Telling herself it was no concern of hers, she looked down at Jenny.
"Come on, hon. We'd better go. We'll take the back stairs through the kitchen."
Jenny's face was pressed between two spindles, and she was watching with fascination. "Can I look more? Please ," she begged. "I want to see Aunt Caressa. Please," she said again, giving Evan a beseeching look that made her smile in spite of her weariness.
A double please from Jenny. How could she resist? "Okay, but only for a few more minutes; then we have to go."
Jenny nodded agreeably and turned back to her lookout.
"She's pretty." Jenny pointed an impolite finger at a new arrival.
Evan followed it until her eyes rested on one of the most striking women she'd ever seen. Her hair was a fiery, unapologetic red, her skin ivory, and her strapless black linen sundress pure perfection. As Linc started to help this guest remove her short jacket, the woman leaned back into him and whispered something in his ear. Hands on her shoulders, he smiled, and unaccountably, Evan's blood heated at least fifty degrees. She stared fixedly at the twosome. It was beginning to look as if they were a permanent freeze-frame, then Linc stepped back . Took the man an awfully long time to help her with an awfully small jacket.
The woman glanced around the flower-bedecked hall. "Oh, Lincoln, how wonderful everything looks. But you should have called me. I could have helped with the food... or something. Really, darling, I would have been happy to lend a hand."
Evan rolled her eyes. Yeah, right! The hands the striking redhead referred to were tipped with perfectly manicured nails at least an inch long.
Linc hung up her jacket and smiled. "Somehow, I can't see you grubbing away in the kitchen, Natalie. Don't you keep telling me that you were made for better things?"
Natalie's laugh tinkled upward. It was the first time Evan knew that a laugh could actually, really and truly, tinkle. She hated it.
"So I do, and those better things are seldom done in the kitchen—though anything's possible," she purred. "Besides, I keep forgetting you have that wonderful woman working for you. What's her name?"
Linc hesitated for the briefest moment. "Maud. And yes, she is wonderful."
The front door opened again, whoever it was not bothering to ring the doorbell.
Jenny didn't hesitate. "Aunt Caressa! Up here." She yelled and waved. No one in the hall could miss her—or Evan. Linc frowned when he caught her eye, and Evan was glad he couldn't make out the fresh wave of pink that washed across her face. She quickly took a step away from the railing.
Caressa lifted her hand and smiled. "Hi, sweets. Come and give your spinster aunt a hug. After the day I've had, I need it." As Jenny hurtled down the stairs, Caressa craned her neck. "Is that you up there, Evan?" she asked as Jenny launched herself into her arms.
Damn! "Yes, it's me, Caressa."
"Are you coming down?" Caressa asked.
Now she had Natalie's full attention, who looked first at Evan, then, questioningly, to Linc. He appeared not to notice.
Evan was quick to respond. "Uh, no, I don't think so. I was getting Jen's things. She's staying with me tonight." She turned her attention to Jenny. "Come on, Jen, we'd better go."
"You're not coming to the party?" Caressa turned to Linc. "Tell me, dear brother, were you born a jerk or do you have to work at it?"
Evan groaned, and the blaze on her face burned hotter.
For some strange reason, Linc smiled. It looked like he tried not to, because his lips twitched slightly before his full grin emerged, along with those wonderful sexy creases near his mouth. His eyes never left Evan's as his smile widened.
Damn the man! He was enjoying this.
And Caressa wasn't through with him. "Why on earth would you have her work tonight of all nights? She's my friend and—"
"Caressa, stop. You're embarrassing me. Come on, Jenny, please. Let's go." To Evan's immense relief, Caressa shut up and Jenny obeyed.
In minutes they were
"Come on, hon. We'd better go. We'll take the back stairs through the kitchen."
Jenny's face was pressed between two spindles, and she was watching with fascination. "Can I look more? Please ," she begged. "I want to see Aunt Caressa. Please," she said again, giving Evan a beseeching look that made her smile in spite of her weariness.
A double please from Jenny. How could she resist? "Okay, but only for a few more minutes; then we have to go."
Jenny nodded agreeably and turned back to her lookout.
"She's pretty." Jenny pointed an impolite finger at a new arrival.
Evan followed it until her eyes rested on one of the most striking women she'd ever seen. Her hair was a fiery, unapologetic red, her skin ivory, and her strapless black linen sundress pure perfection. As Linc started to help this guest remove her short jacket, the woman leaned back into him and whispered something in his ear. Hands on her shoulders, he smiled, and unaccountably, Evan's blood heated at least fifty degrees. She stared fixedly at the twosome. It was beginning to look as if they were a permanent freeze-frame, then Linc stepped back . Took the man an awfully long time to help her with an awfully small jacket.
The woman glanced around the flower-bedecked hall. "Oh, Lincoln, how wonderful everything looks. But you should have called me. I could have helped with the food... or something. Really, darling, I would have been happy to lend a hand."
Evan rolled her eyes. Yeah, right! The hands the striking redhead referred to were tipped with perfectly manicured nails at least an inch long.
Linc hung up her jacket and smiled. "Somehow, I can't see you grubbing away in the kitchen, Natalie. Don't you keep telling me that you were made for better things?"
Natalie's laugh tinkled upward. It was the first time Evan knew that a laugh could actually, really and truly, tinkle. She hated it.
"So I do, and those better things are seldom done in the kitchen—though anything's possible," she purred. "Besides, I keep forgetting you have that wonderful woman working for you. What's her name?"
Linc hesitated for the briefest moment. "Maud. And yes, she is wonderful."
The front door opened again, whoever it was not bothering to ring the doorbell.
Jenny didn't hesitate. "Aunt Caressa! Up here." She yelled and waved. No one in the hall could miss her—or Evan. Linc frowned when he caught her eye, and Evan was glad he couldn't make out the fresh wave of pink that washed across her face. She quickly took a step away from the railing.
Caressa lifted her hand and smiled. "Hi, sweets. Come and give your spinster aunt a hug. After the day I've had, I need it." As Jenny hurtled down the stairs, Caressa craned her neck. "Is that you up there, Evan?" she asked as Jenny launched herself into her arms.
Damn! "Yes, it's me, Caressa."
"Are you coming down?" Caressa asked.
Now she had Natalie's full attention, who looked first at Evan, then, questioningly, to Linc. He appeared not to notice.
Evan was quick to respond. "Uh, no, I don't think so. I was getting Jen's things. She's staying with me tonight." She turned her attention to Jenny. "Come on, Jen, we'd better go."
"You're not coming to the party?" Caressa turned to Linc. "Tell me, dear brother, were you born a jerk or do you have to work at it?"
Evan groaned, and the blaze on her face burned hotter.
For some strange reason, Linc smiled. It looked like he tried not to, because his lips twitched slightly before his full grin emerged, along with those wonderful sexy creases near his mouth. His eyes never left Evan's as his smile widened.
Damn the man! He was enjoying this.
And Caressa wasn't through with him. "Why on earth would you have her work tonight of all nights? She's my friend and—"
"Caressa, stop. You're embarrassing me. Come on, Jenny, please. Let's go." To Evan's immense relief, Caressa shut up and Jenny obeyed.
In minutes they were
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