Read Online Making Spirits Bright by Fern Michaels, Rosalind Noonan, Nan Rossiter, Elizabeth Bass - Free Book Online Page A

by the back of one’s hand, it could happen, had happened. More than once.
    Ever the gentleman, Bryce took care of the check even though Melanie offered to pay her share. “Real men don’t accept money from their dates. Or at least this is what my father taught me before he passed away. And I always listened to my father; his advice hasn’t failed me yet.”
    Melanie didn’t say it out loud, but she gave Bryce another mental high five. One to his father, too. The man just kept getting better and better. Surely there was something wrong with this guy, something she’d find out when she got to know him better. But then again, maybe not. Nice guys still existed, they were just extremely hard to find these days. Not that she’d spent much time looking.
    After Bryce settled up with the waiter, he walked her outside to her Navigator. “I don’t want the evening to end,” he said. “It’s been ... let’s just say it’s been one of the best days I’ve had in awhile. A very long while.”
    Melanie wanted to dissect his words, take them apart one by one, searching for a hidden meaning, but now wasn’t the time. She’d leave those thoughts for later. She wanted to be one hundred percent in the moment when she was with Bryce. She was falling in love with him. She’d never felt so alive, so excited to be with a man. That was love, or at least the beginning of the falling part. In spite of the chilling temperatures, she felt a warm glow flowing through her, like a brilliant ray of sunshine. Yep, this was love, had to be.
    “I feel the same way, but as you know, I’ve got a couple of guys waiting for me at home, so I’d better head back.”
    Without the bulky ski coats between them, Bryce captured her small waist, then pulled her as close to him as their winter dress would allow. He kissed the sensitive part of her ear, then trailed light butterfly kisses down the side of her neck, along her jawline, before touching her mouth with his. No longer on public display, Bryce covered her mouth hungrily. Melanie accepted his kiss and allowed herself to feel the passion. His tongue teased hers, and she teased back. He tasted of red wine and mint. He pulled away for a nanosecond, then his lips recaptured hers, but this time they were more demanding.
    If they weren’t in the middle of the parking lot, Melanie knew this would lead to something much more intimate. And she wanted that, but not yet. She stepped out of his arms, a hand touching her lips. She smiled, suddenly feeling shy like a schoolgirl.
    “Hmm, that was nice,” she said with a grin.
    “That’s it, just nice?” He wrapped his arms around her neck and touched his cold nose to hers. “How about that? It’s the way Eskimos kiss.”
    “I’m not going to feed your ego, Mr. Landry. I think you enjoyed that kiss as much as I did, and that’s all I’m going to say.”
    “Okay, I admit it. I was fishing.”
    Sighing contentedly, Melanie said, “You know what they say about men who fish?”
    He cradled her head against his chest. “No, but I’m sure you’re about to tell me.”
    “I just made that up. I have no clue what they say about men who fish.”
    He gave a hearty laugh. “You don’t play fair. What if I said, ‘men who fish are excellent lovers,’ would you agree with that?”
    Oh boy, she thought. “I’ve never slept with a fisherman, so I wouldn’t know.”
    “Fair enough.” A streetlamp provided just enough light for him to see her clearly. “What about a college professor?” He looked at her, and the double meaning of his words was very obvious.
    She fought the urge to rip his clothes off, right there in the middle of the parking lot, but the cold and the fear of getting arrested prevented her from taking action. This certainly wasn’t the time or the place.
    Taking a deep breath, and letting it out as slowly as humanly possible, Melanie spoke, her voice soft, seductive. “I’ll put that on my bucket list.” And without another word