Free For the Love of Pete by Sherryl Woods Page B

seriously.
    "You can't prove me wrong, because it's the truth," she declared, her eyes flashing with defiance.
    Pete couldn't resist calling her on it. "I've got five bucks and a kiss that says otherwise," he said, slapping a bill on the counter.
    Her eyes widened with shock. "Are you crazy?"
    "More than likely."
    She forced the money back into his pocket, then immediately stepped gingerly away as if she'd belatedly realized her mistake. "I am not going to kiss you and I'm certainly not going to make a bet that says you can't seduce me."
    "Because you know I'm right," he said, satisfied with the admission.
    She frowned at him, and for a minute it seemed as if she might continue the debate until Pete was forced to kiss her to prove his point. Unfortunately, though, she finally drew in a deep breath and leveled a cool look into his eyes. "Would you prefer green beans or peas with dinner?"
    Pete knew better than to laugh at the quick retreat to neutral turf. She might have felt compelled to take him up on his impulsive bet and, truthfully, he wasn't the least bit sure if he would have been able to resist.
    The kitchen was filled with the scent of onions and garlic and tomato as Jo's spaghetti sauce simmered on the stove, but it was the pheromones swirling in the air that were getting to Jo. Somehow in the last few hours, she'd completely lost her mind. What she'd been doing ever
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    since Pete had arrived rivaled the stupidity of waving a red cape at a bull. Did she want the man to seduce her?
    Okay, yes, of course, she did. At least she wanted to know that he wanted to take her to bed. And it was about the rebound thing, no matter what he said to the contrary. She wanted to prove to herself that she was still a desirable woman, and who better to prove that than a man who'd once walked away from her? If she could attract Pete now, wouldn't that prove.. .something?
    She tried to figure out what exactly it would prove and couldn't. Maybe it would only prove that she really was an idiot.
    "How about some wine with dinner?" Pete asked. "I found a bottle of merlot in the wine rack."
    Not a chance in hell, Jo thought. She needed all her wits about her if she was going to negotiate the minefield she'd set up for herself tonight.
    "No, thanks, but you have some if you'd like."
    He shrugged. "I'm okay with a beer. Are there any in the fridge?"
    'There should be," she said, opening the door. There were half a dozen bottles of beer inside. She took one out, twisted off the top and handed it to him. "Want a glass?"
    "Nope. The bottle will do." He kept his gaze locked with hers. "Anything I can do to help with dinner?"
    "The sauce is almost ready. You can drain the pasta, if you want to."
    He put his bottle on the table and picked up the heavy pot, held it over the colander and dumped in the boiling water and pasta. More of the angel hair slithered down the drain than into the colander.
    Jo chuckled as he tried to grab a handful. "Let it go,"
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    she said. "I made more than enough. We won't starve if some of it gets away."
    He gave her a frustrated look. "You didn't warn me how slippery it would be."
    "Haven't you ever cooked pasta before?"
    "Sure," he said. "From a can."
    Jo rolled her eyes. "Please don't ever let Maggie hear you say that. You'll absolutely destroy her respect for you. She thinks it's disgusting enough that I don't own a pasta machine so I can make my own."
    "If Davey wants spaghetti, we go out," Pete said defensively. "I like the stuff in the can."
    "See if you can still say that after we've eaten tonight," Jo said. "Of course, Maggie is right about one thing. This would be even better if we'd made the noodles from scratch."
    He regarded her with surprise. "You can do that?"
    "If you're asking if it's possible for a person to make pasta in his own kitchen, the answer is yes. If you want to know if I personally can do it, then, no. I'm hopeless at anything complicated?piecrusts and pasta are beyond