in to pick up the slack with the upcoming campaign—”
“Stop. This isn’t about your business. This is about you skipping out on me at the hospital without so much as an explanation.”
“I...I’m sorry.” He looked as though he was searching for the right words. “I wanted to meet your daughter but...”
“But what?” He seemed sincere and she really did want to understand. “Talk to me.”
“I can’t. Not now. Just please believe it had nothing to do with you or Molly. I’ll make it up to you. I promise.”
The little voice in her head said not to believe him, but her gut said something else entirely. Not sure which to trust, she decided she needed time to think without him clouding her thoughts with the pleading look in his blue-gray eyes.
“Thank you for your apology, but I don’t have time to talk now. I need to finish replacing this chair rail.”
“It looks like you’ll have this place in tip-top shape in no time.”
“I wouldn’t jump to any conclusions yet. There’s a lot to do and if we’re going to showcase the tunnel, we’ll need every single minute before the party.”
“The tunnel?”
Kate made a point of inspecting her handiwork. Finding a nail that wasn’t quite flush, she grabbed the hammer and the scrap piece of wood and gave it a whack. “Surely you know about the prohibition tunnel beneath the house.”
“Of course I do. But my family liked to pretend it didn’t exist. I’m surprised you know about its existence.”
Kate cocked a smile. “You really need to read more often. You’d be surprised what you learn.”
“I read the Wall Street Journal every day.”
“Something tells me that prohibition tunnels wouldn’t be of interest to that paper.”
“Wait. Are you trying to tell me that you read about my house and my family in the paper?”
“Not exactly. Your aunt mentioned that the place had quite a history. And then I did some research online. You’d be amazed at what is put online these days. This house is just teeming with history.”
Lucas raked his fingers through his hair, scattering it in a haphazard fashion. “Great. Isn’t anything private anymore?”
“Quit grumbling and come check it out.” She started for the door. When she didn’t hear Lucas following, she turned back. “You have to see all of the work the men did on the tunnel—from rewiring the lighting to replacing the rotted wood. Although to be honest, it’s more like a long skinny room than a tunnel.”
Lucas let off an exasperated sigh, but she knew once he explored the hidden tunnel, he’d be as impressed as the rest of them. She led him to the back stairs that was constructed of stained wood. But it was the small landing that was a beautiful maze of inlaid wood.
“Someone was very clever,” she said, coming to a stop by a sunset-inspired stained-glass window. “I’m guessing it was your great-grandfather’s idea to create such an artistic floor pattern. If I hadn’t known to look, I never would have guessed the center section opens up.”
Sticking her finger in a discreet thumbhole, she lifted the wood panel. Inside was a rustic wood ladder.
“Don’t worry. The ladder is safe. The men just finished the repairs today and I haven’t had a chance to look around. You must be familiar with it.”
“Actually, I’ve never been down there. My grandfather had the entrance sealed. I’m surprised the workmen were able to open it up without damaging the wood.”
“Believe me, it took a while and lots of care. But I think they did an excellent job. Let me be the first to give you the grand tour.” She didn’t bother to wait for him to make up his mind. She started her descent.
Entering this rustic area was like stepping back in time. She let her imagination run wild, thinking of the old-timers trying to outsmart the cops. The Roaring Twenties must have been a very interesting era, especially for the Carringtons with their hidden tunnel.
Kate rubbed her bare arms. There was a distinct drop in the temperature down here. She was certain the goose bumps were from the chill in the air and had absolutely nothing to do with her view of Lucas’s long legs or toned backside as he descended the ladder.
She gazed around, imagining the wooden racks lined with bottles. “Back here there’s a rack with some very old wine. Seems it was shuffled out of the way and forgotten.”
“Interesting. Did you uncover anything else?”
“Afraid not.”
He moved closer to get a better look. It wasn’t until then that she noticed how tight the quarters were down there. Lucas’s broad shoulders filled the space between the brick wall and the wooden shelves. There was no getting around him. And there was no room to back up.
Lucas’s spicy cologne teased her senses. How could one man look and smell so good? And why did her body so readily respond to him? She knew better than to let her guard down around him. Perhaps inviting him down here was not the best idea.
“That’s all there is. We should go.”
Lucas glanced up from the bottle of wine he was examining. His gaze met hers. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you were afraid to be so close to me.”
The problem was she liked it too much. If they stayed down here much longer, she was afraid she’d abandon her common sense and cave into her body’s lusty desires.
“I...I have work to finish.”
“I’m going to look around here a little more.”
He returned the dusty bottle to the rack and turned, signaling her to pass him. Anxious to make her escape, she moved. By the time she figured out there wasn’t enough room for them to modestly pass, her body was sliding over his. Toe to toe. Thigh to thigh. Chest to chest.
The temperature suddenly rose. Her gaze caught his. Did she stop moving? Or had time slowed down?
“Kate.” His voice was raw and full of unmistakable desire.
She’d lied to herself. That first kiss was unforgettable. The memories flitted through her mind every night. What would it hurt to let him kiss her again? Just to see if it was as good as she remembered.
Her heart pounded, echoing in her ears. Her breath hitched. She was playing with fire. She should move. Leave. Run. She didn’t want to get burned. But she couldn’t turn away from his hungry gaze.
His head dipped. Her eyes fluttered shut. Curiosity and desire collided, holding her in place. And then he was there. His touch was warm and gentle as his lips brushed over hers. No kiss had ever felt so heavenly. Her insides melted and pooled in the center. If she weren’t pinned between his hard chest and the wall, she was quite certain her legs wouldn’t have held her up.
But all too soon reality rumbled through her dream. The memory
