He pointed to her than back to himself. "You and me, it's not going to work if you tense up every time I touch you."

Her gaze drifted away. "I'm sorry. I'm just a little nervous. It's been a long time since I've been intimate with anyone."

"Me, too."That brought her attention back to him. "Bet I've got you beat.""Almost five months.""Try three years."Three years? Whit couldn't imagine any healthy adult going that long without s.e.x. "You can't be serious."Her expression told him she was dead serious even before she said, "I'm very serious. I went out with a guy from the office a few times and then I thought, 'Why not?' I answered that question in about two minutes. It was awful."

"And before that?"

"Six years."

Man, this was getting almost too weird for Whit. "You're telling me you've had s.e.x only once in nine years?"

"I've only been with two men, Mr. Awful and my ex-husband, Mr. Infidelity."

Whit prepared to ask the question he'd wanted to know for a long time but never had the nerve to ask."How was it with old Barry?""That's Jerry, and it was okay.""Only okay?" For some reason, that made Whit happy."I think he saved his best for the coeds."The b.a.s.t.a.r.d. Whit rubbed his jaw then sat forehead, hands clasped between his parted knees. "During all that time, you didn't miss the s.e.x?"

She lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "I didn't have time to think about it. I had law school and then work. Iput all my energy into my career. s.e.x was just low priority."He frowned. "I'm probably getting too personal, but didn't you ever take care of things yourself?"She laid a dramatic hand on her chest. "What? And risk going blind?""If that were true, then most men would be running into walls.""Does that include you?""I'm going to take the fifth on that one." He rubbed his stubbled chin. "Maybe you haven't found the right man, someone who makes your pleasure top priority."She gave him a wry smile. "And I suppose you're going to say you're that man.""Yeah."She rolled her eyes. "You have one unparalleled ego.""Not really. I've just had some good instruction."

"No doubt from some older woman who knew all the ins and outs of lovemaking, no pun intended."

"Actually, my dad told me everything I needed to know, before I ever touched a woman in that way."

Mallory came to her feet and plopped down on the couch. "This I've got to hear, Whit Manning getting

the s.e.x talk.""s.e.x, drinking, it didn't matter. My dad was always pretty open about that sort of thing."For the first time in years, Whit thought back to a time when things hadn't been so bad between him and his dad. "One time, when I was about fourteen, he caught me and Logan sneaking a beer from the fridge.

He took the twelve-pack, sat us down at the dining room table and told us to drink them all."

Her green eyes went wide. "You didn't!"

"We did, or at least most of them. I think we both quit about halfway through the fifth beer, or maybe the fourth. Then to top it off, Dad told us to go out in the garage and make something with his skill saw."

She clasped a throw pillow to her chest as if she needed protection from a member of the Mad

Mannings. "When you were drunk?""Yeah, but he knew we wouldn't do it. We told him he was crazy, and then he told us to remember howwe felt, especially when we got behind the wheel of a car, because that would be just as dangerous astrying to attempt to use a sharp object under the influence. I've never forgotten it, and I've never drivendrunk, not once."

"What happened after that?"

"Logan and I blew a few chunks, then we pa.s.sed out."

Mallory smiled. "A good lesson for you both. Your dad's a smart man."

Whit had to admit his dad was very smart. Overly critical and demanding, but smart.

She scooted a little closer and tossed the pillow aside. "So exactly how did he handle the s.e.x thing?

Bought you a woman?"

He grinned. "Nothing like that. Right after he found out I had my first real girlfriend, he gave me some very detailed female anatomy lessons and a few tips on what women like. Explicit tips. He also stressed that no meant no. That maybe most people considered s.e.x as a rite of pa.s.sage for guys, but guys had no right to a.s.sume anything. Then he told me if I did decide to take that step, I should always wear a

raincoat. Before I figured out he was talking about condoms, I got this vision of climbing in the back seatof a car, wearing nothing but a yellow slicker."She smiled. "What a vision.""Oh, and I also learned you didn't stick your tongue down a woman's throat."She looked shocked again. "He told you that?""Nope. I read that in one of my mom's magazines when I was eleven. I think the article was called 'The Fine Art of Kissing,' or something like that."

"Did you practice with your pillow?"

"h.e.l.l no. I went for the real thing."

She sighed. "I didn't even kiss a boy until I was fifteen. My first date to the spring cotillion."

Another reminder of a time long pa.s.sed. Whit wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her to his

side. At least she didn't tense up this time. In fact, she seemed relaxed, even if he wasn't. "I remember that night," he said. "It was mine and Logan's senior year of high school. We were hanging out in the living room, and you came down the stairs wearing this peach-colored dress. It was the first time I realized you had b.r.e.a.s.t.s."

She playfully swatted his arm. "I had b.r.e.a.s.t.s when I was thirteen.""Maybe so, but I didn't notice them until that night, probably because that dress was cut kind of low."She laid her hand on her chest. "I'll have you know, it was a sweetheart neckline, very modest.""You looked like a sweetheart in it. You also looked scared. I thought you might pa.s.s out.""Poor Bobby looked a whole lot more scared than me when he walked in the door to face all of the guys."Whit chuckled. "Well, I think he nearly ran when Aidan...or maybe it was Kevin-""It couldn't have been Kevin because he was never around, and Aidan was still in college.""Maybe it was Kieran or Devin or Logan. I really don't remember, but I do remember what was said. 'If you lay one hand on her b.o.o.b, Bobby Hiller, I'll cut off your hand and stuff it in your mouth.'"Mallory laughed. "Oh my gosh, I remember that now. It was Kieran. I could've killed him.""I was thinking the same thing.""That you wanted to kill Kieran?""Actually, that I wanted to put my hand on your breast. But I didn't think I'd get any special consideration just because I was Logan's best friend."She replaced her smile with a sultry look. "Do you still want to do that?"He'd give up ice cream for good in exchange for that opportunity. "Are you going to cut my hand off if I say yes?""No. Not at all.""Then yeah, I have to admit it has crossed my mind." Like right now."I wouldn't exactly object."Never before had Whit turned down an offer to touch a woman. But this wasn't just any woman beside him. This was his friend. One-in-a-million Mallory. And she could eventually be the mother of his child.

He needed to proceed with care, even if his body wanted to move at the speed of a light.

"Tell you what..." He leaned over and snapped off the lamp on the end table, then wrapped both arms around her. "Let's just get used to being close to each other while we're watching the game."

She rested her head in the crook of his neck and laid her arm across his middle. "That's a good idea."

Whit thought so too, except for the fact that her hand was precariously low on his belly. And to make matters worse, a commercial heralding the benefits of a new pill to enhance a woman's libido came on during the break.

"I wonder if those work," Mallory said. "Maybe I should try them out."

Whit tipped her chin up and forced her to look at him, her face cast in the blue glow of the television set. "You're not going to need them with me."

She lowered her gaze. "What if there's something wrong with me, Whit? It probably isn't normal, going as long as I have without having s.e.x."

He breezed his fingertips up and down her bare arm. "There's nothing wrong with you. You like to be in control, with your job and your private life. You need to learn that being out of control is preferable when it comes to making love."

"Thank you, Dr. Manning." She said it with amus.e.m.e.nt but Whit detected wariness in her voice.

"You're welcome." He brushed a kiss across her cheek. "You can pay me later."

She snuggled closer. "I can only imagine what you expect as payment."

"I wouldn't mind collecting with a kiss or two." Or ten.

She lifted her eyes to his. "I could probably live with that."

So could Whit, for now. He started with just touching his mouth to hers, applying only slight pressure. He pulled away then swept his lips across hers slowly, until her mouth relaxed and her lips parted. Only then did he take advantage and intensify the kiss, slowly at first, then deeper, sliding his tongue in slow increments against her tongue.

They kissed for a good while, both growing more daring as the minutes ticked off. Before Whit could prepare, Mallory was leaning back and he was following her down onto the sofa. He adjusted his position until he faced her, realizing that was a whole lot safer than lying on top of her, and thankful he hadn't fallen off the couch. Landing on the coffee table might give him a concussion. That would definitely destroy the mood.

They continued to kiss as if they'd recently discovered the fun of making out, just like a couple of high school kids. Whit was definitely discovering how great it was to kiss his roomie, and how hard it would be to leave her with only this tonight, especially when she breezed her hands up and down his back, coming very close to his b.u.t.t with every pa.s.s. Running on automatic, he divided her legs with his own leg, bringing them into closer contact, particularly certain parts of their anatomy that should be avoided at all costs.

Whit kept a firm grip on his control, even with Mallory's b.r.e.a.s.t.s pressed against his chest, her pelvis flush against his. He commanded his thigh not to move to the apex of her thighs, cautioned his hands not to rove below the dip of her spine. Mr. Happy presented another problem altogether, but he didn't seem to have any control over him, especially when Whit considered how easy it would be to slip his hand beneath Mallory's man-slaying shorts to touch her. To find out exactly how turned on she was at the moment, as turned on as him, he suspected. He opted to bring his palm to her belly and move up beneath the top instead of down between her legs, weighing her breast while thumbing her nipple in slow circular movements.

He was vaguely aware that someone on his favored team had hit a grand slam, but his concentration centered on the highly s.e.xual sound that slipped out of Mallory's mouth as he continued to fondle her.

Whit pulled back and sought her eyes. "See? There's not a d.a.m.n thing wrong with you."

Her face was flushed, her eyes hazy and her lips swollen from their lengthy make-out session. "If you say so." Her rapid breathing betrayed her skeptical tone.

He lifted the shirt to watch his hand in motion as he circled one rigid nipple with a fingertip. "You're body doesn't lie, Mallory. You're excited, and you know it."

She sucked in a breath and blew it out slowly. "Okay, I'm a little excited. Are you happy now?"

"I won't be entirely happy until I prove that I can make you more than a little excited." He was about to do something he'd never done before. Yeah, he was. In just a minute. Or two. If he didn't do it now, then he wouldn't before he'd crossed that point of no return. "I'm going to bed."

Determined to get out of there while he still could, Whit lowered her top and worked his way off the couch. He decided to escape before he answered his own body's demand, yanked down her satin shorts and his ridiculous boxers to bury himself inside her. If she wanted to wait another couple of days, he'd give her that. Tomorrow night, he also planned to give her another taste of what was to come, in slow increments, until by the time they finally made it to the bed, she would want him more than she'd wanted any man. Whit definitely wanted her more than he'd wanted any woman in ages, if ever. Reaping the end rewards would definitely be worth the wait.

Mallory glanced at his fly then her gaze zipped to the clock on the wall. "It's only 9:00 p.m.," she said, her voice unsteady and hoa.r.s.e. "Since when do you go to bed before the end of the game?"

"Since I've decided that in about thirty seconds, I'm going to bypa.s.s second base and head straight for a home run."

She pulled her legs beneath her and leaned back on the sofa, thrusting her b.r.e.a.s.t.s forward. "Fine, go to bed then. I'm going to watch the game."

"You do that." He leaned down and planted another kiss on her mouth, a little deeper than intended, but he wanted to get his point across. "And when you go to bed, remember how you felt tonight, and magnify that ten times. That's how you're going to feel in two nights."

"Promises, promises."

"You can count on it, Mallory. So be prepared."

Mallory had not been prepared for last night, not in the least. She hadn't been prepared for the impact on her sleep, or the fact she'd been thinking about Whit's mouth, Whit's body, Whit's promise, all morning long.

She also couldn't forget the last thing that Jerry had told her when she'd confronted him on his cheating.

Face it, Mallory, you're lousy in bed.

Logically, she had to remember she'd only been twenty, and he'd been the only man she'd made love with to that point. But logic couldn't supercede her continued insecurities about her own s.e.xuality. In her job, she was all cool confidence and control. But when it came to lovemaking, she was anything but self-a.s.sured.

Maybe Whit had been right. Maybe she hadn't found the right man, and he could very well be that man. Yet that presented another problem. He was a master of seduction and, she suspected, an expert lover. Even though making love with him was supposed to solely lead to pregnancy, she still hated the thought that she might not meet his expectations or realize her own. Again.

The door jerked open, in turn jerking Mallory out of her musings. Enter Rosalyn "Roz" Johnson, Mallory 's fifty-something paralegal and a perpetual fixture at Cramer, Collins and Fox for over twenty years. With the silver streak cutting a wide berth in her jet-black bob, she looked like a cartoon villainess. Mallory loved her dearly, despite her penchant for spewing cutting comments from her permanently pinched mouth.

Considering the way Roz slapped the file on the desk, Mallory braced for one of those verbal acid attacks now. "The proposed agreement from opposing council on the McMillan divorce," she said. "You 're not going to like it."

Sliding the folder closer, Mallory flipped through the doc.u.ment and scanned the wording. "Looks like it's in accordance to the prenup."

Roz pointed a bony finger at one section. "Not when it comes to the kid."

Mallory's eyes widened when she came to the terms. "He wants custody of their child?" She snapped the file closed. "That's absurd. According to Anna McMillan, he never wanted the baby in the first place."

"Obviously he does now."

This was all Mallory needed, going to battle with a well-heeled b.a.s.t.a.r.d. "Does Mrs. McMillan know?"

Roz picked up the phone and offered it to Mallory. "Thought it would be best coming from you."

Mallory took the receiver and placed it back onto the cradle. "She's out of town with her son for a couple of weeks. I'll call her when she returns. Better still, I'll tell her face-to-face. This will devastate her, especially since her sorry husband could very well win."

Roz clucked her tongue. "I won't tolerate that kind of talk, counselor. You're good and you can beat him."

"You're right. I can and I will." She saw it as her duty to keep mother and child together, as it should be.

"You know something?" Roz said. "I get the feeling that old man Fox would like it better if the firm were representing Mr. McMillan because of who he is."

"A moneyed a.s.s?"

"A man with a lot of political connections."

Mallory had to admit that would be enticing to the senior partner, who probably had designs on a judgeship. "Well, that's too bad. We're not, and I plan to provide Anna with the best representation possible. We have several options in regard to Mr. McMillan."

Roz smirked, the closest she ever got to a smile. "My razor-sharp paring knife is one option. I'm just itching to use it on a couple of melons." She made a sweeping gesture in the air. "It would be over in a jiffy, before McMillan ever knew what hit him."

Dear Roz, so shy and retiring. "I'm referring to hiring a P.I." To Mallory, that would be the logical courseof action, playing down and dirty."I'll get on it right now," Roz said, her eyes alight with excitement."Not yet. I'll need to speak with Anna first."The phone began to shrill and Roz s.n.a.t.c.hed it up before Mallory even had a chance to register the ringing. "Ms. O'Brien's office." A long pause. "I am entirely too much woman for you, Logan O'Brien."Mallory grinned when she noticed Roz's smile trying to come out of hiding. Leave it to Logan to remove the lemon look from the paralegal's face. "You're a devil child, young man. Yes, she's right here." She handed the phone over to Mallory. "Your brother."