Page 24 of Bride By Committee

“You’re wasting time. And that’s one thing we don’t have.” She continued around him and reached for his tie, working the knot. “You and I are going on a picnic.”

“A picnic.” He lifted an eyebrow. “A picnic where time is of the essence?”

The tie came free and next she applied herself to the buttons at his throat. “Blame it on Sunny. She didn’t give me much warning.” Madison paused, clutching the collar of his shirt as she considered. “You know… If it were anyone else, I’d suspect it was deliberate. This little outing came up with suspicious speed.”

“Are you saying Sunny is devious?”

She glared in outrage. “Not in the least.”

“Then we can safely assume this picnic is spur of the moment.”

Madison fought off any lingering doubts. “Of course.” She slanted Harry a quick, assessing glance as she applied herself to more buttons. “Your father won’t mind Sunny’s impulsiveness, will he?”

“Sorry to crush your hopes, but he won’t mind in the least.” He caught her hands before they could progress any further, pressing them firmly against his chest. “Are you finished undressing me?”

His heartbeat thundered beneath her palms and she suddenly realized how her actions might have been interpreted—or misinterpreted. His shirt gaped, revealing crisp brown hair and a hint of a chest she’d already discovered was impressively broad and muscle-ridged.

She snatched her hands away and stepped hastily backward. “Yes, I’m finished. All finished. Completely finished. As finished as it’s possible to be. I’ll let you take over from here.” She motioned urgently. “What are you waiting for? Go. Get changed.”

He didn’t budge. “In a minute. First, you have a choice to make, sweetheart.”

“Choice?” The word caught in her throat and she tried again. “What choice?”

“We can go on a picnic or we can continue what you’ve started. Which will it be? Indoor fun and games, or outdoor?”

She moistened her lips, horrified to discover that she actually had to take a moment to weigh her options. “Outdoor,” she finally whispered.

“You sure?”

“Yes.”

“In that case, wait here.”

It wasn’t what either of them wanted, but she summoned up the wherewithal to keep her strappy little sandals glued to the parquet foyer of his hotel suite. It dawned on her then that it was a suite, and quite a fancy one atthat.

Situated at one end was a kitchenette connected to a small, formal dining area. To her left she could see a room used as either a den or office and a huge living area with a spectacular view of Seattle and Puget Sound. It reminded her of their evening at House Milano.

Harry had disappeared through a doorway on the far side of the living room, no doubt leading to the bedroom. She itched to explore and when he didn’t make an immediate reappearance, she gave in to her curiosity.

The kitchen was fully equipped and she had the disconcerting impression the kitchen had been stocked with Harry’s preferences in mind. She’d suspected from the start that he was good at his job, but perhaps he was even more important than she’d realized.

Abreakfast nook had just enough room for a small table. Placemats, dinnerware, and cutlery for two had been laid in preparation for his next meal. She stared at the intimate setting for a long time. Did Harry have a traveling companion she didn’t know about? Or had the table been set for two in case he chose to entertain a casual visitor. The thought was an unsettlingone.

Escaping the kitchen, she crossed to the dining room. Ahutch contained an elegant set of Lenox china and stunning hand-cut Bohemian lead crystal to be used for more formal dining occasions. Arrangements of fresh cut flowers overflowed the dining room table, as well as dotting various surfaces in the living room. The colors reminded her of Harry, strong greens and golds, accented with bold red peonies.

Glancing toward the office, she resisted the urge to explore any further. The desk revealed a laptop computer and an assortment of neatly stacked files and papers. She doubted Harry would appreciate her invading his work environment. Some places were sacrosanct and she respectedthat.

Crossing to the bank of windows she examined the bustle of tugs and ships in the harbor, abustle mirrored by the traffic clogging the Seattle streets far below.

“Would you like a cup of coffee?” Harry asked, appearing in the doorway that led to his bedroom. “I can’t promise to fix it with the same skill as the local cafés around here, but I can promise it’ll be drinkable.”

Madison swiveled to face him and couldn’t summon so much as a single word in reply. So far all she’d seen him in were suits, which had been intimidating enough. Now in a pair of low-slung jeans and a casual cotton shirt he’d become more dangerous than she’d thought possible. Perhaps it was because the suits had cloaked him in the domesticated garb of the business world, aworld she moved in with complete comfort.

But thanks to her, he’d shredded the trappings that made her feel at home and revealed his true nature. He was a lion, afact she’d allowed herself to forget. Well, now the beast had been set loose and was on the prowl and she had no one to blame but herself.

“Madison?” He watched her with predatory intentness. “I assume by your expression, that’s a yes to the coffee? Maybe even a ‘hell yes’? And heavy on the caffeine, I’m guessing.”

This had to stop! She couldn’t afford to reveal a sexual interest in Harry. And that’s all it was—sexual. “We don’t have time, I’m afraid.” She employed her best business tone of voice. Brisk. Efficient. Not a hint of the frantic need clawing at her. “We have a lot to accomplish in a few short hours.”

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