[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

damn this clingy jersey material! It was only about three minutes into the date, and she
was already cursing her wardrobe choices because of her uncontrollable body. This was
not a good sign.
He guided the truck confidently and skillfully through the evening traffic  what there
was of it in a small Vermont town.  Thank you for coming to the burial. It meant a lot to
me  us. All of us.
Laurel nodded. She d gone to the funeral the day after the wake, but the notice in the
paper had said that the burial would be private, and she hadn t expected to attend it. But
John had waited the limo for her after the funeral and had practically kidnapped her into
it, saying the family wanted her to attend.
Laurel had been skeptical about just who in the family it was that wanted her attendance,
but she kept quiet, and no one protested her presence, in fact Kathy and Dean had
thanked her for coming at least as heartily as John had when it was finally over.
 So, how s the world of banking treating you?
An entirely unladylike snort left Laurel s mouth before she had a chance to stop it.  You
mean besides the people who scream  I can t be overdrawn; I still have checks? 
He chuckled, and her nipples got, unbelievably, harder.
 Well, I spend most of my days cleaning up after the messes my branch manager leaves
 she s never there anymore because of the requirements the bank has about managers
bringing in new business  so, essentially, I run the shop. Usually, I like it. As long as it s
not the first of the month, or a Friday.
John nodded.  Yeah, for us it s the full moon.
Laurel s eyebrow rose.  More fires on a full moon?
 More people likely to pull fire alarms, more crazies come out of the woodwork and
decide they like the lights and sirens.
 Ahhhhh.
 Thunderstorms are like that too, though.
 Huh?
 Thunderstorms. Lightning, etc. Sometimes it does actually set fire to something, but
you d be amazed at how many people call the fire department because they ve lost their
electricity.
 Okaaaaaaaay . . .
Their small talk on the way was a little forced, but not terribly bad. Eventually, they fell
into a relatively comfortable silence. When they pulled into the restaurant s big parking
lot, he patted her shoulder, saying,  Stay put. He rounded the back of the truck and
opened the door for her, then lifted her down, sliding her close to him, but not quite
against him, his hand remaining possessively at the small of her back as they walked into
the restaurant.
The Dog Sled restaurant had been around forever but never got old - at least not for
Laurel or most of the population of New England, judging by their unflagging popularity.
Customers ordered from a blackboard that was strategically positioned just inside the
door. John and Laurel gave their order and went into the lounge, where John had a beer
and Laurel a soft drink.
 You never were much of a drinker, he commented with a gentle smile.
She wrinkled her nose in distaste.  Blech. I ve tried it. Even been drunk a couple of
times, she revealed, shuddering delicately.  Yuck. I don t much like being out of
control.
His voice lowered considerably as he tilted his chin.  I bet I could change your opinion
about that.
 Alcohol? Laurel questioned innocently, being deliberately obtuse.
His eyes darkened, ignoring her attempts at keeping the conversation light.  You always
were wild in my arms. Do you remember? Instead of leaning forward, which might have
made her feel cornered, or think he was just on the make, he leaned back in a relaxed
pose he didn t feel. His barely risqué remarks might be going a little fast for her, but he
gauged her reactions carefully. A deep, dusky blush appeared high on her cheeks  and it
wasn t a makeup trick either. He was very happy to see that she remained as natural as
she always had been. There wasn t tons of gunk on her face or around her bright eyes.
She was looking down at her drink and fidgeting, biting that enticingly full lower lip of
hers. He was seconds away from offering to nibble on it himself, but managed to reel
himself in before he went too far and scared her away.
 So, do you like working at the bank? he threw out, surprised at her career choice. She
had hardly seemed the buttoned up banker type  he could remember her as a little girl, [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]