keep their interaction in this cabin private, so they could do whatever they wanted tonight. Maybe that wasn’t a noble conclusion to reach, but he wasn’t convinced he could be noble for another twelve hours given their circumstances. He wasn’t sure that she could, either, and so why make themselves miserable if, in the end, they’d succumb?
Better to succumb sooner rather than later, in his opinion, and reap the rewards of more time alone together. Once they arrived at the conference, they wouldn’t dare step out of line. This would be their one and only chance, maybe literally, forever and ever.
He’d even begun to convince himself that fate had thrown them together tonight. They were unlikely partners, and reason said they wouldn’t get along. But on one level, the purely physical, sexual level, they could be a perfect match. Now he would never know.
She waved the cell phone she still held. “I’m going to post on Sniffer. Our isolation is making us forget ourresponsibility, but reconnecting with our followers should help us focus.”
“Until our phones go dead. I don’t know about you, but I left my charger in my suitcase and my battery’s low.”
Glancing at her phone, she winced. “Mine, too. So here’s a thought. Let’s each post something on Sniffer and then turn off our phones so we can conserve battery life and post again later.”
“All right.” He retrieved his phone from inside his topcoat. “You first. I’ll respond to your Sniff.”
She looked up from her phone. “Just like old times.”
“Except we’re not an ocean apart.”
“Exactly. And therein lies the problem.” She returned her attention to her phone and began typing in her Sniff.
He supposed it was a problem, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret a single minute of this adventure so far. Now that he thought back over their Sniffs and blog posts, there had always been sexual overtones. Without acknowledging it to himself, he’d expected them to spark off each other when they met.
And they had. Good Lord had they ever.
“Done.” She pushed a final button. “Your turn.”
Consulting his screen, he found her Sniff. Duncan MacDowell claims to live in a castle but says he’s no prince. #totallyagree
Trying not to laugh, he looked at her, eyebrows lifted.
“Well, you did say that.”
“Aye.” He hid a smile as he typed his response. Kate Stillman carried a torch for me, but, sadly, she no longer does. #torchextinguished
She reacted the instant she saw the Sniff on her phone. “Hey, no fair!”
“It’s true.”
“But they probably don’t realize that you call a flashlight a torch! I’m responding to that.” Her fingers flew over the surface of her phone.
A moment later, her reply to his Sniff arrived on his phone. @DuncanMacDowell You’re mistaken, Woofer. That torch was a flashlight to keep track of your shenanigans. #clearvision
He couldn’t help chuckling. Sniffs from Woofers and Howlers began popping up in response to the interchange and the battle was on.
“Ha! The Italian delegate says my posts are magnifico !” Kate said.
“That’s nothing. The Russian delegate just offered to buy me as much vodka as I can hold.” He glanced at her. “Guess that woke them up. Feel better now? More focused?” The silly little banter hadn’t helped him one bit. It had only reminded him of the fun he’d had sparring with her this summer.
“Sort of.” She didn’t sound very convinced. “Let’s turn these things off and save our batteries.” Her phone rang before she could do it. “Oops.” She glanced at the screen. “I’d better take this. I won’t be long.”
Powering down his phone, he laid it on the kitchen table as he wondered who the high-priority call could be from. Not her grandmother. If it had been the Stewarts, she would have said so. He suspected a lover. She ran a dating site, so she must have dozens to choose from.
Her secretive behavior as she walked into the living room
Better to succumb sooner rather than later, in his opinion, and reap the rewards of more time alone together. Once they arrived at the conference, they wouldn’t dare step out of line. This would be their one and only chance, maybe literally, forever and ever.
He’d even begun to convince himself that fate had thrown them together tonight. They were unlikely partners, and reason said they wouldn’t get along. But on one level, the purely physical, sexual level, they could be a perfect match. Now he would never know.
She waved the cell phone she still held. “I’m going to post on Sniffer. Our isolation is making us forget ourresponsibility, but reconnecting with our followers should help us focus.”
“Until our phones go dead. I don’t know about you, but I left my charger in my suitcase and my battery’s low.”
Glancing at her phone, she winced. “Mine, too. So here’s a thought. Let’s each post something on Sniffer and then turn off our phones so we can conserve battery life and post again later.”
“All right.” He retrieved his phone from inside his topcoat. “You first. I’ll respond to your Sniff.”
She looked up from her phone. “Just like old times.”
“Except we’re not an ocean apart.”
“Exactly. And therein lies the problem.” She returned her attention to her phone and began typing in her Sniff.
He supposed it was a problem, but he couldn’t bring himself to regret a single minute of this adventure so far. Now that he thought back over their Sniffs and blog posts, there had always been sexual overtones. Without acknowledging it to himself, he’d expected them to spark off each other when they met.
And they had. Good Lord had they ever.
“Done.” She pushed a final button. “Your turn.”
Consulting his screen, he found her Sniff. Duncan MacDowell claims to live in a castle but says he’s no prince. #totallyagree
Trying not to laugh, he looked at her, eyebrows lifted.
“Well, you did say that.”
“Aye.” He hid a smile as he typed his response. Kate Stillman carried a torch for me, but, sadly, she no longer does. #torchextinguished
She reacted the instant she saw the Sniff on her phone. “Hey, no fair!”
“It’s true.”
“But they probably don’t realize that you call a flashlight a torch! I’m responding to that.” Her fingers flew over the surface of her phone.
A moment later, her reply to his Sniff arrived on his phone. @DuncanMacDowell You’re mistaken, Woofer. That torch was a flashlight to keep track of your shenanigans. #clearvision
He couldn’t help chuckling. Sniffs from Woofers and Howlers began popping up in response to the interchange and the battle was on.
“Ha! The Italian delegate says my posts are magnifico !” Kate said.
“That’s nothing. The Russian delegate just offered to buy me as much vodka as I can hold.” He glanced at her. “Guess that woke them up. Feel better now? More focused?” The silly little banter hadn’t helped him one bit. It had only reminded him of the fun he’d had sparring with her this summer.
“Sort of.” She didn’t sound very convinced. “Let’s turn these things off and save our batteries.” Her phone rang before she could do it. “Oops.” She glanced at the screen. “I’d better take this. I won’t be long.”
Powering down his phone, he laid it on the kitchen table as he wondered who the high-priority call could be from. Not her grandmother. If it had been the Stewarts, she would have said so. He suspected a lover. She ran a dating site, so she must have dozens to choose from.
Her secretive behavior as she walked into the living room
Similar Books
