back," she said.
"I won't tell if you won't," Case said.
Lily turned around and gaped at the innocent look in his eyes. The thought of getting by with something like this was too good to pass.
"Promise?" Her lips twitched with delight at the thought.
"Promise," Case said solemnly. "I never break my word, Lily. That's something you should remember . . . for future reference, of course."
Her hand jerked. She blushed and began sorting the cutlery back into the proper sections. It didn't mean a thing that they were going to share a secret. This was such a silly thing. It didn't mean anything, not anything at all.
She finished, while Case quietly ate. Unaware that every bite he took was followed by a long, contemplative look at her. It was only when she heard his chair scoot back from the table that she realized he was through.
"Well!" she said quickly. "I'll just wash these up and then . . ."
"Leave it," Case said. He set the dirty dishes in the sink, ran them full of water, and turned to face her.
Lily started to argue and then caught the expression in his eyes. She turned her face away and ducked, unconsciously shielding herself from his view.
"Damn it to hell, Lily. I wish you'd stop doing that to me."
She looked up, stunned to see real anger spreading across his face.
"To you? You're not the . . ."
"Yes, I am," he argued. "Everytime I look at you, I'm judged by another man's actions. I don't like it. I don't like it one damned bit."
She started to argue. But it was impossible to argue with the truth. She started to apologize. But it was impossible to talk with her mouth otherwise occupied.
The kiss came suddenly. But somewhere, in the back of her mind, she'd expected it. Maybe that was why she didn't argue. Maybe that was why she didn't move other than to take a step closer.
His arms slid around her, pulling her tightly against bare skin and corded muscles. Her hands moved across his chest and almost slipped up around his neck.
Almost . . . but not quite.
Case sighed as he relinquished his place. He lifted his head, started to step away, and then gave himself one more taste of Lily.
His lips were warm. The faint taste of hot bread and butter lingered as well as the last cup of coffee he'd consumed. Lily was suddenly hungry all over again but not for food. She shivered as his lips played havoc with her good intentions.
They coaxed and caressed. Firm and possessive, they moved across her face and down the side of her neck, lingering longer at the pulse point below her chin just to savor the knowledge that it raced when he tasted her.
"Case . . ."
He heard the hesitation in her voice. He also heard something else that gave him hope.
"What?" he asked, removing himself from her with supreme effort.
Lily stepped backward in shock. What she'd been about to ask was impossible. She couldn't allow herself to think of such things. But the thought still remained that she'd almost asked him to take her to bed.
"Never mind," she said shortly. "It's late. You'd better get your rest."
Case doubled his hands into fists and resisted the urge to punch a hole in his kitchen wall. He closed his eyes, counted to ten, and when he opened them she was gone.
"Hell," he said quietly. And that's just where his dreams took him later that night.
He tossed and turned, lost in the knowledge that he loved a woman who hated men. Even though he felt her attraction, he knew she was fighting it with every ounce of strength she possessed. That's what frightened him. Lily Brownfield was the strongest woman he'd ever met. He just had to find a way to channel that strength into confidence . . . not distrust.
Lily had felt it. The wanting . . . the need. But it wasn't possible. She'd made her decision a long time ago. No man was worth that kind of pain again. No man!
But her dreams took her into a world where a big man's arms held her close. Where the sky and his eyes were one and the same . . . all open . . . all seeing . . . hiding nothing
"I won't tell if you won't," Case said.
Lily turned around and gaped at the innocent look in his eyes. The thought of getting by with something like this was too good to pass.
"Promise?" Her lips twitched with delight at the thought.
"Promise," Case said solemnly. "I never break my word, Lily. That's something you should remember . . . for future reference, of course."
Her hand jerked. She blushed and began sorting the cutlery back into the proper sections. It didn't mean a thing that they were going to share a secret. This was such a silly thing. It didn't mean anything, not anything at all.
She finished, while Case quietly ate. Unaware that every bite he took was followed by a long, contemplative look at her. It was only when she heard his chair scoot back from the table that she realized he was through.
"Well!" she said quickly. "I'll just wash these up and then . . ."
"Leave it," Case said. He set the dirty dishes in the sink, ran them full of water, and turned to face her.
Lily started to argue and then caught the expression in his eyes. She turned her face away and ducked, unconsciously shielding herself from his view.
"Damn it to hell, Lily. I wish you'd stop doing that to me."
She looked up, stunned to see real anger spreading across his face.
"To you? You're not the . . ."
"Yes, I am," he argued. "Everytime I look at you, I'm judged by another man's actions. I don't like it. I don't like it one damned bit."
She started to argue. But it was impossible to argue with the truth. She started to apologize. But it was impossible to talk with her mouth otherwise occupied.
The kiss came suddenly. But somewhere, in the back of her mind, she'd expected it. Maybe that was why she didn't argue. Maybe that was why she didn't move other than to take a step closer.
His arms slid around her, pulling her tightly against bare skin and corded muscles. Her hands moved across his chest and almost slipped up around his neck.
Almost . . . but not quite.
Case sighed as he relinquished his place. He lifted his head, started to step away, and then gave himself one more taste of Lily.
His lips were warm. The faint taste of hot bread and butter lingered as well as the last cup of coffee he'd consumed. Lily was suddenly hungry all over again but not for food. She shivered as his lips played havoc with her good intentions.
They coaxed and caressed. Firm and possessive, they moved across her face and down the side of her neck, lingering longer at the pulse point below her chin just to savor the knowledge that it raced when he tasted her.
"Case . . ."
He heard the hesitation in her voice. He also heard something else that gave him hope.
"What?" he asked, removing himself from her with supreme effort.
Lily stepped backward in shock. What she'd been about to ask was impossible. She couldn't allow herself to think of such things. But the thought still remained that she'd almost asked him to take her to bed.
"Never mind," she said shortly. "It's late. You'd better get your rest."
Case doubled his hands into fists and resisted the urge to punch a hole in his kitchen wall. He closed his eyes, counted to ten, and when he opened them she was gone.
"Hell," he said quietly. And that's just where his dreams took him later that night.
He tossed and turned, lost in the knowledge that he loved a woman who hated men. Even though he felt her attraction, he knew she was fighting it with every ounce of strength she possessed. That's what frightened him. Lily Brownfield was the strongest woman he'd ever met. He just had to find a way to channel that strength into confidence . . . not distrust.
Lily had felt it. The wanting . . . the need. But it wasn't possible. She'd made her decision a long time ago. No man was worth that kind of pain again. No man!
But her dreams took her into a world where a big man's arms held her close. Where the sky and his eyes were one and the same . . . all open . . . all seeing . . . hiding nothing
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