Laredo's Sassy Sweetheart by Tina Leonard

along?” he asked, hoping she’d say no but wanting to make her more comfortable. It was so hard to be considerate when it was far more appealing to be alone with her!
    “Oh,” she said, her tone surprised.
    Belatedly he realized he’d given her the wrong impression. “No, I mean that—”
    But she’d already gone to the door. “Hannah!” she called down the hall.
    “What?” Her friend poked her head around the doorway.
    “Do you want to go for a drive with Laredo and me?”
    “Sure!”
    Katy looked at him. “She wants to come.”
    “Great,” he said. “Just great.”
     
    I N L AREDO’S TRUCK Katy made certain Hannah sat between them. It had surprised her that Laredo had wanted Hannah along, but it made sense, along with his promise not to kiss her again.
    She wasn’t about to show how hurt she was. This was almost an instant replay of Stanley and Becky. She always seemed drawn to men who wanted her best friends, she thought. She was definitely sending off the wrong signals.
    She had to get this problem figured out.
    Surely she wasn’t such a rotten kisser. If she was, she was looking at possibly being rotten in the lovemaking venue, as well—and that was a thought she could barely contemplate.
    Maybe she had it all wrong! It wasn’t celibacy she needed. It was practice! Practice made perfect, she’d always heard—and from this moment forward, she would resolve to practice with enthusiasm. In fact, she was going to throw all caution to the wind and become a Cissy Kisserton type of girl! “I’ve made up my mind,” she told her two companions.
    “What?” Laredo and Hannah said, both glancing her way as the truck bumped over tall weeds and rutted road to get to the side of the creek.
    “I’m going to become free and uninhibited. A virtuoso mantrap.”
    Laredo swerved on the road. “What?”
    Hannah stared at her. “Virtuoso? Aren’t you already?”
    “No,” she said, with rolled eyeballs for Hannah’sbenefit. “That’s something else, which I aim not to be anymore.”
    Laredo perked up. “As your very good, extremely fond friend, I hereby put my services forward in any way I can to help you.”
    Katy blinked. “You don’t even know what kind of help I need.”
    “Well, I…still resolve to help my very good friend,” he said, looking past Hannah at Katy.
    The light in his eyes had changed from I’m driving to I’m driving toward something, and Katy was suspicious. “Since when am I your very good friend?”
    “Since we kissed and agreed we weren’t going to do that anymore.”
    “You two kissed?” Hannah said.
    “Not very well,” Katy said.
    “What?” Laredo looked outraged. “I didn’t hear you complaining!”
    “You kissed me, actually. I didn’t kiss you back. And it was too short of a kiss to tell, really. Didn’t you think?” Katy stated earnestly.
    “Well, I don’t know. I’ve never had a play-by-play called on my kissing skills.” Laredo scratched his head. “Possibly you weren’t engaged in the moment. But I can work on that, as I help you achieve mantrap status.”
    “I don’t need a coach,” she snapped.
    “No, no, no. I see myself more as a partner. ”
    “Why are you so anxious for our Katy to become a mantrap?” Hannah asked.
    “I was wondering the same thing.” Katy gave him a suspicious glare. “You know, don’t you?”
    “That you’re…you’re…special?” Laredo said, carefully choosing his words. “That you’re a discriminating female?”
    “That I’m a virgin,” Katy said flatly. “Who told you?”
    “If I tell you, it’s a breach of confidence,” he said, sidestepping.
    “Hannah?” Katy stared at her friend.
    “Not me.” Hannah raised her hands. “I only advise from the sidelines. I don’t coach from the middle of the field.”
    “Who?” both women demanded, turning to stare at Laredo.
    “Cissy Kisserton,” he said, his face pinkening a bit.
    “Cissy! How does she know?” Katy demanded.
    “She says