Free Mountain Laurel by Donna Clayton Page A

bothering her."
    "It sounds like a good idea to me," he said. "Getting your sister away from her friends would give you a much better chance of talking to her."
    Hearing his frank opinion, Laurel knew he understood. And for some reason she was filled with a warm happiness knowing he agreed with what she was doing.
    "I've tried talking to her," she said dryly. "But now she's got things all twisted around."
    "How so?"
    "Well, when I brought up the subject of her future, Ginny immediately blew a fuse, accusing me of trying to force her into being just like me." Laurel tipped her wineglass back, sipping the last drop. "Apparently I'm as boring as American cheese."
    Michael laughed heartily. "Listen to me," he said, his gaze steady. "I've known you less than forty-eight hours, and believe me, you're anything but boring!"
    Feeling color rush to her face, Laurel hoped her grin hid her embarrassment. "Yes, but you met me under extenuating circumstances."
    The wine, combined with Michael's intense stare, made her overly warm.
    "Anyway, my sister ended up forcing me to accept a nice little wager. My end of the deal didn't sound too difficult at first, so I took her up on it."
    "A wager, huh?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow. "Sounds interesting." He sat up and rested an elbow on his bent knee, bringing himself closer to her.
    The resonance of his deep voice made Laurel's pulse pound furiously. She found his nearness distracting. He was utterly perfect, she thought. Everything about this man was ideal: he was kind and understanding, easy to talk to, and funny. Add to that his dark good looks, his muscular body, his rich, sensuous voice, and you came up with absolute perfection. Her chest rose and fell at an abnormal rate, then she started as if waking from a trance, realizing she had stopped talking and had been brazenly staring at him. The empty wineglass in her hand caught her attention and she frowned.
    Picking up the pitcher of iced tea she had packed, she sloshed some into her glass. She clutched it with both hands and gulped down a swallow. The icy bitterness of the tea calmed her a little. She took another sip, trying frantically to remember what they had been discussing.
    The bet! she remembered. He had said Ginny's bet sounded interesting. She cleared her throat with a little cough before speaking.
    "Not very interesting, really," she told him. "I want Ginny to be a responsible person. And, Lord knows, she equates responsibility with stagnation. So I have to show her that it's possible that a person can be responsible and also have a good time. She says if I go out on some dates, with men, of course..."
    "Of course," Michael interjected.
    Hot color mantled her cheeks when she realized what she'd said. The man doesn't need to know that going out on dates "with men" wasn't something she often did!
    "Anyway, if I go out...then she'll go to college." Laurel lifted a finger and tilted her head. "No, wait. She said she'll think about going to college."
    "Sounds kind of one-sided to me." Michael stretched out on his side, resting his head on his hand.
    As he moved, Laurel couldn't stop her eyes from traveling down his long, muscular frame. She held her breath and quickly looked up, riveting her gaze to his face.
    "Well, if I can change her attitude even a little bit, it'll be worth it." She picked up an apple, offering it to Michael before crunching into its juicy flesh.
    A dribble of apple juice trickled down her chin. Michael could almost taste the tangy sweetness of the Macintosh on her soft lips. But he was too bothered by the sound of this wager business to act on the urge. It bothered him to think of her out on the town having a good time with a different man every night. What did "having a good time" mean, anyway? Maybe he should suggest one or two of his friends as able dates. At least he'd know whom she was out with. But that idea nettled him even more.
    "But," he heard her say after she swiped her fingers across her mouth, "I'm