into his serious blue eyes and tried to understand him, understand this whole bizarre reunion. But he wasn’t giving away anything in his expression. She wasn’t so sure she could say the same for herself.
Eloisa touched his hand lightly.”Don’t play mind games with me. I know what I heard. And it’s not like you came after me.”
“I’m here now.”
What if he’d come after her right away? She would have told him about the baby. She wouldn’t have been able to stay silent if face-to-face with him. How much different things might have been.
Or maybe not. Her mother certainly hadn’t experienced a fairy-tale ending when she’d gotten pregnant.
Eloisa shook off the haze of what-ifs.”You’ve shown up for your one night of sex. Followed by a divorce.”
“Who says we can’t change our minds?” Before she could answer, he pitched his apple into the corner trash can.”I have to check on that fax.”
Blinking fast, she watched him walk out the door shirtless, her head still spinning from his abrupt departure. The front door closed, but she could still see him through the skinny windows on either side of the door. The limo loomed conspicuously in the parking lot, idling alongside the curb. Jonah ducked his head and climbed inside and she remembered that mobile office/command center.
And she realized he’d never answered her question about his phone call or what he did with his life now. While Jonah seemed to have figured out so much about her, she had precious little other than Wikipedia information on him.
If she really wanted to move forward with her life, the time had come to quit drooling over the guy’s body and start seriously looking at the man underneath.
He’d seen the desire in her eyes underneath her veneer of calm.
Jonah tugged on a black polo shirt while he waited for Eloisa to finish her shower upstairs. No amount of work in his fax machine could distract him from thoughts of her under the spray. In some ways he thought he remembered every nuance of her body. That night was burned in his memory.
Would his fascination with her ease if he had more time with her? He certainly hoped so because he didn’t want another year like the one he’d just endured.
The sound of water faded, then ended. Silence echoed for what felt like forever before he heard the rustle of her upstairs in her bedroom. Getting dressed.
He’d never considered himself a masochist, but listening to her was serious torture. Jonah pivoted away from her door and opened cabinet after cabinet in search of a coffee mug. As he started drinking his second cup, he heard her door click and swing open.
Jonah poured some java for her, spooning two sugars in the way he remembered she preferred. And why he recalled that detail, he didn’t know. He turned to face her.
He stopped short. Reality definitely beat the hell out of memories—and she wasn’t even naked.
Eloisa stepped into the kitchen barefoot, wearing a simple blue sundress. The flowing lines clung subtly to her curves, and her skin glowed warm and pink from the shower. Her black hair was wet and pulled back in her signature ponytail, exposing her neck. He’d seen her arousal earlier when he’d hung up the phone and he could probably persuade her now ….
But he didn’t want to win in some all-out seduction. He wanted her to come to him.
Eloisa took the cup from his hand carefully, so carefully their fingers didn’t even brush.”Did you get your paperwork?”
“Yes, I did.” His next job didn’t begin for another thirteen days. Most times, he would have headed out early. He was about to tell her about the nineteenth-century Peruvian hacienda he’d been hired to renovate and expand into a resort.
Then remembered she’d only asked because she thought he was contacting his attorney about the divorce.
She blew air across the top of the cup, watching him through upswept lashes.”I don’t have much for breakfast, just some granola bars or toast and whatever’s in the fruit basket. You’re welcome to what’s here.”
If only she meant that the way he wanted her to.”I can feed myself.”
“Good then.” She nodded.”Tell me more about your job.”
Hey, wait.”But I don’t have one, remember? I’m just a lazy playboy.”
She lowered her cup, genuine contrition lighting eyes as dark as her coffee.”I was wrong to make that assumption. I genuinely want to hear now.”
He wasn’t so sure he wanted to be in the hot seat, and definitely didn’t know what had brought her to this about-face from pushing him away to shooting the breeze together.”Don’t you have to get to work or help your sister with wedding plans?”
“Audrey’s busy today, and I have a half hour before I have to leave for the library.”
”I’ll let the chauffeur know.”
“No need.” Turning away, she cradled her mug in both hands and walked to the sofa, her hips swaying gently, loose folds of the dress swishing a hypnotic follow me.”My sister’s fiancé took care of returning my car. She already texted me that it’s out in the parking lot.”
“Then you’re all set.” He watched her place her coffee on the end table.
She pulled his blanket from the sofa and began to fold.”Tell me about your job.”
He set his mug beside hers and reached for the end of the quilt trailing the ground.”What do you want to know?”
“Why do you hang around historic sites rather than slick new buildings?” She came closer, nearly chest to chest, and met his hands.
His eyes held hers and he considered kissing her right then and there, but he was determined for her to close that last gap. He knelt to sweep up the ends of the blanket and stood again.”I’m a history buff, always have been even when I was a kid, and my family traveled overseas a good bit.”
Finishing the final fold, she clasped the quilt to her chest and sat on the sofa.”Tell me more.”
She hadn’t taken the chair this time and he wasn’t missing the chance to get a little closer.
Jonah swept aside a couple of froufrou decorative pillows and sat beside her, keeping space between them. For now.”I’m an architect. I specialize in historic landmarks.”
“That’s why you were in Spain last year.” She sagged back, her face relaxing into a smile for the first time since he’d seen her last night.”But you were also a student, right?”
He shifted uncomfortably. Couldn’t he just give her a résumé?”I finished my dissertation.”
“You completed your PhD? I’m impressed.”
He winced. He hadn’t shared that with her to wow her. He preferred not to talk about himself at all.”I enjoy the subject matter.” He shrugged offhandedly.”I had the luxury of not worrying about school loans.”
“But
