fun-seeking loafer.
While it was true Mitch enjoyed having a good time, he’d never been
one to shrug off responsibility. While designing computer software,
Mitch had enjoyed the privilege of working wherever he chose. He
could work from Colorado Springs as effectively as he could at the
offices of Micronet.
He shifted uncomfortably and darted a quick
look at Annie. Her smug smile seemed to say, “It figures.”
“ Yes,” he admitted at
last.
“ How exciting!” Cora
exclaimed. “A man who isn’t afraid to swim with sharks has got to
be an entertaining companion. I’m sure y’all are gonna have a
wonderful time.”
“ I’m sure we will,” Annie
concurred weakly.
Mitch could tell the last thing Annie was
interested in was having a good time—particularly with him. For
whatever reason, that uncharitable revelation bugged Mitch far more
than it should have.
Shrugging off that thought, Mitch redirected
his thoughts to a more productive line of thinking and listened as
Les continued to regale them with stories starring himself as the
dashing hero. Mitch smiled and complimented Les at all the
appropriate places. After all, no matter what Les thought, this was
business. If he intended to win—and Mitch did—then schmoozing was
in order.
Annie huddled into her down-filled coat as
Mitch navigated the little golf cart through the lighted
grounds.
“ Cold?” he asked, cutting a
glance in her direction.
“ Mmm-hmm.” The heat Annie
had silently cursed upon arriving in Petersville had left with the
setting sun. The temperature had dropped at least twenty degrees
since they’d left the cottage some three hours ago. The time was
now past ten o’clock and, aside from being bone-tired and
depressed, Annie was more than ready to see the end of this
day.
When Les had insisted upon dinner, Annie had
foolishly assumed it was because the little Texan intended to talk
business, possibly set up some sort of schedule for her and Mitch
to give presentations for the Winning Wiener campaign. Those hopes
had been completely dashed over dinner.
All Les wanted to talk about—besides
himself—was how much fun he intended for she and Mitch to have.
Annie rolled her eyes, then
covertly looked at the man beside her. Her lips curled. He would be the type to swim
with sharks. Since Annie had decided not to like him, it was with
supreme annoyance that she noted the simultaneous tingle of
awareness and respect upon hearing that adventure. Annie envied him
his recklessness.
Though she wouldn’t call herself a coward,
Annie had never been the bold type. She’s always kept her sights on
one goal at a time. Had she missed anything? Annie wondered now.
Had she truly become so single-minded that the possibility of fun
could no longer tempt her?
“ What did you think of
dinner?” Mitch asked, tearing Annie from her gloomy thoughts. He
pulled up in front of their cottage and killed the
motor.
“ You mean dodging it or
eating it?” she asked wryly.
A rumble of laughter emerged from his throat.
“Both.”
“ Well, it was tasty, but I
could have done without the snow pea going down my
shirt.”
Smiling, Mitch got out and met Annie under
the arbor. Together they strolled up the walk. He quirked a brow.
“Do you need help getting it out?”
Annie wanted to be annoyed, but instead had
to repress a grin. “No. Did they teach you how to flirt at the
University of F.U.N.?”
Mitch laughed. “I have a doctorate,” he
deadpanned.
This time, Annie did smile. “Why am I not
surprised?”
“ Because apparently my uncle
has portrayed me as some sort of adrenalin-seeking thrill junkie.”
Despite his joking tone, Annie heard a note of regret in his voice.
She stored that observation for future reference.
“ And that’s not true?” she
asked, intrigued.
Mitch paused to insert the key into the lock
and stared at her for a long, charged moment. His clear blue eyes
held an unreadable emotion Annie found herself desperately
While it was true Mitch enjoyed having a good time, he’d never been
one to shrug off responsibility. While designing computer software,
Mitch had enjoyed the privilege of working wherever he chose. He
could work from Colorado Springs as effectively as he could at the
offices of Micronet.
He shifted uncomfortably and darted a quick
look at Annie. Her smug smile seemed to say, “It figures.”
“ Yes,” he admitted at
last.
“ How exciting!” Cora
exclaimed. “A man who isn’t afraid to swim with sharks has got to
be an entertaining companion. I’m sure y’all are gonna have a
wonderful time.”
“ I’m sure we will,” Annie
concurred weakly.
Mitch could tell the last thing Annie was
interested in was having a good time—particularly with him. For
whatever reason, that uncharitable revelation bugged Mitch far more
than it should have.
Shrugging off that thought, Mitch redirected
his thoughts to a more productive line of thinking and listened as
Les continued to regale them with stories starring himself as the
dashing hero. Mitch smiled and complimented Les at all the
appropriate places. After all, no matter what Les thought, this was
business. If he intended to win—and Mitch did—then schmoozing was
in order.
Annie huddled into her down-filled coat as
Mitch navigated the little golf cart through the lighted
grounds.
“ Cold?” he asked, cutting a
glance in her direction.
“ Mmm-hmm.” The heat Annie
had silently cursed upon arriving in Petersville had left with the
setting sun. The temperature had dropped at least twenty degrees
since they’d left the cottage some three hours ago. The time was
now past ten o’clock and, aside from being bone-tired and
depressed, Annie was more than ready to see the end of this
day.
When Les had insisted upon dinner, Annie had
foolishly assumed it was because the little Texan intended to talk
business, possibly set up some sort of schedule for her and Mitch
to give presentations for the Winning Wiener campaign. Those hopes
had been completely dashed over dinner.
All Les wanted to talk about—besides
himself—was how much fun he intended for she and Mitch to have.
Annie rolled her eyes, then
covertly looked at the man beside her. Her lips curled. He would be the type to swim
with sharks. Since Annie had decided not to like him, it was with
supreme annoyance that she noted the simultaneous tingle of
awareness and respect upon hearing that adventure. Annie envied him
his recklessness.
Though she wouldn’t call herself a coward,
Annie had never been the bold type. She’s always kept her sights on
one goal at a time. Had she missed anything? Annie wondered now.
Had she truly become so single-minded that the possibility of fun
could no longer tempt her?
“ What did you think of
dinner?” Mitch asked, tearing Annie from her gloomy thoughts. He
pulled up in front of their cottage and killed the
motor.
“ You mean dodging it or
eating it?” she asked wryly.
A rumble of laughter emerged from his throat.
“Both.”
“ Well, it was tasty, but I
could have done without the snow pea going down my
shirt.”
Smiling, Mitch got out and met Annie under
the arbor. Together they strolled up the walk. He quirked a brow.
“Do you need help getting it out?”
Annie wanted to be annoyed, but instead had
to repress a grin. “No. Did they teach you how to flirt at the
University of F.U.N.?”
Mitch laughed. “I have a doctorate,” he
deadpanned.
This time, Annie did smile. “Why am I not
surprised?”
“ Because apparently my uncle
has portrayed me as some sort of adrenalin-seeking thrill junkie.”
Despite his joking tone, Annie heard a note of regret in his voice.
She stored that observation for future reference.
“ And that’s not true?” she
asked, intrigued.
Mitch paused to insert the key into the lock
and stared at her for a long, charged moment. His clear blue eyes
held an unreadable emotion Annie found herself desperately
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