Sandra?”
“Talking in the kitchen. Sounded pretty intense.”
His left eyebrow rose. “I have a feeling they’ll be busy for quite a while.”
“I have that same feeling.” She watched him for signs of emotion, but he seemed calm about Sandra pairing off with his brother.
Good thing.
The cork came out with a soft pop, followed by a wisp of mist that looked like smoke. Jonas expertly poured the foaming gold into the glasses and handed her one. “Here’s to a beautiful night with a beautiful woman who has apparently time-traveled to be with me.”
“She has.” Allie sipped the cool, bubbly heaven, and sat gracefully in the chair he held out for her. “Your great-grandmother was quite the woman.”
“That’s what Grandma Bridget always told us. What made you think so?”
“Diaries. A pile of them.” Allie crossed her feet demurely at the ankles and sipped her champagne, which was so much better than the stuff she bought that she was retroactively embarrassed. “She kept one her whole life. Did you know?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You and Erik should take a look. I hope it’s okay that I’ve been reading them.”
“Sure.” He was watching her with a glint of warm amusement in his eyes. “What are you finding out about her?”
“She was a very smart woman. Very practical. Strong.” She sent Jonas a coy look from under her hat brim. “Very sexual.”
“Really.” He looked pained. “Do I want to know this about a relative?”
“She was quite the se-duc-tress.” Allie enunciated carefully, forming her lips and tongue around the word, giving it sensual weight.
The pained look dissipated; his gaze intensified. “Was she?”
“I learned quite a bit.”
“Tell me.” His voice turned husky.
“For example.” She took off the cloche, shook out her hair leisurely, enjoying the cool breeze on her scalp. “It’s a good idea to make a man want you until he can’t think of anything else.”
Jonas didn’t move. His eyes were trying to hold her prisoner.
“After that.” Allie blinked to break his power, saying a short prayer that she could pull this off as beautifully as she’d bet Josephine had. “You offer yourself, but only so far.”
“Because...”
“The big prize waits until you’re sure you have him.” She slowly pulled down the zipper in the side of the dress. “Until you get what you want.”
He swallowed, his eyes following her movements. “What did she want?”
“Marriage.” Allie stood, took hold of the hem of the dress and pulled it up and over her head, matter-of-factly turning it back right-side out and draping it carefully over the back of her chair. Then she sat again, leaning back, crossing her legs, and picked up her champagne again. “But I’m just after tonight.”
He was devouring her with his eyes, the swell of her breasts under the camisole, the length of her thigh emerging from the pink silk. “I can do that.”
She suppressed a laugh at his eagerness, tipped up her face, eyes closed, and let her hair stream back in the sudden breeze, enjoying the anticipation, her power, his desire, sending a thank-you up to Josephine who she hoped was watching, cheering her on.
Then she opened her eyes and smiled in pure happiness at the look on Jonas’s face. What woman didn’t want a crazy-hot man going brain-dead with lust over her?
His gaze darkened suspiciously. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Of course.” Allie feigned surprise. “Aren’t you?”
“Nope.” He shook his head, glancing down at his erection, clearly and impressively visible in his shorts. “I’m in agony.”
“Good things come to those who wait.” Her slight emphasis on “come” wasn’t wasted on him.
“You’re a good thing. I’m waiting.” He pushed his chair back from the table, and spread his arms. “ Come to me.”
Allie considered him gravely, then stood and walked to the railing, gazing out at the lake. “I’m not sure I’m ready to come
“Talking in the kitchen. Sounded pretty intense.”
His left eyebrow rose. “I have a feeling they’ll be busy for quite a while.”
“I have that same feeling.” She watched him for signs of emotion, but he seemed calm about Sandra pairing off with his brother.
Good thing.
The cork came out with a soft pop, followed by a wisp of mist that looked like smoke. Jonas expertly poured the foaming gold into the glasses and handed her one. “Here’s to a beautiful night with a beautiful woman who has apparently time-traveled to be with me.”
“She has.” Allie sipped the cool, bubbly heaven, and sat gracefully in the chair he held out for her. “Your great-grandmother was quite the woman.”
“That’s what Grandma Bridget always told us. What made you think so?”
“Diaries. A pile of them.” Allie crossed her feet demurely at the ankles and sipped her champagne, which was so much better than the stuff she bought that she was retroactively embarrassed. “She kept one her whole life. Did you know?”
“No, I didn’t.”
“You and Erik should take a look. I hope it’s okay that I’ve been reading them.”
“Sure.” He was watching her with a glint of warm amusement in his eyes. “What are you finding out about her?”
“She was a very smart woman. Very practical. Strong.” She sent Jonas a coy look from under her hat brim. “Very sexual.”
“Really.” He looked pained. “Do I want to know this about a relative?”
“She was quite the se-duc-tress.” Allie enunciated carefully, forming her lips and tongue around the word, giving it sensual weight.
The pained look dissipated; his gaze intensified. “Was she?”
“I learned quite a bit.”
“Tell me.” His voice turned husky.
“For example.” She took off the cloche, shook out her hair leisurely, enjoying the cool breeze on her scalp. “It’s a good idea to make a man want you until he can’t think of anything else.”
Jonas didn’t move. His eyes were trying to hold her prisoner.
“After that.” Allie blinked to break his power, saying a short prayer that she could pull this off as beautifully as she’d bet Josephine had. “You offer yourself, but only so far.”
“Because...”
“The big prize waits until you’re sure you have him.” She slowly pulled down the zipper in the side of the dress. “Until you get what you want.”
He swallowed, his eyes following her movements. “What did she want?”
“Marriage.” Allie stood, took hold of the hem of the dress and pulled it up and over her head, matter-of-factly turning it back right-side out and draping it carefully over the back of her chair. Then she sat again, leaning back, crossing her legs, and picked up her champagne again. “But I’m just after tonight.”
He was devouring her with his eyes, the swell of her breasts under the camisole, the length of her thigh emerging from the pink silk. “I can do that.”
She suppressed a laugh at his eagerness, tipped up her face, eyes closed, and let her hair stream back in the sudden breeze, enjoying the anticipation, her power, his desire, sending a thank-you up to Josephine who she hoped was watching, cheering her on.
Then she opened her eyes and smiled in pure happiness at the look on Jonas’s face. What woman didn’t want a crazy-hot man going brain-dead with lust over her?
His gaze darkened suspiciously. “You’re enjoying this, aren’t you?”
“Of course.” Allie feigned surprise. “Aren’t you?”
“Nope.” He shook his head, glancing down at his erection, clearly and impressively visible in his shorts. “I’m in agony.”
“Good things come to those who wait.” Her slight emphasis on “come” wasn’t wasted on him.
“You’re a good thing. I’m waiting.” He pushed his chair back from the table, and spread his arms. “ Come to me.”
Allie considered him gravely, then stood and walked to the railing, gazing out at the lake. “I’m not sure I’m ready to come
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