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Tracyhued in the blow dryer She couldn&039;t help noticing that her hand was shaking, or deny the butterflies in her stomach She told herself it was just a case of nerves After all, she hadn&039;t had a date in the last five months, not since she&039;d broken up with that creep, Richard She&039;d had plenty of offers, but until she et on the dating ain

Even as she tried to convince herself it was perfectly nor out on a date with someone new, and a wickedly handso herself

There was so she couldn&039;t quite put her finger on, sole with both anticipation and trepidation when he was near She still didn&039;t understand what it was that had possessed her to ask a coer to co like that before and had had no intention of doing so last night She supposed it was the same sudden iested going out to aof hiuely faht, she couldn&039;t recall everhiotten

When her hair was dry, she did it up in a French braid, carefully applied her makeup, and then pulled on a lavender sweater and a pair of white slacks And all the while, she wondered if she was h, but then, wasn&039;t that what friends and neighbors always said about the boy next door who turned out to be a serial killer?He was such a nice boyNever caused any trouble

Tracyshook her head She was really letting her i, hated the "getting to know you" stage Soht that was the fun part, but not TracyShe had only had three serious relationships since she graduated froe and each one had lasted just over a year

Danny had been a great guy, but the longer they went out together, theon which to build a lasting relationship

Joe had also been a great guy, warm and sensitive and easy to love She should have known he was too good to last Just when she had been expecting a e proposal, he had entered the priesthood

And then there had been Richard He had wined her and dined her and made her feel like the most wonderful, beautiful woman in the world Unfortunately, she discovered that he was feeding the sairls

Leaving the bathroolanced at the clock on the small antique oak table beside her bed Only time would tell whether Do to be here in less than tenon a pair of low-heeled white sandals, she went downstairs into the living rooht

She loved this roo around Her furniture had arrived yesterdayit The white wicker sofa and chair brightened up the rooated blue print An antique oak bookcase held a nuht for herself, soifts - decorated the mantel Her entertainment center took up e, she would look for an area rug to put in front of the fireplace, and another one for her bedroo down to her toes He was here

Standing on the front porch, Dominic sensed the woman&039;s inner tension even before she opened the door

"Hi," she said, s" He handed her a bouquet of two dozen long-stemmed, blood-red roses

She looked up at him, unable to hide her sur-prise , or her pleasure "They&039;re lovely," she mur roo he wasn&039;t behind her, she said, "Please, co over the threshold, he followed her down a short hallway into a large, well-lit rooestured at the sofa "Make yourself at home, won&039;t you, while I put these in water"

He s in the changes she hadtheround lair, hehis hand over the back of the white wicker sofa Her taste in colors and fabrics ran to bright and cheerful, while his seemed to be mostly dark and dreary

He turned as she entered the room and placed a crystal vase on the mantel The scent of roses filled the air

"They&039;re beautiful," she said again

"They pale next to you," he replied, and meant it

The flush that rose in her cheeks at his co

She was exquisitely lovely in a lavender sweater and white slacks Her hair was again in a long braid down her back, which afforded him a delicious view of her slender neck

The blush in her cheeks deepened under his waro?" she asked

With a nod, he moved to the front door and opened it for her, then followed her out of the house

Tracy&039;s eyes widened when she saw the sleek black convertible parked in the driveway "This is yours?"

He glanced at the car "Is it not to your liking?"

"No, no, it&039;s it&039;s gorgeous"

"I have another if you don&039;t care for the color, or theif he was serious His face gave nothing away

"What color is the other one?"

"Red"

"This one is fine"

He opened the door for her, closed it when she was comfortably seated, and walked around to the driver&039;s side

Tracywatched him slide behind the wheel He moved like no other man she had ever seen, his every ine cale cat

Tracylooked out the Slanced at Dominic out of the corner of her eye He was not a handsome man, at least not in theHollywood pretty-boy sort of way, but he was still gorgeous, with his long black hair, finely sculpted features, and intense gray eyes He wore a black sweater that emphasized the width of his shoulders and a pair of black jeans that accented his long legs He exuded an aura of strength that she found both co

"You said you were an artist," he ree landscape for the reception area of a law fir she would like to paint it

The thought had no sooner crossed her mind than he asked, "Do you also paint portraits?"

She shivered Was he reading her mind? But that was impossible - it was s and cats, too, when I need the money," she said with a smile "You said you were retired What line of ere you in?"

"I have tried s over the years," he said evasively

"Like what?"

He plucked one froht watch the reign of a king now long forgotten, or that he had been charged with keeping watch over the queen&039;s chaht watchrin

"Didn&039;t I?"

"Did you?"

He smiled faintly "Not in the way you s, but I would rather talk about you"

"There&039;s not e, I have a job that I love"

"But no husband," he said quietly "No children"

"Not yet I don&039;t seem to be very lucky at love"

"So you wish to ered on her face "When she says yes, I will ed?" she asked, clearly alarht be out with another woman&039;s fiance

"No"

He stilled the other questions in her ht Noas not the time for her to delve into his love life, or ask questions he did not yet wish to answer

He pulled into the parking lot behind the theater a fewthe car, he came around to open the door for her She put her hand into his and slid out of the car Her skin arainst his

He locked the car and they walked around the corner to the theater He bought two tickets and they entered the lobby

His nostrils were immediately assaulted by myriad ss, onions,scents and e in front of the counter, ested a movie It had been years since he had been to one; now he remembered why

He re to eat, was grateful when she declined

Entering the theater, they found two seats near the back Moments later, the theater went dark and the previews ca from his mindsave for the wo with her essence The scent of her hair and perfu from her body chased away the coldness that was ever a part of hiainst his ah, just that mere touch thrilled hi in her nearness

"Hey, did you fall asleep already?" she asked, a smile in her voice "The movie hasn&039;t even started yet"

The sound of her voice warmed him like the sunshine he had not felt in a hundred lifeti his eyes, he s the moment"