A Decent Proposal. Teresa Southwick

      She shivered at the male approval clearly etched on his face. “I’m tough. Have you ever heard that Ginger Rogers did everything Fred Astaire did, only backwards and in heels?”

      “I have actually. But I’m not quite sure what your point is since we’re not dancing.”

      Says who? she thought.

      “I’m not quite sure I had one,” she admitted. “But as you probably know, there’s a lighted walking path on the lodge grounds with benches here and there. If my feet can’t take it, we can stop.”

      “A walk sounds good. It’s a beautiful evening.”

      Burke put his fingers over hers, trapping her hand on his arm as they walked out the rear exit. To anyone observing them, they were a couple. Body language to support the story.

      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.