Read Online His Until Midnight by Nikki Logan - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Nikki Logan
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gaze. ‘You set a high bar, intellectually. Diversity of knowledge, your wit, your life experience. That’s hard to equal.’
‘Wh...’ What was she supposed to say to that? ‘Why would you try to match it?’
He leaned forwards, leading with his hazel eyes. ‘Because you’re the woman against which I measure all others, intellectually. You’re my gauge of what’s possible.’
‘Me?’ Her squeak was hardly the poster child for mental brilliance.
‘And I haven’t found anyone like you, yet.’ He studied her as she squirmed. ‘That makes you uncomfortable?’
‘Yes!’
‘Because you don’t agree with my assessment of your smarts or because you don’t want to be my bar?’
Her heart thundered so hard at the back of her throat she thought he might hear it pulsing below her words. ‘Because pedestals are wobbly at the best of times.’
‘Or is it just knowing that I consider us a perfect intellectual match that makes you nervous?’
If he said intellectual one more time she would scream; it only served to remind her how not matched they were in other ways.
She took a long breath. ‘I’m flattered that you think so.’ But only because of how highly she esteemed his mind. But then she saw how incredibly un -uncomfortable he looked. The devil lurked behind that sparkle in his eyes.
Oh.
‘You’re teasing me.’
‘Hand on heart.’ His big fist followed suit and he shook his head. ‘But I knew your modesty wouldn’t allow you to believe it.’
‘You must meet some extraordinary people.’
‘None who I’d want to spend an entire day just talking to.’
She stared, crippled by the monument of that. ‘No pressure, then.’
Two diners looked around at Oliver’s bark of laughter. ‘Yeah, the next word out of your mouth better impress.’
She consciously coordinated the muscles necessary to breathe and then used the outward part of the breath to say, ‘Euouae.’
Oliver blinked.
‘It’s a musical mnemonic to denote the sequence of tones in the Seculorum Amen.’
‘See what I mean?’ His smile broke out on one side of that handsome mouth. ‘Who knows that?’
She blew out a long breath. ‘It’s also the longest word in the English language made up of only vowels.’
‘Okay, now you’re just showing off. Eat your sorbet.’
‘Thank you, Oliver,’ she said, as soon as her mind would work properly again. ‘That’s quite a compliment.’
‘No, actually, it’s a curse. I can’t tell you how many dinners I’ve sat through waiting for something like Eweyouu—’
‘Euouae.’
‘—to casually come up.’
‘Hopefully none of those meals were as long as this one, then.’
‘I’m serious, Audrey; you’ve spoiled me for other women.’
And just like that she was speechless again. And her blood was back to its thundering.
Intellectually , she reminded herself. Only in that one way. Because the women Oliver Harmer chose had beauty and grace and breeding and desirability and experience and, Lord knew, more elasticity than she could ever aspire to.
‘So, you just...lowered your bar?’
‘I decided that I could get my fix of conversational stimulation every Christmas instead.’
‘You’re assuming that your wife would be happy for us still to meet each year. I’m not sure I would be if you were—’ she nearly choked on the word ‘—mine.’
He shrugged. ‘It wouldn’t be negotiable.’
‘Famous last words. What would happen when you were completely smitten with her and she turned her big violet eyes up to you and let them fill with tears and begged you not to go?’
‘Really? Violet.’
‘I’m sure she’d be exceptional.’
He gave her that point. ‘I’d hand her a Kleenex and tell her I’d see her later that evening.’
‘And if she let her robe fall open and seduced you into staying?’
His eyes darkened. ‘Then I’d cancel the car and take the chopper to make up the lost time.’
‘And if she threatened you with divorce?’
‘Then
‘Wh...’ What was she supposed to say to that? ‘Why would you try to match it?’
He leaned forwards, leading with his hazel eyes. ‘Because you’re the woman against which I measure all others, intellectually. You’re my gauge of what’s possible.’
‘Me?’ Her squeak was hardly the poster child for mental brilliance.
‘And I haven’t found anyone like you, yet.’ He studied her as she squirmed. ‘That makes you uncomfortable?’
‘Yes!’
‘Because you don’t agree with my assessment of your smarts or because you don’t want to be my bar?’
Her heart thundered so hard at the back of her throat she thought he might hear it pulsing below her words. ‘Because pedestals are wobbly at the best of times.’
‘Or is it just knowing that I consider us a perfect intellectual match that makes you nervous?’
If he said intellectual one more time she would scream; it only served to remind her how not matched they were in other ways.
She took a long breath. ‘I’m flattered that you think so.’ But only because of how highly she esteemed his mind. But then she saw how incredibly un -uncomfortable he looked. The devil lurked behind that sparkle in his eyes.
Oh.
‘You’re teasing me.’
‘Hand on heart.’ His big fist followed suit and he shook his head. ‘But I knew your modesty wouldn’t allow you to believe it.’
‘You must meet some extraordinary people.’
‘None who I’d want to spend an entire day just talking to.’
She stared, crippled by the monument of that. ‘No pressure, then.’
Two diners looked around at Oliver’s bark of laughter. ‘Yeah, the next word out of your mouth better impress.’
She consciously coordinated the muscles necessary to breathe and then used the outward part of the breath to say, ‘Euouae.’
Oliver blinked.
‘It’s a musical mnemonic to denote the sequence of tones in the Seculorum Amen.’
‘See what I mean?’ His smile broke out on one side of that handsome mouth. ‘Who knows that?’
She blew out a long breath. ‘It’s also the longest word in the English language made up of only vowels.’
‘Okay, now you’re just showing off. Eat your sorbet.’
‘Thank you, Oliver,’ she said, as soon as her mind would work properly again. ‘That’s quite a compliment.’
‘No, actually, it’s a curse. I can’t tell you how many dinners I’ve sat through waiting for something like Eweyouu—’
‘Euouae.’
‘—to casually come up.’
‘Hopefully none of those meals were as long as this one, then.’
‘I’m serious, Audrey; you’ve spoiled me for other women.’
And just like that she was speechless again. And her blood was back to its thundering.
Intellectually , she reminded herself. Only in that one way. Because the women Oliver Harmer chose had beauty and grace and breeding and desirability and experience and, Lord knew, more elasticity than she could ever aspire to.
‘So, you just...lowered your bar?’
‘I decided that I could get my fix of conversational stimulation every Christmas instead.’
‘You’re assuming that your wife would be happy for us still to meet each year. I’m not sure I would be if you were—’ she nearly choked on the word ‘—mine.’
He shrugged. ‘It wouldn’t be negotiable.’
‘Famous last words. What would happen when you were completely smitten with her and she turned her big violet eyes up to you and let them fill with tears and begged you not to go?’
‘Really? Violet.’
‘I’m sure she’d be exceptional.’
He gave her that point. ‘I’d hand her a Kleenex and tell her I’d see her later that evening.’
‘And if she let her robe fall open and seduced you into staying?’
His eyes darkened. ‘Then I’d cancel the car and take the chopper to make up the lost time.’
‘And if she threatened you with divorce?’
‘Then
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