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Rob s smile was bleak.  Probably the same thing I ve been wanting to do to you.
Please, he murmured, shifting his glance sideways at the restaurant s staring
customers.  Sit down. Let me explain.
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Miss August
Taking the seat that Bret had vacated, Rob pulled it around to face her. When
Shelley sat down opposite him, he captured her knees between his. Reaching for her
hand, he watched it as he stroked the rough pad of his thumb across her fingers.
 I wanted to write, he started.  I submitted a few action-adventure stories early on
but they were all rejected. I thought the romance market was so& huge that maybe I
could get published there. Make enough money to tide me over until I could get
someone to take a serious look at my other work. He snorted.  My first romance was
pretty& erotic. It kind of took everyone by surprise. It sold so many copies it was
embarrassing. Next thing I knew, I had contracts on half a dozen more& romances. He
shrugged.  So I wrote erotic romance. Made a lot of money. And was completely
miserable because I didn t think I was writing what I wanted to write. As a man, I was
embarrassed to be writing women s romance. I sure as hell didn t want anyone to
know. I didn t even think that I believed in romance.
His gaze drifted across the terminal as he appeared to grope for an answer or an
idea.  Now I have to wonder if that s what I was looking for all along a reason to
believe in romance. I had no particular reason to be cynical. I just didn t believe in it
any of it until I met you. You were like the women in my stories. Strong and tender,
tough, resilient funny and the most generous person I ve ever met. You stepped in
to help me because you thought I d been hurt, that there was something wrong with
me. And maybe there was something wrong with me. Of all the women I ve ever made
love to, I ve never loved any of them. But then I d never met anyone like you. I think
maybe I was writing about the woman I couldn t find in real life. Replacing my real-life
disappointments with an imaginary heroine who was& my ideal. Then I met my ideal,
and all of a sudden I was a believer. I was in love, Shelley.
He rubbed her fingers through his as his voice dropped.  I can t believe you were
going to leave me, he almost whispered.
Shelley wrapped her fingers around his good thumb and gave it a fortifying
squeeze.  I m sorry. I just needed to get away for a week. To try to sort things out. I
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couldn t think of a good reason for you to hide the truth from me. The truth about
Bobbi. She smiled.  All I could think of were bad reasons.
 I m the one who should be apologizing. Right from the start, I let you believe I was
married. When I think how close I came to losing you& 
 No, she cut in quickly.  No, Rob. I wasn t leaving forever. I would have been in
touch with you again.
He nodded but looked unhappy just the same.  Is it too late to talk you out of
taking that flight?
Shelley smiled, tilting her head as she considered his question.  I don t know. What
can you offer me in place of a week in the mountains?
He leaned forward and cupped her chin in his large palm.  How about a night in
my bed, a week in my arms? A lifetime in my heart?
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Chapter Nine
Poor Rob. The man almost panicked when Shelley tried to get on the shuttle bus out
to the remote parking lots. Arguing that they could retrieve her car later, Rob dragged
Shelley toward the close-in parking where he d left his Jaguar.  Just humor me, he
growled when she insisted she wasn t going to sneak off on him.  We ll come back for
your car tomorrow. Right now I need you with me.
Closing her inside the beautiful old classic, Rob rounded the car and settled into the
driver s seat. After backing out of the parking slot, they were soon through the tollgates
and out on the highway. Only then did Rob seem to relax. The hard line of his
shoulders eased slightly as he threw her a smiling glance then leaned over to kiss her
briefly.
The Jaguar dodged through traffic at seventy miles an hour on the way north. The
smooth, rumbling purr of the high-performance engine filled the Jag s polished interior
with a heavy expectancy. In less than an hour they d be back at Rob s house with no
reason to hold back. There was going to be sex. Lots of sinfully glorious, naked, skin-on-
skin action. Rob shifted down into fourth, accelerating past a truck, then back up into
fifth again.
 You re driving fast, Shelley commented.
 I m sorry, Rob muttered.  I can t wait to get you home and finally get you
unwrapped. Is my driving making you nervous? [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]