“Just what’s so funny?”
He opened his mouth to say something, but a bellowing laugh escaped instead. “Sweet cherry cobbler?” He held his sides. “I hate . . . cherry cobbler. It’s my least favorite dessert ever.”
Her smile faded. What was he saying? Was he saying that taking her virginity hadn’t been good? It made sense. It was her first time and she hadn’t really known what to do. Still, it was very unkind of him to laugh and point it out. Obviously, he hadn’t been the right man after all.
Her tempered flared. “Why you no-good, lowdown snake!” She picked up a pillow and hit him hard in the face. It only made him laugh harder. She got up on the bed and hit him repeatedly. “Out! Get out of my apartment right now. I don’t care if you’re drunk as Cooter Brown. I don’t want you here one second longer.”
Instead of leaving, he grabbed the pillow and tugged until she tumbled over his hard body. She didn’t mean to knee him in the family jewels.
“Sonofa—” He rolled to his side and cupped his balls.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to knee you. Although you deserve it for laughing at me. I realized I’m not very good at sex, but it was hurtful for you to point it out.”
He took a few deep breaths before he sat up. “I wasn’t laughing at your performance, Dixie. It just struck me as ironic that you’d named your virginity after a dessert I despise. Because I sure as hell didn’t despise what happened tonight. I just wish you had told me before we got started.”
“If I had, we never would’ve started.”
He opened his mouth to say something, but then shut it. “Good point.”
“So you liked it?”
He stared at her in disbelief. “Liked it? It was phenomenal.”
“Phenomenal?” Her anger completely disappeared and was replaced by a giddy feeling. “I thought it was pretty phenomenal too. And I’m sorry I got so upset. I just hate people laughing at me.”
He lifted his eyebrows. “I doubt that happens a lot.”
“You’d be surprised.”
“Who laughed at you?”
“It doesn’t matter. I’ll go get you some ice.” She started to get off the bed, but he stopped her.
“It does matter. Who laughed at you?”
She smiled at his angry, concerned expression. “Do you think you need to protect everyone?”
“It’s a character flaw. Now answer the question? Was it someone in town?”
“No. It was just a kid thing that happened at school. I’m dyslexic and letters and words get all scrambled up sometimes and come out wrong when I read aloud. I guess it was pretty funny.”
Lincoln didn’t crack a smile. “If the teachers knew you were dyslexic, why were you reading with the other kids? My best friend was dyslexic. He had a special class he went to with children that were reading at the same level he was. I’m surprised your overprotective father didn’t make sure you had the same opportunity.”
“How do you know my father is overly protective?”
He paused for a moment before he shrugged. “You’re an only child. It makes sense. So why didn’t he make sure you got the special help you needed?”
She had already told Lincoln much more than she’d ever told anyone else. If she had trusted him with her virginity, she knew she could trust him with all her secrets.
“Daddy doesn’t know I’m dyslexic. Mama thought it was best if he didn’t know. So he thinks I’m just another brilliant Meriwether who can ace law school and follow in his footsteps. He doesn’t realize that I didn’t get the Meriwether brains. I’m just a pretty face with a below average IQ.”
She tried to say it in a lighthearted manner, but she could tell by the sympathy in Lincoln’s eyes that he had read through her lightheartedness. Up until this moment, she hadn’t felt the least bit naked in front of Lincoln. But now she did. Now she felt totally exposed and vulnerable.
She quickly got up and grabbed the robe draped over the chair. “I’ll just go get that ice.” She left the room without waiting for a reply.
Once in the kitchen, she chided herself for telling him more than she should have. Now he probably did think she was a complete ditz. He was no doubt lying in bed right now trying to figure out how he could get out of there without hurting the pathetic woman’s feelings.
Which was why she let out a squeak of surprise when she closed the freezer after filling a baggie with ice and saw Lincoln standing there. He was still naked, and her insides flushed with heat at the sight of all his hard maleness. But she refused to add sex-crazed to ditzy.
“Here’s your ice.” She held up the baggie. “And since you seem to be sober, you probably—”
He stepped closer, forcing her back against the refrigerator. He slid a hand in her hair and tipped up her chin to meet his hot mouth. The baggie slipped out of her hand. When his kiss had melted her bones like the ice cubes scattered all over the floor, he drew back and looked at her.
“You are beautiful, Dixie Leigh. You’re the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my life.” He smoothed a strand of hair away from her face and rubbed the back of his fingers against her cheek. “And I thought you were just another pretty face. But you proved me wrong. You’re more than just a pretty face. You’re a damned good deputy. And you couldn’t be a damned good deputy if you weren’t smart. Real smart. So don’t you ever belittle yourself in front of me again. Do you hear me, Deputy Meriwether?”
With her throat clogged with emotion, all she could do was nod. She should’ve known it wouldn’t be good enough.
“I said did you hear me, Deputy Meriwether?”
“Yes,” she squeaked.
He smiled an extremely sexy smile. “Yes, what?”
“Yes, sir.”
His gaze grew dark
