“How do you know I have alatest?”
“You always have alatest.”
“I am sort of seeing someone. I might ask her. I’ll see.” He hadn’t even thought of taking a date to his father’s wedding until Deandra mentioned it, but all at once he imagined Shari there. She was warm and personable, and he might actually enjoy himself if there was a nice woman with him. In fact, he’d been thinking of her more than he should since they’d parted lastnight.
That kiss he’d planted on her had been both spontaneous and quick. He’d stayed within the guidelines of chapter one, but only just. If he’d lingered and toyed with her mouth, given her a taste of what he’d like to do with her…well, that would have been cheating. So he’d kept the lip contact agonizingly brief. But oh, how he’d wanted to take his time exploring, teasing,exciting.
He’d roared home and flipped through the book only to discover that nothing but frustration awaited him if he followed the book religiously, one chapter a week. He might not know all about the sex life of millipedes, which for some reason his sister was keen on, but he knew one thing—he couldn’t wait a month to make love toShari.
“Hello?” His sister’s voice brought him back from the fantasy that had bloomed in his head, a scenario from chapter fourteen—advanced lovemaking techniques. “Where did yougo?”
He blinked his eyes a few times. “Sorry. I think I’ve done a really stupidthing.”
Seconds passed. “Well, I don’t seem to have fainted from shock. Tell me aboutit.”
So he did. Deandra was his sister, but also one of his closest friends. And, apart from being as commitment-phobic as the rest of his sibs, she was smart about people. Well, she was smart about everything. He had a feeling it would take every neuron in her genius-size brain to find a way out of thisone.
She hooted with laughter when he described the scene where his book fell out in front of Shari. And while she never laughed out loud again during his recital, he had a feeling she was calling on all her willpower. By the time he got to the part where he’d smacked a closemouthed kiss on Shari and promised to call, his sister sounded as though she had a bad head cold, sniffing and making coughlike sounds in the back of herthroat.
“So what do you think?” hefinished.
“Youarea total moron. That’s what Ithink.”
“Come on. You’re a scientist. I thought you’d understand how much I wanted to verify myhypothesis.”
She patted his cheek with a cool palm. “You want to have sex with your test subject. Veryscientific.”
He groaned out loud. “And I don’t want to wait four more weeks to doit.”
“So callher.”
“Huh?”
“In the parking lot, after you kissed her like she was your ailing grandmother, you said you’d call her. So call her. Do two chapters a week if you’re so anxious to get your tongue in hermouth—”
“Deandra, has anyone ever told you you’rebrilliant?”
Her green eyestilted like a cat’s when she smiled. “Most everyone gets ’round to iteventually.”
LUKE WHISTLEDas he flipped through his how-to book. He was almost certain…ah, yes. Here it was, near the beginning of chaptertwo.
The small gift, the token of regard, may be considered old-fashioned by some, and that’s fine by us because it gives us an advantage. Remember this—the florist is your friend. Nothing melts a woman’s heart like a box full of greenery. But do becreative…
He’d been smart enough to include a list of what messages different flowers imparted. He scanned the list and decided that sometimes in-your-face obvious was the way to go. A red rose. Forpassion.
Oh,yeah.
He found the number of his favorite local florist on his Rolodex and then stood with the phone in his hand. How many? It was never easy. A dozen was overeager. One seemed chintzy. So he settled on half adozen.
The note for the card was easy.Thinking of you,it said. And she couldn’t possibly know how true thatwas.
He put the coffeepot on and settled at the computer desk in his bedroom to write his monthly column forHey, Girl,a woman’s magazine in which he gave a guy’s perspective on sex and dating. He’d been having trouble coming up with a theme, and suddenly, there it was. “What he’s really trying to say when he sends youflowers.”
He was editing the completed column when his phone rang. He checked the call display and grinned.Shari.
“Thank you for the roses. They’re beautiful. You didn’t have to.” She sounded a little flustered. Embarrassedeven.
“They’re a small thank-you for helping me out.” And a step toward chapter five. But she didn’t have to knowthat.
