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Their eyes ot to her knees Slowly she hooked a finger under one shoulder strap and slid it off She slid off the second There were three satin ties on the teddy, just between her breasts, and she reached for them
Da quickened, but his eyes never left hers
“One,” she said softly “Two Three”
With a throaty growl, he tu tihs and whispers of love
He refused to believe that she could cook
They discussed it, one afternoon, as Laurel sat in a field of daisies with Damian’s head in her lap
She re in her kitchen He reallantly, that it had reseone bad
Laurel plucked a handful of daisies and scattered them over his chest
“I’ll have you know that I h bread in the world”
“Uh-huh”
“What do you e He loves my bread”
“George,” Dareat even if it tasted like wet cardboard”
Laurel dumped more daisies over him “He is not besotted with anyone but his oife”
Dah hers There was so he should have told her sooner It ht to know
“It’s good, for a man to be besotted with his wife,” he said softly
She smiled and brushed a daisy petal from his hair
“Is it?”
“Did I ever tell you,” he asked, catching her hand and raising it to his mouth, “that I was married before?”
Laurel’s teasing smile vanished “No No, you didn’t”
“Well, I was For a grand total of three weeks”
“What happened?” She tried another smile and hoped this one worked “Don’t tell me The lady served you a slice of wet cardboard, called it sourdough bread and you sent her packing”
“Nothing so si in common She wanted my name and my money, and I”
“And you? What did you want?”
“Out,” he said, with a little laugh, “ale was a complete mistake I think we both knew it”
“Why did you ave hinant, too?”
She regretted the ugly words as soon as she’d said them, but it was too late to call them back Damian sat up, his face cold and hard
“No She was not pregnant Had she been, I can assure you, I would still be married to her”
“Because it would have been your duty” Laurel stood up and dusted the grass from her shorts “Of course,” she said, and started briskly toward the house, “I alot how noble you are, Damian Sorry”
“Theé rily he clasped her shoulders and spun her around “What is thedivorced a wo that I would have done the right thing by her, if I’d had to?”
“I’ry with you at all” Her s curious Damian After all, I only just found out you have an ex-wife”
“I told you, the relationship was ot married By the time we realized e’d done, it was too late”
“Yes, well, that’s what happens, when a person marries impetuously”
“Daive me that look!”
“What look? It’s the only one I’ve got—but hoould you know that?”