“What is it?”
“It’s a Greenie. They’re good for dogs.”
“Puffy can be somewhat picky....”
Ryan leaned down, the bone dangling from his fingers. The Pomeranian paused midyap, swiveled her head and snatched it from his hand.
Betsy smiled as the animal ran across the room to sit on the rag rug in front of the sofa with her new acquisition. “I think she likes it.”
“And I like you.” He kissed Betsy’s nose.
“Want a tour of the house?”
He cocked his head, his gaze puzzled. “I think I’ve been in every room.”
“What about the bedroom?”
The light of understanding flashed in his eyes. “I’d like to check that room out again.”
Betsy reached over and cranked up the thermostat as they walked by. Once they reached her bedroom, Betsy’s courage began to falter. She’d never been good at this kind of stuff....
He must have sensed her distress because he moved to her side. “I know you’re probably ready to start flinging off clothes, but I’d like to just talk for a while.”
She narrowed her gaze. “Are you teasing me?”
He took her hand and tugged her to the bed. When she sat down, he took the place beside her, his fingers still laced with hers. “How about we kick off our shoes and see who can make them go the farthest?”
“They’ll hit the wall.”
“We could see whose shoes can hit the wall at the highest point.”
“Are you crazy? I don’t want marks on my—” She chuckled. “Okay, we’ll take off our shoes, but we’re not kicking them anywhere. Understand?”
Ryan slipped off one boot and then the other. “I guess I’ll have to think of another game to play.”
Betsy unlaced her shoes, trying to figure out what Ryan had up his sleeve.
“Is that a music box?” He pointed to a trinket box with a blue base covered with brightly colored horses.
Betsy leaned forward and grabbed the box. When she opened the top the horses began to revolve while the “Carousel Waltz” played. “My mother gave me this on my seventh birthday. I think it was because she knew I loved carousels.”
“A thoughtful gift.”
“Yes, it was.” Even though in recent years it seemed she could only recall the bad times, there had been some good, too.
“I’ve got an idea for a game,” Ryan said. “Have you ever played Pass the Parcel?”
“Is that sort of like hot potato where you pass something around and if you have it in your hand when the music stops, you’re out?”
“Yes, except we would pass the music box back and forth and when the music stops whoever has it will take off an item of clothing and share something about themselves.”
“Are you serious?”
“What’s the matter? No spirit of adventure?”
Betsy thought for a second. She’d been lucky today. If her luck continued just a little while longer, Ryan would soon be naked and so would she. It was a heady thought. “I’m game.”
For the first few minutes, the clothing came off slowly. A sock here. A sock there. She learned that Ryan hated asparagus but loved tuna. She shared her fear of spiders and love of anything chocolate. But now, they’d made it to the point where a shirt or pants would have to come off.
The music box moved carefully between them, the sound of the tinny waltz filling the air. Ryan had just passed it to her when the sound stopped.
“Share, then strip.” A devilish gleam shone in his eyes. “This time something about family.”
Betsy already knew her sweater was coming off. Thankfully she had the silky long underwear beneath the sweater. Sharing something about her family wasn’t that easy. She’d spent a lifetime not talking about her mother.
“How about your favorite family trip?”
Betsy started to say they’d never gone on any trips until she remembered that summer between fourth and fifth grade. “When I was ten we got in the car and drove to Devil’s Tower. It wasn’t much to see, but we sang songs and played games as we drove. Mom stopped at this old gas station, and we all had bottles of orange Nehi soda pop. Keenan and I thought she might buy a beer, but she didn’t.”
The memory was disturbing. Had her mother quit drinking that summer and she hadn’t noticed? Of course, even if she had, she hadn’t stayed sober.
“Sounds like a fun trip.” Ryan’s eyes glittered in the dim light. “Now the piece of clothing.”
“I’ll take off my sweater.”
“Good choice.”
Betsy took her time peeling the garment over her head in a slow strip tease. When Ryan’s smile faded Betsy knew he’d seen the silky long underwear.
“No wonder you weren’t cold when we were throwing snowballs,” he grumbled. “You’re dressed for twenty below.”
But she lost the next two rounds and found herself sitting before a fully clothed Ryan in only her bra and panties.
“I really like this game.” His gaze remained focused on her chest.
Beneath the heat of his gaze, her breasts began to strain against the lace fabric holding them in. “I’m feeling decidedly underdressed.”
“And I’d like to keep it that way.”
He lost the next round and took off his sweater, leaving him with a short-sleeved T-shirt.
Betsy knew she would win the upcoming round. While he’d been busy ogling her, she’d been memorizing the tune so she would know just when to hand it off to him.
He placed it in her hands and she counted the beats slowly in her head. She was ready to move it to his hand when he gasped.
“Is that a spider on the dresser?”
Betsy whirled, music box in her hands. She barely noticed that the tune had quit. Her gaze frantically searched the top of the dresser. “Where?”
“I was mistaken,” Ryan said with an expression that was way too innocent. “Must have had something in my eye.”
She realized suddenly what he’d done. “You—you cad. You did that deliberately.”
“Did what?”
“You knew I was about to give you the music box, and you deliberately distracted me.”
“Betsy, Betsy, you’re so suspicious.” But the flash of a dimple in his left cheek told the story. “Before you take something off, tell me how many lovers you’ve had.”
“What?”
“We both know that after you strip this time, there’s not going to be much talking going on.” He gentled his tone. “I want to be prepared.”
“Two,” Betsy mumbled. “Just two.”
“When?”
“One my first year in college.” She’d been so lonely then. “The other was back in Kansas City. He was another paralegal in the same firm.”
“It’s been a while.”
Betsy felt her face grow hot. “There’s nothing wrong with that.”
“No,