Page 63 of Hot & Heavy

He laughed again. "Well, that's one way to do it. But if you were out in public, it wouldn't be appropriate." He used his spoon in his own bowl to demonstrate. "See?"

She frowned with skepticism.

He shook his head at her cluelessness. Was it an act? Or was she really that ignorant of normal everyday table manners? He got up and went behind her, showing her how to hold the spoon and bring the liquid carefully to her mouth. "No, don't lean over the plate. Bring the food to you."

There were a few dozen SEALs over in Coronado who would get a kick out of the idea of Ian teaching anyone table etiquette.

"Why must you make eating so difficult here?" With that, the stubborn woman lifted the bowl to her mouth and drank it down. Then she polished off two sandwiches and chugged down her Pepsi. She must have been as hungry as he was.

Now he leaned back in his chair and said, "Maddie, we need to have some house rules here." Rules are made to be broken. No, no, no, I did not think that.

"Oh?" Her body tensed. Someone must have done her wrong real bad for her to be so distrustful.

"When I went to my bedroom earlier, you were sleeping in my bed."

"Was I not to sleep there? I did not see any other bed in your keep."

"It's not that." He could feel his face heat up. Dammit, he'd developed a pattern of blushing around her, and he hardly ever blushed. "You and I can't sleep together and then get an annulment, if you know what I mean."

She just looked at him, incredulously. "Do you mean we could not resist each other?"

Well, yeah! He was a little bit insulted by her incredulity. "I don't know about you being tempted by me, but I sure as hell am hot to trot for you."

She smiled. The witch! "Ian, your bed is big enough for twelve people. You stay on your side. I stay on mine. Good Lord, we would probably hear an echo if we spoke to each other in bed."

He had to grin at that. It was a king-size bed.

"And actually I am tempted by you, much as I fight it."

Uh-oh! He stopped grinning. "You have got to stop saying things like that to me."

"Why?"

Because I like it too much. "Discretion is the better part of valor."

She furrowed her brow. "Another of your sayings! Do you not value honesty?"

"Of course I do, but some things are better left unsaid. Why take unnecessary risks?" I sound like a total dweeb.

"Is that all?"

"No, that's not all." He exhaled loudly. "You were naked in my bed."

She put her hands out in a "so what?" fashion.

" People in my land sleep naked. It saves wear on clothing and there is less sweat to be washed out by the house carls. Plus, it is more comfortable. Except when I have my monthly flux; then I wear bedclothes. And betimes when Karl was drukkin and I did not want him to touch me. Do you sleep in your clothing?"

Way more than I needed to know. He felt himself blush again. "I usually sleep naked, but I'll be wearing clothes for damn sure if you're in the same room, let alone the same bed."

She shrugged. "I can do that. Anything else?"

Yeah, there's a lot more. "No, I'm going to bed."

"Me, too."

Oh, boy!

Do men really think they can order women about?