What's Cooking? by Sherryl Woods Read Free Book Online
Authors: Sherryl Woods
darkroom, so I could get ahead and have some free time to spend with you. You told me you'd have a break once me August issue was wrapped up, so I wanted to be free when you were."
Maggie was beginning to feel foolish. "You couldn't call and explain that?" she muttered defensively. Would it really have mattered if he had? Wasn't her decision the right one, no matter what?
Rick tensed. "I'm not used to having to call and explain myself to anyone," he said. "Besides, I thought you wanted to keep things casual. That is what you told me, isn't it? You said you have a habit of getting in over your head too quickly and then realizing you'd made a mis-
49 49
take. You said you didn't want anything too heavy, right?"
"Yes." It was her first line of defense against the inevitable. She'd wanted to be the one to set the tone for their fling. If she implied from the outset it was meaningless, then he couldn't possibly leave her heart or her pride in tatters. Or at least he'd never know it. She'd pretty much ruined that illusion in the past few minutes.
"What changed?" he asked, giving her a searching look.
What had changed? She'd meant those words when she'd said them, but it wasn't all that difficult to figure out. They'd slept together, and she'd liked it entirely too much. Ashley had picked up on that right off, so it was hardly mysterious. Her sister had guessed that Maggie had suddenly wanted more. In fact, she'd wanted things she'd sworn never to want again, all in the blink of an eye, because the man excelled in bed. To be perfectly honest with herself, she had no idea how compatible they were out of it, which meant that all this angst, all this irrational fleeing, was totally absurd. Rings had their parameters, and a fling?albeit a grand and glorious one?was definitely all they'd had.
She met his gaze. "I lost my mind," she suggested lightly. "Sorry."
His gaze held steady with hers. "Maybe we both did," he said quietly. "I wanted more, too, Maggie, and damned if I have any explanation for it, either."
She heard the sincerity and bewilderment in his voice, and it reassured her. Maybe she didn't have to plunge off the deep end. Maybe they could start over and take things slowly, get to know each other a bit before
50 50WHAT'S COOKING?
the fireworks got out of hand. That would be something new for her. Perhaps for Rick, too.
He tucked a finger under her chin and gazed into her eyes. Her entire body trembled. Okay, maybe they couldn't take things too slowly.
"What are you thinking?" he asked.
"With my brain?" she responded wryly.
He laughed. "For starters."
"That we could start over, take things a little slower this time. Get to know each other." She regarded him with a sideways glance, trying to gauge his reaction. She couldn't.
"And with whatever other part is chiming in?" he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes. "What's it telling you?"
"That we should go inside and make love right this second and to hell with everything else."
Heat glittered in the depths of his eyes. "How about we listen to that part first, then give your brain its say a little later."
She wanted to say no. She really did. But her hand was in his and they were heading inside before one single coherent sentence could cross her lips. When it did, it wasn't "Forget about it" or even a simple "No." Instead, she said, "The bedroom's this way."
Rick wasn't entirely sure what had gotten Maggie to change her mind. He doubted it was anything he'd said. Reason and sanity didn't seem to be what they were about. No, if anything, they were all about passion and hunger.
They'd barely crossed the threshold to Maggie's bed-
51 51
room when their clothes went flying. From the first they'd had no inhibitions, no false modesty. Maggie had been as eager as he'd been. Today was no different. Now that the decision had been made, she was coming to him with no apparent hesitation or regret.
He crushed her lush mouth under his, tasted her even as she fit her
Maggie was beginning to feel foolish. "You couldn't call and explain that?" she muttered defensively. Would it really have mattered if he had? Wasn't her decision the right one, no matter what?
Rick tensed. "I'm not used to having to call and explain myself to anyone," he said. "Besides, I thought you wanted to keep things casual. That is what you told me, isn't it? You said you have a habit of getting in over your head too quickly and then realizing you'd made a mis-
49 49
take. You said you didn't want anything too heavy, right?"
"Yes." It was her first line of defense against the inevitable. She'd wanted to be the one to set the tone for their fling. If she implied from the outset it was meaningless, then he couldn't possibly leave her heart or her pride in tatters. Or at least he'd never know it. She'd pretty much ruined that illusion in the past few minutes.
"What changed?" he asked, giving her a searching look.
What had changed? She'd meant those words when she'd said them, but it wasn't all that difficult to figure out. They'd slept together, and she'd liked it entirely too much. Ashley had picked up on that right off, so it was hardly mysterious. Her sister had guessed that Maggie had suddenly wanted more. In fact, she'd wanted things she'd sworn never to want again, all in the blink of an eye, because the man excelled in bed. To be perfectly honest with herself, she had no idea how compatible they were out of it, which meant that all this angst, all this irrational fleeing, was totally absurd. Rings had their parameters, and a fling?albeit a grand and glorious one?was definitely all they'd had.
She met his gaze. "I lost my mind," she suggested lightly. "Sorry."
His gaze held steady with hers. "Maybe we both did," he said quietly. "I wanted more, too, Maggie, and damned if I have any explanation for it, either."
She heard the sincerity and bewilderment in his voice, and it reassured her. Maybe she didn't have to plunge off the deep end. Maybe they could start over and take things slowly, get to know each other a bit before
50 50WHAT'S COOKING?
the fireworks got out of hand. That would be something new for her. Perhaps for Rick, too.
He tucked a finger under her chin and gazed into her eyes. Her entire body trembled. Okay, maybe they couldn't take things too slowly.
"What are you thinking?" he asked.
"With my brain?" she responded wryly.
He laughed. "For starters."
"That we could start over, take things a little slower this time. Get to know each other." She regarded him with a sideways glance, trying to gauge his reaction. She couldn't.
"And with whatever other part is chiming in?" he asked, amusement dancing in his eyes. "What's it telling you?"
"That we should go inside and make love right this second and to hell with everything else."
Heat glittered in the depths of his eyes. "How about we listen to that part first, then give your brain its say a little later."
She wanted to say no. She really did. But her hand was in his and they were heading inside before one single coherent sentence could cross her lips. When it did, it wasn't "Forget about it" or even a simple "No." Instead, she said, "The bedroom's this way."
Rick wasn't entirely sure what had gotten Maggie to change her mind. He doubted it was anything he'd said. Reason and sanity didn't seem to be what they were about. No, if anything, they were all about passion and hunger.
They'd barely crossed the threshold to Maggie's bed-
51 51
room when their clothes went flying. From the first they'd had no inhibitions, no false modesty. Maggie had been as eager as he'd been. Today was no different. Now that the decision had been made, she was coming to him with no apparent hesitation or regret.
He crushed her lush mouth under his, tasted her even as she fit her
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