Willow Smoke (21 page)

His
eyes
scrolled
up
and
down
her
body.
She
couldn’t
read
the
heavy
emotion
in
them.
She
had
on
a
thin
nightgown
and
a
robe
which
she
hadn’t
bothered
to
close.
As
he’d
said
on
an
earlier
occasion,
if
she
wanted
to
hide
her
wares
she
should
remember
to
tie
the
sash.
She
wasn’t
into hiding, not tonight.

“Damn,”
Nick
said,
“I’ve
never
seen
horse
slippers;
they’re
sexy
as
hell.”

Daisy
looked
in
horror
at
her
slippers;
blood
rushed
to
her
head.
How
juvenile
they
must
appear!
Cassie
had
bought
them
for
her sixteenth
birthday
and
she’d
loved
them. Although
they’d worn out on more
than
one
occasion,
she’d
sewed
them
up.
They
often
provided
solace.
Would
they
be
her
undoing
tonight?

Nick
put
the
folders
on
the
nightstand.
“So
what’s
up?
Still
running
on
adrenalin?
Can’t
sleep?
It
was
a
terrific
day.”

She
saw
his
shoulder
muscles
tighten.
Daisy
tried
to
smile.
She
been
bold,
but now
what?
Those
videos
only
showed
people
in bed,
not how they got there.
Be
practical,
girl,
be
straightforward
had
always
been
her
grandmother’s
advice.
She
didn’t
know
if
her
grandmother
would
approve
of
what
she
was
doing,
but
that
was
probably
the
best
advice
she
was
going
to
get.

“I
need
your
help,”
she
blurted
out.
“I
need
you
to
make
me
a
woman.”
She
remained
standing
just
inside
the
doorway;
her
escape
route
was
handy
if
she
failed.

It was his turn. She
couldn’t make
him want her. Would he
reject her?

- o -

Nick
shook
his
head
trying
to
clear
the
fog that
was
scrambling
his
brain.
Had
he
heard
right?
He
stared
at
Willow.
He’d
heard
right.
Her
nipples
were
pouting
big
time
through
the
flimsy
material
she
no
doubt
thought
was
a
nightgown.
She
stood
tall,
elegant
and
forlorn.
Her
long
legs
were
spread
slightly,
making
her
appear
more
determined
than
ever,
possibly
even
defiant.
Her
hair
had
been
recently
combed
and
he
smelled
perfume.
Daisy
never
wore
perfume.
Until
now.

And
then
there
were
those
damn
horse
slippers.
They were, in fact, sexy
as hell.
He
couldn’t
explain
that
one;
it
was
probably
best
not
to
try.
He
had
enough
trouble
explaining
his
response
to
the
young
woman
standing
in
those
slippers.

Nick
crossed
his
legs;
he
couldn’t
stand
if
he
wanted
to.
She
had
him
in
a
vulnerable
position.
He
hoped
she
couldn’t
see
his
physical
response
to
her
need.
Emotionally
he
was
a
wreck.
This
was
Willow.
He’d
enjoyed
sexual
banter
with her;
he’d
even
fantasized
about
her.
But
she
was
too
young.
And
if
he
had
decided
otherwise,
he
would
have
gone
to
her;
he
would
not
have
waited
for
her
to
come
to
him.

He
sighed
in
recognition
of
her
vulnerability.
Knocking
on
his
door
must
have
taken
a lot of guts. Make a woman of
her?
Did
that
mean?
His
stomach
lurched.
Holy shit!

“What?
I
thought...You
mean
you’re
a...”
Why
the
hell
couldn’t
he
complete
a
sentence?
Her
full
lips
turned
up
slightly.
Goddamn, that overbite had to be
one of
the
most
erotic
things
he’d
ever
seen on
a
woman.
It
wasn’t
obvious
until
she
smiled
a
little;
it
was
obvious
now
and
he
felt
himself
drowning
in
her
aura.

“I never said there were
other men,”
Daisy
said,
softly.
“You
assumed
because
I
was raised
on the streets that I was wise in such matters. I had a grandmother who taught
me how to take care of myself. You will be the first.”

“But.” Nick frowned. “You
can’t just walk
into
my
room
and
make
such
a
decision.”

Chuckling,
Daisy
moved
a
step
closer
to
the
bed.
“Trust
me.
This
is
no
snap
decision.
I’ve
been
waiting
for
someone
like
you
for
some
time
now.
I’ve
been
ready,
but
I
wanted
the
right
man.
This
should
be
done
right,
you
know.”

Nick
arched
an
eyebrow.
“Right?
Doesn’t
that
require
some
romance,
some
wining
and
dining,
some
dancing
back
and
forth?”
He
stopped
talking.
They
had
done
plenty
of
dancing
back
and
forth.
At
least,
he
had.
Did
she
have
any
doubts?
“And
how
do
you
know
what
is
right?”

“I’ve
spent
the
last
year
watching
educational
videos.
They’ve
got
good
material
on
positions,
oral
sex,
games,
advanced
positions.
They
answer
just
about
every
question
that
one
can
think
of.
And
I’ve
been
doing
a
lot
of
reading.”

“Videos!
Books!”
Nick
gasped
for
breath.
“You
mean
you’ve
boned
up,
so
to
speak,
on
sex,
and
now
you
want
to
experience
how
it’s
actually
done.”