He was just feeling…nostalgic. Being with Mallory was like being hit with a deluge of memories of the feelings and emotions he’d felt for her years ago. How much he’d enjoyed her company, in and out of bed. Yes, that’s all they were-memories.

Whew! See? All he needed was to put some physical space between them for a few minutes to get his head cleared and his thoughts back into alignment. ’Cause damn-how was a guy supposed to think straight when she was kissing him? Touching him? When he was buried deep inside her?

She was on the career track, and he’d just gotten off that treadmill. She needed structure, stability, and his plans for the foreseeable future were anything but. Still, he couldn’t shake this feeling that he’d been sucker punched. Right in the heart.

But surely that was just a result of all these memories. Remembering all the things he’d felt when he was with her. The heady excitement. The profound happiness. How much he’d admired and liked her. How deeply he’d loved her. After tonight, they’d go their separate ways, as they’d done in the past. And as it was in the past, it was what was best for both of them.

But before he left, he was going to make damn sure she was plenty reassured and no longer suffering from “lorniness.”

He shook his head. How was it that she’d felt unfulfilled for several months? The fact that her ex-boyfriend could manage to keep his hands off her for more than several minutes…unbelievable.

But hey, maybe he should send the guy a thank-you note. If not for him being an ass, Adam wouldn’t have this night with her. And for this night, she was his.

He spent a few minutes gathering what he wanted, then set up everything on a large acrylic platter with a palm-tree design he found in her cupboard. Just before heading back to the bedroom, he made a quick phone call-remembering to turn off his damn phone when he was finished. Then he picked up the laden platter and walked back to the bedroom.

When he entered, Mallory rolled onto her side and watched with obvious interest while he set the tray on the edge of the bed then removed the thick pillar candles, placing one on the night table and the other on her dresser, casting the room in a pale golden glow.

“What’s all this?” she asked, nodding toward the tray.

“Some romantic lighting. The wine. Chocolate candy kisses.”

She sat up. “Chocolate kisses? As in Hershey’s Chocolate Kisses?”

“Are there any other kind?”

“Not as far as I’m concerned. Raided my pantry, huh?”

“No. I brought them.” He held up the large cellophane bag. “Got the extra-large size.”

“Fabulous. You can never have too many kisses.”

He leaned over and brushed his lips against hers. “My thought exactly. I also brought the music.” Straightening, he set the radio on the night table and adjusted the volume.

“…Welcome back to Sensuous Songs and Decadent Dedications. Hope everyone is safe during the blackout, and that if you happen to be with someone sensuous and decadent, you’re making the most of this opportunity. Give us a call and let us know what song would make your hours in the dark more meaningful. This next song was requested by J.D. in Brooklyn for Kathleen. Hey, Kathleen-your man J.D. says that he hasn’t been the same since the minute he laid eyes on you. One look, and his heart was yours. Here’s ‘Can’t Take My Eyes Off of You…’”

With the music playing softly in the background, Adam sat on the bed, close enough so that their knees bumped. He poured two glasses of wine, while Mallory opened the bag of chocolate.

“Wow,” she said, unwrapping the silver foil that covered a drop-shaped morsel. “You give orgasms, then provide music, food and drink-and not just any food, but my favorite chocolate? If that’s not from some fantasy catalog, I don’t know what is. The only thing that could make it better would be if this chocolate was calorie free.”

“Glad you’re pleased. I’ve also provided entertainment.” He waggled the deck of cards he’d brought.

“You want to play canasta?” She bit her chocolate kiss in half and offered him the other piece. Leaning forward, he clasped her wrist and drew the morsel and her two fingers into his mouth.

After licking the last bit of chocolate from her fingertips, he said, “This is not your standard deck of cards. This is a Truth or Dare deck.”

“Uh-oh. I’m not good at that game.”

“Why? I never thought you’d have trouble telling the truth.”

“Oh, it’s not the truth part. It’s the dare. I can’t do all that ‘eat a bug’ or ‘drink sour milk’ stuff.”

“Not to worry. This is the Truth or Dare Lovers’ Edition.”

10

Sunday, 1:00 a.m.

ADAM WATCHED INTEREST kindle in her eyes and he inwardly smiled. When he’d seen the game during his quick shopping trip before driving to her house, he’d figured she would like it. That they both would like it.

“Truth or Dare Lovers’ Edition,” she repeated. “Sounds like fun.”

While he shuffled the cards, she fed him another candy kiss then unwrapped one for herself. When he finished mixing the deck, he set it on the bedspread between them. With a grin, he drew the top card. “Ladies first. You want Truth or Dare?”

“Oh, boy. I’ll take Truth.”

“Chicken,” he teased. Holding the card toward the candlelight, he read, “What is the first thing you notice in a member of the opposite sex?”

She pursed her lips and considered. “Depends. If he’s smiling, his smile. If he’s not, then his eyes.”

Some inner devil made Adam say, “Oh, c’mon. You look at his ass first. Admit it.”

“Nope. Well, not unless I happen to be behind him, in which case I guess the ass would come first.” She shot a pointed look toward his butt. “Come to think of it, it was the first thing I noticed about you. Your ass looked mighty fine while you were mowing that lawn.”

“Thanks. And you noticed my smile next, right?” he teased.

“As a matter of fact, yes. And then, after you took off your sunglasses, your eyes.”

“And what did you think?”

Her eyes brimmed with mischief. “You fishing for compliments?”

“No, just the truth.” He grinned. “Of course, if the truth happens to be complimentary, I won’t complain.”

“I liked your smile. It was friendly, yet just a little…naughty. Like you had a good sense of humor and didn’t take yourself too seriously. But it was your eyes that really got me.”

“Got you how?”

She took a sip of wine, studying him over the rim of her glass while she swallowed. “You really are fishing. I can’t be the only woman who’s ever told you that your eyes are…lovely.”

No, but he couldn’t recall the name of even one of those women. He shrugged. “I’m not fishing. I guess I’ve just never understood what was so great about them. I mean, they do what they’re supposed to do and they’re blue. Big deal.”

“For me, it didn’t have so much to do with their color-although I’ve always liked blue eyes.”

“Then what?”

“I don’t know exactly how to describe it. I guess it was a combination of their teasing expression-but teasing in a nice, friendly way-and how they sort of crinkled up at the corners when you smiled. I was the new girl in town and you immediately made me feel at ease. Made me laugh. I suppose the best way to say it is that your eyes were…are…kind.”

He sat there, wineglass in hand, without a clue how to respond to her unexpected words. Words that touched him and washed deep pleasure through him.

Before he could think of a reply, she shot him a saucy wink and smiled. “Of course, the fact that they’re a bedroomy blue didn’t hurt, either.” She reached out for a card. “Truth or Dare?”

He took a swallow of wine to wet his dry throat, then said, “Dare.”

Her gaze scanned the words and a slow smile curved her lips. “Massage your lover’s shoulders for one minute while talking about how much you’re enjoying it.” Chuckling, she shifted around to present her back to him. “Works out well for me.”

“And hardly a hardship for me.” Setting his glass aside, he reached out and lightly kneaded her shoulders, smiling when she let out a long sigh of pleasure. In keeping with his dare, he said, “I’m enjoying this because of that sound you make when you like something. That breathy vibration that’s sort of a sigh, but deeper. Sexier. Like a growl. And the way your skin feels…so soft. Smooth. Makes me wonder what you put on it to make it feel so good beneath my hands.”

He shifted closer and massaged her with a slightly stronger stroke. Her head fell forward and she groaned. “Now that’s a sound that could make a man drop everything and devote himself to making you groan like that again. And presenting the back of your neck like this…” He brushed her hair aside and kissed her beauty mark. “Very enjoyable.” After dropping another kiss to her fragrant neck he sat back.

“That wasn’t a minute already,” she protested.

“Actually it was more like two minutes.”

“Oh. Darn.” With a sigh, she turned around to face him. “You’ve got great hands.”

“You’ve got great shoulders. Among other things.” He smiled and drew a card. “Truth or Dare?”

“Since you called me a chicken last time, I feel the need to recapture my honor. Dare.”

Adam scanned the card then shook his head. “Man, you’re getting off easy with this one.”

“What do I have to do?”

“You’re a fashion critic,” he read. “Critique your lover’s outfit.”

She made a great show of slowly looking over the towel wrapped around his hips. Then she cleared her throat. “Dressed in the latest in white terry cloth from Bed, Bath & Beyond, my lover makes those Calvin Klein underwear models look like rank amateurs. The way this particular outfit leaves his chest bare…” Reaching out, she slowly dragged her fingertips over his shoulders then circled them slowly around his nipples. Her fingers continued lower, over his abdomen, to tickle across the skin just above the towel’s edge, causing his muscles to spasm involuntarily beneath her feathery caress.