Page 135 of Duty and Desire
Four?
“You have four sisters?” I queried.
“Yup.”
“You the oldest?”
“Youngest.”
I stared up at him.
Then I asked, “You’re the youngest with four older sisters?”
“Yup.”
“Ohmigod.”
This seemed impossible.
No man his size was the littlest or youngest of anything.
“All but one is married,” he shared. “All but that one have kids. I’ve got five nieces and nephews.”
I loved this.
I loved it like crazy.
And not just the fact that I could freely ask him questions about his life, his friends, his family, and not try to keep things distant and professional.
But that he had a big family.
I loved family.
“Are they named Norwegian names?” I asked.
“Signe, Marte, Lene, Trine, in order, oldest to youngest.”
That was a yes.
“And you’re gonna meet them, soon as that can be arranged,” he announced.
I started to smile.
Then something occurred to me and I didn’t smile.
“Are they gonna have a problem with me being a stripper?”
A shadow crossed his face, which meant a shadow shrouded my heart.
But I would learn I shouldn’t underestimate Mo, or his feelings for me, and I’d learn it quick.
Like right then.
Because Mo rolled us both to our sides, gathered me close, but kept a lock on my eyes.
“You know, baby,” he said gently, “think the problem with what you do is with you.”
Hunh?
