is an art form in and of itself, you know. You have no proper understanding of it. You've been dealing in the world of exotic art too long"
"Perhaps," he agreed, to her surprise. He paused at the cashier's desk and nodded at the woman seated behind it. "I'll take that quilt. Item number two sixty-five. Please have it wrapped and boxed for shipping by air."
"Of course, sir." The young woman beamed at him and got to her feet.
"What are you going to do with that quilt?" Hannah whispered loudly.
He slanted an unreadable glance down at her. "Make love on it," he said outrageously.
Instantly Hannah freed her hand and stepped away from him. "Well, I hope you can find a woman to share it with you," she retorted smartly. "You'll have to stop giving orders and trying to control people, though-, if you expect to lure a female onto that quilt with you. Unless you're not particularly interested in a female with any intelligence, that is."
"We'll see," he said, drawing out his slim, calfskin wallet and flipping through it for a charge card.
Hannah refused to spend any more time in art galleries with him after that. Ruthlessly she insisted on going back to the souvenir stalls, and since it was getting late in the afternoon, Jarrett apparently decided not to protest.
Dinner that evening gave Hannah an oddly wistful sensation that took her by surprise. It was strange to sit at a table with a man and a small boy. She felt as if she were playing wife and mother. Most of the other guests in the hotel dining room undoubtedly assumed that the three were a family, and Jarrett and Danny did little to counteract the impression.
Hannah was amazed at Jarrett's willingness to talk with the child, letting the youngster chat eagerly about his experiences during the day. Danny, in turn, seemed quite happy to accept Jarrett in the role of substitute father for the evening.
"Can I watch TV?" Danny demanded as he polished off dessert. "One of my favorite shows is on tonight, and I haven't seen it since we left home."
"I think that can be arranged," Jarrett agreed, glancing at Hannah with a smile. "Unless Hannah has other plans?"
"No, not really. I thought a walk on the beach might be nice after dinner, though. Would either of you be interested? I'm so stuffed after all those pineapple fritters!"
"I think that's a fair trade-off for a television show, don't you, Danny?" Jarrett inquired seriously.
"Sure. I can look for some more shells," Danny agreed enthusiastically.
"So can I," Hannah murmured, ignoring Jarrett's mocking eyes. What did she care if he didn't appreciate shells as souvenirs? The man was too wrapped up in ancient art for his own good.
It was still light out by the time the three of them had taken off their shoes on the beach and begun strolling along the waterline. Danny darted hither and yon searching out the best specimens, and Hannah wasn't far behind. She collected so many, in fact, that she wound up having to twist the skirt of her muu-muu into a makeshift sack. As eagerly as Danny, she hunted along the beach while Jarrett watched them both with a faintly indulgent expression.
''You're going to have to buy another suitcase to carry all those," he commented as she added another shell to her collection. "What are you going to do with them when you get home?"
"I think I'll decorate my plant containers with them," Hannah decided.
"Charming," he sighed.
"Here," she announced, holding out a large, tapering shell to him. "This one's for you. A souvenir of your little 'business trip' to the South Pacific." She regretted the impulsive gift almost immediately, and her chin came up with a touch of defiance as she waited for him to reject the shell.
Jarrett stared at it for a long moment until Danny came along and peered into his hand.
"That's a great one, Mr. Blade," the boy said enthusiastically. "If you don't want it, I'll take it."
"No," Jarrett said slowly, his eyes meeting Hannah's, "I think I'll keep it."
Hannah caught her
"Perhaps," he agreed, to her surprise. He paused at the cashier's desk and nodded at the woman seated behind it. "I'll take that quilt. Item number two sixty-five. Please have it wrapped and boxed for shipping by air."
"Of course, sir." The young woman beamed at him and got to her feet.
"What are you going to do with that quilt?" Hannah whispered loudly.
He slanted an unreadable glance down at her. "Make love on it," he said outrageously.
Instantly Hannah freed her hand and stepped away from him. "Well, I hope you can find a woman to share it with you," she retorted smartly. "You'll have to stop giving orders and trying to control people, though-, if you expect to lure a female onto that quilt with you. Unless you're not particularly interested in a female with any intelligence, that is."
"We'll see," he said, drawing out his slim, calfskin wallet and flipping through it for a charge card.
Hannah refused to spend any more time in art galleries with him after that. Ruthlessly she insisted on going back to the souvenir stalls, and since it was getting late in the afternoon, Jarrett apparently decided not to protest.
Dinner that evening gave Hannah an oddly wistful sensation that took her by surprise. It was strange to sit at a table with a man and a small boy. She felt as if she were playing wife and mother. Most of the other guests in the hotel dining room undoubtedly assumed that the three were a family, and Jarrett and Danny did little to counteract the impression.
Hannah was amazed at Jarrett's willingness to talk with the child, letting the youngster chat eagerly about his experiences during the day. Danny, in turn, seemed quite happy to accept Jarrett in the role of substitute father for the evening.
"Can I watch TV?" Danny demanded as he polished off dessert. "One of my favorite shows is on tonight, and I haven't seen it since we left home."
"I think that can be arranged," Jarrett agreed, glancing at Hannah with a smile. "Unless Hannah has other plans?"
"No, not really. I thought a walk on the beach might be nice after dinner, though. Would either of you be interested? I'm so stuffed after all those pineapple fritters!"
"I think that's a fair trade-off for a television show, don't you, Danny?" Jarrett inquired seriously.
"Sure. I can look for some more shells," Danny agreed enthusiastically.
"So can I," Hannah murmured, ignoring Jarrett's mocking eyes. What did she care if he didn't appreciate shells as souvenirs? The man was too wrapped up in ancient art for his own good.
It was still light out by the time the three of them had taken off their shoes on the beach and begun strolling along the waterline. Danny darted hither and yon searching out the best specimens, and Hannah wasn't far behind. She collected so many, in fact, that she wound up having to twist the skirt of her muu-muu into a makeshift sack. As eagerly as Danny, she hunted along the beach while Jarrett watched them both with a faintly indulgent expression.
''You're going to have to buy another suitcase to carry all those," he commented as she added another shell to her collection. "What are you going to do with them when you get home?"
"I think I'll decorate my plant containers with them," Hannah decided.
"Charming," he sighed.
"Here," she announced, holding out a large, tapering shell to him. "This one's for you. A souvenir of your little 'business trip' to the South Pacific." She regretted the impulsive gift almost immediately, and her chin came up with a touch of defiance as she waited for him to reject the shell.
Jarrett stared at it for a long moment until Danny came along and peered into his hand.
"That's a great one, Mr. Blade," the boy said enthusiastically. "If you don't want it, I'll take it."
"No," Jarrett said slowly, his eyes meeting Hannah's, "I think I'll keep it."
Hannah caught her
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