Remember the Dreams Read Free Page B

'big' for you." A droll smile tugged at the corners of his mouth, deepening those delicious little laugh lines. "You probably had a couple of soda crackers and a few pieces of dry lettuce. Why are you women always on a diet?"
    The only "diet" Toni had ever been on was to gain weight. "I'm not on one," she mumbled, taking a step back. It never used to bother her to stand next to him. Why did it now? "And I had a salad for lunch . . . with crab in it."
    "Appropriate," he muttered, baiting her just as he used to. "But you need more protein. It's good for your nerves."
    Her nerves could certainly use any help they could get. They'd definitely been acting a little haywire for the past few hours.
    Kyle's remark about her thinness wasn't helping much either. And one of her insecurities was beginning to show.
    Toni had always been self-conscious about her body. Where most women had curves, she had little dips and dents. Lanky and svelte had been her mother's charitable way of describing tall and skinny. Toni had been the only girl in her high school graduating class who had still been wearing a training bra.
    Instead of withdrawing into herself, she had learned to turn a slightly aggressive cheek. Placing both hands on her "skinny" hips, she smugly met his intoxicating smile. "You don't have to play brother-protector anymore, Kyle. I think I can manage my own care and feeding." She watched his thick dark brows quirk upward over his laughing eyes. "You may not have noticed, but I'm a big girl now."
    There was nothing at all brotherly about the way his darkening gaze raked over her. Still leaning with his hand on the cupboard and his tie draped loosely over his fresh white shirt, he looked every inch the male predator. Cool, calculating and very, very dangerous.
    "Woman," he corrected smoothly. "And I noticed."
    His visual assessment would have shaken her to her toes had she not already determined the cause of her strange reactions to him. Exhaustion. Pure and simple.
    "But I've also noticed a few other things, Ms. Collins. You and I are going to have a long talk when I get back. So be sure and reserve Friday night for me."
    "Which lecture am I going to get this time?" Her tone was teasing, her expression animated. "You can save your breath if you're planning on giving me the one about my 'overly simplistic' views, because, unfortunately, most of your theories have been proven right."
    Toni was sure that she only imagined the slight hardening in his eyes. "Maybe I've developed a few new ones," he said.
    "And I'm to be blessed with your infinite insight and wisdom?"
    "Of course." He abandoned the cabinet and pulled open the freezer. "I always used to share my vast and formidable experience with you, so why should it be any different now?" He dropped a gallon of ice cream on the counter. "That's what friends are for, you know?" He placed a bowl and spoon next to the carton. "Eat this."
    "Too many calories," she returned blandly, knowing that the second he was gone, she'd help herself to a healthy scoop. "I thought you said you weren't on a diet?"
    "I'm not." She grinned at him then, enjoying the familiar ease of their exchange. "I'm only . . ."
    "Being obstinate," he concluded for her. "You always did like to see how far you could push me."
    Her expression was one of angelic innocence, except for the mischievous twinkle in her eyes. "I did?"
    "You know you did." Moving past her, he headed out of the kitchen. "But I don't think you ever had any idea of how far you'd gone."
    "What's that supposed to mean?" Her question was directed at his retreating back.
    Following him through the dining room, she stopped when they reached the entry. Kyle picked up his jacket from the table by the front door and, tossing it over his arm, bent to retrieve the flight bag sitting on the floor.
    "There's an extra house key on your dresser," he said, completely ignoring her question. "I'll be at the Chicago Hilton if you need to reach me for anything."
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