The American Earl by Kathryn Jensen Page B

been.
    Observing Abby’s calm expression and cool tan-colored eyes as she took her first bite of the pink beef, he supposed that the simple gesture of cupping his hand in hers had meant less than nothing to her. But the knitting motion of their fingers and the silky touch of her skin had shaken him profoundly. The subtlest shift of her fingertips against his flesh had sent electrical shocks pinging through his wrist, up his arm. But her composure had been absolute.
    Matt listened with only half an ear to Gremmel’s glowing description of the wide range of confections his company offered. But his glance kept straying to the petite figure seated on his right. Abby was heavily into her beef, putting it away, bite by delicate bite but with great zeal.
    Abby finished before any of them, but kept a lively conversation going until the others were done eating. “And how was your salmon, Frau Gremmel?” she asked politely.
    â€œGanz gut. Danke,” the woman answered.
    â€œHerr Gremmel?” Matt asked, taking Abby’s cue.
    â€œThis has been delightful, Lord Smythe. As my wife has said, most delicious. You must let us entertain you the next time you are in Vienna. You and your charming companion.” He winked good-naturedly at Abby.
    Matt smiled and nodded. Showing Abby around the elegant, old city appealed to him. But Austria alsomade him think of Thomas. His older brother lived most of the year in Elbia, just across the Austrian border. Matt had only briefly met his new bride and the children Thomas had inherited in the bargain. He was curious to see if marriage had changed the dedicated bachelor. It wasn’t long ago that he would have a staked a fortune on none of the Smythe brothers marrying. But in the last year both Thomas and their younger brother, Christopher, had taken brides.
    â€œPerhaps we will take you up on that offer,” Matt said.
    He let Gremmel put the icing on his sales pitch, then asked that samples be shipped to his home office. They parted with handshakes and polite wishes that they would soon be doing business for their mutual profit. Abby warmly added her own hopes for their safe travel home. She treated everyone as if they were family, he realized, amazed at how naturally she pulled off the quick hugs and cheek kisses.
    On the way back to the hotel, Matt sat silently in the back of the limo while Abby chattered nonstop, still excited about all she’d learned at the dinner meeting. He gave her one-word answers when he could and tried to tune her out.
    It wasn’t that her enthusiasm annoyed him. Quite the opposite. He fed off of her euphoria. Her buoyant mood stimulated him in ways he didn’t want to be stimulated at the moment. But he couldn’t help thinking about her small hand resting on the seat between them. Couldn’t help pondering how easy it would be for him to pick up her fingers and pull her across the seat toward him. Then he’d silence her lips with his own.
    He hoped that by the time they took the elevatorup to the penthouse she would run out of steam. But she was still happily analyzing the evening, gleaning all she could from the experience, when they stepped across the marble threshold.
    â€œWill you need me for anything more tonight?” she asked cheerfully.
    The question jolted him. “ Need you?”
    â€œYes. Do you want me to draw up notes about tonight’s meeting before I call it a night?”
    He glanced at the clock on the mantel. “It’s after eleven o’clock. I think that can wait until morning.”
    â€œGood.” She yawned, stretching her arms high over her head. The motion thinned out her already slender waist and lifted her breasts provocatively.
    â€œI’m exhausted. That meal really was wonderful, by the way.”
    â€œYes, good…it was quite good,” he muttered, hastily turning away. Why did she unnerve him so?
    A moment later, he spun around, intending to ask her