and he needed to stop claiming he’d been way too busy for one. A man made time for what he wanted, and the truth of the matter was—he hadn’t wanted another woman.
Not even the one chosen for him by the dating service. He had thought perhaps seeing her in person might create a spark. But now, he had a gut feeling it would not have. He’d sought the woman out for the wrong reasons. He was glad she hadn’t shown up.
The lights began blinking.
“I guess that means it’s time to go back. But first I want to thank you for bringing me tonight, Garth. For sharing all the activities with me for the last two days. I know I wasn’t the one who was supposed to enjoy these things with you, and I might be wrong for feeling this way, but I’m glad I got to do them, even if I was a spare.”
A spare? Was that how she saw it? How could she not? At that moment he decided to give her something else to think about. Meeting her gaze, he said, “There is no other woman I’d rather be here with than you, Regan.”
There.
At that precise moment, he had made a decision.
He wouldn’t handle his intense attraction to her. He intended to act on it.
There was no reason for him to continue fighting his desire. Regan was a grown woman who could make up her own mind about whether she would want an affair with him or not.
She smiled. “That’s a kind thing to say, Garth.”
He had a feeling she didn’t believe him. That meant he had eleven days to convince her he’d meant every word.
Ten
There is no other woman I’d rather be here with than you, Regan...
Garth’s words were still warming Regan’s heart when the opera ended, and they entered the room where the reception would be held. Had he really meant what he said or was he just being kind?
“This place looks nice,” Garth said, and in a surprise move, he took her hand in his and led her through the throng of people toward an empty table.
The moment their hands touched, sensations spread up her spine. She inwardly told herself the only reason her hand was in his larger one was because the room was crowded, and he wanted to make sure they stayed together. But what about the other times he’d held her hand tonight?
Once seated, she glanced around. The table was perfect. It was close to the dance floor and not far from a buffet of hors d’oeuvres. A live band performed an array of music that ranged from classical, jazz, Latin and even R&B. Several couples were already out on the dance floor.
“I’ll go get our drinks. What would you like?” Garth asked her.
“A glass of red wine will be fine.”
“Okay, I’ll be back in a minute.
She watched him leave while thinking how nice he looked in his tux. Of course, she’d seen him in a tux before, but still... It showed off his broad shoulders, muscled chest, firm thighs and muscular arms. He was a specimen of a man that any woman would appreciate. She hadn’t missed the number of women checking him out tonight.
She switched her attention from Garth and his admirers to the architectural beauty of the room. Beams and columns framed high chandeliers. The outside of the building was built in the form of a massive wave. It was beautiful and could rival the opera house in Sydney, Australia.
“If you’re alone, senorita, I would love to join you,” a deep male voice said.
Regan glanced up to see a tall, handsome man standing by her table. She was about to tell him that no, she wasn’t alone, when a familiar, authoritative male voice answered. “She isn’t alone. She’s with me.”
“I’m sorry, senor,” the man said apologetically and quickly walked off.
Regan looked up at Garth and understood why the man had left so quickly. A fierce frown covered Garth’s face. He handed her a wineglass before sliding into the chair beside her.
“Sorry I took so long,” he said.
“You weren’t gone long, and thanks for bringing me the wine,” she said, wondering why he’d acted so protective of her just now. She recalled him doing the same thing at the Westmoreland Charity Ball several months ago. The last thing she wanted was for him to start treating her like he was her protector.
She took a sip of her wine. “I could have handled him, you know.”
He met her gaze. “Yes,