with your grandfather?”
He gave an expressive shrug. “Yes. My mother wanted me to know him.”
“It’s her father, then?”
“Yes.” He looked at her. “Give me one of my cigarettes from the pocket there, will you?”
“Terrible habit,” she said, but reached into the pocket for the weeds, anyway.
“Does it offend you?”
Lila shifted so that she half faced him. “You make me think of Humphrey Bogart when you smoke.”
His black eyes shone in the darkness. “Humphrey Bogart?” He lit the cigarette. “Does that mean you think I’m romantic or dangerous?”
“Maybe it isn’t either one,” she said airily. “Maybe I think you’re old-fashioned.”
This brought a faint smile to his features. “I don’t think so.”
Lila felt a ripple of excitement dance in her chest as his gaze tangled with hers. It seemed a long, even endless, moment. His cigarette sent a curl of blue smoke into the calm night air. He was not a particularly young man anymore, she realized. He was surely forty, but it didn’t seem to matter to Lila, not when his fathomless eyes spoke to her as they were now. Not when he had more grace and intelligence than any man she’d ever met. Just standing next to him, looking into his eyes, made her feel breathless and languorously aroused.
With one hand he reached out to brush an errant strand of hair away from her face. “I think I agree with my grandfather,” he said softly. Then, with the abrupt turn of attitude she was learning was a part of him, he shifted away from her, turning his face to the view before them, lifting his cigarette to his lips.
“I suppose,” she said, straightening, “I should go back to the guests.” She removed his coat and handed it back. “Thank you.”
Samuel couldn’t resist one more long sip of her innocent green eyes, eyes that promised things he’d forgotten to even dream of. He took his coat. “You’re welcome,” he replied.
He didn’t allow himself to watch her departure, focusing instead on the starry sky overhead and the faint scent of her perfume left on his jacket.
When his cigarette burned his thumb, he flung it away angrily. A woman, he thought as he blew the air from his lungs. A woman. Now, of all times, when he felt the circle closing around him and had nothing to offer but danger and trouble for as far into the future as he cared to look.
For the first time, he wondered about compromises, and realized that was a vague dream. Hassid proved that.
Lila would have to remain a wish.
Chapter 4
B ut it seemed fate and Samuel had different plans for Lila.
After the guests had departed and the buffet had been packed away for transport, he told her to go home, promising to look after the final cleanup himself. It disturbed him that she seemed to be limping a bit from her high heels. Around her mouth was a fine white line of fatigue. He wondered what sort of problems she had with her back and why she felt compelled to hide them. He shrugged mentally and insisted she go home, where she would also be out of his sight.
A few minutes later she reappeared at the head of the stairs, her fingers smeared with grease. “I need to call a tow truck,” she announced. “I don’t remember seeing a phone.”
“What’s the trouble?” Samuel asked.
“I can’t tell in the dark, but it seems my starter has gone out.” She flashed a wry little smile. “One of the risks you run with a used car.”
The host of the reception came forward. “You may leave it until morning if that would be easier.”
She hesitated only an instant. The towing charge would amount to a small fortune. If she waited until morning, she could call Allen to bring her back to fix the starter. “If you’re sure it’s not a problem, I’d appreciate it.”
“No trouble at all.”
“In that case,” she said with a smile, “I need only a cab.”
“Nonsense,” Samuel said. “I can take you now if you like.”
“That’s not necessary. You’ve gone out of
He gave an expressive shrug. “Yes. My mother wanted me to know him.”
“It’s her father, then?”
“Yes.” He looked at her. “Give me one of my cigarettes from the pocket there, will you?”
“Terrible habit,” she said, but reached into the pocket for the weeds, anyway.
“Does it offend you?”
Lila shifted so that she half faced him. “You make me think of Humphrey Bogart when you smoke.”
His black eyes shone in the darkness. “Humphrey Bogart?” He lit the cigarette. “Does that mean you think I’m romantic or dangerous?”
“Maybe it isn’t either one,” she said airily. “Maybe I think you’re old-fashioned.”
This brought a faint smile to his features. “I don’t think so.”
Lila felt a ripple of excitement dance in her chest as his gaze tangled with hers. It seemed a long, even endless, moment. His cigarette sent a curl of blue smoke into the calm night air. He was not a particularly young man anymore, she realized. He was surely forty, but it didn’t seem to matter to Lila, not when his fathomless eyes spoke to her as they were now. Not when he had more grace and intelligence than any man she’d ever met. Just standing next to him, looking into his eyes, made her feel breathless and languorously aroused.
With one hand he reached out to brush an errant strand of hair away from her face. “I think I agree with my grandfather,” he said softly. Then, with the abrupt turn of attitude she was learning was a part of him, he shifted away from her, turning his face to the view before them, lifting his cigarette to his lips.
“I suppose,” she said, straightening, “I should go back to the guests.” She removed his coat and handed it back. “Thank you.”
Samuel couldn’t resist one more long sip of her innocent green eyes, eyes that promised things he’d forgotten to even dream of. He took his coat. “You’re welcome,” he replied.
He didn’t allow himself to watch her departure, focusing instead on the starry sky overhead and the faint scent of her perfume left on his jacket.
When his cigarette burned his thumb, he flung it away angrily. A woman, he thought as he blew the air from his lungs. A woman. Now, of all times, when he felt the circle closing around him and had nothing to offer but danger and trouble for as far into the future as he cared to look.
For the first time, he wondered about compromises, and realized that was a vague dream. Hassid proved that.
Lila would have to remain a wish.
Chapter 4
B ut it seemed fate and Samuel had different plans for Lila.
After the guests had departed and the buffet had been packed away for transport, he told her to go home, promising to look after the final cleanup himself. It disturbed him that she seemed to be limping a bit from her high heels. Around her mouth was a fine white line of fatigue. He wondered what sort of problems she had with her back and why she felt compelled to hide them. He shrugged mentally and insisted she go home, where she would also be out of his sight.
A few minutes later she reappeared at the head of the stairs, her fingers smeared with grease. “I need to call a tow truck,” she announced. “I don’t remember seeing a phone.”
“What’s the trouble?” Samuel asked.
“I can’t tell in the dark, but it seems my starter has gone out.” She flashed a wry little smile. “One of the risks you run with a used car.”
The host of the reception came forward. “You may leave it until morning if that would be easier.”
She hesitated only an instant. The towing charge would amount to a small fortune. If she waited until morning, she could call Allen to bring her back to fix the starter. “If you’re sure it’s not a problem, I’d appreciate it.”
“No trouble at all.”
“In that case,” she said with a smile, “I need only a cab.”
“Nonsense,” Samuel said. “I can take you now if you like.”
“That’s not necessary. You’ve gone out of
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