he ought to see about
getting another room. They still had time to check out that museum she’d
mentioned.
Maybe he’d rather check out the king-sized bed with her in
it.
King-sized bed.
Elliot dropped his head in his hands. Alys’s laughter took
on a whole new meaning. Mame had set up the suite for the two of them, complete
with wedding corsage.
He had a bad feeling this trip was going to be a lot longer
than he’d anticipated.
Chapter Seven
“I won’t let her do this,” Elliot muttered, the perfect image
of outraged male as he headed for the door. Add some bull horns to go with the
tousled curls and Alys figured she could wave a red cape at him.
“This room is already paid for,” Alys called after him. “And
if Mame needs to reach us, this is the room she’ll call.” So, he was a little
tense. Under the stress, he really was a nice man. She shouldn’t rattle his
cage like that, but it was so much fun .
She had felt helpless for so long that she simply couldn’t resist wielding this
tiny bit of power by tweaking his chains.
He halted abruptly, looking trapped, and she relented. “If
I’ll ruin your reputation, get your own room, and I’ll let you know if she
calls. But I have to tell you, I can’t afford a room of my own.”
“Ruin my reputation?” At his look of incredulity, she
laughed.
“Well, you are Doc Nice. How am I supposed to know how your
adoring public sees you? Or if you have a fiancée elsewhere who would be
incensed at your sharing a room?” She gestured at the acres of bed. She’d been
sleeping on a cot for years. First, to be close to Fred during his illness
without disturbing him with her tossing and turning. And then, because she
couldn’t bear sleeping in the double bed he’d died in. “It’s not as if there
isn’t enough room.”
She thought she’d wiped him speechless with her invitation.
Elliot’s eyes widened with an interest that shot lightning bolts and sizzled
through every fiber of her clothing. Uh-oh. She didn’t know whether to roll
under the bed or flaunt whatever it was he wanted to see.
“I think we better hit the Museum and look for Mame,” he
finally replied with desert dryness.
She might have felt insulted by his tone if he wasn’t having
such a difficult time tearing his gaze from her.
Almost relieved that they didn’t have to have a showdown
just yet, she swung off the bed. “I need my suitcase with the toiletry bag.”
Elliot shoved his hands into his pockets, and his mouth
turned up in a mocking smile. Even with his curls rumpled and his wrinkled
white shirt rolled up his arms, he could pass for Mr. GQ . She didn’t like the look of that smile, although she sure
wouldn’t mind kissing it.
“Give me the car keys, and I’ll bring the car back here. I’m
not carrying your bags for two blocks.”
Well, heck. Neither was she. Nice shower, fluffy hotel
robe—or hot walk to car and carry bags so she could keep the keys?
“Power requires sacrifices, doesn’t it?” she asked grumpily,
handing over the keys.
“You’re not afraid I’ll drive off and leave you here?” he
asked, jingling the ring and not even trying to interpret her comment.
The itinerary was in her purse. He wouldn’t be going
anywhere without it. “Guess I could call and report the car stolen if you don’t
return.”
“I’ll be back.” The look in his dark eyes was all male as he
glanced from her to the bed, then let himself out.
Whoosh ! Alys
exhaled the breath she’d been holding. Doc Nice had some interesting facets
hidden beneath that button-down appearance. Maybe she should turn up the air-conditioning
because the temperature had gone from zero to blazing in ten seconds.
Did she have any perfume left in her toiletry bag? If this
was to be the first night of the rest of her life, she wanted to let out all
the stops.
* * *
“You’ve shown your sister’s will to Lucia’s grandfather?”
Mame swallowed her pill with a glass of water. She hated
getting another room. They still had time to check out that museum she’d
mentioned.
Maybe he’d rather check out the king-sized bed with her in
it.
King-sized bed.
Elliot dropped his head in his hands. Alys’s laughter took
on a whole new meaning. Mame had set up the suite for the two of them, complete
with wedding corsage.
He had a bad feeling this trip was going to be a lot longer
than he’d anticipated.
Chapter Seven
“I won’t let her do this,” Elliot muttered, the perfect image
of outraged male as he headed for the door. Add some bull horns to go with the
tousled curls and Alys figured she could wave a red cape at him.
“This room is already paid for,” Alys called after him. “And
if Mame needs to reach us, this is the room she’ll call.” So, he was a little
tense. Under the stress, he really was a nice man. She shouldn’t rattle his
cage like that, but it was so much fun .
She had felt helpless for so long that she simply couldn’t resist wielding this
tiny bit of power by tweaking his chains.
He halted abruptly, looking trapped, and she relented. “If
I’ll ruin your reputation, get your own room, and I’ll let you know if she
calls. But I have to tell you, I can’t afford a room of my own.”
“Ruin my reputation?” At his look of incredulity, she
laughed.
“Well, you are Doc Nice. How am I supposed to know how your
adoring public sees you? Or if you have a fiancée elsewhere who would be
incensed at your sharing a room?” She gestured at the acres of bed. She’d been
sleeping on a cot for years. First, to be close to Fred during his illness
without disturbing him with her tossing and turning. And then, because she
couldn’t bear sleeping in the double bed he’d died in. “It’s not as if there
isn’t enough room.”
She thought she’d wiped him speechless with her invitation.
Elliot’s eyes widened with an interest that shot lightning bolts and sizzled
through every fiber of her clothing. Uh-oh. She didn’t know whether to roll
under the bed or flaunt whatever it was he wanted to see.
“I think we better hit the Museum and look for Mame,” he
finally replied with desert dryness.
She might have felt insulted by his tone if he wasn’t having
such a difficult time tearing his gaze from her.
Almost relieved that they didn’t have to have a showdown
just yet, she swung off the bed. “I need my suitcase with the toiletry bag.”
Elliot shoved his hands into his pockets, and his mouth
turned up in a mocking smile. Even with his curls rumpled and his wrinkled
white shirt rolled up his arms, he could pass for Mr. GQ . She didn’t like the look of that smile, although she sure
wouldn’t mind kissing it.
“Give me the car keys, and I’ll bring the car back here. I’m
not carrying your bags for two blocks.”
Well, heck. Neither was she. Nice shower, fluffy hotel
robe—or hot walk to car and carry bags so she could keep the keys?
“Power requires sacrifices, doesn’t it?” she asked grumpily,
handing over the keys.
“You’re not afraid I’ll drive off and leave you here?” he
asked, jingling the ring and not even trying to interpret her comment.
The itinerary was in her purse. He wouldn’t be going
anywhere without it. “Guess I could call and report the car stolen if you don’t
return.”
“I’ll be back.” The look in his dark eyes was all male as he
glanced from her to the bed, then let himself out.
Whoosh ! Alys
exhaled the breath she’d been holding. Doc Nice had some interesting facets
hidden beneath that button-down appearance. Maybe she should turn up the air-conditioning
because the temperature had gone from zero to blazing in ten seconds.
Did she have any perfume left in her toiletry bag? If this
was to be the first night of the rest of her life, she wanted to let out all
the stops.
* * *
“You’ve shown your sister’s will to Lucia’s grandfather?”
Mame swallowed her pill with a glass of water. She hated
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