she watched him.
Then she forced herself to look at the moonlight instead of the man.
Stupid inner teenager. You’ve just gone too long without. And maybe you want some of tall-dark-and-handsome, but are you ready for an old-fashioned fling?
Why not? God knows marriage didn’t work.
For a while there was silence broken by munching sounds as Tanner finished off the food. Through half-closed eyes, Shaye watched the night and the black water turning silver in the moonlight. Slowly her pulse went down to normal.
Finally she let out a silent sigh, feeling herself uncurl in the quiet. For all his hard edges and male hunger, Tanner was an easy man to be with—when he wasn’t biting into her like a burger. He didn’t require constant conversation, admiration, and attention. Like her, he was at home in his own skin. Not smug or arrogant. Just not anxious for approval.
“Don’t judge the Conservancy by Kimberli’s public persona,” Shaye said finally. “Both of them do good work, necessary work.”
“So does a cop or a garbage collector.”
“And nobody dresses up to thank either one of you.”
He smiled slightly. “I knew there was a reason I became a cop. But you wear that little black dress like it was designed for you. Ditto for the glitter party.”
“My mother is like Kimberli, only more subtle. Either way, up-front scarlet or modestly pastel, I was raised to make the cocktail and charity circuit.”
Tanner chewed on that, then shook his head. “You must have driven your mother nuts.”
“My older sister made up for it. She never met a party or a volunteer committee she couldn’t take by sheer breeding and polite persistence.”
He noted that there was no resentment in Shaye’s voice, simply acceptance of the reality that she and her sister were different, and her mother and her sister were alike.
“You take after your father?”
“Nope. His mother. She did her own thing before it became the thing everyone had to do. So who do you take after, besides Lorne?”
Tanner accepted the change of subject, for the moment. Then he would switch it back to Shaye the first moment he could. He should be asking questions, not relaxing or wondering if the rest of her tasted as heady as the smell of her next to him.
“I’ve got Lorne’s eyes,” Tanner agreed, his voice deep.
“Noted. And his no-BS manner,” she said, sneaking a fry from his stash. “His height, and a few inches more. More muscles. Same steel core. Stubborn, too, I’d guess. And we’ve established that you have his temper.”
“Steal any more fries and you’ll find out all over again.”
She swallowed and licked her fingertips and wished she had the nerve to sample the bit of ketchup on his lower lip. “Terrifying thought.”
He watched her looking at his mouth.
She reached for another french fry.
“You were warned,” he said.
Slowly he put one big hand around her nape and eased her forward until their lips almost touched. Then he stopped, his muscles tightening against his thoughts.
“That was a little wishful thinking on my part,” he said finally against her lips.
She didn’t complete the kiss, but she didn’t pull away, either. She gave him a look that was level, curious, and warm. “Well, let’s say you’re a lot closer to it than when we first met.”
Tanner breathed out and hoped he didn’t look as disappointed as he was. “Close, but not there?”
“The thing about twins? There are two of them. Yes and No. My Yes twin can be dumb as a rock.”
“So No is in charge right now.” Tanner pulled back a bit but didn’t remove his hand from her nape. “Bad luck with Yes?”
She let herself enjoy the caress of his hand against her neck. “I made a bad choice with a marriage.”
“Burned, huh?”
“Yeah. Knowing you have bad taste in men really makes it easy to say no.” She shifted herself against his hand, savoring the masculine texture and heat. “This is the first time I’ve regretted it.”
Then she forced herself to look at the moonlight instead of the man.
Stupid inner teenager. You’ve just gone too long without. And maybe you want some of tall-dark-and-handsome, but are you ready for an old-fashioned fling?
Why not? God knows marriage didn’t work.
For a while there was silence broken by munching sounds as Tanner finished off the food. Through half-closed eyes, Shaye watched the night and the black water turning silver in the moonlight. Slowly her pulse went down to normal.
Finally she let out a silent sigh, feeling herself uncurl in the quiet. For all his hard edges and male hunger, Tanner was an easy man to be with—when he wasn’t biting into her like a burger. He didn’t require constant conversation, admiration, and attention. Like her, he was at home in his own skin. Not smug or arrogant. Just not anxious for approval.
“Don’t judge the Conservancy by Kimberli’s public persona,” Shaye said finally. “Both of them do good work, necessary work.”
“So does a cop or a garbage collector.”
“And nobody dresses up to thank either one of you.”
He smiled slightly. “I knew there was a reason I became a cop. But you wear that little black dress like it was designed for you. Ditto for the glitter party.”
“My mother is like Kimberli, only more subtle. Either way, up-front scarlet or modestly pastel, I was raised to make the cocktail and charity circuit.”
Tanner chewed on that, then shook his head. “You must have driven your mother nuts.”
“My older sister made up for it. She never met a party or a volunteer committee she couldn’t take by sheer breeding and polite persistence.”
He noted that there was no resentment in Shaye’s voice, simply acceptance of the reality that she and her sister were different, and her mother and her sister were alike.
“You take after your father?”
“Nope. His mother. She did her own thing before it became the thing everyone had to do. So who do you take after, besides Lorne?”
Tanner accepted the change of subject, for the moment. Then he would switch it back to Shaye the first moment he could. He should be asking questions, not relaxing or wondering if the rest of her tasted as heady as the smell of her next to him.
“I’ve got Lorne’s eyes,” Tanner agreed, his voice deep.
“Noted. And his no-BS manner,” she said, sneaking a fry from his stash. “His height, and a few inches more. More muscles. Same steel core. Stubborn, too, I’d guess. And we’ve established that you have his temper.”
“Steal any more fries and you’ll find out all over again.”
She swallowed and licked her fingertips and wished she had the nerve to sample the bit of ketchup on his lower lip. “Terrifying thought.”
He watched her looking at his mouth.
She reached for another french fry.
“You were warned,” he said.
Slowly he put one big hand around her nape and eased her forward until their lips almost touched. Then he stopped, his muscles tightening against his thoughts.
“That was a little wishful thinking on my part,” he said finally against her lips.
She didn’t complete the kiss, but she didn’t pull away, either. She gave him a look that was level, curious, and warm. “Well, let’s say you’re a lot closer to it than when we first met.”
Tanner breathed out and hoped he didn’t look as disappointed as he was. “Close, but not there?”
“The thing about twins? There are two of them. Yes and No. My Yes twin can be dumb as a rock.”
“So No is in charge right now.” Tanner pulled back a bit but didn’t remove his hand from her nape. “Bad luck with Yes?”
She let herself enjoy the caress of his hand against her neck. “I made a bad choice with a marriage.”
“Burned, huh?”
“Yeah. Knowing you have bad taste in men really makes it easy to say no.” She shifted herself against his hand, savoring the masculine texture and heat. “This is the first time I’ve regretted it.”
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