Page 4 of Holding Out

“It’s a miniature of something that you would have at a party ...you can put twelve of them in one baking tin.”

“Cupcake.”

“Yes!”Becca said, grinning like mad.It was a lot like having Robbie beam at him—he instantly felt like a champ.It wasn’t like he’d never seen her smile, but it was different to be on the receiving end.Like stepping into the sun out of shadow.She had a great smile—straight white teeth brilliant in contrast to her red lips.

She pulled another card.“You ride in this on the water to get from one place to another, and you can put a car in it, on the bottom deck—”

“Ferry,” Griff said, stupidly pleased with himself and rewarded with another Becca smile.

“All green growing things start out as one of these—”

“Seed.”

They were on a roll.He was totally tuned in to her.He grinned at her, not consciously trying to eke another smile out of her, but getting one anyway.

“This is a baby version of the thing that gives us beef.”

“Calf.”

“No, the baby version of the actual beef.Animal rights activists hate this—”

“Veal.”

“Yup.Okay, um, let’s see ...this is the opposite of rigid, it’s like—”

Her face got pink.

“—when something is, um, just hanging down instead of being stiff.”

Griff’s mind had veered way off track, as had, apparently, Becca’s.Which was ...

Fucking hot.

She peeked up from the card and caught him staring at her, probably open-mouthed, and the flush in her cheeks deepened.And—

Damn.Hissomethingwas not so much hanging down any more.More ...well, not quitestiff,not quiteyet, but well on its way.

“Time!”Jake cried.

Griff’s jeans were too tight.

“What was the word?”

“Floppy,” Jake announced, waggling his eyebrows.

Griff snuck another look at Becca.She was biting her lower lip.White tooth, plump red flesh.

Not.At.All.Floppy.

Mira grabbed a card, and the game sailed on.Thankfully.

But he couldn’t help himself; he chanced another look at Becca.

She returned his glance.Raised an eyebrow.Andsmirked.

Well, fuck.

It was good that he had a solid plan to de-frustrate himself after this dinner, otherwise he’d be tempted to initiate some taboo of his own.

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