Page 21 of A Dream for Daphne

To him, that meant she would have considered it if he hadn’t already seen her naked. How the hell was he going to get around this?

“How is that?”

“I don’t want you to think badly of me.”

“Oh, I don’t,” he said, smirking.

She sighed. “Abe. You don’t know me. You might think I’m lying to you. Maybe I’ve done this before back in Texas. You’d never know.”

“That’s where the twang is coming from,” he said. “It’s not strong.”

“I’m trying to not have it be strong so no one thinks I’m a hick,” she said.

“I don’t think it,” he said. “I’m positive your employers don’t either. But I’m not going to pressure you...now. I’ll be here for close to a month. Or my crew will be. I’ve got time to work on you.”

“Work on me?” she asked, crossing her arms.

She had a fiery side to her.

He liked it a lot!

“Persuade you to give me a chance. Maybe we were only good for one thing, but I’d like to figure that out myself. Unless you’re afraid?”

She narrowed her eyes. “I’m not afraid.”

“Just embarrassed?” he asked.

“Extremely.”

“And you don’t want me to think that is all there is to you. Or to want from you.”

“Exactly,” she said.

He snapped his fingers in front of his face a few times as if a drag queen was making her point. “Gone from my mind. That whole night. Even losing money.”

She laughed over his antics. That was promising. “I’m not sure it works that way. If it did I would have forgotten and can’t seem to.”

Her hand went to her mouth as if she wished she hadn’t let that tidbit slip.

He grinned and knew he could have her.

In time.

He was a patient man, thankfully.

“Then I’ll see you again soon,” he said. “It’s a promise. Take some time to think it over. Ask your employers about me. Or ask Poppy. I’m known in the area. Grew up here too and went to school with Poppy. She’ll vouch I’m not a dick.”

“I don’t think you are,” she said.

“Good to know,” he said. “You have a nice night.”

He knew when to fold his cards and walk away.

He’d take this as a win and returned to his truck, started it up, and drove away. He glanced in the review mirror and saw Daphne still standing in front of her cabin watching him leave.

When his eyes hit the road ahead of him, he saw Poppy walking and pushing a stroller with the kids in it.

She was smirking as he got closer. He slowed down and hit the button to lower his window. “Nice night for a walk.”

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