Page 6 (1/2)

Her eyebrows crept up He caught a hint of blush on the tan s and erotic

"It’s quite adolescent of me, I know," he said

"You break into the house of a coest that she should surrender her breasts to you so you can satisfy your honey dripping fetish What woman could pass on that invitation?"

"You haven’t had many lovers, have you?" He watched her blush fade It suddenly seeain and he smiled, satisfied in her answer She pointed at the front door with an oversized spoon "Out"

"What will it take? What should I do to have you?"

"I think youlunatic"

He smiled "But you aren’t afraid of me"

She sat in her chair "No You don’t strikedark and lass "And forcing yourself on me would mean you failed in your conquest"

In two sentences she deftly dissected his soul "I’m Celino Carvanna Name your dream and I’ll make it happen And then, if you’re so inclined, perhaps you could fulfill mine"

"A rather melodramatic declaration, don’t you think?" She smiled Her mouth was soft, her lips pink like the sine they drank

"Women usually respond well to drama and decisive declarations of lust"

"I’m not that sort of a woman Unfortunately for you, I’m not for sale" She leaned her elbows on the table and rested her chin in her hands "So far you failed to terrify me and failed to buy me I’m terribly curious what path you will atteed across the table and crushed her "

"Ah Flattery A bit predictable, but it often works"

"Do you find aze touched his chest, hidden by black doublet, slid up to caress his shoulders, then his thick neck, lingered on his cheekbones and finally rose to meet his stare Her eyes were liquid chocolate and he felt a thrilling tension run through hihtly surprised "I do"

"Will you let me kiss you?"

"Probably not But I will share my soup with you, since you’re in my kitchen and I’m starved You seeo of my manners and eat in front of you while you stare ateyes?"

"Glacial The bowls are behind you"

Celino rose The as dotted with standard hidden shelf covers He tapped the closest one A shelf slid out of the wall, offering a row of neatly placed bowls He plucked two and pushed the shelf back into the wall

She ladled the soup into the bowls "Would you like to eat in the garden?"

She led hireeted hiinable Dahlias In his youth, he had spent countless evenings on the balcony of Carvanna house, sitting in a chair, puzzling over a financial riddle, and when he would look up to clear his head, the riot of dahlias blooreeted him just like this

"Take a chair," she offered

He sat and drank his soup from the bowl It was delicious, spicy and tart, with an undercurrent of fiery peppers that nipped on his tongue