long we’ve been together, that sort of thing.”
“Right. Game plan. You’re the expert at these games.”
She felt a sudden chill in the room. “Would you prefer Ed knew what we were up to?”
“No.”
“Good. Then how did we meet?”
“Through Dana,” he replied with a mocking glint in his black eyes. “She owns Expressions, the art gallery on Pine. She invited you there three weeks ago. We met in front of Carlo Pantolino’s Deception . Are you familiar with his work?”
Who didn’t know Carlo Pantolino? He was only the biggest up-and-coming artist in town. Everyone was scrambling to buy his art, and Deception was his latest piece of work depicting a nude couple with a third man in the background. The artist had been very vocal about his personal life, and how his wife had run off with another man. All his paintings illustrated his pain and humiliation with her deceit.
Kate bit her tongue, refusing to rise to his jibe. She needed him, too. She’d weighed the pros and cons of his proposal after he’d left her office that afternoon and realized he was right. Her research would be more authentic if the observer was a man who dated bad girls. That’s why he’d seemed confident she’d go along with him.
“How long have we been dating?” she asked stiffly.
“Three weeks.”
“Why did we break up?”
“You deceived me,” he replied calmly.
Kate tensed. This time she couldn’t ignore his jab. “I’ve already forgiven yours and Dana’s deception. Can’t you offer me the same courtesy?” She pursed her lips. “Furthermore, before you pass judgment on me, I suggest you read my books and tell me some woman who has lost hope wouldn’t benefit from my professional advice.”
His brows came down, hooding his expression. “Perhaps I should read your books.”
His comment took her by surprise. “You would?”
“Yes.” He looked at his watch. “We should get going.”
She was still surprised as she made her way upstairs to her bedroom to collect the black sateen purse she’d bought to match her outfit. She wondered about the man downstairs. Her own brothers-in-law had never offered to read her books, and Kate always understood why. Men didn’t want to read books that told them what they were doing wrong. Yet, Adam offered to.
Did that mean he was, at the very least, entertaining the thought that he may have been too quick to pass judgment on her?
Downstairs, she found him standing in front of her wall unit, staring at three miniature wooden castles encased in glass. A similar engraving was below each one. Love, Joey, 2007. Love, Joey, 2008. Love, Joey, 2009 . A smile sprang to her lips.
Sensing her presence, Adam turned around. “An admirer?”
“A nine-year-old admirer. Joey Billings. A little boy I met a few years ago. He builds me a castle every year.”
She expected him to ask her why, but he didn’t. He turned back to look at the castles. “They’re quite good. This boy’s talented.”
“Yes. And he’s a sweetheart.”
Adam’s face was unreadable when he faced her again. Kate had the sneaking suspicion he knew more than he let on. Had this been in the private investigator’s file on her? Kate couldn’t help feeling exposed.
“Are you ready to go?”
She nodded. They decided to take his car to the restaurant. They drove in silence and Kate wondered why he seemed brooding, intense.
At the restaurant the host ushered them to their table. There were quite a few people at reception and Adam placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her away from the milling crowds. Kate tried to ignore the intense heat on her back where his hand touched her gently.
She was relieved when they finally reached their table and he drew back her chair.
“Thank you,” she said, taking her seat.
He sat down, shooting her a frown. “I suggest you lose the scowl.”
Kate’s brow rose. “I’m not scowling.”
“You’re scowling,” he replied, reaching across the table to
“Right. Game plan. You’re the expert at these games.”
She felt a sudden chill in the room. “Would you prefer Ed knew what we were up to?”
“No.”
“Good. Then how did we meet?”
“Through Dana,” he replied with a mocking glint in his black eyes. “She owns Expressions, the art gallery on Pine. She invited you there three weeks ago. We met in front of Carlo Pantolino’s Deception . Are you familiar with his work?”
Who didn’t know Carlo Pantolino? He was only the biggest up-and-coming artist in town. Everyone was scrambling to buy his art, and Deception was his latest piece of work depicting a nude couple with a third man in the background. The artist had been very vocal about his personal life, and how his wife had run off with another man. All his paintings illustrated his pain and humiliation with her deceit.
Kate bit her tongue, refusing to rise to his jibe. She needed him, too. She’d weighed the pros and cons of his proposal after he’d left her office that afternoon and realized he was right. Her research would be more authentic if the observer was a man who dated bad girls. That’s why he’d seemed confident she’d go along with him.
“How long have we been dating?” she asked stiffly.
“Three weeks.”
“Why did we break up?”
“You deceived me,” he replied calmly.
Kate tensed. This time she couldn’t ignore his jab. “I’ve already forgiven yours and Dana’s deception. Can’t you offer me the same courtesy?” She pursed her lips. “Furthermore, before you pass judgment on me, I suggest you read my books and tell me some woman who has lost hope wouldn’t benefit from my professional advice.”
His brows came down, hooding his expression. “Perhaps I should read your books.”
His comment took her by surprise. “You would?”
“Yes.” He looked at his watch. “We should get going.”
She was still surprised as she made her way upstairs to her bedroom to collect the black sateen purse she’d bought to match her outfit. She wondered about the man downstairs. Her own brothers-in-law had never offered to read her books, and Kate always understood why. Men didn’t want to read books that told them what they were doing wrong. Yet, Adam offered to.
Did that mean he was, at the very least, entertaining the thought that he may have been too quick to pass judgment on her?
Downstairs, she found him standing in front of her wall unit, staring at three miniature wooden castles encased in glass. A similar engraving was below each one. Love, Joey, 2007. Love, Joey, 2008. Love, Joey, 2009 . A smile sprang to her lips.
Sensing her presence, Adam turned around. “An admirer?”
“A nine-year-old admirer. Joey Billings. A little boy I met a few years ago. He builds me a castle every year.”
She expected him to ask her why, but he didn’t. He turned back to look at the castles. “They’re quite good. This boy’s talented.”
“Yes. And he’s a sweetheart.”
Adam’s face was unreadable when he faced her again. Kate had the sneaking suspicion he knew more than he let on. Had this been in the private investigator’s file on her? Kate couldn’t help feeling exposed.
“Are you ready to go?”
She nodded. They decided to take his car to the restaurant. They drove in silence and Kate wondered why he seemed brooding, intense.
At the restaurant the host ushered them to their table. There were quite a few people at reception and Adam placed his hand on the small of her back to guide her away from the milling crowds. Kate tried to ignore the intense heat on her back where his hand touched her gently.
She was relieved when they finally reached their table and he drew back her chair.
“Thank you,” she said, taking her seat.
He sat down, shooting her a frown. “I suggest you lose the scowl.”
Kate’s brow rose. “I’m not scowling.”
“You’re scowling,” he replied, reaching across the table to
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