Face the Fire Page 0,101

to concentrate on conversation. Not after the day he'd put in. Or the night before it.

He'd swum for an hour, hard, after he helped Zack haul all the equipment back to the house on the bluff. Then he'd swung by the hotel on the way home and let himself into the health club. He'd worked out another hour, doing what he could to burn off the edge. He'd done fifty laps in the hotel pool, taken a frigid shower.

And hadn't slept all night.

After the signing, he'd taken Caroline back to the hotel, where she'd claimed she was going to take a long bubble bath. He'd used the health club again, worked up a heavy sweat. Showered. Spent an hour swimming.

And his system was still careening.

He disliked sleep inducements, even of his own making, but he thought, after he ate, that that was the only solution left.

The only practical solution, he corrected. The more satisfying one would be to find Mia, drag her off somewhere, rip off her clothes, and pump out the energy in wild, crazy sex. Which would take him right back to square one of his plan to cement a bond with her outside of wild, crazy sex.

He wasn't sure his overworked system could take either.

He'd settle for pizza.

He closed the refrigerator and turned toward the phone. And when he saw her at the back door, his entire body clenched like a fist.

Served him right, he thought grimly, for trying to tame his raging hormones by tuning her out for a few hours.

But his expression was as easy and pleasant as hers as he crossed to the door.

"Didn't expect to see you. I thought you'd be somewhere with your feet up and a drink in your hand."

"I hope you don't mind me dropping by."

"Not at all." He opened the screen door and willed himself to behave.

"I brought you a present." She held out a box, prettily wrapped in dark blue foil and topped with an elaborate white bow. "From the owner of Cafe Book to the owner of the Magick Inn." She came in, making sure her body brushed his lightly as she passed.

And she felt the quick tremor.

"A gift."

"To thank you for your part in making today happen. It was an enormous success for all involved."

"Caroline was nearly staggering by the time she got to her room. It takes a lot to wear her out."

"I'm sure you'd know," Mia countered.

"She's married. We're friends. That's it."

"Touchy." She clucked her tongue. "Why don't you offer me a drink, and have one yourself?"

"Fine." He got out a bottle of wine, yanked out the stopper. "I had a damn life the last decade, Mia. I assume you did, too."

"Naturally. Would you like me to parade some of my lovers for you?" Helpfully, she took glasses out of the cupboard. The searing look he shot her pleased her enormously.

He'd be easier, and more fun to seduce, if his temper was up.

"I don't want to hear about them. And I didn't parade Caroline."

"No, but you didn't tell me beforehand, either. It made it awkward and irritating. But I've decided to forgive you."

"Well, golly. Thanks."

"Now you're annoyed. Why don't I pour that, and you can open your present? We'll see if it puts you in a better mood."

"Rapping your head against the wall might put me in a better mood."

"But you're much too civilized for that."

"Don't go to the bank on it." But he pulled off the top of the box. And pulled out a wind chime made of foolish brass frogs.

"I found it whimsical, which suits the cottage. And apt, as I had a lovely fantasy going about how I turned you into one of these for a few days." She tapped a frog, sent it dancing and singing against its brothers. Then picked up her wine.

"It's very . . . unique. Whenever I see it, I'll think of you."

"There's a hook just outside the kitchen. Why don't you hang it, see how it looks there?"

Obliging her, he stepped outside, looped it over the empty hook.

"You smell of the sea," she told him, trailing a fingertip down the center of his bare back.

"I've been swimming."

"Did it help?"

"No."

"I could." She leaned against him, nibbled at his shoulder. "Why don't we help each other?"

"Because then it's all about sex."

"What's wrong with sex?"

She was clouding his senses. Woman's magic. He turned, gripped her arms. "We used to have more. I want more again."

"We're both old enough to know we don't get everything we want. So we