Janet Evanovich - Thanksgiving

“Hmmm,” she said, stealing a taste of brandy. “There’s always my bathrobe.”

“No way. Last time I wore your bathrobe I got punched in the nose.”

She eased onto the bed and leaned over him.

“It’s such a cute nose, too,” she said and kissed the tip of it.

He loosened a braid. “Was that a pretend kiss?”

“Nope. No more pretending.”

“So, this is the real thing now, huh?” he asked, looking very serious.

“Yup.”

He pulled her onto his lap. “Good. I love the real thing.” His gaze softened. “And I love you.”

Megan felt the breath catch in her throat. “What?”

“I love you,” he said, feeling like the Grinch, whose heart had grown three sizes on Christmas Day .

She gave a huge sigh of satisfaction. “I love you too.”

“Now that we love each other, I suppose it would be okay if I spent the night here.”

“It’ll cost ya,” she said.

His breathing grew heavy as he stared at her mouth. It was a lovely pink rosebud mouth. Soft and kissable. “What’s the price?”

She suggestively whispered an erotic payment. Then she licked her lips and mentioned an alternative, feeling smugly satisfied at the hint of movement under the blanket.

“Megan Murphy, shame on you. That’s very naughty.”

She turned the cover back. “Don’t you want to pay my price?” she asked, all innocence.

“I suppose I’ll have to, but only if you’ll marry me. I have my reputation to think of. I have morals and principles.”

“I wouldn’t want to besmirch your reputation. And I certainly wouldn’t want to trample on your morals and principles.”

He unbuttoned her flannel shirt. “In case you’re wondering, that was a proposal. A very serious, very binding proposal.”

She drew back and looked at him. “Are you sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my entire life.”

“Would a Christmas wedding be too soon?”

“A Christmas wedding would be too late. I intend to consummate this union immediately. And now, Megan Murphy – Hunter, I’m going to follow your erotically imaginative suggestions and deliver payment in full!”

Bestselling author JANET EVANOVICH is the winner of the New Jersey Romance Writers Golden Leaf Award and multiple Romantic Timesawards, including Lifetime Achievement. She is also a long-standing member of RWA.

“Romance novels are birthday cake and life is often peanut butter and jelly. I think everyone should have lots of delicious romance novels lying around for those times when the peanut butter of life gets stuck to the roof of your mouth.” Janet Evanovich, 1988

Visit Janet Evanovich’s website at www.evanovich.com, or write her at P.O. Box 5487, Hanover, NH03755.