just this side of rare –his favorite way to eat red meat.
“Mmmmm. That’s awesome. Allison, you are a genius.”
She relaxed and took the first bite herself.
After a few moments of silence, he said, “So, I did some more thinking about your little test while I was out for my run…”
Allison almost shrieked and looked at him with big scared eyes. “You already agreed. You can’t back out now.”
“I really think…”
“Besides, it’s already late, and you wouldn’t want me driving back to Sandy Beach at this time of night. Would you?”
Russell felt like a cad and shook his head. “No, of course not. I just thought…”
“Please don’t. It won’t be so bad. Just one week,” she cajoled him.
Russell nodded his head and continued eating. She sure was persistent. He actually liked that, just not right now.
“So, what time do you need to get up in the morning?” Allison asked.
“Why?”
She beamed at him. “So that I know what time to get up and fix breakfast.”
“Allison, you don’t need to take care of me,” he growled at her. “I don’t eat breakfast anyways.”
Allison shrugged. “Hmm, not what I remember.”
He glared at her, but the memory of her heavenly delicious crêpes softened his growl and all he could do was nod. The thought of the last time made his mouth water. He’d love to have breakfast, he just hated to cook it and eat all by himself.
She continued, “It’s really no bother. I love breakfast and I’m going to be cooking for myself anyways. I might as well make enough for two.”
Russell wanted to be mad at her, but her sweet, innocent smile wouldn’t let him. Instead, he felt his body responding and was tempted to take her into his arms and kiss her senseless. No way are you going there. No getting attached to the crazy lady who invited herself to stay for the week.
Allison was everything he’s been subconsciously looking for in a woman. A woman he could trust, a woman he wanted to wake up with every morning. A woman he could love with all his heart. If only he accepted that he still had a heart full of emotions.
While his body had long given up resisting Allison’s attractions, his head still thought he wasn’t cut out for a relationship and she’d be better off with another man.
I’ve been perfectly fine on my own for the last twelve years. Why should I change that?
But a little nagging voice in the back of his head told him it would be nice to have a girlfriend to share his daily life with. Think how much he enjoyed having his sister Toni back in his life, and not only her, but also the huge family of her fiancé Douglas Armstrong.
Russell had enough and told that little voice to shut up. Anyone he’d ever loved had left him. His parents died and left him. His sister had left him. But only after you kicked her out. His ex-girlfriend Sandrine…he slammed a stop on those memories. They were too painful.
Russell inwardly sighed. He’d had no choice but to kick Toni out a decade ago. She’d been stuck after their parents’ death, and totally dependent upon Russell for everything. She’d needed a good kick in the seat of the pants to force her to get a grip on her life again. And it had worked.
But what about you? Did you get on with your life? His subconscious was on a roll, asking all the difficult questions he’d been avoiding for years.
Of course he had. He was a highly successful, considerably rich and famous plastic surgeon. He had lots of clients, a fantastic business partner, and friends. Correct that. Not friends. Acquaintances. Colleagues.
Russell was okay with not having friends. Friends expected emotions back and love, even if only on a platonic level. Who needs love? Not me. Love only hurts.
During his inner dialogue, Allison had become very quiet and watched him with big eyes. When he became aware of her piercing stare, he felt vulnerable and naked. Exposed.
What if she could see right through his masque and into his
“Mmmmm. That’s awesome. Allison, you are a genius.”
She relaxed and took the first bite herself.
After a few moments of silence, he said, “So, I did some more thinking about your little test while I was out for my run…”
Allison almost shrieked and looked at him with big scared eyes. “You already agreed. You can’t back out now.”
“I really think…”
“Besides, it’s already late, and you wouldn’t want me driving back to Sandy Beach at this time of night. Would you?”
Russell felt like a cad and shook his head. “No, of course not. I just thought…”
“Please don’t. It won’t be so bad. Just one week,” she cajoled him.
Russell nodded his head and continued eating. She sure was persistent. He actually liked that, just not right now.
“So, what time do you need to get up in the morning?” Allison asked.
“Why?”
She beamed at him. “So that I know what time to get up and fix breakfast.”
“Allison, you don’t need to take care of me,” he growled at her. “I don’t eat breakfast anyways.”
Allison shrugged. “Hmm, not what I remember.”
He glared at her, but the memory of her heavenly delicious crêpes softened his growl and all he could do was nod. The thought of the last time made his mouth water. He’d love to have breakfast, he just hated to cook it and eat all by himself.
She continued, “It’s really no bother. I love breakfast and I’m going to be cooking for myself anyways. I might as well make enough for two.”
Russell wanted to be mad at her, but her sweet, innocent smile wouldn’t let him. Instead, he felt his body responding and was tempted to take her into his arms and kiss her senseless. No way are you going there. No getting attached to the crazy lady who invited herself to stay for the week.
Allison was everything he’s been subconsciously looking for in a woman. A woman he could trust, a woman he wanted to wake up with every morning. A woman he could love with all his heart. If only he accepted that he still had a heart full of emotions.
While his body had long given up resisting Allison’s attractions, his head still thought he wasn’t cut out for a relationship and she’d be better off with another man.
I’ve been perfectly fine on my own for the last twelve years. Why should I change that?
But a little nagging voice in the back of his head told him it would be nice to have a girlfriend to share his daily life with. Think how much he enjoyed having his sister Toni back in his life, and not only her, but also the huge family of her fiancé Douglas Armstrong.
Russell had enough and told that little voice to shut up. Anyone he’d ever loved had left him. His parents died and left him. His sister had left him. But only after you kicked her out. His ex-girlfriend Sandrine…he slammed a stop on those memories. They were too painful.
Russell inwardly sighed. He’d had no choice but to kick Toni out a decade ago. She’d been stuck after their parents’ death, and totally dependent upon Russell for everything. She’d needed a good kick in the seat of the pants to force her to get a grip on her life again. And it had worked.
But what about you? Did you get on with your life? His subconscious was on a roll, asking all the difficult questions he’d been avoiding for years.
Of course he had. He was a highly successful, considerably rich and famous plastic surgeon. He had lots of clients, a fantastic business partner, and friends. Correct that. Not friends. Acquaintances. Colleagues.
Russell was okay with not having friends. Friends expected emotions back and love, even if only on a platonic level. Who needs love? Not me. Love only hurts.
During his inner dialogue, Allison had become very quiet and watched him with big eyes. When he became aware of her piercing stare, he felt vulnerable and naked. Exposed.
What if she could see right through his masque and into his
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