“Are your father and his, um, fiancée registeredanywhere?”
“You mean, like the kennelclub?”
“That’s very disrespectful,” she said, trying not to giggle. “No, I meant bridal registry forgifts.”
“I don’t think he needs a fifth set of china andflatware.”
“Well, no, but the bridemight.”
Having cleaned his plate, he licked his spoon clean. She couldn’t watch his tongue sweep the last vestiges of creamy ice cream off the silver spoon and not think of chapter seven. And she couldn’t think of chapter seven and not tremble deepinside.
“I can see I’m going to have to explain my wedding present philosophy toyou.”
“This I have to hear.” She spooned up the last berry smothered in half-melted ice cream and found she was looking forward to Luke’s philosophy. The man never ceased to surprise her with his silliness. She was so routine-oriented and predictable, she wondered if a little silliness was, in fact, good forher.
She suspected itwas.
“You can’t stop people getting married. But let’s face it, you know when you go to a wedding there’s at least a fifty percent chance it won’t last. In my dad’s case, a hundred percent. As a wedding guest, and a friend of at least one of the parties getting married, I feel it’s my duty to save them some grief down the road. I’m determined not to give them something that will end up fought over in the divorce. My presents have a short shelflife.”
“Really, this is fascinating.” It was also a pretty cynical attitude, but given his family situation, she supposed it was understandable. “How short a lifespan?”
“Now that’s the scientific part.” His eyes twinkled as he leaned forward, but there was seriousness there, as well. “I try to make an educated guess on how much time they’ve got. The extreme would be a bottle of champagne and two glasses, with the card telling them to smash the glasses after drinking—for goodluck.”
“So you’d only buy crystal if it was going to besmashed.”
“Absolutely.”
“And you’d never buychina.”
“Nope, it’s got permanence written all over it. Same withflatware.”
“How aboutlinens?”
“Depends. Towels are good. You need new towels every couple of years. Fancy tablecloths and things? Forget it. It’s likechina.”
“Well, my philosophy is to assume every couple whose wedding I attend will see their golden anniversary. I also need to look for an outfit for thewedding.”
“No problem. I’ll carry yourbags.”
The idea of having her own personal shopping sherpa was undeniably appealing. “You don’tmind?”
“We can help eachother.”
“Okay. I have to shower first and change my clothes. How about I come down and get you in about half anhour?”
“Perfect.”
He waved her off when she tried to clear the table, so she ran back into the bedroom and changed into her frumpy clothes from yesterday. She emerged to find him wiping down the kitchencounter.
She picked up her purse by the couch and then wasn’t sure about whether to kiss him goodbye or not. “Well, thanks for dinner,” she said, and started for the door. She’d made her intentions clear; she was leaving. What he did with that information was up tohim.
What he did was dump the cloth in the sink and speed to herside.
She wasn’t sure the kiss could be classified as a goodbye-and-thanks-for-dinner kiss. It wasn’t the sort of kiss you’d lay on your grandmother, for instance, or a casualfriend.
She moaned as she clasped him tighter, thrusting her fingers into his messy hair and causing furtherdisarray.
The kiss turned steamier, and suddenly she found herself backed against Luke’s door, his body hard and flush against hers. She was melting faster than ice cream over warmed blueberrypie.
“Oh, that feels good.” She broke contact with his mouth long enough to gasp, “I have toshower.”
Right.Shower.
“You are obsessed with personal hygiene,” he growled, but with a final nibbling trail down her throat that had her reconsidering her obsession, he let hergo.
“See you in half anhour.”
