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this dance? He pulled her into his arms before she
could reply.
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There was nothing obscene about the way he
held her, but her traitorous body was enjoying it
in a way that was far from decent. You know it s
customary to wait for an answer.
I don t wait when the answer is yes.
Mary rolled her eyes. Did it take you long to
grow this arrogant?
Did it take you long to grow this beautiful?
She tilted her head. Flattery will get you no
where.
He drew her closer. I m already where I want
to be.
She lowered her head, embarrassed.
He lifted her chin, a devilish gleam in his eyes.
It s not like you to have nothing to say.
I don t know how to respond to a pass.
It was a compliment. I ve been watching you
for some time. I wasn t sure when to approach
you. At my age you become cautious.
Her eyes twinkled. And just how old would
you be?
Seventy-three.
And you still have all your hair.
And teeth.
Quite a catch.
Thank you. He slid his hand down her backside.
Dara Girard 119
She returned his hand to her waist. You re
welcome.
Yes, my grandkids worry about me. They re
afraid women will be after me for my money.
Do you have a lot of it?
Enough to garner interest. My wife Martha
and I
Martha?Your wife s name is Martha? Who are
you, George Washington?
I m Eugene Stokes. He gently squeezed her.
And careful, I get upset when people make fun of
my wife s name.
Mary smothered a laugh. I m sorry.
It might sound plain and ordinary to you, but
she was the most loyal, stable, kind woman I knew,
and I cherished every day I was with her.
To her annoyance Mary found herself envious
of this mythical Martha, then realized this was all
make-believe. That s wonderful.
She helped me with my work. We owned a
couple of businesses that we later divided between
our two sons.
How long were you married?
Thirty-five years. I didn t marry until my
thirties. What about you?
I never married. I m independently wealthy.
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He frowned. You never married?
No, but I ve had quite a few lovers in my day.
His gaze melted into hers. You re not too old
to have many more.
She felt her mouth go dry.
Or, perhaps, one in particular.
Maybe.
I have a theory that you should never stop liv
ing until you re dead. His hand skimmed down to
her hip, and she felt a thrill tremble through her, es
calating as his hand descended. She felt as though
he d removed her dress to reveal the stockings she
wore underneath. And you re certainly not dead.
She drew back, struggling to tame the warmth
that gathered between her legs, in response to his
masculine scent and expert hands. I d better go.
He lowered his voice to a tone that shouldn t
have been heard in the crush of people and the
music of the live band, but its soft power made
every other sound fade away and his velvet tone
was all she heard when he spoke. I think it s time
you stop running away from me. He lowered his
head and whispered, You can t deny what we feel
for each other.
I can.
He placed a finger on the base of her throat and
Dara Girard 121
left a sensuous trail down to the V of her dress,
causing the heat at her center to build.
She grabbed his hand. I have to.
Why?
Because I m different now. The old Mary was
attracted to you, but I m the new Mary now. I don t
want to repeat the same old pattern. You d run over
me. You wouldn t be able to help yourself and I
might let you. We re wrong for each other.
He pulled her back into his arms and hugged her.
What are you doing?
I m hugging you.
Why?
Because if I kiss you I may not be able to
control myself, and there are kids in the room.
Oh.
He lowered his voice again, his breath warm
against her ear. Doesn t this feel right to you?
It felt perfect. No. Mary struggled to free her
self. Please let me go.
He didn t move and for a second she feared he
wouldn t let go, and she wouldn t force him to.
Then he reluctantly released her. It won t work.
What?
Fighting this attraction between us. Denying it
won t make it go away.
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His smug tone made her more defiant. I m not
going to be anyone s stable-and-steady compan
ion. I m not going to be anyone s Martha. You ll
have to find that woman somewhere else. Mary
turned on her heel and left Edmund standing alone
in the middle of the dance floor.
Moments later, Mary sat in her car, staring at the
lights from the hall. She wanted to go back, but she
knew she had to stay away. Derrick had been a
perfect example of why her taste in men had to
change. For a moment, she closed her eyes and
hugged herself, remembering Edmund s embrace,
the soft feel of his shirt against her cheek, the scent
of his skin and the solid heat of his form pressed
against hers. Then she sighed and opened her eyes,
trying to push the memory away but failing. She
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