Yours for the Taking by Robin Kaye Page A

the middle of the night and woke me out of a dead sleep?”
    “I’m sorry, I didn’t realize the time. I just thought you’d like to know I arrived in Boise safe and sound.”
    “I know I should say thank you, but right now, I’m not feeling that charitable. I’m glad you didn’t crash is about as nice as I get at this hour.”
    “I guess that’ll have to do. Sleep well, Gina, and have a great day tomorrow. I’ll give you a call tomorrow night.”
    “You will?”
    “Yes.”
    “Do me a favor, then.”
    “Sure, what do you need?”
    “If you’re going to call me, do it before 11:00 my time, or the next time I see you, you’ll have a real brush with death.”
    His low chuckle rang out until she hit the end button. She missed having a real old-fashioned telephone. There was something so satisfying about slamming the phone down on an annoying caller.
    Tina rolled toward her. “He sure is attentive for a relative stranger.”
    Gina scooted under the down duvet. She’d never slept in a bed this comfortable or under sheets this fine. She doubted they’d come from K-Mart. They felt glorious on her bare arms. “I think he just gets off on yanking my chain. Plus, he’s staying with his grandfather who thinks he interrupted our honeymoon. Calling me to say he arrived safely just makes it look good for the old guy.” Only his grandfather wasn’t there earlier to witness that über-confusing, not to mention meltingly hot, kiss. She still couldn’t figure out what that was all about. Not that she was thinking about it.
    “Oh yeah, that’s why he mentioned the kink factor. He sounded weirdly jealous.”
    “You heard that?”
    Tina pushed her hair out of her eyes. “It’s not like I’m in the next room. He sounded equal parts turned on and mad.”
    “Tina, he was joking. Besides, we made a deal not to see anyone for the first year. I’m hoping the marriage doesn’t last that long, but we both agreed to give up men just in case the old guy gets curious and sends someone to check up on us. The marriage has to look legit.”
    “That must be difficult to explain to your boyfriends.”
    Gina laughed, but there was no humor in it. “I guess it’s a good thing I don’t have any, and, at the moment, neither does he.”
    ***
    Ben hung up the phone and laughed. Gina really didn’t like being woken up. He’d completely forgotten about the time change. For some reason, he just needed to talk to her.
    “Were you just talking to that wife of yours?”
    Ben looked up from the sandwich he’d been throwing together to find his grandfather pouring himself a Jim Beam.
    “Her name is Gina and didn’t your doctor tell you to knock off the booze?”
    Big Joe slicked back what was left of his white hair and scowled. “I’m eighty years old. When you get as old as me, you have the right to tell your doctors where to stuff their advice. I have one or two a night. It’s medicinal. How do you think I’ve survived this long?”
    “I figured it was sheer orneriness.”
    Gramps shrugged. “Yeah, I’m sure it’s that too. So, tell me about the little missus. You got any pictures of the wedding? You know, the one I didn’t get an invitation to?”
    Ben bit the corner off the sandwich and chewed. Damn, he’d never even thought of getting wedding pictures. At the time, the only thing he could think of was getting through it. He did remember Rosalie snapping a picture or two with her camera phone. Hardly a wedding album. “I don’t have any pictures with me. I’ll get some though.”
    His grandfather didn’t look as if he believed the marriage ever took place. He should have thought about bringing proof. “Gina’s a tiny little thing.” He put his hand out to show how short she was. “She has jet-black, short hair and the most amazing honey-colored eyes. She’s well-built but man is she tiny.”
    “You sound like you’re talking about a car. I thought since I sent the jet over for you, you’d bring her along.