Page 46 of Zane

She blinked at him, lowering her cup slowly. "Did you say services as in church?"

He grinned at her shocked expression. "They're not sitting there plotting mayhem and murder, Kara, or planning how to knock off the nearest liquor store. Most of them have jobs and careers."

"Oh, I didn't mean- I just thought-" She huffed out a breath. "You must think I'm a snob."

"Are you?" He was delighted to watch the play of expressions on her lovely face as she tried to figure that one out.

"I naturally assumed I wasn't." Her brow pleated in a frown. "I know my mother absolutely is, and I-" She bit her lip as she considered. "I just might be."

Reaching over, he placed his hand over hers and had her staring at him.

"Snobs usually don't worry and wonder if they are. So, I think you can relax on that front." Lifting her hand, he kissed the knuckles, charming her. "Now finish eating. I want to take you back to bed."

*****

Kara considered it to be a sybaritic pleasure to spend the night in bed with a man as well as tumbling back in bed right after breakfast. She did not recognize herself, and it was wonderful. Later on, she would lay down the rules. But for now, she was enjoying just being with him.

"What are you thinking?" he murmured in that deep, hypnotic voice of his.

She was sprawled on his chest, one thigh thrown over both of his. He was warm and comfortable and disturbing at the same time. His body was lean without an ounce of extra flesh, the muscles well defined.

"That I don't usually spend my Saturday mornings like this."

His fingers were laced through hers, and the feel of her curves pressed against him was doing maddening things to his control. "How do you usually spend it?"

Lifting her head, she propped her chin on her folded free hand and wrinkled her nose.

"You don't want to know."

"I do, actually. Tell me."

"Well, I make a list."

He stared at her with a frown. "A list?"

She shrugged, feeling a little self-conscious. "I do better with one. So, on Fridays before I leave work, I write down what needs to be done. I have someone who comes in three times a week to do the heavy lifting, dusting and laundry and general tidying up. But I prefer to shop for groceries myself. So, I make a list."

She looked away from his piercing tawny gaze. "William and my mother would factor on that list. There's always some ministry going on at the church, and I'm required to be there. Soup kitchen, counseling sessions, free advice for members, that sort of thing. And William would send me a message from the week before to say whether or not we would be dining."

"I see."

She finally swung her gaze back to meet his and saw the steady look in his eyes.

"I take it the guy wasn't spontaneous?"

She laughed, the sound brittle. "Not at all. He made lists too."

"Hmm." He trailed a finger over the tip of her nose slowly. "Sounds boring as hell."

She blew out a breath. "So was I, to be fair."

"You?" He shook his head, a teasing smile tugging at his lips. "I find that very hard to believe." He laughed when she poked him in the ribs.

"I was suffocating. Slowly dying and didn't even know it," she told him soberly. "That's why I had to make a change."

He trailed a finger over one smooth cheek. "I like both sides of you. Are there more?"

She smiled, the tension dissipating as he had hoped. "You'll just have to wait and see."