Page 34 of Dangerous Temptation
‘Marta will be pleased that you enjoyed it,’ Leonard said.
Elena tilted her head. She didn’t know the cook well, but she was becoming fond of her. ‘Will you thank her for me? That risotto just melted in my mouth.’
Alex drummed his fingers against the arm of his chair. ‘I believe you just told her yourself. Didn’t she, Marta?’
At his raised voice, the cook shuffled around the corner. Her hands fisted in her apron and she gave a quick curtsy. ‘Thank you, dear. I wasn’t given much notice you were coming so I had to make do with what I had on hand.’
Elena smiled. ‘I’d love to see what you could whip up with the Mac-’n’-cheese and pretzels I have at the lake house.’
Marta grinned. ‘I do have a casserole recipe …’
‘Will you need anything else from us tonight?’ Leonard asked as he cleared the dishes.
‘That should be all.’ Alex laid his napkin on the table. ‘Thank you. Be careful on your drives home.’
‘Then goodnight to both of you,’ the butler said with a stiff bow.
Marta gave another shallow curtsy, which was actually just a wiggle of her plump knees. ‘Sir … Ma’am.’
Elena didn’t know what brought her back to earth harder, being called ‘ma’am’ or the fact that the staff was leaving.
She watched them go. Suddenly nervous, she hooked her hair behind her ear, only to find it already caught in the barrette. Uncertain what to do, she clasped her hands in her lap. She hadn’t anticipated having such a nice time, but that didn’t mean she’d forgotten she was having dinner with a sexy, dangerous man. As comfortable as she’d been in his presence, she hadn’t lost the goosebumps where he’d touched her back … or the tickles where his breath had brushed over her neck …
She glanced across the empty table. In the candlelight, he was even more dark and mysterious. Handsome and tempting.
‘More wine?’ he asked, lifting the bottle from the wine bucket at his elbow. Between the two of them, they’d nearly finished it off.
She could already feel the languor in her muscles and the cloudiness in her head. More wine was not a good idea. ‘I should be going, too.’
‘It’s early.’
It really wasn’t. ‘I need to be up first thing in the morning. I have some research I need to do.’
‘The book?’
She pushed back her chair. ‘The book.’
He was out of his chair and helping her before she recognised the old-fashioned gesture. Once she did, she placed her hand in his and rose to her feet. He hovered over her, tall and muscled. Balancing in her high heels suddenly became tricky, and she tugged at her dress, which had risen too high on her thighs. His gaze slid over the exposed flesh like a warm stroke and she quivered.
‘Thank you for dinner,’ she said.
‘You’re welcome.’ He didn’t step back. ‘It’s gotten rather nasty out there. Are you sure you want to make that walk?’
She glanced at the windows. The wind was whipping. Trees were dancing and the mist had turned into streaks of rain.
‘All the more reason for me to hurry along.’ In the small room, she couldn’t help but brush against him as she moved towards the archway. She was surprised to find the kitchen empty when she entered. ‘Are they gone already? I didn’t hear the door.’
‘The staff parks in the enclosed garage downstairs.’
The emptiness of the house seemed to echo then. All this richly adorned space for only the two of them? It seemed greedy somehow. Indulgent, yet intimate.
The hollowness loomed, like a well Elena was afraid to fall into.
She had to get away from the edge.
Her heels clipped against the tiled flooring as she walked to the coat rack. Once again, he got there first to assist her.
‘I’m not used to men with manners,’ she said self-consciously.
