“Mmm.” His concentration seemed too focused for him to say much more.

His hands worked over her like magic. She closed her eyes and sighed happily. Eventually the silence stretched too taut for her. “You know, it was appearances that caused that whole scene out there in the first place.”

“Yeah?”

How could he show so much feeling in just one simple word, one genuine expression of interest? Feelings were the domain of her profession, for the most part, and she was well-attuned to them. This man could emote without any effort at all. That intrigued and disarmed her.

She sighed. “My sister’s husband, John. He came on to me for the first time at their engagement party, drunk off his ass and feeling me up on their own bed while I was looking for my coat. He’s never stopped. Sometimes I think my sisters got what they settled for in men, you know?”

“You don’t have a very high opinion of men, do you?” His fingers slipped lower, digging into the soft curve of her neck. She sighed, letting out a soft moan as he worked out the kinks. “Like that?”

Annie nodded. “Anyway, tonight isn’t the first time he’s pulled something like this. He made that huge scene out there because he wanted to kiss me instead of that sweet little redheaded girl,” Annie sighed, listening to the sounds of the party, still going strong just outside the kitchen door.

“Now she’s sweet, not fat?”

The sound of his chuckle delighted her, but his comment made curl inward. “I was making a point. Let me tell you, it was for his sake, not hers.”

“It was quite a point. Game. Set. Match. But I think you may have missed your target. That’s the thing about going for the win like that. You need to have good aim.” His fingers worked their way down her spine, his other hand fanning her hair out over his thighs.

“Ouch.”

Eric’s hands paused. “Am I hurting your head?”

“No…my heart.”