hesitated before he finally nodded.
“You’re divorced?”
“No.” He looked away and released her hand.
The muscles in his jaw looked clenched. “You’re a widower?”
“Yes.”
The word resonated with heartache and pain.
She reached across the table to clutch his hand. “I’m so sorry, Jay.” She watched his big chest expand while he inhaled slowly before he brought his gaze back to hers. “I lost her a long time ago.”
“But it still hurts?”
He nodded. “Sometimes I think it will always hurt.”
“What was her name?”
“You probably couldn’t pronounce it. We called her Little Brown Reed.”
“Why can I pronounce your name?”
“Jayvyn isn’t my given name.”
“What is your given name?”
“Minninnewah. It’s Cheyenne. Roughly translated it means whirlwind.” Whirlwind? That pretty much described the effect he was having on her emotions. “Cheyenne? I thought you were Cherokee?”
“Our father was raised by the Cheyenne and my name is Cheyenne but we were a matriarchal society who traced our clans through our mothers. Our mother was Cherokee so we are Cherokee.”
“And your blue eyes?”
He sighed. “The Cheyenne found our father when he was just a baby. They didn’t know who his parents were, but I think it’s safe to assume somewhere along the line, he had some Caucasian blood.”
“Did he look it?”
He shrugged. “He had these accursed blue eyes as well, but otherwise he looked like a Native American.”
“Looked?”
He nodded. “Both my parents are long dead.”
Even though her parents now lived in Florida, Cayenne visited them twice a year and spoke to them on the phone several times a month. Her heart welled with sympathy. “Oh, Jay, I’m sorry.”
“Thanks, sweet. I appreciate your kindness, but I’d rather not spend our time together discussing the past.”
“What would you like to talk about?”
“You.”
“Dull subject, but okay. What do you want to know?”
“Why you’re content to chase a man who doesn’t deserve you?”
She lowered her lids. “I love him.”
He lifted her hand to his mouth and nibbled at her fingers. “And does he love you?” Her cheeks burned. “You’ve been talking to Rayna?”
“I didn’t need to talk to her. I saw how he behaved at the club with other women when he knew you were there.”
She pulled her hand away from his. “We’re divorced. He can do whatever he likes.”
“So can you.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“But?”
She shrugged. “But there’s no one else I’m interested in dating.”
“Isn’t there, sweet?”
She moistened her lips before she met his gaze. “You’re flattering yourself.” He laughed. “Damn, I like you.”
“Sounds like a personal problem to me.”
His smile vanished and he reached across the table to recapture her hand. “Don’t waste either of our times trying to convince me you’re indifferent to me. We both know better.” She shook her head. “You know I want him back. That doesn’t leave any room for the way you’re behaving and talking.”
“This is what it is, sweet.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I always get the woman of my choice.”
There was no point in pretending his words didn’t delight and flatter her. She moistened her lips. “What about your women? I have no desire to be just another of your conquests.” He lifted her fingers to his mouth. “I’m sure my matchmaking niece has already told you that I’m not married, engaged, or otherwise committed.” He smiled. “I’m yours to command, sweet.” She stared at him, her stomach twisting into knots. “Oh, Jay.”
“Be careful how you handle me.”
The idea of handling him excited her. To cover it, she shrugged. “Or?”
“Or you might find it difficult to tell me no.”
Assuming she wanted to tell him no. She experienced a thrill at the thought. “You’re supposed to be helping me win him back.”
win him back.”
“I’ll do that—when hell freezes the
“You’re divorced?”
“No.” He looked away and released her hand.
The muscles in his jaw looked clenched. “You’re a widower?”
“Yes.”
The word resonated with heartache and pain.
She reached across the table to clutch his hand. “I’m so sorry, Jay.” She watched his big chest expand while he inhaled slowly before he brought his gaze back to hers. “I lost her a long time ago.”
“But it still hurts?”
He nodded. “Sometimes I think it will always hurt.”
“What was her name?”
“You probably couldn’t pronounce it. We called her Little Brown Reed.”
“Why can I pronounce your name?”
“Jayvyn isn’t my given name.”
“What is your given name?”
“Minninnewah. It’s Cheyenne. Roughly translated it means whirlwind.” Whirlwind? That pretty much described the effect he was having on her emotions. “Cheyenne? I thought you were Cherokee?”
“Our father was raised by the Cheyenne and my name is Cheyenne but we were a matriarchal society who traced our clans through our mothers. Our mother was Cherokee so we are Cherokee.”
“And your blue eyes?”
He sighed. “The Cheyenne found our father when he was just a baby. They didn’t know who his parents were, but I think it’s safe to assume somewhere along the line, he had some Caucasian blood.”
“Did he look it?”
He shrugged. “He had these accursed blue eyes as well, but otherwise he looked like a Native American.”
“Looked?”
He nodded. “Both my parents are long dead.”
Even though her parents now lived in Florida, Cayenne visited them twice a year and spoke to them on the phone several times a month. Her heart welled with sympathy. “Oh, Jay, I’m sorry.”
“Thanks, sweet. I appreciate your kindness, but I’d rather not spend our time together discussing the past.”
“What would you like to talk about?”
“You.”
“Dull subject, but okay. What do you want to know?”
“Why you’re content to chase a man who doesn’t deserve you?”
She lowered her lids. “I love him.”
He lifted her hand to his mouth and nibbled at her fingers. “And does he love you?” Her cheeks burned. “You’ve been talking to Rayna?”
“I didn’t need to talk to her. I saw how he behaved at the club with other women when he knew you were there.”
She pulled her hand away from his. “We’re divorced. He can do whatever he likes.”
“So can you.”
“I’m aware of that.”
“But?”
She shrugged. “But there’s no one else I’m interested in dating.”
“Isn’t there, sweet?”
She moistened her lips before she met his gaze. “You’re flattering yourself.” He laughed. “Damn, I like you.”
“Sounds like a personal problem to me.”
His smile vanished and he reached across the table to recapture her hand. “Don’t waste either of our times trying to convince me you’re indifferent to me. We both know better.” She shook her head. “You know I want him back. That doesn’t leave any room for the way you’re behaving and talking.”
“This is what it is, sweet.”
“Meaning?”
“Meaning I always get the woman of my choice.”
There was no point in pretending his words didn’t delight and flatter her. She moistened her lips. “What about your women? I have no desire to be just another of your conquests.” He lifted her fingers to his mouth. “I’m sure my matchmaking niece has already told you that I’m not married, engaged, or otherwise committed.” He smiled. “I’m yours to command, sweet.” She stared at him, her stomach twisting into knots. “Oh, Jay.”
“Be careful how you handle me.”
The idea of handling him excited her. To cover it, she shrugged. “Or?”
“Or you might find it difficult to tell me no.”
Assuming she wanted to tell him no. She experienced a thrill at the thought. “You’re supposed to be helping me win him back.”
win him back.”
“I’ll do that—when hell freezes the
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