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"I have a shop about four blocks froht her

He did, but ignored it "Let uess, a dress shop"

"No, an everything shop Tessa's Attic"

He frowned

"I design and estured to her own clothes "Along with the proper accoutrements," she added

She works with her hands, too, he thought, his gaze shifting to her long, carefullythe delicate grape lace worked with pearls and tiny ribbons It looked as if air held it together, and it erie women wore to drive men insane No wonder it suited her so well He found hinant or after, without the huge tu at all

Tessa felt his gaze, saw it darken and deepen, sending an unfah her already warht The waiter caaze, still didn't realize their lunch had arrived until she nearly dropped the dim sum in her lap

"Who hurt you?" His words came softly, like a warm caress

She didn't like it "I beg your pardon?"

"Who hurt you so badly that you don't want a man in your life?"

A lie would have done nicely right now, but Tessa couldn't get it past her lips "It's not that I don't want one Rather I've found it … unnecessary I do fine alone, with an occasional date"

"Why didn't you just sleep with some poor schmuck and walk away? You'd have exactly what you wanted then"

"No I wouldn't," she replied tightly "I wasn't going to risk a disease or anything else What should I have done? Ah, excuse me—" she poked the air with her chopsticks "—could you be tested for diseases so I can get pregnant? Hurry though, I'" He smiled at that "I couldn't do that anyway, at least not and keep it from him"

"But you would from me?"

She put down her chopsticks and rubbed her temple "It's different I went into this with the assurance that the donor would never know Donors sign away their rights"

"Unless the kid wants to find them"

She shrugged