me?”
“Certainly.” Instead of passing it, he stood and walked it over to her.
Regan’s heart thudded while watching him. “Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. Anything else you want while I’m up?”
She nervously shook her head. “No. That’s all.”
She then studied him as he returned to his seat, appreciating every step. He had such a nice backside. Could she fault him for taking a peek down her blouse when she was definitely drooling over his rear end?
“I think an evening walk is in order.”
She blinked. “Excuse me?”
He smiled. “After all we’ve eaten today, I think we need to walk off the calories.”
Regan took a sip of her wine. “Taking a walk sounds like a good idea.”
She bit into her pastry and glanced over to see his eyes were on her. Specifically, her mouth. “Is something wrong, Garth?”
“No. Is it good?”
She smiled as she licked a crumb that clung to her lower lip. “Very much so. You ought to try one.”
“I might later.”
Regan noticed he was still staring at her while she ate her pastry. What he was thinking? Could Simone have been right? Was he attracted to her, even a little? “Are you sure you want me to take a walk with you?”
His gaze held hers when he said, “I’m positive. Why wouldn’t I?”
“Don’t you remember what happened the last time we took a walk together?”
He didn’t say anything for a moment and then a smile spread across his face. “Oh, yes. That was the time you were to keep me occupied while Charm tried sneaking that cat with all her kittens into the house. You pretended you needed to interview someone for one of your classes.”
She grinned. “I did have to interview someone for one of my classes. I didn’t lie about that.”
“Whatever you say.”
She tilted her head to look at him, unable to hide her smile. “Why do I get the feeling you don’t believe me?”
He smiled at her. “Because I don’t. So, eat all the sweets you want so we can take that walk.”
Six
After Garth and Regan changed their shoes, they left the château. They’d seen a trail earlier and intended to find out where it led. It had been a gorgeous day that turned into a beautiful evening. Although the sun had gone down and the winds coming off the ocean were brisk, she was enjoying the mild temperature.
At first they walked side by side, not saying much. Then he started off the conversation as they continued walking down the path. “Are you missing Fairbanks?”
She glanced over at him. “Not really. The only thing I look forward to this time of year is the first snowfall and the northern lights. They’re beautiful.”
“Yes, they are,” he agreed.
It felt odd taking the time to give a woman his undivided attention. Bottom line, he was enjoying Regan’s company in spite of one unnerving problem: being around her was stirring his libido like crazy. Like now. And at dinner, when she’d caught him staring down her blouse.
Instead of talking about work, he discussed Maverick’s latest escapades. She had known the family long enough to know that of all his brothers, Maverick always managed to live up to his name. He liked thinking outside the box. Maverick was the one Garth could count on to come up with innovative ideas.
Although she laughed, not surprisingly, in the end she came to Maverick’s defense. Since he was closer to her in age than the other brothers, Regan and Maverick had spent more time together and had always gotten on well together.
They talked about worldwide events and music and the books she’d read. And he tried to keep his concentration on their discussion while studying the beauty of her eyes, the texture of her skin and the shape of her lips.
When he fell silent, she shifted the conversation again. “I like your cousins, the Westmorelands. I especially liked talking to Ian. It seems the two of you have a lot in common.”
He knew what she was referring to. Although Ian owned a casino in Lake Tahoe, he was also big on astronomy like Garth. Ian had graduated from Yale University magna cum laude, with a degree in physics. After graduation he’d worked at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center. Although he no longer worked there, he hadn’t given up his love of astronomy.
Garth’s own fascination with science had begun with the northern lights. He’d kept up the interest through high school, at the University of Alaska in Juneau and into the Marines. His degree was in Transportation and Logistics