JК
The Lunatic Cafe :: Гамильтон Лорел
Страница: 182 из 234"
A slight frown appeared between his eyes. "Anita, you are not making this easy."
"Hurrah," I said.
The frown smoothed out as he sighed. "You would think I would give up on you ever being easy."
"Yes," I said, "you would."
"A good-night kiss, ma . . Anita. If you truly intend to date me, it will not be the last."
I glared up at him. I wanted to tell him to go to hell, but there was something about the way he stood there. "If I say no kiss, what then?"
"I go away for tonight." He took that step closer to me that put us almost touching. The cloth of his shirt brushed the front of my T-shirt. "But if you give Richard kisses and do not allow me such privileges, then the agreement is off. If I cannot touch you, and he can, it is hardly fair."
I'd agreed to the dating because it seemed like a good idea at the time, but now. . I hadn't really thought through all the implications. Dating, kissing, making out. Yikes! "I don't kiss until after the first date."
"But you have already kissed me, Anita."
"Not willingly," I said.
"Tell me you did not enjoy it, ma petite ."
I'd have loved to lie, but neither of them would have bought it. "You are an intrusive bastard."
"Not as intrusive as I would like to be," he said.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do," Richard said. He was on his knees on the couch, hands gripping the back.
I shook my head. I wasn't sure I could explain it out loud, but if we were really going to do this, Jean-Claude was right. I couldn't hold Richard's hand and not his. Though it did give me a real incentive not to go all the way with Richard. Tit for tat and all that.
"After our first date you can have a willing kiss, not before," I said. I was going to give it the old college try.
He shook his head. "No, Anita. You yourself told me you liked Richard, not just loved him. That you could see spending your life with him, but not with me. Perhaps he is a more likable fellow. I cannot compete in niceness."
"That's certainly gospel," I said.
He stared down at me with his blue, blue eyes. No drag of power, but there was a weight to his gaze. Not magic, but dangerous all the same.
"But in one area I can compete." I could feel his gaze on my body as if he'd touched me. The weight of his gaze made me shiver.
"Stop it."
"No." One word, soft, caressing. His voice was one of his best things. "One kiss, Anita, or we can end it here, tonight. I will not lose you without a struggle."
"You'd fight Richard tonight, just because I won't kiss you.
A slight frown appeared between his eyes. "Anita, you are not making this easy."
"Hurrah," I said.
The frown smoothed out as he sighed. "You would think I would give up on you ever being easy."
"Yes," I said, "you would."
"A good-night kiss, ma . . Anita. If you truly intend to date me, it will not be the last."
I glared up at him. I wanted to tell him to go to hell, but there was something about the way he stood there. "If I say no kiss, what then?"
"I go away for tonight." He took that step closer to me that put us almost touching. The cloth of his shirt brushed the front of my T-shirt. "But if you give Richard kisses and do not allow me such privileges, then the agreement is off. If I cannot touch you, and he can, it is hardly fair."
I'd agreed to the dating because it seemed like a good idea at the time, but now. . I hadn't really thought through all the implications. Dating, kissing, making out. Yikes! "I don't kiss until after the first date."
"But you have already kissed me, Anita."
"Not willingly," I said.
"Tell me you did not enjoy it, ma petite ."
I'd have loved to lie, but neither of them would have bought it. "You are an intrusive bastard."
"Not as intrusive as I would like to be," he said.
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to do," Richard said. He was on his knees on the couch, hands gripping the back.
I shook my head. I wasn't sure I could explain it out loud, but if we were really going to do this, Jean-Claude was right. I couldn't hold Richard's hand and not his. Though it did give me a real incentive not to go all the way with Richard. Tit for tat and all that.
"After our first date you can have a willing kiss, not before," I said. I was going to give it the old college try.
He shook his head. "No, Anita. You yourself told me you liked Richard, not just loved him. That you could see spending your life with him, but not with me. Perhaps he is a more likable fellow. I cannot compete in niceness."
"That's certainly gospel," I said.
He stared down at me with his blue, blue eyes. No drag of power, but there was a weight to his gaze. Not magic, but dangerous all the same.
"But in one area I can compete." I could feel his gaze on my body as if he'd touched me. The weight of his gaze made me shiver.
"Stop it."
"No." One word, soft, caressing. His voice was one of his best things. "One kiss, Anita, or we can end it here, tonight. I will not lose you without a struggle."
"You'd fight Richard tonight, just because I won't kiss you.