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"Who’s joking?" she asked She made her voice absurdly melodramatic "I knew the minute I walked into the radio station for the Celebrity Debate that if I couldn’t taste your lips there was nothing left to live for"

"If you’re going to et the whole discussion" He vaulted to his feet and stuffed the wrappers fro we could have a mature talk, one adult to another, but that’s obviously beyond you"

"Don’t get so bent out of shape," she said, trying not to s silly, like leave in a huff We both know you’ll regret it" She didn’t know anything of the sort, but it sounded good

He co his eyes on the darkened

Maryanne got stiffly to her feet, every"It seereat deal with this hands-off decree," she said with all the dignity she could ain?"

A slow cocky grin raised the corners of histo start thinking things I neverhurt I intend toro ht You’re a sweet kid, stubborn and idealistic, but nonetheless naive One kiss told ot a ro those pretty blue eyes atof babies and a white picket fence You and I are about as different as two people can get"

"Different?" To Maryanne’s way of thinking, she had more in common with Nolan Adams than with any other man she’d ever dated

"That’s right You co family--"

"Stop!" she cried "Don’t say another word about our econo for excuses, find so else"

"I don’t need excuses It’d never work between us and I want to make sure neither of us is ever te a woo elsewhere"

His words were like a slap in the face "Naturally a ets plenty of requests" She turned away, so angry she couldn’t keep still "As for being afraid I ht now that there’s absolutely no chance of it In fact, I think you should bestrength and conviction with every word The ht have found herself attracted to him, but that possibility had disappeared the minute he walked in her door and opened his ued "You’re halfway in love with me already I can see it in your eyes"

Carol had said so what she felt for Nolan, too

Maryanne whirled around, intent on coaze But before any h her neck, an ache so intense it brought immediate tears to her eyes She must have moved too quickly, too carelessly

Her hands flew to the back of her neck

Nolan was instantly on his feet "What’s wrong?"

"Nothing," sheher way back to the sofa She sat down, hand still pressed to her neck, waiting ato test the extent of her injury Quickly, she realized herin front of her, "what is it?"

"I…don’t know I ot a crick in your neck?"

"If I do, it’s all your fault You say the entle as his hands He began to knead softly, his fingers tenderly ht"

"Of course you are," he whispered "Just close your eyes and relax"

"I can’t" How could he possibly expect her to do that when he was so close, so war a lie of all her protestations

"Yes, you can," he said, his voice low and seductive He leaned over her, his face, his lips, scant inches frohtness fro a dizzying heated sensation that extended to the tips of her fingers and the soles of her feet

She sighed and clasped his wrist with both hands, wanting to stop hi toward hiestive "I think you should stop Let me rephrase that I know you should stop"

"I know I should, too," he admitted quietly "Remember what I said earlier?"

"You mean the hands-off policy?"

"Yes" She could hardly hear him "Let’s delay it for a day--what do you think?"

At thatof a problem "W-whatever you feel is best"

"Oh, I knohat’s best," he whispered "Unfortunately that doesn’t seeht now"