sort of cryptic warning?” Brenna dared.
“Perhaps.”
“A cryptic warning,” she repeated wisely. “Then I shall have to be very careful, won’t I?”
His shoulder lifted easily in a movement that suggested the matter was out of his hands. “Perhaps. Then again, if it’s all a twist of fate, nothing you do will have much effect.”
“You forget that I don’t believe in fate.”
“In which case you’re stuck having to take full responsibility for your own actions, aren’t you?” he taunted huskily, inclining his head to drop the smallest of suggestive little kisses on the curve of her throat.
“I,” she announced bravely, aware of a pleasant warmth creeping through her veins, “am a great believer in personal responsibility.”
“So am I,” he returned. “Because even when fate and luck are involved, there are always choices to be made. The choice tonight will be yours, lady. Think twice before you select the riskier option, because I will hold you to it.”
“Another cryptic warning?” she teased.
“I suppose,” he sighed and pulled her closer.
They danced several more numbers and Brenna found herself surrendering to the natural grace of his body. She had the feeling that she wasn’t nearly as coordinated, even though no one had ever thought her ungraceful. But he made it easy to slide into the pattern of his rhythm, and once into it, she didn’t want to back out.
“It’s nearly two,” Ryder said at last as they walked off the floor and back to their small table.
“Really?” Brenna stifled a delicate little yawn. “Time for me to be crawling through somebody’s window, hmmm?”
“Not unless it’s mine. Are you ready to go home?”
“Yes.” She took another look at the still-lively casino gambling floor. “Don’t these places ever close?”
“No. Come, lady. Let’s go home to bed.”
She looked up at that as he got to his feet beside her, searching his voice and expression for innuendos and double meanings. But Ryder merely smiled back, taking her arm and leading her through the casino and out into the parking lot.
Safely inside the cockpit of the red Ferrari, Brenna leaned her head back against the leather seat and watched the passing scenery of night-darkened pines and lake with a pleasant, floating feeling. Ryder didn’t speak as he drove, but she was aware of a sense of closeness that didn’t seem to need words. A man apart. Different, complex, intriguing. But there was a vulnerability in him, she thought fleetingly. A vulnerability he tried to mask with self-confidence and self-reliance. She had seen it briefly this evening after the truth about his past had emerged.
“Did you want me to know, Ryder?” she whispered suddenly.
“Know what?”
“About the way you used to make your living.”
He hesitated. “I’m not sure. I told myself it would be better if you didn’t find out, but then I found myself taking you to meet the Gardners. A part of me must have guessed the truth would come out there. I guess I must have wanted it out in the open before things went very far between us.”
“A question of honor?” she chided gently.
“In a way,” he replied evenly.
“Admirable.” She nodded, smiling. “But you needn’t have worried.”
“Because you’re not going to hold it against me?” He slid her an enigmatic glance.
“No, because things aren’t going to go so far between us that it will matter,” she retorted lightly, knowing that her response was a kind of challenge.
But it was a challenge he evidently didn’t intend to pick up. Ryder said nothing, concentrating on his driving.
He still said nothing as he parked the Ferrari and walked her to her front porch. Then he turned to her and spoke with gentle urgency.
“Invite me in, lady. For a nightcap.”
She met his eyes, aware of her own quickening pulse and the sensuous silver of his gaze. “I…I don’t have any brandy.”
“Tea will be fine.”
For a moment the force of his
“Perhaps.”
“A cryptic warning,” she repeated wisely. “Then I shall have to be very careful, won’t I?”
His shoulder lifted easily in a movement that suggested the matter was out of his hands. “Perhaps. Then again, if it’s all a twist of fate, nothing you do will have much effect.”
“You forget that I don’t believe in fate.”
“In which case you’re stuck having to take full responsibility for your own actions, aren’t you?” he taunted huskily, inclining his head to drop the smallest of suggestive little kisses on the curve of her throat.
“I,” she announced bravely, aware of a pleasant warmth creeping through her veins, “am a great believer in personal responsibility.”
“So am I,” he returned. “Because even when fate and luck are involved, there are always choices to be made. The choice tonight will be yours, lady. Think twice before you select the riskier option, because I will hold you to it.”
“Another cryptic warning?” she teased.
“I suppose,” he sighed and pulled her closer.
They danced several more numbers and Brenna found herself surrendering to the natural grace of his body. She had the feeling that she wasn’t nearly as coordinated, even though no one had ever thought her ungraceful. But he made it easy to slide into the pattern of his rhythm, and once into it, she didn’t want to back out.
“It’s nearly two,” Ryder said at last as they walked off the floor and back to their small table.
“Really?” Brenna stifled a delicate little yawn. “Time for me to be crawling through somebody’s window, hmmm?”
“Not unless it’s mine. Are you ready to go home?”
“Yes.” She took another look at the still-lively casino gambling floor. “Don’t these places ever close?”
“No. Come, lady. Let’s go home to bed.”
She looked up at that as he got to his feet beside her, searching his voice and expression for innuendos and double meanings. But Ryder merely smiled back, taking her arm and leading her through the casino and out into the parking lot.
Safely inside the cockpit of the red Ferrari, Brenna leaned her head back against the leather seat and watched the passing scenery of night-darkened pines and lake with a pleasant, floating feeling. Ryder didn’t speak as he drove, but she was aware of a sense of closeness that didn’t seem to need words. A man apart. Different, complex, intriguing. But there was a vulnerability in him, she thought fleetingly. A vulnerability he tried to mask with self-confidence and self-reliance. She had seen it briefly this evening after the truth about his past had emerged.
“Did you want me to know, Ryder?” she whispered suddenly.
“Know what?”
“About the way you used to make your living.”
He hesitated. “I’m not sure. I told myself it would be better if you didn’t find out, but then I found myself taking you to meet the Gardners. A part of me must have guessed the truth would come out there. I guess I must have wanted it out in the open before things went very far between us.”
“A question of honor?” she chided gently.
“In a way,” he replied evenly.
“Admirable.” She nodded, smiling. “But you needn’t have worried.”
“Because you’re not going to hold it against me?” He slid her an enigmatic glance.
“No, because things aren’t going to go so far between us that it will matter,” she retorted lightly, knowing that her response was a kind of challenge.
But it was a challenge he evidently didn’t intend to pick up. Ryder said nothing, concentrating on his driving.
He still said nothing as he parked the Ferrari and walked her to her front porch. Then he turned to her and spoke with gentle urgency.
“Invite me in, lady. For a nightcap.”
She met his eyes, aware of her own quickening pulse and the sensuous silver of his gaze. “I…I don’t have any brandy.”
“Tea will be fine.”
For a moment the force of his
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