know what I'd find."
“Do you? I doubt it.” Deke watched her, not missing a flicker of an eyelash, a movement of a muscle. Under the smooth skin at her throat, a pulse beat at an accelerated rate. He stood, his arms almost but not quite touching hers as he held her trapped. Underneath the green silk, her breasts pressed against the fabric. He'd gotten under her skin, and she didn't like it. She didn't like it at all.
He relaxed slightly, and Eve made a restless movement as if she expected him to release her. He didn't. “I get the feeling," he drawled, "that you've been hurt, perhaps recently," his eyes narrowed, "and in our age bracket I'd guess the damage was done by some guy who already had a wife."
She started with surprise, hot color sweeping up into her cheeks. "What happened in my life has nothing to do with you."
He contradicted her in his slow voice. "Right now," he let his eyes travel slowly over her face and wander lower to where her shallow breathing was making the silk tauten across her feminine curves, "I'd say it did."
"You don't know anything about me."
"It's the learning I'm interested in.” He moved to kiss her, but she raised her hands and stiffened her wrists to make a barrier between them. Her cool voice was at variance with her flushed face. "I've never liked one-night stands." She watched him, waiting.
"What makes you think that's what I want?"
"You couldn't want much else, could you? Our life-styles are a million light-years apart."
"I could want a lot more…" He leaned toward her again, but she pushed him away. "No, Deke. Don't. This is a road to nowhere, and I've been that route. I'm not taking the trip again."
''Tell me what happened."
She shook her head. "No. I was a fool once. I won't be again."
He dropped his arms and straightened. He had lost this round, but the battle wasn't over. He wanted her, and somehow, her resistance fired his blood rather than cooled it. He knew why. Underneath her resistance lay that tantalizing response to him, a momentary softening of her body and sweet yielding of her mouth that made him want her all the more. He hadn't failed entirely; he knew that. He leaned forward, and before she could move away, planted a quick, hard kiss on her lips. Then he walked out of the kitchen and strode to the couch to pick up his jacket. His back to her, he missed seeing the look of stunned surprise on her face.
When he had shrugged into his jacket, she came out of the kitchen, her face more composed. He said, "Thanks again for supper."
"You're welcome."
He stood looking at her, his brown eyes clear and steady. "Will I be seeing you soon?"
She hesitated. "It doesn't seem likely, does it?"
He kept his tone carefully expressionless. "I suppose it depends on when Ty gets the car fixed."
She matched his look with a straight one of her own. "I think it would be better if we didn't see each other again, Deke."
“Depends on what you mean by 'better.' Good-night, Eve." He strode to the door and went out, wishing he felt as cool as he sounded.
"Have a good time?" Ty's voice sounded faintly mocking. There was only one light lit in the apartment, an old fashioned floor lamp designed to look like a candelabra and Ty was sitting under it in the lounge chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him, his laptop lying in his lap.
"She's an interesting woman," Deke said easily, thinking he hadn't seen Ty in a mood like this since the distribution of his last film hit a snag in Chicago.
"Yeah. There's a lot of those around."
"What did you do this afternoon?"
“Shocked corn," Ty said dryly.
Deke's lips curved in a smile. "Didn't sow any wild oats while you were at it, did you?"
Ty gave him a dark look. "Spare me the rural humor.”
Deke nodded toward the laptop in Ty's hand. "How's it going?"
"It isn't." Ty put the laptop on the table, rose, and walked to the window. He was restless with tension. He’d
“Do you? I doubt it.” Deke watched her, not missing a flicker of an eyelash, a movement of a muscle. Under the smooth skin at her throat, a pulse beat at an accelerated rate. He stood, his arms almost but not quite touching hers as he held her trapped. Underneath the green silk, her breasts pressed against the fabric. He'd gotten under her skin, and she didn't like it. She didn't like it at all.
He relaxed slightly, and Eve made a restless movement as if she expected him to release her. He didn't. “I get the feeling," he drawled, "that you've been hurt, perhaps recently," his eyes narrowed, "and in our age bracket I'd guess the damage was done by some guy who already had a wife."
She started with surprise, hot color sweeping up into her cheeks. "What happened in my life has nothing to do with you."
He contradicted her in his slow voice. "Right now," he let his eyes travel slowly over her face and wander lower to where her shallow breathing was making the silk tauten across her feminine curves, "I'd say it did."
"You don't know anything about me."
"It's the learning I'm interested in.” He moved to kiss her, but she raised her hands and stiffened her wrists to make a barrier between them. Her cool voice was at variance with her flushed face. "I've never liked one-night stands." She watched him, waiting.
"What makes you think that's what I want?"
"You couldn't want much else, could you? Our life-styles are a million light-years apart."
"I could want a lot more…" He leaned toward her again, but she pushed him away. "No, Deke. Don't. This is a road to nowhere, and I've been that route. I'm not taking the trip again."
''Tell me what happened."
She shook her head. "No. I was a fool once. I won't be again."
He dropped his arms and straightened. He had lost this round, but the battle wasn't over. He wanted her, and somehow, her resistance fired his blood rather than cooled it. He knew why. Underneath her resistance lay that tantalizing response to him, a momentary softening of her body and sweet yielding of her mouth that made him want her all the more. He hadn't failed entirely; he knew that. He leaned forward, and before she could move away, planted a quick, hard kiss on her lips. Then he walked out of the kitchen and strode to the couch to pick up his jacket. His back to her, he missed seeing the look of stunned surprise on her face.
When he had shrugged into his jacket, she came out of the kitchen, her face more composed. He said, "Thanks again for supper."
"You're welcome."
He stood looking at her, his brown eyes clear and steady. "Will I be seeing you soon?"
She hesitated. "It doesn't seem likely, does it?"
He kept his tone carefully expressionless. "I suppose it depends on when Ty gets the car fixed."
She matched his look with a straight one of her own. "I think it would be better if we didn't see each other again, Deke."
“Depends on what you mean by 'better.' Good-night, Eve." He strode to the door and went out, wishing he felt as cool as he sounded.
"Have a good time?" Ty's voice sounded faintly mocking. There was only one light lit in the apartment, an old fashioned floor lamp designed to look like a candelabra and Ty was sitting under it in the lounge chair, his long legs stretched out in front of him, his laptop lying in his lap.
"She's an interesting woman," Deke said easily, thinking he hadn't seen Ty in a mood like this since the distribution of his last film hit a snag in Chicago.
"Yeah. There's a lot of those around."
"What did you do this afternoon?"
“Shocked corn," Ty said dryly.
Deke's lips curved in a smile. "Didn't sow any wild oats while you were at it, did you?"
Ty gave him a dark look. "Spare me the rural humor.”
Deke nodded toward the laptop in Ty's hand. "How's it going?"
"It isn't." Ty put the laptop on the table, rose, and walked to the window. He was restless with tension. He’d
Similar Books
