details at the moment. The overall picture was what was important. The erotic scene she'd just read had taken place on a bearskin rug in front of a roaring fire. The heroine had been drenched to the skin after falling into an ice-encrusted lake, and the hero had taken her into his cabin to warm her.
With an ironic chuckle, Toni closed the book and propped her chin on her crossed arms. When she and Kyle had gotten home, she'd been cold— nothing like the woman in the book, but definitely chilly. If she'd been on her toes, she might have maneuvered Kyle into the living room where they could have built a fire and . . . "He would have handed me a glass of brandy and disappeared," she mumbled, completing her thought.
Angled as she was across her bed, she could see her door being opened slightly and Kyle's frame shadowing the two-inch space. Just as she jerked her head up, the door swung wide and Kyle leaned against the doorjamb. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a good portion of the chest she'd envisioned in the mythical firelight. Her throat felt very, very dry.
"I would have knocked, but I didn't want to disturb you. Just wanted to see if you were asleep."
"I was reading." Somehow she forced her eyes away from where they'd wandered to the swirl of dark hair above the waistband of his cords. "You look like you just woke up."
Kyle watched as she swung her legs around to sit on the edge of the bed. "I did. And you look about sixteen years old with your hair down like that."
"I know." Gathering a handful of hair between her fingers and thumb, she began twisting it into a coil. "That's why I wear it up. Image, you know."
"I like it down. You hungry?"
His comment was made quite absently, but Toni let her hair fall back down around her shoulders. "A little. Did you want me to fix lunch?"
A lazy smile creased his sleepy features. "Since it's almost five-thirty, I think dinner might be more appropriate. But it's my turn to cook, and since that's the last thing I feel like doing, I'll just go get us some hamburgers. Want one?"
Toni's eyes shifted back to his open shirt. Though the fabric covered most of it, she could see the edge of a very angry looking bruise. "How are you feeling?"
"Stiff."
"I'm not surprised. And you're in no shape to go anywhere." Lifting herself from the bed, she pulled the hem of her sweater over her hips and started toward the door. "I'll fix dinner."
Kyle must have still been groggy from his nap. There was an unfamiliar vulnerability in his expression, and Toni was certain that he didn't even know it was there.
"You're an angel," he sighed when she stepped in front of him to turn out the light.
Her heart raced like a triphammer as she reached up to push away the lock of hair that lay over his forehead. "Thanks, Kyle." She smiled, gratified by the way his whole body had just seemed to tense—and adding to herself that he probably wouldn't think she was much of an angel if he knew what she was up to.
The second she had touched him, that vulnerability had vanished. As she walked away, she could feel his cool, questioning eyes on her back. Plan I: The Subtle Approach had just been put into action.
❧
Even the most well thought-out plans develop a few snags.
If Kyle noticed that Toni was using every imaginable excuse to touch him, he was doing a remarkable job of hiding it. She placed her hand on his shoulder to lean from behind him and set his plate on the table. Twice, she curled her fingers around his forearm while they were talking. She let her hand rest on his hip when he pulled his shirt back to show her the darkening bruise and touched it gently.
The only reaction she got was the slight stiffening of his muscles—and a comment that her hands were cold.
She told herself not to be discouraged. Though he was doing nothing to take advantage of her lead, he wasn't doing anything to dissuade her either. As they sat in the living room watching television from opposite ends of the sofa, she
With an ironic chuckle, Toni closed the book and propped her chin on her crossed arms. When she and Kyle had gotten home, she'd been cold— nothing like the woman in the book, but definitely chilly. If she'd been on her toes, she might have maneuvered Kyle into the living room where they could have built a fire and . . . "He would have handed me a glass of brandy and disappeared," she mumbled, completing her thought.
Angled as she was across her bed, she could see her door being opened slightly and Kyle's frame shadowing the two-inch space. Just as she jerked her head up, the door swung wide and Kyle leaned against the doorjamb. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a good portion of the chest she'd envisioned in the mythical firelight. Her throat felt very, very dry.
"I would have knocked, but I didn't want to disturb you. Just wanted to see if you were asleep."
"I was reading." Somehow she forced her eyes away from where they'd wandered to the swirl of dark hair above the waistband of his cords. "You look like you just woke up."
Kyle watched as she swung her legs around to sit on the edge of the bed. "I did. And you look about sixteen years old with your hair down like that."
"I know." Gathering a handful of hair between her fingers and thumb, she began twisting it into a coil. "That's why I wear it up. Image, you know."
"I like it down. You hungry?"
His comment was made quite absently, but Toni let her hair fall back down around her shoulders. "A little. Did you want me to fix lunch?"
A lazy smile creased his sleepy features. "Since it's almost five-thirty, I think dinner might be more appropriate. But it's my turn to cook, and since that's the last thing I feel like doing, I'll just go get us some hamburgers. Want one?"
Toni's eyes shifted back to his open shirt. Though the fabric covered most of it, she could see the edge of a very angry looking bruise. "How are you feeling?"
"Stiff."
"I'm not surprised. And you're in no shape to go anywhere." Lifting herself from the bed, she pulled the hem of her sweater over her hips and started toward the door. "I'll fix dinner."
Kyle must have still been groggy from his nap. There was an unfamiliar vulnerability in his expression, and Toni was certain that he didn't even know it was there.
"You're an angel," he sighed when she stepped in front of him to turn out the light.
Her heart raced like a triphammer as she reached up to push away the lock of hair that lay over his forehead. "Thanks, Kyle." She smiled, gratified by the way his whole body had just seemed to tense—and adding to herself that he probably wouldn't think she was much of an angel if he knew what she was up to.
The second she had touched him, that vulnerability had vanished. As she walked away, she could feel his cool, questioning eyes on her back. Plan I: The Subtle Approach had just been put into action.
❧
Even the most well thought-out plans develop a few snags.
If Kyle noticed that Toni was using every imaginable excuse to touch him, he was doing a remarkable job of hiding it. She placed her hand on his shoulder to lean from behind him and set his plate on the table. Twice, she curled her fingers around his forearm while they were talking. She let her hand rest on his hip when he pulled his shirt back to show her the darkening bruise and touched it gently.
The only reaction she got was the slight stiffening of his muscles—and a comment that her hands were cold.
She told herself not to be discouraged. Though he was doing nothing to take advantage of her lead, he wasn't doing anything to dissuade her either. As they sat in the living room watching television from opposite ends of the sofa, she
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