breathtaking,” Delanie said, her silken wrap slipping down her arms as she extracted her hand from his.
He just caught himself from grabbing the shawl. From easing it around her narrow shoulders and stealing a caress.
“Yes, breathtaking,” he said, his gaze on her.
Her face was uplifted to the sun, one hand shielding her eyes, her golden hair fluttering in the warm breeze scented with ripe fruit. Both were slightly sweet. Intoxicating.
His stomach tightened another notch, but fighting it was as useless as trying to ignore it.
Delanie Tate was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. Still stirred something in him that he hadn’t truly understood himself. That he couldn’t control.
Oh, there was attraction. Lust even. But the odd feelings churning deep inside him went beyond that.
She took him to a level he didn’t understand. Didn’t trust.
Hell, he couldn’t trust her to abide by her word. Which is why he had to keep her close. Had to make sure she planned his sister’s wedding right down to the last canapé and curled bit of ribbon, that she saw it through to the end.
She looked at him then, cheeks pink from the sun, lush lips holding a tentative smile.
He sucked in a breath, ignoring the urge to drag her into his arms. Hold her. Kiss her.
“You won’t miss living here, will you?” she asked.
“Not one bit. I look forward to moving into my home.” He motioned to the door. “After you.”
She studied him a moment longer before striding toward the door. He took a breath and followed, keeping his gaze trained on her glorious hair instead of her inviting backside.
“Will you continue to keep in close contact with your sister or are you ready to push her out of your life as well?” she asked.
“Why the concern?” he shot back.
She stopped at the door and faced him. “You’ve made it clear you have never been a family man and yet you’ve lived in a place you dislike for years. Now you’ve gone to the trouble to force me here to plan your sister’s wedding.” Her gaze locked with his. “Why do all that? And don’t spout duty!”
He rubbed the bridge of his nose and heaved a sigh. She couldn’t know how much he wanted to rid himself of this place or why. How reluctant he was to open his heart to Bella—the sister who was a stranger in so many ways.
All his life he’d tried to be a good grandson. A good son. A good man to one good woman—Delanie.
But in the end he hadn’t been good enough for any of them. His aged grandmother had trusted a stranger over him. His mother had let him live a lie and his biological father had shunned him.
And Delanie …
Delanie had betrayed his trust. His love. And yet she still plagued his thoughts over the years.
The one who got away
, he thought with a mocking smile. Only that wasn’t the truth.
Sobering, looking at her now standing before him so proud and vexed, he could only admit the truth. She was the one he’d pushed away. Ruthlessly. Furiously.
Wisest thing he’d ever done or biggest mistake of his life? That question nagged at him at the oddest times, but he’d never been more determined to discern the truth until now.
To do that he needed to spend time alone with Delanie.
“It’s not Bella I wish to distance myself from,” he said atlast, his eyes never leaving hers. “It’s this place. It symbolizes a pattern of life that I fell into naturally, just like the man who sired me.”
She stared at him through narrowed eyes, mouth drawn in a tight bow. “You were following in your father’s footsteps?”
He gave a curt nod, the admission coming hard. “I was certainly headed that direction after the collapse of my business. Cabriotini’s death changed that pattern of life. Changed me.”
“For the better?”
“That depends on who you ask,” he said. “Come. I’m sure you would like to find your room and rest.”
“Actually I’d like to meet your sister first. The sooner I can get started formulating plans
He just caught himself from grabbing the shawl. From easing it around her narrow shoulders and stealing a caress.
“Yes, breathtaking,” he said, his gaze on her.
Her face was uplifted to the sun, one hand shielding her eyes, her golden hair fluttering in the warm breeze scented with ripe fruit. Both were slightly sweet. Intoxicating.
His stomach tightened another notch, but fighting it was as useless as trying to ignore it.
Delanie Tate was still the most beautiful woman he’d ever met. Still stirred something in him that he hadn’t truly understood himself. That he couldn’t control.
Oh, there was attraction. Lust even. But the odd feelings churning deep inside him went beyond that.
She took him to a level he didn’t understand. Didn’t trust.
Hell, he couldn’t trust her to abide by her word. Which is why he had to keep her close. Had to make sure she planned his sister’s wedding right down to the last canapé and curled bit of ribbon, that she saw it through to the end.
She looked at him then, cheeks pink from the sun, lush lips holding a tentative smile.
He sucked in a breath, ignoring the urge to drag her into his arms. Hold her. Kiss her.
“You won’t miss living here, will you?” she asked.
“Not one bit. I look forward to moving into my home.” He motioned to the door. “After you.”
She studied him a moment longer before striding toward the door. He took a breath and followed, keeping his gaze trained on her glorious hair instead of her inviting backside.
“Will you continue to keep in close contact with your sister or are you ready to push her out of your life as well?” she asked.
“Why the concern?” he shot back.
She stopped at the door and faced him. “You’ve made it clear you have never been a family man and yet you’ve lived in a place you dislike for years. Now you’ve gone to the trouble to force me here to plan your sister’s wedding.” Her gaze locked with his. “Why do all that? And don’t spout duty!”
He rubbed the bridge of his nose and heaved a sigh. She couldn’t know how much he wanted to rid himself of this place or why. How reluctant he was to open his heart to Bella—the sister who was a stranger in so many ways.
All his life he’d tried to be a good grandson. A good son. A good man to one good woman—Delanie.
But in the end he hadn’t been good enough for any of them. His aged grandmother had trusted a stranger over him. His mother had let him live a lie and his biological father had shunned him.
And Delanie …
Delanie had betrayed his trust. His love. And yet she still plagued his thoughts over the years.
The one who got away
, he thought with a mocking smile. Only that wasn’t the truth.
Sobering, looking at her now standing before him so proud and vexed, he could only admit the truth. She was the one he’d pushed away. Ruthlessly. Furiously.
Wisest thing he’d ever done or biggest mistake of his life? That question nagged at him at the oddest times, but he’d never been more determined to discern the truth until now.
To do that he needed to spend time alone with Delanie.
“It’s not Bella I wish to distance myself from,” he said atlast, his eyes never leaving hers. “It’s this place. It symbolizes a pattern of life that I fell into naturally, just like the man who sired me.”
She stared at him through narrowed eyes, mouth drawn in a tight bow. “You were following in your father’s footsteps?”
He gave a curt nod, the admission coming hard. “I was certainly headed that direction after the collapse of my business. Cabriotini’s death changed that pattern of life. Changed me.”
“For the better?”
“That depends on who you ask,” he said. “Come. I’m sure you would like to find your room and rest.”
“Actually I’d like to meet your sister first. The sooner I can get started formulating plans
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