years of loneliness had apparently left her in a desperate and dangerous condition and brought her here into John Fairweather’s bed.
“We’re not entirely opposites, you know.” John kissed her cheek softly.
“No? How are we similar?”
“We’re both stubborn and determined.”
“I think I’m going to take that as an insult. I was raised to be obedient and compliant.” She raised a brow.
“Well, something went wrong.” He winked, and the sparkle of humor in his eyes did something strange to her belly. “Because I can tell you make up your own mind about everything.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You’re here, aren’t you? In my arms.” He squeezed her gently, and her heart tripped a little.
“I’m not sure my mind was involved in this at all. I suspect other, less intellectual parts of my body were involved.”
His chest rocked with laughter. “To a certain extent, yes, but you’re here and thinking right now and I don’t notice you running for the door.”
“Trust me, I’m thinking about running for the door.” She glanced at it, as if to make sure the way was clear.
“Guess I’ll have to keep a tight hold on you, then.” His arms circled her completely, which felt fabulous. She didn’t want to move from their embrace. “Because I don’t want you to go.”
“I’m sure you’d have no trouble finding someone to take my place here.” She regretted the jealous-sounding words the moment they came out.
“I’m not at all interested in anyone else. I bet you’d be surprised by how long it’s been since I slept with a woman.”
“Really?” Her own curiosity embarrassed her.
“I won’t lie. I sowed some wild oats when I was younger, especially after my marriage fell apart. I’d been a true romantic up until then and I couldn’t believe that the forever she’d promised me had turned out to be less than a year. I probably got revenge on myself more than anyone else. I was mad at myself for trusting her.”
“I was mad at myself for trusting in my ex. And he didn’t even cheat on me. At least not that I know of.”
“It’s hard to put your faith in other people once you’ve been let down. Is that why you haven’t been serious with anyone else?”
She paused, not wanting to tell the truth. But she wasn’t really cut out for fibbing. “No one’s even asked me out since then.”
“In five or six years?” His incredulity made her bite her lip.
“Nope. Not once.” Maybe that explained why she’d leaped so willingly into John’s entirely unsuitable arms.
“That’s insane. You are kind of intimidating, though. It probably takes someone as obnoxious as me to be arrogant enough to try.”
“Intimidating? I think of myself as being humble and unassuming.”
His deep belly laugh rocked her. “You can think of yourself that way all you want. The truth is you’re a demanding and rather judgmental woman who probably scares the pants off most men.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“I like it.” His grin warmed her. “If you have high expectations of yourself, you should have them of others, too. I know I do.”
“Hmm. Now that you put it like that, it doesn’t seem so bad.” Her head rested on his bicep, which was more comfortable than the softest pillow. “I suppose you’re right that a lot of people find me unapproachable. I turn down so many lunch invitations and weekend plans from coworkers that people rarely invite me anywhere anymore.”
“Why do you turn them down?”
“I think they’re silly. I go to the office to work, not socialize.”
“See? You are unapproachable.” His grin revealed those even white teeth. “They’re right to be afraid. What about your church? You said your family is religious. Didn’t you meet anyone there?”
“Not anyone I was interested in.”
“So you’re also picky.” He stroked a tendril of hair off her cheek.
“Shouldn’t I be? What’s the point of pretending you
“We’re not entirely opposites, you know.” John kissed her cheek softly.
“No? How are we similar?”
“We’re both stubborn and determined.”
“I think I’m going to take that as an insult. I was raised to be obedient and compliant.” She raised a brow.
“Well, something went wrong.” He winked, and the sparkle of humor in his eyes did something strange to her belly. “Because I can tell you make up your own mind about everything.”
“What makes you say that?”
“You’re here, aren’t you? In my arms.” He squeezed her gently, and her heart tripped a little.
“I’m not sure my mind was involved in this at all. I suspect other, less intellectual parts of my body were involved.”
His chest rocked with laughter. “To a certain extent, yes, but you’re here and thinking right now and I don’t notice you running for the door.”
“Trust me, I’m thinking about running for the door.” She glanced at it, as if to make sure the way was clear.
“Guess I’ll have to keep a tight hold on you, then.” His arms circled her completely, which felt fabulous. She didn’t want to move from their embrace. “Because I don’t want you to go.”
“I’m sure you’d have no trouble finding someone to take my place here.” She regretted the jealous-sounding words the moment they came out.
“I’m not at all interested in anyone else. I bet you’d be surprised by how long it’s been since I slept with a woman.”
“Really?” Her own curiosity embarrassed her.
“I won’t lie. I sowed some wild oats when I was younger, especially after my marriage fell apart. I’d been a true romantic up until then and I couldn’t believe that the forever she’d promised me had turned out to be less than a year. I probably got revenge on myself more than anyone else. I was mad at myself for trusting her.”
“I was mad at myself for trusting in my ex. And he didn’t even cheat on me. At least not that I know of.”
“It’s hard to put your faith in other people once you’ve been let down. Is that why you haven’t been serious with anyone else?”
She paused, not wanting to tell the truth. But she wasn’t really cut out for fibbing. “No one’s even asked me out since then.”
“In five or six years?” His incredulity made her bite her lip.
“Nope. Not once.” Maybe that explained why she’d leaped so willingly into John’s entirely unsuitable arms.
“That’s insane. You are kind of intimidating, though. It probably takes someone as obnoxious as me to be arrogant enough to try.”
“Intimidating? I think of myself as being humble and unassuming.”
His deep belly laugh rocked her. “You can think of yourself that way all you want. The truth is you’re a demanding and rather judgmental woman who probably scares the pants off most men.”
“Oh.” She frowned. “That doesn’t sound good.”
“I like it.” His grin warmed her. “If you have high expectations of yourself, you should have them of others, too. I know I do.”
“Hmm. Now that you put it like that, it doesn’t seem so bad.” Her head rested on his bicep, which was more comfortable than the softest pillow. “I suppose you’re right that a lot of people find me unapproachable. I turn down so many lunch invitations and weekend plans from coworkers that people rarely invite me anywhere anymore.”
“Why do you turn them down?”
“I think they’re silly. I go to the office to work, not socialize.”
“See? You are unapproachable.” His grin revealed those even white teeth. “They’re right to be afraid. What about your church? You said your family is religious. Didn’t you meet anyone there?”
“Not anyone I was interested in.”
“So you’re also picky.” He stroked a tendril of hair off her cheek.
“Shouldn’t I be? What’s the point of pretending you
Similar Books
