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Authors: Marilyn Lee

Tags: #Romance

Betrayed by Love (9 page)

BOOK: Betrayed by Love
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“I’m glad to hear it. Last time I checked I didn’t have any unsightly hair growing out of my ears or nose. I took particular care to ensure my breath was as fresh as possible before we met so hopefully that’s not a problem for you.”

I shook my head. “No. It’s not.”

“Are my ears too big?”

“Are your ears too…what?” I placed my glass on the table to my right.

“I’m trying to figure out why you’re avoiding looking at me. What about me offends or turns you off? I know L.A. is full of handsome men, but I didn’t think I was so butt ugly I was impossible to look at.”

I had a feeling he knew perfectly well women found him attractive. Nevertheless, his point was well taken. I held up a hand, palm outward. “I’m sorry. It’s not you.”

“Great. So what is it?”

“I didn’t sleep very well last night and I’m a little tired,” I said, feigning a yawn.

“So you don’t think I’m butt ugly?”

I shrugged, smiling suddenly. “Well…not butt ugly…maybe just average ugly.”

He laughed and shifted closer to me on the loveseat until I felt as if I were practically pinned to the side.

Neither his arm nor his fingers actually touched me, but I immediately felt heat rise to my cheeks. I tried to maintain his gaze but finally looked away.

He leaned close and spoke with his lips inches from my ear. “Relax. I rarely bite in public.”

“Don’t flatter yourself,” I shot back in a low voice.

He laughed again.

I ignored him. He could laugh all he liked—as long as he kept his big paws to himself.

Jen wrinkled her nose before bolting off the sofa. “I’d better go take dinner out of the oven.” She looked at Jarrod, who’d also risen to his feet. “Check the table for me, hon.”

He nodded. “Of course.” He looked over to Grant and me. “Give me a few moments and then join us in the dining room.”

I watched in panic as they both left the room, leaving me alone with Grant. Great. Get a grip, Lin. Since when is it a bad thing to be left alone with a handsome man?

I met Grant’s gaze and flashed him a quick smile.

He smiled back.

I blinked. He had a very nice mouth that curved while his smile spread to his eyes. And damn his gaze was intense and very blue. His cologne tickled my nose. I looked at his mouth again, noting his full bottom lip. It looked very…kissable. For the life of me I couldn’t think of a single thing to say. Worse, it was difficult to look away from his mouth.

He arched a brow. “Tactful, aren’t they?”

I laughed and some of my tension dissipated. “Very.”

“Jen tells me you’re not seeing anyone special, Linea.”

He made my name almost sound like a secret caress. Okay, girl. I don’t know what was in that drink but it’s going to your head. “Did she also tell you that was my preference?”

“No, but that’s probably because it went without saying.”

“Oh?”

He nodded. “Having met you, it’s obvious that if you wanted it any other way, you’d have a special man in your life.”

Okay. He definitely had a flair for saying the right thing. But I wanted to make it clear I had no wish to flirt with him or have him flirt with me. “Thanks for the compliment, but I am dating.”

He arched a brow, his gaze resting on my breasts. “I’d be surprised if you weren’t.”

To which response I had no answer.

“So you’re dating, but are you seeing anyone you’re serious about or interested in seeing exclusively?”

“Is that question for me or…the girls, here?” I asked, touching the side of my right breast.

He lifted his gaze to mine, his lips twitching. “I beg your pardon. They…your girls are very…impressive.”

I considered them one of my best assets so it was difficult to be annoyed with him just because he clearly thought so too. “They’re shy,” I told him.

“Really? I’m sure they…and you are used to male compliments and appreciation.”

Damn he made it difficult to not like him.

“So are either of you…three seeing anyone exclusively?”

I shrugged. “Not exclusively, but definitely seriously.” I liked sex as much as the next woman, but I didn’t hop into bed casually.

“Ahhh. Serious enough to preclude your interest in anyone else?”

Damn he was persistent. I nodded and rose. “Yes.”

He stood up and looked down at my breasts. “And do they agree?”

“Yes.” I turned away.

He placed a hand on my arm. “Are you sure they agree?”

I turned back. “What?”

“I could have sworn the right one just whispered my name,”

I stared at him.

He stared back. “And now the left one just made it a chorus. I think they like me and I know I like them.”

What the hell was I suppose to say to that?

Jarrod appeared in the doorway. “Dinner is ready.”

“Great.” I walked across the room without looking at Grant. But I could feel his gaze on me as he followed me from the room and down the hall.

At the dining room door, he touched my arm. “Linea?”

I reluctantly turned to face him.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I was totally out of line.”

Yes, he had been. So shouldn’t I have been annoyed instead of…excited? I shrugged. “Think nothing of it. The girls do tend to have that effect on men.”

He turned a laugh into a cough and followed me into the dining room.

During the meal that followed, each time I looked up, I found Grant watching me from across the table. Sometimes he smiled. Sometimes he just stared. But he made no particular effort to engage me in conversation. That suited me just fine since he generated conflicting feelings in me.

If only he’d stop staring at me and if I could stop looking to see if he still had that intense blue gaze of his turned in my direction. But I kept peeking and he kept staring throughout the meal.

We had after dinner drinks and coffee out by the pool. With the pool lights reflecting off the water and soft jazz filling the air, I finally relaxed. I was debating whether I’d need a swim after the others went to bed, when Jen struck again.

She rose suddenly, pulling Jarrod to his feet. “Help me take the cups and coffee pot inside, hon.”

“Of course.”

I smothered a sigh as Grant and I were left alone by the pool on loungers, with just a small table between us.

“When are you returning to L.A., again, Linea?”

I turned to find Grant watching me. “I’m not sure.” What? I frowned. Why had I just said that? Early Saturday morning, I’d be back in L.A.

“Then I’d love to buy you lunch or dinner tomorrow.”

I experienced an unmistakable surge of pleasure. I moistened my lips. “I…I’ll see if Jen is available.”

“Why? She’s not invited.”

“Oh. You mean just the two of us?”

“Yes, Linea. Just the two of us…unless you count the girls, who are, of course invited too.”

“Oh.” I digested the idea in silence.

“Which do you prefer? Lunch or dinner?”

“I…” Oh, get a grip, Linea. It’s not like this is the first time you’ve been asked out by a handsome male. “Let’s do lunch.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t prefer dinner?”

“Why would I prefer dinner?”

He shrugged. “We can’t dance at lunch.”

I wasn’t so sure dancing with him would be a good idea. “Let’s do lunch.”

“Okay. How about I have lunch with you but dinner with them?”

I couldn’t help it. I laughed.

He laughed too, but sobered first. “I’m serious. Would they have dinner with me?”

I shook my head. “We’re a package deal.”

“Maybe if I leaned close and asked them, they’d agree.”

The thought triggered another bout of laughter.

“If you keep laughing at me like that, you’ll give me a complex.”

“Nice try,” I said, smiling.

“All right. We’ll do lunch. Now that we have that settled, let me show you how much better dinner would have been than lunch.”

“Excuse me?”

He rose and stood over me with his hand extended. “Dance with me.”

I blinked up at him. “Dance with you? Now?”

“Yes. Now.”

“Thanks, but—”

“I wasn’t asking you. I was asking them,” he said, his gaze lingering on my breasts.

As if they had a mind of their own and liked all the attention they were receiving, I felt my nipples tighten.

I saw a flash of white as he smiled. “We have the perfect music, lighting, and atmosphere. Let’s make the most of them.”

The song playing wasn’t conducive to anything but slow dancing or what my parents would call slow dragging. Did I want to slow dance with him? Hell yeah.

“I don’t bite or grind against unwilling partners, Linea.”

How like a man to offer unwanted assurances.

“Nor do I have wandering hands.”

You are behaving like a silly teenager afraid of being kissed for the first time. Dance with him, already. “I’m glad to hear it,” I said lightly and gave him my hand.

I felt a tingle shoot down my back when his fingers closed around mine before he lifted me to my feet.

I flashed a quick smile at him.

He drew me into his arms.

With his hands resting against my back, I felt as if he’d enfolded me in a warm, sensual cocoon. His chest felt hard against my breasts. I could feel his thighs pressed against me. His cologne filled my senses. Damn but he was nice to be close to.

Feeling my heartbeat increase and my pussy tingle, I moistened my lips. Should I admit he was holding me closer than I liked?

BOOK: Betrayed by Love
10.01Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub
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