To Catch a Thief - By Sherryl Woods Page 0,21

wasn’t just trouble. It was a disaster. If he’d asked, she would have followed him straight to the nearest bed without giving it a second thought. She would have slept with a man who wanted to put her in jail.

Okay, maybe he was beginning to cut her a little slack, but he definitely didn’t trust her, not the way a man ought to trust a woman he was making love to. Of course, that kiss had been all about lust, not love. Gina supposed a man—or a woman—could have spectacular sex with somebody without worrying too much about such niceties as trust. Personally, she’d never tried it. She’d had one serious relationship in Italy, but since coming back to the United States, she’d barely had time to date, much less get involved with a man deeply enough to think about letting him into her bed. And her relationship with Carlo had taught her all about the dangers of dating a suspicious man. His lack of trust, his constant accusations that she was deceiving him had destroyed them.

Now, in just a few short days, Rafe had stirred her hormones to such a fever pitch that she was willing to toss aside everything she valued for a quick romp with yet another man who didn’t believe in her.

“I saw what Rose Ellen meant,” Gina’s mother said quietly, slipping up beside Gina and putting an arm around her waist.

“You saw?”

“Oh, yes. So did your father.”

“I’m surprised he didn’t go for his shotgun.”

“I think he might have, if you’d shown even the tiniest hint of displeasure.”

Gina regarded her mother with a wry look. “Well, that certainly didn’t happen, did it?”

Her mother chuckled. “No, which begs the question, what is your relationship with Rafe O’Donnell?”

“I wish I knew,” Gina said plaintively. “It’s…it’s confusing.”

“Do you want to talk about it?”

She shook her head. “Not yet, Mom, but I’ll tell you everything when I get it sorted out. I promise.”

“If you want your father to run him off, he will, you know.”

Gina grinned. “I know, and believe me, the thought holds a certain appeal.” She uttered a sigh of resignation. “But Rafe would just come back again.”

“Your father was a persistent man, too,” Jane said, looking nostalgic.

“Did you ever try to shake him?”

“For a while,” she said, then grinned. “But my heart was never in it. Is your heart really in getting rid of Rafe once and for all?”

“Apparently not,” Gina said. In fact, she was beginning to look forward to having him pop up when she least expected it. As for those devastating kisses, she was pretty sure she was becoming addicted.

Chapter Five

Rafe had expected to be back in New York by Monday. Unfortunately, Gina showed every sign of sticking to her guns and staying in Winding River for a full two weeks. He’d hoped that his pestering would eventually wear her down, but she was clearly stubborn. Maybe that trait was also the reason she hadn’t given in to the inevitable and shuttered Café Tuscany already.

He had been true to his word on Sunday. He’d steered clear of her, though he hadn’t been able to resist taking a stroll through the park where the reunion attendees were gathered for their picnic. Gina had been playing baseball at the time, looking more carefree than she had since arriving in Wyoming. He regretted being the one responsible for putting a perpetual frown on her face, the worry lines between her eyes, but he had a job to do, whether he liked it or not.

Since it looked like he was stuck here, he had no choice but to call his office and have his appointments shifted to other partners or postponed until his return.

Even as he dialed, he was dreading the third degree he was likely to get from his meddlesome secretary.

“Have you made contact yet?” Lydia asked in an undertone, as if he were on some sort of secret mission.

“Yes, I have ‘made contact,”’ Rafe said impatiently. “How are things on that end? Any word from the investigator on Rinaldi’s whereabouts?”

“Nothing. Charlie Flynn says the man has vanished. He’s probably basking in the sun on a beach in the Cayman Islands by now.”

“Entirely possible,” Rafe agreed. “What’s the deal on the restaurant? Have you been by there?”

“It was operating at full capacity last night. I checked it myself. Gina’s assistant has everything running smoothly. The veal piccata was as superb as ever.”

“Did I pay for your dinner?”

“No, but now that you mention it, that’s a very good