Drop Dead Gorgeous by Linda Howard Page B

that made his eyes look lighter in comparison. "I've never seen you in cold weather clothes before," I said. "You've always been a summer romance." Knowing I was about to go through a winter with him was oddly fascinating.
    He winked at me. "There's a lot of cold-weather cuddling coming up."
    "Let me know ahead of time," Siana said as she picked a black olive out of the gooey cheese and popped it in her mouth, "so I can clear out."
    "Will do," Wyatt said, then, with a hint of sarcasm in his tone, added, "I don't want there to be any accidental SDS sightings."
    Siana choked on her olive and I burst into laughter, which made my head give a sickening throb because I'd moved too suddenly. I stopped laughing and grabbed my head, which made Siana simultaneously choke and laugh—she's slightly perverted—and Wyatt regarded us both with a satisfied glint in his eyes.
    The phone rang again and he picked it up, since we were both preoccupied, Siana with choking and I with holding my head. He looked at the Caller ID and asked, "Who do you know in Denver?" as he punched the talk button. "Hello." He did the same thing I'd done, repeating "Hello," in a louder voice, then disconnecting.
    "That's the second time just since I've been home," I said, releasing my head and picking up my slice of pizza. "I don't know anyone in Denver. Whoever it was hung up the first time, too."
    He checked the Caller ID again. "It's probably a prepaid calling card number; a lot of them are routed through Denver."
    "Then whoever it is, is wasting minutes."
    Mom called before we finished the pizza, and I assured her I was feeling better; the ibuprofen had kicked in so I wasn't lying, at least so long as I didn't make any sudden movements. She asked if Wyatt was staying the night, I said yes, she said good , and she was able to hang up knowing that her oldest chick was in good hands.
    Then Lynn, my assistant manager, called. Wyatt grumbled, "What is this, Every one-Call-Blair night?" but I ignored him. Lynn gave me the rundown on the day, told me she had no problem covering for me until I was able to get back to work, and said not to worry. I made a mental note to give her some extra vacation days.
    The phone was quiet after that. Siana and Wyatt cleaned up the pizza remnants, then Siana hugged me and was out the door. Wyatt immediately lifted me out of the chair and sat down with me on his lap for some of the cuddling he'd mentioned. I relaxed against him, fighting a yawn. As tired and sleepy as I was, I didn't want to go to bed yet.
    He didn't talk, just held me. I think I'd have to be dead not to physically respond to him, though, so I began to notice the heat of his body, and how good it felt for him to hold me, and how good he smelled. "It's been almost forty-eight hours since we had sex," I announced, unhappy with the growing total of minutes.
    "I'm well aware of that," he muttered.
    "No sex tomorrow, either."
    "I know."
    "And maybe not on Sunday, either."
    "Trust me, I know ."
    "Think you could put it in and not move?"
    He snorted. "Get real."
    That's what I'd thought, but it had been worth a shot. Still, when I felt better, it would be interesting to see how long he could go without moving. No, I don't consider that a human rights violation. Torturous, but not torture; there's a difference. I didn't mention my plan to him, but the anticipation made me feel better.
    A woman always needs something to look forward to, right?

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    Chapter Eight
     

     
    I took it easy on Saturday. I did feel better; the headache was still there, but thanks to the ibuprofen, less intense. Mom reported in that she hadn't yet been able to contact the wedding-cake maker; Jenni called to say she had located an arbor that was the perfect size but needed a coat of paint. It was in a yard sale of all places, and the owner wouldn't hold it if someone came by who needed an arbor right then. The price was fifty dollars.
    "Get it," I told Jenni . Fifty dollars! That was such a steal,