work.”
“Maybe.”
“Definitely.”
“Maybe,” he said again, while his eyes twinkled in the way she found so irresistible.
“These are your messages, Mr. Smith,” Peter said, handing Amarillo a lesser stack.
“Thanks.” He paused to sift through them, then turned to Angelica. “Listen, I need to get back to a couple of these people right away. Why don’t I go to my room and make the calls, shower, and change, then meet you in your room in about fifteen minutes. We can discuss dinner.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. “And maybe even the finer points of croquet.”
Amarillo strode down the fourth floor hall toward Angelica’s room. It had been only a little while since they had parted, but he was impatient and eager to see her again. It amazed him.
He was used to being alone. He liked being alone. But more and more he was finding that when she was away from him, both his mind and his senses felt absolute emptiness.
He halted in front of her door, raised his hand to knock, but then on a hunch gripped the doorknob, turned it, and opened the door.
Angelica was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, her head tilted toward the fire so that the heat could better reach her wet hair. She was wearing the short violet robe, he noted, and, his male instinct told him, nothing else.
At the sound of the door closing, she looked around, saw him, and smiled. “Hi. Did you get your calls made?”
“Why wasn’t this door locked?”
Her smile of greeting changed to one of amusement. “I'll go out on a limb and say it wasn’t locked because I didn’t lock it.”
He crossed the room to her, reached down for her outstretched hand, and helped her to her feet. “Keep the door locked, Angelica.”
“Why? You and I are the only two staying up here on the fourth floor. The staff doesn’t come onto the floor unless we call for them. The other guests can’t get on this floor either by stairs or elevator.”
“That’s not the point—”
She playfully tugged at the collar of his shirt. “Do you realize we could play hide-and-seek in the nude and no one would see us?” Her eyes took on a mischievous light. "And now that I think about it, that's a terrific idea!”
Faced with her good mood and her sexy attire, he couldn’t remain stem. “It’s a great idea,” he agreed, dropping onto the sofa and drawing her down beside him. “Except why don’t we change th rules a little. Instead of one of us hiding and the other seeking, why don't we hide together.”
Her eyes widened with mock innocence. “But then there wouldn’t be anyone to seek.”
He wrapped a still-damp strand of her dark brown hair around his finger and used it to pull her gently toward him. He kissed her lightly, then murmured, “Yeah, but who would care?”
She grinned. “Good point.”
He straightened away from her. “Thank you. And I have another good point. From now on, lock the door.”
“You’re like a dog with a bone, aren’t you? You just won’t stop until you get your way.”
His lips twitched with humor. “A dog with a bone, Angelica? My, my, that's a very un-socialite turn of phrase. Where did you learn it?”
“I have no idea. Probably from my brother, who probably learned it from you. Now, answer my original question. Did you get your calls made? Do we have a free evening ahead of us?”
He nodded. “I did, and in answer to your second question, as far as I’m concerned we do. What about you?”
She glanced over at an end table, where she’d dumped her messages and mail on the way into the bathroom to take a shower. “I’m sure there’s nothing I can’t leave until tomorrow. I hope so, anyway, because that’s my plan.” She idly reached for a letter and slit it open with a manicured nail. “What would you like to do? Shall we dress and go downstairs for dinner?”
“I don’t know. Since it’s obvious you’d rather put off my idea of croquet demonstrations under controlled
“Maybe.”
“Definitely.”
“Maybe,” he said again, while his eyes twinkled in the way she found so irresistible.
“These are your messages, Mr. Smith,” Peter said, handing Amarillo a lesser stack.
“Thanks.” He paused to sift through them, then turned to Angelica. “Listen, I need to get back to a couple of these people right away. Why don’t I go to my room and make the calls, shower, and change, then meet you in your room in about fifteen minutes. We can discuss dinner.”
She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. “And maybe even the finer points of croquet.”
Amarillo strode down the fourth floor hall toward Angelica’s room. It had been only a little while since they had parted, but he was impatient and eager to see her again. It amazed him.
He was used to being alone. He liked being alone. But more and more he was finding that when she was away from him, both his mind and his senses felt absolute emptiness.
He halted in front of her door, raised his hand to knock, but then on a hunch gripped the doorknob, turned it, and opened the door.
Angelica was sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, her head tilted toward the fire so that the heat could better reach her wet hair. She was wearing the short violet robe, he noted, and, his male instinct told him, nothing else.
At the sound of the door closing, she looked around, saw him, and smiled. “Hi. Did you get your calls made?”
“Why wasn’t this door locked?”
Her smile of greeting changed to one of amusement. “I'll go out on a limb and say it wasn’t locked because I didn’t lock it.”
He crossed the room to her, reached down for her outstretched hand, and helped her to her feet. “Keep the door locked, Angelica.”
“Why? You and I are the only two staying up here on the fourth floor. The staff doesn’t come onto the floor unless we call for them. The other guests can’t get on this floor either by stairs or elevator.”
“That’s not the point—”
She playfully tugged at the collar of his shirt. “Do you realize we could play hide-and-seek in the nude and no one would see us?” Her eyes took on a mischievous light. "And now that I think about it, that's a terrific idea!”
Faced with her good mood and her sexy attire, he couldn’t remain stem. “It’s a great idea,” he agreed, dropping onto the sofa and drawing her down beside him. “Except why don’t we change th rules a little. Instead of one of us hiding and the other seeking, why don't we hide together.”
Her eyes widened with mock innocence. “But then there wouldn’t be anyone to seek.”
He wrapped a still-damp strand of her dark brown hair around his finger and used it to pull her gently toward him. He kissed her lightly, then murmured, “Yeah, but who would care?”
She grinned. “Good point.”
He straightened away from her. “Thank you. And I have another good point. From now on, lock the door.”
“You’re like a dog with a bone, aren’t you? You just won’t stop until you get your way.”
His lips twitched with humor. “A dog with a bone, Angelica? My, my, that's a very un-socialite turn of phrase. Where did you learn it?”
“I have no idea. Probably from my brother, who probably learned it from you. Now, answer my original question. Did you get your calls made? Do we have a free evening ahead of us?”
He nodded. “I did, and in answer to your second question, as far as I’m concerned we do. What about you?”
She glanced over at an end table, where she’d dumped her messages and mail on the way into the bathroom to take a shower. “I’m sure there’s nothing I can’t leave until tomorrow. I hope so, anyway, because that’s my plan.” She idly reached for a letter and slit it open with a manicured nail. “What would you like to do? Shall we dress and go downstairs for dinner?”
“I don’t know. Since it’s obvious you’d rather put off my idea of croquet demonstrations under controlled
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