Tall, Dark and Devastating: Harvard's Education

“I announced it with you because I felt it was only polite to give you a proper warning before I grabbed your butt.”

She gazed steadily into his eyes, refusing to acknowledge the embarrassment that was heating her cheeks. “Well, it just so happens that I didn’t need a boost. I’m plenty strong enough to pull myself into that boat on my own.”

“It’s harder than it looks.”

“I didn’t get a chance to find that out, did I?”

She was right. She may indeed have found that she couldn’t pull herself into the boat without a boost, but she hadn’t had that opportunity, and so she was right. Harvard did the only thing he could do.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I shouldn’t have assumed. It’s just that women tend not to have the upper body strength necessary—”

“I do.” She cut him off. “It’s one of the times my size works to my advantage. I can probably do more chin ups than you, because I’m lifting less than you.”

“I’ll grant that you weigh less because you’re smaller, but everything’s smaller. Your arms are smaller.”

“That doesn’t mean I don’t have muscles.” P.J. pushed up the sleeve of her T-shirt and flexed her biceps. “Check this out. Feel this. That’s one solid muscle.”

She actually wanted him to touch her.

“Check it out,” she urged him.

Harvard was so much bigger than she was, he could have encircled her entire upper arm with one hand—flexed biceps and all. But he knew if he did that, she would think he was mocking her. Instead, he touched her lightly, his fingers against the firmness of her muscle, his thumb against the inside of her arm. Her skin was sinfully soft, impossibly smooth. And as he moved his fingers, it was more like a caress than a test of strength.

His mouth went dry, and as he looked up, he knew everything he was thinking was there in his eyes, clear as day, for her to see. He wanted her. No argument, no doubt. If she said the word go, he wouldn’t hesitate even a fraction of a second.

P.J. pulled her arm away as if she’d been burned. “Bad idea, bad idea,” she said as if she were talking to—and scolding—herself. She stood up. “I need to go to bed. You should, too. We both have to be up early in the morning.”

Harvard slouched on the couch, drawing in a deep breath and letting it out in a rush of air. “Maybe that’s a way to relieve some of the tension between us.”

She turned to look at him, her beautiful eyes wary. “What is?”

“You and me,” Harvard said bluntly. “Going to bed together—getting this attraction thing out of our systems.”

P.J. crossed her arms. “Now, how did I know you were going to suggest that?”

“It’s just a thought.”

She looked at him, at the way he was sitting, the way he was trying to hide the fact that he’d gotten himself totally turned on just from touching her that little tiny bit. “Somehow I think it’s more than just a thought.”

“Just say the word and it changes from a good idea to hard reality.” His eyes were impossibly hot as he looked at her. “I’m more than ready.”

P.J. had to clear her throat before she could speak. “It’s not a good idea. It’s a bad idea.”

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.”

“You know it’d be great.”

“No, I don’t,” she told him honestly. “Well, I know it would be better than great.” He looked as if he were ready to sit there all night and try to tease her into getting with him.

But no matter how determined he was, she was more so. “I can’t do this. I can’t be casual about something so important.” Lord, if he only knew the whole truth…. She turned toward her room, and he stood up, ready to follow her.

“I’m not just imagining this,” he asked quietly, his handsome face serious, “am I? I mean, I know you feel this thing between us, too. It’s damn powerful.”

“There’s a definite pull,” she admitted. “But that doesn’t mean we should throw caution to the wind and go to bed together.” She laughed in disbelief, amazed their conversation should have come this far. “You don’t even like me.”

“Not so,” Harvard countered. “You’re the one who doesn’t like me. I would truly like us to be friends.”

She snorted. “Friends who have sex? What a novel idea. I’m sure you’re the first man who’s ever come up with that.”

“You want it platonic? I can keep it platonic for as long as you want.”

“Well, there’s a big word I didn’t think you knew.”

“I graduated with high honors from one of the toughest universities in the country,” he told her. “I know lots of big words.”

P.J. desperately wanted to pace, but she forced herself to stand still, not wanting to betray how nervous this man made her feel.

“Look,” she said finally. “I have a serious problem with the fact that you’ve been treating me as if I’m a child or—a substandard man.” She forced herself to hold his gaze, willed herself not to melt from the magmalike heat that lingered in his eyes. “If you really want to be my friend, then try me,” she said. “Test me. Push me to the edge—see just how far I can go before you set up imaginary boundaries and fence me in.” She laughed, but it wasn’t because it was funny. “Or out.”

Harvard nodded. “I can’t promise miracles. I can only promise I’ll try.”

“That’s all I ask.”

“Good,” Harvard said. He held out his hand for her to shake. “Friends?”

P.J. started to reach for his hand, but quickly pulled away.

“Friends,” she agreed, “who will stay friends a whole lot longer if we keep the touching to an absolute minimum.”

Harvard laughed. “I happen to disagree.”

P.J. smiled. “Yeah, well, old buddy, old pal, that’s not the first time we’ve not seen eye to eye, and I’m willing to bet it’s not going to be the last.”

“Yo, Richards—you awake?”

“I am now.” P.J. closed her eyes and sank onto her bed, telephone pressed against her ear.

“Well, good, because it’s too early to be sleeping.”

She opened one eye, squinting at the clock radio on the bedside table. “Senior Chief, it’s after eleven.”

“Yeah, like I said, it’s too early to crash.” Harvard’s voice sounded insufferably cheerful over the phone. “We don’t have to be on base tomorrow until ten. That means it’s playtime. Are you dressed?”

“No.”

“Well, what are you waiting for? Get shakin’, or they’re gonna start without us. I’m in the lobby, I’ll be right up.”