discuss the Easter egg hunt.”
He waved a hand over the forecourt grounds. “ Your committee will have access to this area from Thursday morning for whatever they need.”
“ Thank you.” She blinked, and her eyes softened to the blue of a summer’s sky. “I spoke to Marge after you left and she’s so excited. The news has spread across town by now, I’m sure.”
“ My pleasure.”
“ Yeah, right.” She twirled about, surveying the area. “We usually get an ice-cream van in for the day… and set up mini-races on the lawn.” She twirled back to wrinkle her nose at him. “Is that okay? The children are really careful to not ruin the grass.”
“ They can’t do more damage than a helicopter,” he said, chuckling at the sudden interest sharpening her gaze. “The manicured lawn makes for a decent helipad.”
She looked at him in silence, twisting her lower lip between her teeth.
“What?” he probed, although he probably didn’t want to know where her intrepid mind had taken that.
“ You own a helicopter?”
He shook his head. “ Some of the artists I collaborate with travel down from London or fly in from the States. The closest airport is Penzance and they don’t always appreciate the ambling country drive.”
Her expression crumpled in what resembled relief. “ Of course… Musicians and singers.”
“ As opposed to?”
“ You seriously don’t want to know.”
“ They come here to work and respect the privacy I afford them,” he said, worried he’d revealed too much. Why had he?
A subconscious test to see what popped up in her paper next week?
Maybe.
And why not?
It was one thing to play with an open flame, but plain stupid to do so without an extinguisher on hand. He wasn’t a fool, too naïve to take precautions before this went any further than a one-night stand.
“ Do you have any idea what a big scoop that is?” she groaned.
His jaw stiffened. “ I expect this to stay between us.”
“ Relax,” she said, smiling. “It is a scoop, even you can acknowledge that. The town would be titillated by what’s happening in our backyard. But I’m not going to say anything, okay? I wouldn’t betray any confidence you share with me, and if you don’t believe that, well…” Her smile faded and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Then I shouldn’t be here.”
“ I wouldn’t have told you if I suspected otherwise,” he said, the tension rolling off his shoulders. Not even a lie. He did trust her. He was a trusting man with an insurance policy, that was all.
“ Anyway,” she breathed out, as if releasing some tension of her own, “where were we?” She turned in place as she spoke. “The ice cream van, the races… Oh, yes, Gregg always puts up a tent for his pasties and it wouldn’t be a Corkscrew Bay event without the Donnaster sisters flipping their pancakes.”
She paused to study him for a moment. “ We do appreciate this, Alexander.” Her tone gentled, sweet, entirely genuine. “Stop me if you feel like I’m taking over your home.”
“ I won’t be here,” he reminded her. “You and your committee are welcome to do as you please in the grounds I’ve indicated.”
“ We won’t overstep the boundaries,” she promised.
“ Then that’s settled.” He dug into his back pocket for his wallet and withdrew his agent’s business card. “This is the name and number of my land estate agent. He lives in St. Ives, but has assured me he’ll be flexible to any meetings you wish to hold before Saturday. He’ll be here to open the gates and oversee the activities.”
“ Oh.” She took the card from him, her slender fingers brushing his with an electrical spark. “We’re done, then?”
“ Not nearly, piccola .” He moved in beside her, pressing his hand to the small of her back, propelling her toward the courtyard that ran up alongside the kitchen and utility entrances. “There’s still plenty of undiscovered territory for us to explore over
He waved a hand over the forecourt grounds. “ Your committee will have access to this area from Thursday morning for whatever they need.”
“ Thank you.” She blinked, and her eyes softened to the blue of a summer’s sky. “I spoke to Marge after you left and she’s so excited. The news has spread across town by now, I’m sure.”
“ My pleasure.”
“ Yeah, right.” She twirled about, surveying the area. “We usually get an ice-cream van in for the day… and set up mini-races on the lawn.” She twirled back to wrinkle her nose at him. “Is that okay? The children are really careful to not ruin the grass.”
“ They can’t do more damage than a helicopter,” he said, chuckling at the sudden interest sharpening her gaze. “The manicured lawn makes for a decent helipad.”
She looked at him in silence, twisting her lower lip between her teeth.
“What?” he probed, although he probably didn’t want to know where her intrepid mind had taken that.
“ You own a helicopter?”
He shook his head. “ Some of the artists I collaborate with travel down from London or fly in from the States. The closest airport is Penzance and they don’t always appreciate the ambling country drive.”
Her expression crumpled in what resembled relief. “ Of course… Musicians and singers.”
“ As opposed to?”
“ You seriously don’t want to know.”
“ They come here to work and respect the privacy I afford them,” he said, worried he’d revealed too much. Why had he?
A subconscious test to see what popped up in her paper next week?
Maybe.
And why not?
It was one thing to play with an open flame, but plain stupid to do so without an extinguisher on hand. He wasn’t a fool, too naïve to take precautions before this went any further than a one-night stand.
“ Do you have any idea what a big scoop that is?” she groaned.
His jaw stiffened. “ I expect this to stay between us.”
“ Relax,” she said, smiling. “It is a scoop, even you can acknowledge that. The town would be titillated by what’s happening in our backyard. But I’m not going to say anything, okay? I wouldn’t betray any confidence you share with me, and if you don’t believe that, well…” Her smile faded and her voice dropped to a whisper. “Then I shouldn’t be here.”
“ I wouldn’t have told you if I suspected otherwise,” he said, the tension rolling off his shoulders. Not even a lie. He did trust her. He was a trusting man with an insurance policy, that was all.
“ Anyway,” she breathed out, as if releasing some tension of her own, “where were we?” She turned in place as she spoke. “The ice cream van, the races… Oh, yes, Gregg always puts up a tent for his pasties and it wouldn’t be a Corkscrew Bay event without the Donnaster sisters flipping their pancakes.”
She paused to study him for a moment. “ We do appreciate this, Alexander.” Her tone gentled, sweet, entirely genuine. “Stop me if you feel like I’m taking over your home.”
“ I won’t be here,” he reminded her. “You and your committee are welcome to do as you please in the grounds I’ve indicated.”
“ We won’t overstep the boundaries,” she promised.
“ Then that’s settled.” He dug into his back pocket for his wallet and withdrew his agent’s business card. “This is the name and number of my land estate agent. He lives in St. Ives, but has assured me he’ll be flexible to any meetings you wish to hold before Saturday. He’ll be here to open the gates and oversee the activities.”
“ Oh.” She took the card from him, her slender fingers brushing his with an electrical spark. “We’re done, then?”
“ Not nearly, piccola .” He moved in beside her, pressing his hand to the small of her back, propelling her toward the courtyard that ran up alongside the kitchen and utility entrances. “There’s still plenty of undiscovered territory for us to explore over
Similar Books
