entry maneuvers. I’m a straight forward kind of sexual partner. Doggie style only by mutual agreement and I’m extremely careful.” Melina snorted and then chuckled. “Do you ever listen to what you’re saying? You sound like a male prostitute.” Gower smiled at the insult as he pulled off her shoe. He left her sock on so her foot wouldn’t get cold. “What I’m saying is that I’m an honest, fairly trustworthy guy who deserves a chance to be your bed partner.” Melina closed her eyes. “And I suppose you think I should sleep with you because you’re such an expert on rubbing my feet?” “No,” Gower said softly. “You should sleep with me because you want to sleep with me. There really isn’t any other good reason for that sort of thing. But I am a nice guy. I’m not over-selling myself.” Melina closed her eyes. Hell. He was a nice guy. She couldn’t argue that fact. He’d been nothing but nice to her. It was just… he was so young. And she was so… what? Jaded? Cynical? D—all the above? Maybe she was just being a coward. There had only been one man since Chris and it just hadn’t… clicked. “Okay, Beckett. You win. Come back tonight and we’ll do the deed. Maybe you’ll get it out of your system and I can go back to my peaceful existence without you.” “Umm… thank you. But tonight won’t work for me.” Melina tilted her head back as she laughed off his refusal. She was surprised how much it stung her ego… and how disappointed she was. “Why, Beckett? Change your mind already? Let me clarify—I’m saying yes .” Gower kept his gaze on her foot as he rubbed. He reached up behind her leg and stroked her calf down to her heel. She purred like a contented cat as he gently stretched the muscles. He squirmed in his seat, wanting to make her purr more. “I… can’t tonight. Sorry. Truly, I am sorry.” Melina snickered again at his even more polite and sincere second refusal. “And you wonder why I say you confuse me. I cave to your flirty demands to sleep with me, and suddenly you’re a chicken shit. I don’t get the sudden change of heart, Beckett. What kind of mind game are you playing here?” Gower lifted one shoulder and frowned. “The kind where Dillon has school tomorrow. He needs to have dinner at a decent hour and get to bed early so he does well. And I don’t use sitters very often because he still has a problem with being left alone with them. His mother went out on a date and never came back. I try not to worry him whenever I can help it. That’s one of the reasons I haven’t been indulging my urges.” “Oh,” Melina said, chastised. She nodded and sighed. “Sorry, Beckett. I was being a…” “Real dick about it?” Gower suggested. Melina laughed at the slam. It was the first time she’d hit his pissy button. Well, he deserved to be mad. “I was going to say bitch because you’ve got me feeling all girly.” Gower barked out a laugh. “Fuck. I’m so desperate for a date with you that I’m going to take that lame apology as you flirting back.” “Whoa—hold on there. I didn’t say anything about dating ,” Melina declared, wagging a finger. Gower stopped rubbing. “Well, I’m not sleeping with you if we don’t. What kind of a man do you think I am?” Melina snorted and gave him a look that had quelled the worst sarcasm in the greenest of her recruits. Gower just grinned at her look and ducked his head. His rebellion thrilled her when it shouldn’t have. He was simply not intimidated. And he’d been the same brash person in the doctor’s office insinuating a relationship between them that didn’t even exist—at least not yet. It was becoming more and more clear that Gower Beckett didn’t care about rules like she did. Why in the hell was that so attractive to her after the life she’d led? “I think you’re the kind of man to take advantage of any edge he’s given,” Melina said, narrowing her eyes. “And