just a casual dating relationship and she could do that. She was an adult woman after all. Liv did it all the time. There was no reason why she couldn’t enjoy herself with people and date around casually.
Kyle smiled. God, she was so genuine and in way over her head. “Ah, Maggie, you’re too sweet for this game. You’re a wonderful woman but don’t count on him coming around to that. He’s not ready to let himself really care about anyone just yet. I’d hate to see you get hurt. I just want you to know this up front, to protect yourself.”
“I appreciate the advice, Kyle.” She ruthlessly tamped down the sinking feeling that he was right. At the same time, Kyle’s arms around her made her feel warm and relaxed. The flesh just under his hand at her back tingled a bit. Maybe Alex was right, maybe she was a slut.
“If he wasn’t my brother, I’d ask you out myself.” He tried to sound lighthearted but it was the truth.
“Please don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
She stopped and pulled away, turning to escape him and the dance floor. He followed, catching up quickly. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand to stay her but she jerked it away and ran for the back deck.
-57-
Lauren Dane
Sighing, he followed, catching up with her in the much quieter, much cooler, night air.
“You want to tell me what the heck you’re talking about? Don’t what?” He hoisted himself up to sit on the wooden railing of the deck so that he could face her.
Throwing one hand up in frustration she sighed. “Don’t pity me and throw a few false compliments my way because you feel sorry for me.” He was still confused. “I don’t pity you and they aren’t false compliments.”
“Please! My god, you don’t think I have mirrors at my house? I know what I am and I know what I’m not. I’m not Jane Marie, I’m not Kendra. I can’t compete with that. But I sure as hell don’t want some kind of pity thrown at me because Shane has gone back to his regular diet of tall, gorgeous women. It’s okay that I was an aberration. I shouldn’t have expected more, it’s my own damned fault.” Kyle sat in stunned silence for a few moments. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This woman was so beautiful and so special and yet, she thought a vapid, shallow woman like Kendra, or worse, her own sister, was better than she was.
Grabbing her hand, he brought it to his lips. “Sugar, I can’t believe you think you have to compete with any other woman. I don’t believe you do have mirrors in your house. If you did, you’d see a beautiful woman looking back at you and it’s clear you don’t. Honey, take it from me—a lover of women—you are absolutely, positively gorgeous. I am not throwing pity at you. Honestly, the only thing that’s keeping me from grabbing you and kissing those beautiful lips is the fact that Shane is my brother.”
Sighing, she ran her hands through her hair and over her face. “I can see you need an example. I was a virgin until I was twenty-two. My first year of graduate school. I went out on dates sure, but no one ever showed any passion towards me. Like a lot of grad students I had an
-58-
Giving Chase
advisor. He was so nice, so attentive. He loved to read what I wrote.
Praised my work, paid attention to me as a person.” She hesitated and then continued. “No, as a woman. He made me feel sexy and desirable.
The first time he made love to me was in a hotel room in Atlanta. We were there at a symposium. He was gentle and sweet and he took his time. We continued to see each other throughout that entire year.
“My family came out to see me, my mom and dad and Jane Marie. It was a pretty big deal. The first and only time they ever visited me, actually. Anyway, I’d invited Charles over to dinner at my apartment to meet them all. He came and was his charming self. My mother and dad went out for a walk and I thought I would too. Janie and Charles said they would stay back and have coffee. It was
Kyle smiled. God, she was so genuine and in way over her head. “Ah, Maggie, you’re too sweet for this game. You’re a wonderful woman but don’t count on him coming around to that. He’s not ready to let himself really care about anyone just yet. I’d hate to see you get hurt. I just want you to know this up front, to protect yourself.”
“I appreciate the advice, Kyle.” She ruthlessly tamped down the sinking feeling that he was right. At the same time, Kyle’s arms around her made her feel warm and relaxed. The flesh just under his hand at her back tingled a bit. Maybe Alex was right, maybe she was a slut.
“If he wasn’t my brother, I’d ask you out myself.” He tried to sound lighthearted but it was the truth.
“Please don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
She stopped and pulled away, turning to escape him and the dance floor. He followed, catching up quickly. Reaching out, he grabbed her hand to stay her but she jerked it away and ran for the back deck.
-57-
Lauren Dane
Sighing, he followed, catching up with her in the much quieter, much cooler, night air.
“You want to tell me what the heck you’re talking about? Don’t what?” He hoisted himself up to sit on the wooden railing of the deck so that he could face her.
Throwing one hand up in frustration she sighed. “Don’t pity me and throw a few false compliments my way because you feel sorry for me.” He was still confused. “I don’t pity you and they aren’t false compliments.”
“Please! My god, you don’t think I have mirrors at my house? I know what I am and I know what I’m not. I’m not Jane Marie, I’m not Kendra. I can’t compete with that. But I sure as hell don’t want some kind of pity thrown at me because Shane has gone back to his regular diet of tall, gorgeous women. It’s okay that I was an aberration. I shouldn’t have expected more, it’s my own damned fault.” Kyle sat in stunned silence for a few moments. He didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. This woman was so beautiful and so special and yet, she thought a vapid, shallow woman like Kendra, or worse, her own sister, was better than she was.
Grabbing her hand, he brought it to his lips. “Sugar, I can’t believe you think you have to compete with any other woman. I don’t believe you do have mirrors in your house. If you did, you’d see a beautiful woman looking back at you and it’s clear you don’t. Honey, take it from me—a lover of women—you are absolutely, positively gorgeous. I am not throwing pity at you. Honestly, the only thing that’s keeping me from grabbing you and kissing those beautiful lips is the fact that Shane is my brother.”
Sighing, she ran her hands through her hair and over her face. “I can see you need an example. I was a virgin until I was twenty-two. My first year of graduate school. I went out on dates sure, but no one ever showed any passion towards me. Like a lot of grad students I had an
-58-
Giving Chase
advisor. He was so nice, so attentive. He loved to read what I wrote.
Praised my work, paid attention to me as a person.” She hesitated and then continued. “No, as a woman. He made me feel sexy and desirable.
The first time he made love to me was in a hotel room in Atlanta. We were there at a symposium. He was gentle and sweet and he took his time. We continued to see each other throughout that entire year.
“My family came out to see me, my mom and dad and Jane Marie. It was a pretty big deal. The first and only time they ever visited me, actually. Anyway, I’d invited Charles over to dinner at my apartment to meet them all. He came and was his charming self. My mother and dad went out for a walk and I thought I would too. Janie and Charles said they would stay back and have coffee. It was
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