should help. A hot shower probably wouldn't hurt either." Anticipation sank to deflation as he tapped the end of her nose. "You did get a little muddy, you know?"
His hand was clutching his side again as he headed down the hall to his room.
Toni, with a slightly frustrated shrug, took a sip of the brandy and headed straight for her closet.
Chapter 5
K yle peeled his clothes off and dropped them on the black tiles of his bathroom floor. Glancing at his naked reflection in the mirror, he tentatively felt the oval bruise on his ribs. When he touched it, it just hurt. But when Toni's fingers had so gently traced over his skin, he hadn't even been aware of the pain. Just like he'd forgotten about it when she'd helped him into the house. He hadn't needed her assistance. But it was such a perfect excuse to feel her against him again that he couldn't pass it up.
Turning the shower on full blast, he stepped under the steamy spray. Toni had been right. The combined weight of Les, Todd and Gary had felt like a Mack truck. With a groan, he reached for the shampoo and dumped a liberal amount on his head—thinking that, right after he washed it, he should probably have it examined.
He had come so close to repeating the same mistake he'd made the other night. While Toni had been helping him out of his jersey and into his jacket, all he could think about was how wonderful it would feel to bury his hands in her hair and draw that gorgeous mouth to his. It had taken a moment for the message in her darkening eyes to register, but when it had, thankfully, he'd regained his senses. She had been concerned about him. That was all. And it was only the type of concern one friend feels for another. He'd noticed her acting a little strangely lately—wary maybe?—but he was sure that it was only because she didn't want to risk a repeat of his performance the other night. She was so clearly going out of her way not to mention it. And she was making it very evident that she was interested in someone else.
❧
Toni pulled open her closet doors and looked down at the floor. There, just as Madeline had promised, was a box. She could hear Kyle's shower running across the hall, and deciding that her own shower could wait, she knelt down and pulled the box toward her.
Her eyebrows knitted together as she lifted the lid and picked up the note lying on top of the books.
I picked out the ones that I thought would be most helpful, and by the time you finish reading these, I'm sure you'll have come up with a plan that's guaranteed to sabotage his defenses. Let me know if you need more. Good luck with your research, and with him.
Love,
Madeline,
P.S. Don't worry, I won't breathe a word.
"You won't have to, Madeline." Toni smiled, picking up one of the books. "Not if you waltz around here humming the 'Wedding March.'"
Flipping through the pages, Toni drew in a deep breath and pushed the carton to the back of her closet. She'd get started on her "research" right after she got cleaned up. It was a good thing she was a fast reader. There had to be at least three dozen romance novels in that box!
Three hours later, Toni lay sprawled across her bed. After a quick shower, she'd pulled on a pair of soft chamois slacks and a huge raglan-sleeve sweater. Her hair floated across her back in a gossamer veil, and shoving back the long tresses that kept falling over her shoulder, she propped herself up on her elbow and turned another page.
Her mind was already analyzing some of the scenes she'd read, paring them down to fit into the plan that was already formulating. Seducing Kyle looked like it might be fun—if she could just get up her nerve.
Nerves seemed to be in abundant supply at the moment. Thinking about Kyle in some of those scenes was playing absolute havoc with her nervous system. Whew! she thought, with an audible sigh. The hero certainly fits Kyle's description. But I'm lacking in a few pertinent areas.
Toni wasn't going to dwell on insignificant
His hand was clutching his side again as he headed down the hall to his room.
Toni, with a slightly frustrated shrug, took a sip of the brandy and headed straight for her closet.
Chapter 5
K yle peeled his clothes off and dropped them on the black tiles of his bathroom floor. Glancing at his naked reflection in the mirror, he tentatively felt the oval bruise on his ribs. When he touched it, it just hurt. But when Toni's fingers had so gently traced over his skin, he hadn't even been aware of the pain. Just like he'd forgotten about it when she'd helped him into the house. He hadn't needed her assistance. But it was such a perfect excuse to feel her against him again that he couldn't pass it up.
Turning the shower on full blast, he stepped under the steamy spray. Toni had been right. The combined weight of Les, Todd and Gary had felt like a Mack truck. With a groan, he reached for the shampoo and dumped a liberal amount on his head—thinking that, right after he washed it, he should probably have it examined.
He had come so close to repeating the same mistake he'd made the other night. While Toni had been helping him out of his jersey and into his jacket, all he could think about was how wonderful it would feel to bury his hands in her hair and draw that gorgeous mouth to his. It had taken a moment for the message in her darkening eyes to register, but when it had, thankfully, he'd regained his senses. She had been concerned about him. That was all. And it was only the type of concern one friend feels for another. He'd noticed her acting a little strangely lately—wary maybe?—but he was sure that it was only because she didn't want to risk a repeat of his performance the other night. She was so clearly going out of her way not to mention it. And she was making it very evident that she was interested in someone else.
❧
Toni pulled open her closet doors and looked down at the floor. There, just as Madeline had promised, was a box. She could hear Kyle's shower running across the hall, and deciding that her own shower could wait, she knelt down and pulled the box toward her.
Her eyebrows knitted together as she lifted the lid and picked up the note lying on top of the books.
I picked out the ones that I thought would be most helpful, and by the time you finish reading these, I'm sure you'll have come up with a plan that's guaranteed to sabotage his defenses. Let me know if you need more. Good luck with your research, and with him.
Love,
Madeline,
P.S. Don't worry, I won't breathe a word.
"You won't have to, Madeline." Toni smiled, picking up one of the books. "Not if you waltz around here humming the 'Wedding March.'"
Flipping through the pages, Toni drew in a deep breath and pushed the carton to the back of her closet. She'd get started on her "research" right after she got cleaned up. It was a good thing she was a fast reader. There had to be at least three dozen romance novels in that box!
Three hours later, Toni lay sprawled across her bed. After a quick shower, she'd pulled on a pair of soft chamois slacks and a huge raglan-sleeve sweater. Her hair floated across her back in a gossamer veil, and shoving back the long tresses that kept falling over her shoulder, she propped herself up on her elbow and turned another page.
Her mind was already analyzing some of the scenes she'd read, paring them down to fit into the plan that was already formulating. Seducing Kyle looked like it might be fun—if she could just get up her nerve.
Nerves seemed to be in abundant supply at the moment. Thinking about Kyle in some of those scenes was playing absolute havoc with her nervous system. Whew! she thought, with an audible sigh. The hero certainly fits Kyle's description. But I'm lacking in a few pertinent areas.
Toni wasn't going to dwell on insignificant
Similar Books
