The Wife He Needs - Brenda Jackson Page 0,39

own, Regan. All I’m saying is that most men who use that dating service might be looking for a wife, but they aren’t looking for love. Are you willing to marry someone who doesn’t love you?”

“I would think any man is capable of falling in love if the right woman came along, Garth. Except for you, and you’ve explained your reasons. Any man of wealth and influence has access to a variety of women if all they want to do is date or take care of their physical needs. A man using that caliber of dating service is looking for more and that’s what I want, too. Just because you’re not looking for love in a marriage doesn’t mean every man who uses that dating service feels the same way.”

She had a point there. Other men might not have an aversion to falling in love with the woman the dating service selected for them. There was no doubt in his mind that any man who chose Regan would be wowed by her. She was beautiful and accomplished. He could see any man falling in love with her.

“So when we return to Fairbanks, I’d like the information for the service so I can contact them before the holidays.”

He pushed his plate aside, trying to hide his annoyance. “Why the rush?”

“No rush. I just figure that like most companies, they will have limited hours around the holidays. If I get my information in now, maybe by early spring I will have viable prospects. I will be twenty-nine by then. It would be nice to have someone special to celebrate my birthday with.”

For some reason he felt a chill at the thought of her spending her birthday with anyone other than his family, like she had this year. Since Franklin had moved to Florida, Charm had known it would be Regan’s first birthday without her father, so Charm had hosted a dinner party in Regan’s honor at the Outlaw Estates. Even Bart had joined them.

“I’ll make sure you get the information when we return to Alaska.”

She smiled over at him. “Thank you, Garth.”

Why did she have to sound so happy about it, and why did he feel like a selfish ass again? He wanted to have an affair with her with no promises of a future, but he was getting annoyed that she wanted to meet someone who could give her the love he couldn’t.

He pushed the negatives to the back of his mind and decided to concentrate on the positives. Right now, the main positive was that she’d agreed to have an affair with him.

“What are your plans today?” he asked.

She shrugged. “It’s too late to go hiking, so what do you suggest?”

He would suggest they head straight to the nearest bedroom, but as much as he desired her, he wanted her to decide when they would become intimate. “Whatever you want to do is fine with me. I told Paulo that he didn’t have to return for the rest of the day. That means I’ll be doing all the cooking today,” he said.

“I’ll help,” she said as she stood to take their plates.

He watched as she walked over to the counter, loving the way her knit sweater fit over her leggings and across her backside. After placing the dishes in the sink, she turned and caught him staring again.

A smile touched the corners of her lips. “I just thought of something I’d like to do today.”

“You did?” he asked in a voice that sounded almost too deep to be his own.

“Yes.”

Their gazes held for a long moment. “What?” he finally asked.

“Come here and I’ll tell you.”

Garth heard a sexy catch in her voice, and it did something to him. Had him pushing his chair back to stand and cross the room to her. “Yes?”

“Move closer, Garth.”

He could do that, and he did. A second later he was standing so close their bodies were touching. He could actually feel her nipples poking into his chest. “Yes?”

“Today I want to feel sexy, desired and wanted. Do you think you can handle that, Garth?”

Sexy, desired and wanted...

Images of how he could make her feel those very things spiked through his brain. “I know I can handle it, Regan.”

She reached up and placed her arms around his neck. Tilting her head back, she looked up at him. “Then show me.”

Fourteen

Garth drew her into his arms, lowered his head and kissed her. The moment their mouths touched, Regan knew she had made the right decision.