pretty pink hue appearing on that smooth skin he wanted to touch. “I’m a software design analyst. I’ve worked at the same company for thirteen years. Fascinating stuff, huh?”
“Absolutely.” It told him that she was conscientious, loyal, and a valued employee – all desirable qualities. “What about family?”
“I have one younger brother, which I mentioned earlier. My parents migrated south a few years ago to an adult community in Florida.”
“Ever been married?”
“No.”
It seemed unconscionable that such an attractive, obviously intelligent woman was still available. There had to be a catch. “Why not?”
“Never found the right one, I guess,” she said, squirming a little. It was the first time she seemed slightly uncomfortable. He could understand that. Talk of marriage – especially with a woman he had had sex with – usually had him seeking out the nearest exit. So what the hell had possessed him to bring it up? And why wasn’t he the least bit interested in going anywhere?
“What about you?” she asked, turning the question back on him as she flicked her eyes toward his left hand. “I’m guessing you were married to Brandon’s mother?”
“For twelve years, yeah. Divorced for ten.”
“What, were you in preschool when you got married?”
He chuckled. “No, but thanks for saying that. We were eighteen.”
“That’s really young.” He could see her doing the mental math. “Forgive me if I’m out of line, but I’m guessing that since Brandon is twenty-one, he was the reason you got married.”
“You’re not out of line. It was the right thing to do.”
“Do you always do the right thing, Miles?”
Was that a trick question? Or was she, like him, trying to make sense of this – whatever this was - between them? Given the way she was looking at him with those pretty eyes from beneath hooded lids, his next words were very important.
“No, not always.”
“Why?” she asked softly. “Why would you do something you know you shouldn’t?”
“Because sometimes it seems so right.”
He didn’t miss her quick intake of breath, or the way her lips parted slightly. “What about you, Liz? Do you ever do something you shouldn’t?”
She gave him a small, shy smile that grabbed him somewhere around his crotch and squeezed. “I think you already know the answer to that.”
Hell yes, he did. “Regrets?” he blurted out before he could stop himself. Damn it, he really didn’t want to know. But he had to.
“Some.”
A small knot of disappointment tightened somewhere deep in his gut. He knew he shouldn’t have asked.
“But apparently not enough to keep me from wanting to do it again.”
Just that quickly, that ache of disappointment vanished, leaving behind a different kind of ache in its place. “What exactly are you saying, Liz?”
* * *
P lay with fire, Elizabeth, and you are bound to get burned . For the life of her, she didn’t know what compelled her to say what she did. But sitting there, across from Miles Grayson, breathing in his scent, letting his rich voice wash over her, appreciating his masculine beauty – all she could think about was wanting more .
She was fairly certain she wasn’t the first woman to find herself in this position. She wouldn’t be the last. But for whatever reason, Miles was here with her, now. Unlike the last time they’d met, he had no fathomable reason to be. Was it possible he was telling the truth, and he really had been thinking about her? Or was she going to be a convenient hook-up when he was in town?
She stole another glance at him. He was looking at her with this warm, genuine, slightly devilish smile, as if he was privately thinking of something naughty.
That made two of them.
“I am saying, Miles,” she said with deliberate slowness, “that I’ve been thinking about you, too.”
Heat flared in those lovely blue
“Absolutely.” It told him that she was conscientious, loyal, and a valued employee – all desirable qualities. “What about family?”
“I have one younger brother, which I mentioned earlier. My parents migrated south a few years ago to an adult community in Florida.”
“Ever been married?”
“No.”
It seemed unconscionable that such an attractive, obviously intelligent woman was still available. There had to be a catch. “Why not?”
“Never found the right one, I guess,” she said, squirming a little. It was the first time she seemed slightly uncomfortable. He could understand that. Talk of marriage – especially with a woman he had had sex with – usually had him seeking out the nearest exit. So what the hell had possessed him to bring it up? And why wasn’t he the least bit interested in going anywhere?
“What about you?” she asked, turning the question back on him as she flicked her eyes toward his left hand. “I’m guessing you were married to Brandon’s mother?”
“For twelve years, yeah. Divorced for ten.”
“What, were you in preschool when you got married?”
He chuckled. “No, but thanks for saying that. We were eighteen.”
“That’s really young.” He could see her doing the mental math. “Forgive me if I’m out of line, but I’m guessing that since Brandon is twenty-one, he was the reason you got married.”
“You’re not out of line. It was the right thing to do.”
“Do you always do the right thing, Miles?”
Was that a trick question? Or was she, like him, trying to make sense of this – whatever this was - between them? Given the way she was looking at him with those pretty eyes from beneath hooded lids, his next words were very important.
“No, not always.”
“Why?” she asked softly. “Why would you do something you know you shouldn’t?”
“Because sometimes it seems so right.”
He didn’t miss her quick intake of breath, or the way her lips parted slightly. “What about you, Liz? Do you ever do something you shouldn’t?”
She gave him a small, shy smile that grabbed him somewhere around his crotch and squeezed. “I think you already know the answer to that.”
Hell yes, he did. “Regrets?” he blurted out before he could stop himself. Damn it, he really didn’t want to know. But he had to.
“Some.”
A small knot of disappointment tightened somewhere deep in his gut. He knew he shouldn’t have asked.
“But apparently not enough to keep me from wanting to do it again.”
Just that quickly, that ache of disappointment vanished, leaving behind a different kind of ache in its place. “What exactly are you saying, Liz?”
* * *
P lay with fire, Elizabeth, and you are bound to get burned . For the life of her, she didn’t know what compelled her to say what she did. But sitting there, across from Miles Grayson, breathing in his scent, letting his rich voice wash over her, appreciating his masculine beauty – all she could think about was wanting more .
She was fairly certain she wasn’t the first woman to find herself in this position. She wouldn’t be the last. But for whatever reason, Miles was here with her, now. Unlike the last time they’d met, he had no fathomable reason to be. Was it possible he was telling the truth, and he really had been thinking about her? Or was she going to be a convenient hook-up when he was in town?
She stole another glance at him. He was looking at her with this warm, genuine, slightly devilish smile, as if he was privately thinking of something naughty.
That made two of them.
“I am saying, Miles,” she said with deliberate slowness, “that I’ve been thinking about you, too.”
Heat flared in those lovely blue
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