“Prissy!” She was beginning to get annoyed. “I don’t have a prissy bone in my body.”

“You bought white underwear.”

“Only because I wanted to irritate you. If you hadn’t been there, I would have chosen something more exotic.”

“Like what?”

“Like none of your business.”

“No, I’m serious. This is an important question. The kind of underwear a woman buys reflects her character.”

“I can’t wait to hear this.”

“That’s why the idea of you wearing white panties bothers me.”

“I seem to be having trouble keeping up.”

“Isn’t it obvious? That’s the favorite underwear of female serial killers.”

“Ah.” She nodded wisely. “You know this for a fact?”

“I read it somewhere. Women who wear that type of underwear are the same women who put signs in the windows of their houses advertising rooms for rent. The next thing you know, the neighbors start complaining about a bad smell coming from under the back porch.”

“A girl’s gotta make a living.”

He laughed.

Bantering about underwear wasn’t her strong point, and she knew she should change the subject, but that little trollop Nell Kelly wouldn’t let go. “I don’t think this has anything to do with serial killers. I think you have a black underwear fetish.”

“I like red, too. Although just about any color’d look good on you.”

“You think so?”

“Yeah, I do.” He smiled and let those gray eyes slide over her like molten metal. “So what are we going to do about this kissing problem?”

Cornelia Case didn’t have a silly bone in her body, but Nell had lower standards, and she was enjoying their conversation. “Resign ourselves, I guess, that some things aren’t meant to be.”

“Or . . . and here’s an idea . . . we could work on it.”

Her skin tingled. “And how would we do that?”

“Wait until the little buggers fall asleep and practice.”

“Ahh. That would be one way, I suppose.”

“Come to think about it, the hotel last night was a lot more comfortable than sleeping in this thing. I think I’ll find another hotel just like it for us to stay in tonight.”

Cornelia chose that moment to raise her cautious head. “And I think you’re moving too fast. We only met two days ago.”

“And we’ll be separating in another few days. That makes it even more important that we don’t waste time.”

“Just get right to it, is that it?”

“Sure. Haven’t you ever fantasized about having sex with a stranger?”

A strong, gorgeous stranger who would sweep her off her feet, without knowing who she was, make delirious love to her, and then disappear in the morning. “Absolutely not.”

“Liar.” His grin was cocky and supremely confident.

“Would you be quiet so I can enjoy the scenery?”