Real Romance - By Ginny Baird Page 0,36

cafe looking for you. And then we got to making conversation. He, oh, brought me my coffee. I asked if he knew you, but he... what I mean is, he told me he had a way... that literary types liked him."

Marie humphed, but he continued. "Then he offered—I swear, I didn't ask—some recommendations on things I could read, an approach I could take to get a women like you interested."

"Like me, specifically?" she asked, crossing her arms in front of her.

"Holy cow... I mean, oh, boy. I mean, no, absolutely not."

She narrowed her eyes and wished she had her glasses.

"You don't think," he said, "I would have actually mentioned you by name? That I was interested, I mean? But I was. Boy, oh, boy, was I. From the moment you walked into my—"

"David," she said, unfolding her arms and crawling back over to him, "you can stop babbling now. I forgive you."

He lay there, feeling a little stunned, as she perched like a lioness and clambered on top of him.

"But I—" he said, as she began to tug down the sheet, "I just wanted a chance to explain."

"Don't worry," she said, stripping him naked on the bed. "I understand. It was natural. You figured since he was my boyfriend he'd—"

David reached up and put his hands on her shoulders. "Boyfriend?"

Marie settled her bare derriere on his thighs. "Didn't you know?" she asked innocently.

"I—uh—boyfriend? No way! When I asked you..."

"Guilty," she said, feeling anything but. "I guess we've both told our fair share of little white lies."

She looked down and spread her hands on his beautifully solid chest. He was without a doubt the handsomest man she'd known.

"Forgive me?" she asked, wriggling sensually.

"Oh, God, Marie," he said, grabbing her hips, "anything. Anything at all."

Chapter Thirteen

Marie found her glasses in the living room and stumbled to the kitchen, tracking the appetizing scent of frying bacon. She walked to the threshold, set her glasses on her nose and paused.

Mmm. A blond Adonis was standing shirtless at her kitchen stove cooking up a breakfast that smelled divine.

He turned and smiled in her direction.

"Morning, wild thing. I was starting to wonder when you'd stumble out of bed."

She felt a warm sweep of color suffuse her face.

"Was I really that... wild?" she asked, tightening her robe and sidestepping to the coffeepot.

"Oh, baby," David said, coming over and drawing her into a bear hug. "Yes." He gave her a mischievous grin. "So," he said, leaning forward and giving her a hard smack on the lips, "what's your pleasure?"

"Why, David Lake," she said, looking up into his beautiful blue eyes and feeling as if she were drowning all over again, "I believe you know the answer to that."

"Yes, darling," he said, reaching behind her and playfully squeezing heir rump. "But what would you like for breakfast?"

"I... uh, coffee first," she said, still feeling foggy. Next time—and to look at him now there would certainly be a next time—she wanted to be as clear as day.

David motioned for her to sit at the breakfast table and brought her a cup of coffee. Black, just how she liked it.

"How did you know?"

"Manly intuition."

"No, I mean about the coffee," she said, hiding her blush behind her mug.

"I remembered from our coffee date."

Marie raised her brow.

"The endlessly clanking spoon."

"Oh," she said, with a giggle. She felt unnervingly silly. Like some wayward teenager who'd gotten away with doing something naughty in her parents' bed. She laughed out loud, realizing that was precisely what she'd done.

David walked over and set a plate of bacon, scrambled eggs, and toasted English muffins in front of her.

Marie brought her hands to her brilliant cheeks.

"Oh my, I don't think I've ever been cooked for before."

"Sweetheart," David said, leaning over and kissing her forehead. "Get used to it."

"But, wait! Oh my goodness..." Marie jumped to her feet, nearly upsetting the table.

"David! What time is it? I can't believe it, but I almost forgot I have to go to work!"

What couldn't she believe, Marie asked herself? That the most unforgettable man in her life had made her forget all about things like mundane responsibilities?

"Slow down there, honey," he said, pushing her back down into her chair. "Enjoy your meal. You won't be going to work or anywhere else today. Or so says local radio station WCVX."

She dropped back into her seat with a questioning look.

"Snow, Marie. The most beautiful snowfall I've seen in years. While we were heating things up last night—"

She didn't wait to hear the rest, dropping her