it?”
“No.” He brought my hand to his mouth and
kissed my fingertips. “You wear it well. But…”
“But?” I caressed his cheek with the
fingertips of my other hand.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “Keep
tomorrow night available for me.” He refused to move until I sighed
my agreement, and then went back to the elevator. The operator, who
was pointedly studying the carpet, held it open for him.
Humming softly, I let myself into the dimly
lit foyer of the apartment I shared with my brother. Tony had left
a lamp on for me.
I smothered a yawn. I’d just turn it off and
go to bed.
“Have a good time, little sister?”
I jumped. He stood in the doorway of his
bedroom, his pajamas slightly rumpled and his hair standing out
every which way. I should have realized the sound of the key in the
lock would awaken him.
“Actually, yes. We went to dinner at Casa
del Vitello .”
“The little Italian restaurant in Baltimore?
They make an excellent veal saltimbocca.”
“That’s what Nigel recommended. He’s eaten
there before.”
“And then?”
I raised an eyebrow. “And then, what?”
“Portia, dinner only takes a couple of
hours.”
“You know the drive to Baltimore is more
than an hour. And that means the drive home is the same.”
“That still leaves two hours unaccounted
for.”
I could have given him a hard time about
answering, but I was feeling too good. “We went dancing at a club
Nigel knows. It was just a three piece band, but they were
fabulous.”
Tony was more awake now, and his eyes
narrowed as he took in my appearance. At one of the traffic lights,
Nigel had glanced across at me, and then he’d thrown the car into
neutral and pulled me against him. He’d slid his arms into my coat
and tugged free the back of my blouse. His hands were warm over my
slip and shoulders, but he’d made no effort to touch my breasts.
And while Dean Martin sang something lush and romantic on the
radio, Nigel drove me wild with his kisses.
There was no traffic at that time of night,
which was a good thing, since the light must have changed a number
of times before he realized we couldn’t stay there for the rest of
the night.
I’d been totally unaware, which was unusual
for me, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. I leaned back against
the seat, watching as his elegant fingers enclosed the stick shift
and threw the car into gear.
Tony came closer, and his nostrils twitched.
“Do I smell English Leather on you? Why do I smell English
Leather on you?”
I just smiled at him. He could wait as long
as he chose for a response, but it was my turn to not say
anything.
He ran his gaze over me, and I turned away.
I knew my hair was mussed and my lips had been kissed free of
lipstick. I’d tucked my blouse into the waistband of my skirt, but
I’d been too fumble-fingered to do a proper job of it.
“Did something happen that I should be made
aware of?”
“Tony, you know I can take care of myself.
Besides, I have a father—I don’t need a second one.”
“Portia, Nigel Mann is a damned good
operative—” I raised an eyebrow, and he hastily cleared his throat.
“I meant to say cryptologist , one of the best we’ve got, but
the man…Listen to me! The Antarctic is the Sahara Desert compared
to him!”
“What? Where did you get that idea
from?”
“Are you joking? Everyone knows Nigel Mann
is the original Mr. Freeze.”
I started to laugh at that absurdity, but
then bit it off when an unsettling thought crossed my mind. “If
that’s true, why did you suggest I go to dinner with him?”
“I didn’t really suggest. I just…” He
appeared uncomfortable, something I couldn’t recall observing in
him.
“I can only see two reasons, Tony, and
neither of them make you look good. The first is that both of us
having such a frigid temperament, we’d be a perfect match. The
second is that if he were cold, you could trust him with your
sister, because he wouldn’t try to get fresh
“No.” He brought my hand to his mouth and
kissed my fingertips. “You wear it well. But…”
“But?” I caressed his cheek with the
fingertips of my other hand.
He didn’t answer. Instead, he said, “Keep
tomorrow night available for me.” He refused to move until I sighed
my agreement, and then went back to the elevator. The operator, who
was pointedly studying the carpet, held it open for him.
Humming softly, I let myself into the dimly
lit foyer of the apartment I shared with my brother. Tony had left
a lamp on for me.
I smothered a yawn. I’d just turn it off and
go to bed.
“Have a good time, little sister?”
I jumped. He stood in the doorway of his
bedroom, his pajamas slightly rumpled and his hair standing out
every which way. I should have realized the sound of the key in the
lock would awaken him.
“Actually, yes. We went to dinner at Casa
del Vitello .”
“The little Italian restaurant in Baltimore?
They make an excellent veal saltimbocca.”
“That’s what Nigel recommended. He’s eaten
there before.”
“And then?”
I raised an eyebrow. “And then, what?”
“Portia, dinner only takes a couple of
hours.”
“You know the drive to Baltimore is more
than an hour. And that means the drive home is the same.”
“That still leaves two hours unaccounted
for.”
I could have given him a hard time about
answering, but I was feeling too good. “We went dancing at a club
Nigel knows. It was just a three piece band, but they were
fabulous.”
Tony was more awake now, and his eyes
narrowed as he took in my appearance. At one of the traffic lights,
Nigel had glanced across at me, and then he’d thrown the car into
neutral and pulled me against him. He’d slid his arms into my coat
and tugged free the back of my blouse. His hands were warm over my
slip and shoulders, but he’d made no effort to touch my breasts.
And while Dean Martin sang something lush and romantic on the
radio, Nigel drove me wild with his kisses.
There was no traffic at that time of night,
which was a good thing, since the light must have changed a number
of times before he realized we couldn’t stay there for the rest of
the night.
I’d been totally unaware, which was unusual
for me, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. I leaned back against
the seat, watching as his elegant fingers enclosed the stick shift
and threw the car into gear.
Tony came closer, and his nostrils twitched.
“Do I smell English Leather on you? Why do I smell English
Leather on you?”
I just smiled at him. He could wait as long
as he chose for a response, but it was my turn to not say
anything.
He ran his gaze over me, and I turned away.
I knew my hair was mussed and my lips had been kissed free of
lipstick. I’d tucked my blouse into the waistband of my skirt, but
I’d been too fumble-fingered to do a proper job of it.
“Did something happen that I should be made
aware of?”
“Tony, you know I can take care of myself.
Besides, I have a father—I don’t need a second one.”
“Portia, Nigel Mann is a damned good
operative—” I raised an eyebrow, and he hastily cleared his throat.
“I meant to say cryptologist , one of the best we’ve got, but
the man…Listen to me! The Antarctic is the Sahara Desert compared
to him!”
“What? Where did you get that idea
from?”
“Are you joking? Everyone knows Nigel Mann
is the original Mr. Freeze.”
I started to laugh at that absurdity, but
then bit it off when an unsettling thought crossed my mind. “If
that’s true, why did you suggest I go to dinner with him?”
“I didn’t really suggest. I just…” He
appeared uncomfortable, something I couldn’t recall observing in
him.
“I can only see two reasons, Tony, and
neither of them make you look good. The first is that both of us
having such a frigid temperament, we’d be a perfect match. The
second is that if he were cold, you could trust him with your
sister, because he wouldn’t try to get fresh
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