and her tone became defensive. “Could you be any more arrogant?”
“Did you think I wouldn’t notice the way you look at me? Let’s be honest here. Last night was fantastic. There’s a lot of heat between us, and since we’re both adults, there’s no reason not to enjoy it.”
She sat back and finally looked at him. A slight frown tugged at her mouth. Danny felt the first stirrings of disappointment and waited for her to refuse his offer.
It wasn’t as if he’d never been turned down before but, for once, he wasn’t going to take no for an answer. Not from Jordan. Not from a woman so eager to explore her sensuality that she’d buy a guidebook and follow the instructions. After everything they’d already done together, he didn’t think he was rushing her.
“Jordan, why don’t we—”
“Okay.”
“Um, excuse me?” Taken aback, he paused with a piece of abalone halfway to his mouth.
“I said, okay. Another night together in exchange for a few performances.”
Her voice sounded resigned, but there was a glimmer of interest in her light brown eyes, which confused him. Did she really want to do this? He sure hoped so. But he had no intention of being a two-night stand.
“Uh-uh. Not just another night. If I’m going to commit to ten days, give or take, then so are you.”
She didn’t answer directly. “Give or take?”
“Baltimore City’s firefighters work on a rotation schedule. I do two nights, then two day shifts followed by four days off.”
“Oh, this won’t work then—”
He chuckled. “Don’t sound so relieved. I don’t have to be back at the station until Sunday afternoon, so I can take David’s place this weekend.”
Jordan had stopped eating a while ago, but her beer glass was almost empty. Funny, he would have figured her for the white-wine type. But alcohol was alcohol when you needed to boost your courage. Even from across the table, he could see the tension in her posture and the rapid rise and fall of her spectacular chest.
“So how about it, Jordan. Are you up for the challenge? A favor in exchange for some fantasies?”
Although bright spots of color appeared on her face, he knew that she wasn’t choking this time, just battling her good-girl conscience.
“We have a Fridays After Five behind-the-scenes tour of the National Aquarium tomorrow.”
He felt a grin split his face. It wasn’t, “Okay, Danny. I can’t wait to get you back in bed.” But it was an agreement just the same.
She continued as if she didn’t notice his triumphant smile. “Saturday is the barbecue at my parents’ house in Annapolis. Monday night we’re going to Obrycki’s for crabs and on Wednesday, the Orioles play the New York Yankees. And, of course, my grandparent’s golden anniversary party is the night of the eighteenth.”
“I work the night shift on Monday, so I can’t join you for crabs. I can probably leave a little early on Wednesday, though, to go to the baseball game.”
Jordan cleared her throat and folded
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