finished, shooting Mel a do-you-mind look. “It’s just
there.
Surrounded by perfectly straight, stringy hair that frizzes if I perm it.”
She swallowed yet another sigh of self-pity. “My family’s overflowing with beauty. So how the heck did I get stuck with the recessive dull, dull, dull gene?”
“You may not be drop-dead gorgeous, but I think you’re plenty pretty.”
“Then why didn’t my own ex-boyfriend recognize me?”
“Well...” Mel floundered, and Tracy shrugged. Pathetic or not, she’d gotten her point across.
“I’m forgettable. And I hate it.” Tracy frowned. “No, it’s worse than that. I’m not forgettable—I’m invisible. I mean, even when I was with Walter, everything was so... passionless. He treated me like I was a piece of furniture. Not a woman.” She frowned. “I’m not making sense, I know, but it’s—”
“No, you are. You want to feel the earth move.”
Tracy pounded her fork on the table. “Exactly. I may not be looking for the love of my life—hell, right now I probably wouldn’t know him if I tripped over him. But I still want—”
“A fling. like we were talking about before.” Mel grinned. “A wild, hot, passionate,
throbbing
kind of fling.”
“Yes. Exactly,” Tracy said. “That’s precisely what I need.” She gnawed on her lower lip, feeling wanton and decadent. “I want to experience that sizzle, that passion. But...”
“But you’re not interested in commitment,” Mel put in.
“Not yet,” Tracy agreed.
Sometime, yes
. “Right now, I just want—”
“Fire.”
She nodded, liking the sound of that. “Enough fire to burn me down to my toes.” Smiling, she caught Mel’s eye. “A flaming fling. That’s what I’m looking for.”
“With Leon?” Mel’s voice rose, incredulous.
Tracy shrugged. “I guess he’s out of the running.” As nice as that fantasy might be, the realization of it didn’t look too likely. Tracy blinked, steering her thoughts back to her friend. “This is all just silly. For one thing, I’m too chicken to have a fling. For another, no male worth anything is going to want to have a fling with me.” She held up her hands. “I’m right back where I started. Boring, plain, and pretty damn close to invisible.”
“I don’t believe that,” Mel said. “But if you do, we’ll just figure out a way to show you off.” She tapped her lip, thinking. “We can find some way to add a little pizazz to your looks. You know. Give you a new image. A touch more sex appeal.”
“More? I don’t have any.”
Mel shot her a stern glance but basically ignored the comment. “A look to boost your confidence.”
“Well, I don’t know what could do that,” Tracy complained. Although it wasn’t exactly true. The one thing she did have was her grandmother’s belt. It had certainly made her feel better just holding it. Maybe it would help her land just the right guy to show her the passion she craved. Of course, maybe it wouldn’t.
But one thing Tracy knew for sure: wearing the belt certainly couldn’t make her any worse off than she already was.
Are you one lucky Protector, or what
? Elmer squeaked.
She wants a fling. Flings are your specialty. Zephron sure picked the right guy for this job
!
Still crouched outside the window, Hale nodded. “Exactly what I’m thinking,” he acknowledged.
On his shoulder Elmer swiveled, managing to get his face right in front of Hale’s.
Excuse me? What are you cooking up in that libidinized brain of yours
?
Hale stifled a laugh. “Just a little seduction. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
A seduction
? The ferret snorted.
Why am I not surprised
? His tail swished in front of Hale’s face as he shifted his perch.
I know Zephron wanted you to... uh .. . connect with this girl, but I don’t think
that’s
what he had in mind
.
Hale rolled his eyes. This was his lucky day, and he didn’t intend to let the ferret’s prudishness mar that. Only rarely did one of his
there.
Surrounded by perfectly straight, stringy hair that frizzes if I perm it.”
She swallowed yet another sigh of self-pity. “My family’s overflowing with beauty. So how the heck did I get stuck with the recessive dull, dull, dull gene?”
“You may not be drop-dead gorgeous, but I think you’re plenty pretty.”
“Then why didn’t my own ex-boyfriend recognize me?”
“Well...” Mel floundered, and Tracy shrugged. Pathetic or not, she’d gotten her point across.
“I’m forgettable. And I hate it.” Tracy frowned. “No, it’s worse than that. I’m not forgettable—I’m invisible. I mean, even when I was with Walter, everything was so... passionless. He treated me like I was a piece of furniture. Not a woman.” She frowned. “I’m not making sense, I know, but it’s—”
“No, you are. You want to feel the earth move.”
Tracy pounded her fork on the table. “Exactly. I may not be looking for the love of my life—hell, right now I probably wouldn’t know him if I tripped over him. But I still want—”
“A fling. like we were talking about before.” Mel grinned. “A wild, hot, passionate,
throbbing
kind of fling.”
“Yes. Exactly,” Tracy said. “That’s precisely what I need.” She gnawed on her lower lip, feeling wanton and decadent. “I want to experience that sizzle, that passion. But...”
“But you’re not interested in commitment,” Mel put in.
“Not yet,” Tracy agreed.
Sometime, yes
. “Right now, I just want—”
“Fire.”
She nodded, liking the sound of that. “Enough fire to burn me down to my toes.” Smiling, she caught Mel’s eye. “A flaming fling. That’s what I’m looking for.”
“With Leon?” Mel’s voice rose, incredulous.
Tracy shrugged. “I guess he’s out of the running.” As nice as that fantasy might be, the realization of it didn’t look too likely. Tracy blinked, steering her thoughts back to her friend. “This is all just silly. For one thing, I’m too chicken to have a fling. For another, no male worth anything is going to want to have a fling with me.” She held up her hands. “I’m right back where I started. Boring, plain, and pretty damn close to invisible.”
“I don’t believe that,” Mel said. “But if you do, we’ll just figure out a way to show you off.” She tapped her lip, thinking. “We can find some way to add a little pizazz to your looks. You know. Give you a new image. A touch more sex appeal.”
“More? I don’t have any.”
Mel shot her a stern glance but basically ignored the comment. “A look to boost your confidence.”
“Well, I don’t know what could do that,” Tracy complained. Although it wasn’t exactly true. The one thing she did have was her grandmother’s belt. It had certainly made her feel better just holding it. Maybe it would help her land just the right guy to show her the passion she craved. Of course, maybe it wouldn’t.
But one thing Tracy knew for sure: wearing the belt certainly couldn’t make her any worse off than she already was.
Are you one lucky Protector, or what
? Elmer squeaked.
She wants a fling. Flings are your specialty. Zephron sure picked the right guy for this job
!
Still crouched outside the window, Hale nodded. “Exactly what I’m thinking,” he acknowledged.
On his shoulder Elmer swiveled, managing to get his face right in front of Hale’s.
Excuse me? What are you cooking up in that libidinized brain of yours
?
Hale stifled a laugh. “Just a little seduction. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
A seduction
? The ferret snorted.
Why am I not surprised
? His tail swished in front of Hale’s face as he shifted his perch.
I know Zephron wanted you to... uh .. . connect with this girl, but I don’t think
that’s
what he had in mind
.
Hale rolled his eyes. This was his lucky day, and he didn’t intend to let the ferret’s prudishness mar that. Only rarely did one of his
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