we steer clear of this particular topic from here on out.”
She shook her head. “We can’t, not if we’re going to be friends. It’ll be like the elephant in the room that we’re trying to pretend isn’t there. We can disagree over what to do about it, but we can’t ignore it, Patrick.”
“Friends, huh? That’s how you see us, even after that steamy kiss?”
“Absolutely.”
“That kiss didn’t feel anything at all like a friendly peck,” he noted.
Alice chuckled despite herself. “Which is why we’re turning over a new leaf here and now. No more kisses.”
Patrick groaned.
“I take it you disagree.”
“I think that’s pretty much as futile as trying to prevent a swamped boat from sinking by bailing with a teacup. It’s not going to happen.”
“I can control my urges, can’t you?”
He reached for her hand and turned it over in his palm. She felt the warmth, the sandpapery, callused texture of a hand that worked hard. He rubbed his thumb across her wrist and sent heat spiraling through her to settle low in her belly. Her pulse jumped and he grinned.
“Still think you’ve got total control over those urges?” he asked.
“Maybe not total control,” she admitted. “I’m working on it.”
“Why fight the inevitable?”
“We are not inevitable,” she insisted, even as she admitted to herself that she was lying through her teeth. Old patterns died hard. A part of her was falling fast, but she knew exactly how little judgment that part of her tended to exercise. She intended to fight it with every ounce of common sense she possessed. Real love didn’t happen after two or three passing encounters. And she wasn’t the kind of woman who could have a casual fling just because a man appealed to her.
She drew in a deep breath and steadied her racing pulse. Not this time. This time she was going to be smart and in control of her hormones and her emotions. Besides, if Patrick was destined to ignore the wisdom she’d gained from her own mistakes, she didn’t want to be around for the train wreck that followed. And that wreck really was inevitable. She could already see it coming.
It had been a perfectly pleasant, lazy afternoon, right up until the moment when Alice had gotten that bee inher bonnet about his family. Patrick regretted more than he could say that she knew anything at all about his history with his folks or his recent reunion with his older brothers. He had a hunch she could be a worse nag than Molly, and that was saying something.
Still, he wasn’t totally inclined to send her packing the instant they returned to the dock. He enjoyed provoking her, seeing the quick rise of heat in her cheeks, the flash of desire in her eyes that she was trying so hard to ignore.
“Want to stay for dinner?” he asked. “I could run over to Jess’s and bring back some of Molly’s chowder, and there’s half a loaf of your bread left.”
She turned those golden eyes of hers on him with a sorrowful expression. “What would be the point?”
“Staving off starvation,” he suggested wryly.
She frowned at that. “You know that’s not what I meant. Sooner or later, we’ll just butt heads again.”
“I’ve got a hard head. I can take it,” Patrick assured her.
She fought a grin. “Isn’t that the problem, your hard head?”
“Only if you let it be,” he responded. “We could play cards after dinner. Where’s the harm in that?”
Her gaze narrowed speculatively. “Poker?”
“If that’s what you want to play,” he agreed, hiding his surprise at the choice. He’d figured on a few hands of gin rummy, maybe.
“Okay, you’re on,” she said. “But I’ll warn you here and now that I’m very, very good.”
Something in her voice alerted him that she was dead serious.
“Where’d you learn to play?” he asked, suddenly cautious.
“In Jess’s back room.”
Patrick stared at her. “Jess taught you to play poker?”
“When Molly and I were about
She shook her head. “We can’t, not if we’re going to be friends. It’ll be like the elephant in the room that we’re trying to pretend isn’t there. We can disagree over what to do about it, but we can’t ignore it, Patrick.”
“Friends, huh? That’s how you see us, even after that steamy kiss?”
“Absolutely.”
“That kiss didn’t feel anything at all like a friendly peck,” he noted.
Alice chuckled despite herself. “Which is why we’re turning over a new leaf here and now. No more kisses.”
Patrick groaned.
“I take it you disagree.”
“I think that’s pretty much as futile as trying to prevent a swamped boat from sinking by bailing with a teacup. It’s not going to happen.”
“I can control my urges, can’t you?”
He reached for her hand and turned it over in his palm. She felt the warmth, the sandpapery, callused texture of a hand that worked hard. He rubbed his thumb across her wrist and sent heat spiraling through her to settle low in her belly. Her pulse jumped and he grinned.
“Still think you’ve got total control over those urges?” he asked.
“Maybe not total control,” she admitted. “I’m working on it.”
“Why fight the inevitable?”
“We are not inevitable,” she insisted, even as she admitted to herself that she was lying through her teeth. Old patterns died hard. A part of her was falling fast, but she knew exactly how little judgment that part of her tended to exercise. She intended to fight it with every ounce of common sense she possessed. Real love didn’t happen after two or three passing encounters. And she wasn’t the kind of woman who could have a casual fling just because a man appealed to her.
She drew in a deep breath and steadied her racing pulse. Not this time. This time she was going to be smart and in control of her hormones and her emotions. Besides, if Patrick was destined to ignore the wisdom she’d gained from her own mistakes, she didn’t want to be around for the train wreck that followed. And that wreck really was inevitable. She could already see it coming.
It had been a perfectly pleasant, lazy afternoon, right up until the moment when Alice had gotten that bee inher bonnet about his family. Patrick regretted more than he could say that she knew anything at all about his history with his folks or his recent reunion with his older brothers. He had a hunch she could be a worse nag than Molly, and that was saying something.
Still, he wasn’t totally inclined to send her packing the instant they returned to the dock. He enjoyed provoking her, seeing the quick rise of heat in her cheeks, the flash of desire in her eyes that she was trying so hard to ignore.
“Want to stay for dinner?” he asked. “I could run over to Jess’s and bring back some of Molly’s chowder, and there’s half a loaf of your bread left.”
She turned those golden eyes of hers on him with a sorrowful expression. “What would be the point?”
“Staving off starvation,” he suggested wryly.
She frowned at that. “You know that’s not what I meant. Sooner or later, we’ll just butt heads again.”
“I’ve got a hard head. I can take it,” Patrick assured her.
She fought a grin. “Isn’t that the problem, your hard head?”
“Only if you let it be,” he responded. “We could play cards after dinner. Where’s the harm in that?”
Her gaze narrowed speculatively. “Poker?”
“If that’s what you want to play,” he agreed, hiding his surprise at the choice. He’d figured on a few hands of gin rummy, maybe.
“Okay, you’re on,” she said. “But I’ll warn you here and now that I’m very, very good.”
Something in her voice alerted him that she was dead serious.
“Where’d you learn to play?” he asked, suddenly cautious.
“In Jess’s back room.”
Patrick stared at her. “Jess taught you to play poker?”
“When Molly and I were about
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