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Authors: Judy Rogers
Tags: Contemporary
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me,” Haley said between clenched teeth. “And keep your voice down; you don’t want the Blakelys to think we’re quarreling again.”
Rand slumped on the bed and dropped his face in his hands. “I’m yelling,” he said disbelievingly. “I never raise my voice, and you have me shouting like a lunatic.”
“I am not making you shout. You are choosing to shout because you can’t find it in your heart to be sympathetic toward a troubled animal.” She bent and stroked Delphine, whose sad doggy eyes were lifted toward Rand, pathetic and pleading.
He looked up and nodded, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “All right. The dog can stay. Let’s go to bed, so we can get up early and end this farce.”
He stood, balancing on his good leg, and began unbuttoning his shirt. Haley grabbed her toiletries and nightshirt and fled into the bathroom. Although the Jacuzzi looked inviting, she was too tired to shower, so she briskly washed her face and brushed her teeth.
Despite the argument, which had certainly cooled any ardor they’d been feeling, her stomach muscles clenched as she came out of the bathroom, and he was already in bed. Delphine was asleep on the floor. A small lamp on the nightstand bathed the room in a soft glow. Rand was wearing a t-shirt, so Haley assumed he didn’t sleep nude. Or maybe he was wearing underwear in deference to her. The blanket and sheet were pulled to his waist. Rand watched her, his face impassive, as she slowly approached the bed.
Slipping beneath the blankets on the far side of the bed. Haley pulled them up to her neck. Without a word, Rand turned off the light, and she lay tense and silent for several minutes.
Just as Haley felt her limbs relaxing, Rand said, “I’m sorry I jumped on you about the dog.”
She nearly smiled. He was always turning corners on her. “It’s okay. A lot of people don’t like dogs.”
“I know we got off on the wrong foot this morning, but I really appreciated your help tonight. I’m thinking there are a lot worse characteristics than being cheerful.”
Now Haley really smiled in the dark and ran a finger over the ring on her left hand, almost wishing it were a real engagement ring. Rand McNeil, being nice, was a sexy man, and she was very attracted to him. It’s fake. All fake , she ordered herself to remember.
The bed moved as he rolled on his side, facing her. Even though there was plenty of distance between them, her heart started pounding, and a crazy dichotomy threatened to pull her apart. He was close enough for her to smell him. He had a tantalizing, spicy man smell, and she wanted him to move closer. No, she didn’t want him to move closer. The whole situation was confusing. She had never been in a bed with a man—under the blankets anyway. It felt intimate even though they weren’t touching.
She wished she was more experienced. She wasn’t a virgin, if you counted that one time on the seat of Adam Kennedy’s Ford pickup. Someone spiked the punch at senior prom, and before she knew it, her dress was up over her head and Adam was groaning on top of her. She didn’t remember much of it, except that it had been painful and embarrassing. After that night, Haley and Adam never spoke to each other again, but she knew he’d told his buddies. She was glad only a month had remained till graduation.
She’d come close a few other times, but the timing had been off. It just hadn’t seemed right. Now the timing seemed perfect. She wanted to have sex with a man of experience, and although she’d not even known Rand for twenty-four hours, there was a look in his eyes that said he had all the experience she could ask for. She wasn’t certain she wanted to make love with him, but memory of the heated kisses they’d shared tempted her to put aside the inhibitions that had dogged her throughout her dating life. She couldn’t make the first move. Wouldn’t. So she lay in the dark, willing him to do something to show his interest. She heard
Rand slumped on the bed and dropped his face in his hands. “I’m yelling,” he said disbelievingly. “I never raise my voice, and you have me shouting like a lunatic.”
“I am not making you shout. You are choosing to shout because you can’t find it in your heart to be sympathetic toward a troubled animal.” She bent and stroked Delphine, whose sad doggy eyes were lifted toward Rand, pathetic and pleading.
He looked up and nodded, his shoulders slumping in defeat. “All right. The dog can stay. Let’s go to bed, so we can get up early and end this farce.”
He stood, balancing on his good leg, and began unbuttoning his shirt. Haley grabbed her toiletries and nightshirt and fled into the bathroom. Although the Jacuzzi looked inviting, she was too tired to shower, so she briskly washed her face and brushed her teeth.
Despite the argument, which had certainly cooled any ardor they’d been feeling, her stomach muscles clenched as she came out of the bathroom, and he was already in bed. Delphine was asleep on the floor. A small lamp on the nightstand bathed the room in a soft glow. Rand was wearing a t-shirt, so Haley assumed he didn’t sleep nude. Or maybe he was wearing underwear in deference to her. The blanket and sheet were pulled to his waist. Rand watched her, his face impassive, as she slowly approached the bed.
Slipping beneath the blankets on the far side of the bed. Haley pulled them up to her neck. Without a word, Rand turned off the light, and she lay tense and silent for several minutes.
Just as Haley felt her limbs relaxing, Rand said, “I’m sorry I jumped on you about the dog.”
She nearly smiled. He was always turning corners on her. “It’s okay. A lot of people don’t like dogs.”
“I know we got off on the wrong foot this morning, but I really appreciated your help tonight. I’m thinking there are a lot worse characteristics than being cheerful.”
Now Haley really smiled in the dark and ran a finger over the ring on her left hand, almost wishing it were a real engagement ring. Rand McNeil, being nice, was a sexy man, and she was very attracted to him. It’s fake. All fake , she ordered herself to remember.
The bed moved as he rolled on his side, facing her. Even though there was plenty of distance between them, her heart started pounding, and a crazy dichotomy threatened to pull her apart. He was close enough for her to smell him. He had a tantalizing, spicy man smell, and she wanted him to move closer. No, she didn’t want him to move closer. The whole situation was confusing. She had never been in a bed with a man—under the blankets anyway. It felt intimate even though they weren’t touching.
She wished she was more experienced. She wasn’t a virgin, if you counted that one time on the seat of Adam Kennedy’s Ford pickup. Someone spiked the punch at senior prom, and before she knew it, her dress was up over her head and Adam was groaning on top of her. She didn’t remember much of it, except that it had been painful and embarrassing. After that night, Haley and Adam never spoke to each other again, but she knew he’d told his buddies. She was glad only a month had remained till graduation.
She’d come close a few other times, but the timing had been off. It just hadn’t seemed right. Now the timing seemed perfect. She wanted to have sex with a man of experience, and although she’d not even known Rand for twenty-four hours, there was a look in his eyes that said he had all the experience she could ask for. She wasn’t certain she wanted to make love with him, but memory of the heated kisses they’d shared tempted her to put aside the inhibitions that had dogged her throughout her dating life. She couldn’t make the first move. Wouldn’t. So she lay in the dark, willing him to do something to show his interest. She heard
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