Pieces of You by Mary Campisi

“That was a long time ago.”  
    “Why did you stop?” she asked softly.
    He stretched a smile over his lips and glanced at her breasts. “I discovered girls.” His gaze shifted from the curve of her breasts to her collarbone, her throat, her chin, nose, eyes . . .
    “Why are you doing that?”
    “What?”
    “Trying to turn things sexual because the topic’s uncomfortable?”
    “I’m not allowed to admire your attributes?”
    “I’d rather you didn’t,” she said in a tight voice.
    “Sorry, but if you don’t want men looking, don’t wear outfits like that,” he said, pointing to her lavender dress.
    “There’s nothing wrong with this dress.”
    He laughed which seemed to infuriate her.
    “There’s nothing sexual about this dress. No dipping neckline, no see-through material, no high hem.”
    “Which is exactly why it’s sexual.”
    She threw him a disgusted look. “That makes absolutely no sense.”
    “Think about it. It’s human nature to want what you can’t have. If a woman flaunts her stuff in front of everybody, a guy might look but he’ll wonder how many other guys have looked and touched. He loses interest. But if her clothes tease him with just enough to make him start fantasizing, well, then she’s got him.”
    “Thanks for the Sex Education lesson, according to Quinn Burnes.”
    He saluted her with his drink and said, “You’re welcome.”
    “Even though you’re way off base,” she continued, “unless you’re just into shallow, meaningless relationships.”
    He winked at her. “They’re my specialty.” That would annoy the hell out of her and for some insane reason he wanted to do just that right now.
    “Good, then I’m safe,” she said dryly.
    “Hmmm, don’t be so sure.”
    “What?”
    He shrugged, and let a scrap of truth slip out. “Maybe you distract me.”
    She laughed. “I’m not your type.”
    “Oh?” He raised an eyebrow. “How would you know that?”
    Her lips turned at the corners. “Arianna.”
    “Ah, yes, of course. What’s she told you?”
    “The women you date only want you for your money and the sex.”

 
     
     
     
     
     
     
    Chapter 12
     
    “Arianna said that?”
    Danielle nodded. “She said more, but I’m not going to repeat it.”
    “Thank you, I think.”
    “You’re welcome.” Her smile spread, illuminating her eyes, her skin, her lips. At this moment she might well be one of the most beautiful women he’d ever seen. His gaze fell to her lips again, lingered there. She opened her mouth and ran her tongue over them.
    “Quinn?”
    He jerked his gaze to hers. “What?”
    “Our food’s here.”
    He spent the rest of the meal stuffing chicken burritos into his mouth and trying to figure out what the hell had happened between them. Was he insane? He didn’t even like the woman, so why was he lusting after her? Not that a person had to necessarily like someone to lust after them, but why this woman?
    He needed to get his head together before he did something else stupid, like try to kiss her. That would be a mistake. Wouldn’t it? Quinn tore into his second burrito, polishing the whole thing off without even trying to enlist casual conversation. He did remember his manners and had a trio of musicians sing Danielle Happy Birthday and the hostess even brought fried ice cream and cake with a candle in it. Danielle watched him as she cut the cake, like she expected him to sit there and have a piece, share, maybe share a piece of himself, too. That wasn’t going to happen. He excused himself and left her to celebrate with the hostess and three singers.
    The drive home proved even quieter than the last half of the dinner. The Coronas and Quinn’s lustful thoughts threw him into a morose mood which only intensified with Danielle’s silence. He let out a long breath when he spotted the lights of The Silver Strand, glad the evening would soon be over.  
    “Thank you for dinner.”
    She spoke before he pulled into a parking spot.