unstoppable machine had made her weak inside. Looking away hadn’t solved the problem, because the soft, urgentsounds of his breathing had induced even more imaginings.
Now Elgiva leapt up and busied herself returning the book to a sideboard against one wall. “Lost a recipe. Aye, you might say that I did. Long ago. Well, time to go let Shom back in. If he stays out in the sunshine much longer, he’ll have spring fever months before it’s due.”
Sensing Kincaid’s dark eyes on her, Elgiva fussed with the other books stacked atop the table. “You’ve been in a bonnie mood today, Douglas. Things will go pleasantly if you keep your spirits up this way.”
“I’m finally adjusting to life without phones, that’s all. Do you want to know how many phone calls I average during a workday? Upward of a hundred. You did a cruel thing by making me give that up cold turkey. But if I’m mellowing out, it’s only because I know that somebody’s going to spring me from this joint soon.”
“You’ll be here until the MacRoth estate is free and clear. But if your fantasy cheers you, keep believing it. I like you when you’re lighthearted.”
“Why,
thank you
. I wouldn’t want to depress you with my insignificant problems.”
His taunt was mild—charming, in a sardonic way. She curtsied slightly, enjoying the new atmosphere. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get my pudding started for supper.”
He groaned. “You realize, of course, that I’m doing a push-up for every calorie you feed me.”
“Then you should add a few thousand.”
He shrugged, came forward, braced one long arm on the cell bars above his head, and leaned, hip-shot. He scanned her from head to foot, slowly. “Might as well do push-ups. I’ve got no other way to release my tension.”
“Poor man.” She sighed dramatically and added, as if speaking to a third party, “And him so accustomed to getting his way with women.” She eyed him boldly. “You won’t find a good wife if you waitmuch longer. You’re getting a wee bit long in the tooth.”
He smiled wickedly. “It’s not the length of my tooth that matters to women. Don’t worry about me, doll. I’ll marry the
perfect
wife.”
“Oh? Dumb as an ox and twice as forgiving?”
“No. She’ll be extremely intelligent and have a brilliant grasp of business. I want a partner—someone I can trust to head a few of my biggest projects. But she’ll also be an expert at entertaining. She’ll be the kind of woman who can organize a party for fifty of my favorite stockbrokers one night and host the President and First Lady for lunch the next day. She’ll know how to pick the classiest clothes and the best wine.”
“I think you need a harem. The poor woman is going to be worked to death.”
“Oh, she’ll be a brilliant manager, and her staff will handle the details. Whenever she needs a rest, I’ll take her down to my island in the Caribbean. Or to the chateau outside Paris. Or the ranch in Colorado. Or the estate in Florida. Or my
new
estate in Scotland—”
“Don’t marry a homebody. She’d get confused trying to figure out which home.”
“I’ll want her to love kids and dogs.”
“Well, you can always buy her a few.”
“She’ll be beautiful, of course.”
“Of course.”
“And blond. And blue-eyed.”
“And petite. You forgot petite.”
He sighed happily, as if picturing the future Mrs. Kincaid. “Yes, petite. Thank you for reminding me.”
“But you’d be mean to marry a petite woman, Douglas. She’d only get crushed by your ego. A flattened blue-eyed blonde. Ugh. You need a big, swarthy woman who’ll remind you of your Neanderthal background.”
“Doll, I’ve got one of the world’s best collections of sapphires. I’ve been buying them for years. They’rethe perfect color for a blue-eyed blonde to wear. Now what would I do with ten million dollars worth of sapphires if I changed my mind?”
“You don’t want me to tell you what
Now Elgiva leapt up and busied herself returning the book to a sideboard against one wall. “Lost a recipe. Aye, you might say that I did. Long ago. Well, time to go let Shom back in. If he stays out in the sunshine much longer, he’ll have spring fever months before it’s due.”
Sensing Kincaid’s dark eyes on her, Elgiva fussed with the other books stacked atop the table. “You’ve been in a bonnie mood today, Douglas. Things will go pleasantly if you keep your spirits up this way.”
“I’m finally adjusting to life without phones, that’s all. Do you want to know how many phone calls I average during a workday? Upward of a hundred. You did a cruel thing by making me give that up cold turkey. But if I’m mellowing out, it’s only because I know that somebody’s going to spring me from this joint soon.”
“You’ll be here until the MacRoth estate is free and clear. But if your fantasy cheers you, keep believing it. I like you when you’re lighthearted.”
“Why,
thank you
. I wouldn’t want to depress you with my insignificant problems.”
His taunt was mild—charming, in a sardonic way. She curtsied slightly, enjoying the new atmosphere. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to get my pudding started for supper.”
He groaned. “You realize, of course, that I’m doing a push-up for every calorie you feed me.”
“Then you should add a few thousand.”
He shrugged, came forward, braced one long arm on the cell bars above his head, and leaned, hip-shot. He scanned her from head to foot, slowly. “Might as well do push-ups. I’ve got no other way to release my tension.”
“Poor man.” She sighed dramatically and added, as if speaking to a third party, “And him so accustomed to getting his way with women.” She eyed him boldly. “You won’t find a good wife if you waitmuch longer. You’re getting a wee bit long in the tooth.”
He smiled wickedly. “It’s not the length of my tooth that matters to women. Don’t worry about me, doll. I’ll marry the
perfect
wife.”
“Oh? Dumb as an ox and twice as forgiving?”
“No. She’ll be extremely intelligent and have a brilliant grasp of business. I want a partner—someone I can trust to head a few of my biggest projects. But she’ll also be an expert at entertaining. She’ll be the kind of woman who can organize a party for fifty of my favorite stockbrokers one night and host the President and First Lady for lunch the next day. She’ll know how to pick the classiest clothes and the best wine.”
“I think you need a harem. The poor woman is going to be worked to death.”
“Oh, she’ll be a brilliant manager, and her staff will handle the details. Whenever she needs a rest, I’ll take her down to my island in the Caribbean. Or to the chateau outside Paris. Or the ranch in Colorado. Or the estate in Florida. Or my
new
estate in Scotland—”
“Don’t marry a homebody. She’d get confused trying to figure out which home.”
“I’ll want her to love kids and dogs.”
“Well, you can always buy her a few.”
“She’ll be beautiful, of course.”
“Of course.”
“And blond. And blue-eyed.”
“And petite. You forgot petite.”
He sighed happily, as if picturing the future Mrs. Kincaid. “Yes, petite. Thank you for reminding me.”
“But you’d be mean to marry a petite woman, Douglas. She’d only get crushed by your ego. A flattened blue-eyed blonde. Ugh. You need a big, swarthy woman who’ll remind you of your Neanderthal background.”
“Doll, I’ve got one of the world’s best collections of sapphires. I’ve been buying them for years. They’rethe perfect color for a blue-eyed blonde to wear. Now what would I do with ten million dollars worth of sapphires if I changed my mind?”
“You don’t want me to tell you what
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