The Man Tamer. Cindi Myers

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:

      I believe it’s never too early to put my principles into effect. And the easiest time by far to use them is when you’re still in the honeymoon phase of a relationship, when his desire to please you is strongest. So get to work and insure a happy future for both of you.

      The Man Tamer

      GARRET SPENT THE DRIVE to his apartment telling himself to calm down. To slow down. Rachel was a classy lady and he didn’t want to blow it with her before things even got started. They’d have coffee. Just coffee.

      Who was he kidding? His one goal in life right now was to convince her to take her clothes off. She thought she knew a lot about men—he’d show her one who was anything but tame.

      Barking greeted them as he inserted his key in the lock. Rachel’s eyes widened. “What is that?”

      “That’s Barney. Don’t worry about him. He’s a big goof.” He shoved open the door and Barney bounded to greet them, a whirlwind of brown fur and flopping ears and wagging tail. Garret managed to insert himself between Rachel and the dog, saving her from the worst of the drool. “Down, fella!” he shouted. “Sit! Sit!”

      Considering the dog had flunked obedience training, it wasn’t a big surprise that Barney ignored the command. Instead he flopped over onto his back, tongue lolling, tail thwacking the sofa. “That’s a good boy,” Garret enthused. He rubbed the dog’s tummy and Barney’s eyes half closed in bliss.