deny himself many things, but when he did he usually accepted it and moved on. Except this time. Perversely, the more he denied himself the right to think about Georgie as anything besides his best friend’s little sister, the more he wanted her.
“I remember,” he said tightly.
“Sam, I really think you need some wine.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re too surly, for fuck’s sake. And your answers are monosyllabic to say the least. You need to loosen up, relax a bit. We’re just old friends catching up again. There’s nothing sinister in my questions.”
Suddenly, wine didn’t seem like such a bad idea. He grabbed a glass from the cabinet. He wouldn’t drink much, but a few sips wouldn’t hurt him. God knew, with his body mass, it took a lot to get him drunk. And at least if he appeared to be drinking with her, she might stop asking so many damn questions.
“Happy?” he asked after he’d taken a swig.
She smiled. “Getting there.”
CHAPTER FIVE
GEORGEANNE WATCHED SAM PROWL around the kitchen and felt like the annoying kid tagging after the big boys all over again. He clearly didn’t want to be cooped up in this house with her, and he damn sure didn’t want to talk about anything. What was so damn difficult about saying whether or not he’d ever been in love?
“I’m sorry this is a pain in the ass for you,” she finally said when he gave the pasta another sharp twist with the spoon. He glanced at her over his shoulder, then picked up the pot and came over to dump the contents in the strainer. Steam bellowed up from the sink, obscuring his face for a second.
“It’s not a pain in the ass. It’s just been so damn long since I’ve seen you that I’m not sure what to say to you anymore.”
Georgeanne could only gape at him. “How can you not know what to say? We haven’t seen each other in six years—and that was only while you glared at me and Tim at our reception.”
He banged the pan down. “Of course I glared. You were marrying an asshole.”
“Well I didn’t know that,” she said primly. “I thought he was wonderful.” Mostly wonderful , she amended in her head. After that aborted night with Sam, she’d gone off to college and had a string of boyfriends she didn’t really care about. Then, in her senior year, she’d started going out with Tim. He’d been funny and he’d had just enough of that cocky male arrogance to remind her of Sam. Not a good reason to go out with someone, but by the time she’d agreed to marry him, she’d forgotten all about Sam. Well, mostly forgotten.
“He was always a prick. Too much money, too spoiled, and acted like everyone owed him something.”
She nodded. “You won’t get an argument out of me these days. Go ahead and trash him all you like. But for a while, I did love him. And I think he loved me.”
Sam’s gaze snapped to hers, his dark eyes glittering hot. “Of course he did. He’d have been a fool not to.”
Astonishment ricocheted through her. “Why Sam, are you complimenting me?”
“Is that so hard to believe?”
She took another drink of her wine. “Well, I don’t know. You’ve pretty much frowned and growled at me since I turned fifteen.”
He looked thoughtful. “Have I?”
“Hell, you even frowned that night out at Hopeful Lake. If there was ever a moment not to frown, that would have been it. Or do you always look like that when you’re about to have sex with some woman you’ve taken home for the night?”
“Jesus, Georgie. Why do you keep reminding me about that night?”
She shrugged. “It’s pretty much the last time I had any interaction with you. And it was pretty memorable, you have to admit. Though it could have certainly been more so.”
He turned back to the stove with a growl and she shook her head. “I’m beginning to think you’re a prude, Sam. Every time I mention anything to do with sex, you can’t shut me down fast enough.”
He brought the vegetables and sauce over to the
“I remember,” he said tightly.
“Sam, I really think you need some wine.”
“Why?”
“Because you’re too surly, for fuck’s sake. And your answers are monosyllabic to say the least. You need to loosen up, relax a bit. We’re just old friends catching up again. There’s nothing sinister in my questions.”
Suddenly, wine didn’t seem like such a bad idea. He grabbed a glass from the cabinet. He wouldn’t drink much, but a few sips wouldn’t hurt him. God knew, with his body mass, it took a lot to get him drunk. And at least if he appeared to be drinking with her, she might stop asking so many damn questions.
“Happy?” he asked after he’d taken a swig.
She smiled. “Getting there.”
CHAPTER FIVE
GEORGEANNE WATCHED SAM PROWL around the kitchen and felt like the annoying kid tagging after the big boys all over again. He clearly didn’t want to be cooped up in this house with her, and he damn sure didn’t want to talk about anything. What was so damn difficult about saying whether or not he’d ever been in love?
“I’m sorry this is a pain in the ass for you,” she finally said when he gave the pasta another sharp twist with the spoon. He glanced at her over his shoulder, then picked up the pot and came over to dump the contents in the strainer. Steam bellowed up from the sink, obscuring his face for a second.
“It’s not a pain in the ass. It’s just been so damn long since I’ve seen you that I’m not sure what to say to you anymore.”
Georgeanne could only gape at him. “How can you not know what to say? We haven’t seen each other in six years—and that was only while you glared at me and Tim at our reception.”
He banged the pan down. “Of course I glared. You were marrying an asshole.”
“Well I didn’t know that,” she said primly. “I thought he was wonderful.” Mostly wonderful , she amended in her head. After that aborted night with Sam, she’d gone off to college and had a string of boyfriends she didn’t really care about. Then, in her senior year, she’d started going out with Tim. He’d been funny and he’d had just enough of that cocky male arrogance to remind her of Sam. Not a good reason to go out with someone, but by the time she’d agreed to marry him, she’d forgotten all about Sam. Well, mostly forgotten.
“He was always a prick. Too much money, too spoiled, and acted like everyone owed him something.”
She nodded. “You won’t get an argument out of me these days. Go ahead and trash him all you like. But for a while, I did love him. And I think he loved me.”
Sam’s gaze snapped to hers, his dark eyes glittering hot. “Of course he did. He’d have been a fool not to.”
Astonishment ricocheted through her. “Why Sam, are you complimenting me?”
“Is that so hard to believe?”
She took another drink of her wine. “Well, I don’t know. You’ve pretty much frowned and growled at me since I turned fifteen.”
He looked thoughtful. “Have I?”
“Hell, you even frowned that night out at Hopeful Lake. If there was ever a moment not to frown, that would have been it. Or do you always look like that when you’re about to have sex with some woman you’ve taken home for the night?”
“Jesus, Georgie. Why do you keep reminding me about that night?”
She shrugged. “It’s pretty much the last time I had any interaction with you. And it was pretty memorable, you have to admit. Though it could have certainly been more so.”
He turned back to the stove with a growl and she shook her head. “I’m beginning to think you’re a prude, Sam. Every time I mention anything to do with sex, you can’t shut me down fast enough.”
He brought the vegetables and sauce over to the
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