care anymore.’ She tried to twist free. ‘Just let go will you?’
‘In a minute.’
Tension rippled through the air.
‘Do you mind?’ Kate snapped, glaring at his hands pinioning hers, twitching in his grip.
‘I’m waiting for you to relax.’
Her gaze came up like a laser. Burning hot and bitchy. ‘Are you afraid I’ll hurt you?’
Laughter flickered in his eyes. ‘Should I be worried?’
She sniffed. ‘God, I hate it when you’re so bloody calm.’
‘One of us has to be.’ In the interest of détente he didn’t mention he knew who that was.
‘I can be calm.’
‘Good. Tell me when and I’ll let you go.’
‘Jesus, you always make me feel like an unruly child.’
‘I don’t mean to. I’m older. And—’
‘You’ve been fucking way longer.’
His lashes dipped in acknowledgement. ‘Maybe that’s it. I’m more—’
‘Jaded? Been there done that a couple of thousand times?’
He sighed softly. ‘Probably. On the other hand,’ he said with a small smile, ‘it’s better that we’re not both beginners.’ A flash of amusement lit his gaze. ‘At least I know how to entertain you – right?’
He smiled at her reluctant nod.
‘And seriously, baby, I really like your go-for-broke personality. I’m not knocking it. I’m just trying to keep our problems to a minimum. OK?’
Another grudging nod.
Dominic dipped his head and held her gaze. ‘So, are we done with this tug of war?’
‘As long as this isn’t one of your games, Mr I’m-in-Charge,’ she said fretfully.
‘I wish it were. I’m just being practical.’
‘As always. Isn’t that your motto with women?’
‘Not with you – never with you … which is the problem. Look, it’s only a few hours and, admit it, you don’t want … well … unintended consequences anymore than I do. Right?’
She didn’t immediately answer. ‘I suppose,’ she finally said with a rueful grimace. Then she sighed softly. ‘Yeah, you’re right,’ she added, flushing slightly as she acknowledged his good judgement. ‘And I don’t mean as usual so don’t get a big head.’
He smiled. ‘Thank you. I won’t.’ Dropping a kiss on her knuckles, he released her hands. ‘Now let me find something to get you through the night.’
A lift of her brows. ‘You have toys here? Why didn’t you say so before and we could have avoided all this bullshit?’
This wasn’t the time to point out to her that he
had
offered her alternatives. ‘Because I don’t have toys here, that’s why,’ he said instead.
‘Really?’
‘Really.’ He didn’t elaborate because he didn’t want any discussion of toys that might bring up memories of the Garden House video. ‘I should be able to manage a substitute of some kind to make you happy.’
Her sudden smile was the familiar one he remembered from their many arguments. The wide-open, cloudless smile that instantly beguiled. She never held grudges; she didn’t even much care whether she won or lost once the controversy was over. ‘How do you do it?’ she murmured, running her finger along his jaw in a small possessive gesture he would have found objectionable from any other woman. ‘You always stay uber-reasonable when I’m freaking out. Thanks too about … well … the unintended consequences issue. Really. I’m grateful.’
‘You’re not alone in being unreasonable.’ He smiled. ‘I have my moments too.’ Like monitoring her activities the last month. ‘Now, can you wait a few minutes while I scope out some toys?’
‘What’s a few minutes?’ She grinned. ‘No pressure.’
He smiled. ‘You tell me.’
‘Five.’
‘Ten. This is a big house.’
‘Eight.’
‘Nine.’
She glanced at the bedside clock. ‘And counting.’
‘Do I get a prize if I come in under the limit?’ But he was already halfway to the door.
‘I’ll think about it.’
‘Do that or maybe I won’t give you a choice; maybe you’ll have to—’ Whether promise or threat, the
‘In a minute.’
Tension rippled through the air.
‘Do you mind?’ Kate snapped, glaring at his hands pinioning hers, twitching in his grip.
‘I’m waiting for you to relax.’
Her gaze came up like a laser. Burning hot and bitchy. ‘Are you afraid I’ll hurt you?’
Laughter flickered in his eyes. ‘Should I be worried?’
She sniffed. ‘God, I hate it when you’re so bloody calm.’
‘One of us has to be.’ In the interest of détente he didn’t mention he knew who that was.
‘I can be calm.’
‘Good. Tell me when and I’ll let you go.’
‘Jesus, you always make me feel like an unruly child.’
‘I don’t mean to. I’m older. And—’
‘You’ve been fucking way longer.’
His lashes dipped in acknowledgement. ‘Maybe that’s it. I’m more—’
‘Jaded? Been there done that a couple of thousand times?’
He sighed softly. ‘Probably. On the other hand,’ he said with a small smile, ‘it’s better that we’re not both beginners.’ A flash of amusement lit his gaze. ‘At least I know how to entertain you – right?’
He smiled at her reluctant nod.
‘And seriously, baby, I really like your go-for-broke personality. I’m not knocking it. I’m just trying to keep our problems to a minimum. OK?’
Another grudging nod.
Dominic dipped his head and held her gaze. ‘So, are we done with this tug of war?’
‘As long as this isn’t one of your games, Mr I’m-in-Charge,’ she said fretfully.
‘I wish it were. I’m just being practical.’
‘As always. Isn’t that your motto with women?’
‘Not with you – never with you … which is the problem. Look, it’s only a few hours and, admit it, you don’t want … well … unintended consequences anymore than I do. Right?’
She didn’t immediately answer. ‘I suppose,’ she finally said with a rueful grimace. Then she sighed softly. ‘Yeah, you’re right,’ she added, flushing slightly as she acknowledged his good judgement. ‘And I don’t mean as usual so don’t get a big head.’
He smiled. ‘Thank you. I won’t.’ Dropping a kiss on her knuckles, he released her hands. ‘Now let me find something to get you through the night.’
A lift of her brows. ‘You have toys here? Why didn’t you say so before and we could have avoided all this bullshit?’
This wasn’t the time to point out to her that he
had
offered her alternatives. ‘Because I don’t have toys here, that’s why,’ he said instead.
‘Really?’
‘Really.’ He didn’t elaborate because he didn’t want any discussion of toys that might bring up memories of the Garden House video. ‘I should be able to manage a substitute of some kind to make you happy.’
Her sudden smile was the familiar one he remembered from their many arguments. The wide-open, cloudless smile that instantly beguiled. She never held grudges; she didn’t even much care whether she won or lost once the controversy was over. ‘How do you do it?’ she murmured, running her finger along his jaw in a small possessive gesture he would have found objectionable from any other woman. ‘You always stay uber-reasonable when I’m freaking out. Thanks too about … well … the unintended consequences issue. Really. I’m grateful.’
‘You’re not alone in being unreasonable.’ He smiled. ‘I have my moments too.’ Like monitoring her activities the last month. ‘Now, can you wait a few minutes while I scope out some toys?’
‘What’s a few minutes?’ She grinned. ‘No pressure.’
He smiled. ‘You tell me.’
‘Five.’
‘Ten. This is a big house.’
‘Eight.’
‘Nine.’
She glanced at the bedside clock. ‘And counting.’
‘Do I get a prize if I come in under the limit?’ But he was already halfway to the door.
‘I’ll think about it.’
‘Do that or maybe I won’t give you a choice; maybe you’ll have to—’ Whether promise or threat, the
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