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.""John -""Can we go eat now? Because I spent what should have been breakfast walking my dog who'd beencooped up alone all night, and I'm hungry enough to eat my way through the Chinese buffet down theroad."Lunch turned out to be not nearly the nightmare she'd imagined.True to his word, John did eat hisway through the buffet.She settled for the salad bar, knowing a heavy carb meal would put her tosleep when she went back to the office to tackle that corporate file again.Not that she should be sleepy.She'd slept surprisingly well last night despite John Quigley'spresence on her couch downstairs.Sure she'd never get to sleep after that crazy proposition he'd putto her - a crazy proposition that she'd accepted, God help her -- she'd fallen into the deepest sleepshe'd managed in weeks.As angry as he frequently made her, as overbearing as he tended to be, shefelt completely safe when he was there.Okay, dammit, she'd slept surprisingly well because of John Quigley's presence on her couch.Which unnerved her more than she wanted to admit.She didn't need a man around to feel fulfilled.She didn't need a man around to take care of her or shield her from the realities of life.Look whereher mother had ended up, widowed at fifty-seven years of age and unable to balance her own checkbook.And all because she'd relied on a man.A good man, for sure.But not a good thing.She'd beenill-equipped to fend for herself."Something wrong?"Lost in her thoughts, Suzannah jumped when John laid a hand on hers atop the table."Whoa," he said."Take it easy.""I'm not used to being touched."He arched an eyebrow."I mean, without an invitation."He grinned."Better get used to it.Nobody is going to believe this relationship if I don't lay handson you as often as I can.At least, nobody who knows me."As if she needed a reminder of his physicality.As if she weren't perfectly aware of the malevitality thrumming under that seemingly still, watchful exterior.As if she hadn't felt that pure sexualenergy brush her skin."Anyone who knows me knows how much I abhor public demonstrations." Oh, God, was that hervoice? So stiff and stilted.So disapproving.So repressed.His grin broadened, spreading across his face like the sun dawning."Honey, that's exactly whythey're gonna believe this." He lifted her hand and planted a kiss in her palm.Her breath caught in her lungs at the brush of his lips.Then she felt his tongue stroke a path of fireacross her sensitive palm.Just as quickly, he released her hand.She pulled it back as though it hadbeen scorched, burying it in her lap."Just so you know, I'm gonna kiss you before I let you get in that obscenely expensive little car anddrive away."Her pulse took another leap, but she forced herself to pick up her water goblet and take anunhurried sip.He was enjoying this altogether too much, the bastard.No doubt because he saw howmuch it discomfited her.She could soon fix that, though.Quickly, she lowered her gaze to her partially eaten salad so he couldn't read her eyes."You knowwhat they say, forewarned is forearmed."The rest of the meal passed uneventfully enough, but Suzannah had a hard time bringing her pulserate back down into the normal range.She was too busy thinking about the kiss to come in the parkinglot.John didn't seem unduly stirred up about it, but of course he had no way of knowing what he wasin for.She allowed herself a smile as she sipped her coffee.* * *Quigg was conscious of the eyes watching them as he paid the bill for their lunch.Good.That'swhat it was all about.The more people who noticed, and the sooner they noticed, the better.Not that this gig was all bad.Baiting Suzannah almost made up for the aggravation of having tobabysit her.Tucking his wallet back in his pocket, he put a proprietary hand on the small of her back to guideher toward the exit.Together, they strolled out into the parking lot.After the air-conditioned interior of the restaurant, the heat hit them like a slap, rising in wavesfrom the asphalt.Suzannah's shiny little Beemer was a cream-colored shimmer at the far end of theparking lot.As they neared it, he felt the tension in her mount.Good enough for her.If she wasn't such a stubborn little miss, he wouldn't have to be here.If she'djust agree to an official investigation, there'd be no need of this pretend affair.If she had an ounce ofsense, she wouldn't be getting all bent out of shape right now over having to endure a public kiss in aparking lot [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]