Free VINA IN VENICE (THE 5 SISTERS) by Kimberley Reeves Page B

guaranteed at least on e whirl around the dance floor before the ballroom babes take notice and start closing in. ”
    “How magnanimous of you,” Vina said drily.
    “I t’s just one of many fine attributes, I guess . ”
    “Magnanimous and modest,” she laughed.  “I simply adore that about you, Travis.”
    “As much as I would love to spend more time being adored by you, we should probably head back.  I don’t want to be responsible for making you miss curfew.”
    “ Funny.  I had you pegged as the type of guy who considered it an insult to his manhood if his date made it home before sunrise.”
    “Other women maybe, but not you.”
    Vina stopped abruptly, thoroughly stung by what he’d said and the serious tone in which it had been delivered .  “Thanks a lot.  I know I’m not exactly in the same league as the women you date, but you could have spare d my feelings by pretending I’m worth a few minutes of consideration .”
    Travis blinked.  “Worth a few…?” 
    He looked utterly mystified, Vina thought resentfully.  Obviously, he didn’t have a clue how insulting his comment had been, or how deeply hurt she was by it.  The fact that their relationship wasn’t even remotely romantic didn’t have a thing to do with it.  It was downright humiliating to be told she held no sexual appeal for him when Travis changed girlfriends more often than most people changed their bed sheets.
    “Ah, hell,” Travis’ muttered oath cut through the veil of indignant anger clouding Vina’s thoughts.  “I didn’t mean it the way it sounded.  Vina,” he cupped her chin, gently forcing her to look at him, “you compl etely misunderstood.  I was thinking about your sisters and the mess of trouble I’d be in if I kept you out all night.”
    “Oh,” she managed to eek out, feeling foolish for making such a fuss.
    “Look…I don’t claim to be the most sensitive guy around, but I would never do or say anything to purposely hurt you.   Do you think you can forgive me for only thinking of my own hide?”
    “If you’ll forgive me for being an emotional train wreck,” Vina offered a wobbly smile.
    “It’s a deal.” 
    ***
    “Stop being so squiggly,” Travis admonished.
    “It’s not my fault,” Vina giggled.  “You’re tickling me on purpose.”
    A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.  “I am not,” he lied. 
    When they’d returned to the bench for their shoes and stockings, Travis had her wait there while he retriev ed one of the gym towels he kept in his trunk .  Crouching down in front of Vina, he’d taken her small foot in his hand and proceeded to wipe the sand off.   That’s when he discovered how ticklish she was and couldn’t resist trailing his finger along the delicate arch.
    Travis stood up to shake the sand particles from the towel and notice d Vina slipping a bare foot into her sandal.  “You’d better put your hose back on too.  What will your sisters think if you show up with them in your hands?”

Vina grimaced.  “I didn’t think about that.  Although…” she pulled her sandal off, “they ’d sooner believe the sky was falling than anything bad about you.”
    Travis finished toweling off his own feet and was reaching for his s ocks when a shapely leg slowly stretched out in front of his face.  His eyes followed Vina’s languid movement as she inched the nylon over her toes and guided it up the length of her leg.  Biting back a groan of sheer agony, he torture d himself even further by watching her slip on the second nylon.  
    Beads of pers piration dotted his forehead as he struggled to control his ragged breathing.  He couldn’t remember a time when he’d been so turned on, not even as a hormone - driven teenager when Cissy DiSallis pressed a condom in his hand before Math class one day and told him to pick her up at six.   Distracted by vivid images of peeling those stockings back off of Vina, it only vaguely registered that she’d said