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"I refuse to believe that any of those women by your pool eat They're all ribs and silicone"

He stared at her "I don't believe I've ever called those girls sexy, have I?"

She forced herself to s "I guess I just assumed"

"They're not my type"

The noise of the pizza joint fell away and she felt like they were the only people in the room

"As far back as I can re"

Why did he have to be so predictable, such a cavemen?

"Brains" He grinned, then looked down at her aood too"

She reached out for her soda, trying not to sho pleased she was by his co on to wo to extricate herself fro hiht there on the table "Unexpected co on their hidden assets"

Ignoring her sarcasht, and I don't want you to try to turn it around or read anything bad into it, okay?"

She looked up at him and saw sincerity in his eyes "I'm all ears"

"Your date was an ass He was crazy for not paying attention to you And he doesn't deserve you"

His words hung in the air, and Julie could have sworn she heard what he didn't say: And I don't deserve you, either

Only she was starting to wonder if maybe he did

Ty bought her an ice cream cone and she enjoyed t more than she should have If she'd had any sense of self-preservation she would have ended the night long ago, locked herself in her bedroom and forced herself to watch the news or read a book

But surprisingly, she enjoyed his company He had a natural charraphs outside the ice cream parlor When the two of the in her world felt like it had been turned upside down

She couldn't deny the truth any longer She wanted hi her Wanted hier cared what her brain was telling it or the warning sirens clanging around in her head

"Thanks for a great night," she said, and sheto say she didn't want it to end

He reached for her hands, rubbed his thumbs across the sensitive skin "How about next time we leave your date at home?"

"Okay," she whispered, letting him pull her closer She hadn't wanted to be kissed thisacross the deck straight toward her, the embodiment of her crush

"Good night, Julie," he said, then leaned down and kissed her gently on the cheek

She stood co like a rock She watched hiuest bedroom and close the door with a soft click

She'd just been turned down by the one man who had never turned down anyone in his life She'd never felt so stupid, so embarrassed, so senselessly aroused in all her life

Ty sat down hard on the queen-size bed in the guest roo hard it was for him to keep his hands off of her? How ht there on the carpet in front of her fireplace?

He couldn't think of the last ti he experienced on a regular basis--until Julie

Of all the tientleman

Ty ripped off his shirt, breaking several buttons in his haste He wanted Julie to know that he could behave appropriately, that he respected her, that he wasn't going to ravage her without wooing her first

Not that pizza and ice creas in the world, but they were a hell of a lot better than a boring dinner with the world's uy

Jeez, what on earth had she seen in that jerk?

It was obvious frouy that he ealthy and successful and caht side of the tracks But apart fro for him Julie could do much better Didn't she know that?

He turned on ESPN and hit the floor to do some sit-ups

He hoped Julie was happy with the sacrifice he ht Because he wasn't sure he had it in hiain

She rolled over on her stoht She counted to a hundred, then counted back to one, but nothing helped She couldn't sleep--not with Ty so near For hours she'd stared at the wall, wished she had X-ray vision, wished she could see what he earing, if he was naked Was he touching hi her lips were on him, her hands?

Again she heard a voice inside her say, Enough! But this ti for the one ain No, this tiet what you want, what you need Go on Go now

She ripped off her sleep shirt and dug in her lingerie drawer for so lacy Then she walked out into the hall, to Ty's closed door