“I have four brothers and two sisters and two brothers-in-law and two sisters-in-law. And nine nieces and nephews.”

“So, I’ll be meeting twenty-one people today, in a shabby dress and obscene underwear?”

Ian took her hand. “I’m the one who should be worried. I made a deal with my brothers that I’d stay away from women for three months. The day after I made the deal, I met you. So much for celibacy.”

“Why would you make such a ridiculous deal?” she asked.

“It was like a dare,” he said. “And with my brothers, you can’t turn down a dare. And there was money involved. The guy who stayed celibate longest got two thousand dollars. And if anyone enjoyed the pleasures of the flesh before the three months were up, they had to pay an extra thousand.”

“So you owe two thousand because of me?”

Ian nodded. “But you were worth every penny.”

“You didn’t even try to resist,” she said.

“I know. From the minute I saw you driving that sweet little sports car, I was a goner.” Ian grabbed her hand and pulled her down on the bed, pinning her hands above her head. He kissed her softly, running his tongue along her lower lip. “And my family will be goners the minute they meet you.”

“Promise?” she asked.

“You are the most important person in my life, Marisol, and it doesn’t matter how they feel about you. It won’t change my feelings.”

“They could hate me,” she said.

“I think they’ll love you. Now, where is the pretty blue dress you wore the day I met you? Wear that-with underwear, of course.”

Marisol reluctantly crawled off the bed and rummaged through her top dresser drawer, frantically searching for her most conservative lingerie. From the bottom of the drawer, she pulled a pair of white cotton bikinis and held them up to Ian. “All right,” she murmured. “I can go.”

A few minutes later she was dressed and she stood in front of the mirror and rearranged her hair for the last time. Ian walked up behind her and put his hands on her shoulders, then kissed her neck.

“How do I look?”

“You look exactly like the girl I fell in love with.” Ian smiled. “Perfect.”

Marisol watched him in the reflection of the mirror, this handsome man who had walked into her world and captured her heart. Someday, maybe she’d be able to understand exactly how two people so determined not to fall in love had done just that. For now, it was enough that they’d found each other. And that they’d love each other forever.

Kate Hoffmann


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