Page 17 of Doubly Claimed

Chapter 6

“What is it you like to do?” The bigger man leaned close as he spoke.

His rich baritone almost made her moan aloud. Combined with the incredible heat coming off his enormous body, Ginger was a goner. Need encompassed her. She felt herself moisten at his nearness, longed to touch him. Them. Her brain seemed to shout out the plural. Yes, she wanted to touch them both. His knowing grin made her heart stutter.

Damn. Did he know what she was thinking? Embarrassment burned her cheeks. Easy girl, she focused on what he’d asked instead of her growing self-consciousness. It would be better if she accepted her desires as natural but kept them to herself.

Right? Maybe. Darn it. Her internal dialogue would simply have to wait.

“I am a preschool teacher, so I like, you know, children.” She glanced down at her hands. “I know it’s not exactly sexy or exciting, but I love to teach.”

“I think it’s incredible. Shows you are patient, kind, and caring too,” green eyes said, touching her hand as he spoke.

“Thank you. I would love to have kids, a lot of kids, someday I mean. Not that I was asking, oh crap, that’s probably not an appropriate topic—”

She closed her eyes. Could she be any more awkward? Dang it.

“On the contrary, love, we both think family is extremely important. It’s good you want children. Besides, we’re interested in anything you want to tell us,” he continued.

“You are?”

“Yes. Please continue.”

“Now I don’t know what to say.” She sipped some wine he placed in front of her. It was chilled and sweet. Perfect to soothe some of her frazzled nerves.

“What is something you dream about accomplishing one day?” he asked.

“Well, I’d like to write a book.” She startled herself with the confession.

She hadn’t really meant to say that. But in for a penny. Ginger smiled to break the anxiety of having revealed one of her secrets to the two strangers. She’d probably never see these guys again, so it didn’t matter if she told them.

If she kept sipping her wine, she might reveal one secret dream in particular. A rush of excitement raced through her and need pulsed deep in her belly. Like invisible hands tugging on her nerve endings, stroking her all the way down to her core. It was sort of thrilling, opening herself up to these two handsome strangers.

“Really? That is awesome. What kind of book?”

“You’ll think it’s silly.”

“Of course, we won’t.” The big one frowned as if she’d insulted him, and she smiled to soften her words.

“I know. You guys are really sweet. Okay, so here goes,” she laughed a little, “I love reading romance novels, and I sorta always wanted to write one.”

“Nothing silly about that, love. I happen to like a good romance novel,” green eyes surprised her.

“You do?”

“Yes, I do,” he said. “Some of them are downright inspirational.”

“Oh.” She swallowed. “The truth is, I’ve found romantic entanglements to be highly overrated. The books are always better.”

“Darlin’, then you’ve been experiencing the wrong kinds of entanglements,” the bigger man grunted. His breath tickled her ear and shivers of anticipation danced up and down her spine.

“Perhaps we can change that for you?”

“Oh.” She licked her lips.

Did he just say what she thought he said? Must be a trick of the moonlight or the wine, she reasoned. Turning her head, she met his amber eyes.

“I may get to write that book sooner than I think, anyway.”

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