its effect on her senses, though. The musky fragrance of his shaving lotion was an erotic stimulant, wafting near her face in an enveloping cloud. There was a latent sensuality to his disturbing masculinity. His near-black eyes were lazily focused on her lips, moistened in nervousness. Lisa was left in little doubt as to what direction his interest was taking. Her pulse refused to behave normally, skipping beats when she needed most to remain calm.
"I've had time to think about our conversation—or should I call it confrontation—the other night." There was a decidedly caressing tone to his low voice. His thumb slid beneath the cuff of her sleeve to the inside of her wrist, rubbing her pulse point with disturbing results.
"What about it?" Lisa had to swallow the breathless catch in her voice.
"I've decided that it's mutually defeating to declare war on each other."
The lazy softening of his hard mouth into a smile was a bit too potent in its charm for Lisa to handle. She looked beyond him to the dark mound of a cannon, a relic of the Civil War permanently mounted in the garden. Its barrel pointed across the bay waters to the distant fortress of Fort Sumter.
"What are you suggesting?" There, Lisa sighed inwardly. She sounded much more in control of herself when she issued that question.
"That we effect a compromise."
"What kind?" The smoke blue lenses of her glasses shaded the green of her eyes, but they didn't lessen the sharpness of the look she darted at Slade.
"The kind that lets us join forces."
"Impossible!"
"Why is it impossible?" Slade argued smoothly. "Why should we keep fighting one another? We'd both end up losing."
He still believed she was intervening because she wanted Mitzi's money. That was what he wanted, and he obviously believed it was the only thing she was interested in. Lisa hesitated. Perhaps this was another way of gaining the proof against him that she needed.
Slade noticed her hesitation and pressed his advantage. "It makes sense, doesn't it?"
"Perhaps," Lisa conceded, at least temporarily until she could think his suggestion through. She moved her wrist slightly against his hold. "Please, I'd like to walk." What she really needed was to get some distance between them so she could think clearly.
Obligingly Slade released her wrist and fell in step beside her when she pushed away from the tree trunk. But she didn't obtain the complete separation she desired. Vaguely possessive, his hand rested on the lower curve of her spine. The smooth material made his touch seem all the more sensuous against her skin.
She was much too aware of the man at her side, aware of him as a man. She had to remind herself of the character of the man beneath the tall, muscular physique. If she had needed any confirmation, she had received it a moment ago when he had suggested they work together to obtain Mitzi's money. She almost had to agree to go along with hint so she could prove to Mitzi what Slade Blackwell really was.
Her attention shifted to the body of water glistening ahead of her in the twilight. The White Point Garden was located virtually on the tip of the peninsula of Old Charleston. Lisa's steps faltered, slowing almost to a stop as she stared at the water.
The surface was smooth and reflecting, giving no indication of the current flowing underneath. It reminded her of Slade. She had no idea what was going on inside his mind.
"The Ashley River," Slade quietly identified the body of water. "This is where the Ashley and the Cooper rivers flow together to form the Atlantic Ocean," he explained, voicing the whimsical tongue-in-cheek claim of the Charlestonians.
"I'm not interested in a geography lesson," Lisa returned impatiently, She turned to face him, tipping her head back slightly to see his features. "How do I know I can trust you?"
"How do I know I can trust you?" he countered.
"That's not an answer."
"The answer is we would have to trust each other."
"Honor among thieves and all
"I've had time to think about our conversation—or should I call it confrontation—the other night." There was a decidedly caressing tone to his low voice. His thumb slid beneath the cuff of her sleeve to the inside of her wrist, rubbing her pulse point with disturbing results.
"What about it?" Lisa had to swallow the breathless catch in her voice.
"I've decided that it's mutually defeating to declare war on each other."
The lazy softening of his hard mouth into a smile was a bit too potent in its charm for Lisa to handle. She looked beyond him to the dark mound of a cannon, a relic of the Civil War permanently mounted in the garden. Its barrel pointed across the bay waters to the distant fortress of Fort Sumter.
"What are you suggesting?" There, Lisa sighed inwardly. She sounded much more in control of herself when she issued that question.
"That we effect a compromise."
"What kind?" The smoke blue lenses of her glasses shaded the green of her eyes, but they didn't lessen the sharpness of the look she darted at Slade.
"The kind that lets us join forces."
"Impossible!"
"Why is it impossible?" Slade argued smoothly. "Why should we keep fighting one another? We'd both end up losing."
He still believed she was intervening because she wanted Mitzi's money. That was what he wanted, and he obviously believed it was the only thing she was interested in. Lisa hesitated. Perhaps this was another way of gaining the proof against him that she needed.
Slade noticed her hesitation and pressed his advantage. "It makes sense, doesn't it?"
"Perhaps," Lisa conceded, at least temporarily until she could think his suggestion through. She moved her wrist slightly against his hold. "Please, I'd like to walk." What she really needed was to get some distance between them so she could think clearly.
Obligingly Slade released her wrist and fell in step beside her when she pushed away from the tree trunk. But she didn't obtain the complete separation she desired. Vaguely possessive, his hand rested on the lower curve of her spine. The smooth material made his touch seem all the more sensuous against her skin.
She was much too aware of the man at her side, aware of him as a man. She had to remind herself of the character of the man beneath the tall, muscular physique. If she had needed any confirmation, she had received it a moment ago when he had suggested they work together to obtain Mitzi's money. She almost had to agree to go along with hint so she could prove to Mitzi what Slade Blackwell really was.
Her attention shifted to the body of water glistening ahead of her in the twilight. The White Point Garden was located virtually on the tip of the peninsula of Old Charleston. Lisa's steps faltered, slowing almost to a stop as she stared at the water.
The surface was smooth and reflecting, giving no indication of the current flowing underneath. It reminded her of Slade. She had no idea what was going on inside his mind.
"The Ashley River," Slade quietly identified the body of water. "This is where the Ashley and the Cooper rivers flow together to form the Atlantic Ocean," he explained, voicing the whimsical tongue-in-cheek claim of the Charlestonians.
"I'm not interested in a geography lesson," Lisa returned impatiently, She turned to face him, tipping her head back slightly to see his features. "How do I know I can trust you?"
"How do I know I can trust you?" he countered.
"That's not an answer."
"The answer is we would have to trust each other."
"Honor among thieves and all
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