Beauty and The Best (Once-Upon-A-Time Romance) by Judi Fennell Page B

matter what. Whatever the case, Holbein, um, took some liberties with his subject.”
    “ Aha! I bet Henry was none too thrilled when the beauty in the portrait ended up being more beast-like.”
    “ Considering their marriage was annulled six months later, I’d say that’s a safe bet.”
    “ Holbein’s lucky Henry didn’t behead him or something.” Henry’s bad temper being somewhat legendary and all.
    “ True. But Holbein the Younger was one of the outstanding artists of his time. Henry would have been hard pressed to replace him. The man was a great observer of detail in his paintings, had superb handling of color, a compelling realism.”
    So, Todd went off on a tangent, looking more alive in the last fifteen minutes than he’d been all day. Or any time since his wife died, according to the news coverage she’d seen. Mr. Griff’s book could be a good thing for him. Funny how the man knew just which book to give.
    Dinner arrived and Todd continued to wax poetic about Hans Junior. It was interesting for about the first ten minutes, but when he went in depth about brush strokes and pigmentation and a whole bunch of other mumbo-jumbo she’d heard before but never really took the time to learn, she got distracted. Not daydreaming, just distracted. Like noticing how his mouth looked really sexy when he said the word “strokes.” Made her want him to do that to her.
    Well, okay, that wouldn’t be the smartest idea she’d ever had, but when the guy was lit up like a Christmas tree, going on and on about something near and dear to his heart, it was kinda hard not to go that route, since she’d never been near and dear to anyone’s heart.
    So, with some daydreaming on her part, and art lessons on his, they made their way through dinner—lobster thermidor and asparagus with hollandaise being some of her personal faves. The maitre d’ checked in periodically, but not intrusively, thankfully. She’d always found it to be a bummer to be having this great conversation and right when she was ready to make the point, the big comment that made her seem brilliant and witty, there’d be a, “Would you like coffee with that?” What a dénouement, and not in a good way.
    Todd went on about Sir Holbein. Or Mr. Holbein. She couldn’t remember if he was knighted or not. It would’ve been nice for the guy to get that reward, but, hey, with Tudor job positions fluctuating according to the king’s whim, it seemed keeping one’s head in that period of English history would be reward enough.
    “ Would you like dessert?” Todd asked, closing the book.
    No, she was not going to ask for whipped cream. “No, thank you. Dinner was more than enough.”
    Todd held her chair as she scooted out of it and it was utterly ridiculous how happy his warm body against her back made her. Yes, so maybe she did scoot slower than necessary, what of it?
    He touched her elbow to lead her back toward the stairs, Mr. Griff’s book slung under his other arm, and she tried to suppress the shiver his touch evoked.
    She gave a little finger wave to the d’ who apologized yet again for the intrusion, and within minutes, they were outside the ship, back on terra firma where the wind blew her hair all over the place—again. It figured. A girl could not have a good hair day around a ship.
    “ Thanks for this, Jolie. For tonight.” Todd’s voice was husky, which she might not have noticed had she not heard how difficult this would be for him during her little eavesdropping incident at the office earlier.
    “ No, really,” she said. “Thank you. It’s the best dinner I’ve had in a long time.” Ever, actually, but she did have some self-preservation.
    “ Look,” he said, leading her to the car, “it’s pretty late and Lord knows I’ve had enough to eat. Why don’t you take it easy tomorrow and come around lunchtime? I think I can skip breakfast.” He opened her car door again and she fought the swoon.
    “ But it’s my job and high