"So, what do youthink?" Megan said as she stepped into the lounging part of her and Alexi'sdressing room backstage.

Alexi and Harry had goneto get their car and bring it to the backstage entrance, for a quick getaway. Meganhad confided in Bethany that she thought Harry was cute, so excited about ridingin a real, Human-made car.

"I like him. Howdoes his wife feel about him spending the holidays with me and my Dad?"Bethany said.

"No wife." Meganshrugged and slipped into her clogs before sitting down on the other end of thecouch. "Which is a total injustice. Alexi says the girls can't see past hisscience experiments and his research, to the really great guy under the brainy persona."

"What kind of scienceexperiments?" Bethany imagined Harry doing a Nutty Professor routine, his labcoat smeared with stains, maybe scorched in places. It fit. How long since she hadlet herself feel anything but mild social friendship with a man?

Maybe the fact that hedidn't ask for her autograph, didn't ogle her figure, had a lot to do with the attraction.Because yes, she admitted to a strong attraction between them, from the moment thatzap of static electricity sent a lovely, hot shiver down her back.

It was great to realizeshe was a normal woman after all, not a frightened, frigid little teasing twit,as that last studio-arranged date accused her of being.

This was going to be agreat Christmas.

A knock on the door, thenit opened and her heart did a funny little skip when she saw Harry, and the wayhis gaze zeroed in on her all the way across the room.

"Ready?" Hestepped into the room and held out a hand. "This might tingle a little."

"Kind of like a forcefield or tractor beam or something wrapping around a ship?" she offered.

Harry's eyes widened andhis mouth dropped open a little, and that funny feeling in her stomach turned squirmy.Had she turned him off already?

Then he grinned. Thatlovely zing climbed her arm when their hands touched. A buzzing sensation racedacross her bare skin. It tickled and massaged somewhere between her skin and herbones.

"Wow." She flinchedwhen her voice sounded a little off, not quite hollow.