“But I don’t want to cause any problems between you two, either. Plus, Kyle Chase, why are you interested in me anyway? How do I know you aren’t just doing this out of some kind of sibling rivalry thing and will lose interest in a few days?”
“First of all, I’m going to be totally honest with you. I’ve never actually pursued a woman before. They always come to me. That should show you a bit about how interested I am. I like you. You intrigue me. You’re beautiful and sweet and funny and a hell of a baker. Why shouldn’t I be interested?
“Second of all, I have no need to compete with Shane over women. Pool? Sure. Baseball? Oh yeah. I would never use you like that.” He drew a fingertip down her cheek. “Let me in, just a little bit. Get to know me. Let me know you. Come on, let me court you, woo you. I’ve never wooed before, it should be fun.”
“I’ve never been wooed.”
“See? We’ll both learn something. Let the woo begin.” He grinned and she smiled hesitantly. “We’ll take it slow, Maggie,” he whispered and kissed her softly, his lips feather light over hers.
Her body tightened, moisture pooled between her legs, her br**sts grew heavy and her ni**les hardened. All from a kiss. Wow, he was good.
Breaking the kiss, he leaned back to look into her eyes. “Your lips are softer than I’d imagined. And I’ve been imagining, a lot.”
She had to clear her throat twice before she found words. “So um, this wooage? Does it mean casual dating, as in we’ll be seeing and sleeping with other people? I’ve come to understand and accept that I’m just not the kind of woman who can do the casual each of us seeing other people thing. I’m not cut out for it. I know it’s against all of the hot guy dating rules to discuss such things but I just want to get things crystal clear up front.”
“Hot guy dating rules?” His grin was cocky and she narrowed her eyes.
“Yes, as in guys who look like you and have their pick of every beautiful woman who comes their way.”
“And those rules are different from the non-hot guy rules?”
“Are you making fun of me?” One eyebrow slid up slowly.
“Yes,” he said, starting to laugh.
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him, but she was sure she lost the effect she was going for when her lips slid into a smile.
He stopped, leaning in to give her a quick kiss to attempt to appease her. “Sugar, wooage—at least in my own hot guy dating rulebook—does state that there will be exactly two people in the relationship. You and me. No one else. You’re different from the other women I’ve dated. And that’s a good thing,” he added quickly. “I have no desire to share you.”
“Let’s just say that I agree to this. How are we going to deal with Shane?”
“I’ll tell him myself. No need for both of us to do it. Shug, I don’t want to be mean and I’m not trying to hurt you for my own gain but has he even called you since your last date?”
“No. The ass ran out the door and never called me again. Whatever, I’m past it now.” The hurt had passed but the humiliation and the anger still burned deep and pushed old buttons.
“I don’t think he meant to disrespect you. Hell, I love my brother and he’s a good person but ever since Sandra, he’s been like this with women. I think anyone that he truly likes is someone he’ll push away right quick. I don’t know why I’m saying all of this, it only makes him look better but he is a nice guy, he’s just wounded.”
She touched his cheek with a finger and smiled at him. Wounded? She’d love to wound him herself, the ass**le. Instead she took a deep breath and let the anger go. “No, I’m glad you said it. I have a major concern and it’s not how I feel about Shane. It’s about making problems between two such very close brothers.”
“Let me worry about that. I’ll tell him when I see him in an hour and a half. We have family dinners each Sunday, you know.”
“God, your family is going to think I’m a major slut.” She cringed and he began to laugh anew.
He laughed and laughed and then laughed some more. If she only knew the women I’d dated in the past! He saw her narrowed eyes and changed his mind, glad she didn’t know. He kissed her hand. “They won’t. They know you. My mother thinks you are the best thing since hush puppies. Secondly, Maggie, I’ve dated slutty women, they know the difference, as do I.”
“Oh god, again! So not only have you dated gorgeous women but slutty ones, too? How can I compete?”
He stifled another laugh. “Sweetie, how many times do I need to tell you? You are a gorgeous woman. Plus, why on earth would you have to compete against slutty? I mean, it’s fun and all when you’re young and carefree but slutty is in my past.”
“It is? Because although it seems like I’m a slut for seeing two brothers from the same family, I’m not, I’ve not been intimate with very many men, less than you can count on one hand.”
He caressed her face and ran his thumb along her bottom lip. “Hell yes, it’s in my past. And I know you’re not a slut, Maggie. I never thought that. Now, if every once in a while you wanted to play at being slutty.” An eyebrow rose and he grinned. “Yes indeedy, that would be mighty nice. But I’ve recently developed a terrible yen for gorgeous redheads who bake cookies for seniors.”
Sweet heavens, the man was irresistible. “Awfully sure you’ll get me into bed aren’t you?”
“First of all, I’m going to be totally honest with you. I’ve never actually pursued a woman before. They always come to me. That should show you a bit about how interested I am. I like you. You intrigue me. You’re beautiful and sweet and funny and a hell of a baker. Why shouldn’t I be interested?
“Second of all, I have no need to compete with Shane over women. Pool? Sure. Baseball? Oh yeah. I would never use you like that.” He drew a fingertip down her cheek. “Let me in, just a little bit. Get to know me. Let me know you. Come on, let me court you, woo you. I’ve never wooed before, it should be fun.”
“I’ve never been wooed.”
“See? We’ll both learn something. Let the woo begin.” He grinned and she smiled hesitantly. “We’ll take it slow, Maggie,” he whispered and kissed her softly, his lips feather light over hers.
Her body tightened, moisture pooled between her legs, her br**sts grew heavy and her ni**les hardened. All from a kiss. Wow, he was good.
Breaking the kiss, he leaned back to look into her eyes. “Your lips are softer than I’d imagined. And I’ve been imagining, a lot.”
She had to clear her throat twice before she found words. “So um, this wooage? Does it mean casual dating, as in we’ll be seeing and sleeping with other people? I’ve come to understand and accept that I’m just not the kind of woman who can do the casual each of us seeing other people thing. I’m not cut out for it. I know it’s against all of the hot guy dating rules to discuss such things but I just want to get things crystal clear up front.”
“Hot guy dating rules?” His grin was cocky and she narrowed her eyes.
“Yes, as in guys who look like you and have their pick of every beautiful woman who comes their way.”
“And those rules are different from the non-hot guy rules?”
“Are you making fun of me?” One eyebrow slid up slowly.
“Yes,” he said, starting to laugh.
She put her hands on her hips and glared at him, but she was sure she lost the effect she was going for when her lips slid into a smile.
He stopped, leaning in to give her a quick kiss to attempt to appease her. “Sugar, wooage—at least in my own hot guy dating rulebook—does state that there will be exactly two people in the relationship. You and me. No one else. You’re different from the other women I’ve dated. And that’s a good thing,” he added quickly. “I have no desire to share you.”
“Let’s just say that I agree to this. How are we going to deal with Shane?”
“I’ll tell him myself. No need for both of us to do it. Shug, I don’t want to be mean and I’m not trying to hurt you for my own gain but has he even called you since your last date?”
“No. The ass ran out the door and never called me again. Whatever, I’m past it now.” The hurt had passed but the humiliation and the anger still burned deep and pushed old buttons.
“I don’t think he meant to disrespect you. Hell, I love my brother and he’s a good person but ever since Sandra, he’s been like this with women. I think anyone that he truly likes is someone he’ll push away right quick. I don’t know why I’m saying all of this, it only makes him look better but he is a nice guy, he’s just wounded.”
She touched his cheek with a finger and smiled at him. Wounded? She’d love to wound him herself, the ass**le. Instead she took a deep breath and let the anger go. “No, I’m glad you said it. I have a major concern and it’s not how I feel about Shane. It’s about making problems between two such very close brothers.”
“Let me worry about that. I’ll tell him when I see him in an hour and a half. We have family dinners each Sunday, you know.”
“God, your family is going to think I’m a major slut.” She cringed and he began to laugh anew.
He laughed and laughed and then laughed some more. If she only knew the women I’d dated in the past! He saw her narrowed eyes and changed his mind, glad she didn’t know. He kissed her hand. “They won’t. They know you. My mother thinks you are the best thing since hush puppies. Secondly, Maggie, I’ve dated slutty women, they know the difference, as do I.”
“Oh god, again! So not only have you dated gorgeous women but slutty ones, too? How can I compete?”
He stifled another laugh. “Sweetie, how many times do I need to tell you? You are a gorgeous woman. Plus, why on earth would you have to compete against slutty? I mean, it’s fun and all when you’re young and carefree but slutty is in my past.”
“It is? Because although it seems like I’m a slut for seeing two brothers from the same family, I’m not, I’ve not been intimate with very many men, less than you can count on one hand.”
He caressed her face and ran his thumb along her bottom lip. “Hell yes, it’s in my past. And I know you’re not a slut, Maggie. I never thought that. Now, if every once in a while you wanted to play at being slutty.” An eyebrow rose and he grinned. “Yes indeedy, that would be mighty nice. But I’ve recently developed a terrible yen for gorgeous redheads who bake cookies for seniors.”
Sweet heavens, the man was irresistible. “Awfully sure you’ll get me into bed aren’t you?”
