as she studied her menu. The evening was not going as she’d planned. Not only had he seen through her, but he’d already turned the tables so that she looked and felt foolish. Try again, she told herself, and make the best of a bad deal.
After they’d given their orders, Natalie took a deep breath. “I suppose, since we’re here, we might as well have a truce.”
“Were we fighting?”
“Let’s just try for a pleasant evening.” She picked up her champagne flute again, sipped. She was, after all, an expert in negotiations and diplomacy. “Let’s start with the obvious. Your name. Irish first,Eastern European last.”
“Irish mother, Polish father.”
“And a French-Canadian grandmother.”
“On my mother’s side. My other grandmother’s a Scot.”
“Which makes you—”
“An all-American boy. You’ve got high-tea hands.” He picked up her hand, startling her by running his fingers down hers. “They go with your name. Upper-crust. Classy.”
“Well.” After she’d tugged her hand free, she cleared her throat, giving undue attention to buttering a roll. “You said you were third-generation in the department.”
“Do I make you nervous when I touch you?”
“Yes. Let’s try to keep this simple.”
“Why?”
Since she had no ready answer for that, she let out a little huff of relief when their appetizers were served. “You must have always wanted to be a firefighter.”
All right, he decided, they could cruise along at her speed for now. “Sure I did. I practically grew up at engine company 19, where my pop worked.”
“I imagine there was some family pressure.”
“No. How about you?”
“Me?”
“The Fletcher tradition. Big business, corporate towers.” He lifted a brow. “Family pressure?”
“Plenty of it,” she said, and smiled. “Ruthless, unbending, determined. And all from my corner.” Her eyes glinted with amusement. “It had always been assumed that my brother Boyd would take over the reins. Both he and I had different ideas about that. So he strapped on a badge and a gun, and I harassed my parents into accepting me as heir apparent.”
“They objected?”
“No, not really. It didn’t take them long to realize I was serious. And capable.” She took a last bite of her coquilles Saint-Jacques and offered Ry the rest. “I love business. The wheeling, the dealing, the paperwork, the meetings. And this new company. It’s all mine.”
“Your catalog’s a big hit down at the station.”
The amusement settled in, and felt comfortable. “Oh, really?”
“A lot of the men have wives, or ladies. I’m just helping you pick up a few orders.”
“That’s generous of you.” She studied him over the rim of her glass. “What about you? Are you going to make any orders?”
“I don’t have a wife, or a lady.” Those smoky eyes flicked over her face again. “At the moment.”
“But you did have. A wife.”
“Briefly.”
“Sorry. I’m prying.”
“No problem.” He shrugged and finished off his beer. “It’s old news. Nearly ten years old. I guess you could say she fell for the uniform, then decided she didn’t like the hours I had to be in it.”
“Children?”
“No.” He regretted that, sometimes wondered if he always would. “We were only together a couple of years. She hooked up with a plumber and moved to the suburbs.” He reached out, skimmed a fingertip down the side of her neck, along the curve of her shoulder. “I’m beginning to think I like your shoulders as much as your legs.” His eyes locked on hers. “Maybe it’s the whole package.”
“That’s a fascinating compliment.” She didn’t give in to the urge to shift away, but she did switch from champagne to water. Suddenly her mouth was dry as dust. “But don’t you think the current circumstances require a certain professional detachment?”
“No. If I thought you had anything to do with setting that fire, maybe.” He liked the way her eyes lit and narrowed
After they’d given their orders, Natalie took a deep breath. “I suppose, since we’re here, we might as well have a truce.”
“Were we fighting?”
“Let’s just try for a pleasant evening.” She picked up her champagne flute again, sipped. She was, after all, an expert in negotiations and diplomacy. “Let’s start with the obvious. Your name. Irish first,Eastern European last.”
“Irish mother, Polish father.”
“And a French-Canadian grandmother.”
“On my mother’s side. My other grandmother’s a Scot.”
“Which makes you—”
“An all-American boy. You’ve got high-tea hands.” He picked up her hand, startling her by running his fingers down hers. “They go with your name. Upper-crust. Classy.”
“Well.” After she’d tugged her hand free, she cleared her throat, giving undue attention to buttering a roll. “You said you were third-generation in the department.”
“Do I make you nervous when I touch you?”
“Yes. Let’s try to keep this simple.”
“Why?”
Since she had no ready answer for that, she let out a little huff of relief when their appetizers were served. “You must have always wanted to be a firefighter.”
All right, he decided, they could cruise along at her speed for now. “Sure I did. I practically grew up at engine company 19, where my pop worked.”
“I imagine there was some family pressure.”
“No. How about you?”
“Me?”
“The Fletcher tradition. Big business, corporate towers.” He lifted a brow. “Family pressure?”
“Plenty of it,” she said, and smiled. “Ruthless, unbending, determined. And all from my corner.” Her eyes glinted with amusement. “It had always been assumed that my brother Boyd would take over the reins. Both he and I had different ideas about that. So he strapped on a badge and a gun, and I harassed my parents into accepting me as heir apparent.”
“They objected?”
“No, not really. It didn’t take them long to realize I was serious. And capable.” She took a last bite of her coquilles Saint-Jacques and offered Ry the rest. “I love business. The wheeling, the dealing, the paperwork, the meetings. And this new company. It’s all mine.”
“Your catalog’s a big hit down at the station.”
The amusement settled in, and felt comfortable. “Oh, really?”
“A lot of the men have wives, or ladies. I’m just helping you pick up a few orders.”
“That’s generous of you.” She studied him over the rim of her glass. “What about you? Are you going to make any orders?”
“I don’t have a wife, or a lady.” Those smoky eyes flicked over her face again. “At the moment.”
“But you did have. A wife.”
“Briefly.”
“Sorry. I’m prying.”
“No problem.” He shrugged and finished off his beer. “It’s old news. Nearly ten years old. I guess you could say she fell for the uniform, then decided she didn’t like the hours I had to be in it.”
“Children?”
“No.” He regretted that, sometimes wondered if he always would. “We were only together a couple of years. She hooked up with a plumber and moved to the suburbs.” He reached out, skimmed a fingertip down the side of her neck, along the curve of her shoulder. “I’m beginning to think I like your shoulders as much as your legs.” His eyes locked on hers. “Maybe it’s the whole package.”
“That’s a fascinating compliment.” She didn’t give in to the urge to shift away, but she did switch from champagne to water. Suddenly her mouth was dry as dust. “But don’t you think the current circumstances require a certain professional detachment?”
“No. If I thought you had anything to do with setting that fire, maybe.” He liked the way her eyes lit and narrowed
Similar Books
