going to be your next and your last husband. We’re going to be married, you know.”
“No, I didn’t know. This is utterly insane.”
“I agree completely.”
“We don’t even know each other.”
“That’s definitely a stumbling block, but one that can be easily remedied in this situation.”
“You have to be joking.” Her eyes were wide in her pale face.
He shook his head. “If I am, the joke’s on me. I’m not a boy any longer. I suppose it must seem a little ludicrous to you that a man of my age could fall in love as violently as any teenager, but that’s what I’ve done.” He liftedher left palm to his lips and pressed a warm kiss on the soft skin. Holding her gaze with his own, he said softly, “I’ve fallen in love with you, Lisa Landon. Wildly, passionately, romantically, and with all the accompanying uncomfortable symptoms. I’m jealous as hell, possessive, and miserably uncertain.” He shook his head. “You can laugh if you like. I know I must be funny as the devil.”
“I don’t feel like laughing.” Her palm was tingling, burning beneath his lips, and she felt panic racing within her. “You actually mean it, don’t you?”
“I told you I didn’t lie. Of course I mean it.”
She moistened her lips. “I’m not ever going to be married again. Not ever.”
“I won’t push you. I’ll give you the time you need to adjust to the idea,” he said quietly. “I just thought I’d better get everything out in the open. This situation is complicated enough without your misunderstanding my intentions.” He smiled with surprising sweetness. “My intention is to marry you and love you for the rest of our lives. Is that clear enough?”
Lisa shook her head. “I won’t marry you, Clancy. Not if you wait a hundred years.” She met his eyes directly. “And I don’t love you.”
“I didn’t expect you to love me. It would have been too much to hope that we’d both succumb to the same insanity.” His warm, wet tongue suddenly stroked her palm. “But you do want me. I’m experienced enough to recognize those particular signs. I’ll start with that and work my way up.”
“No! I won’t let you—” She broke off. His teeth were gently nibbling at the smooth tips of her fingers. She felt her heart jerk and then start to pound wildly. “Clancy, stop. I’m not like this. I don’t fall into bed with every man who crooks his finger.”
“I know that. It was all in your dossier. You haven’t been with a man since you divorced Baldwin. After I realized the exact nature of my affliction, I found that very comforting reading.”
“That damn dossier.” His tongue was licking the hollows at the base of her fingers, and she had to concentrate to bring her thoughts backto the subject. “It’s practically indecent to pry into a woman’s personal life like that.”
“I’ll ask Alex to send you mine. It must still be around somewhere. Then we’ll be even.”
She could see the drumming of the pulse in his temple and felt a sudden urge to reach out and touch that vital life force.
“Okay?”
“What?” He was so warm and alive that she could feel the heat and vitality radiating from his big body, surrounding her, nearly overpowering her.
He grinned. “Why do I feel you aren’t paying proper attention to my soulful declaration? Which isn’t at all kind, considering that I’ve never told a woman I was mad about her before.”
“You’re mad, period. Love at first sight is something out of a storybook. Sexual attraction at first sight I can accept. But love …” She shook her head. “It’s too far-fetched. In a few days you’ll be glad I didn’t take you seriously.”
“Not that far-fetched. I’ve seen it happen before, but I’ve always been on the outsidelooking in. I’m familiar enough with the phenomenon to recognize it when it appears on my horizon.” He gently touched her lips with his fingertips. “I never thought it would happen to me. I thought I
“No, I didn’t know. This is utterly insane.”
“I agree completely.”
“We don’t even know each other.”
“That’s definitely a stumbling block, but one that can be easily remedied in this situation.”
“You have to be joking.” Her eyes were wide in her pale face.
He shook his head. “If I am, the joke’s on me. I’m not a boy any longer. I suppose it must seem a little ludicrous to you that a man of my age could fall in love as violently as any teenager, but that’s what I’ve done.” He liftedher left palm to his lips and pressed a warm kiss on the soft skin. Holding her gaze with his own, he said softly, “I’ve fallen in love with you, Lisa Landon. Wildly, passionately, romantically, and with all the accompanying uncomfortable symptoms. I’m jealous as hell, possessive, and miserably uncertain.” He shook his head. “You can laugh if you like. I know I must be funny as the devil.”
“I don’t feel like laughing.” Her palm was tingling, burning beneath his lips, and she felt panic racing within her. “You actually mean it, don’t you?”
“I told you I didn’t lie. Of course I mean it.”
She moistened her lips. “I’m not ever going to be married again. Not ever.”
“I won’t push you. I’ll give you the time you need to adjust to the idea,” he said quietly. “I just thought I’d better get everything out in the open. This situation is complicated enough without your misunderstanding my intentions.” He smiled with surprising sweetness. “My intention is to marry you and love you for the rest of our lives. Is that clear enough?”
Lisa shook her head. “I won’t marry you, Clancy. Not if you wait a hundred years.” She met his eyes directly. “And I don’t love you.”
“I didn’t expect you to love me. It would have been too much to hope that we’d both succumb to the same insanity.” His warm, wet tongue suddenly stroked her palm. “But you do want me. I’m experienced enough to recognize those particular signs. I’ll start with that and work my way up.”
“No! I won’t let you—” She broke off. His teeth were gently nibbling at the smooth tips of her fingers. She felt her heart jerk and then start to pound wildly. “Clancy, stop. I’m not like this. I don’t fall into bed with every man who crooks his finger.”
“I know that. It was all in your dossier. You haven’t been with a man since you divorced Baldwin. After I realized the exact nature of my affliction, I found that very comforting reading.”
“That damn dossier.” His tongue was licking the hollows at the base of her fingers, and she had to concentrate to bring her thoughts backto the subject. “It’s practically indecent to pry into a woman’s personal life like that.”
“I’ll ask Alex to send you mine. It must still be around somewhere. Then we’ll be even.”
She could see the drumming of the pulse in his temple and felt a sudden urge to reach out and touch that vital life force.
“Okay?”
“What?” He was so warm and alive that she could feel the heat and vitality radiating from his big body, surrounding her, nearly overpowering her.
He grinned. “Why do I feel you aren’t paying proper attention to my soulful declaration? Which isn’t at all kind, considering that I’ve never told a woman I was mad about her before.”
“You’re mad, period. Love at first sight is something out of a storybook. Sexual attraction at first sight I can accept. But love …” She shook her head. “It’s too far-fetched. In a few days you’ll be glad I didn’t take you seriously.”
“Not that far-fetched. I’ve seen it happen before, but I’ve always been on the outsidelooking in. I’m familiar enough with the phenomenon to recognize it when it appears on my horizon.” He gently touched her lips with his fingertips. “I never thought it would happen to me. I thought I
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