Enchanted by Judith Leger Page A

tilted his head and lowered his voice. “I’ve been telling him ever since our childhood what a good fellow I am. He doesn’t believe me.”
    His words brought an unbidden smile to Caitlyn’s lips. “Childhood friends?”
    “Like brothers.” He nodded and winked at Rhys. The gardener’s mouth lifted with a one-sided smile that seemed to contain no humor. Interesting. “Rhys always pulled me into one scrape or another. Of course, he helped me a great amount too. I was happy to assist him with this matter.”
    Filing this bit of information away, she asked “So, you like plants?”
    “You’re not interviewing me, are you?”
    “No. Do you see a tablet? A mic? I’m not here officially.”
    His gaze lingered on her a moment longer. The next second, the devastating white smile that had wowed most breathing females flashed. The area around them lightened. When he spoke, her heartbeat sped up and her breath stopped midway to her lungs. “I love plants. All kinds. I suppose you could say it’s my hobby.”
    “What’s your favorite?” The words came out breathless.
    She hadn’t wanted them to sound that husky, almost sexy. A strange tension came over her muscles. The sudden flare of desire caught her off guard. In danger of becoming one of those mindless women who swooned at the mention of his name, she tried to convince herself his smile didn’t affect her. No, it wouldn’t. Not her.
    “Any kind. Want to know what Rhys’s favorite is?”
    “I don’t believe Ms. Reiley cares to know,” Rhys interrupted. The tightness in his voice took her aback. Shay called them friends but the other man’s behavior pointed to something else.
    “Oh, but I would. What’s your favorite?” Caitlyn asked, relieved to turn her attention from Evers.
    The superstar never gave Rhys a chance to reply. He took her arm to bring her attention back to him. The warmth of his hand through her sleeve’s thin gauze blazed a trail along her nerve endings straight to the base of her belly.
    “It’s the blackthorn tree. Have you ever seen one?” As he spoke, her thighs squeezed tight.
    “No,” she whispered.
    The waves of heat coming from his hand continued to send messages through her body. A rush of warmth pooled between her legs and the muscles at the junction of her thighs trembled. His gaze captured and refused to release hers. She attempted to shake her head but failed. Every part of her body flared with awareness, centered on him. The lyrical words he spoke poured over her, inflaming a need in her. Oh, she needed to breathe.
    Deep and hypnotic, Shay’s voice held her in its grip. “It’s black. The twisted trunk and limbs are covered with thorns, hence the name. It’s one of the few trees that bloom in the spring before the leaves. The fruit, if eaten too early, is bitter and vile.”
    Momentary silence, followed by his gaze cutting to Rhys, made a chill race up Caitlyn’s spine. The tension between the two men grew stronger. Shay looked back at her and continued.
    “Ah, such a wonderful tree to grow and to nurture. The blooms are a stark contrast to the tree. Waxy and white, they cover the branches. The tree can reach up to ten feet in height, though most people only allow them to grow to four or six feet.”
    He paused, and she shifted closer, trapped by the light in his strange and beautiful eyes.
    “There are legends about the tree. One tells how a demon is imprisoned within the tree, sentenced for eternity in its trunk.”
    Caitlyn tried to swallow, to breathe. She grew lightheaded waiting for him to finish the story, but instead, he dropped his hand and grinned. “By the way, I love pansies.”
    The torturous build-up of tension eased from her limbs and left her muscles tingling.
    Rhys cleared his throat. “We leave in an hour. I need to return to my hotel and retrieve my bags.” He shifted his cool attention to Caitlyn. “Ms. Reiley, a true pleasure to meet you. Perhaps I’ll see you once more during your stay