Lessons in Seduction by Sandra Hyatt Page B

me.”
    â€œI give up. There’s no point in me doing this, I can’t help you if you won’t even try.”
    She headed for the door. But the Danni he remembered from the days they’d played chess and the times they’d played baseball never gave up. Ever. She wasn’t bluffing, she was mad. He thought quickly. “Skiing.”
    She stopped and looked back at him, her eyes narrowed in suspicion.
    â€œI enjoy skiing. It’s…fun.” Even the word sounded frivolous and insubstantial.
    Her smile reappeared and felt like a reward. “See, that wasn’t difficult, was it?”
    It hadn’t been as easy as it should have been. Maybe she was right and he’d become a complete bore. “I’m not a frivolous person.”
    She crossed back toward him. “Nobody wants you to be. It’s part of your appeal. But all work and no play…”
    She’d used the word appeal or appealing in conjunction with him before. And she looked at him now as though there was something there that intrigued her. There was most definitely something in her that intrigued him.
    And he had to quash it.
    â€œSo, you’ll drive me and a date of my choice to the mountains next weekend?” Focus on the task at hand. That was all he had to do.
    She shook her head. “I only agreed to drive for you once.”
    â€œI’ll make it worth your while.”
    Her gaze narrowed on him as though she was affronted. “I’m not that mercenary.”
    â€œYou used to be,” he said evenly, not buying the mock offense.
    Her grin slipped out. “When I was ten and only because my Dad never gave me pocket money and you and Rafe always had some. You’d pay for anything that you didn’t want to do yourselves.” She smiled, perhaps remembering the same things he was, the errands she’d run for them.
    â€œI have more pocket money now.” He winked at her.
    She seemed as surprised by the gesture as he was. He hadn’t winked at anyone in a very long time. But somehow Danni made the years slip away. He touched the bridge of his nose.
    She sighed heavily. “I’ll drive for you if you promise never to touch your nose again.”
    â€œPardon?”
    â€œYou do it deliberately to make me feel guilty. So that I’ll do what you want.”
    â€œHow on earth does my touching my nose make you feel guilty?”
    She rolled her eyes. “Because every time you touch that little bump, I remember how you got it in the first place.”
    â€œReally? And it makes you feel guilty? But it was an accident. As much my fault as yours.” He’d been sixteen and she’d only been eleven. But she’d had a hell of a swing with the baseball bat. And he’d been distracted. He’d been arguing with Rafe instead of paying attention to a game he hadn’t even really wanted to be a part of. The ball had come out of nowhere. That was the only time he’d ever seen Danni cry. Not because she’d been hurt but because she’d hurt him. And then she got mad at him for making her cry.
    â€œI know that. But I still feel guilty about it.”
    â€œSo, if I do this—” he touched the bump “—andask nicely, will you drive for me this weekend? Please, Danni.”
    â€œDon’t. That’s not fair.”
    He touched the bump again. “It’s actually hardly noticeable. I don’t see it when I look in the mirror, I can scarcely feel it.”
    â€œAdam. You’re playing dirty.”
    â€œNo, seriously. Touch it. It’s nothing. I think you’re imagining it.” He reached for her, circling his fingers around her wrist—she had such delicate wrists, like the rest of her—and he lifted her hand.
    Curiosity lit her eyes and she bit her bottom lip as she ever-so-tentatively touched the bridge of his nose. Her fingers were so close that he couldn’t focus on them but he could see