bottles of wine. When he stood, he held the bottles in the air. “Merlot or Riesling?”
She widened her eyes and tilted her head playfully, lingering on his biceps, which were unintentionally flexed for viewing as he held the wine. “What if I don’t like wine?”
He smiled. “I’m not sure you do. I only know I’d like to have a glass with you. And since I’m sure you’d love to make me happy, Riesling it is.” While watching her with a reserved smile, he set the glasses on the table and opened the bottle. “This is your preference, am I right?”
“Riesling’s fine.” She looked around and began fiddling with some seashells that were lying on the shelf nearby.
He got the impression she was feeling uneasy about being there. He should give her a break and stop flirting, but the flirting was in lieu of actual sex, which if he had his way … well, his way didn’t matter. Ethics, if he could uphold them, would put a stop to what he wanted.
He tipped his head toward the chair. “Don’t be shy, take a seat.”
She started toward the sofa. He sidestepped, blocking her path, bringing his face closer to hers. Now he played. Her lips, just inches from his, parted slightly. She moistened them and hesitated before looking up. Isn’t she sweet, she thinks I’m going to kiss her. He didn’t, and she headed toward the sofa again. Once again, he stopped her.
He stared as he handed her the glass. “No. Over in the chair.”
“Why the chair,” she challenged.
“Because the light is by the chair, and that’s where I asked you to sit.” He cocked his head with a grin and went to sit on the couch.
Hands on her hips, she began to protest. “Ah—”
He smiled. “And, because I’d like to look at you.”
She blushed and took a seat.
Leaning back on the couch, he lifted his feet, heavy work boots and all, onto the coffee table. Again, he checked her out. Her eyes dodged his. He was betting her self-consciousness was more from the sexual tension between them than insecurity.
“So, do you like what you keep gawking at?” she said.
The picture in his mind of her lying asleep on the long branch of the moss-covered tree in Wayde’s yard where she would often sit and read crossed his mind. He pictured her there often. “I’ve liked gawking at you from the get-go.”
“Really? You showed more interest in your scrambled eggs this morning.”
“Not at all. I simply wanted to make sure you passed the—‘she’d be far too much trouble for me’ test.”
“Hum…” She sighed and peered from beneath her long lashes. “Test, huh? So you like to play games?”
So, she likes to flirt. He was game. “Honestly, a lot of things went through my head at the time. Talking didn’t top the list, and the only type of games I liked to play—are entertaining.”
Her mouth opened just enough to look damn sexy. “Did I pass? You know—the test—that wasn’t a test?” Her playfulness waned, and she stood. “I should go. This conversation is drifting from my objective.”
“What’s your objective?”
“I need to get back to my son. I should’ve never come.”
“Did you see him?”
“Yes.”
“Is he fine?”
“Yes, he’s fine.”
“Then sit and relax. I promise not to scare you again.”
“You don’t scare me.”
He tilted his head with a doubtful expression.
“You don’t.” Her tone was snappy, but she sat back down. “Why are you here?”
He replied honestly, wishing he didn’t have to keep his secret. “I can’t tell you why I’m here. It involves my job. I’ll talk to you about other things, but not why I’m here.”
“Understandable. Is Scar really your niece?”
“Yeah, I lived with my sister from eight to eighteen, but Scar’s more like a sister to me. We grew up here. So, now you know what brought me to Lakeside. What about you?”
She raised her brows. “C’mon, Scar’s like a sister to you and she didn’t tell you?”
“Okay. Got me. I didn’t want to out Scar for telling me. She didn’t say much. Just said you had a thing with your boyfriend and it didn’t end well.”
Her eyes rolled toward the ceiling. “He’s not my boyfriend; he’s never been my boyfriend. Wayde was a mistake. My husband Nick and I separated about six months ago. I made many mistakes. Especially after we split up. She looked away. “The situation’s complicated.”
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. I know all about breakups and the foolish things people do. Love makes people do crazy things, even more