appeared with a cart laden with heavenly smelling coffee and several trays of desserts, Daisy reluctantly sat down and tried not to notice the weight and warmth of Alecâs big, hunky body as he brushed up against her.
Breathe, she told herself. Itâll all be over in a few months. And still her skin flushed hotly as the pressure against her thigh increased and her body responded to Alecâs nearness in that traitorous way it had almost since the first day sheâd met him.
âSo, Alec,â Virginia said as she passed a cup of coffee to him. âIâve been meaning to ask you. Howâs your mother?â
Daisy had taken countless messages from Alecâs mother over the years and spoken to her dozens of times. Barbara Mackenzie had a rushed, clipped voice and a way of speaking that always reminded Daisy of someone who was hailing a cab. Yet right at that moment, Daisy realized that she didnât know anything else about Alecâs motherânot even what she looked like. Now that she thought about it, he didnât have any family pictures in his office at all.
Alec hesitated slightly before passing a cup of coffee on to Daisy. âFine,â he said at last. âI believe sheâs in Florence at the moment.â
âOh, no. Last I heard,â Virginia said as she opened a little blue packet and stirred sweetener into her coffee, âshe was back in London appraising some of the royal familyâs jewelry.â
âIs that right?â Alec asked, but not like it was a question. More like he didnât care in the least about his motherâs whereabouts. âSo tell me, Mrs. Baldwinââ
âVirginia,â she interjected.
âVirginia,â Alec said, nodding. âTell me again how you know Barbara.â
Daisy fumbled her tiny silver teaspoon onto her delicate china saucer. Barbara? He called his mother Barbara?
âGoodness, I canât even remember where we first met,â Virginia said with a questioning glance at her husband. âOne function or another. Possibly one of the auctions she organized for Sothebyâs years ago. Before she started her own auction house.â
Everyone had heard of Mackenzie Auctioneers, but until this moment, Daisy hadnât known it belonged to Alecâs family. As Daisy swung her gaze back to Alec, she marveled at all the things she didnât know about this man who could make her go all breathless and fluttery just by sitting down next to her.
âAnd,â Alec said with a forced casualness that Daisy recognized from many tense negotiations with contractors, âis that how you found out about my company?â
âI donât think so,â Virginia said slowly, again looking to her husband for help in recalling a detail.
âI read about your work in a trade publication,â Joseph said, coming to his wifeâs rescue. âAs I remember it wasnât a very flattering piece, but the articleâs pictures told us what we wanted to know.â
Alec felt the tension drain from his body as he thanked Joseph for the compliment. Until tonight he hadnât realized that the Baldwins knew who his mother was, let alone thatthey were all old pals from the damned neighborhood. The fact that theyâd never mentioned it seemed strange, but the idea that he might owe this job not only to Daisy but to the mother heâd managed to completely avoid for the past few years was too sickening to contemplate.
A warm ocean breeze fluttered across the terrace, bringing with it what Alec was beginning to realize was the scent of Daisy Kincaid. Sweet like sugar, spicy like cinnamon, enticing like fresh-baked cookies, it brought a slow smile to his lipsâwhich was strange since he really didnât feel like smiling at all.
That afternoon in the hotel room, heâd only meant to tease her when heâd asked whether any of her old boyfriends had told her she snored. But when her
Wendy Vella
Devan Sagliani
Simone Elkeles
Selene Chardou
Tillie Cole
Jim Lehrer
Jennifer Mathieu
Kelly Favor
Julie Kramer
Natasha Mac a'Bháird