Page 33 of Love Lessons
That’s the kind of girl men want,my inner voice reminds me.Danforth would have stuck around if you weren’t such a drag.
With courage I didn’t know I possessed, I hold my ground. Instead of running away, I lift my chin and look Ian straight in the eye. Then I lick my lips.
“Contessa,” he growls. “You can tease me if you like. But know this—I’m thinkingallthe dirty thoughts about you right now.”
If that’s supposed to scare me off, it doesn’t. I hold his gaze and give him a little smile.
“Christ.” He takes a step back and parks his hands on his hips. “Mixed signals, honey. I thought you wanted to style me. But now I think you want to jump me, too.”
“What if it’s both?” I whisper.
“Well, is it or not?” he snaps. “Trying to be a good guy, here, but you make ithard.” He winks after he says that, and I feel my flush deepen.
For once in my life, my impulse is to break all the rules. But the idea of a sexed-up Ian is intimidating. He’d be expecting me to follow through. And then he’d realize I’m the most awkward humanin the worldwhen it comes to sex.
I let out a sigh, and I get to my feet. “Hold up your shirt, please. I need to measure your waist.”
Ian blinks. Disappointment flashes through his eyes. But after a moment, he does exactly as I’d asked. I quickly measure his waist, but it’s more intimate than kneeling at his feet. My knuckles brush against his smooth skin.
When I back away, he’s still watching me with a heated gaze. Like he’s waiting for me to up the ante.
Like you’d even know how to do that.
“Listen,” I whisper. “Has there ever been something in your life that other people justget, but you don’t?”
He blinks again. “Well, sure. School. All thirteen years of it. The only class where I ever got an A was PE.”
“Oh.” I picture a much younger Ian sitting alone in the back of all his classrooms. “Was it frustrating?”
“Yeah.” He shrugs, like it doesn’t matter. But I bet it did.
Because I know all about that feeling. “It might not sound plausible to you, but the subject I’ve been failing my whole life is sex.”
“Oh, honey.” He grins. “Not to brag, but if they gave out grades for that, I’d’ve been an A-plus student.”
“I imagine,” I say drily. “But don’t laugh. If I’m sending you mixed signals, it’s because I seem to have a learning disability when it comes to, uh…”
“Sex,” he says hotly. “Maybe you’re just not sexually attracted? It happens. That’s what they tell me, anyway.”
“Oh, I am,” I say quickly. “But I’m not good at the follow-through. I lack confidence. I think I need…” I make myself look him in the eyes again. “…tutoring.”
His grin fades away, replaced by a more serious expression. “Tutoring. Seriously?”
“Yes,” I clip. “Tutoring. What if you gave me lessons on how to seduce someone?”
His eyebrows disappear into his hairline. “Lessons on how to seduce someone?”
“Are you just going to repeat everything I say?”
“Maybe.” He chuckles. “At least until this starts making sense. Because, honey, all you’d have to do to seduce me is take off your dress.”
I’m already shaking my head. “I promise you it doesn’t always work that way. There’s this guy, my ex. He…” I can’t do it. I can’t finish that sentence. It’s too embarrassing.
Ian’s brow furrows. “What did he do? Did he hurt you?”
“Nothing like that,” I say quickly. “He just…told me that I don’t do a good job. That I had no spark.”
“Liar,” Ian growls. “That sounds like his own damn excuse.”
