soup.
Melissa couldn’t decide if he was annoyed with her or simply lost for words. “You can say the word, you know.”
He shrugged. “Consummation sounds a little cold for what I have in mind. There must be an average and lots of variation in courtship. You obviously prefer to take your time before—”
“Is this a courtship?” Melissa assumed rounded, innocent eyes and popped a small piece of tart into her mouth. Why not tease him a little?
Rory hid his sudden grin with a mouthful of soup. “Oh, I think so, don’t you?”
“That’s good to know.”
“But seriously, how long?”
He was determined to have an answer, but she was equally determined to resist. “Who knows? And why is time so important?”
“Well, it…I find that…” He grimaced and put down his spoon. “Normally, girls don’t want to wait.”
“Oh, I see.” Had he just delivered an insult? She sat back in her chair. “So now you’re saying I’m not normal?”
“Of course not. I just need to know how long.”
He wasn't joking. He wanted a precise number of days. “I don’t know. I suppose it will depend on you.”
“On me? What have I got to do with it?”
“Everything. And that was a silly question for a lawyer. Who else is involved in this but you?”
“You.”
“Oh, yes. Me.” Melissa smiled across the table and tried to hide her rising irritation. “It is a two-people-thing, isn’t it? I hope you didn’t ask me here simply as someone to sleep with during the holiday. If you did, you can drive me to the airport tomorrow. I’ll pay for my own ticket home.”
The spoon in Rory’s hand twitched. “If you believe that,” he snapped, “I have nothing more to say.”
Melissa let the silence linger while she considered her answer, which had pleased her. His flash of temper told her he didn't like what she'd said. That meant he wanted more than a holiday bed-mate. She took up her knife and fork again. “I don’t know you, Rory. I won’t sleep with you until I do. I made that mistake once before, and I’m not about to repeat my errors.” She gauged him as he finished his soup. “You may be a work driven lawyer with a social conscience, a man who thinks little of women, or a fanatical gambler. I don’t know yet. Why don’t you tell me who you are?”
“I have nothing to say. What does that make me?”
“Shy, manipulative, or annoyed with me.” She sat back to allow the waitress to remove their empty dishes. When she looked up, she caught Rory staring at his fingernails and trying not to smile. “Well?”
“How about if I claim all three?” He caught her gaze and held it.
“You can try.” Still holding his gaze, she picked up her wine and sipped. He was an intelligent man, and not easy to read, but she wasn't going to give in. Not yet. “That’s your secret weapon, isn’t it? Staring at someone for so long? I imagine girls swoon into your arms after two minutes.”
He raised his napkin to his mouth. “Sorry. Do I really stare at you?”
“Rory, you know very well you do. It was the first thing I noticed about you when Jonny introduced us. It’s a recognized technique. Bound to get good results, according to psychologists. Something to do with the release of chemicals in the recipient’s brain.”
“My God. You know about that?”
“Why ever not? I’m a librarian, remember? I deal in information. Where did you pick it up?”
“Law school. Techniques for getting people to respond to you.”
Their main course arrived. Melissa picked up her cutlery and probed the poisson rouge for bones. Rory tried the first bite of duck and watched her as he chewed. “You’ve been er…let down in an earlier relationship? Recently?”
Melissa reached for her wine glass and cradled it in both hands. She didn't really want to talk about Adrian, but steeled herself to do
Melissa couldn’t decide if he was annoyed with her or simply lost for words. “You can say the word, you know.”
He shrugged. “Consummation sounds a little cold for what I have in mind. There must be an average and lots of variation in courtship. You obviously prefer to take your time before—”
“Is this a courtship?” Melissa assumed rounded, innocent eyes and popped a small piece of tart into her mouth. Why not tease him a little?
Rory hid his sudden grin with a mouthful of soup. “Oh, I think so, don’t you?”
“That’s good to know.”
“But seriously, how long?”
He was determined to have an answer, but she was equally determined to resist. “Who knows? And why is time so important?”
“Well, it…I find that…” He grimaced and put down his spoon. “Normally, girls don’t want to wait.”
“Oh, I see.” Had he just delivered an insult? She sat back in her chair. “So now you’re saying I’m not normal?”
“Of course not. I just need to know how long.”
He wasn't joking. He wanted a precise number of days. “I don’t know. I suppose it will depend on you.”
“On me? What have I got to do with it?”
“Everything. And that was a silly question for a lawyer. Who else is involved in this but you?”
“You.”
“Oh, yes. Me.” Melissa smiled across the table and tried to hide her rising irritation. “It is a two-people-thing, isn’t it? I hope you didn’t ask me here simply as someone to sleep with during the holiday. If you did, you can drive me to the airport tomorrow. I’ll pay for my own ticket home.”
The spoon in Rory’s hand twitched. “If you believe that,” he snapped, “I have nothing more to say.”
Melissa let the silence linger while she considered her answer, which had pleased her. His flash of temper told her he didn't like what she'd said. That meant he wanted more than a holiday bed-mate. She took up her knife and fork again. “I don’t know you, Rory. I won’t sleep with you until I do. I made that mistake once before, and I’m not about to repeat my errors.” She gauged him as he finished his soup. “You may be a work driven lawyer with a social conscience, a man who thinks little of women, or a fanatical gambler. I don’t know yet. Why don’t you tell me who you are?”
“I have nothing to say. What does that make me?”
“Shy, manipulative, or annoyed with me.” She sat back to allow the waitress to remove their empty dishes. When she looked up, she caught Rory staring at his fingernails and trying not to smile. “Well?”
“How about if I claim all three?” He caught her gaze and held it.
“You can try.” Still holding his gaze, she picked up her wine and sipped. He was an intelligent man, and not easy to read, but she wasn't going to give in. Not yet. “That’s your secret weapon, isn’t it? Staring at someone for so long? I imagine girls swoon into your arms after two minutes.”
He raised his napkin to his mouth. “Sorry. Do I really stare at you?”
“Rory, you know very well you do. It was the first thing I noticed about you when Jonny introduced us. It’s a recognized technique. Bound to get good results, according to psychologists. Something to do with the release of chemicals in the recipient’s brain.”
“My God. You know about that?”
“Why ever not? I’m a librarian, remember? I deal in information. Where did you pick it up?”
“Law school. Techniques for getting people to respond to you.”
Their main course arrived. Melissa picked up her cutlery and probed the poisson rouge for bones. Rory tried the first bite of duck and watched her as he chewed. “You’ve been er…let down in an earlier relationship? Recently?”
Melissa reached for her wine glass and cradled it in both hands. She didn't really want to talk about Adrian, but steeled herself to do
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