The Man Tamer

“Yeah.” He looked around nervously. “Hey, I better get to the locker room. See you around.” He turned and hurried away.

Moira frowned after him. “Not very friendly, is he?”

“Aw, Bud’s a great guy. He’s just shy around women.”

“I don’t know why he would be. He’s cute.” Moira grinned. “Nice legs.”

“I’ll tell him you said so.” Garret turned to Rachel. “Let me get cleaned up and I’ll take you two out to celebrate.”

“I can’t. I have to get home,” Moira said. She patted Rachel’s shoulder. “But you stay.”

Rachel wanted to tell Moira she didn’t have to go out of her way to leave the two of them alone. Part of the reason she’d asked her friend here tonight was to slow things down with Garret. Of course, after their conversation on the train, she was questioning why she should even bother. After all, she and Garret were both single adults. If the attraction between them was so strong, why not act on it?

When Garret returned from the locker room he wore a blue sport coat, tan slacks and a white shirt open at the throat. He’d shaved and he smelled of expensive cologne. Rachel nodded approvingly. “You clean up pretty well.”

“I try.” He ushered her out of the arena, one hand at the small of her back.

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“I hear O’Malley’s has good steaks.” He punched his key chain and a black supercab Titan pickup winked its headlights at them. Rachel almost laughed. Of course he drove a truck. This was Texas and real men drove big trucks.

He opened the door for her—give him points for manners—and she slid into the leather seat. When he started the engine, rap music blasted from the stereo. He leaned over and stabbed it off. “Sorry about that,” he said.

“Please tell me you don’t rap along with the radio,” she said.

He grinned. “Only when I’m alone.”

At O’Malley’s they were ushered to a corner table. They ordered drinks and Garret studied her across the table. “Tell me what you thought of the game,” he said.

“It was exciting, but everything happened so fast I still don’t have any idea what was going on. Obviously, the object is to shoot the ball into the opposing team’s net, but I could never keep track of where the ball was. Or how anyone managed to get it past the goalie.”

“That’s the beauty of the game.” He leaned toward her, elbows on the table, and arranged salt and pepper shakers, condiment bottles and glasses onto a “court” defined by their silverware. “Let’s say I get the ball. If I have a lot of defenders on me, I’m going to pass it to a teammate who’s open. If I’m open, I run down the court, cradling the ball in my stick. I’ll either pass it again to an open man or, if I see an opening, I’ll fire it into the net. I may have to shoot low or high to get past the goalie. My teammates try to block so he can’t see it coming.”

“Slow down. What’s cradling the ball?”

“Rocking it back and forth in the pocket of my stick. Like a baby. Think of it like dribbling in basketball. You’re not allowed to just hold the ball.”

She shook her head. “I still don’t see how anyone ever makes a goal.”

“Practice and skill.” He sipped his drink. “I told you, I’m very good with my stick.” He winked, a slow opening and closing of one eye that made her catch her breath and want to fan herself.

I’ll just bet you are, she thought.

The waiter arrived to take their order, then Garret picked up the conversation again. “Now you know all about what I do for a living. Tell me more about your writing. What do you write?”

She hesitated. “I told you I write for a magazine called Belinda. For women.”

“But what do you write? Fashion tips? Investigative reporting? Gossip column?”

She could have found a way to blow him off, or lie, but she really wasn’t “that kind of girl.” She took a long drink of wine, then squared her shoulders and said, “I write a column called ‘The Man Tamer.’I give advice to women on how to deal with their boyfriends or husbands.”

“‘The Man Tamer’?” Garret choked on his drink. “Crikey, that’s rich. You’re serious?”

She nodded. “It’s a very popular column. Probably the most popular feature in the magazine.”

He wiped his mouth on a napkin and sat back, studying her. “And what qualifies you to know how to tame a man?”

“I have a degree in behavioral psychology from Southern Methodist University.”

“But have you had a lot of experience with men?”

The seriousness of his voice and the intensity of his gaze implied much more than the simple words of his question. “If you’re asking, am I a slut, the answer is no.” She raised her chin. “I’m pretty particular about who I date.”

“You must not be too picky, since you agreed to go out with me.”

“Maybe the Man Tamer thinks the Wild Man would be an interesting challenge,” she said.

Did she imagine the spark of interest in his eyes? He said nothing as their meals were set in front of them. He attacked his steak with gusto. Watching a man devour food was not normally high on Rachel’s list of preferred activities, but she had to admit, there was something about the passion with which Garret ate that did funny things to her insides.

The atmosphere of the entire meal was charged, her senses heightened. The food tasted better, the wine was sweeter and she was keenly aware of the man across from her—the scent of his aftershave, the warmth of his leg when it brushed hers, the heat of his gaze on her.

He paid the check and, in silence, they walked to his truck. He stopped before opening the passenger door and turned her to face him. “There’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while now,” he said. Then he kissed her.

There was nothing tentative or hesitant about this kiss. His lips covered hers, staking a claim, sending a rush of feeling through her. Garret kissed the same way he played lacrosse or ate a steak—with his whole focus and great skill. His tongue teased her, sending molten currents through every limb. One hand caressed her shoulder, gently kneading, while the other hand braced against the trunk. She was caught between the cool metal and the hard heat of his body yet she could think of no place she would rather be at the moment.

She was breathless and light-headed—and very aroused—when he finally broke away. The devilish light in his eyes made her legs even more wobbly. “I should warn you,” he said. “Winning makes me horny.”

She managed a shaky laugh. “I have a feeling breathing makes you horny,” she said.

“Only around you.” He inhaled deeply. “I like your perfume.”

“I’m not wearing perfume.”

“Even better.” He opened the door and touched her elbow. “Want to come back to my place? Just for coffee.”

That hadn’t been a just for coffee kiss but she let it slide. Better to go with the flow tonight. “I’d love that.” Even if they really only had coffee, she wanted to see his place. You could tell a lot about a man from his apartment.

4

Is Man Taming Right for You?

Dear Man Tamer:

I’ve been reading your column for a while now and really love it. After a lot of years of dating, I’ve finally found the man I think is The One! He has a few rough edges that I don’t really mind, but I’m wondering if after we’re married these few bad habits will really annoy me. Should I employ your man-taming principles now to head off trouble later?

Hoping for Happily-ever-after

Dear Hoping: