Look how good he is at that, Nana, Regan said. So smooth. No one does that anymore. She snatched her hand away. No one.
Regan! Dont be rude. Ceci held out her own hand and Jamie dutifully kissed it.
Im not being rude. Is it rude to ask Mr. Quinn what his true intentions are here? He seems to have waltzed in and taken over a spot at the table, wearing my grandfathers dinner jacket. And you seem...bewitched!
Jamie cleared his throat, more as a warning than an intention to talk. Regan glanced over at her grandmother and noticed the two bright spots of embarrassment on her cheeks. Im sorry. I didnt mean that.
Of course you did, darling. I cant blame you. And I wont lie. I have been lonely, and its been nice for an attractive man to wander into my life and provide a bit of excitement.
Nana, you dont have to
Having Mr. Quinn here has been a refreshing change of pace. But he is my guest and I will decide if and when he leaves. She clapped her hands together and forced a smile. Now that weve cleared that up, I do believe dinner is ready.
* * *
DINNER WAS A lively affair, reminding Regan of the time before her grandfather had died. She hadnt seen her grandmother smile so much in years, and it made Regan happy that sparkling conversation with a handsome man was all it took to bring the light back into Cecis eyes.
Of course, Jamie did his part, with clever compliments, silly stories and endless charm. And it wasnt just her grandmother who suffered the effects. He turned his considerable charm in Regans direction, as well.
But she could sense that his intentions werent so innocent with her. He seemed to take delight in irritating her, and she seemed to be unable to control her temper around him. They were waging a silent battle, jockeying for position, trying to read the others next move. And though hed provided a reasonable character reference for himself, she still found herself wary and on edge.
Maybe it was the fact that he could kiss her wrist and her whole body seemed to go weak. Or he could smile at her and her heart felt as if it were about to leap out of her chest. She couldnt seem to control her reactions to him, and though fascinating, it was also dangerous.
If she couldnt control herself, how could she possibly control him? Control was an absolute requirement when it came to her relationships with men. It was the only way to protect herself, the only way to maintain a safe distance.
Regan listened distractedly as he talked about his job and explained the project he was working on and the cottage he planned to build. Habikit. She remembered reading something about his company in a recent issue of the newspaper, but she didnt remember seeing a picture of him. She wouldve remembered that.
By the time dinner was over and dessert had been served, theyd managed to finish off two bottles of expensive red wine. Her grandmother had nursed the same glass throughout the entire evening, so Regan realized that she and Jamie must have drunk the rest.
She didnt feel intoxicated, but she did feel pleasantly relaxed. And though her tongue occasionally got tangled, Regan wrote that off to being in the company of a handsome man.
Would anybody like coffee? Celia asked.
Jamie pushed back from the table and stood up. Why dont you ladies relax and Ill make the coffee and clean up the dishes.
No, no, no, Celia said. Youre my guest and I wont have you doing chores.
Actually, I wouldnt mind helping out around the house, Jamie said. Im sure there are plenty of things that might appreciate a mans touch.
Regan was in the middle of taking a sip of wine when he made his last statement, and she began to cough at his blatant offer of sexual favors.
Are you all right, darling? Celia asked. Regan waved her hand in front of her face, slowly realizing that the meaning she took from his words wasnt what hed intended.
Im sorry. I just drank that a little too fast. Let me help with the coffee.
She and Jamie gathered the dirty plates and silver and headed back to the kitchen.
Jamie stood at the sink and began to rinse the dishes while Regan finished clearing, then she took her place on the other side of him and loaded the dishes into the dishwasher.
I should probably apologize, Jamie said. You probably assumed that offer to help around the house had sexual overtones.
Really? Regan said. No, I didnt notice.
Jamie chuckled. Oh, yes you did. You nearly choked on your wine.
Regan surrendered a smile. All right, maybe I did. But you have to admit, your words could be taken both ways.
You, my dear, have a dirty mind. And the sooner you realize Im a respectable man, the easier it will be for us to get along with each other.
Why would I want to get along with you? Regan asked.
Because Im endlessly fascinating and I tell a good story.
And not because you have an overinflated ego and narcissistic personality disorder?
I think if you gave me a chance, Jamie said, youd like me.
Im sure youve had a lot of women who have liked you, she said, only to get their hearts broken.
He chuckled softly. Yeah, youd think. But thats not the way its worked out. Im the one who usually gets his heart broken.
The coffee was finished and Regan set it on a tray along with a trio of cups and saucers, as well as cream and sugar. The moment her grandmother saw the tray, Celia shook her head. I cant have any coffee now, she said. Ill never fall asleep if I do. She slowly got to her feet. Youll stay here tonight, she said to Jamie. Take the bedroom you got dressed in. She turned to Regan. And youll be nice. Ill see you both in the morning. Good night.
Jamie joined her at the table and they both watched as Celia walked out of the room, leaving the two of them alone together.
Regan reached out and poured herself a cup of coffee. She added a good measure of sugar, then took a long sip. Though it tasted good, coffee did little to counteract the wine shed drunk.
He stared at her from the other side of the table. Regan knew if she looked at him, just simply met his gaze, shed want him to crawl over the table and kiss her. And she wasnt ready for that.
II could use some fresh air, she murmured. Ill just be a moment.
Regan walked through the great room to the tall wall of windows that overlooked the water. She grabbed a red knit shawl from a hook near the door and wrapped it around her head, then walked out into the chilly night air.
A shiver skittered down her spine, but she wasnt sure it was because of the cold or due to being in such close proximity to Jamie. Her footsteps echoed softly on the wood deck and when she reached the railing, Regan spread her hands out on the rough wood and drew a deep breath. The fresh air immediately cleared her head.
Regan heard the door open behind her and she held her breath, counting his steps as he approached. She shivered again, this time her teeth chattering with the cold.
What is this thing youre wearing? he asked, fingering the fabric of the cape. You look like Little Red Riding Hood.
Its vintage, she said.
And that makes it stylish?
Of course, Regan teased. And I like the color. Red is one of my favorites. Her teeth chattered again and she moved away from him. A moment later she felt the warmth of his jacket surrounding her. Hed pulled his jacket open and he stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her chest, her back pressed against his warm body.
Its vintage, she said.
And that makes it stylish?
Of course, Regan teased. And I like the color. Red is one of my favorites. Her teeth chattered again and she moved away from him. A moment later she felt the warmth of his jacket surrounding her. Hed pulled his jacket open and he stood behind her, his arms wrapped around her chest, her back pressed against his warm body.
Better?
It was better. But it was also more frightening. And more exhilarating. And more confusing. And yet it seemed perfectly natural. I should probably get to bed, too, Regan said. Its been a while since Ive had so much wine and I cant afford to fall asleep at work tomorrow.
He slowly turned her around in his arms until she faced him. His lips were dangerously close to hers, so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her cheek.
I know you still dont trust me, but youre attracted to me. Im attracted to you, too. I want to kiss you, he whispered. Why dont we just see where this goes?
I think that might be a mistake, she replied.
Her answer seemed to take him by surprise. Then I guess well leave it for another time, he said. Good night, Regan. With that he turned and walked off the deck.
Regan released a tightly held breath and it clouded in the cold air in front of her face. Her heart slammed in her chest and she realized how close shed come to surrender. He was right; she was attracted to him. She had wanted to kiss him. Shed been thinking about it all night. But in the end common sense won out.
Regan slowly smiled. She was strong enough. She could control her emotions when he touched her. Though he still was dangerous, he wasnt a Superman. He was just an ordinary guy. And if she could call the shots, maybe she could let something happen between them.
Maybe hed ask again tomorrow. Maybe then shed say yes.