Obvious.”
“Some men like cleavage and mink eyelashes, I suppose.”
“Some men are animals.”
“She was his second choice,” Tess heard herself saying. “I turned him down first.”
“Is that so?” Intrigued, Ben slowed her down by swinging an arm over her shoulders. “He asked you to the Coward thing and you turned him down?”
“That's right.”
“I'm flattered.”
She shot him a look. His ego didn't need any help from her. “I only said yes to you because you're not perfect.”
“Hmm. When did he ask you?”
“Yesterday afternoon.”
“It didn't seem to put his nose out of joint that you turned him down and were here with me.”
Uncomfortable, Tess shifted under his arm. “I told him I had a date.”
“Oh. You lied.”
He said it with such pleasure, she laughed. “I'm not perfect either.”
“That makes things easier.”
T HE early night Ben had spoken of ended at two A.M., when they walked down the corridor to Tess's apartment.
“I'm going to hate myself in the morning,” Tess said over a yawn.
“I haven't even asked you to go to bed yet.”
The yawn ended on a muffled laugh. “I was thinking about drinking a half bottle of wine and five hours' sleep.” She stopped at her door and turned to lean against it. “I didn't expect to have such a good time.”
Neither had he. “Why don't we try it again? Maybe we won't.”
She thought about it for three full seconds. “All right, when?”
“There's a Bogart festival tomorrow night across town.”
“The Maltese Falcon?”
“And The Big Sleep .”
She smiled, comfortably sleepy. “Okay.” When he stepped closer, she waited for him to kiss her. If the idea warmed her, she thought it only natural. The desire to be held and touched was a human one. Her eyes half closed and her heart beat just a little faster.
“You've got to replace this Mickey Mouse lock.”
Her lashes fluttered up again. “What?”
“Your door lock, Tess, is a joke.” He traced a finger down her nose, pleased to see confusion. “If you're going to live in a building without security, you'd better make sure you've got a dead bolt on your door.”
“Dead bolt.” With a half laugh she straightened and reached for her keys. “I can't argue with a cop.”
“Glad to hear it.” He put his hands over hers and kissed her before she'd prepared herself again. Later, when she could think straight, she'd wonder if he'd planned it that way.
It was silly to believe that a kiss as gentle, as easy as this one could send shock waves through the body. Blood didn't really heat and the mind didn't really swim.
She knew better, but felt it anyway. Touching nothing but her hands, he took her under.
His mouth was clever, but she'd suspected as much. His lips were warm, soft, and he used his teeth to add a nip of excitement. They scraped over her lip before his tongue slid over hers. She told herself it was the late hour, the wine, the relaxation, but she gave herself to the moment without any of the caution she was prone to.
She was supposed to be cool, a little aloof. He'd expected it. He hadn't expected the heat, the passion, or the sweetness that poured from her into him. He hadn't expected the immediate intimacy of longtime lovers. He knew women well—or thought he did. Tess was a mystery to him that demanded solving.
Desire was familiar to him, something else he'd thought he understood well. But he couldn't remember ever having it ram into him and take his breath away. He wanted her now, instantly, desperately. Ordinarily he'd have followed through. It was natural. For reasons he couldn't begin to understand, he backed away from her.
For a moment they just stared at each other.
“This could be a problem,” he managed to say after a few seconds.
“Yeah.” She swallowed and concentrated on the cool metal of the keys in her hand.
“Put on the security chain, okay? I'll see you tomorrow.”
She missed the keyhole by a quarter inch on the first try
“Some men like cleavage and mink eyelashes, I suppose.”
“Some men are animals.”
“She was his second choice,” Tess heard herself saying. “I turned him down first.”
“Is that so?” Intrigued, Ben slowed her down by swinging an arm over her shoulders. “He asked you to the Coward thing and you turned him down?”
“That's right.”
“I'm flattered.”
She shot him a look. His ego didn't need any help from her. “I only said yes to you because you're not perfect.”
“Hmm. When did he ask you?”
“Yesterday afternoon.”
“It didn't seem to put his nose out of joint that you turned him down and were here with me.”
Uncomfortable, Tess shifted under his arm. “I told him I had a date.”
“Oh. You lied.”
He said it with such pleasure, she laughed. “I'm not perfect either.”
“That makes things easier.”
T HE early night Ben had spoken of ended at two A.M., when they walked down the corridor to Tess's apartment.
“I'm going to hate myself in the morning,” Tess said over a yawn.
“I haven't even asked you to go to bed yet.”
The yawn ended on a muffled laugh. “I was thinking about drinking a half bottle of wine and five hours' sleep.” She stopped at her door and turned to lean against it. “I didn't expect to have such a good time.”
Neither had he. “Why don't we try it again? Maybe we won't.”
She thought about it for three full seconds. “All right, when?”
“There's a Bogart festival tomorrow night across town.”
“The Maltese Falcon?”
“And The Big Sleep .”
She smiled, comfortably sleepy. “Okay.” When he stepped closer, she waited for him to kiss her. If the idea warmed her, she thought it only natural. The desire to be held and touched was a human one. Her eyes half closed and her heart beat just a little faster.
“You've got to replace this Mickey Mouse lock.”
Her lashes fluttered up again. “What?”
“Your door lock, Tess, is a joke.” He traced a finger down her nose, pleased to see confusion. “If you're going to live in a building without security, you'd better make sure you've got a dead bolt on your door.”
“Dead bolt.” With a half laugh she straightened and reached for her keys. “I can't argue with a cop.”
“Glad to hear it.” He put his hands over hers and kissed her before she'd prepared herself again. Later, when she could think straight, she'd wonder if he'd planned it that way.
It was silly to believe that a kiss as gentle, as easy as this one could send shock waves through the body. Blood didn't really heat and the mind didn't really swim.
She knew better, but felt it anyway. Touching nothing but her hands, he took her under.
His mouth was clever, but she'd suspected as much. His lips were warm, soft, and he used his teeth to add a nip of excitement. They scraped over her lip before his tongue slid over hers. She told herself it was the late hour, the wine, the relaxation, but she gave herself to the moment without any of the caution she was prone to.
She was supposed to be cool, a little aloof. He'd expected it. He hadn't expected the heat, the passion, or the sweetness that poured from her into him. He hadn't expected the immediate intimacy of longtime lovers. He knew women well—or thought he did. Tess was a mystery to him that demanded solving.
Desire was familiar to him, something else he'd thought he understood well. But he couldn't remember ever having it ram into him and take his breath away. He wanted her now, instantly, desperately. Ordinarily he'd have followed through. It was natural. For reasons he couldn't begin to understand, he backed away from her.
For a moment they just stared at each other.
“This could be a problem,” he managed to say after a few seconds.
“Yeah.” She swallowed and concentrated on the cool metal of the keys in her hand.
“Put on the security chain, okay? I'll see you tomorrow.”
She missed the keyhole by a quarter inch on the first try
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