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“Like someone backed over me with me with my cruiser. Otherwise, I’m good.”
Those deep, beautiful eyes widened in unexpected and clear distress. “No one’s here
to look after you?”
“No.” He smiled. “Come in and I’ll inspect this basket.”
Still as hesitant as a mouse approaching a suspiciously placed piece of cheese, she
stepped through the doorway and followed him to the kitchen.
“What’s in here?” He placed the tall basket on the kitchen counter and stared through
the cellophane.
“Open it and see, silly.”
Silly? No man or beast or beautiful woman had dared to call him silly. He raised one
eyebrow but didn’t comment. Instead, he opened the cellophane with quick fingers and
peeled it back to see the treasure within. He felt like a damn kid opening presents on
Christmas Day.
He yanked until the cellophane broke under his demand. “Hot chocolate.” He lifted
out items one by one. “Godiva chocolates, MandM’s. Chocolate flavored coffee beans.
Chocolate cookies.” He winced and turned to look at her, dreading what he had to say.
“What’s wrong?” Her apprehensive expression returned.
“First, thank you for thinking of me. Second, I should have looked through the
cellophane more closely before I opened it.”
Her slightly fuller bottom lip pouted the smallest increment. He wanted to lick it. His
groin heated. Oh, God.
“You’re welcome. But why did you need to look closer first?”
He planted his hands on his hips. “I’m allergic to chocolate.”
Her right hand went to her mouth. “Oh, crap.”
Her wide eyes and total dismay made him smile.
Leigh’s eyes went stormy. “Don’t you dare laugh. I could have given you
anaphylactic shock.”
“It’s not that bad. I can eat a little chocolate, but I break out in hives. Never gets
worse than that.”
“Still…”
Her soft dismay, the utter self-contempt that swept over her features surprised him.
“It’s no sweat. I could share this with Trey and Mick. Or you could eat it yourself.”
“No way.” One long-fingered hand, nails painted soft pink, fluttered in dismissal. “I
don’t like chocolate. Share it with your brothers.” She put her purse on a bar stool, the
sound a solid thunk.
“You’re kidding? A woman who doesn’t like chocolate. Sacrilege.”
She sighed. “I know. Bizarre. That must have been bad when you were a kid, though.
Kids always seem to love chocolate.”
“I did. That’s not when I became allergic, though.”
Ah, shit. I shouldn’t have confessed.
She gripped the back of the bar stool chair and then leaned on it. “Oh?”
Heat rose in his face. “When I was twenty-one my girlfriend told me chocolate was
an aphrodisiac.”
Leigh’s eyes widened, a little oh of surprise.
“Yeah,” he said. “She had this jar of body chocolate. When I got a taste of it…” He
shrugged.
He couldn’t help wanting to be closer. He moved nearer, watched her eyes fill with a
combination of caution and maybe excitement.
He allowed her imagination to run with it and saw her pupils dilate. Oh, yeah. Her
imagination was definitely running with it.
“Oh,” was her breathless response. Her chest rose and fell on quicker breaths.
“Maybe I should go.”
“Stay. Can I get you a drink?”
“No. Thanks.” She turned away and headed toward the couch, as if she couldn’t wait
to get the hell out of his airspace.
Time to confront. “You okay? You’re as jittery as a shoplifter.”
She wandered to his sliding glass window and gazed out. “Me? You’re paranoid
MacGilvary.”
“I might be. That doesn’t mean nobody’s after me.”
She laughed softly, looking at him with a sardonic smile. “Old joke.”
“Worked didn’t it? You’re smiling.”
“Does this type of interrogation always work?”
“Usually.” He wandered her way, drawn to her. “Look, don’t sweat it about the
chocolate. I appreciate the thought. It counts.”
Leigh turned a more confident, teasing look toward him. “How are you really
feeling?”
“Beat up. But I’ll be back to work in a few days.”
“Good. I’m glad it turned out well.” Her nervous expression evaporated. “I could
have accidentally fed you chocolate body paint and made you itch to death.”
“Hey, stop worrying. Besides, I like whipped cream better than chocolate body paint
any day.”
Once more her beautiful eyes widened in shock. Damn but he enjoyed freaking her
out. Somewhere she’d gotten it into her head he was sexually walled up. Wicked thoughts
danced in his head. She was so wrong.
I could show her what I’m like. She’d have no reason to think I’m was sex-starved
and in need of a lesson. Yeah, but I am sex-starved. Jacking off just didn’t cut it. Whoa.
Take it easy. I don’t need the complication. He never took on sex as a reckless pursuit.
Never. Ever. Again.
Leigh’s eyes sparkled, her spunk returning. “Next time I’ll bring the whipped cream.
Do you like candy sprinkles?” [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]