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"You never gavefor ave her a tolerant look "I wasn’t pining for you, Emmaline I did think you were the hot hockey chick We all do"

"Which explains why I’ve had two dates in three years"

"Maybe your sweet and gentle personality has so to do with that"

"Oh, bite me"

"I rest entle attitude You do have to at least suarded--has anyone ever told you that?"

"No, as a matter of fact," she lied She took another sip of wine Make that a chug "Then there are your looks" Shut it, Em, her brain advised

"I’m hideous?"

"A little I’m sorry to be the one to tell you" He sood-looking It’s a consideration"

He looked at her as if she were a coebra equation "So you’re not interested in , since your ex was also good-looking and he broke your heart"

"In addition to the other stuff And drop that expression It’s not as dumb as it sounds"

"Good Because it sounds very duent"

Or not Maybe it was du any more wine

She took another sip just the same "Jack, I think you want to be with me because I’m here, because we’ve already done the deed and because you want a distraction fros are true I also like you"

For so bejesus out of her

He liked her She already loved him It wasn’t like she didn’t know that already

Crap

This was exactly the kind of situation that led to doo in one’s pillow, to that unutterably bleak knowledge that you loved someone who didn’t love you back Jack wanted a distraction He liked her; that was it

"I should go," she said, clearing her throat

He turned off the stove and came around to her side of the soapstone counter, and Eht That was a mistake

He braced his hands on either side of her and leaned forward Oh, he sent and wine and food and so," he ainst hers, and she felt the scrape of five o’clock shadow, the heat fros eak and hot, and a nearly painful throbbing began in her girl parts

"Jack," she ed

"There’s chocolate cake for dessert"

She sed "Is that your idea of foreplay?"

"Yes," he whispered, kissing the spot where her jaw ?"

She leaned back a little and looked into those clear, s blue eyes "Yes," she heard herself say

Then his , and she’d been an idiot, because for teeks now, she’d been putting hi hi at her bun, which of course wouldn’t come out without a crowbar and ait, her hair was loosening, and then his fingers were sliding through it, and a few bobby pins pinged on the floor Hisflashes of heat to spark through her Without her thinking about it, E the solid, warmposition, holding her close, which was a good thing because she wasn’t 100 percent sure her legs orking She tugged his shirt out of his jeans, feeling the war over ht of that before, didn’t want to accidentally shoot the guy--and draped it over the chair

Then Jack lifted her up (strong, really, she had to give him credit), and lay her down on the kitchen table and proceeded to unbutton her unifor away her hands when she tried to help He pulled off her boots, unbuttoned her pants and tugged them off, cleverly unhooked her bra and slid off her panties

And then Jack Holland did her right then and there

Who needed cake?

"THIS CAKE IS FANTASTIC," E ti a pair of rubber ducky pajaift fro Mrs Johnson’s fa her eat, a s at the corner of his oddess Oh, yes

Yeah, yeah, she was a tra to be able to resist Jack when he whispered things about how she tasted and ss were very co and weak and cherished all at the salorious bathrooled hair, bee-stung lips, a possible love bite on her shoulder that she rather felt like photographing and posting to her Facebook page My hickey–with Jack Holland Her chest was still flushed and her skin looked crea on

His bathrooular tub encased in a huge block of dark wood, the lip wide enough so a person could have a few plants or a glass of wine, a sandwich and a book and not have anything get wet The shoas equally ilass brick wall She coiven her and padded to the kitchen, where, in case Jack wasn’t already everything and a bag of chips, he’d sliced thee piece of cake

Dessert first Finally, a e was asleep in front of the fire, and Lazarus sat on the azed at the fat little puppy

"Will your cat eat ?" she asked

"He’ll try" Jack sat next to her and took her feet onto his lap "We’re dating now, by the way"

"Well, that’s--"

"Hush, wo Now finish your cake I have plans for you You’ll need your strength"

And for once, Em didn’t object