A Decent Proposal

The evening air was cool, but not cold. As they strolled slowly down the cement path she noticed the moon peeking through the pine trees scattered over the grassy area.

“Did you know there was a full moon tonight?” she asked.

“No.” He looked up. “But now that you mention it, this one is more beautiful than it is in Chicago.”

“It occurs to me that the stage is perfectly set for romance. It’s just a darn shame this is all going to waste on us.”

“How do you mean?”

“We’re just playing at it.”

“That’s the rumor,” he answered mysteriously.

“And speaking of starting rumors...” She’d intended to express her gratitude for dinner the next time she saw him but hadn’t realized she’d be alone with him quite so soon. But now was as good a time as any. “I just wanted to tell you how much I appreciate what you’re doing for my dad. I didn’t expect you to buy dinner tonight and I appreciate that so much. If you’d like I can reimburse you—”

“Of course not. Why would you think that?”

“I didn’t mean to offend you. And I don’t want to take advantage of you. You’re doing me a favor so I feel as if I should take the financial responsibility.”

“No.” He shook his head. “For so many reasons. But I sincerely meant what I said about it being my pleasure. I like your father. And he’s a lucky man. Loretta is a wonderful woman. So I’m happy to give their happy ending a nudge.”

How sweet was that?

She leaned into him just a little. “And I mean it when I say how appreciative I am for your participation.” She thought about his moves from the moment he stared at her when she walked in, the kiss on the cheek, meaningful glances through dinner. Meeting his gaze, she said, “You’re very good at this. The pretending, I mean. Should I be worried?”

“I’m getting whiplash. You went from appreciative to worried in a nanosecond.”

“Don’t get me wrong. I’m thankful for your talent but it makes me think you have practice.”

“No.” He laughed. “Just chalk it up to negotiating skills put to another purpose. I pay attention to details. I’m results-oriented and logistics are my strong suit.”

“Well, you’re playing your part to the hilt. That’s really unexpected.”

“Call me an overachiever.” He stopped suddenly and looked down at her, something dark and exciting drifting into his eyes. “But consider this—did it ever occur to you that I’m not playing?”

She wasn’t able to completely absorb the meaning of his words before he lowered his mouth to hers. The touch was soft and sweet. Seeking and seductive. His hand moved over her back, fingers brushing the bare skin. Shivers slid up and down her spine and her nerve endings started to dance. Heat balled in her belly when he put his arm around her waist and settled her more firmly against him.

It wasn’t supposed to happen, but she kissed him back. She couldn’t stop herself, didn’t want to. Had she unknowingly given off vibes? Somehow let him know how attractive she found him? Whatever the reason, she was enjoying the heck out of this.

When he pulled back and looked at her, she could hear and see that his breathing was unsteady. She would have taken a great deal of satisfaction from that fact except hers was ragged, too. That wasn’t good.

They stared at each other for several moments and she knew she had to say something. Keep it light, she thought. “That was a nice touch. Like I said, acting is your strong suit. But I’m surprised that you kissed me.”

“The fact that you’re a beautiful woman doesn’t explain my motivation?”

Oh, how she wanted to be flattered, but it wasn’t wise to go there. “It would, except that you’ve been seen with some of the world’s most beautiful women.”

“But none of them can keep the engine in my car purring like a kitten. And I don’t mean that as a double entendre. You are a rare, unusual and special woman.”

“Thank you.” With every fiber of her being she wanted to believe that. “But remember we have to keep our eye on the ball. There are lofty goals at stake.”

“It’s never far from my mind.”

“Good. Then you understand when I say that you can’t be kissing me for no reason.”

“Maybe I had one.” He indicated the light just beside them that made their every move visible to the people milling around the lodge patio not far away. A member of the staff was straightening the outdoor furniture.

“So we could be seen. It’s what a man dating a woman would do.”

How silly was she to be even the tiniest bit disappointed to learn that he didn’t mean it? Later she would give herself a stern talking-to about how ridiculous her reaction was.

“Yes. And speaking of dating, we have to plan our next move. Your father’s remark about looking forward to getting to know me better was his way of letting us know he’s watching.”

“I got that, too.”

And she got something else from tonight. A warning that her control regarding Burke Holden was nothing but an illusion. He was a strong man, a powerful man accustomed to getting his own way. She’d dated guys and broken up with them and never looked back, but she had a sneaking suspicion that this could be different.

That didn’t make her happy, but unfortunately she was stuck.

Chapter Four (#ulink_718a8521-7635-5b72-bf7f-2397b4c6d34c)

On his way to the county buildings on the other side of Blackwater Lake, Burke drove past McKnight Auto and glanced over. Several cars were lined up waiting for service orders to be written up, but there was no sign of Sydney. He hadn’t realized how much he’d hoped for a glimpse of her until he didn’t get one. If she hadn’t approached him with her unorthodox proposal, would he have asked her out?

On his part the attraction had been instantaneous so there was a better-than-even chance he would have. But after dinner with her father and the mayor the other night, it was crystal clear that if he’d followed his usual pattern of avoiding a woman he would have missed something...exciting? Special? Life-changing?

Maybe all of the above. But whatever happened, this thing could never be permanent. When it came to his personal life, permanent and forever weren’t part of the vocabulary.

He turned left onto Mountain Street and drove a couple of blocks. The city and county government offices were on the right. He knew where the mayor’s office was, having been there several times, and the construction-permits office was somewhere under the same roof.

He parked in the rear lot and walked through the heavy glass doors into the lobby. There was a directory on the wall and Burke saw that the building inspector’s office number was located on the second floor. There was an elevator, but he found the stairs and headed up. Too many hours behind a desk could add weight to his midsection. He worked out daily at the lodge fitness center but never missed an opportunity to move more.

When he was home, Liam frequently asked him to play ball, any kind. Baseball, football, soccer. Too often Burke had to say no because of work commitments. He wished he could delegate a lot of details and be home more, but he’d tried that a few times and there was no one he trusted enough. Things got missed, delays resulted and when that happened it cost the company millions. Burke was building an already successful business with his cousin Sloan and someday it would be Liam’s. He felt an obligation to leave it more profitable than he’d found it.

Burke located the office and went inside. There was a waiting area with a couch, chairs and a coffee table. A high desk was situated on the left and he walked over. A blonde woman somewhere in her late thirties or early forties was standing there.

“Hi. I’m Burke Holden.”

“Sally Gardiner,” she said, introducing herself. “I’ve heard about you.”

“Really?” He in no way meant to flirt, but what was a guy supposed to say to that? Just be friendly. “I hope it was positive.”

“You’re the fella who’s building that new resort up on the mountain. You’ve got a flashy red sports car. And you had dinner with Sydney McKnight and her dad and the mayor at the Fireside the other night.”

“News travels fast. And it’s all true,” he said.

“Generally stories being passed around town are factual and details aren’t made up or exaggerated.” She grinned. “Folks here in Blackwater Lake take pride in the integrity of our rumor mill.”

“Good to know,” he said.