Real Romance - By Ginny Baird Page 0,18

was okay. But, oh God, her glasses!

Marie lay a sweaty palm on the doorknob, knowing it was too late to do anything about those now.

"Hi!" she said, pulling back the door.

The crisp scent of autumn rushed past her, carrying his musk oil scent, and she nearly fainted.

"Hi," he said, one hand coyly tucked behind his back. He smiled and his eyes seemed as blue as the morning sky. "I brought you something."

"Oh, you shouldn't—" Marie started to protest, but when he whipped out a jumbo bag of candy-coated chocolates, she changed her mind.

"Why, thank you!" she said, hating herself for blushing. "How did you know I had a weakness?"

"All women..." David started to say, but he caught himself. Smart move, he chided himself. The playboy image is precisely what she's looking for.

He chuckled and shrugged his wide shoulders.

"Well, to hear Debbie tell it, all women love chocolate."

"Debbie?"

"My sister."

"Oh, the one who's getting married!"

"Ah, yeah. Right."

Marie smiled.

"Say," he said, motioning toward the door, "we seem to be letting an awful lot of heat out. Should we get going, or are you going to ask me in?"

Marie turned every shade of red on the spectrum, thinking he didn't know the truth in his words. Her internal combustion engine was fired up and running—right away with her reason.

"Oh, here," she said, "I'm so sorry. Yes, please come in while I get my coat."

David stepped through the threshold and into the sweetest-smelling house he'd ever been in. There was a lingering scent of cinnamon, fresh flowers, and—he swore—something that smelled just like gingerbread. For all intents and purposes, he could have stepped back in time and walked right into his grandmother's home in rural North Carolina.

"Nice place," he said, looking around. Although a bit cluttered, everything was neatly arranged. There were some nice pieces, antiques, David thought, but mainly just comfortable furniture that had seen a lot of living. "Real settled."

"Settled?" Marie asked, sticking one arm into her coat, as David walked over and hoisted the rest of it onto her shoulders.

"Yeah. Not much of a bachelorette pad, if you know what I mean. Reminds me of my grandma's house."

She pushed her glasses up on her nose and buttoned up her coat. "In a good way, I hope."

David's smile was genuine. "In a very good way, Marie," he said, his voice pleasantly husky. "I loved my grandma's house. You live here with your folks?"

"Mother died when I was young, my dad—last year," she said, taking pains to keep her eyes on her keys.

"Oh, I'm sorry."

"Well," Marie said forcing a brave smile. "Don't be too sorry for me. I've still got some pretty good memories of my mom, and my dad was a terrific father to all of us."

"All of you? How many are there?"

"Well," she said, seeming to brighten at the opportunity to show off her family. She crossed to the upright piano at the end of the living room and picked up a picture frame.

"This is Johnny. He's the oldest and has just gotten engaged to Meg. This was taken at their engagement party in July."

She pointed to a photo of another man who looked a lot like Johnny but wore a mustache. "This one's Mark. And this is my sister Jill with her husband Dan, and this one's my baby sister Teresa with her husband Jack."

Her sisters—one blond, the younger one brunette and resembling Marie—were pretty women. But, as far as David was concerned, Marie outshone them both.

"Quite an attractive bunch."

"We hold our own," she said, smiling proudly. "How about you? You have a big family?"

"Just me and Debbie." David gave her a wry smile. "She's the oldest, but you'd never know it."

"And your parents?"

"Dad's in banking down in North Carolina. Mom's made a career out of the Junior League."

"How wonderful she can volunteer."

Yeah, David thought. If only she'd spent a comparable amount of time with the only two children she had. If only his father understood that a man was worth more than the money he made—or in David's case, didn't make.

"Shall we go?" Marie asked, looking down at her watch. "I do need to be at work by noon, and it's almost ten-thirty."

"Your chariot awaits," David said, holding back the door. "Watch your step."

Which was precisely what Marie intended to do, especially since she had the sinking feeling that the rug was somehow going to get pulled right out from under her.

"Didn't know you owned a car," Marie said, sliding into his old Mazda.

He gave her a startled look and