Always Tried and Proven Read Online Free PDF Page B

then isn't it?"
         Callie gave him a suspicious glare, and snorted.  “Reverend, is there nothing I can say to insult you, to get you to back off?  Please, don’t make me be so rude.  I am not going to play ball with you and Jesus!  I just want to be left alone.  That’s all!  Now, why don’t we just pretend to be polite to one another for Sadie’s sake, and after tonight, we’ll go our separate ways.   It would really be best.”  she bargained, with a grim smile and an even gaze, into his patient eyes.
         Sam tried to hide his smile.  He looked down at his hands, considering, to be sure he was going to say the right thing.  "Callie, I have a confession to make.  I can see that I have to be absolutely honest with you.  Can you take it?"
         She gave him a level, chilly look.  "I can take anything you can dish out, Your Holiness."  She assured him sweetly.
         Sam winced a little, but he didn't look away.  He had her full attention, and he wasn't going to back off.  "I asked Sadie to set this dinner up for a specific reason.  I wanted to talk to you, to get to know you a little bit."
         Callie forced herself to look exceptionally bored.  "May I ask why?"
         He smiled and his eyes became very soft, and sultry.  Callie couldn't doubt the sincerity of his words as a fire flickered to life in his gaze.  He picked up her hand and caressed it with a touch that put a terrified flutter in Callie’s belly.
         “Because you are without a doubt, the most desirable woman I have ever laid eyes on.  There has been absolutely nothing on my mind since the moment we met, except getting close to you."  He put his other arm around her, and drew her close.  "You are so beautiful, that I can't keep from staring.  You fascinate me completely.  I have never in my life felt so drawn to any woman."
         “Callie, I want to kiss you so much, I can hardly keep my hands to myself.  But I'm afraid if I did the slightest thing wrong, you'd slap me senseless and I'd never get another chance.  And that is all that's keeping me on good behavior."
         Callie was frozen with shock.  Never would she have imagined that this would be his answer!  She felt half angry, and half enchanted.  She felt her senses melting as he smiled at her lazily.  But, the fire was still in his eyes.  His gaze fell to her lips and then to the pulse beating in her neck.  He stopped there, and raised his eyes to hers slowly. 
         "Now you can lay all your suspicions about me to rest.  You know exactly what I want.  My interest in you is strictly romantic.  No hard sell religion, no ploy to get you singing in the tent.  It's you that I'm after.  And so, I’m afraid that I just can’t back off and pretend to be polite.  I can’t agree to let you slip through my fingers, as though we had never met.  It’s much too late for that." he assured her with a soft chuckle.  His curving smile was boyish, and his eyes were completely sincere.  They challenged her, and narrowed a bit as she drew herself up and tried to put up a wall between them.      
        Again, he hadn't done anything so terribly inappropriate; yet Callie felt quite undone, invaded and plundered.  Her head was reeling.  Her loins and tummy twisted in sweet anticipation.  The man was insane.  But he was far too sexy, and he knew exactly how to get to her, when to turn on the charm.  He had her panting in his arms, and he'd never even kissed her.
         "What do you want from me?" she snapped, feeling frustrated that her voice sounded breathless and weak.
         He laughed in her ear.  It was low, and sexy, and not at all nice.  "I want everything from you, Callie.  I've told you the truth, now.  Let’s start with this:  I want to see you again.  Alone .”     
         She felt his breath against her neck, and feebly tried without success to wiggle out of his arms.  "Mr.