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Authors: Bernadette Marie
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there in her red high heels and pearls. He had a mind to -well he didn 't know what he 'd do. That was his problem. When it came to Simone Pierpont he lost all common sense.
His fingers were tensing around the steering wheel and the heat under his collar was growing almost unbearable. He turned to look at her, to sense her, to get even more worked up. She was asleep. Her head was rested against the back of the seat. Her dark hair curtained her face. God, she was beautiful.
Change of plans, he decided.
He continued down the street and headed toward home.
The truck had come to a stop, and Simone quickly realized her eyes were closed. She jumped up in her seat and when she looked at Curtis he was smiling at her.
" I 'm sorry. " She widened her eyes and tried to gather herself back up.
" Why? You must be tired. " He was still smiling.
She took account of where she was and why she was with him. Certainly she couldn 't be dreaming. But when she looked out the window and saw his apartment building she knew she had to be.
" I couldn 't think of a thing for dinner, " he said. "But I have a 1steak defrosted in the fridge. I could start up the grill and throw down a salad if you 're up for it. "
She nodded, not quite sure what he 'd said, but it meant he 'd brought her home and was going to spend enough time with her to feed her. She 'd take that and she 'd do whatever it took not to make him want to throw her out.
The apartment was just as she 'd remembered it. Small. Dark. Dusty. She felt right at home knowing he was there with her.
He must have realized how dark it was. He went directly to the windows and the sliding doors that led to the patio and opened the blinds and curtains.
" Sorry. It 's usually daytime when I 'm sleeping. I didn 't realize this place never saw the sun, " he hurried around the room picking up odd pieces of clothing and dirty dishes.
" Please do not worry about it. You do not have to tidy on my account. "
He gave a grunt and stopped. "You seem different. "
That small statement had her hands shaking. Did he know already? She held her hands behind her back and squared off her shoulders. "I do not understand. Why do I seem different? "
He gave a shrug. "I don 't know. You seem quiet, as if " he shook his head.
" As if what? " She didn 't want to raise her voice, but it teetered on the edge of annoyance. If he knew something he needed to say it. Did it seem as though she were keeping a secret?
" Nothing. I 'll get dinner started. Can I get you a drink? I have some wine -I think. "
Simone tried to relax. "I would love some water. "
" Really, I can go get some wine. "
She drew her fingers into her palms and forced sincerity into her voice. "I said water would be lovely. "
He nodded slowly. "I just want you to be comfortable. "
" I would be more comfortable if you would stop fussing. "
He laughed. "I am fussing. I look like my mother. " He set the plate in his hand on the counter. "You1 make me nervous. "
That wasn 't a positive comment. She could jump all over that, but if she did everything would go poorly the rest of the night and she 'd be back to square one. "I am sorry you are uncomfortable around me. I certainly do not want that. " She clasped her hands together. "Again, if you would prefer, I could call a taxi. "
Curtis rubbed the back of his neck. "No. I do not prefer, " he mimicked her accent. "I just don 't want us being awkward around each other. "
The pace of her heart began to ease. "I do not want that either. "
" Good. I mean I know things between us are going to be strained. We shouldn 't have acted like horny teenagers and let that night at Carlos 's wedding get so out of hand. We 're adults who share many of the same people in our lives. We need to get along. "
His words had sliced into her heart. They were said so matter of face, as though he 'd never considered them as more than a one night item.
She agreed, for the most part, that they
His fingers were tensing around the steering wheel and the heat under his collar was growing almost unbearable. He turned to look at her, to sense her, to get even more worked up. She was asleep. Her head was rested against the back of the seat. Her dark hair curtained her face. God, she was beautiful.
Change of plans, he decided.
He continued down the street and headed toward home.
The truck had come to a stop, and Simone quickly realized her eyes were closed. She jumped up in her seat and when she looked at Curtis he was smiling at her.
" I 'm sorry. " She widened her eyes and tried to gather herself back up.
" Why? You must be tired. " He was still smiling.
She took account of where she was and why she was with him. Certainly she couldn 't be dreaming. But when she looked out the window and saw his apartment building she knew she had to be.
" I couldn 't think of a thing for dinner, " he said. "But I have a 1steak defrosted in the fridge. I could start up the grill and throw down a salad if you 're up for it. "
She nodded, not quite sure what he 'd said, but it meant he 'd brought her home and was going to spend enough time with her to feed her. She 'd take that and she 'd do whatever it took not to make him want to throw her out.
The apartment was just as she 'd remembered it. Small. Dark. Dusty. She felt right at home knowing he was there with her.
He must have realized how dark it was. He went directly to the windows and the sliding doors that led to the patio and opened the blinds and curtains.
" Sorry. It 's usually daytime when I 'm sleeping. I didn 't realize this place never saw the sun, " he hurried around the room picking up odd pieces of clothing and dirty dishes.
" Please do not worry about it. You do not have to tidy on my account. "
He gave a grunt and stopped. "You seem different. "
That small statement had her hands shaking. Did he know already? She held her hands behind her back and squared off her shoulders. "I do not understand. Why do I seem different? "
He gave a shrug. "I don 't know. You seem quiet, as if " he shook his head.
" As if what? " She didn 't want to raise her voice, but it teetered on the edge of annoyance. If he knew something he needed to say it. Did it seem as though she were keeping a secret?
" Nothing. I 'll get dinner started. Can I get you a drink? I have some wine -I think. "
Simone tried to relax. "I would love some water. "
" Really, I can go get some wine. "
She drew her fingers into her palms and forced sincerity into her voice. "I said water would be lovely. "
He nodded slowly. "I just want you to be comfortable. "
" I would be more comfortable if you would stop fussing. "
He laughed. "I am fussing. I look like my mother. " He set the plate in his hand on the counter. "You1 make me nervous. "
That wasn 't a positive comment. She could jump all over that, but if she did everything would go poorly the rest of the night and she 'd be back to square one. "I am sorry you are uncomfortable around me. I certainly do not want that. " She clasped her hands together. "Again, if you would prefer, I could call a taxi. "
Curtis rubbed the back of his neck. "No. I do not prefer, " he mimicked her accent. "I just don 't want us being awkward around each other. "
The pace of her heart began to ease. "I do not want that either. "
" Good. I mean I know things between us are going to be strained. We shouldn 't have acted like horny teenagers and let that night at Carlos 's wedding get so out of hand. We 're adults who share many of the same people in our lives. We need to get along. "
His words had sliced into her heart. They were said so matter of face, as though he 'd never considered them as more than a one night item.
She agreed, for the most part, that they
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