had only his word that the unknown man in the Jaguar was an accessory to blackmail.
But before her mind could even get started on that train of thought, she stopped herself with a frown. No, Kate. It won't work, she admitted silently. She couldn't even call up the smallest doubt about Alex's sincerity. It had been too strong in his face and in his voice when he had told her about his friend's problem.
It was truth time, she decided in resignation. His reasons for chasing across the French countryside after an unknown man were not important. What was important was why she had chosen to come with him.
Was it really a yearning for adventure or even a belief that fate had brought them together to test her? Or could it be nothing more complicated than the fact that she was attracted to him and wanted to be with him?
She realized ruefully that the last possibility had the ring of truth, but where did that get her? She was attracted to him and he obviously felt the same about her, but she had been attracted to men before, although never like this. Why was this time different? And where was it all leading?
Suddenly she looked up and found Alex kneeling beside her. Quickly she drew a curtain on the thoughts spinning around in her mind and smiled her greeting.
"I was wrong," he said quietly. "Your eyes aren't brown. They're caramel." His voice held amazement, as though he had discovered something miraculous.
Kate lowered her eyes, wishing she had had more time to think about him. This was no ordinary attraction. His tone and the look in his eyes as well as his words brought a flood of warmth to her body. It took a major effort on her part to keep from reaching out to him.
"Good morning," she said as she pulled herself upright, her voice sounding uncharacteristically reserved.
"Good morning." He chuckled. "While you were sleeping I've been busy." He placed a wrapped and tied package in her lap. "I thought you might appreciate a change of clothes. It's only jeans, T-shirt, and sneakers, but at least they won't look like you slept in them."
Kate felt her reserve slip away at his easygoing tone. "Are you suggesting that I'm rumpled?" she asked, glancing at him from the corner of her eye as she tore off the brown paper wrapping.
"On you, rumpled looks stunning," he said gallantly, pulling something from under the stack of clothing.
"A toothbrush!" she exclaimed, cradling the blue brush. "You're an angel. I can't get started until I brush my teeth." She paused and glanced quickly around the small barn, seeing it for the first time in daylight. "Alex . . . um . . . where's the powder room in this hotel?"
"I was afraid you were going to ask that," he said ruefully. "I'm afraid the powder room consists of an outhouse and a pump beside the trough in the yard."
"A pump?" she echoed in astonishment. "I've never seen a real pump. Are you sure it works? I didn't think anyone still used them."
He nodded, smiling at her pleasure. "It works. It's probably left over from days gone by. I imagine they have running water in—"
"Wait—wait a second," she said, her eyes narrowing. "Did you say outhouse ... as in half-moon-on-the-door, two-holer, drafts-on-the-cheeks outdoor latrine? That kind of outhouse?"
He nodded, trying to keep his face straight. "I'm afraid so. It's either that or wait until we get to a gas station."<
"Some choice," she muttered, then shrugged in resignation. "Never let it be said that Kate Sullivan lacked the pioneer spirit that made America what it is today... a place with nice, shiny indoor bathrooms."
Ignoring his laughter, she gathered her new clothes together, then stood up, enthusiasm building at the thought of a new day despite the limited facilities. She had felt excitement stirring as soon as she found Alex kneeling beside her. It was like an electric aura that surrounded him, touching her when he was near, but disappearing when he did.
She spent as little time as possible in the small outhouse;
But before her mind could even get started on that train of thought, she stopped herself with a frown. No, Kate. It won't work, she admitted silently. She couldn't even call up the smallest doubt about Alex's sincerity. It had been too strong in his face and in his voice when he had told her about his friend's problem.
It was truth time, she decided in resignation. His reasons for chasing across the French countryside after an unknown man were not important. What was important was why she had chosen to come with him.
Was it really a yearning for adventure or even a belief that fate had brought them together to test her? Or could it be nothing more complicated than the fact that she was attracted to him and wanted to be with him?
She realized ruefully that the last possibility had the ring of truth, but where did that get her? She was attracted to him and he obviously felt the same about her, but she had been attracted to men before, although never like this. Why was this time different? And where was it all leading?
Suddenly she looked up and found Alex kneeling beside her. Quickly she drew a curtain on the thoughts spinning around in her mind and smiled her greeting.
"I was wrong," he said quietly. "Your eyes aren't brown. They're caramel." His voice held amazement, as though he had discovered something miraculous.
Kate lowered her eyes, wishing she had had more time to think about him. This was no ordinary attraction. His tone and the look in his eyes as well as his words brought a flood of warmth to her body. It took a major effort on her part to keep from reaching out to him.
"Good morning," she said as she pulled herself upright, her voice sounding uncharacteristically reserved.
"Good morning." He chuckled. "While you were sleeping I've been busy." He placed a wrapped and tied package in her lap. "I thought you might appreciate a change of clothes. It's only jeans, T-shirt, and sneakers, but at least they won't look like you slept in them."
Kate felt her reserve slip away at his easygoing tone. "Are you suggesting that I'm rumpled?" she asked, glancing at him from the corner of her eye as she tore off the brown paper wrapping.
"On you, rumpled looks stunning," he said gallantly, pulling something from under the stack of clothing.
"A toothbrush!" she exclaimed, cradling the blue brush. "You're an angel. I can't get started until I brush my teeth." She paused and glanced quickly around the small barn, seeing it for the first time in daylight. "Alex . . . um . . . where's the powder room in this hotel?"
"I was afraid you were going to ask that," he said ruefully. "I'm afraid the powder room consists of an outhouse and a pump beside the trough in the yard."
"A pump?" she echoed in astonishment. "I've never seen a real pump. Are you sure it works? I didn't think anyone still used them."
He nodded, smiling at her pleasure. "It works. It's probably left over from days gone by. I imagine they have running water in—"
"Wait—wait a second," she said, her eyes narrowing. "Did you say outhouse ... as in half-moon-on-the-door, two-holer, drafts-on-the-cheeks outdoor latrine? That kind of outhouse?"
He nodded, trying to keep his face straight. "I'm afraid so. It's either that or wait until we get to a gas station."<
"Some choice," she muttered, then shrugged in resignation. "Never let it be said that Kate Sullivan lacked the pioneer spirit that made America what it is today... a place with nice, shiny indoor bathrooms."
Ignoring his laughter, she gathered her new clothes together, then stood up, enthusiasm building at the thought of a new day despite the limited facilities. She had felt excitement stirring as soon as she found Alex kneeling beside her. It was like an electric aura that surrounded him, touching her when he was near, but disappearing when he did.
She spent as little time as possible in the small outhouse;
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