compromise?”
“Sweetheart, when you offer a compromise worth considering, I’ll compromise.”
“How gallant!”
“I do try. Now scoot, so I can get this picnic packed.”
“Afraid I’ll try to sneak in some carrot sticks?”
“No, I just work faster alone.”
“No wonder you’ve never married,” she observed dryly.
Dillon grinned. “Sweetheart, you’ve just hit on the one area where I do believe that two is better than one. We could abandon this hike and I could demonstrate, if you like.”
“Marriage isn’t only about sex,” she reminded him.
“Maybe not,” he agreed readily. “But without it, things would definitely be a whole lot duller.”
Apparently Ashley had no argument for that, because she backed out of the kitchen and retreated to the front porch. That was where he found her when he finished preparing their picnic. She glanced up as he came through the door, two backpacks in hand. She held out her hand for hers, then hefted it gingerly.
“There’s definitely not an entire roast in here, so I suppose I should be grateful.”
“How do you know it’s not in mine?” he taunted.
“Care to trade with me?”
“No way,” he said. “You’re clearly a woman who’s been deprived of chocolate for far too long. I’m not putting these candy bars into your safekeeping.”
She promptly ran her tongue over her lips in an unconscious gesture that had Dillon’s blood pumping like an oil well.
“Ah,” he said. “I see I’ve struck a nerve.”
“You have chocolate in there?” she asked, her gaze pinned on his backpack.
“Several bars,” he confirmed, enjoying the pure greed suddenly shining in her eyes.
“That is a very dangerous admission,” she warned him.
“Oh? You thinking of trying to get them away from me?”
“I’m thinking of killing you for them.”
Dillon’s hoot of laughter carried on the clear morning air. “Sweetheart, I always dreamed of leading you astray. I just never dreamed all it would take was a candy bar.”
Chapter Five
A shley had never wanted so badly to be led astray in her entire, orderly life.
Forget the chocolate…although she was having a difficult time doing that. It was Dillon who truly tempted her. In fact, he was driving her crazy with his compliments and his seductive looks and his provocative conversation.
She desperately needed what he was offering. She needed to feel desirable, and he accomplished that in spades. In fact, if she didn’t start expending some energy on that promised hike in the next few seconds, she was very likely to tackle him where he stood. Maybe it wouldn’t solve all her self-esteem problems, but it would go a long way toward making her forget them for a short while. Surely she wouldn’t be the first woman to use Dillon as a sex object. She doubted he’d mind at all.
Maybe her on-the-edge hunger was in her eyes or in her tone, because he suddenly set off toward the woods at a brisk, punishing pace. No wonder he’d said a big breakfast was no problem. At the rate he moved, they’d work off the calories in the first half-hour.
Even with her comfortably long strides, she had difficulty keeping up with him. Since the path he chose was straight uphill and she refused to plead for mercy, she was breathless by the time he finally paused for a rest. She quickly accepted the bottled water he offered and drank thirstily.
“Have you ever considered becoming a personal trainer?” she asked. “You set a brutal pace.”
He instantly looked contrite. “Why didn’t you say something? I would have slowed down.”
For some reason, the comment rankled. “I didn’t say I couldn’t keep up,” she retorted.
“Of course not,” he said.
He said it in such a placating, patronizing tone that Ashley had to grit her teeth to keep from cursing. That was exactly the kind of attitude that could rid her of any romantic fantasies about this man.
She sighed at the direction her thoughts had taken only a short time
“Sweetheart, when you offer a compromise worth considering, I’ll compromise.”
“How gallant!”
“I do try. Now scoot, so I can get this picnic packed.”
“Afraid I’ll try to sneak in some carrot sticks?”
“No, I just work faster alone.”
“No wonder you’ve never married,” she observed dryly.
Dillon grinned. “Sweetheart, you’ve just hit on the one area where I do believe that two is better than one. We could abandon this hike and I could demonstrate, if you like.”
“Marriage isn’t only about sex,” she reminded him.
“Maybe not,” he agreed readily. “But without it, things would definitely be a whole lot duller.”
Apparently Ashley had no argument for that, because she backed out of the kitchen and retreated to the front porch. That was where he found her when he finished preparing their picnic. She glanced up as he came through the door, two backpacks in hand. She held out her hand for hers, then hefted it gingerly.
“There’s definitely not an entire roast in here, so I suppose I should be grateful.”
“How do you know it’s not in mine?” he taunted.
“Care to trade with me?”
“No way,” he said. “You’re clearly a woman who’s been deprived of chocolate for far too long. I’m not putting these candy bars into your safekeeping.”
She promptly ran her tongue over her lips in an unconscious gesture that had Dillon’s blood pumping like an oil well.
“Ah,” he said. “I see I’ve struck a nerve.”
“You have chocolate in there?” she asked, her gaze pinned on his backpack.
“Several bars,” he confirmed, enjoying the pure greed suddenly shining in her eyes.
“That is a very dangerous admission,” she warned him.
“Oh? You thinking of trying to get them away from me?”
“I’m thinking of killing you for them.”
Dillon’s hoot of laughter carried on the clear morning air. “Sweetheart, I always dreamed of leading you astray. I just never dreamed all it would take was a candy bar.”
Chapter Five
A shley had never wanted so badly to be led astray in her entire, orderly life.
Forget the chocolate…although she was having a difficult time doing that. It was Dillon who truly tempted her. In fact, he was driving her crazy with his compliments and his seductive looks and his provocative conversation.
She desperately needed what he was offering. She needed to feel desirable, and he accomplished that in spades. In fact, if she didn’t start expending some energy on that promised hike in the next few seconds, she was very likely to tackle him where he stood. Maybe it wouldn’t solve all her self-esteem problems, but it would go a long way toward making her forget them for a short while. Surely she wouldn’t be the first woman to use Dillon as a sex object. She doubted he’d mind at all.
Maybe her on-the-edge hunger was in her eyes or in her tone, because he suddenly set off toward the woods at a brisk, punishing pace. No wonder he’d said a big breakfast was no problem. At the rate he moved, they’d work off the calories in the first half-hour.
Even with her comfortably long strides, she had difficulty keeping up with him. Since the path he chose was straight uphill and she refused to plead for mercy, she was breathless by the time he finally paused for a rest. She quickly accepted the bottled water he offered and drank thirstily.
“Have you ever considered becoming a personal trainer?” she asked. “You set a brutal pace.”
He instantly looked contrite. “Why didn’t you say something? I would have slowed down.”
For some reason, the comment rankled. “I didn’t say I couldn’t keep up,” she retorted.
“Of course not,” he said.
He said it in such a placating, patronizing tone that Ashley had to grit her teeth to keep from cursing. That was exactly the kind of attitude that could rid her of any romantic fantasies about this man.
She sighed at the direction her thoughts had taken only a short time
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