found to her
intense pleasure.
With another drop dead gorgeous grin, he walked out of the bedroom,
while Lissa continued to clutch his shirt. With a deep breath, she shrugged
into it.
It smelled of him, as she imagined she did right then. Why did that make
her smile?
She buttoned the shirt, deliberately leaving the top three undone to
give him a healthy glimpse of cleavage. No reason she should be the only one
unsettled.
In the living room, Reed stood pouring brandy into two fat crystal
glasses. “I’m driving,” Lissa told him as he offered her one. “So are you,
assuming you’re giving me a lift back to the parking lot.”
“I’m hoping you’ll stay. I’ve got plans.”
With her hands at her side, Lissa dropped her gaze to the glass then
lifted it back to him. Her mind took a quick flight of fancy imagining what
those plans might include, but she made herself focus. “I haven’t heard your
proposition yet.” She held his gaze. “I might run a mile.”
“I doubt you’d run from anything.” He reached down for her hand and
pushed the glass into it. From the gleam in his eyes, it was obvious they were
thinking along the same lines. “But while we’re on the subject, are you into
bondage?”
Lissa’s fingers tightened around the glass. “Is that your proposition?”
His lips twitched. “It’s in there somewhere.” He kept his eyes on hers
as he raised his glass to his mouth. “Are you going to run?”
She pursed her lips, as her hormones pumped wildly. “No.”
Eyes gleaming, he sipped his brandy. Lissa took a fortifying swig of
hers.
There was an uneasy silence, but then Reed took in a breath. “I have
this problem, and I’m thinking since you also have a problem we could join
forces and solve them both.”
So far so good , Lissa thought, even as panic
fluttered in her stomach. She watched him walk to the window and look out
toward the sea beyond. Tension had moved into his shoulders and he’d slipped
his free hand into the pocket of his jeans. Okay. She was starting to get a
funny feeling about this, starting to wonder what the proposition involved that
would make him so edgy.
She didn’t have to wait long to find out.
“What would you say if I agreed to pay off your debts and help you start
up again on your own?”
I’d say I’d died and gone to heaven .
The thought of having her debts cleared made her heart leap, but Lissa
remained circumspect. “Now why on earth would you do that?”
He took another swig from his glass before turning to face her. “My part
of the bargain.”
Since she knew she’d need it, she imbibed a healthy nip of her own
brandy. “You’re starting to scare me.”
“Nothing to be scared about, princess.” He put down his glass and
slipped both hands into his pockets. “I just want you to marry me.”
Chapter Six
Lissa gaped at Reed. If he hadn’t said it so clearly, she might have
questioned if she’d heard him right. “Are you completely out of your mind?”
“Quite possibly. But I don’t exactly have a whole lot of options to
choose from right now.”
Since he looked deadly serious, and much like a man about to feel the
rope of a hangman’s noose, Lissa stepped to the side and placed her glass down
before she dropped the undoubtedly expensive crystal. “Are you actually expecting
me to believe this is anything but some kind of ludicrous joke?”
He scoffed. “Don’t think I haven’t thought the same, but like I said, my
options are limited.”
She folded her arms across her chest, but said nothing. She felt
ridiculously hurt and not a little furious. How dare he make something as
serious as marriage sound like a vaudeville joke? And how dare he make her part
of his preposterous suggestion?
“I was young, stupid, and drunk,” he said as he picked up his glass and
walked across to the drinks cabinet where he topped up his brandy. “I made this
pact, I suppose you’d call it, with a woman who was equally
intense pleasure.
With another drop dead gorgeous grin, he walked out of the bedroom,
while Lissa continued to clutch his shirt. With a deep breath, she shrugged
into it.
It smelled of him, as she imagined she did right then. Why did that make
her smile?
She buttoned the shirt, deliberately leaving the top three undone to
give him a healthy glimpse of cleavage. No reason she should be the only one
unsettled.
In the living room, Reed stood pouring brandy into two fat crystal
glasses. “I’m driving,” Lissa told him as he offered her one. “So are you,
assuming you’re giving me a lift back to the parking lot.”
“I’m hoping you’ll stay. I’ve got plans.”
With her hands at her side, Lissa dropped her gaze to the glass then
lifted it back to him. Her mind took a quick flight of fancy imagining what
those plans might include, but she made herself focus. “I haven’t heard your
proposition yet.” She held his gaze. “I might run a mile.”
“I doubt you’d run from anything.” He reached down for her hand and
pushed the glass into it. From the gleam in his eyes, it was obvious they were
thinking along the same lines. “But while we’re on the subject, are you into
bondage?”
Lissa’s fingers tightened around the glass. “Is that your proposition?”
His lips twitched. “It’s in there somewhere.” He kept his eyes on hers
as he raised his glass to his mouth. “Are you going to run?”
She pursed her lips, as her hormones pumped wildly. “No.”
Eyes gleaming, he sipped his brandy. Lissa took a fortifying swig of
hers.
There was an uneasy silence, but then Reed took in a breath. “I have
this problem, and I’m thinking since you also have a problem we could join
forces and solve them both.”
So far so good , Lissa thought, even as panic
fluttered in her stomach. She watched him walk to the window and look out
toward the sea beyond. Tension had moved into his shoulders and he’d slipped
his free hand into the pocket of his jeans. Okay. She was starting to get a
funny feeling about this, starting to wonder what the proposition involved that
would make him so edgy.
She didn’t have to wait long to find out.
“What would you say if I agreed to pay off your debts and help you start
up again on your own?”
I’d say I’d died and gone to heaven .
The thought of having her debts cleared made her heart leap, but Lissa
remained circumspect. “Now why on earth would you do that?”
He took another swig from his glass before turning to face her. “My part
of the bargain.”
Since she knew she’d need it, she imbibed a healthy nip of her own
brandy. “You’re starting to scare me.”
“Nothing to be scared about, princess.” He put down his glass and
slipped both hands into his pockets. “I just want you to marry me.”
Chapter Six
Lissa gaped at Reed. If he hadn’t said it so clearly, she might have
questioned if she’d heard him right. “Are you completely out of your mind?”
“Quite possibly. But I don’t exactly have a whole lot of options to
choose from right now.”
Since he looked deadly serious, and much like a man about to feel the
rope of a hangman’s noose, Lissa stepped to the side and placed her glass down
before she dropped the undoubtedly expensive crystal. “Are you actually expecting
me to believe this is anything but some kind of ludicrous joke?”
He scoffed. “Don’t think I haven’t thought the same, but like I said, my
options are limited.”
She folded her arms across her chest, but said nothing. She felt
ridiculously hurt and not a little furious. How dare he make something as
serious as marriage sound like a vaudeville joke? And how dare he make her part
of his preposterous suggestion?
“I was young, stupid, and drunk,” he said as he picked up his glass and
walked across to the drinks cabinet where he topped up his brandy. “I made this
pact, I suppose you’d call it, with a woman who was equally
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