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He continued to sulk until he spotted a used music store as we drove through a little town. He parked the SUV faster than I could say material girl and jumped out. He was already scouring the bins when the bell above the door jingled, announcing my arrival. I let him do his thing while I pawed through a crate marked for clearance. I found something I thought we could both agree on and meandered over to where he was flicking through a row of jewel cases.
“This should do,” he said, selecting one. The clear plastic case was cracked, but he didn’t care, just happy to have found something else to listen to. It was Stone Temple Pilots, thePurplealbum.
“Oh, not that,” I complained, and he looked downright elated at my disdain.
“Oh, yes.” He started toward the register with me on his heels.
“Daniel, please. I can’t take that music. It’ll make me crazy.” I tugged on his arm as he placed the CD on the counter. The clerk rang it up.
“Then you’ll know how I feel,” Daniel said with a saccharine smile.
I slapped my own find ofSuper Hits from the ’50s and ’60son the counter, and he eyed it suspiciously. “You can’t argue with this,” I said matter-of-factly.
“I wasn’t going to.”
The guy behind the register looked from me to Daniel, unsure if he was supposed to ring up my CD or not. Daniel nodded, and we were out the door, his steps light as we returned to the car. Daniel opened the case wherePurplewas housed, popped it out and ringed his pinky with the disc. He happily ejected Madonna from the player and deposited his CD into the dash.
He skipped to the second song, and I sang along at the top of my lungs, down to the last syllable. Daniel’s eyes widened. “What in God’s name have I gotten myself into?”
Stone Temple Pilotsplayed as we washed dishes after supper. To celebrate our arrival to Queenstown, we’d grilled shrimp and scallops and vegetable skewers on the back deck of the lakeside condo Daniel had booked. While we cooked, we’d polished off a bottle of sauvignon blanc from a vineyard we’d toured earlier in the week. I dried off a plate, and he went to the fridge to retrieve a second bottle. I was already feeling good, but figured one more glass wouldn’t hurt.
“You do realize we’ve made it six days and haven’t killed each other.”
Daniel held up his hand and we high-fived. “We’re record setters.”
I snorted, warm from the wine, but mostly from him. “Only took two to end up in the same bed.”
He snagged me by the waist and pulled me flush against him. “Maybe that’s why we’re getting along so famously.”
His lips hovered just above mine. I locked my fingers behind his neck and pressed on my toes. From his first touch, I’d become addicted.
I tugged on his neck and braced for the current that was sure to follow. His mouth was sweet from the wine when I brushed mine against his. Sparks crackled between us, igniting the urgency simmering just below my surface.
“Don’t tease me. If you’re going to kiss me, then kiss me.” His low growl shot straight to my stomach.
I smashed my lips to his, heat threatening to consume me. He gripped my hips and held me against his solid length. A hand slipped under my shirt and splayed against my back. Hot. Possessive. Just like his kiss.
I curled my fingers into the collar of his shirt and slipped my tongue into his mouth. Need surged, drawing us together. Each touch tethered me to him to the point I wasn’t sure I’d ever break free, or that I’d want to.
When I finally peeled my lips from his, I swayed. Daniel steadied me, his fingers pressing into my skin.
“Me too, Princess. Me too,” he whispered against my forehead.
I cleared my throat. “Back outside?” I pointed toward the open sliding-glass door even as I clutched him more tightly with my other hand.
“Meet you in a minute.”
We untangled, and he handed me his glass. I ventured out to the deck that overlooked the lake, resuming my position in an oversized outdoor chair. I leaned my head back and closed my eyes, drawing in a breath of fresh air. I loved how comfortable Daniel and I had become on our trip, loved sleeping next to him every night. If he was irritated I’d put the brakes on anything more intimate than making out, he never let it show. When the time was right for more, we’d know it. For now, I was content to take it slow.
I blinked my lids open when I sensed Daniel.
“What’s that?” I propped my feet up on his thighs when he sat opposite me. He massaged my foot with one hand and held up a tattered book.
“The Art of War.”
“Planning on going to battle?”
“Every day is a war.”
