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voice was barely a whisper as he closed the space between them. Kit was excruciatingly aware they were standing in the exact spot that they had been when Cole tossed her onto the counter top. Her heart rate accelerated and she felt a flush of heat spread through her body.
    "Kit, I promise I will never force anything. I know I behaved badly before."
    "You aren't the only one w ho behaved badly , " Kit admitted.
    "All you have to tell me is that you aren't attracted to me. Be hones t, Kit, are you?" His voice was so low she could barely hear his words. S he was unable to deny the attraction. Instead , she closed her eyes and swallowed nervously.
    "You haven't answered m e, Kit. Tell me, tell me you aren't feeling what I am and I'll back off." He was now just a breath away. Kit open ed her eyes and looked into his face, his expression intent . Cole leaned closer and whispered a ghost of a kiss across her parted lips. Although he barely made contact, the jolt of excitement that surged through Kit was shattering. His lips were just inc hes from hers when she spoke.
    "I can't have a casual affair. It's not what I'm about , " s he whispered breathlessly.
    Cole licked his own lip s, and then kissed Kit agai n. This tim e, he applied a bit more pressure than the first kiss. His lips were gentle and soft, leaving his taste lingering on her mouth as he pulled away a few inches.
    "Our affair wouldn't be casual , " h e whispered into her mouth. "It would be hot and wild. I want yo u, Kit Landon. I want to see your expression when you come ... just like you were on the dance floor. I want to see that again, but I want to be inside you when it happens. That's what I want." He kissed her again. It was as gentle as his second kiss.
    Breathless, Kit gently pushed Cole away and leaned her forehead helplessly against his.
    "You don't play fair, Cole Taylor."
    "No, I don't. I play to win." His fingers combed through her hair, bringing her face within an inch to his. He was about to claim another kis s, when the sound of footsteps , padding n oisily came down the stairway . They abruptly moved apart.
     

 
     
    Chapter Seven
     
    For the next two weeks , Kit watched Megan without suffering any of Cole's advances. While the girls ate pizza the first night, Kit asked Cole to speak with her alone in the den. In clipped and terse words, Kit made it abundantly clear to Cole that if he made one more advance, he'd be forced to find another babysitter for Megan.
    "If you are using your daughter to get me into your bed, then you find yourself a new babysitter, now." Kit's words enraged Cole. He was deeply offended that anyone would question his concern for his daughter. Whatever desire Cole harbored for Kit's body was effectively doused , o r so it seemed.
    Each evenin g, when Cole picked his daughter up at Kit's, he was rigidly polite and rarely stayed for more than five minutes at a time. By the end of the first wee k, Cole began calling Kit, informing her that he would be five minutes, then ten minutes late picking up his daughter.
    "I'm sorr y, Pumpkin." Cole apologized when he walked through Kit's front door. Glancing at his watch, he knew he was twenty minutes late.
    "It's oka y, Daddy." Megan smiled up at her father as he scooped her up in his arms and planted a kiss on her brow. They were standing alone in the entrance hall.
    "No, it's no t, honey." Cole set Megan down on her feet and looked guiltily at his daughter.
    " Evenin g, Cole , " Kit walked from the kitchen to the entry hall. She wiped her hand on a dishtowel . F lour dusted her brow and she wore her hair pulled back into a high ponytail. Clad in worn denims, a blue sweat shirt and fuzzy red socks , Cole thought she looked adorable .
    "I went ahead and fed Megan , ” s he told him.
    "I'm sorr y, Kit , " Cole looked truly remorseful. His mode of dress seemed to reflect his dark mood. He wore a black long sleeved shirt, tucked into his snugly fitting black denims. Several of the top