Raising the Stakes

“Well,” she said slowly, “you have to promise you won’t try to run away from any polar bears.”

“I’ll let them eat me first,” he said solemnly.

“In that case… Yes. Thank you. A lift would be great.”

“Good. I was afraid I’d be reduced to a puddle by the time you made up your mind.”

She blushed again. Damn, but that was a nice thing to see.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—”

“Hey, you don’t have to apologize. I understand. A woman can’t be too careful these days.” Gray made a sweeping gesture toward his car. “Your chariot awaits, m’lady.”

“I just need to get some things from my car…”

“Oh. Sure.” He reached past her and opened the door. “Need any help?”

“No. There’s not much.”

She leaned past him, her bottom poking enticingly into the air. He told himself a gentleman would look away but he wasn’t a gentleman, he was a lawyer. Everybody knew lawyers were sleazy bastards, which meant he could look his fill. After a minute, his damsel in distress backed out of her car with a creased jacket in one arm and a teddy bear…

A teddy bear?

“Ah-ha,” Gray

said.

She swung toward him. “Ah-ha, what?”

“Ah-ha, it looks as if I’m not the only one with a secret to hide.” Surprised, he watched the color drain from her face. “The bear,” he said quickly. “We seem to both have bears in the closet.”

For a couple of seconds, she looked blank. Then she nodded. “Oh.” Her cheeks began to pinken. “Oh, I see. Your bear story. And—and this bear…”

She gave him another small smile, though she tried to disguise it by sinking her teeth gently into her bottom lip. He thought how much he’d like to do the same thing.

“It’s—it’s for me.”

“What is?”

“The bear.”

“The bear is for you?” he said inanely. Frankly he didn’t care if the bear was a peace offering to the alien king of the planet Zabu. He just hoped she’d bite her lip again. Or maybe not.

“Yes. I, uh, I collect them.”

Her blouse was damp. How come he hadn’t noticed that? Damp, and clinging. A woman with a great smile and a lush mouth, and the faintest hint of pebbled nipples beneath that blouse…

Gray cleared his throat. “Okay,” he said briskly, “if that’s everything—”

“Just one second.” She transferred the bear to her other arm and reached into the car. Her bottom pointed at him again but not for long. When she backed out this time, she had a small shopping bag dangling from her fingers. “For the bear,” she said.

“Oh.” He cleared his throat again and searched for something to say that would make sense. “Don’t you think he’d enjoy the view from inside my car?”

That had been the right thing to say. It made her laugh, which made him laugh, too.

“I’m sure he’d love it, but—but I don’t want to walk into my office with him under my arm.”

“Too much ribbing to face?”