Wanting It All: A Naked Men Novel Read Online Free Page B

away.”
    “No way.”
    As Annabeth snatched it to examine the workmanship closely, Knox echoed her words in his head. The only thing he knew about jewelry was that women preferred the expensive variety. But he never would’ve guessed the bauble was homemade. Or that the beautiful ultra-tourist was so talented. Not to mention apparently generous to a fault. He revised the plan for just drinks to add in dinner, too. He needed to discover all the other facets to the fascinating Madison.
    “It’s truly not that hard. Just some sapphire shell beads on a leather cord with a silver floral button. I can whip one of these out in less time than it takes to make a cranberry apple pie.”
    Knox leaned across the table to cover her mouth with his palm. “Stop. You have to stop. I can’t take another amazing revelation. The fact that you bake is almost enough to make my pants spontaneously combust with excitement.”
    Madison turned to Annabeth conspiratorially. “See? Other guys would’ve just said cookies turn them on. This one turned it into more words than some marriage proposals.” She whipped her head back to Knox. “You’re kind of adorable.”
    “In that case, we’ll take a bottle of the Veuve Clicquot, La Grande Dame.” Knox checked his watch, guessed when she would’ve eaten lunch, if at all, and decided to add some snacks. A passed-out date was no fun at all. “And a charcuterie and cheese board.”
    “Back in a jiff. Welcome to D.C., Madison.” Just as Annabeth started to walk away, Madison slid the bracelet into her apron pocket. Annabeth didn’t notice the covert move, but Knox sure did.
    “Why’d you give her that?”
    A slow smile curved the corners of her wide lips. “Why not?”
    He held up one hand to tick the obvious points off on his fingers. “You don’t know her at all. You incurred costs purchasing the inventory. The labor took time, not to mention the mental labor coming up with the design.”
    Mimicking him, Madison held up her own hand. “She thought it was pretty. It made her happy. I got to be happy making it. She’ll enjoy wearing it, and I can make another.”
    “But you just lost money.”
    “No, I gained happiness. Funny how much better that makes me feel than twenty dollars in my pocket.”
    “You’re not just from out of town. You’re from a whole different time and culture. One where entire towns come together to raise a barn.” Knox rested his forearms on the table. “Tell me the truth. Did you fly here, or use a time machine?”
    The smile in her eyes dimmed. “People aren’t nice in D.C.?”
    Might as well rip that bandage off, fast and clean. “No. Not as a rule. Everybody wants something. Politics, money, influence—that’s what turns the wheels of this town.”
    “Which one are you?”
    Knox liked talking. He didn’t, however, particularly enjoy talking about himself. That’s what came of having the media dog his steps for too many years. Plus, while his money usually impressed women straight into a striptease, he had a feeling it wouldn’t have anywhere close to that effect on Madison.
    For now, he’d downplay everything. “Me? I’m a computer geek. No two ways about it. Not very interesting, either, to anyone outside the field. Or so my friends constantly tell me.”
    “You’d be surprised at what I find interesting. Let’s go back to the beginning, because you’re one piece of info up on me. Where did you go to college?”
    He could downplay, but he damn well wouldn’t lie. Knox was too proud of his full ride to one of the best universities in the country. “MIT. Your turn. Grad school?”
    “University of Alberta. You?”
    “Also MIT. I did a program that got me a master’s and bachelor’s simultaneously, in just five years.” Knox shrugged away the grueling course load and insane hours. “It kept me out of the bars.”
    “In what?” She rooted around in that big bag of hers before coming up with a notebook and a pen.
    “Computational