“No harm done?”Fascinated, Celeste watched his Adam’s apple bob with eachsyllable.
“Nope,” Celestereplied cheerfully. His dark mood seemed to lighten hers. Anger wasso much more manageable than kindness. With a coquettish tilt of herhead, she traced the edge of his jacket lapel with a finger. “Don’thave a hissy, Daddy. All of this can be rectified quite easily. After tonight we’ll simply steer clear of each other.”
Celeste ignored the pang ofregret her words caused. Somehow and in the most surprising waypossible, he’d crawled under her skin. He made it impossiblefor her to think about anything except the two of them naked rollingaround in clean white sheets.
“That’snot going to work for me. I’m calling in the favor and aim tocollect.”
“Youwon’t get any objections here,”Celeste gushed in relief. Then in a purely submissive move, sheplaced her arms behind her back and leaned against the wall.
To her surprise, his gazenarrowed and she faltered. Had they not been on the same page? Andhe didn’t help matters by simply standing there with his trapsealed shut. He was probably married, why hadn’t she thought ofthat earlier?
Embarrassedby her fauxpas,Celeste felt her cheeks explode with heat. Thankfully, her dusky skinhid her humiliation. In an effort to save face, she ripped open herpurse. “How about I even the score. Let me buy the nextround.”
“I’m intraining,” Shane reminded.
“You said thatearlier, and yet you also sucked down a stogie. I doubt one of thosecan be good for an eight rounder.”
Shane’s eyebrow liftedas if surprised by her answer. She might be a floozy from Brooklyn,but as a performer on the road more than not, Celeste had seen moreof the world in the past three years than most people would in theirentire life.
“It’s ten maybetwelve rounds depending on the promoter,” he corrected.
Celeste blushed furiously.Not only had she failed at seducing him, but her attempt atimpressing him fell pathetically short.
“Not many dames knowthe technicalities of boxing. I’m impressed.”
Even though she wouldn’thave admitted it to anyone, even under the threat of death, hiscompliment thrilled her from her natural roots to the tips of hertoes.
Suddenly bashful andwoefully out of her element, Celeste dipped her head. Not for long,Shane thumbed her under the chin until she met his gaze.
Celeste sighed inwonderment. His eyes were a perfect shade of pale green, ethereallike a shot of Crème de Menthe mixed with heavy cream.
The lustshe’d felt earlier crept back in and wrapped her around itsnaughty little finger. Wanting to suddenly connect, she reached outand straightened his silk tie, tweaking the Windsor knot.
For the longest time neitherof them said a word. Wait staff climbed and descended the backstairs.At the top of the landing, an argument erupted over an unpaid tab. Yet none of it could pull her full attention from Shane Brennan.
Flummoxedby the inexplicable chemistry zinging between them, Celeste focusedon something more mundane like the lines of his suit, the off-centerplacement of his nose. But her eyes kept drifting back to his mouth. The fink had the most kissable kisser this side of the Mississippi.
“Aboutcollecting that debt,” he said, crashing through her thoughtsbefore they became illicit. “I’m gonna take my pound inflesh.”
Hismatter-of-fact approach should’ve been a green light. Insteadit felt like a bucket of cold water thrown in her face. Did he thinkof her that cheaply? She wasn’t a virgin, but she deserved tobe treated better than a rent girl.
“And if I object?”she said tightly.
“Can’t.” Not noticingher sudden change in demeanor,Shane slid hishand down the wall,setting her on edge from wondering where it would land. “Youforfeited that right when you pulled me into your con.”
Moths were drawn to flame,and ended up with their wings singed, Celeste mused, feeling the burnof his words and the consequences of her actions. “Name yourdamage,” she conceded, no longer amorous, “but absolutelyno funny business.”
The corners of his eyescrinkled as he smiled and her libido crackled with renewed momentum.“Funny business?”
Celeste almost rolled hereyes. He couldn’t be that green? “Like kissing me andtaking liberties.”
His voicewas dangerously soft, “There’s nothing funny aboutkissing.”
Before Celeste could wrapher head around how he’d suddenly turned the tables on her, hisfingers slipped through her hair, pulling her head back to meet theassault of his mouth over hers.
Closed mouth and a simplepressing together of lips, the kiss was much too innocent forCeleste’s liking. She wanted Pre-Code film action--uncensoredand dirty.
Still she moaned loudly whenhe stepped back, breaking the kiss. “See you didn’tlaugh.”
How couldshe when he dissolved her brain into fizzy water? While she silentlyquestioned her sanity, Shanepressed his suitby selectinga day and time not too soon after her father’s funeral.
“Where’reyou staying? I can pick you up.”
Deflecting a potentiallydisastrous situation, like inviting him up and allowing him certainliberties, Celeste offered a neutral location. “We can meetoutside my father’s store. It’s 245—”
“Flatbush,”Shane finished for her. He looked somewhat uneasy as he stepped backand leaned against the wall. His stance was casual, and yet Celestecould sense something was off. Was he that beat up over her father’spassing?
Before she could offer up analternative, Shane agreed, “I finish up around four o’clockat the gym,” he said. “I’ll bring an extra set ofclothes and we can take in a movie. There’s a picture house acouple of blocks from your father’s shop.”
A vision of him half-dressedin snug boxing trunks, preferably black, flashed in her head. “Soundslike we have a deal,” she said, while her mind remainedstubbornly stuck on him all sweaty and out of breath after sparing.
“Well,I…ah,” not really ready to part ways, Celeste struggledwith an exit line, “I better skedaddle.”
Youcouldn’t come up with something wittier than skedaddle?As she beat herself up, Celestebacked out of the alcove. Hopefully, he wouldn’t notice shewas practically dragging her feet. Ironic, considering she waswell-known for executing seventy-five taps per minute.
“Celeste.”
“Yes,Shane.” Celeste winced. She sounded woefullybreathless and eager. Not too surprisingconsidering her pulse was racing like a jackrabbit’s. Lord havemercy! If he pulled her into his arms again and kissed her silly,she’d probably melt at his feet.
“I need my coatticket.”
“You’releaving?” She asked, feeling suddenly
