Read Online Sex and the Widow Miles (The Women of Willow Bay) by Nan Reinhardt - Free Book Online
Authors: Nan Reinhardt
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things, lady… now.”
“ Oh, all right!” I tried to assume a distressed expression, but failed miserably. “Okay, number one—I broke my nose three times before I turned five. Number two—I was valedictorian of my high school class. Number three—I never learned to ride a bike. Number four—when Charlie and I went to Italy the first time, I accidentally asked a man in Cortona if he wanted to taste my toes.” I stopped as he chortled. “Did I interrupt your list with rude laughter?”
“ No, no you didn’t. I’m sorry. Please, continue.” Will closed his lips tight, but merriment shone in his eyes.
“ Number five—the first time I shaved my legs, Mom had to take me to the emergency room. Number six—five years ago, I dropped Charlie’s car keys over Niagara Falls because when I’m at the top of someplace really high, I have an irresistible urge to throw something off.”
“ My God, I’m speechless.” His eyes widened as he raked his fingers through his hair, leaving it standing up in spiky tufts. “I don’t even know where to begin.”
“ Three guesses, my little cygnet , or it’s a draw.”
“ Ah, a cheap Swan Lake reference.” He sighed theatrically. “So it begins.”
“ Yup,” I agreed. “Guess the lie, Will.”
“ Okay, I think the lie is—” he narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, “—that you were valedictorian of your high school class. But not because I don’t think that’s possible, I do. I really do.” He backpedaled, trying to gauge my reactions. “I only picked that one because I want the others to be true. I can’t stop picturing you asking some old Italian guy on the street to lick your toes, and the rest of them have such great story potential, I’d hate for them to be lies. I want to hear more.”
“ I do not believe this.” I tapped his forearm with a closed fist.
“ I got it?” Will grinned with triumph. “I won. Cool.”
“ You got it. How did you do that?”
I shoved the stool away from the bar and rose to take our dishes to the sink. I was antsy sitting in such close quarters with him, with the fresh male scent of him wafting across the foot or so of distance between us. Was this dinner a huge mistake? Was I going to spend the rest of my time in Chicago lusting after a man who was way too young for me? And drowning in guilt?
“It was just the one I didn’t want to be true, honest.” His laughter filled the room, and in spite of the steam rising from the sink, I shivered at the effect he was having on me. “But right now, I want details of all the other stuff—starting with the guy in Italy.”
EIGHT
Will futzed with Charlie ’s laptop— my laptop—while I cleaned up the kitchen and kept him amused with the stories of a near toe-tasting in Cortona and tossing Charlie’s car keys over Niagara Falls. Will howled at my stories and teased me gently about my obvious inability to speak Italian. A few clicks, a moment of tapping on the keyboard, and magically, he was online.
“ How’d you do that?” I dried my hands on a clean tea towel and peeked at the screen over his shoulder. “I did exactly what Javier told me to do and I couldn’t get it to work.”
“ It’s a gift.” He flashed me a grin full of beautiful white teeth that sent a rush of sensation straight through me. “I could be your own personal guru.” Those blue, blue eyes offered way more than computer advice.
“ Yeah? Bet that’ll cost me.” I tossed him a wink.
What was it about this man that hyped up my flirting mechanism? I assumed it had died with Charlie, or if it hadn’t died, it was in mothballs at this stage. But here I was, smiling coyly and leaning over his shoulder.
“ Oh, we could probably work out some suitable arrangement,” he replied. “I might not be cheap, but I’m certainly reasonable.”
Will ’s handsome face was mere inches from mine. I could smell the citrus shampoo he used and the wine he’d had with
“ Oh, all right!” I tried to assume a distressed expression, but failed miserably. “Okay, number one—I broke my nose three times before I turned five. Number two—I was valedictorian of my high school class. Number three—I never learned to ride a bike. Number four—when Charlie and I went to Italy the first time, I accidentally asked a man in Cortona if he wanted to taste my toes.” I stopped as he chortled. “Did I interrupt your list with rude laughter?”
“ No, no you didn’t. I’m sorry. Please, continue.” Will closed his lips tight, but merriment shone in his eyes.
“ Number five—the first time I shaved my legs, Mom had to take me to the emergency room. Number six—five years ago, I dropped Charlie’s car keys over Niagara Falls because when I’m at the top of someplace really high, I have an irresistible urge to throw something off.”
“ My God, I’m speechless.” His eyes widened as he raked his fingers through his hair, leaving it standing up in spiky tufts. “I don’t even know where to begin.”
“ Three guesses, my little cygnet , or it’s a draw.”
“ Ah, a cheap Swan Lake reference.” He sighed theatrically. “So it begins.”
“ Yup,” I agreed. “Guess the lie, Will.”
“ Okay, I think the lie is—” he narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips, “—that you were valedictorian of your high school class. But not because I don’t think that’s possible, I do. I really do.” He backpedaled, trying to gauge my reactions. “I only picked that one because I want the others to be true. I can’t stop picturing you asking some old Italian guy on the street to lick your toes, and the rest of them have such great story potential, I’d hate for them to be lies. I want to hear more.”
“ I do not believe this.” I tapped his forearm with a closed fist.
“ I got it?” Will grinned with triumph. “I won. Cool.”
“ You got it. How did you do that?”
I shoved the stool away from the bar and rose to take our dishes to the sink. I was antsy sitting in such close quarters with him, with the fresh male scent of him wafting across the foot or so of distance between us. Was this dinner a huge mistake? Was I going to spend the rest of my time in Chicago lusting after a man who was way too young for me? And drowning in guilt?
“It was just the one I didn’t want to be true, honest.” His laughter filled the room, and in spite of the steam rising from the sink, I shivered at the effect he was having on me. “But right now, I want details of all the other stuff—starting with the guy in Italy.”
EIGHT
Will futzed with Charlie ’s laptop— my laptop—while I cleaned up the kitchen and kept him amused with the stories of a near toe-tasting in Cortona and tossing Charlie’s car keys over Niagara Falls. Will howled at my stories and teased me gently about my obvious inability to speak Italian. A few clicks, a moment of tapping on the keyboard, and magically, he was online.
“ How’d you do that?” I dried my hands on a clean tea towel and peeked at the screen over his shoulder. “I did exactly what Javier told me to do and I couldn’t get it to work.”
“ It’s a gift.” He flashed me a grin full of beautiful white teeth that sent a rush of sensation straight through me. “I could be your own personal guru.” Those blue, blue eyes offered way more than computer advice.
“ Yeah? Bet that’ll cost me.” I tossed him a wink.
What was it about this man that hyped up my flirting mechanism? I assumed it had died with Charlie, or if it hadn’t died, it was in mothballs at this stage. But here I was, smiling coyly and leaning over his shoulder.
“ Oh, we could probably work out some suitable arrangement,” he replied. “I might not be cheap, but I’m certainly reasonable.”
Will ’s handsome face was mere inches from mine. I could smell the citrus shampoo he used and the wine he’d had with
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