to find him standing over her, looking especially dapper in a black suit and maroon necktie.
“What on earth are you—”
He cut her off by taking her hand gently in his. “Please forgive my impertinence at arranging this luncheon. I prevailed upon a mutual friend to lure you here under false pretenses. I’m Brandon Sayer.”
“But Brandon—”
“More than anything, I’d like to get to know you,” he continued. “Would you allow me that honor?”
Jana’s heart fluttered wildly as the meaning of his charade dawned on her. A clandestine meeting, a plea to get to know her. He wanted them to start over.
Brandon placed his palm atop her hand, holding it just a trifle more firmly, and leaned down just a little. He gazed into her eyes. “Please?”
She couldn’t deny him. She didn’t want to deny him. Yet she knew she should. Knew it was for the best. But gazing into his eyes while her heart beat wildly, Jana couldn’t bring herself to say the words.
Maybe she could stay. Maybe things would work out. The notion flew through her mind. He might have changed—truly changed. Perhaps they could make things work—even after all that had happened.
Even after what had happened in London.
“Yes, please,” Jana said, surprised to hear how soft her own voice sounded. “Please, sit down.”
Brandon took the chair across the little round table from her, bringing on a flurry of waiters. Napkins unfurled, champagne poured.
“This is a lovely restaurant,” Jana said, glancing around. With the fading sunlight, the flickering candles reflected off the windows giving the room a romantic sparkle. “I’m surprised no one else is here—”
She stopped, and from the look on Brandon’s face, realized what he’d done.
“You secured this entire room,” she said. “Just for us.”
“I wanted your full attention.” The corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. “Selfish, yes. But worth it.”
“And you enlisted the aid of Leona Albright in this bit of subterfuge?”
“I did.”
“Likely, you also put off a number of business meetings and a great deal of work to be here.”
Brandon nodded. “Everything else can wait.”
“You went to a lot of trouble.”
“You’re nothing but trouble, Jana,” he told her with a crooked twist to his lips.
She giggled at his honesty. “And you’re sure you want to put up with that?”
The playful smile left his face. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
She fingered the single yellow rose he’d placed beside her plate. “My favorite.”
“You had those in your hands when you walked down the aisle at our wedding,” Brandon said. “Some blue flowers too. They matched the color of your eyes. There were small white flowers also.”
“You remember?” she asked, genuinely pleased.
Brandon gazed across the table at her. “I remember everything.”
The waiter served the soup and Jana expected their conversation to end. Brandon normally used the solitude of mealtime to think. So she was surprised when he spoke.
“What did you do today?” he asked.
He looked a bit uncomfortable asking the question. She could see that he was trying hard to do and say the right things.
Yet she didn’t want to tell him that she’d spent a portion of the day at her aunt’s hotel suite. He still didn’t seem to know that Aunt Maureen was in town and she preferred to keep it that way.
“The usual,” Jana said, sipping her soup. “Answering correspondence. We must be the most requested couple at social functions these days.”
“How about the renovations?” Brandon asked, finishing his soup.
“Coming along nicely,” Jana told him.
They finished supper, then lingered over dessert and coffee. Jana could see it was an effort for him. Brandon wasn’t one to sit with no real purpose, to make idle conversation. Yet he did just that.
When they returned home, Brandon walked upstairs with her and paused outside the door to her bedchamber. Jana’s
“What on earth are you—”
He cut her off by taking her hand gently in his. “Please forgive my impertinence at arranging this luncheon. I prevailed upon a mutual friend to lure you here under false pretenses. I’m Brandon Sayer.”
“But Brandon—”
“More than anything, I’d like to get to know you,” he continued. “Would you allow me that honor?”
Jana’s heart fluttered wildly as the meaning of his charade dawned on her. A clandestine meeting, a plea to get to know her. He wanted them to start over.
Brandon placed his palm atop her hand, holding it just a trifle more firmly, and leaned down just a little. He gazed into her eyes. “Please?”
She couldn’t deny him. She didn’t want to deny him. Yet she knew she should. Knew it was for the best. But gazing into his eyes while her heart beat wildly, Jana couldn’t bring herself to say the words.
Maybe she could stay. Maybe things would work out. The notion flew through her mind. He might have changed—truly changed. Perhaps they could make things work—even after all that had happened.
Even after what had happened in London.
“Yes, please,” Jana said, surprised to hear how soft her own voice sounded. “Please, sit down.”
Brandon took the chair across the little round table from her, bringing on a flurry of waiters. Napkins unfurled, champagne poured.
“This is a lovely restaurant,” Jana said, glancing around. With the fading sunlight, the flickering candles reflected off the windows giving the room a romantic sparkle. “I’m surprised no one else is here—”
She stopped, and from the look on Brandon’s face, realized what he’d done.
“You secured this entire room,” she said. “Just for us.”
“I wanted your full attention.” The corner of his mouth lifted ever so slightly. “Selfish, yes. But worth it.”
“And you enlisted the aid of Leona Albright in this bit of subterfuge?”
“I did.”
“Likely, you also put off a number of business meetings and a great deal of work to be here.”
Brandon nodded. “Everything else can wait.”
“You went to a lot of trouble.”
“You’re nothing but trouble, Jana,” he told her with a crooked twist to his lips.
She giggled at his honesty. “And you’re sure you want to put up with that?”
The playful smile left his face. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.”
She fingered the single yellow rose he’d placed beside her plate. “My favorite.”
“You had those in your hands when you walked down the aisle at our wedding,” Brandon said. “Some blue flowers too. They matched the color of your eyes. There were small white flowers also.”
“You remember?” she asked, genuinely pleased.
Brandon gazed across the table at her. “I remember everything.”
The waiter served the soup and Jana expected their conversation to end. Brandon normally used the solitude of mealtime to think. So she was surprised when he spoke.
“What did you do today?” he asked.
He looked a bit uncomfortable asking the question. She could see that he was trying hard to do and say the right things.
Yet she didn’t want to tell him that she’d spent a portion of the day at her aunt’s hotel suite. He still didn’t seem to know that Aunt Maureen was in town and she preferred to keep it that way.
“The usual,” Jana said, sipping her soup. “Answering correspondence. We must be the most requested couple at social functions these days.”
“How about the renovations?” Brandon asked, finishing his soup.
“Coming along nicely,” Jana told him.
They finished supper, then lingered over dessert and coffee. Jana could see it was an effort for him. Brandon wasn’t one to sit with no real purpose, to make idle conversation. Yet he did just that.
When they returned home, Brandon walked upstairs with her and paused outside the door to her bedchamber. Jana’s
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