entanglements, even though becoming entangled with Leeza would
be pure pleasure. His body stirred at the thought and he chuckled silently to
himself. Considering he’d been so sick just a few hours ago, he’d made a
remarkable recovery. But then he sensed that Leeza was a remarkable woman. He
left the lodge with a smile on his face.
Leeza watched
him through the narrow space between the doors. She didn’t care what the
kitchen staff thought, she was compelled to see what he did after she left.
There’d been a moment there when he looked toward the kitchen and she thought
he was going to come towards her but he hesitated, then turned and left the
dining room.
She went back
to her office and slipped on her white jacket. She was acting like a crazy
person, falling for a man she’d met a couple of hours ago. A married man
who’d been accused of fraud. She caught a faint reflection of herself in the
glass. What was she thinking? A shiver of anticipation crept down her spine.
She was thinking of chocolate brown eyes, elegant hands and sensuous lips. Lips
that she ached to kiss. Hands that she wanted to feel…
“Excuse me
Chef, but we seem to be out of tomatoes.”
She looked at
the new staff member, uncomprehending for a moment before reality kicked in. “We
have some but they’re in the other cooler.” She followed him into the kitchen.
“Come on, I’ll show you.”
Chapter Six
Craig’s heart
lifted when he saw Jamie standing in the morning sun. She was talking to a man
in an old fedora. The hat had seen better days, but Craig suspected that he’d
never willingly part with it. Jamie spotted him and waved him over.
“Craig, I’d
like you to meet Floyd Ransome, our chief caretaker. Floyd, this is Craig
Hansen. You may have seen some of his work. He did that documentary on musk
oxen in the Arctic.”
“You a
photographer, then?”
Craig
smothered a smile. “I do some still photography, yes. But my main interest is
in shooting documentaries.” He gestured back toward the lake. “It takes me to
some interesting places.”
“Glad to have
you here.” The older man stuck out his hand. “Let me know if I can be of any
help.”
“I’ll do
that.” Craig wandered back toward the lake and Jamie caught up with him a
moment later.
“I need that
every once in a while” he said, almost to himself.
“Need what?”
She was pulling her hair back and putting it in some sort of elastic band. He
watched her with interest.
“Your hair
looked nice last night” he said, apropos of nothing. “I liked the way you
pulled it back with that big comb.” He watched a telltale blush crept into her
cheeks.
“Thank you.
But what do you mean, you need that?”
“Oh.” He gave
a short laugh. “It’s good for me when people don’t recognize my name.” He
smiled down at her. “After a while, you start to expect people to know who you
are. People like Floyd help me keep my feet on the ground.”
“You’re just
saying that,” she said with a smile. “You don’t have a conceited bone in your
body.” She stepped onto the dock and turned to see if he was following. “Come
on, we’re burning daylight.” A bubble of laughter rose in her throat. “I’ve
always wanted to say that.”
She walked to
a small runabout and Goldie appeared, quivering in anticipation of a boat ride.
“We’ll take this one. I thought we’d just explore Long Lake today, but if you
want to go farther afield, it’ll take us.” She looked at him and frowned. “No
cameras?” She slipped the line at the bow and stood there holding it.
“Nope. Not
today.” He motioned to the aft line and she nodded. “Today is for looking.” He
untied the line and stepped into the boat. “I’m all yours.”
Had he really
said that? For one irrational moment he realized that he’d like to be all hers.
He liked the way she lived, laughed and took everything at face value. There
was something honest and refreshing about this woman, traits he
be pure pleasure. His body stirred at the thought and he chuckled silently to
himself. Considering he’d been so sick just a few hours ago, he’d made a
remarkable recovery. But then he sensed that Leeza was a remarkable woman. He
left the lodge with a smile on his face.
Leeza watched
him through the narrow space between the doors. She didn’t care what the
kitchen staff thought, she was compelled to see what he did after she left.
There’d been a moment there when he looked toward the kitchen and she thought
he was going to come towards her but he hesitated, then turned and left the
dining room.
She went back
to her office and slipped on her white jacket. She was acting like a crazy
person, falling for a man she’d met a couple of hours ago. A married man
who’d been accused of fraud. She caught a faint reflection of herself in the
glass. What was she thinking? A shiver of anticipation crept down her spine.
She was thinking of chocolate brown eyes, elegant hands and sensuous lips. Lips
that she ached to kiss. Hands that she wanted to feel…
“Excuse me
Chef, but we seem to be out of tomatoes.”
She looked at
the new staff member, uncomprehending for a moment before reality kicked in. “We
have some but they’re in the other cooler.” She followed him into the kitchen.
“Come on, I’ll show you.”
Chapter Six
Craig’s heart
lifted when he saw Jamie standing in the morning sun. She was talking to a man
in an old fedora. The hat had seen better days, but Craig suspected that he’d
never willingly part with it. Jamie spotted him and waved him over.
“Craig, I’d
like you to meet Floyd Ransome, our chief caretaker. Floyd, this is Craig
Hansen. You may have seen some of his work. He did that documentary on musk
oxen in the Arctic.”
“You a
photographer, then?”
Craig
smothered a smile. “I do some still photography, yes. But my main interest is
in shooting documentaries.” He gestured back toward the lake. “It takes me to
some interesting places.”
“Glad to have
you here.” The older man stuck out his hand. “Let me know if I can be of any
help.”
“I’ll do
that.” Craig wandered back toward the lake and Jamie caught up with him a
moment later.
“I need that
every once in a while” he said, almost to himself.
“Need what?”
She was pulling her hair back and putting it in some sort of elastic band. He
watched her with interest.
“Your hair
looked nice last night” he said, apropos of nothing. “I liked the way you
pulled it back with that big comb.” He watched a telltale blush crept into her
cheeks.
“Thank you.
But what do you mean, you need that?”
“Oh.” He gave
a short laugh. “It’s good for me when people don’t recognize my name.” He
smiled down at her. “After a while, you start to expect people to know who you
are. People like Floyd help me keep my feet on the ground.”
“You’re just
saying that,” she said with a smile. “You don’t have a conceited bone in your
body.” She stepped onto the dock and turned to see if he was following. “Come
on, we’re burning daylight.” A bubble of laughter rose in her throat. “I’ve
always wanted to say that.”
She walked to
a small runabout and Goldie appeared, quivering in anticipation of a boat ride.
“We’ll take this one. I thought we’d just explore Long Lake today, but if you
want to go farther afield, it’ll take us.” She looked at him and frowned. “No
cameras?” She slipped the line at the bow and stood there holding it.
“Nope. Not
today.” He motioned to the aft line and she nodded. “Today is for looking.” He
untied the line and stepped into the boat. “I’m all yours.”
Had he really
said that? For one irrational moment he realized that he’d like to be all hers.
He liked the way she lived, laughed and took everything at face value. There
was something honest and refreshing about this woman, traits he
Similar Books
