“You’re practically begging for it, aren’t you?” he murmured.“No.”His chuckle rasped over her senses. “I like begging, Reagan.”“I’m not going to beg.”He was silent for a moment, his fingers still playing, and she wondered if she’d said the wrong thing. Then he said softly, “Damn.”

“I don't know what will happen with us," he said softly. "I can't predict the future. If things don't work out between us, yeah, there's a chance you'll hate my guts. To me, losing you as a friend is a pretty big risk. Do you think I'd take that big a risk for a few nights of sex?" He shook his head. "I was having freakin' nightmares about you with those other guys. What you were doing." He buried his face in her hair. "Kerri, I don't want you to see other guys. Just me.”

“Looks like you’re naked.”His jaw worked as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing. “I beg your pardon?”“Beg all you want, you’re still going to be naked.” Tabitha paused at the wicked image in her mind. “Come to think of it, a gorgeous, begging, naked man… that’s the stuff of fantasies. Begging won’t get you your clothes, but it could get you something else.” She wiggled her eyebrows at him.”

“Give me,” she said.“Don’t you mean please give me?”“You want me to beg?”That smile spread slightly. “Nah. I just heard you beg plenty.”“I did not beg.” But she had. She so had. Still grinning, still naked, he pulled her against him and pressed his mouth to her shoulder. “My panties, Mark.”

“As though sensing her heightening alarm, Pinfeathers halted his advance."I can’t help it that I’m susceptible to you," he whispered. "You know that. It’s just that you’re so...unreal...and so I have to touch you. If only to be certain that I’m not the one who’s dreaming. You see, I hear that sort of thing is going around.”

“Keep your shirt on," she said with a laugh at her bad joke. "Your clothes are at the laundry. They'lldeliver them as soon as they're ready.""And in the meantime?""Looks like you're naked."His jaw worked as if he couldn't believe what he was hearing. "I beg your pardon?""Beg all you want, you're still going to be naked." Tabitha paused at the wicked image in her mind."Come to think of it, a gorgeous, begging, naked man… that's the stuff of fantasies. Begging won't getyou your clothes, but it could get you something else." She wiggled her eyebrows at him.”

“I thought you were the same Drake” she said softly, “some rich guy, who thought he could just have whatever he wanted, but you have been so wonderful” she said as another tear had slipped down her cheek. “I couldn’t have done this without you, and you didn’t want anything in return…just to help me”