"Well, something you might be interested in, he met with the Blacks on Sunday. One great big happy family of blackmailers and cheats watching football together."

"Figures the snakes would find each other and coil up into a nest." Maya frowned. "So why haven't you been talking to us? Tell me."

"I've been busy." She glanced around. Seeing no one near, she shared with Maya a few details about her weekend.

Maya whistled. "I am now officially jealous. He might be a snake, but he sure seems to know how to do the mambo mattress dance."

Ann laughed and would have replied when she saw Julie and Josh walking together down the street.

Maya followed her gaze as the pair turned the corner. "Guess Julie and Dan are back. Jack still staying at their place?"

"How-?"

"Small town. Besides, I have my feelers out about our sly adversaries. The enemy is tricky. d.i.c.ky too."

"That was just bad." They arrived at her place and walked inside.

Maya sighed. "I know. I blame Riley. Girl has been in a funk since Anson's been back. He had the nerve to flirt with her the other day at the bakery. She's PO'd to the point I'm here bugging you instead of messing with her."

"Ouch. I should call her."

"No. You should tell me what I want to hear. That you're sticking to the plan."

"I am," she said, "It's been hard. Having s.e.x without an emotional connection is tough, but I'm trying to keep it separate. We're having dinner tonight. Just dinner. Then, well, I lost a bet. Friday night I'm his for twenty-four hours."

Maya loafed on her couch. "Man. I need to get some action like that. Let a guy try to boss me around for a day."

"Try being the key word. You have control issues."

"I do. And I fully admit it. Acknowledgement of the problem is the first step, you know."

"You're such a dork. Oh, Maya. What do I do? I'm trying really hard not to like Jack again. But he's being so charming. I mean, he's making my toes curl in bed. Then he leaves, and next thing you know he texts to tell me to have a nice day or share something funny Josh said."

"But he still hasn't mentioned high school, hmm?"

"No. He's made a few remarks about putting the past behind us. But it's just..."

"Just what?"

Ann didn't know how to explain without sounding childish.

"Just that you can't get over the hurt?" Maya answered. "I get you. Dex screwed me over in twelfth grade. And you know what? Over a decade later I still want to put a hurt on him. My mom dropped the ball when I was a baby, and now I have commitment issues. I'm twenty-nine, so clearly I'm not over that yet."

"We're not crazy for feeling hurt after so much time, are we?"

"Nope. We're normal. We just need closure-hence the revenge."

"Right. Revenge." But on who, Ann wondered, because trying to remain emotionally detached from Jack seemed to wound her more than him. "Well, it's early yet. I've only been with him a week or so. He's barely been back."

"He's been here long enough to have you on your back."

"Crude, Maya."

"Yet true. Look, have fun. Enjoy him a little. Enjoy him a lot. Just don't lose yourself to him again. For all you know, he's fooling around with you while secretly engaged to Selena Thorpe."

Ann grimaced. "Must you say her name?"

"Sorry. My point-don't trust the guy. He hasn't earned it."

They talked a while longer, then Maya left to get back to her studio.

After a call to Riley to say h.e.l.lo, Ann left a message then went out to clear her head. She returned in time to get ready for her dinner with Jack and met him downtown.

Jack waited for her outside Noi, the new Thai place she'd been dying to try, talking and laughing with someone. He waved her over.

"Hey, Ann. You remember Dexter Black? Dex, Ann Weaver."

"Oh my gosh. You are huge." Ann goggled at Dex, who used to be almost Ann's height.

"Yeah, yeah. I hit a weird growth spurt and it forgot to stop." Dex kissed her on the cheek. "You look terrific, Ann. Why don't you ditch Jack and come out with me? I'm going to see a movie. A drama. With subt.i.tles," he added hopefully.

"I would, but I think Jack might cry if forced to eat alone."

Jack frowned at Dex. "Hey. She's with me."

Dex rolled his eyes. "Whatever. Anyway, see you later. Bye, Ann." Dex started walking away, then stopped and turned back. "Hey, tell Maya I said hi when you see her." He gave her a mocking salute as he left.

"Yeah, that'll go over like a lead balloon."

Jack heard her as he ushered her inside the restaurant, because he grinned and said, "Let me guess. Still not over Dex blackmailing her into going to his prom, eh?"

"If you know Maya, you know she holds grudges."

"Gee, Ann. She was so nice to me at the store last week. I can't imagine Maya would ever be brutal, in any situation."

"Funny. So let's have dinner."

"Right. With our clothes on." He said that a little too loudly, because more than one person turned to them.

Flushing with embarra.s.sment, she punched him in the arm.

He chuckled. "Sorry. Hey, our table's ready."

They sat down and ordered. After a while Ann realized they were still studying each other. Jack shook his head.

"What?"

"I still want to do you."

"So romantic." She tried not to blush but couldn't help the burst of pleasure that came with being found desirable.

"I'm trying to have a casual dining experience here. But all I can think about is last Sat.u.r.day..."

When he'd made her scream his name. Talk about a talented tongue.

"So what do I have to look forward to this weekend?"

His wicked grin confirmed her worst fears and dampened her panties. He wouldn't go easy on her. Especially now that he knew how much she liked being bossed around. And spanked. And having her hair pulled.

"Oh, I have a few things in mind." He paused. "Is it just me? Or did it get really hot in here?"

"Stop." She looked around to make sure they weren't being spied on, then focused on him again. His eyes were so blue. Even the stubble on his chin looked s.e.xy. She wondered if he knew that and forced himself not to shave just to grow that stubble.

He watched her without blinking. "What?"

"What what?"

"I like the way you're looking at me. Like you're so in l.u.s.t you can't see straight. That or you're just really hungry for dinner."

She blew out a breath. "I thought this was a casual date. Talk about something other than s.e.x." Inspiration struck. "Tell me about your parents. Or Dan and Julie. How was San Diego?"

Jack sighed. "Yeah, that'll kill the mood. Dan and Julie are great. Apparently the trip went well." He discussed his brother's job and his sister-in-law's amazing capacity for tolerating Dan's neuroses. "Julie just laughs at him. I'm surprised each and every time I see him alive after he leaves his dirty socks in the living room."

"True love. The ability to look past laundry." She snickered.

"Smarta.s.s."

The waiter arrived with their food and they dug in.

Jack pointed his fork at her. "So tell me about your family. Your mom and dad are okay?"

"Great. In Europe through Christmas. They're still in love after nearly thirty years. That's the exception these days, not the rule."

"Exception?"

"Couples who don't divorce. It's depressing. What's the point of dating, you know?"

He gave her a naughty smile. "Oh, there are merits to dating." At her look of disgust, he laughed. "Come on. It's nice to have someone you can trust that way. Intimately, I mean. But think about it, Ann. Coming home to share your day. Movies, dinners, spending time together with someone who loves you and can show you in so many creative ways."

She glanced down at her plate, uncomfortable with the way he seemed to be looking at her. Had he seen the longing in her eyes? She sure hoped not. Granted, a fantasy of him being her special someone was all nice and good, but far from reality.

"Isn't that something you want?" he asked.

She nodded and continued to concentrate on her plate. "Eventually. I don't know. Relationships are a lot of compromise. My parents argue then spend their time making up with kisses and laughter. They've had their ups and downs. But their relationship is so true, so real. I'm just worried I'll never find something like that." She stopped herself from rambling, mortified she'd been so candid. But when she chanced a look at his face, she saw only his understanding.

"Tell me about it. Not only do I have my parents to deal with, I have Dan and Julie. My folks are celebrating their thirty-fifth anniversary this year. Dan and Julie their tenth. And me? I'm the loser who broke up with yet another girlfriend. My mom is on me about grandkids daily, as if Josh and Julie and Dan's next one isn't enough."

"Julie's pregnant?"

He smiled. "Yep. I'm going to be an uncle twice over."

"That's terrific. Congratulations."

His goofy grin brought down another part of the wall holding her heart safe from him. How could she not feel such affection for a man who not only rocked her world, but doted on his family? She loved children, and clearly Jack did too.

Then she remembered that they'd once almost had a child between them. And it shocked her, because she never dwelled on that time in her past.

"Hey. You okay?" He sounded concerned.

She forced herself to cough to explain the shine in her eyes. "Sorry. Hot pepper."

He relaxed. "Good. I mean, I thought I'd said something to upset you. Not my fault. I told you not to order the hotter stuff."

They teased good-naturedly, argued over the bill, which he insisted on paying, then ended the dinner with a plan to meet again Friday night.

"Remember," he said as he walked her to her car. "I won you. You're mine for twenty-four hours. Friday to Sat.u.r.day night. Your place, because, yeah, I'm still living with my brother. And no way I can do all the things I want to with my nephew in the next room playing with Legos."

"Good point. But I don't think winning the bet ent.i.tles you to my house too."

"Sure it does." He stepped closer, backing her against her car. "Every part of you is mine Friday night. You have no idea how hard it's been waiting." He fused his body to hers, so she felt exactly how hard it had been-and still was.

The kiss, when it came, demanded a response, and she gave it to him. Moaning into his mouth, clinging to his shoulders, she felt possessed.

He pulled away slowly and smiled. She just stared, wondering how he continued to do that. Melting her into a puddle of obedience with a kiss.

"Oh yeah," he promised in a low voice. "I'm going to own that p.u.s.s.y, that mouth and that a.s.s Friday night."

She swallowed hard, trying not to be aroused and failing miserably. "a.s.s?" she squeaked.

His menacing smile aroused her. "Don't worry. I'll be gentle. At first." He kissed her again and stepped back. "See you soon, angel."

"Again with the angel," she muttered, watching him walk to his car. She got into her own and sat there, tapping the steering wheel.

The man was dangerous, no two ways about it. He played her like a master, and she kept falling for his moves. The sweet pet name. The fiery kisses. The incredible smell of his cologne that lingered just under his skin. Not overpowering, but seductive all the same.

How could she protect herself from the man if she found herself falling for him all over again? And after Maya had bet money on her...

Laughing to herself, a bit hysterically, she did her best to pretend they had nothing between them but s.e.x.

And knew she was telling herself one whopper of a lie.

Chapter Nine.