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Authors: Sandra Hill
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with broken springs in a houseful of gun-toting brothers and an aunt who wielded a wicked spoon. “Annie, why tell me this now?”
“You have a right to know . . . if I’m reading that glimmer in your eye the right way.”
You are. Clay lowered his lashes and tried his best to curb that “glimmer” in his eye.
“You probably think I’m repressed or gay or ultra-religious. But it’s just that I haven’t had time for dating since my parents died. And Prince Charming doesn’t come riding his charger down the lane to a dairy farm real often.”
“So, I’m the first prince to come your way?” he asked with a laugh.
She slanted him a “Behave Yourself” glare and went on, “Now that you know, I suppose you don’t want me anymore.” She glanced at him shyly and looked away.
He took her chin in his hand and turned her face back to him. Kissing her lips lightly, he murmured, “I still want you.”
A slow, wicked smile spread across her lips. “Stand up, then,” she ordered.
Huh? With his brow furrowing in confusion, he got up cautiously, bracing himself on one crutch. At the same time, the stereo suddenly came on with Elvis wailing, “It’s Now Or Never.” He jerked back at the unexpected noise and Annie laughed.
“The stereo does that sometimes. There’s a short in its electric circuit, I guess.”
He thought about telling her that was a safety hazard, but decided he had more important things on his mind right now. Like why she’d wanted him to stand, and why she was staring at him, arms folded across her chest, with that odd expression on her face. She was probably afraid, being a virgin and all. It was sweet of her, actually.
“Don’t be afraid, Annie. I won’t do anything to hurt you.”
She laughed, a joyous, rippling sound mingling with Elvis’s husky Now-or-Never warning.
That was probably nervous laughter, Clay concluded. Still, he tilted his head to the side, questioning. “Annie?”
“Take off your shirt, Clay. Please.”
Her softly spoken words ambushed him. With a quick intake of breath, he almost swallowed his tongue.
“Reeeaal slow.”
Chapter Four
What the lady wants, the lady gets . . .
Annie could see that she’d shocked Clay, but she didn’t care. This was her big chance.
Just because she was a virgin didn’t mean she was a dried-up old spinster with no needs. Like she’d told him before, there weren’t many princes who ambled on down their farm lane. And when one not-so-perfect specimen accidentally rode in, well, heck, she’d be a fool not to drag him down off his horse and have her way with him.
“I have needs,” she told him matter-of-factly.
“Needs?” he choked out. Geez, the man looked as if he was choking on his own tongue. Where was the suave, cool-as-a-hybrid-cucumber man who could cut a person off at the knees with a single icy stare?
Okay, sometimes Annie forgot that city people didn’t understand the plain speaking of farm folks who lived with the facts of life on a daily basis. Those who worked with the land and animals tended to be more earthy, more accepting of the forces of nature. Sex was just another of the physical urges God gave all animals, nothing to be embarrassed about. At least, that’s what she told herself. If she didn’t justify her behavior in that way, she’d have to admit she was a lust-driven hussy with a compulsion to jump the poor prince’s royal bones.
“Yep. Needs,” she answered with more bravado than she really had. If he rejected her, she was going to crawl in a hole and never come out. “So shuck that shirt, honey. I’ve been having indecent thoughts ever since I saw you in the emergency room in those cute little boxer shorts.”
Stains of scarlet bloomed on his face at her mention of his boxers. Or was it her needs turning up his internal thermometer?
“This is a joke, right?” Clay said,
“You have a right to know . . . if I’m reading that glimmer in your eye the right way.”
You are. Clay lowered his lashes and tried his best to curb that “glimmer” in his eye.
“You probably think I’m repressed or gay or ultra-religious. But it’s just that I haven’t had time for dating since my parents died. And Prince Charming doesn’t come riding his charger down the lane to a dairy farm real often.”
“So, I’m the first prince to come your way?” he asked with a laugh.
She slanted him a “Behave Yourself” glare and went on, “Now that you know, I suppose you don’t want me anymore.” She glanced at him shyly and looked away.
He took her chin in his hand and turned her face back to him. Kissing her lips lightly, he murmured, “I still want you.”
A slow, wicked smile spread across her lips. “Stand up, then,” she ordered.
Huh? With his brow furrowing in confusion, he got up cautiously, bracing himself on one crutch. At the same time, the stereo suddenly came on with Elvis wailing, “It’s Now Or Never.” He jerked back at the unexpected noise and Annie laughed.
“The stereo does that sometimes. There’s a short in its electric circuit, I guess.”
He thought about telling her that was a safety hazard, but decided he had more important things on his mind right now. Like why she’d wanted him to stand, and why she was staring at him, arms folded across her chest, with that odd expression on her face. She was probably afraid, being a virgin and all. It was sweet of her, actually.
“Don’t be afraid, Annie. I won’t do anything to hurt you.”
She laughed, a joyous, rippling sound mingling with Elvis’s husky Now-or-Never warning.
That was probably nervous laughter, Clay concluded. Still, he tilted his head to the side, questioning. “Annie?”
“Take off your shirt, Clay. Please.”
Her softly spoken words ambushed him. With a quick intake of breath, he almost swallowed his tongue.
“Reeeaal slow.”
Chapter Four
What the lady wants, the lady gets . . .
Annie could see that she’d shocked Clay, but she didn’t care. This was her big chance.
Just because she was a virgin didn’t mean she was a dried-up old spinster with no needs. Like she’d told him before, there weren’t many princes who ambled on down their farm lane. And when one not-so-perfect specimen accidentally rode in, well, heck, she’d be a fool not to drag him down off his horse and have her way with him.
“I have needs,” she told him matter-of-factly.
“Needs?” he choked out. Geez, the man looked as if he was choking on his own tongue. Where was the suave, cool-as-a-hybrid-cucumber man who could cut a person off at the knees with a single icy stare?
Okay, sometimes Annie forgot that city people didn’t understand the plain speaking of farm folks who lived with the facts of life on a daily basis. Those who worked with the land and animals tended to be more earthy, more accepting of the forces of nature. Sex was just another of the physical urges God gave all animals, nothing to be embarrassed about. At least, that’s what she told herself. If she didn’t justify her behavior in that way, she’d have to admit she was a lust-driven hussy with a compulsion to jump the poor prince’s royal bones.
“Yep. Needs,” she answered with more bravado than she really had. If he rejected her, she was going to crawl in a hole and never come out. “So shuck that shirt, honey. I’ve been having indecent thoughts ever since I saw you in the emergency room in those cute little boxer shorts.”
Stains of scarlet bloomed on his face at her mention of his boxers. Or was it her needs turning up his internal thermometer?
“This is a joke, right?” Clay said,
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