smiled sweetly, her voice coated with sugar as she practically purred back at him, 'I think the dog is a big enough gift for one day. And I do mean big. Weren't there any smaller breeds—Irish Wolfhound or maybe a baby elephant?'
John laughed while Kane managed a thinly disguised glare at him. 'Danes are known for their loyal and friendly nature. Winston's a big softie.'
Rhiannon nodded sagely. 'With emphasis on the big. Couldn't she at least have had a puppy?'
Kane eyes suddenly sparkled. 'He is a puppy.'
Her eyes widened. 'That thing is going to grow?'
John hid his second burst of laughter behind a cough, reaching a hand out to pat the iron bars that enclosed the top half of the stables. 'Well, it's certainly all still sound enough in here if you do decide to get a pony for Lizzie. Sure give me a call when you're ready and I'll keep an eye open for something that might do.'
'Thanks, John.' Rhiannon smiled again, reaching her hand out to shake his larger one as he stepped forwards. 'Send my best to your dad.'
'I'll tell him you'll be up to visit soon.'
'Do.' And she was still smiling after his tall, lean figure disappeared out through the same archway she had come through. Until, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kane move to stand beside her, his arms folding across his broad chest, and she immediately felt the air change, every nerve-ending in her body coming to life.
She took a deep breath and waited, her gaze still fixed forwards while she listened for the steady sound of his breathing. And she didn't have to wait long for his deep voice to resonate.
'He's not your type.'
When she turned her head, she discovered he was tilting his head towards her, his eyes carefully studying her expression, waiting for her reaction. As if he would gauge his response by hers.
Lord, but he was tempting—physically speaking, of course. Up close, even when he was being all determined and forceful, there was just a delicious, very sexual intensity to him.
She damped her lips with the end of her tongue, taking her time to word her answer as the tingling awareness sparked like static electricity when his eyes focused briefly on her mouth. Maybe subliminally a part of her knew she would get that reaction when she did it?
Rhiannon sincerely hoped not; she didn't want to encourage him. But apparently she couldn't help herself. 'And what exactly is my type, then?'
His gaze rose swiftly, dangerously glinting eyes locking with hers, narrowing briefly before he answered with a firm, 'Not him. You'd run rings round him.'
Not that she was actually planning on dating in the near future, but even so... 'You don't know that.'
The smile was slow, oozing with self-assurance. 'Actually, yes, I do.'
Rhiannon rose to the bait. 'So you're going to pick out my boyfriends as well as deciding how many million animals I'll have to care for after you leave?'
'Lizzie wants a pony, you know that as well as I do, so I'm getting her one, and I'm not going anywhere yet so the boyfriend thing isn't an issue.'
Meaning he would have a problem if she did date someone else under his nose? She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to that question.
So she tried to focus her mind on the pony issue instead, studying his eyes for a long time while a realization slowly grew inside her mind. 'Surely you're not planning on buying your way into her good books? You don't have to do that; she's already crazy about you.'
Seriously—was that what he thought being a father meant? Oh—he had a lot to learn, didn't he? And she couldn't believe he still felt he had to do that.
How could he not see how much Lizzie already cared for him? And frankly, having seen so much of them together of late, Rhiannon couldn't blame her. He had a gentleness about him when he was with her, looked at her without the smallest attempt at guarding his feelings—feelings that already ran deep. Certainly fathoms deeper than anything he had ever felt for her mother, which had
John laughed while Kane managed a thinly disguised glare at him. 'Danes are known for their loyal and friendly nature. Winston's a big softie.'
Rhiannon nodded sagely. 'With emphasis on the big. Couldn't she at least have had a puppy?'
Kane eyes suddenly sparkled. 'He is a puppy.'
Her eyes widened. 'That thing is going to grow?'
John hid his second burst of laughter behind a cough, reaching a hand out to pat the iron bars that enclosed the top half of the stables. 'Well, it's certainly all still sound enough in here if you do decide to get a pony for Lizzie. Sure give me a call when you're ready and I'll keep an eye open for something that might do.'
'Thanks, John.' Rhiannon smiled again, reaching her hand out to shake his larger one as he stepped forwards. 'Send my best to your dad.'
'I'll tell him you'll be up to visit soon.'
'Do.' And she was still smiling after his tall, lean figure disappeared out through the same archway she had come through. Until, out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kane move to stand beside her, his arms folding across his broad chest, and she immediately felt the air change, every nerve-ending in her body coming to life.
She took a deep breath and waited, her gaze still fixed forwards while she listened for the steady sound of his breathing. And she didn't have to wait long for his deep voice to resonate.
'He's not your type.'
When she turned her head, she discovered he was tilting his head towards her, his eyes carefully studying her expression, waiting for her reaction. As if he would gauge his response by hers.
Lord, but he was tempting—physically speaking, of course. Up close, even when he was being all determined and forceful, there was just a delicious, very sexual intensity to him.
She damped her lips with the end of her tongue, taking her time to word her answer as the tingling awareness sparked like static electricity when his eyes focused briefly on her mouth. Maybe subliminally a part of her knew she would get that reaction when she did it?
Rhiannon sincerely hoped not; she didn't want to encourage him. But apparently she couldn't help herself. 'And what exactly is my type, then?'
His gaze rose swiftly, dangerously glinting eyes locking with hers, narrowing briefly before he answered with a firm, 'Not him. You'd run rings round him.'
Not that she was actually planning on dating in the near future, but even so... 'You don't know that.'
The smile was slow, oozing with self-assurance. 'Actually, yes, I do.'
Rhiannon rose to the bait. 'So you're going to pick out my boyfriends as well as deciding how many million animals I'll have to care for after you leave?'
'Lizzie wants a pony, you know that as well as I do, so I'm getting her one, and I'm not going anywhere yet so the boyfriend thing isn't an issue.'
Meaning he would have a problem if she did date someone else under his nose? She wasn't sure she wanted to know the answer to that question.
So she tried to focus her mind on the pony issue instead, studying his eyes for a long time while a realization slowly grew inside her mind. 'Surely you're not planning on buying your way into her good books? You don't have to do that; she's already crazy about you.'
Seriously—was that what he thought being a father meant? Oh—he had a lot to learn, didn't he? And she couldn't believe he still felt he had to do that.
How could he not see how much Lizzie already cared for him? And frankly, having seen so much of them together of late, Rhiannon couldn't blame her. He had a gentleness about him when he was with her, looked at her without the smallest attempt at guarding his feelings—feelings that already ran deep. Certainly fathoms deeper than anything he had ever felt for her mother, which had
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