squawk-squawk? A flustered Annie chicken. Ha, ha, ha.”
Clay barely suppressed a smile. Her embarrassment was endearing. “Annie, that’s not a joke. It’s not even funny.”
She raised her head. “Since when do my brothers’ jokes have to be funny? And don’t think you’re going to escape their teasing either. Uh-uh. You are in for it, big-time. How about, `What’s got a scratchy jaw and googley eyes?’“
“An-nie,” he warned.
“A Princeton hog in rut.” At his gaping mouth, she nodded her head vigorously. “See. That’s what you can expect.”
Is she saying I have googley eyes . . . whatever the hell googley eyes are? Clay shuttered his lashes half-mast and pulled Annie into his embrace again, fitting her face into the curve of his neck. He kissed the top of her head, murmuring, “Oh, Annie. It doesn’t matter what they say when this feels so right.”
She sighed, which he took for a nonverbal sign of agreement, and nestled closer. “I suppose you want to sleep with me.”
Whoa! That got his attention. “Where did that come from? We were just kissing, Annie.” Not that other parts of my body weren’t headed in that direction. But talk about getting right to the point!
Annie put her hands on his chest and shoved away slightly so she could look at him directly. “Are you saying you don’t want to make love with me?”
“Hell, no. Of course I want you… that way .”
He reached for her, but she squirmed back, keeping her distance.
“Me, too.”
Me, too? What does that mean? Oh, my God! Did she just say she wants to make love with me? “Annie, this is going a bit fast, don’t you think? I mean, I’m not sure it’s a good idea making love on your living room couch where anyone could barge in at any moment.” Me, too? Son of a bitch! I do like a woman who can make up her mind. No games with my Annie. No, sirree.
She made a snorting sound of disgust, waving a hand in the air. “That’s not what I meant, you dolt.”
His spirits immediately deflated. She didn’t mean what he’d thought she meant. Damn!
“I’m just trying to tell you that . . . uh . . . um . . .”
“What?” he prodded. This was the most disarming, confusing conversation he’d ever had with a woman, and if it got any hotter in this room he was going to explode.
As if mirroring his thoughts, Annie wiped her forehead with the back of one hand and began to unbutton her flannel shirt, revealing a tight white tee shirt underneath.
He refused to look there .
He was not going to look.
He was looking.
Man, oh, man!
That had been her bra in the bathroom, all right. Her breasts pushed against the thin material, full and uptilted, the nipples puckered into hard peaks. It wasn’t that she was big-busted but because she was so thin, it appeared that way. Good thing she didn’t look like that in her Blessed Mother outfit or she’d have men propositioning her right there in the Nativity scene. Or else she’d get some super tips.
“Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?” he choked out.
“Like you’re . . . like you’re . . .”
“ . . . interested?” He couldn’t stop the grin that twitched at his lips.
“Stop smirking. I’m trying to tell you something.”
“Oh?” he said, trying his damnedest not to look at her chest and not to grin with pure, unadulterated anticipation. As a final measure, he clenched his fists at his side to keep from grabbing for her.
“I’m a virgin.”
That was the last thing Clay had expected to hear.
“A virgin?” he squeaked out. A twenty-eight-year-old virgin?
“Yeah, isn’t that the biggest joke of all?”
She was actually embarrassed by her virginity. Well, it did put a new light on their making love. Not that he didn’t still want her, but it sure as hell wouldn’t take place on a sofa
Clay barely suppressed a smile. Her embarrassment was endearing. “Annie, that’s not a joke. It’s not even funny.”
She raised her head. “Since when do my brothers’ jokes have to be funny? And don’t think you’re going to escape their teasing either. Uh-uh. You are in for it, big-time. How about, `What’s got a scratchy jaw and googley eyes?’“
“An-nie,” he warned.
“A Princeton hog in rut.” At his gaping mouth, she nodded her head vigorously. “See. That’s what you can expect.”
Is she saying I have googley eyes . . . whatever the hell googley eyes are? Clay shuttered his lashes half-mast and pulled Annie into his embrace again, fitting her face into the curve of his neck. He kissed the top of her head, murmuring, “Oh, Annie. It doesn’t matter what they say when this feels so right.”
She sighed, which he took for a nonverbal sign of agreement, and nestled closer. “I suppose you want to sleep with me.”
Whoa! That got his attention. “Where did that come from? We were just kissing, Annie.” Not that other parts of my body weren’t headed in that direction. But talk about getting right to the point!
Annie put her hands on his chest and shoved away slightly so she could look at him directly. “Are you saying you don’t want to make love with me?”
“Hell, no. Of course I want you… that way .”
He reached for her, but she squirmed back, keeping her distance.
“Me, too.”
Me, too? What does that mean? Oh, my God! Did she just say she wants to make love with me? “Annie, this is going a bit fast, don’t you think? I mean, I’m not sure it’s a good idea making love on your living room couch where anyone could barge in at any moment.” Me, too? Son of a bitch! I do like a woman who can make up her mind. No games with my Annie. No, sirree.
She made a snorting sound of disgust, waving a hand in the air. “That’s not what I meant, you dolt.”
His spirits immediately deflated. She didn’t mean what he’d thought she meant. Damn!
“I’m just trying to tell you that . . . uh . . . um . . .”
“What?” he prodded. This was the most disarming, confusing conversation he’d ever had with a woman, and if it got any hotter in this room he was going to explode.
As if mirroring his thoughts, Annie wiped her forehead with the back of one hand and began to unbutton her flannel shirt, revealing a tight white tee shirt underneath.
He refused to look there .
He was not going to look.
He was looking.
Man, oh, man!
That had been her bra in the bathroom, all right. Her breasts pushed against the thin material, full and uptilted, the nipples puckered into hard peaks. It wasn’t that she was big-busted but because she was so thin, it appeared that way. Good thing she didn’t look like that in her Blessed Mother outfit or she’d have men propositioning her right there in the Nativity scene. Or else she’d get some super tips.
“Stop looking at me like that.”
“Like what?” he choked out.
“Like you’re . . . like you’re . . .”
“ . . . interested?” He couldn’t stop the grin that twitched at his lips.
“Stop smirking. I’m trying to tell you something.”
“Oh?” he said, trying his damnedest not to look at her chest and not to grin with pure, unadulterated anticipation. As a final measure, he clenched his fists at his side to keep from grabbing for her.
“I’m a virgin.”
That was the last thing Clay had expected to hear.
“A virgin?” he squeaked out. A twenty-eight-year-old virgin?
“Yeah, isn’t that the biggest joke of all?”
She was actually embarrassed by her virginity. Well, it did put a new light on their making love. Not that he didn’t still want her, but it sure as hell wouldn’t take place on a sofa
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