The Reluctant Heiress

“That was quick,” he said, glancing across the room. “Seemed nice enough. Wealthy enough, too. Last week he bought your painting from me without hesitation. Now, a week later, he’s buying another one. The man knows what he likes.”

“I see the Santerros. I have to speak to them.”

“Have fun this evening,” Edgar said as she left him.

“I intend to,” she stated softly. “Garrett Cantrell,” she repeated, glancing back to see him at the desk, handing a business card to Barry. Her gaze drifted over his long legs while her heartbeat quickened. Dressed in a navy suit with a snowy dress shirt and gold cuff links, the handsome man was a standout even in the well-dressed crowd.

She spent the next hour all too aware of where Garrett stood.

When she saw him talking to a couple she recognized, she waited until he moved away, then worked her way around to them.

“How are the Trents tonight?” she asked.

“Fine,” Jason Trent answered.

“We love your new paintings,” Meg Trent said. “Thanks for the invitation.”

“Thank you for attending. I saw you talking to Garrett Cantrell. I just met him, but it looked as if you two already know him.”

“We do,” Jason replied. “I lease a building from his company. He keeps up with whether everything is going smoothly, which it is. Good bunch to work with.”

“We’re getting one of your watercolors for the family room,” Meg said. “It’s the one with the little boy and the burro.”

“I’m glad you like that one. I hope you enjoy having it in your home.”

“You’re a prolific painter,” Jason remarked.

“I enjoy it.”

“More than the financial world,” he said, smiling.

“I have no regrets about changing careers.”

“That’s what I keep trying to talk Meg into doing—She’d love to have a dress shop.”

“Accounting seems to hold fewer risks. You’re established now, but weren’t you nervous when you started?” Meg asked.

“I suppose, but it was absolutely worth it,” Sophia said. “It was nice to see you both,” she added, moving on, aware of Garrett across the gallery talking to two people. She wondered whether he knew them, too.

She stopped at the desk to look at his card. “Cantrell Properties Inc.” It was a plain card with a downtown address, logo and phone number, but little else. She returned it to the drawer.

Garrett appeared at her side. “Can you leave? You still have quite a few people here.”

“I can leave. My staff can manage quite well. They weren’t expecting me to be here tonight anyway.”

“I’m glad you are,” he said.

“We can go out the back way and it’ll be less noticeable.” She led him through a door, down a hallway that opened onto offices, a mailroom and a studio and out the back into a parking lot where five cars were parked. Four tall lampposts illuminated the area as brightly as if it were day. A security guard sat in a cubicle watching a small television. He stepped to the door.

“Good night, Miss Rivers.”

“I’ll be back after a while to get my car, Teddy.”

“Sure thing. Evening, sir,” he said, nodding at Garrett who greeted him in return.

“My car is in front,” Garrett said, taking her arm.

“It’s a nice night. We can walk if you want,” she said, pleasantly aware of his height because she was taller than some men she knew and as tall as many.

“I saw you talking to Meg and Jason Trent. Jason said he leased property from you.”

“Yes, he’s a good tenant,” he said. “They like your art.”

“I’ve had a gratifying response from people,” she said.

They entered the bright hotel lobby, then the darkened bar where a pianist played a ballad for couples who were dancing.

Garrett got a booth with a small lamp at the end of the table. It spilled a golden glow over his fascinating features, highlighting his prominent cheekbones and leaving the planes of his cheeks in dark shadows. She felt breathless again, a steady hum of excitement that she couldn’t explain.

They ordered drinks—a cold beer for him and an iced soda for her. When they came, he raised his glass in a toast. “Here’s to a new friendship. May it grow.”

“A toast to friendship,” she repeated, touching his cold bottle lightly. She sipped her soda and set the glass down.

He reached across the table to take her hand, his warm fingers enveloping hers. Again, a current streaked through her like lightning. “Shall we dance?”

As she stood, he shed his coat and tie, folding them once on the seat of the booth.

Sophia followed him to the small dance floor and stepped into his embrace. Her hand was in his, her other hand on his shoulder, feeling the warmth of him through the fine cotton shirt. She enjoyed dancing around the floor, aware of how well they moved together. He was agile, light on his feet.

“I’ve been waiting all evening for this moment,” he said, setting her heart fluttering again. She had never had such an instant and intense reaction to a man. “I’m glad I decided to come tonight. I didn’t expect to see the artist, but I knew I would enjoy looking at your art. Now, the whole world has changed.”

She smiled. “I don’t think it’s been a world-changing night,” she said, though she actually agreed with him. She wasn’t sure things would ever be the same after having met Garrett Cantrell.

“The night isn’t over yet,” he reminded her, obviously flirting.

She slanted him a look. “Perhaps you’ll change my mind.”

“That’s a challenge I’ll gladly take.”

The ballad ended and a faster number began. Garrett released her and she put a little distance between them. The man had sexy moves that set her pulse at a faster pace. She was unable to tear her gaze from his until she forced herself to turn and the spell was broken.

By the time the music finished, she needed to catch her breath.

Garrett took her hand. “Shall we go back to our drinks?”

They returned to the booth. He loosened the top buttons of his shirt. The temperature climbed a notch and her desire revved with it.

Her cell phone chimed. She looked down, reading a brief text from Edgar.