‘‘You’re wrong,’’ she told him. ‘‘Of course we’re different in that respect. You’re mostly wrong and I’m mostly right.’’
The low growl in his throat warned her of the attack just microseconds before he launched himself at her. She shrieked and tried to scramble off the sofa, but he already had her pinned. His long, strong body held her firmly in place while his fingers searched out and found ticklish spots on her ribs.
‘‘Stop,’’ she gasped, trying to push him away. She laughed and yelped and squirmed, but nothing helped.
‘‘You’re just wasting energy, darlin’. I was on the rodeo circuit. If I can wrestle a two-thousand-pound steer to the ground, one skinny, redheaded princess isn’t going to be much of a problem.’’
She pushed at him, but it was like shoving against the side of a mountain. He didn’t budge. ‘‘Violence is the refuge of the incompetent,’’ she said.
‘‘Uh-huh. That’s pretty high-and-mighty coming from someone so completely out of control of the situation.’’ He tickled her ribs again.
‘‘No!’’ She wiggled and squirmed, but it was no use. All she could do was try to capture his hands in hers and hold them. Unfortunately, he pulled free of her easily.
‘‘Dammit, Mitch, let me go.’’
He raised his eyebrows in mock astonishment. ‘‘Was that profanity I heard falling from those royal lips?’’
‘‘Yes, and you’re going to hear more.’’ She glared at him. ‘‘And I’m not skinny.’’
‘‘Did I say skinny?’’
Her bangs were in her eyes. She pushed them out of the way. ‘‘You did.’’
‘‘I apologize. You’re slender, but in the most delightful way. All your curves are exactly as they should be.’’
‘‘You would be the one to know,’’ she grumbled.
His smile turned wolfish. ‘‘I would be, wouldn’t I?’’
They looked at each other. When he wasn’t tickling her, she found that she liked being pinned by him. His legs tangled with hers and his mouth was so close, it wouldn’t be difficult at all to kiss him. The thought made her shiver and sort of melt inside.
Was it her imagination or was he thinking the same thing? His eyes seemed so dilated, they were nearly black. Had his breathing increased?
‘‘Tell me how we’re alike,’’ he said.
‘‘What?’’
‘‘You told me that we were very much alike. I want to know how we’re the same.’’
Is that what he’d been thinking? While she’d been lost in the moment of their closeness, he’d been remembering a snippet of conversation? Obviously she would never understand men.
She started to straighten, but he didn’t move. ‘‘Aren’t you going to let me up?’’
‘‘No.’’
‘‘Oh.’’ She blinked. ‘‘All right.’’ She took a couple of seconds to try to remember what she’d been thinking when she made the comment about them being similar in nature.
‘‘We’re both the oldest,’’ she said. ‘‘We have a strong sense of tradition and of doing the right thing. We believe in the past, but we also look to the future.’’
‘‘I see. If you put it that way, I guess you’re right. I just never saw myself as anything like royalty.’’
He chuckled, but suddenly Alex didn’t find his comment funny.
‘‘Why do you keep doing that?’’ she asked. ‘‘Why do you keep talking about me being a princess?’’
‘‘Because you are.’’
‘‘I know that. But the way you say it, it’s almost as if you’re reminding yourself.’’
