Excerpt from Little Miss Innocent? | Excerpt from Annie Get Your Guy
Excerpt from Messing Around with Max

Excerpt from Little Miss Innocent?

No. It couldn't be. Daniel rubbed his eyes and tried to deny the highly sensual sight that faced him. But when he looked again, Lace McGee still filled his vision.

It had been a long endless shift, in an even longer endless day. Now it was nearly nine o'clock . Time for him to go home. Though the emergency room still roared with chaos, his brain felt numb, his body dulled with fatigue. He wanted to walk out the sliding-glass doors and to his car, but there she stood, blocking the way by her mere presence. Just the sight of her seemed taunting and tempting. She was a thorn in his side, a part of his anatomy that Lace didn't bother in one way or another.

He would simply ignore her, he decided. He stepped away from the front desk and waved goodbye to a group of nurses who hustled past, sending him spoony sidelong glances. They were persistent, but gently so, with discretion, respecting his wishes as a bachelor to remain a bachelor. Not like Lace, who forced her way into his thoughts whether he wanted her there or not. She didn't like it when he tried to ignore her-as if any man actually could. She was too damned intrinsically female too.noticeable.

He didn't mean to, but he glanced at her again, and then he couldn't look away. His palms began to sweat. His glasses fogged.

The cold evening wind sent her dark cloak swirling as white snow blew in behind her, making her entrance seem dramatically staged. Was she here to harass him again, to tease her until his body warred with his brain and his resolve crumbled? His heartbeat quickened as it always did, even as his customary scowl fell into place. He would not let her win.

Without the winter night as a backdrop, he realized Lace wasn't standing as tall as usual. Her face seemed pale rather than radiant, her white-blonde hair looked bedraggled, and as he looked lower, he saw a large tear in her black slacks and blood covering her leg. His heart gave a painful lurch at the sight of that slim pale leg, and he jerked out of his stupor. A nurse had already reached her by the time Daniel roared up to her side.

"What the hell happened?"

The nurse looked startled, but Lace only gave him her patented killer grin, though it didn't measure up to her usual knock-him-on-his-can standard. "Hello there, Danny." Her gaze skimmed his face, then his body, and her voice lowered to a husky whisper. "My, you're looking in fine form today."

She deliberately threw him with ridiculous compliments, and he always allowed himself to be thrown, damn her. But not this time. Not with her so obviously hurt. He took her arm to steady her, then reached to lift her cloak and look behind her where most of the damage seemed to be. She slapped at his hands, but his determination overrode her efforts.

He dropped the cape and in a softer, more controlled tone asked, "What happened, Lace?"

She leaned into him- which he expected since that was another of her plays to drive him insane. This time he didn't step away from her, but held her a little closer. Her body felt warm and soft against his face. When she looked up at him, her expression was serious rather than flirtatious. He didn't like it; this wasn't the Lace he was used to.

Lace didn't seem to notice. "I got bit. By a big stupid neighbor's dog."

She looked shaken and he said easily, offering her more support. "The neighbor is big and stupid, or the dog is?"

"Both."

Without missing a beat, he turned to the nurse. "Notify the police and health authorities, then join us." She nodded and hurried away. Daniel's gaze came back to Lace. Damn, but he didn't want to feel concern for her. He didn't want to feel anything. He didn't even like the woman.

He merely lusted her.

Her pants were a mess, shredded from just above the back upper thigh, to the front of her right knee. Another nurse had hurried forward with a wheelchair, but Daniel waved her away. "I don't think she can sit." Then to Lace, "Should we get a stretcher, or can you make it to a room?"

Her beautiful eyes narrowed. "I can make it."

He recognized that stubborn set to her jaw. It was the same stubborn look she wore whenever she wanted him to see things her way, which was usually whenever she got around him. And because she was his sister's best friend and they were close family, that seemed to be more often than not lately. Which explained why he was slowly-and painfully-going crazy.

With his arm around her narrow waist, and his other hand supporting her elbow, he took her to the first empty examining room he found. "Where, exactly, did you get bit?" He had to control his tone with an effort. The idea of an animal attacking her made his gut clench and his heart pound. He didn't like her, didn't approve of her, but she was a delicate woman, more feminine than any he'd ever known. The thought of her soft flesh being torn by sharp teeth was obscene.

Amazingly, her cheeks colored and she looked away. "On the butt."

Daniel knew embarrassment when he saw it but he never have expected it of Lace. Good grief, the woman was a sex therapist, renowned for her books on sexual enlightenment and her late-night radio talk show. A self-professed expert on male/female relationships, she talked openly and without hesitation about every private subject known to man. Of course, as a doctor, he'd known plenty of other therapists. But Lace was different. She was certainly no Dr. Joyce Brothers.

So surely being bitten in a less than auspicious place couldn't be what bothered her. Daniel didn't even try to understand her. He'd done that numerous times, and it only raised his blood pressure and gave him a headache. Exasperated with himself, he took off his glasses to polis them on a sleeve, giving himself a moment to think. "Tell me what happened."

"I had just come in from a late appointment- "

"An appointment, huh?" He shoved his glasses back onto the bridge of his nose.

"Get your brain out of the gutter, Doctor. Or was it your libido that went slumming there?"

He scowled. She always had some smart remark that thoroughly outdid his own, and se never explained herself. Not that he really expected her to, but still.

"I put my purse away then went down to the lobby to check the mail. And somehow a cat had gotten into the building. It ran behind me, the neighbor's dog tried to go through me and, like an idiot, I turned to see if the cat was alright, giving the mutt a prime target. But he'd never acted aggressive before, so I didn't really consider that he'd bite me."

"Damn. Hold still."

"No." She twisted around to stare at him and panic edged her tone. "What are you doing?"

"Cutting these pants off you so we can see the damage."

"We?" There was so much nervous sarcasm in her voice, he almost hesitated. "Are you using the royal vernacular now? Because you're the only one looking. I sure as certain can't see a thing."

"Hush, Lace. The nurse will be right back."

"I don't want to hush!" Her voice rose to a squeak as he peeled the bloody pants away. "I demand a different doctor!"

"Well, you've got me." Daniel winced at damage done to her beautiful skin. Whatever colors her panties had once been, they were now stained by Lace's blood. The dog's teeth had punctured several places, and then actually torn through her skin, probably when she pulled away. He carefully swabbed at the blood, making certain to wipe away from the wound. His hand shook and he hated himself for it. He'd seen plenty of female bottoms, but none had been hers. Of course, all those nights when he'd dreamed of being this close to her bare, perfectly rounded backside, Lace had been beside herself with desire-only for him. She most certainly hadn't been in pain.

He swabbed at a particularly vicious tear and Lace howled. Daniel spared her a glance, but his attention remained on caring for her. Past grievances seemed to drift away. Seeing her hurt made him hurt, as well. But she was his sister's best friend, so he reasoned that was acceptable.

"Shh. I know it stings. And you're definitely going to need stitches. The wound is too large to leave open, especially over a stress point like this."

"Damn you, Daniel, stop looking at me!"

"I have to look at you to assess the damage. Whatever modesty you're trying to protect is still intact, I assure you."

"I want a plastic surgeon!"

That gave him pause. "Lace, the scarring will be minimal, and being where it's located, it won't even be seen by the.casual.observer."

He ran out of words and his insides twisted. "Surely it's not that big a deal. Even the briefest bathing suit will cover it. But then, that's not the issue here, is it?" He watched her face, keeping his own expression carefully impassive. "It would be awkward, but I imagine if two lovers were very creative, the scar might be seen. How often do you intend to be displaying this part of your anatomy for male appreciation, Lace?"

She'd gasped with his first words and now her color rose. "That's certainly none of your business, you damned lecher!"

The nurse walked in and came to a dead stop at Lace's accusing tone. To Daniel's relief, Lace snapped her teeth together and held back any further barrage of outrage. She turned her face away, crossing her arms over her head, and Daniel imagined her stubborn little nose pressed hard against the stiff, cloth-covered table.

He tried for patience-which always seemed in short supply whenever Lace McGee came around. She had a knack for bringing out the worst in him, and he hated himself for allowing her that advantage. He'd learned control long ago; he'd become a master at hiding his feelings and taking care of business because it had been vital to do so. After his mother had died and his father had fallen apart, someone had had needed to see to his younger brother and sister. Daniel had elected himself.

But years of self training and rigid discipline seemed to melt away whenever this particular woman showed up. He took a deep breath and nodded to the nurse.

"Finish getting her pants off so we can make sure there're no other bites. I'll be back in just a minute."

Lace made a choking sound at his order, but kept her thoughts, and her words, to herself. Just as well, he decided because objections in this case wouldn't have done her any good. He was a doctor, now her doctor, whether she liked it or not.

He stepped out of the room and collapsed against the wall beside the door. The fatigue had left him. He felt wide-awake, charged, full of determination and renewed purpose, and the reason didn't sit well with him at all.

She was a liberal-a sinfully enticing, sexy liberal and a horrible influence on his sister Annie. After twenty-five years of being a sweet-natured tomboy, Annie was suddenly stubborn and willful and more often than not when he saw her, she looked too female... too.

His brain shied away from the word sexy when applied to the sister he'd practically raised on his own.

But he knew it was true. Annie now attracted men in droves, and he didn't like it. But Annie did. Just recently, Annie had gotten pulled into a melee when a brawl had erupted at a local singles' bar. She'd been picked up by the police. Before that, she'd never even been in a bar. He still didn't know what the hell she'd been doing there.

But he did know that it was somehow Lace's fault. She'd turned his sister in a willful femme fatale and she'd affected his libido to such a degree he didn't recognize himself anymore. Hell, she could probably adversely affect the morals of the whole human race with her candid, brassy way. She talked openly of sex, flirted with him outrageously simply to provoke him, and dressed for effect. She enjoyed making him squirm. They were opposites in every way, and she loved driving that fact home whenever it would make him most uncomfortable.

But what she didn't realize was that he'd become addicted to her unique form of torture. After all, he was a man, and he couldn't help reacting to her as such. When she wasn't around, he thought of her, dreamed of her. Yes, he disapproved of the life-style she led. As a rational, intelligent, responsible man, he abhorred sexual promiscuity-yet she epitomized that standard with her every breath. When he allowed common sense to guide him, he disliked her immensely.

But that didn't keep him from wanting her. Of all the women in all the world, he wanted Lace McGee so badly he could no longer sleep at night. He burned with wanting her, and resistance became more difficult every day.

And now, for the first time in his life, he hadn't been able to remain totally detached when treating a patient. With every fiber of his being, he'd been aware of touching Lace, seeing Lace, worrying for Lace. That fact struck at the bone of his professional pride. He should get away from her now, while he still had his integrity.

But he'd be damned if he'd let anyone else in there with her.

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Excerpt from Annie, Get Your Guy

Annie Sawyers felt her jaw drop at the impressive pile of magazines, articles and books her friend had just carried in. She'd had no idea the topic could be so...extensive. "Good grief. Are all these on sex?"

Lace huffed as she dropped the large stack onto the floor. "Every single one."

"But...I thought sex was...you know, pretty clear-cut and basic."

Lace chuckled. "Variety is the spice of life. And believe me, they make fascinating reading."

"You've read them all?"

"These and dozens more." Lace was a well-known sex therapist and Annie's best female friend to boot. Just recently, she'd married Annie's older brother-to the shock of the rest of the family. Not because they didn't adore Lace, but because Daniel was such a stuffed shirt. The two of them complemented each other perfectly.

Lace straightened and gave Annie a smile. "If you're not inspired after this, I give up."

Annie didn't say it, but inspiration wasn't her problem. It was feminine confidence, and lack of male response, that had her hesitant. "I don't know, Lace. I mean, I don't think Guy particularly wants me sexually inspired."

"No doubt about that! Which is why you're going to seduce him."

Annie's eyes widened. "But I've never seduced anyone in my life. Last time I tried that with Guy, he thought I was challenging him to arm wrestle. And he let me win! Do you know how humiliating that was?"

After three blinks, Lace asked, "How in the world did he confuse-"

"Maybe I should have taken my clothes off first? Do you think it'd help if I got-"

"No! No, don't do that." Lace gave her a wan smile. "I'll help you. Your seduction techniques will be unparalleled. Irresistible. Provocative. I promise, he won't stand a chance."

"I dunno." Annie felt the tiniest bit queasy. "What if I do this, take my best shot, give it all I got..."

"Annie."

"...and he laughs at my techniques and pats me on the head? That's what he usually does, you know." Annie frowned, hating her own hesitation on this particular subject, but still very aware of her irrefutable shortcomings. She was a wonderful businesswoman, strong, independent, capable, but she wasn't beautiful and sexy like Lace. She wasn't feminine.

She had no siren's call.

For the most part, Guy thought of her as a tom-boy and a little sister. She loved him beyond distraction, more so everyday it seemed, while he was content to give her brotherly advice, and the occasional stern lecture on propriety. He didn't seem to realize that her efforts at looking more appealing, more womanly, weren't meant for the general male masses, but rather his very individualized notice. All he cared about was protecting her-same as her two overbearing brothers. It was more than any mortal woman should have to bear, and was behind her request for help from Lace.

Lace gave her a patient look. "Annie, Guy might not realize you're interested. He's been with your family for a long time, now. And with you being the only female in a household of males, he's naturally adopted the same attitude as your brothers and father. It could be he just needs a bit of.encouragement."

Annie sighed. Guy was her very best friend, her confidant, and he knew her in ways her family didn't. She'd been in love with him forever. Still, what Lace said did make a bit of sense.

"I suppose that could be it." Guy had been living in the Sawyers household since his early high school days. He and Daniel were sophomores when Guy's father had to take an early retirement due to health problems. Guy's mother and father had moved to Florida , but Guy and Daniel had been friends forever, played sports together, hung out together. They were both popular, and they'd had their futures mapped out. It only made sense Guy would want to finish school in his hometown. So he'd been welcomed into the Sawyers household.

Lace nodded. "Guy has pretty much adopted your family as his own. And now that I'm in the family, too, I see how they tend to put you on a very high, pastel-pink padded pedestal. They don't want to think about you leaping off the damn pedestal in search of debauched entertainments."

Lace laughed. She'd always been amused at the way Annie was pampered by the men in her family. "I imagine Guy feels no one is allowed to have sexual thoughts about you." Then, with a prissy voice, she added, "You're too pure."

"But I don't want to be pure!" To Annie, that word had almost become an insult.

"Pure is rather boring, isn't it?" Lace agreed. "But you haven't helped that image by turning interested men away, you know. You've got 'sweet and innocent' stamped all over you, and it's my guess the men in your family like it just fine that way. I know Daniel does. He's fighting the image of you as a grown, mature woman with all his might, despite my encouragement to the opposite."

Annie's groan was long and frustrated. If even Lace, whom Daniel adored beyond all reason, couldn't turn Daniel around, how could she ever reach Guy?

"Of course I turned men away," Annie muttered. "The only man I want is Guy. I fell hopelessly in love with him when I was eighteen."

Lace sat down and crossed her long legs, her expression rapt. "Details if you please."

Annie stared at Lace, debating. The memories of that long ago day were precious to her, and she'd never had anyone to share them with. She hadn't dared tell any of her female friends, not when they were all actively lusting after Guy themselves. And she could just imagine what would have happened if she'd tried talking to Max or Daniel about it. Her brothers gave new meaning to the term "overprotective."

She sighed, then opened up to Lace. "Guy had caught me crying in the backyard. It was Mother's Day, and I was upset, though why I don't know. I don't even remember my mother, she died when I was so young. But it seemed too lonely that day. Dad always took off then, during every holiday, really, like he couldn't bear the memories after losing Mom, but I know Mother's Day was especially hard on him. And Daniel was studying, Max was probably off getting into trouble somewhere." She glanced away. "And I just felt so...alone."

"I understand."

As always, Lace's tone was gentle and commiserating. Annie really appreciated having a sister-in-law that she could confide in. It was a unique thing, and very nice. "Guy started out by sitting on the porch swing with me and patting my back in that awkward way men have when they don't know what to do with a female. It really bothered him whenever I cried. I guess because I didn't do it that much. Being raised with all boys has a way of toughening a girl up."

Lace made a face. "I know they treated you more like a little brother than a sister."

"They did their best, especially since Dad was so withdrawn. And for the most part it was fun. I got to do all the things they did, fishing, swimming in the lake, playing baseball. They always included me. Well, except that one time when I caught them playing spin the bottle with a bunch of neighborhood girls. I thought Daniel would box my ears for spying."

"The hypocrite."

Annie laughed. "It made them very uneasy if I acted at all feminine. The first time I wore panty hose, or when I got my ears pierced, they harassed me for days. And I remember when I had to ask Max to go to the store for me to buy tampons. He actually said, what for, and when I just glared at him, his ears turned red!"

"Did he go to the store and get them?"

"Oh sure. Max would do anything for me, but he didn't like it. After that he made Daniel do all my shopping." She laughed again. "When Max first noticed I'd matured, he accused me of 'sprouting breasts' as if I'd done it on purpose just to nettle him. He went out and bought me a bunch of vests. When I refused to wear them, he got into the habit of walking in front of me, so no one would notice."

Lace had to bite her lip to keep from laughing. "Max is a rascal."

Annie shook her heard. "As if anyone would notice such an unnoticeable attribute." She stared down at her modest bustline. Puberty had come and gone a long time ago, so she supposed it was time to give up hope.

Lace made a disgusted sound at Annie's distraction, and then prompted, "So you were in the backyard crying, and Guy was trying to console you.?"

Just the memory made Annie warm inside. "He patted my shoulder, then hugged me, asking me not to cry. He kissed my cheek, like he'd done a dozen times. I turned towards him, he drew a big shaky breath, and the next think I knew, he was holding my face and giving me this killer kiss and it was incredible."

"You mean-"

"Yeah-" Annie nodded enthusiastically "-tongues and all."

Lace struggled with a smile. "I was going to ask if that was your first kiss, Annie, not the actual particulars of it."

"Oh." Annie frowned in thought before answering, "No, it wasn't my first kiss, but it was definitely my first lust."

"Ah-ha. Got to you, did it?"

"Boy did it." The kiss had been a hungry, I-want-you-bad-kiss. It had startled her a little at the time because it was the first time she'd felt a man's tongue, the first time she'd really understood lust, or wanting a man so much. She'd been hugged up to Guy's muscled chest many times in the past, but that time it was different because he didn't feel like a friend-he felt like a man, hard and hot and so sexy.

She'd belonged to Guy ever since. She still wanted to curl up and savor the memory whenever Guy failed to see her as a grown woman. For at least that one moment, on that one day, he'd wanted her. Almost as much as she wanted him.

Lace's look was thoughtful. "What did you do when he kissed you?"

"I'm not really sure. I know I stared at him and I kind of froze. Guy started apologizing, stammering all over himself, backing away as if he thought I might leap at him. Then he suddenly just walked off and he never mentioned it again. Since then, it's almost like he's avoided me. Except when he wants to lecture me on something."

Lace snorted. "He and Daniel are a lot alike."

"Like brothers."

"So Guy's never kissed you other than that one time?"

It was difficult trying to explain the way their relationship had gone over the past few years. Annie was twenty-five now, but Guy treated her as if she were still eighteen and off-limits. She understood his reservations when she had been young and inexperienced.

But now? Well, she was still inexperienced, but he couldn't know that for sure. And at twenty-five she sure wasn't too young. But whenever she got to close, he started putting up barriers and she hated it.

"Once," Annie said, dredging up the wonderful memories, "on New Year's Even two years ago, I took by surprise. We were in the basement looking for more folding chairs because the party got a little bigger than expected. When the clock suddenly chimed and we heard all the shouts, Guy laughed because he knew everyone was kissing. I didn't give him a chance to think about it. I well, I sort of jumped him.

"And?"

Frustrated, Annie muttered, "And he let me kiss him for all of about thirty seconds. The he stumbled back like I'd slugged him. He accused me of being drunk even though he knew I hadn't had a drop. He hustled me back up the steps, keeping me at arm's length-and Guy has incredibly long arms. He spent the rest of the night glued to his date while watching me like I was a molester of innocents."

"That's it?"

"No. There've been a handful of times, but it's usually only because I'm able to take him by surprise. Like when I turned twenty-one and he gave me my necklace." Instinctively, her fingers curled around the small glossy black pearl on the delicate silver chain that she never removed. It felt warm to the touch. "I threw myself against him that time and tried kissing him. He laughed, but only until I caught his mouth. Then he kissed me back."

"Ahh. Progress."

"For about three seconds."

"Let me guess. He ran again?"

"Yep. Like someone had scorched his very sexy backside."

"Men can be so difficult."

Since Lace was not only a sex therapist, but married to Annie's brother Daniel, Annie figured she knew all about difficult men.

"He's not like that with other women, you know."

"He's thirty-five, Annie. Surely you don't expect him to be a monk."

"No. I've heard plenty of women talk! According to them, he's a fabulous lover, and I can't even get a second look at him."

Annie picked up the book on top of the stack and flopped back onto the couch. "I'm dying here. All my sexuality is going to atrophy if Guy doesn't take notice soon."

"I have a feeling he'll come around."

"And I'll turn into an old dried-up loaf of whole wheat while I'm waiting." Annie opened the book, surveyed a few pictures, then tilted the book for a better angle. "Good grief!"

"Looks interesting, doesn't it?"

Actually, it looked more than interesting. It looked downright seductive. And enticing. "Is that even possible?" She turned the book, trying to figure out what body part belonged to which person.

"Trust me, it's possible."

"It doesn't look very comfortable."

Lace peered over her shoulder, then shrugged. "It's...creative, I agree."

"Guy will never go for it."

Lace burst out laughing. "He'll go. Trust me."

Annie desperately wanted to be convinced. Not a day went by that she didn't imagine what it would be like to be married to Guy, to sleep with him every night, to have the right to touch him however and whenever she wanted.

The thought of however and whenever had kept her awake many a night.

She wanted them to share a life, to share everything. "You're the therapist."

"Only a sex therapist, Annie. And since you haven't gotten to the sex part yet, I have to admit I can't predict people's reactions about situations. I'm only going on good old female intuition when I tell you Guy must be somewhat interested. If he really thought of you as a little sister, as he claims, none of those hot kisses ever would have happened. Even you have to realize that."

"Do you really think so?"

"Yes, but honey, wanting and loving are worlds apart. Do you think you can handle it if Guy makes love to you, but isn't in love with you?"

This was where it got tricky. Unlike Annie, Guy had no problem dating-frequently. He had his pick of women and most of them were more like Lace-sophisticated, sexy businesswomen with a style all their own and lush bodies and self-confidence oozing out of every feminine pore.

Annie's body wasn't something to brag about. She was built okay, and she wasn't ashamed of her body, but it certainly hadn't driven Guy into a lustful frenzy yet. And though her small bookstore was a source of pride for her- something she loved dearly- it was far from a glamorous job.

It seemed to her that if Guy was going to fall in love with her, he'd have done it by now. But she couldn't simply give up. And at that moment, she wanted to concentrate on one thing at a time.

"The truth is Lace, when I imagine going my whole life without ever getting to be with him, I feel miserable. I want something, even if it doesn't last. And who knows? Maybe if we do make love, and he doesn't want me after that, I'll finally be over him. It could be a sort of exorcism. But I have to at least try." Then she winced. "If you really think he'll want me, that is. I don't relish the idea of making a complete fool of myself."

Lace lifted her brows. "Men are pretty basic in some things, Annie. Guy's already shown a physical interest, and even though you're always denying it, you're a real cutie. I'm guessing-but it is only a guess-that he'll want you once you give him a proper nudge in the right direction."

"Maybe," Annie allowed. She was used to emulating with men in her life, going after what she wanted with force, unwilling to let incidentals discourage her.

She said aloud, "But...seduction. I don't know anything about seduction." The idea tempted her, getting to explore the long length of Guy's lean body, getting to touch him to her heart's content.

It would take forever.

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Excerpt from Messing Around with Max

Rain and hail hitting the door was one thing. A woman was another.

She ran into it at full speed, and Max stared, seeing long blond hair stick wetly to the glass panel, a small nose smooshed up hard, red and looking miserably cold. The rain came down in a curtain, muffling her grunt but not obliterating it entirely.

Cleo took an instant dislike to the intruder.

Hurrying around the counter of his sister's bookstore, Max opened the door. The small feminine bundle tumbled limply inside. At first Max thought she'd been shot or bludgeoned on the back of the head. In a fury he stepped over her and peered through the downpour, looking for another body, for any type of threat. There wasn't anyone there. Just the miserable rain.

Cleo continued to complain and snarl and as Max knelt down by the felled body, which now moaned loudly, he said, "Pipe down, you mean-tempered bitch."

The woman on the floor gasped, rolled over onto her back, and started to open her eyes. She moaned again instead.

"I'm wounded," she snarled, every bit as ferocious as Cleo. "I could certainly do without your abuse!"

"I wasn't." Max stopped when she got one eye peeped open. It was a startling, dark blue eye, fringed by dark brown lashes. It was just the one eye, not even both, but he felt the impact of her gaze like a kick.

Cleo snuffled closer, poking her wet nose against the woman's face while emitting a low growl.

"Where are you wounded," Max asked, still not sure why she'd thrown herself against the door, or why she was still on the floor.

"All over." That one eye regarded him steadily. "Even my teeth rattled, so the least you can do is not insult me while I'm still down."

Max wondered if that meant he could insult her when she got up. If she got up. She didn't seem to be in any rush to do so.

"Cleo," he explained, more quietly this time, "is my dog. And she is mean-tempered, but not really ferocious. She won't hurt you."

"I'm not afraid of dogs." Even in her less than auspicious position, she managed to appear affronted by the very idea, then she turned her disgruntled one-eyed frown on Cleo, who whimpered in surprise. "I just don't want snout tracks on my cheek."

Max hid a grin. "C'mere, Cleo. Leave the lady alone." Cleo obeyed - a first as far as Max could recall. She came immediately to his side, but continued to grumble out of one side of her mouth, making her doggy lips vibrate, while keeping her watchful attention on the downed female.

A puddle had formed around the woman and since she continued to recline there on the tile floor, apparently at her leisure, Max looked for injuries. He found instead a rather attractive if petite bosom covered in a white T-shirt that read I Give Good Peach .

His brows rose. What the hell did that mean?

The shirt, now soaked through, was practically transparent and put on display a lacy pink bra beneath. Not that he was looking. Nope. He'd made a deal with Cleo, and he intended to keep his word. He stroked his fingers through Cleo's ruff, just to reassure her.

The damn dog looked beyond dubious.

Maybe she knew him better than he knew himself.

"Are you okay?" Max asked the woman, in lieu of what he was really thinking, which had to do generally with her wet shirt and specifically with what it was molded to. He would distract himself. But it'd be easier if she'd just get up.

With what appeared to be a lot of undue effort, she got both eyes opened and stared at him. "I'm seeing two of you," she muttered in surprise, "and surely that's a fantasy, not reality."

"A fantasy, huh?" Maybe she was delirious. Maybe she was drunk.

Maybe she was fodder for his next advice column. No sooner than he thought it, Max discarded the idea. It was just a tad too far-fetched to be believed. Even for his eclectic audience, who so far seemed to believe anything he told them.

One small hand lifted to flap in his face, the gesture making Cleo positively livid. The female human ignored the female dog.

"Well, you know what you look like, I assume. Two of you would be.never mind." As if just realizing what she'd said, she cleared her throat. "Yes, I think I'm okay."

Max had never met a woman like her, and that was saying something since he'd known a lot of women. He was so knowledgeable on the subject of females, in fact, that his column was a rousing success - written anonymously, of course. Even his family had no idea that he wrote it.

They all thought he was jobless.

This woman was most definitely different. She flirted, then withdrew - all while stretched out in sodden disarray on the tile floor. "You're sure?"

"My pride is permanently damaged," she admitted, "but beyond that I believe I'll live." She pushed herself into a sitting position, long legs stretched out before her. Cleo again tried to sniff her, but when the woman turned her blue-eyed stare on her, Cleo whimpered, backed away, and from a safe distance, started snarling again.

Max could understand that. Her eyes were incredible. Not the color, the shape or the size. But the intensity.

"Where's Annie?" the woman asked, looking around the bookstore with an air of familiarity.

"You know my sister?"

"I've bought tons of books here," she explained, "to use in my work. Annie and I've gotten to know each other pretty well over the past year. Now we're friends." Then she asked, "Why was the door latched?"

Cleo, suddenly acting brave, inched one paw closer and the woman absently petted her. Outraged, Cleo yapped and howled, and the woman ignored her bluster while continuing to stroke the dog's too-small head.

Amazed, Max could do no more than stare. No one other than he had ever ignored Cleo's hostile swagger to give her affection. Max looked the woman over again, this time with a different type of interest. His heart beat just a little too fast.

He was on a bride hunt, and since his bride absolutely had to get along with his dog - he was marrying for the dog, after all, to give Cleo a stable home and the love and acceptance she'd never had - he couldn't help taking note of the somewhat tenuous friendship forming right before his eyes. It amazed him.

It warmed his cynical heart.

In a way, it even made him horny. But then, the rain had made him horny, too. Hell, he'd been so long without, a smack in the head would have turned him on. The only action he'd seen lately had been in the damn newspaper column, and that sure as hell wasn't enough to appease a man of his appetites.

The woman snapped her fingers in front of his face. "Where'd you go, big guy?"

Max laughed. "Sorry. My mind wandered."

"I could see that." She looked him over slowly, brazenly, then asked, "Why are you in here with the door latched?"

Max remembered that his sister had the habit of leaving the door cocked open, something both he and Daniel had grumbled about endlessly, which was probably why Annie continued to do it. She lived to irritate her brothers.

"Annie isn't here, and the storm kept whistling through the door, so I closed it. I hadn't figured on many people shopping today anyway. And of course, I hadn't counted on a woman throwing herself against it." More softly, because she had that effect on him, he said, "That must have hurt."

She sluiced water off her arms, and wrung out her hair. "I nearly knocked myself silly, but I'll survive."

Cleo, still looking ferocious so no one would realize her real intent, nudged the female's hand for another pet. Max nearly gawked. "What are you doing out in this storm?"

"I needed a book, and I was running to keep from getting soaked, but obviously I hadn't planned on hitting a closed door." Suddenly she grinned, and it made her face go crooked, made her eyes squinch up. She looked adorable, even with her smeared makeup and rain dripping from the end of her red nose.

And she was still petting his dog.

And Cleo was still allowing it.

Max settled himself more comfortably on the floor, where it appeared their conversation would take place. The woman showed no signs of rising any time soon.

Doing his best to ignore her clinging T-shirt and the equally enticing long legs displayed by her tight rain-soaked jeans, Max asked, "Do you need a doctor?"

"Oh, no. Really, I'm fine." She continued to grin, then added, "I'm Maddie Montgomery." To Cleo's dismay, she stuck out a slim wet hand, now slightly coated with dog hair.

Max took it, felt how cold her fingers were and held on. "Max Sawyers. You're freezing."

"And you're Annie's most disreputable brother."

"Her brother, yes, the rest is debatable." Especially lately, Max added to himself. His life as a monk was not an acceptable one.

Maddie pulled her hand away and struggled to her feet. "You know, I've heard tales about you that could curl a woman's hair. You look different from how I'd imagined."

She'd imagined him? Max walked toward the back room where he could find a towel, deliberately removing himself from the temptation. Sexual excitement, the thrill of the chase, the discovery, had already begun a heady beat in his heart. After so many years of indulging his basic nature, his actions were often instinctual. He'd find himself seducing a woman without even realizing it, as if he went on automatic pilot or something.

A woman commenting on his reputation just naturally left herself open to a firsthand display of that reputation. Only now he needed a bride, not merely a temporary bedmate. Which meant he had to move slower than he preferred.

But he couldn't stop himself from asking over his shoulder, "How did you expect me to look?" And, he added silently, needing the information if he hoped to succeed in his new altruistic plans, whom did you hear it from ?

"I dunno." She followed on his heels, the squishing and squeaking of her sneakers echoed by the tapping of Cleo's nails. "I thought maybe you'd have long hair, like the guys who model for the women's magazines. Maybe gold necklaces. Something along the lines of the gigolo look."

Finding her description absurd, Max shook his head. He picked up a towel and turned to face her. "Here you go."

She swiped at her face and throat. "You're not offended, are you?"

"More like amused. And curious." No woman he'd ever been with would have described him as anything less than macho, virile.but never a gigolo.

Intrigued, he asked, "Who's been taking about me?"

"Your sister, mostly."

Max almost tripped over his own two feet. "Annie?" Well, hell, that wasn't in the least exciting.

"Yes. Your sister loves you dearly, and she's very proud of you. But she claims you're a reprobate."

"Annie told you I wear gold chains?"

Maddie laughed. It was a nice laugh - natural, warm. Cleo stared at her as if confused, her doggy lips rolling and shuddering as she gave a low growl. "No, that part I imagined all on my own. Annie just told me what a romancer you are, how women seem to find you irresistible."

Max nodded. As many women as men read his column. And they sent him letters of appreciation.

Which was why his weekly column was so successful. He liked it that no one knew he wrote the thing. Anonymity was his friend, otherwise he could just imagine the women who'd be chasing him. It was bad enough that his reputation was so well known, but if women found out he was the weekly love expert.

"I've heard about you from some other women, too."

Her statement drew Max out of his reverie. "Is that right?"

Maddie blotted at her hair as she spoke, oblivious to the sexy display of her breasts beneath the transparent tee. For the most part, Max kept his gaze fixedly on her face. But he was human and male and that combination made it impossible to ignore her tightened nipples completely. He couldn't not look every now and then.

"You're the world traveler." Maddie claimed with fanfare, "the lover extraordinaire, the prize every woman wants to win."

Her candid banter charmed Max. He couldn't quite decide if she was coming on to him, or poking fun at him, but she did it in such a way that either was okay. It was a unique approach, one he was unfamiliar with.

He leaned in the doorway, Cleo by his side. "Every woman?"

That crooked grin appeared again. "Certainly. I feel ready to faint just being in your presence. The sexual vibes are all but knocking me over. Why do you think I spent so long on the floor?"

Biting back a grin, Max laughed, "Because you'd nearly knocked yourself out?"

" Au contraire . Because I opened my eyes-"

"One eye."

"-and saw you and the world tilted. I was far too dizzy to sit up straight."

Those beautiful eyes - both of them were double the impact - twinkled at Max, keeping him from knowing how serious she might be.

She started to dry her shirt, looked down and gasped. "Good grief!" She shielded her breasts with the towel and glared at Max. "You could have said something!"

Purposely being obtuse, Max asked, "About what?"

"About.about.I'm showing through!"

He shrugged. "It didn't bother me."

Grumbling under her breath, Maddie turned her back on him and tied the towel around her upper body, knotting it at the side like a sarong. Cleo barked, the sound far from playful.

"There, you see?" Maddie said over her shoulder. "The dog agrees that despite your reputation, you should have been gentleman enough to let me know that more was showing than should have been."

"Actually," Max explained, "Cleo just hates people to turn their backs on her. She distrusts anyone who does."

"Oh." Maddie shifted slightly toward Cleo, tilted her head, and said with real sincerity, "Sorry girl. But Max was rude for not saying anything."

Apologizing to his dog?

Cleo snarled.

"Aha!" Maddie said. "She obviously agrees that you're lacking in manners."

"Because I didn't tell you that your breasts were showing?" Max watched her closely, waiting for her to blush. She was far too cocky to suit him.

"You should have told me. A gentlemen always lets a lady know when her modesty is threatened. And being a gentlemen doesn't detract from your reputation, I promise."

"Okay." Glancing down at her plump bottom in the snug jeans, Max said, "You've got a rip."

She blinked at him over her shoulders, not understanding. "I've got a.?"

"Rip. In the seat of your jeans. Your panties, which match your bra and are really pretty by the way, are showing."

Max watched as she slapped her hands over her behind. It was a generous, well-rounded behind and her hands weren't adequate. He added, "Just being a gentlemen."

Maddie back-stepped to a chair in the seating area of the bookstore and plopped down. "I don't suppose you have another towel?"

"Nope. Best I can do is offer my shirt."

She flashed that silly, endearing grin. "Now, I certainly couldn't turn that down. But not yet please. I need to keep my wits about me for a bit longer, at least until I've gotten what I came for."

"Which is?" Max pulled out his own chair and straddled it to face her. The storm still raged, rain lashing the front windows and lightning splitting the dark afternoon sky. Thunder belched and rolled.

The lights in the bookstore flickered once, and all three occupants looked up to see if they'd go out. When they stayed on, Cleo settled herself nervously at Max's side, her head on his foot.

Max absently patted the dog while watching Maddie. She really was cute, though he hadn't thought so at first. And he enjoyed chatting with her. The things she said took him by surprise - not that he'd ever admit it to her.

It was a cozy scene, comfortable, until Maddie said, "Annie told me about Satisfying Alternatives to Intercourse."