Don't Tempt Me by Julie Ortolon

reaching for her. "Do you want me to?"
    Her breath released in a heavy sigh. "I'd rather they know as little as possible. I'm not sure I could look them in the eye, much less work with them, if they knew everything."
    "I promise you, it wouldn't be a problem for them, but if it makes you more comfortable, then they don't need to know the details."
    She nodded, looking wrung out.
    "So ---" He turned businesslike. "Since we have to wait for Carl Ryder to authenticate your letter, why don't you make yourself at home, read the diaries, and pretend to be on vacation for the next few days?"
    Gratitude softened her face. "That's the best idea I've heard in years."
    "All right, then." He nodded and headed for the door. "I'll get out of your hair."
    "Adrian," she called. When he turned, she smiled and his chest tightened at the sight of her standing there looking so vulnerable. "Thank you."
    "You're welcome."

Chapter 10
    When breakfast wound down the next morning, Adrian went into the dining room where Allison and Rory were cleaning up the carnage left by an inn full of guests."Did Jackie ever come down?"
    "Not yet," Alli answered, stacking dirty dishes. "I don't think she's been out of her room since the meeting yesterday. But surely she'll come out for meals."
    "She hasn't so far," Rory said as she lifted trays from the warming stands on the sideboard. "Should we send something up to her?"
    "I noticed some fruit and granola bars missing from the basket upstairs," Adrian said. "So at least she's eating."
    "Still," Allison said, "it can't be good for her to stay in her room so long."
    "Maybe she's just really engrossed in reading the diaries," Rory offered.
    "Maybe." Alli chewed her lip, looking at the ceiling as if she could see into Jackie's room. "Adrian, you did tell her we don't care about those things Mr. Ryder said, right?"
    "Well, I care!" Rory said.
    "You do?" Adrian frowned at her.
    "Of course I do." Rory banged a metal serving spoon against a tray as she scraped all the leftovers into one pan. "The whole thing makes me furious."
    "At Jackie?"
    "No. At that archeologist for embarrassing her. And her father, if what Mr. Ryder said is true. And I don't know ... life . " Rory let her breath out in a passionate rush. "I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't get so upset, it's just that we were so lucky, I wish everyone could have a childhood like ours."
    "Rory ..." Alli stared at her. "We lost our parents in a car wreck when you were still a toddler. How is that a wonderful childhood?"
    "We had each other," Rory insisted. "No matter what happened when I was growing up, I always knew y'all would be there for me. You're still here for me. And now I have Chance and Lauren, and you brought Scott into the family, so it's even better. We just need to find someone for Adrian." She winked at him. "Unless he's already done that."
    A jolt went through him at her words. "Rory, whoa. Do not get ideas about me and Jackie. I told you yesterday, there is nothing going on between us. And even if there were, she's not at all what I have in mind for long term."
    "Why not?"
    "I don't know." His nerves jumping, he went to help Allison clear the table. "I guess if I had to describe what I want for a wife ---when I'm ready to make that leap ---I'd say someone who's a little more of a homebody. Jackie couldn't be more opposite from that."
    "That doesn't seem to stop you from giving her that I-want-this-woman look." Rory wiggled her brows.
    "Looking and wanting are not the same as signing up for the extended maintenance plan."
    "Oh, so you just want to take her for a test-drive?"
    "I did not say that." He turned to Allison. "Did I say that?"
    "Well, no," Alli said. "But isn't that what dating is?"
    "I guess," Rory conceded. "It's just that I like Jackie."
    "I like her, too," Adrian said. "But even if she were what I had in mind for a wife, I am a long way from being ready to settle down, so taking a test-drive with someone we're hoping to do business with would