"I can't sell it to you." The excitement in her eyes died. "Can't or won't?" "Doesn't matter. The house is mine." "I could hate you for the ten seconds when you let me get my hopes up," she muttered. "Just add it to the list," he advised. "You have bigger reasons to hate me." "But I've been working on forgiving you for those," she said. He grinned. "How's that going?" "Not half as well as it was about five minutes ago," she replied. "I figured as much," he said, then dropped that kiss on her lips after all. "I think I'll skip dinner tonight. We both have a lot of thinking to do. I' 11 see you when I get back." "Maybe you will, maybe you won't," she said airily. Pete picked the contract off the table and waved it 126 FOR THE LOVE OF PETE under her nose. 'This says I will. I know you'd never go back on your word." "Why shouldn't I?" she asked. "You did." "But you're a better person than I ever was, darlin'. Everybody around here knows that." In fact, he was exercising astounding restraint to keep from capitalizing on that kiss and seducing her right here and now.
