nothing more, nothing less.
She wasn’t smiling. In fact, she looked every bit as wary as he did. That should have reassured him. Perversely, it did not.
He reached up to offer her assistance into the boat. Her hands weren’t soft and pampered. Lean, callused, strong were the words he’d use to describe them. That jolted him like no gentle touch ever could have. He let them go as soon as she’d steadied herself.
Curling his hands deliberately around the wheel, he directed her to a seat. “All set?” The words were more curt than he’d intended, but he let them lie.
Instead of being insulted, she sighed in resignation.
“I’m sorry Alfred rooked you into this,” she said sincerely. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your privacy. I’m sure you have a lot on your mind.”
“You have no idea,” he murmured, but the roar of the engine as he swung away from the dock swallowed his words.
She said nothing until they’d cleared the mangroves and were heading smoothly across the blue waters.
“Your grandfather seems like a delightful man. Very charming.”
“He can be.”
The sudden touch of her hand on his arm surprised him and the boat jerked to the right before he straightened it out. He looked at her for the first time since leaving Mangrove.
“Can we talk for a minute?”
He wanted to gun the engine and race home. The term “hideaway” took on a new meaning. Instead he slowed theengine to an idle and let the boat drift. “I’m trying not to be a jerk here.”
A tiny quirk of a smile teased her lips.
“Okay, so I wasn’t trying that hard. It’s just that things are more complicated than you realize. I don’t want to upset Alfred.”
“You think my visit will upset him?” Then suddenly it dawned on her. “Oh, you mean the investigation. Don’t worry. I figured out that you hadn’t told him about it. I think it’s sweet that you want to spare him the worry. I won’t say anything about how we really met.”
“Thank you, I appreciate that.” Maybe he was being an egotistical ass for worrying that she read more into this than a simple tea. Other than the polite thank you for his books, she’d made no attempt to contact him, either.
“He wanted to talk about my sculptures and before I knew it, we were having tea.”
“Alfred can have that effect on people.” On his good days. Which, Cai had to admit, he’d been having since he’d made this date. Alfred had always been reclusive, but maybe Cai had reinforced that isolation. He’d been protecting Alfred and his reputation, but maybe he’d gone too far. Did Alfred sincerely just want the company, with no hidden matchmaking agenda?
“You showed him the dragon,” she said.
“I had to explain my visit to Mangrove.”
“Oh, I see.”
You don’t see a thing, he thought. Was she disappointed? Had she liked the thought of him talking about her? Was she sitting there thinking the same things he was thinking? Could he get any more confused about all of this?
“Well, as I said, I won’t blow our cover. This sounds like a bad spy novel.” Then she brightened. “Oh, I wanted to thank you for the books.”
“You did. I got your note the other day.”
“Well, I want to thank you again. I read
Quest for the Dark Pearl
, over the weekend. I don’t think I’ve ever been so deeply pulled into a piece of fiction. I lived it, breathed it.”
Her praise disconcerted him. This wasn’t like getting a note from a reader. She wasn’t looking at him like he was some celebrity. She was looking at him like she saw something else there now. And maybe she did. It was unnerving.
And incredibly arousing.
He shifted in his seat. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
She laughed self-consciously. “I guess you’re used to people gushing.”
He wasn’t used to anything when it came from her.
She crossed her legs and he noticed she wore a toe ring. He shifted again.
“I wish I had your way with words, so I could explain how I felt when I
She wasn’t smiling. In fact, she looked every bit as wary as he did. That should have reassured him. Perversely, it did not.
He reached up to offer her assistance into the boat. Her hands weren’t soft and pampered. Lean, callused, strong were the words he’d use to describe them. That jolted him like no gentle touch ever could have. He let them go as soon as she’d steadied herself.
Curling his hands deliberately around the wheel, he directed her to a seat. “All set?” The words were more curt than he’d intended, but he let them lie.
Instead of being insulted, she sighed in resignation.
“I’m sorry Alfred rooked you into this,” she said sincerely. “I didn’t mean to intrude on your privacy. I’m sure you have a lot on your mind.”
“You have no idea,” he murmured, but the roar of the engine as he swung away from the dock swallowed his words.
She said nothing until they’d cleared the mangroves and were heading smoothly across the blue waters.
“Your grandfather seems like a delightful man. Very charming.”
“He can be.”
The sudden touch of her hand on his arm surprised him and the boat jerked to the right before he straightened it out. He looked at her for the first time since leaving Mangrove.
“Can we talk for a minute?”
He wanted to gun the engine and race home. The term “hideaway” took on a new meaning. Instead he slowed theengine to an idle and let the boat drift. “I’m trying not to be a jerk here.”
A tiny quirk of a smile teased her lips.
“Okay, so I wasn’t trying that hard. It’s just that things are more complicated than you realize. I don’t want to upset Alfred.”
“You think my visit will upset him?” Then suddenly it dawned on her. “Oh, you mean the investigation. Don’t worry. I figured out that you hadn’t told him about it. I think it’s sweet that you want to spare him the worry. I won’t say anything about how we really met.”
“Thank you, I appreciate that.” Maybe he was being an egotistical ass for worrying that she read more into this than a simple tea. Other than the polite thank you for his books, she’d made no attempt to contact him, either.
“He wanted to talk about my sculptures and before I knew it, we were having tea.”
“Alfred can have that effect on people.” On his good days. Which, Cai had to admit, he’d been having since he’d made this date. Alfred had always been reclusive, but maybe Cai had reinforced that isolation. He’d been protecting Alfred and his reputation, but maybe he’d gone too far. Did Alfred sincerely just want the company, with no hidden matchmaking agenda?
“You showed him the dragon,” she said.
“I had to explain my visit to Mangrove.”
“Oh, I see.”
You don’t see a thing, he thought. Was she disappointed? Had she liked the thought of him talking about her? Was she sitting there thinking the same things he was thinking? Could he get any more confused about all of this?
“Well, as I said, I won’t blow our cover. This sounds like a bad spy novel.” Then she brightened. “Oh, I wanted to thank you for the books.”
“You did. I got your note the other day.”
“Well, I want to thank you again. I read
Quest for the Dark Pearl
, over the weekend. I don’t think I’ve ever been so deeply pulled into a piece of fiction. I lived it, breathed it.”
Her praise disconcerted him. This wasn’t like getting a note from a reader. She wasn’t looking at him like he was some celebrity. She was looking at him like she saw something else there now. And maybe she did. It was unnerving.
And incredibly arousing.
He shifted in his seat. “I’m glad you enjoyed it.”
She laughed self-consciously. “I guess you’re used to people gushing.”
He wasn’t used to anything when it came from her.
She crossed her legs and he noticed she wore a toe ring. He shifted again.
“I wish I had your way with words, so I could explain how I felt when I
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