own.
"Because this isn't, technically, a date."
"It isn't? We're alone. Together. Talking about ourselves. Sounds like a date to me."
"Fine." She slid one of the twenties out and put it back in her purse. 'Then we can split the tab."
"Quite the modern woman, aren't you?"
"I'm trying." Meredith fingered the stem of her empty wineglass and looked at Travis. "Why aren't you dating memorable women?" she asked again.
Travis let out a sigh that seemed to weigh more than the cobblestones that paved the marketplace. "It's complicated."
She reminded herself that she didn't need to get to know this man. She didn't want to get close to him. But something about that sigh and the way he said the words touched a common thread inside her heart. "What do you mean?"
He rubbed his head again before speaking. "I know you think I'm some ... Well, I don't know what you think I am, but trust me, before a couple days ago, I wasn't that kind of man."
She circled the rim of the delicate goblet. "That makes two of us turning over a new leaf in our lives."
"Well, mine's more like raking out the dead debris and hoping like hell there's something better than a shriveled up pile of manure underneath it."
She laughed. "You couldn't be that bad."
"I'm not Exactly Clark Kent."
"Well, I'm no angel myself."
He shook his head, a smile playing at his lips. "I disagree. I look at you and I can practically see the halo glowing around your head."
She directed a finger at his chest. "That's because you haven't helped me shed it yet."
"And what if I said I thought it would be wrong to do that?"
"Wrong to go to bed with me?"
"Yeah."
There he went, throwing a huge cog into her plans again. Five minutes ago, he seemed ready to head off to the nearest flat surface and give her the tour of Boston no one talked about in the Dummies guide. But now, he had blocked those vibes, as if he'd thrown a switch to "off."
"I'm not underage or wanted by the FBI," she said. "I'm not a nun or a married woman. There's nothing wrong with sleeping with me."
"Oh, I think there'd be many things that would be right about us going to bed together," he said, his grin seductive and teasing all at once, the switch back at on, then just as quickly, flicking off, "but..."
"But I'm not your type?"
He let out half a chuckle. "You, Meredith, are as far from the kind of woman I usually date as lemons are from chocolate cake."
"I'm the lemon, I take it?"
"Oh no. You're the cake. And I'm not so sure I should be, ah, let's say ... licking the frosting."
She studied him for a long moment. Here was a man who made no bones about his own checkered past and yet, he wouldn't sleep with her because he was worried about her honor? There was more to Travis Campbell than she suspected even he knew. More depth. More morals.
More man.
And for a girl who vowed she wouldn't get involved with him, she was suddenly feeling very tender and very involved.
He rose, slipping a twenty over the bill to accompany hers. "Let me bring you home."
"So soon?"
"I'd better do it before I forget all those pretty little resolutions I just made."
She stood and crossed to him, standing within an inch of his chest. "And what if I tempt you to throw those resolutions into Boston Harbor? Like our own little personal tea party?"
"Don't," he said, his voice low and hoarse. "Remember, I'm a weak man."
"Oh, I don't think so, Travis," she said, walking a finger slowly up his chest and taking a small thrill from the rise she saw in his eyes. "I think you've got all the strength I need."
Then she turned on her heel and walked out of the restaurant, leaving a whole lot of farm girl behind.
Travis's Not-Much-of-a-Cook Shrimp and Bacon Bites
16 cleaned, cooked shrimp, medium size
1/3 cup chili sauce
8 slices bacon
Hey, I'm a bachelor who lives on Cheerios and Papa Gino's pizza. What'd you expect? Crème brulee? This is as fancy as I get without calling for delivery.
Still, it's a nice way to tempt a
"Because this isn't, technically, a date."
"It isn't? We're alone. Together. Talking about ourselves. Sounds like a date to me."
"Fine." She slid one of the twenties out and put it back in her purse. 'Then we can split the tab."
"Quite the modern woman, aren't you?"
"I'm trying." Meredith fingered the stem of her empty wineglass and looked at Travis. "Why aren't you dating memorable women?" she asked again.
Travis let out a sigh that seemed to weigh more than the cobblestones that paved the marketplace. "It's complicated."
She reminded herself that she didn't need to get to know this man. She didn't want to get close to him. But something about that sigh and the way he said the words touched a common thread inside her heart. "What do you mean?"
He rubbed his head again before speaking. "I know you think I'm some ... Well, I don't know what you think I am, but trust me, before a couple days ago, I wasn't that kind of man."
She circled the rim of the delicate goblet. "That makes two of us turning over a new leaf in our lives."
"Well, mine's more like raking out the dead debris and hoping like hell there's something better than a shriveled up pile of manure underneath it."
She laughed. "You couldn't be that bad."
"I'm not Exactly Clark Kent."
"Well, I'm no angel myself."
He shook his head, a smile playing at his lips. "I disagree. I look at you and I can practically see the halo glowing around your head."
She directed a finger at his chest. "That's because you haven't helped me shed it yet."
"And what if I said I thought it would be wrong to do that?"
"Wrong to go to bed with me?"
"Yeah."
There he went, throwing a huge cog into her plans again. Five minutes ago, he seemed ready to head off to the nearest flat surface and give her the tour of Boston no one talked about in the Dummies guide. But now, he had blocked those vibes, as if he'd thrown a switch to "off."
"I'm not underage or wanted by the FBI," she said. "I'm not a nun or a married woman. There's nothing wrong with sleeping with me."
"Oh, I think there'd be many things that would be right about us going to bed together," he said, his grin seductive and teasing all at once, the switch back at on, then just as quickly, flicking off, "but..."
"But I'm not your type?"
He let out half a chuckle. "You, Meredith, are as far from the kind of woman I usually date as lemons are from chocolate cake."
"I'm the lemon, I take it?"
"Oh no. You're the cake. And I'm not so sure I should be, ah, let's say ... licking the frosting."
She studied him for a long moment. Here was a man who made no bones about his own checkered past and yet, he wouldn't sleep with her because he was worried about her honor? There was more to Travis Campbell than she suspected even he knew. More depth. More morals.
More man.
And for a girl who vowed she wouldn't get involved with him, she was suddenly feeling very tender and very involved.
He rose, slipping a twenty over the bill to accompany hers. "Let me bring you home."
"So soon?"
"I'd better do it before I forget all those pretty little resolutions I just made."
She stood and crossed to him, standing within an inch of his chest. "And what if I tempt you to throw those resolutions into Boston Harbor? Like our own little personal tea party?"
"Don't," he said, his voice low and hoarse. "Remember, I'm a weak man."
"Oh, I don't think so, Travis," she said, walking a finger slowly up his chest and taking a small thrill from the rise she saw in his eyes. "I think you've got all the strength I need."
Then she turned on her heel and walked out of the restaurant, leaving a whole lot of farm girl behind.
Travis's Not-Much-of-a-Cook Shrimp and Bacon Bites
16 cleaned, cooked shrimp, medium size
1/3 cup chili sauce
8 slices bacon
Hey, I'm a bachelor who lives on Cheerios and Papa Gino's pizza. What'd you expect? Crème brulee? This is as fancy as I get without calling for delivery.
Still, it's a nice way to tempt a
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