smiled. “Take your time. I can handle things.”
“Of course you can. I never doubted it for a minute. When you finish stacking those, hang one up so everyone can see the print, okay? Maybe even near the window, where passersby will catch a glimpse of it.”
Brent took her arm and led her out the door. “What do the sheets have printed on them that you want everyone to see?”
Even with their heavy coats and the frigid wind, Shadow could feel the warmth of Brent beside her. She dodged an icy patch and stepped closer still. “The, ah, proper placement of body parts.”
Brent missed a beat, then laughed. “You’re kidding.”
“Nope.” She crossed her heart. “It’s kind of a visual instruction manual. I expect them to be big sellers.”
“Have you bought any for yourself yet?”
The coffee shop was only two doors down, so they had already reached it before Brent asked his question. Shadow went in, breathing deeply of the wonderful aroma of fresh baked bread, pastries and flavored coffees. “I love it in here,” she said, in lieu of giving him an answer. “There’s nothing quite like the smell of yeast and warm bread to make you feel comforted.”
“Oh, I don’t know. I can think of a few scents I prefer.”
Shadow slipped off her coat, took a seat at a small table, then waited until Brent had removed his own coat and taken the seat across from her. Propping her cheek against her fist on the table, she studied him. “I’ve annoyed you. That’s why you’re being so outrageous.”
Brent cocked one eyebrow upward. “Outrageous? I thought I was making idle conversation.”
Shadow watched him a moment longer, then sighed. “Okay. No, and I suppose that’s true for many men, and probably many women as well.”
“I beg your pardon?”
She laughed at his confusion. “I was answering your questions, since you claim they weren’t outrageous. No, I don’t own a set of the sheets, and I agree many men might name scents other than baking bread as appealing. But that’s also true for women.”
“But not you?”
She wagged her finger at him. “Me, I like baked bread. Very safe, you know. Ah, here’s Eliza.”
Shadow went through more introductions. Eliza, one of her friends, looked Brent over with a calculating eye.
“I’ll have a salad,” Shadow said, interrupting the intent scrutiny, “and a tuna sandwich on rye, with an apple tart for dessert.”
Brent glanced at the menu briefly, then ordered the same.
“Do you want to try today’s special coffee blend?”
Before Brent could answer, Shadow said, “Sure. Bring us a pot.”
As Eliza walked away, Brent frowned. “What exactly is the day’s special blend?”
“I have no idea. But her coffee is always wonderful. And I like to be adventurous.” She stared at her water glass and added, “Don’t you?”
Brent leaned back in his chair. His eyes glittered with intent, giving her just a shade of warning.
“I’ll be busy most of this week getting settled in,” he told her, “but if you’re really so adventurous, why don’t you agree to have dinner with me on Friday?”
It was only Monday. Shadow felt a little crestfallen that he didn’t want to see her again until the end of the week. “I don’t know. I’m not at all sure you’re trustworthy. Gorgeous, but also a quick talker. I get the feeling you can be dangerous, and I’m usually pretty good at reading people. I didn’t used to be….” She shrugged. “But I am now.”
“You sound cautious, not adventurous.”
“There’s a difference between being adventurous and being just plain stupid.” Leaning forward in her chair, she stared at him and said, “I am never stupid.”
She saw his mouth quirk the tiniest bit at her indignation, but his reply was mild enough. “You don’t need to convince me. I’ve been going over your brochure. It’s obvious you’re an intelligent woman with a head for business.”
He sounded as though he meant that, but Shadow wasn’t sure. She didn’t want to be drawn in too quickly. It was enough that she found him so attractive, so charming. To be complimentary and observant, too, would almost make him a saint, and she wasn’t fool enough to believe that.
Eliza brought their food, and they both were quiet until she’d finished serving them. Their eyes met several times, but it wasn’t until after Shadow filled her mouth with a large bite of salad that Brent asked, “So. If you don’t want to go to dinner, what would you like to do? I’m settling into a new house this week, but I’m sure I could organize well enough to have you over if you just want to skip the preliminaries.”
Shadow chewed thoughtfully, not hurrying, aware that Brent baited her for some reason, that he felt justified in being so scandalously blunt.
Dressed in a dark gray business suit with a finely striped shirt and silk tie, he was the epitome of male elegance. A very expensive diamond watch peeked out from under the cuff of his shirt, and his hands were large, with light brown hair sprinkled over his knuckles. Shadow picked up her napkin and dabbed at her mouth. She’d given herself plenty of time to think.
“What do you do for a living, Brent?”
His eyes narrowed slightly. “I’m in real estate. Now why don’t you answer my question?”
She twirled the spoon in her rich, dark coffee. “You’re wealthy?”
Brent sighed, leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms. “Your train of thought is a little hard to follow. Or do you need to know how much money I make before you’ll tell me exactly what you want from me?”
Shadow felt bone-deep regret, she really did. He had seemed so different from other men. She stood, opened her purse and dug out a few bills to cover the cost of her meal. She could feel Brent’s silent attention, but it wasn’t until she’d slipped on her coat that she said to him, “I don’t want anything from you. Unless, that is, you want to fill out a contest entry form. I still need three more men for that.” She pulled her purse strap over her shoulder and smiled down at him. “Thanks for sharing lunch with me. It’s been…educational.”
Disbelief crossed his features. She turned and headed for the door without a backward glance. A stunned silence hung behind her for only an instant, then she heard the sounds of Brent scrambling to his feet. She had almost made it to the entrance of her shop when he caught up with her.
His large hand encircled her upper arm, pulling her to a halt and turning her to face him. “Wait a minute.”
“Have you decided to enter the contest?” She kept her smile polite.
“Forget the damn contest. I thought we were going to have lunch.”
Her smile
