Night Whispers - Leslie Kelly [59]
But that wasn’t going to happen.
MITCH SAT IN THE MIDDLE of his bed after hanging up the phone, shocked at the conversation he’d just had with Marge Logan. Kelsey walked back in the room, her face a little cleaner, her hair combed down. She bit her lip uncertainly and held her hands behind her back. She wore his white blousy pirate shirt, and nothing else. His heart pounded harder in his chest and his mouth went dry. All she needed was a pair of high heels and she’d look like every man’s number one fantasy.
And she was his.
“You know, your mother is one smart woman.”
Kelsey slowly approached the far corner of the bed and gingerly sat down, not saying a word.
“I answered, and the first words out of her mouth were ‘I hit the redial.’”
Kelsey groaned. “What did you say?”
“What do you think I said? I told her the truth. I’ve never lied to your parents and I’m sure as hell not going to start now.”
Mitch watched her eyes widen, thoroughly enjoying the thought that for once she was the one who was speechless. He let her stew for a minute, then asked, “Has everyone known that you’ve been crazy about me for years?”
“What?” she screeched, jerking back so hard that she slid off the silky sheet and fell from the bed with a loud thump.
He jumped up, ran around the bed to see if she was all right, and found her laughing on the hard floor. He started laughing too, as he reached to help her up.
“She said your father and your brothers have been placing bets on how long it would take you to get what you wanted…namely, me.”
Kelsey didn’t know what to say. The oh-so-rigid college professor should have been in the middle of a panic attack. But this Mitch…oh, this was the Mitch of her dreams, the Mitch of last night. His eyes sparkled, and a huge grin creased his lips.
“What exactly did you tell my mother?”
“Exactly? I’m not sure of the exact words. But I let her know that little Kelsey had finally roped herself a man.”
Kelsey grabbed a pillow off the bed and smacked him in the head with it. He held up his hands protectively in front of himself, laughing as he fell back on the bed.
“Well, maybe I was a little more tactful,” he admitted as she advanced on him threateningly with the pillow. He grinned and slid farther back until he’d reached the top end of the bed. “I told her we weren’t sure what was happening between us yet, and she very gracefully told me she’d mind her own business. I didn’t come right out and proclaim we’re lovers.”
Lovers. She liked that word on his lips. And she positively adored that he didn’t mind saying it. The fact that her parents understood helped tremendously. Of course, that would probably only hold true as long as they believed Mitch and Kelsey were going to be married. And Kelsey didn’t imagine Mitch had started thinking that far ahead yet. But Kelsey had. She’d fantasized about it for years. She’d fooled herself into thinking she suffered only from a major attraction for Mitch. But the truth was, she’d been in love with him for a very long time. Now, in the morning, in his bed, still feeling warm and drowsy and slightly tender from their delicious intimacy, she could admit that to herself. But she didn’t think he was quite ready to hear it. She’d give him a little while to get used to the whole situation.
Mitch couldn’t believe how his life had changed in the past twelve hours. Only last night he’d been telling himself that getting involved with Kelsey would betray her family. Now, not only had he experienced the most erotically pleasurable night of his life, but he’d gotten her family’s tentative blessing, as well. Mitch chuckled out loud, still marveling at how perceptive Kelsey’s mother was. She’d come right out and told him she’d wanted them to be together for years, that she and Ralph had decided long ago that Mitch and Kelsey made the perfect couple.
It seemed he was the only one who