around hers and the strong hand at her waist dropped lower
on her hip, kneading gently. But mostly Tabitha was aware of the incredible thoroughness with which he
used his tongue. She was becoming captivated by what she had found. The blossoming sensuality she
was experiencing was totally new to her. Above all she must not push it.
“Tabby?” he rasped a little thickly as she reluctantly withdrew her mouth from his.
“It’s all right, Dev,” she mumbled a little unsteadily. “I know things are moving too fast. Don’t worry, I
won’t let them get out of hand.”
“Tabby,” he began carefully, as though searching for difficult words. “Tabby, I…”
“Don’t,” she pleaded, stopping his mouth with her fingertips. Her eyes smiled warmly up at him. “Don’t
say it. I know this is taking both of us by surprise. I wouldn’t dream of spoiling it by rushing things. I
expect it’s the moonlight and the wine. Neither of us is too accustomed to romance, apparently!” Her
curving lips invited him to laugh with her at the situation in which they found themselves.
Dev stared down at her for a long moment, silver eyes opaque. “I, for one, am not very familiar with it at
all,” he finally murmured.
“I know. That’s one of the things I like so much about you,” she told him honestly.
“You do?”
“Umm. I feel like I’m dealing with someone I understand. Someone who has the same reservations and
concerns I do. The same fears.”
Page 28
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
“What fears?” he questioned deeply, apparently having a little difficulty in swallowing. Poor man. Was he
so very nervous of her?
“About building something meaningful between two people; about wanting to be certain there's real
depth in a relationship before committing yourself to it. Oh, Dev, I feel I know you so well!” Tabitha
exclaimed in satisfaction. “We have so much in common. I know neither of us wants a casual fling. It’s no
wonder we don’t fit into this crowd on board. We’re both a couple of misfits, aren’t we?”
“In a way.” He sounded almost cautious as he intently studied her upturned face. “I have to admit that
neither of us seems quite what the cruise line had in mind in the way of potential passengers when it
printed up the brochures! I’m on board for obvious business reasons. What made you buy a ticket,
Tabby?”
“Fantasy, I think,” she told him whimsically. “I had this image of what a Caribbean cruise would be like,
you see. Balmy nights and sunny days filled with exotic color and excitement. Maybe I thought I would
become a different person on board, I don’t know. All I do know is that after I’d been on the ship one
day, I realized I was the same old me and ten days at sea wasn’t going to change things.”
“Would you really want to be different? Even for ten days?” Dev asked in a gently neutral tone.
“I think every woman who thinks herself rather average has fantasies occasionally about becoming a
femme fatale, about living a romantic adventure. Don’t men have personal fantasies about being someone
different?”
The question seemed to take him back for a moment. An unreadable expression flitted across his face
and then he said slowly, “They do. I’d be lying if I said they didn’t. There have been times lately when
I’ve wished I was another kind of man.”
“Oh, no,” Tabitha interrupted with conviction. “Don’t wish that! I wouldn’t want you any different.”
“You like the man I am?”
“Very much.” She touched her fingertips to the lines at the side of his mouth, automatically soothing the
uncertainty she sensed in him. “I like the man you are very much, Dev Colter. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
He gave a sideways glance at the ebony walking stick slung over the rail. “Not even the cane?”
She smiled at that. “The only reason I might be willing to see that changed is
on her hip, kneading gently. But mostly Tabitha was aware of the incredible thoroughness with which he
used his tongue. She was becoming captivated by what she had found. The blossoming sensuality she
was experiencing was totally new to her. Above all she must not push it.
“Tabby?” he rasped a little thickly as she reluctantly withdrew her mouth from his.
“It’s all right, Dev,” she mumbled a little unsteadily. “I know things are moving too fast. Don’t worry, I
won’t let them get out of hand.”
“Tabby,” he began carefully, as though searching for difficult words. “Tabby, I…”
“Don’t,” she pleaded, stopping his mouth with her fingertips. Her eyes smiled warmly up at him. “Don’t
say it. I know this is taking both of us by surprise. I wouldn’t dream of spoiling it by rushing things. I
expect it’s the moonlight and the wine. Neither of us is too accustomed to romance, apparently!” Her
curving lips invited him to laugh with her at the situation in which they found themselves.
Dev stared down at her for a long moment, silver eyes opaque. “I, for one, am not very familiar with it at
all,” he finally murmured.
“I know. That’s one of the things I like so much about you,” she told him honestly.
“You do?”
“Umm. I feel like I’m dealing with someone I understand. Someone who has the same reservations and
concerns I do. The same fears.”
Page 28
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html
“What fears?” he questioned deeply, apparently having a little difficulty in swallowing. Poor man. Was he
so very nervous of her?
“About building something meaningful between two people; about wanting to be certain there's real
depth in a relationship before committing yourself to it. Oh, Dev, I feel I know you so well!” Tabitha
exclaimed in satisfaction. “We have so much in common. I know neither of us wants a casual fling. It’s no
wonder we don’t fit into this crowd on board. We’re both a couple of misfits, aren’t we?”
“In a way.” He sounded almost cautious as he intently studied her upturned face. “I have to admit that
neither of us seems quite what the cruise line had in mind in the way of potential passengers when it
printed up the brochures! I’m on board for obvious business reasons. What made you buy a ticket,
Tabby?”
“Fantasy, I think,” she told him whimsically. “I had this image of what a Caribbean cruise would be like,
you see. Balmy nights and sunny days filled with exotic color and excitement. Maybe I thought I would
become a different person on board, I don’t know. All I do know is that after I’d been on the ship one
day, I realized I was the same old me and ten days at sea wasn’t going to change things.”
“Would you really want to be different? Even for ten days?” Dev asked in a gently neutral tone.
“I think every woman who thinks herself rather average has fantasies occasionally about becoming a
femme fatale, about living a romantic adventure. Don’t men have personal fantasies about being someone
different?”
The question seemed to take him back for a moment. An unreadable expression flitted across his face
and then he said slowly, “They do. I’d be lying if I said they didn’t. There have been times lately when
I’ve wished I was another kind of man.”
“Oh, no,” Tabitha interrupted with conviction. “Don’t wish that! I wouldn’t want you any different.”
“You like the man I am?”
“Very much.” She touched her fingertips to the lines at the side of his mouth, automatically soothing the
uncertainty she sensed in him. “I like the man you are very much, Dev Colter. I wouldn’t change a thing.”
He gave a sideways glance at the ebony walking stick slung over the rail. “Not even the cane?”
She smiled at that. “The only reason I might be willing to see that changed is
Similar Books
