Up Close and Personal by Maureen Child

Author:Maureen Child [Child, Maureen]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2012-08-06T21:00:00+00:00

Seven

For two weeks, they spent every day together. And every day, Ronan chipped away at Laura’s resolve.

It wasn’t outright. Nothing she could call him on, nothing that would allow her to warn him to back off. No, he was sneakier than that.

He held her chair for her at lunch and would let his fingertips trail across her shoulders as she seated herself. He put his hand at the small of her back when they climbed stairs to some of the cliff-side homes she showed him. She felt his touch all the way to her bones and she knew he was well aware of what he was doing.

When she spoke, he gave her his full attention, his gaze locked with hers as if she were the most important being on earth. The heat in his gaze was unmistakable and impossible to ignore. He knew that, too. She was sure of it.

And for two weeks, he found something wrong with every property she showed him. Too small. Too big. Too high on the cliff, too low on the hillside. Not near enough to the ocean, too close to the crash of waves. He was perfectly reasonable about it, but the upshot was the same. He was dragging out their time together and Laura was on the ragged edge of her control.

It was all well and good to make a vow of chastity where Ronan was concerned—but keeping that vow was turning out to be even more difficult than she had thought it would be.

Especially, she thought, when he spent more time at her house than he did at his. Even now, he was sprawled companionably on the couch beside her, long legs stretched out, feet crossed at the ankles. When he stirred, it was to grab another slice of pizza from the open box on the coffee table in front of them.

He broke off a piece of crust before tossing it to Beast. Then, taking a sip of his beer, he looked at her and winked. “You’re watching me in the way a woman does when she’s thinking something.”

“I’m thinking you look awfully comfortable.”

“And why shouldn’t I? It’s a lovely house, there’s a fire in the hearth, a lovely woman at my side and a dog at me feet.”

“Thank you very much,” Georgia said from the chair.

“I beg your pardon,” Ronan corrected himself with a blinding grin. “Two lovely women.”

“Much better.” Georgia lifted her wineglass in a silent toast.

“You’re no help,” Laura told her sister.

“Was I supposed to help?” Georgia hid her grin behind her wineglass as she took another sip.

“So, you don’t want me to be comfortable?” Ronan asked.

“I just don’t understand why you have to be comfortable here.”

“Because, love, you have yet to find me a suitable house to buy.”

“You could go to the one you rent.”

“Did you hear that, Georgia?” Ronan shook his head sadly and lowered his voice dramatically. “She wants me away to sit by myself in that empty house rather than be here with friends.” As he said that last word, he turned his gaze on Laura meaningfully.

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