“Enjoying the view?”
He greeted her with a soft laugh that sent ripples of pleasure all through her, settling between her legs. How could he do that to her with just a laugh?
“I’m very much enjoying it,” he said.
“You’ve got a perfect view of the sunset.”
“I wasn’t talking about that.”
She absently tugged at the bottom of her big sweater, which covered most of the country cotton dress she’d chosen for tonight. It was light blue, breezy, almost innocent except for the way the hem fluttered to the middle of her thighs, hinting at sauciness. She was wearing a pair of below-the-knee leather cowgirl boots to go with it.
He spoke again. “You look beautiful, Leigh.”
Right. She still looked like a country girl, except with a bit of shine on her. “That’s nice of you to say.”
A pause stretched over the line. Then, “If I didn’t know better, I would say you’re not used to compliments.”
She shrugged. The people who worked on her cooking show complimented her enough: the makeup artist, the stylist, the director. But she’d always figured it was their job to make her look good.
It could be that Callum was right about how she took compliments, though. It was just that, she’d never been the gorgeous one. She’d never been in first place for anything. That distinction had always belonged to someone else, like her older sister, Hannah, before that fateful day she’d gone for her last swim at a summer party. And then there’d been Margot in college, leaving Leigh in the dust again when it came to looks as well as accomplishments—at least until last night, when Margot had confessed that she wasn’t Miss Perfect anymore, what with losing her latest book contract.
But Margot was never a loser, and she would end up even more perfect in the end. Just wait and see. Hannah had been like that, too, and Leigh had done nothing but admire them both, wanting to emulate them, always trying her best to keep up.
Then, by some hormonal miracle, she’d lost her baby fat recently, and that was when she’d realized that maybe she could be in first place, too.
That didn’t mean she wanted to ruin this date and talk about life epiphanies with Callum, though.
She made a show of glancing around the abandoned beach. “Not much of a crowd here.”
“This is a secluded stretch, and it’s not tourist season right now. That’s why it’s so peaceful.”
“Are you coming down to join me?”
“Once again,” he said with a chuckle, “good try.”
She looked back up at the mansion—its blank windows, its imposing facade, its secrets. “I half expected to see a makeshift kitchen set up down here so I could cook you some beach food this time around.”
“We’ll get to the food, and the good news is that you’ll have the night off.”
“I liked cooking for you.”
“And I liked eating your meal after you left.”
If there was one thing she’d always done well, it was cook. The scales had always testified to that.
She brushed off the thought, knowing that Callum was watching her as she was right now—pounds lighter, with the breeze blowing her skirt around her much slimmer thighs. She felt impulsive. Totally revved up and ready for more adventure right now.
“So,” she said. “Are you telling me that you’ll be cooking for me this time?”
“I’ve prepared something.”
“Nothing too decadent I hope. I splurged enough last night.”
“You hardly ate anything.”
“Calories add up, you know.”
He got quiet again, then said, “The last thing I want you to do is think about what you can and can’t have. Promise me that.”
Raising her eyebrows, she decided not to comment. Most guys didn’t understand what it was like to constantly watch their weight. Damned if she would ever put all those pounds back on.
His next words rocked her. “You’ve always been the prettiest woman in the room, Leigh. Don’t you know that?”
Her skin burned with the compliment, but she still
He greeted her with a soft laugh that sent ripples of pleasure all through her, settling between her legs. How could he do that to her with just a laugh?
“I’m very much enjoying it,” he said.
“You’ve got a perfect view of the sunset.”
“I wasn’t talking about that.”
She absently tugged at the bottom of her big sweater, which covered most of the country cotton dress she’d chosen for tonight. It was light blue, breezy, almost innocent except for the way the hem fluttered to the middle of her thighs, hinting at sauciness. She was wearing a pair of below-the-knee leather cowgirl boots to go with it.
He spoke again. “You look beautiful, Leigh.”
Right. She still looked like a country girl, except with a bit of shine on her. “That’s nice of you to say.”
A pause stretched over the line. Then, “If I didn’t know better, I would say you’re not used to compliments.”
She shrugged. The people who worked on her cooking show complimented her enough: the makeup artist, the stylist, the director. But she’d always figured it was their job to make her look good.
It could be that Callum was right about how she took compliments, though. It was just that, she’d never been the gorgeous one. She’d never been in first place for anything. That distinction had always belonged to someone else, like her older sister, Hannah, before that fateful day she’d gone for her last swim at a summer party. And then there’d been Margot in college, leaving Leigh in the dust again when it came to looks as well as accomplishments—at least until last night, when Margot had confessed that she wasn’t Miss Perfect anymore, what with losing her latest book contract.
But Margot was never a loser, and she would end up even more perfect in the end. Just wait and see. Hannah had been like that, too, and Leigh had done nothing but admire them both, wanting to emulate them, always trying her best to keep up.
Then, by some hormonal miracle, she’d lost her baby fat recently, and that was when she’d realized that maybe she could be in first place, too.
That didn’t mean she wanted to ruin this date and talk about life epiphanies with Callum, though.
She made a show of glancing around the abandoned beach. “Not much of a crowd here.”
“This is a secluded stretch, and it’s not tourist season right now. That’s why it’s so peaceful.”
“Are you coming down to join me?”
“Once again,” he said with a chuckle, “good try.”
She looked back up at the mansion—its blank windows, its imposing facade, its secrets. “I half expected to see a makeshift kitchen set up down here so I could cook you some beach food this time around.”
“We’ll get to the food, and the good news is that you’ll have the night off.”
“I liked cooking for you.”
“And I liked eating your meal after you left.”
If there was one thing she’d always done well, it was cook. The scales had always testified to that.
She brushed off the thought, knowing that Callum was watching her as she was right now—pounds lighter, with the breeze blowing her skirt around her much slimmer thighs. She felt impulsive. Totally revved up and ready for more adventure right now.
“So,” she said. “Are you telling me that you’ll be cooking for me this time?”
“I’ve prepared something.”
“Nothing too decadent I hope. I splurged enough last night.”
“You hardly ate anything.”
“Calories add up, you know.”
He got quiet again, then said, “The last thing I want you to do is think about what you can and can’t have. Promise me that.”
Raising her eyebrows, she decided not to comment. Most guys didn’t understand what it was like to constantly watch their weight. Damned if she would ever put all those pounds back on.
His next words rocked her. “You’ve always been the prettiest woman in the room, Leigh. Don’t you know that?”
Her skin burned with the compliment, but she still
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