Page 15 of Need Me
“I hope you’re not expecting lady-like manners right now because I’m eating this one and another one,” Brooke informedhim.
Robert shrugged. “Go for it.” He located a stack of Styrofoam cups and grabbed one. “Were there any fatalities?” heasked.
Brooke sighed. “No. A couple of close calls, though. Good thing that Doogie Houser was on tonight,though.”
Robert depressed the lever on the spout of the box of coffee and the hot brew flowed into the cup. “Who?”
“This hotshot new doc,” Brooke replied after swallowing the last of her donut. “He’s a real-life Doogie. Only twenty-one but he has medical degrees in several specialties, including ERmedicine.”
“Wow. Sounds like he would come in handy. Cream and sugar,right?”
Brooke smiled as she picked up a powdered sugar treat. “How did youknow?”
“I remember from dinner at Emily’s house,” hesaid.
Brooke paused with the donut halfway to her mouth. “That was months ago. You really rememberthat?”
“Uh, yeah.” He finished fixing her coffee and handed it to her. “There you go. I couldn’t sleep, so I thought maybe you guys might like asnack”
Brooke took a sip and cocked her head. “Robert, why aren’t youmarried?”
Completely thrown, Robert stared at her a moment before blurting, “Probably because I’m boring ashell.”
Her eyes widened. “Boring? There are a lot of things I’d say about you, but boring isn’t one ofthem.”
“Really?” He stuck his hands in his frontpockets.
She motioned at the food he’d brought. “You’re thoughtful, brave, know how to treat a lady, and you’re intelligent.” She gave him a suggestive once over. “Plus, you’re hot enough to melt asphalt in that rock climbing outfit of yours. There’s nothing boring about you, Superman, and whoever said you were was a damnmoron.”
Robert wondered if he was still at home in bed dreaming because he’d never had a woman compliment him like that before. “You forgot to mention loyal, responsible, and punctual,” heteased.
“All good things to have in a man,” Brooke said before biting into her seconddonut.
He folded his arms and leaned against a row of wall lockers. After watching her eat for a moment and being jealous as hell of her donut, he asked, “How about dinner at my placetonight?”
She rolled her eyes. “You cook,too?”
“Uh, definecook.”
She laughed. “That thing you do with the stove andoven.”
“By that definition, yes, I cook. If it comes with instructions, I can make it,” he said. “How do you feel about HamburgerHelper?”
Brooke put the back of the hand that held her donut to her lips as she giggled and Robert laughed. Her giggle grew into a belly laugh and then she snorted. She put her drink on the table so she didn’t spill it as a laughing jag seizedher.
Robert loved her laugh and the way her dark eyes sparkled. “I mean, I sort of jazz it up, but I start withthat.”
Brooke waved a hand at him. “Shut up. Don’ttalk.”
“I’m really handy with canned meat, too. Kate loves my SpamSurprise.”
Brooke’s knees buckled and she sat down in a chair as a fresh wave of laughter hit her. “Please,” she gasped, holding herstomach.
Grinning, Robert fell silent and let her get herself undercontrol.
* * *
Brooke’s lungsburned from lack of oxygen. Finally, her laughter subsided and she could breathe again. “Oh, my God. I’m so sorry. I’m really punch-drunk and I laugh at the strangest things when I’m sotired.”
