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A million gatorbumps covered her body at his words and tone. Without a doubt, it was a warning, and all the hairs on her body heeded it loud and clear. She realized her muscles were quivering just like when she’d rescued Jason from the jaws of a hungry gator in hot pursuit. He felt just like that. A hungry gator in hot pursuit.
But he ain’t hungry for you. So, calm your jets.
“I have no male friends. Except for Daniel. I work with him at Marsh and Muck. We grew up together.” She’d better be fully honest. “I did date him in my younger years but that lasted all of six weeks. We’ve been just friends since.”
“Good. I may also need you for certain public functions.” His gaze lowered to her chest, sending her pulse in a frenzy before it returned to hers. “I’ll buy anything and everything you might require for those things. So, I’ll need all your measurements and basic tastes.”
She fought back embarrassment at realizing he didn’t think her capable in matters of fashion. He’d be right but that didn’t make it any easier to swallow.
“So far so good?” he asked, angling a look at her.
Did that mean he knew things about fashion? How would he? “Who’d be buying my clothes?”
“I would.”
“You,” she muttered.
“I may not want a woman but that doesn’t mean I don’t know how I’d want her dressed.”
She fixed her gaze on the wall before her. “Now you have me curious.”
“About what?”
“About how you want a woman dressed. I have modesty standards.”
“Good to hear.”
“But I don’t want to be choking on fabric in the dead of summer either.”
“Just so the parts of you that belong to a husband arefullyhidden.”
She managed a snort as her body did the jitter bug at the return of his cocky…possessiveness. He didn’t seem the jealous type, but he was damn sure the stingy type. “There’s a sale on drapes at the Hurricane Hole.”
His laugh made another appearance, stomping all over her guts. “I like your sense of humor.”
Guess it was good he liked something other than her not needing or wanting a man. “And do these uh…rules work in reverse? No female company? No showing off the parts that belong to a wife? Do I get to dress you?”
“I have a dress code already with The Twelve that I’m obligated to follow. And trust me, it’s tailored to ensure zero temptation.”
A single laugh shot out. “That why ninety percent of the Hoard’s women signed up for that ball?”
He crossed his legs and her gaze landed on the massive bulge between them, putting her dangling from Mt. Lust. “Fair point,” he conceded with a chuckle as she zoomed her eyes back to the wall, locking them on the first pine knot she could find. Even then, she reverted to her Barbie days with her raven-haired Swamp Ken stripped down and naked. What sort of underwear did he like? Then came the dizzying wonder of what he’d be packing in them. Judging by the size of that crotch-knot, alotmore than she could ever handle.
She rode a wave of boiling dizziness that had her needing to escape her own skin.
“I’m open to any requirements you may have for me as your husband. I’ll accommodate any that I can.”
She bit her tongue on offering the same, knowing it wasn’t a two-way street due to their different positions in life.As your husband.
“I’d also want you to go to the ball as one of the five women I select to choose from. Just so I’m following their plan.”
Ball? “Oh mercy,” she muttered, shaking her head. “That’s a tall order.”
“No taller than it is for me, this I can promise.”
Interesting. Everything he said was interesting. Made her want to stare at him, study him. Then get lost in the fall-out. She cleared her throat, turning plumb around and focusing on the trees again. “So, we also share the same anti-social proclivities I see.”
“Pretty confident I hate social functions more than you do.”
