“Yes, that’s what I said.”
“Then why are your arms still around my neck?”
She jerked them back as if someone had poured boiling water on them. “I didn’t realize— I forgot.”
He gave her a cocky grin. “Anytime you want to forget again, just let me know, Elise. I’ll be happy to accommodate you.”
“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary,” she assured him, looking away after taking one last quick glance at his lips. Hard to believe a kiss had brought that much pleasure.
She reached for the door handle again, determined to get out of the car before she changed her mind. Temptation, thy name is James.
He didn’t try to stop her. He got out, too, and came around to meet her at the front of the car. “I’ll walk you to the door,” he said in a husky voice.
“No, it’s perfectly safe. Well-lit. I—I’ll be all right.”
“I’m walking you to the door,” he insisted, taking hold of her arm.
Shivers ran over her body at his touch. Since he had an obstinate look on his face, she decided it would be quicker if she let him accompany her. Then he’d go away.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” he asked, as they rushed up the stairs.
“It—it might rain,” she suggested.
“In Phoenix? Maybe in July, Elise, but it doesn’t rain much the rest of the year.”
“I thought I saw some clouds,” she argued.
She came to a halt in front of her door, frantically searching for her keys. He stood patiently beside her, waiting, which surprised her. Maybe she was worrying about nothing. He probably had no interest in kissing her again. She was being foolish.
Drawing a sigh of relief both at finding her keys and deciding she’d been wrong about James, she smiled at him. “I found them.”
“Good,” he said, and swept her back into his arms for another devastating kiss.
“H EY, BRO , you got a minute?” Bobby asked, when James answered the phone the next morning.
James sat up in bed and searched for the alarm clock he kept by his bed. It was almost ten o’clock. He hadn’t slept that late in years.
“Uh, yeah, Bobby, what is it?” Then it occurred to him that his brother might have heard rumorsabout him and Elise. He clutched the phone more tightly.
“You remember the girl who wasn’t projecting?”
James couldn’t even think of a proper response. That question had come out of left field as far as he was concerned.
“Hey, James, did I wake you up?”
“Yeah, but that’s all right, I—”
“Man, you never used to sleep late. Is something wrong?”
“No, not at all. I had a late night. Now what about that girl?”
“Sandy. Remember? She wasn’t projecting and—”
“Yeah, I remember. What’s wrong? Did I hurt her feelings?” He couldn’t think of any other reason Bobby would want him to remember the girl.
“No, of course not. I told her the same thing. But her dad’s a bigwig with one of the banks in town, and Sandy’s invited me to a party they’re having honoring her dad. I don’t want to embarrass her by driving up in my old car. I wondered if I could borrow yours.”
“Sure.”
“That was quick. You haven’t even asked what day,” Bobby pointed out.
“Doesn’t matter. I—I can always borrow MaryBelle’s car if I need it. Or rent one.”
Bobby chuckled. “Yeah, right, I can just see you behind the wheel of MaryBelle’s car.”
James didn’t want to discuss the likelihood of that happening. “When do you need it?”
“Uh, tonight. I should’ve called earlier, but I was debating with myself.”
“You know I don’t mind. I offered to buy you a car when your last one broke down.”
“I know you did. You’re a great brother, but I have to make it on my own.”
“You’re a pretty special brother yourself. Be careful about dating someone who isn’t satisfied with you and what you have.” That described Sylvia to a tee. James wouldn’t want that for anyone, much less his baby brother.
“You taught me that lesson, bro. How is
“Then why are your arms still around my neck?”
She jerked them back as if someone had poured boiling water on them. “I didn’t realize— I forgot.”
He gave her a cocky grin. “Anytime you want to forget again, just let me know, Elise. I’ll be happy to accommodate you.”
“Thank you, but that won’t be necessary,” she assured him, looking away after taking one last quick glance at his lips. Hard to believe a kiss had brought that much pleasure.
She reached for the door handle again, determined to get out of the car before she changed her mind. Temptation, thy name is James.
He didn’t try to stop her. He got out, too, and came around to meet her at the front of the car. “I’ll walk you to the door,” he said in a husky voice.
“No, it’s perfectly safe. Well-lit. I—I’ll be all right.”
“I’m walking you to the door,” he insisted, taking hold of her arm.
Shivers ran over her body at his touch. Since he had an obstinate look on his face, she decided it would be quicker if she let him accompany her. Then he’d go away.
“Why are you in such a hurry?” he asked, as they rushed up the stairs.
“It—it might rain,” she suggested.
“In Phoenix? Maybe in July, Elise, but it doesn’t rain much the rest of the year.”
“I thought I saw some clouds,” she argued.
She came to a halt in front of her door, frantically searching for her keys. He stood patiently beside her, waiting, which surprised her. Maybe she was worrying about nothing. He probably had no interest in kissing her again. She was being foolish.
Drawing a sigh of relief both at finding her keys and deciding she’d been wrong about James, she smiled at him. “I found them.”
“Good,” he said, and swept her back into his arms for another devastating kiss.
“H EY, BRO , you got a minute?” Bobby asked, when James answered the phone the next morning.
James sat up in bed and searched for the alarm clock he kept by his bed. It was almost ten o’clock. He hadn’t slept that late in years.
“Uh, yeah, Bobby, what is it?” Then it occurred to him that his brother might have heard rumorsabout him and Elise. He clutched the phone more tightly.
“You remember the girl who wasn’t projecting?”
James couldn’t even think of a proper response. That question had come out of left field as far as he was concerned.
“Hey, James, did I wake you up?”
“Yeah, but that’s all right, I—”
“Man, you never used to sleep late. Is something wrong?”
“No, not at all. I had a late night. Now what about that girl?”
“Sandy. Remember? She wasn’t projecting and—”
“Yeah, I remember. What’s wrong? Did I hurt her feelings?” He couldn’t think of any other reason Bobby would want him to remember the girl.
“No, of course not. I told her the same thing. But her dad’s a bigwig with one of the banks in town, and Sandy’s invited me to a party they’re having honoring her dad. I don’t want to embarrass her by driving up in my old car. I wondered if I could borrow yours.”
“Sure.”
“That was quick. You haven’t even asked what day,” Bobby pointed out.
“Doesn’t matter. I—I can always borrow MaryBelle’s car if I need it. Or rent one.”
Bobby chuckled. “Yeah, right, I can just see you behind the wheel of MaryBelle’s car.”
James didn’t want to discuss the likelihood of that happening. “When do you need it?”
“Uh, tonight. I should’ve called earlier, but I was debating with myself.”
“You know I don’t mind. I offered to buy you a car when your last one broke down.”
“I know you did. You’re a great brother, but I have to make it on my own.”
“You’re a pretty special brother yourself. Be careful about dating someone who isn’t satisfied with you and what you have.” That described Sylvia to a tee. James wouldn’t want that for anyone, much less his baby brother.
“You taught me that lesson, bro. How is
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