“You think so?”
“Yes.”
She admittedly enjoyed challenging him. “Many have tried. Few have succeeded.”
“They’ve obviously been going about it in the wrong way.”
“And you’d correct that how?”
“By spending a few quiet moments kissing you until that mouth is soft and kiss-swollen. Maybe bite that bottom lip gently enough for you to moan for more.”
Raven swallowed with a suddenly dry throat.
“Has anyone tried that?”
She cleared her throat so she could respond. “No.” The sensual moment spread through her blood like warmed cognac. Shaken, she forced her attention back to the sink. “Let’s finish up these dishes.”
“Sure.”
His amused, knowing tone and gaze made her want to sock him in his handsome nose. Fuming silently and still tingling, she noted that this was the second time he’d left her at sixes and sevens. If it happened again, she’d be calling his bluff.
After the last dish was put away and the dishpans emptied, Brax went to the room he’d shared with his father for his shoulder harness and pistol, and the money needed to pay for his purchases. With the harness concealed beneath his suit coat, he left to join Raven at the wagon. On his way, he heard Dorrie call his name. Stopping, he smiled as she ran to his side.
“Good morning, Dorrie.”
“Good morning, Mr. Brax. Will the knives cut my feet?”
“Knives?”
“Yes. You and I will be wearing knives to walk on a mirror.”
Thinking this was the oddest little girl he’d probably ever meet, he studied her for a moment and tried to make sense of what she might be alluding to. “I’m not sure what you’re talking about, Dorrie. Can you tell me more?”
“It was really cold and I had on a lot of coats and I had knives on my feet. Will they cut me?”
“Were you bleeding?”
“No.” There was such sincere concern on her small face, he felt compelled to figure this out for her. He mulled over the clues again.Knives. Mirror. Cold.
Then the answer came to him or at least he thought it might be an answer. “It sounds to me like we were ice skating, Dorrie.”
She cocked her little head.
“Have you ever seen a pair of ice skates?”
“No.”
“The things you called knives are the blades that you stand on that allow you to glide across ice. The blades are attached to a boot. The mirror is probably ice. Have you ever seen ice?”
She shook her head.
“Ice forms when it gets so cold water freezes. Where I live, ice skating is one of the things we enjoy doing during the winter months.”
“Will you teach me to ice skate when I live with you?”
He blinked and stood speechless for a moment. Having no idea what she meant by living with him, he decided there was little harm in playing along. “Of course.”
She smiled. “Thank you.” And she ran off.