"Exactly how do you figure that?"
"Come on. You know how I feel about my career. Your closest family members happen to be my employers, and I'm on shaky ground with them at the moment. This is exactly why I always keep my female relationships separate from the team. I've never even dated one of the Star Girl cheerleaders."
"Yet here you are, all ready to get jiggy with the boss's sister."
"I've got everything to lose. You don't have anything."
Just this fragile little heart of mine.
He ran his thumb along the stem of his wineglass. "The truth is, a few nights of sexual dalliance might help your writing career."
"I can't wait to hear this."
"It'll reprogram your subconscious so you don't send out any more secret homosexual messages in your books."
She rolled her eyes.
He grinned.
"Give me a break, Kevin. If we were back in Chicago, it wouldn't occur to you to even think about having sex with me. How flattering is that?"
"It sure as hell would occur to me if we were together all the time like we are here."
He was deliberately missing the point, but before she could tell him that, the waitress appeared to see if there was anything wrong with the meals they weren't eating.
Kevin assured her there wasn't. She gave him a full-blast smile and began chatting with him as if he were her best friend. Since people reacted the same way to Dan and Phoebe, Molly was used to this kind of interruption, but the waitress was cute and curvy, so she found it annoying.
When the woman finally left, Kevin settled back in his chair and picked up the one part of their conversation she most wished he'd forgotten. "This celibacy thing… how long has that been going on?"
She took her time cutting a small piece of chicken. "A while."
"Any particular reason?"
She chewed slowly, as if she were thinking over his question instead of trying to find a way out. There wasn't any, so she attempted to sound grand and mysterious. "A choice I made."
"Is this one more part of that good girl thing everybody in the world believes about you except me?"
"I am a good girl!"
"You're a brat."
She sniffed, a little pleased, but not letting on. "Why should a virtuous woman have to justify herself? Or semivirtuous anyway, so don't think I was a virgin before I lost my mind with you." But in some ways she was a virgin. Although she knew about sex, neither of her two affairs had taught her anything about making love, and neither had that awful night with Kevin.
"Because we're friends, remember? Friends tell each other things. You already know a lot more about me than almost anybody."
She didn't like being more embarrassed about this disclosure than she'd been when she told him she'd given away her inheritance, so she tried her best to look pious by putting her elbows on the table and making little prayer hands. "Being sexually discriminating is nothing to be ashamed about."
In some ways he understood her better than her own family, and his raised eyebrow told her she hadn't impressed him.
"I'm just-I know a lot of people treat sex casually, but I can't do that. I think it's too important."
"I'm not going to argue with you."
"Well, then, that's it."
"I'm glad."
Was it her imagination, or did she detect a little smugness in his expression?
"You're glad about what? That you've had a stadium full of easy women while I've been keeping my legs crossed? Talk about a double standard."
"Hey, I'm not proud of it. It's programmed in those X chromosomes. And it hasn't been a stadium full."
"Let me put it like this: Some people can handle sex without commitment, but it turns out that I'm not one of them, so it would be better if you'd move back into the house."
"Technically speaking, Daph, I've made a pretty big commitment to you, and I'm thinking it's payback time."
"Sex is not a commodity. You can't bargain with it."
"Who says?" His smile turned positively diabolical. "There were lots of nice-looking clothes at that boutique in town, and I can be real free with my credit card."
"What a proud moment this is for me. Bunny-book author turned hooker in one easy step."
He liked that, but his rumble of laughter was interrupted by a couple approaching from the other side of the dining room. "Excuse me, but aren't you Kevin Tucker? Hey, my wife and I are big fans…"
Molly settled back and sipped her coffee while Kevin dealt with his admirers. The man made her melt, and there was no use pretending otherwise. If it were just his good looks that attracted her, he wouldn't be so dangerous, but that cocky charm was chipping away at her defenses. As for the kiss they'd shared…
Stop right there! Just because their kiss had knocked her off her feet didn't mean she was going to act on it. She'd only begun to pull out of her emotional tailspin, and she wasn't self-destructive enough to throw herself back into it. She simply needed to keep reminding herself that Kevin was bored, and he wanted a little hanky-panky. The grim truth was that any woman would do, and she happened to be handy. Still, she could no longer deny that her old crush was back.
Some women were too dumb to draw breath.
Kevin tossed down the last of the Daphne books Molly had tried unsuccessfully to hide when they returned to the cottage. He couldn't believe it! Half of his recent life lay on the pages she'd written. Expurgated, of course. But still…
He was Benny the Badger! His red Harley… His Jet Ski… That very minor skydiving incident blown way out of proportion… And Benny snowboarding down Old Cold Mountain wearing a pair of silver Revos. He should sue!
Except he was flattered. She was a terrific writer, and the stories were great-kid-hip and funny. Although there was one thing he didn't like about the Daphne books-the bunny generally ended up getting the upper hand over the badger. What kind of message was that to send to little boys? Or big ones, for that matter?
He leaned back on the saggy excuse for a couch and glared toward the bedroom door she'd shut behind her. His good mood from dinner had faded. He'd have to be blind not to know that she was attracted to him. So what was the point?
She wanted to jerk his chain, that was the point. She wanted to make him beg so she could feel like she had her pride back. This whole thing was some kind of power trip for her. She was getting off on being cute and funny around him, making him enjoy her company, fluffing her hair, wearing funky clothes designed just so he'd itch to pull them off her. Then, when it was time to do exactly that, she jumped back and said she didn't believe in sex without commitment. Bull.
He needed a shower-a cold one-but there was only that pint-size bathtub. God, he hated it here. Why was she making such a big frickin' deal out of this? She might have said no at dinner, but when he'd kissed her, that sweet little body sure had been saying yes. They were married! He was the one who had to compromise himself, not her!
His policy of never mixing business with pleasure had blown up in his face. The trouble he was having keeping his eyes off the bedroom door filled him with self-disgust. He was Kevin Tucker, damn it, and he didn't have to beg for any woman's affections, not when there were so many others standing in line trying to catch his attention.
Well, he'd had enough. From now on he was going to be all business. He'd take care of the campground and step up his workouts so he was in top shape when training camp started. As for that irritating little brat who happened to be his wife… Until they got back to Chicago, it was strictly hands off.
Chapter 16
"My boyfriend's parents were gone for the night, and he invited me over. As soon as I walked in the door, I knew what was going to happen…" "My Boyfriend's Bedroom" for Chik