stood, his chair clattering behind him, and held up his hands. “Do you want me to take those questions in order?
And wil you guarantee not to throw food at me while I do?”
“I’m not guaranteeing anything!”
He held out his palms. “How about a peace treaty? You know al about those. You gave a lecture on the subject for at least thirty minutes during the escargots and the salad.”
“Snails. Call them what they really were. You just made me eat snails.”
“You loved them. And you knew what they were. And, I might add, you gobbled them up.”
“That’s real gentlemanly of you.”
“A reality check, that’s all.”
“I was just sort of being polite eating those things,” she said, sticking her nose in the air and glaring at him with chal enge flashing in her eyes.
He wasn’t about to contradict her. But he loved her qualifiers. The woman didn’t like lying, he was certain, so she stuck a word in here and there that satisfied her sense of honor.
It was really, really adorable.
“Thank you for not wanting to insult me,” he said.
Her eyes flashed brighter. “Okay, they were all right. I liked them. But don’t think I don’t know they’re supposed to be an aphrodisiac or something.”
“That would be oysters.” At her disappointed frown he quickly added, “But I’ve heard escargots are almost as good.” If she wanted an excuse to blame her desire on, he’d damn wel give her one.
She tsked. “It won’t work, you know.”
“I know. You just don’t like sex.”
“I really don’t.”
He sat down again. “Why not?”
“What’s to like about it?”
“Boy, have you been with the wrong men.”
She pursed her lips. “Oh, and you’re just the one to prove he wasn’t doing it right, is that right?”
He? The woman had been with one man in her entire life?
Brandon liked the thought of that more than he would ever admit, but it stil seemed hard to believe. Laura was a gorgeous woman.
However, it worried him a little that whoever this “he” was had real y done some damage. Brandon would have to go slow and gentle, which was great, but in his aroused state, a kind of torture. “I’d sure like to give it a try,” he finally said.
It was her turn to stand. “Wel , I’m stil thinking about that.” She strolled across the room and grabbed her purse and began rooting through it. “I’l be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“Supper’s done, right?”
“Wel , there’s dessert if you want it.”
“I’m pretty stuffed. Do you?”
“Not really.”
“Good, then I’ll be right back.”
“What are you doing?”
She final y pulled a toothbrush from her purse, wrapped in a plastic bag. “To brush my teeth.”
“Oh. Okay.”
She began to head toward the bathroom, but then glanced over her shoulder. “What are you looking so surprised about?
Do you think I’d be giving you your second kiss without brushing first?”
He stared after her until she disappeared, barely registering that sexy walk. As soon as the door closed he yel ed, “Juice!”
A moment later Juice emerged from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. “Ready for dessert?”
“No dessert. Forget the dishes. Al of you go away.”
“We haven’t even begun the cruise yet.”
“Maybe later. Just go. Now.”
“When do you want us back?”
“Tomorrow.”
Seven
BY THE TIME Laura emerged from the bathroom, the table had been cleared, candles blown out, lights dimmed even further, and soft music wafted through the air.
Brandon watched her take it al in, glad that instead of her usual suspicion, a smal smile quirked her lips. He carried her refreshed wineglass to her, anticipation drumming through his veins. Even if nothing more came of it than a night of kissing, he’d be happy. He thought he could probably spend about a year kissing her.
“Minty fresh?” he asked, already getting lost in those soft brown eyes.
“Al clean,” she answered softly.
Brandon held up
And wil you guarantee not to throw food at me while I do?”
“I’m not guaranteeing anything!”
He held out his palms. “How about a peace treaty? You know al about those. You gave a lecture on the subject for at least thirty minutes during the escargots and the salad.”
“Snails. Call them what they really were. You just made me eat snails.”
“You loved them. And you knew what they were. And, I might add, you gobbled them up.”
“That’s real gentlemanly of you.”
“A reality check, that’s all.”
“I was just sort of being polite eating those things,” she said, sticking her nose in the air and glaring at him with chal enge flashing in her eyes.
He wasn’t about to contradict her. But he loved her qualifiers. The woman didn’t like lying, he was certain, so she stuck a word in here and there that satisfied her sense of honor.
It was really, really adorable.
“Thank you for not wanting to insult me,” he said.
Her eyes flashed brighter. “Okay, they were all right. I liked them. But don’t think I don’t know they’re supposed to be an aphrodisiac or something.”
“That would be oysters.” At her disappointed frown he quickly added, “But I’ve heard escargots are almost as good.” If she wanted an excuse to blame her desire on, he’d damn wel give her one.
She tsked. “It won’t work, you know.”
“I know. You just don’t like sex.”
“I really don’t.”
He sat down again. “Why not?”
“What’s to like about it?”
“Boy, have you been with the wrong men.”
She pursed her lips. “Oh, and you’re just the one to prove he wasn’t doing it right, is that right?”
He? The woman had been with one man in her entire life?
Brandon liked the thought of that more than he would ever admit, but it stil seemed hard to believe. Laura was a gorgeous woman.
However, it worried him a little that whoever this “he” was had real y done some damage. Brandon would have to go slow and gentle, which was great, but in his aroused state, a kind of torture. “I’d sure like to give it a try,” he finally said.
It was her turn to stand. “Wel , I’m stil thinking about that.” She strolled across the room and grabbed her purse and began rooting through it. “I’l be right back.”
“Where are you going?”
“Supper’s done, right?”
“Wel , there’s dessert if you want it.”
“I’m pretty stuffed. Do you?”
“Not really.”
“Good, then I’ll be right back.”
“What are you doing?”
She final y pulled a toothbrush from her purse, wrapped in a plastic bag. “To brush my teeth.”
“Oh. Okay.”
She began to head toward the bathroom, but then glanced over her shoulder. “What are you looking so surprised about?
Do you think I’d be giving you your second kiss without brushing first?”
He stared after her until she disappeared, barely registering that sexy walk. As soon as the door closed he yel ed, “Juice!”
A moment later Juice emerged from the kitchen, wiping his hands on a dishtowel. “Ready for dessert?”
“No dessert. Forget the dishes. Al of you go away.”
“We haven’t even begun the cruise yet.”
“Maybe later. Just go. Now.”
“When do you want us back?”
“Tomorrow.”
Seven
BY THE TIME Laura emerged from the bathroom, the table had been cleared, candles blown out, lights dimmed even further, and soft music wafted through the air.
Brandon watched her take it al in, glad that instead of her usual suspicion, a smal smile quirked her lips. He carried her refreshed wineglass to her, anticipation drumming through his veins. Even if nothing more came of it than a night of kissing, he’d be happy. He thought he could probably spend about a year kissing her.
“Minty fresh?” he asked, already getting lost in those soft brown eyes.
“Al clean,” she answered softly.
Brandon held up
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