Guilty Pleasures Read Free

me.”
    An amazed frown was all he got.
    “Come on. Everybody needs somebody. Everybody is somebody. Somebody needs everybody. Sing it for me.”
    “No.” She took a step backward. Her fascination with his chest was undeniable. “Are you telling me you watch Polly’s Place? In the afternoon? A children’s program?”
    “Yep, yep, and yep. Quite often.”
    “Then you come over here to watch me in person.”
    “I come over here.”
    “Grown men don’t make a habit of watching children’s programs in the afternoon—probably almost never.”
    “Lots of grown men would if they knew they’d see you.” He’d said it. No taking back the words. “You do hope to see me when you come here, don’t you?”
    Another pink fl ush rose up her neck. She spun away and gave a startled yelp as a scatter of seagulls came in for a landing.
    “Don’t you?” Nasty persisted. “I come to see you, and you come to see me.”
    Their heads jerking, the gulls strutted across the decking. Seven spared them a glare but knew better than to take chase. “Hey,” Ferrito said softly. “I have scared you. Damn, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that. Would you like to see my boat?”
    Polly turned to face him again. “You’ve got to be kidding. Would I like to see your boat? I guess it’s more original than etchings.”
    He doubted she’d laugh if he told her he had some etchings on the boat. “Let me take you out in the dinghy, then. Peaceful out there.”
    “You think I’m going to get into a little rubber boat with a man I don’t know?”
    Smiling didn’t come easily, never had, but he managed. “You might. Never any harm in asking.”
    “No, thank you.”
    “I’m good with boats. Safe. I’ll take care of you.”
    Where there’d been a blush, pallor seeped in. “I don’t need taking care of—-by anyone.”
    This was not going well.
    She said, “I can keep myself safe.” But she didn’t try to leave. “What do you think of answering machines?”
    A flurry of activity passed between the gulls, and they took off, crying and swooping, their wings battering the air.
    “Did you ask me what I think of answering machines?”
    “Simple enough question.”
    “Okay. I think answering machines are great.”
    “Because you can leave messages you’d be afraid to give in person?”
    He couldn’t begin to guess where this was going. “Because they make it possible to make sure you don’t miss a call. And you don’t have to be tethered to the damn phone all the time.”
    “I’ve got to get back.”
    “No you don’t. You’re through for the day.”
    Her hand went to her throat. “You don’t know that?”
    “Sure I do. When you leave here you’ll go to your condo. Alone. Your boy’s not with you at the moment.”
    A sharp breath made a scraping sound in her throat. “Good night.”
    Automatically, Nasty stepped aside. “Yeah, sure.”
    When she drew level, she paused, and whispered, “Leave me alone, please. I haven’t done anything to you.”
    By the time he rallied she was several yards away. He caught up easily. “Polly? Look, if I upset you, I’m sorry. Of course you haven’t done anything to me. I thought it was time we talked. Nothing more complicated than that.”
    She stopped and stared toward the sky. “Time we talked? Now why on earth would it be time we talked?”
    “I put that badly. I guess I haven’t had a whole lot of practice at this”—he spread his arms—“and before you ask me what ‘this’ is, I mean coming on to women without at least asking them to dance or buying them a drink first.”
    “Charming,” she said through her teeth. There was fire in those blue eyes now. “If some woman is stupid enough to dance with you, or let you buy her a drink, you think you can come on to her.”
    “Geez, not exactly. I mean, not—”
    “She’s supposed to understand you expect sex? Men like you are a menace.”
    “I do not—”
    “Well, you and I haven’t danced, and you