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  Brianna laughed. “I see your point.”

  “Something tells me you share my propensity for crossing t’s and dotting i’s. Considering the rave reviews I’ve heard about your contributions to Upwords Development—I’ll bet you’re as thorough as I am.”

  His praise brought the blush back to her cheeks. “That means a lot, coming from you. Intrepid Explorations is a top-notch publication.”

  “So you’re an outdoors enthusiast?”

  “More of a wannabe, actually. But I’ve seen an issue or two,” she admitted. “Your backpacking special was nicely presented. It made me want to try camping someday.”

  “Ah. A closet camper living vicariously through the pages of Intrepid, huh?”

  “You’ve guessed my secret. For the record, I’ve enjoyed my armchair adventures tremendously. Anyhow, while I’m doling out appreciation, I owe you a couple more thank-you’s. One for taking the sofa last night, and another for not taking me up on my offer when I threw myself at you. You were right to talk me down.”

  He raised a hand to his ear, tipping his head in her direction. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t catch that. Can you repeat the last part?”

  Brianna rolled her eyes. “You’ll have to be satisfied with ‘thank you’.”

  Luke grinned for a second, then his expression turned serious. “You wouldn’t be normal if you hadn’t been shaken by your close call. It’s not every day your hotel room is the scene of a bomb blast.” As quickly as it had disappeared, his grin returned. “Combine delayed reaction with my irresistible masculine charms, and you were bound to make a play for me.”

  The teasing wink Luke sent her way made Brianna’s insides tingle.

  God, I wish he wouldn’t smile at me like that.

  Now the dimples were on full, knee-weakening display again. The man could overload her sensors without even trying. It was time to steer the subject away from last night’s brush with intimacy before she dissolved in a puddle of lust at his feet.

  “I don’t know about you, but I’m famished. Shall we get some breakfast?’ she queried brightly.

  “Sounds great. I’m starving, too. We can order from room service, or go down to the restaurant. There’s also a third option, if you’d like. I know of a great little sidewalk café within walking distance of the hotel. They make the most incredible croissants you’ve ever tasted, served with homemade jams.”

  “You had me at croissant,” she beamed, her mouth already watering. “I’ll just swap my heels for a pair of walking shoes.”

  In the bedroom, she toed out of her pumps and slipped into her most comfortable pair of flats. A warm breeze drifted in through the open window, carrying the promise of a beautiful day.

  Okay, she admitted to herself, the weather isn’t the only reason the day is looking so bright.

  Her upbeat spirits were due, in large part, to the compelling man waiting to have breakfast with her. Despite her best intentions to ignore the feelings he incited, the man definitely tempted her to play with fire.

  When she was with Luke, the turmoil that had plagued her life these past few months melted away. He made her forget about the car accident that had tragically claimed her mother’s life; made her forget about the fiancé who’d cheated on her mere weeks before their wedding. And though the discovery that her mother had lied to her about her father was hard to sweep from her consciousness, the pain was somehow less raw with Luke nearby to take her mind off it.

  It would take time to come to grips with the enormity of her mother’s deception. There were a zillion questions bouncing around in her head, not the least of them why her mother had let her grow up believing her father had died before she was born. Tragically, the car accident that had taken her mom’s life meant those “whys” would remain unanswered.

  Despite her earlier apology, she knew the brandy and the shock weren’t to blame for the shameless hussy act she’d put on the night before. No, Luke made her hormones sit up and beg very prettily, thank you, and she’d eagerly caved to his allure.

  What had she been thinking, throwing herself at him like that? It really was time to put things back on a strictly business footing, she determined, emerging from the bedroom with her armor securely back in place.

  The affable grin Luke shot her way when he entered the room trotted his damn dimples out again, and her Kevlar immediately slipped a little.

  “Ready?” he queried.

  “Absolutely.”

  She was ultra-aware of his presence at her side as they walked the short distance to the café. When a fellow pedestrian accidentally jostled her in passing, Luke took her arm to steady her. The contact sent a jolt of electricity sparking through her.

  His hand lingered protectively, as though he was reluctant to break the contact. “Are you okay?” he asked.

  She nodded, transfixed by the message shimmering in the depths of his eyes. It was impossible to mistake the raw hunger there, a potent melding of lust and some deeper emotion that had her heart rate revving.

  Fortunately the wonderful aromas of bacon, sausage, and fresh-baked bread alerted her they were close to their destination. “It smells heavenly,” she enthused.

  The charming little café was tucked away at the end of a side street. Scores of bistro tables topped by brightly colored umbrellas lined its cobbled patio. The outdoor seating area was packed with people enjoying breakfast, leaving no doubt about the eatery’s popularity.

  “Luke!” a jovial-looking man called out as they approached. He sported a wildly patterned Hawaiian shirt that was every bit as eye-popping as the umbrellas perched above the tables. He patted Luke on the back, his face splitting in an ear-to-ear grin. “It’s good to see you, my friend.”

  “It’s good to see you, too, Armando,” Luke said with a broad smile.

  “And who is your lovely companion?” the man asked, speculation gleaming in his warm brown eyes.

  “This is Brianna Atwood. She’s a business associate helping me plan Intrepid’s annual conference. Brianna, this is my good friend Armando Longo.”

  “Why is it always about work with you, my boy?” he scolded teasingly. “Haven’t you heard what happens to men who don’t make time for fun?” He winked at Brianna before taking her hand and bringing it to his lips. “It’s wonderful to meet you. Now excuse me for a moment while I have Maria fix up a couple of our breakfast specials for you. On the house,” he insisted, bustling off toward the kitchen.

  “He’s quite a character,” Brianna laughed.

  “That’s an understatement. But he has a huge heart. His wife is just as special. He and Maria built this business from scratch.”

  “How did you meet them?”

  He hesitated for a second, debating how best to respond. Since he couldn’t answer Brianna honestly without exposing his true vocation, he settled for a half truth. “We met through work. I interviewed him for an assignment.”

  The “assignment” had been rescuing the Longos’ infant son. The child had been kidnapped in an attempt to coerce Armando, the sole witness to the brutal slaying of a DEA agent, into not testifying against the killer.

  He’d saved the child’s life and earned the couple’s undying gratitude. They understood the covert nature of his occupation, and he could trust them not to make any reference to how their paths had actually crossed, but he wasn’t comfortable with Armando’s well-meaning hero worship. He’d simply been doing his job, and that—along with the fact that the man who’d kidnapped the child was serving two consecutive life sentences—was all the reward he needed.

  Armando returned to the table with his wife, Maria, in tow. The beautiful brunette greeted Luke with an exuberant hug before welcoming Brianna just as warmly.

  Her husband set two heaping plates of breakfast delicacies in front of them—with orders they were to eat every last bite.

  “Dig in,” Luke invited, smiling as their host and hostess retreated to the kitchen. “We don’t want to disappoint them.”

  “T
rust me, I’ll do my part to make sure we don’t,” Brianna grinned.

  He couldn’t help but smile back. Distracted by her obvious delight in the meal, he forgot about his own breakfast for a moment. He watched as she broke off a piece of flaky croissant and slathered it with a generous helping of strawberry jam before taking a bite of the pastry. Her eyes widened in pleasure as the flavor of fresh berries merged with the richness of the croissant.

  “Oh yum!” she murmured in appreciation. “This is fabulous.”

  “I thought you might like it.”

  They’d chatted companionably on the walk to the café, and it was easy to pick up the thread of conversation again as they enjoyed the meal.

  “What made you decide on a career in editing?” Brianna asked.

  “I’ve always been fascinated with words. As a kid, I spent most of my free time with my nose in a book. Stories taught me about life. And in a convoluted way, I learned a valuable life skill through my love of reading.”

  “How so?”

  “I grew up in a really tough neighborhood. There were a lot of gangs. Miraculously, I managed to avoid getting tangled up with them. The local bullies were a different story. They thought I was an easy target—at least until the day they tried to steal my backpack. They outnumbered me three to one, but I didn’t back down.”

  “How old were you?”

  “Ten. There was no way I was letting them get their hands on my backpack. It held some of my favorite books.”

  “Definitely worth fighting for,” she said as she smiled. “Books were my best friends growing up, too. My only friends, actually. My mother’s employers didn’t believe in letting the hired help’s offspring play with their children. As long as I faded into the background, they were happy. They didn’t mind if I spent time in their libraries, though, and I was delighted to hang out with Anna Sewell and Elizabeth Bennet while my mom worked.”

  “In my case it was Mark Twain and Franklin Dixon. I constructed a makeshift fort out of scrap wood, and I’d hide out there and read for hours, losing myself in the stories.”

  “What were you hiding from?”

  Luke hesitated, debating whether to venture into Achilles’ heel territory. He never talked about his traumatic childhood, not even with his sister, Lauren.

  With a sigh, he took the leap, opening up to her. “I was avoiding my father. Dad started drinking after my mother died. A lot. Liquor dulled his pain. At least at first. It wasn’t long before he needed to drink more to achieve the same result. Alcohol became an addiction, and it changed him. Made him angry. He’d take that anger out on my sister and me.”

  He’d done his best to protect Lauren, often taking her to the sanctuary of the ramshackle fort where he could keep her safe until their father passed out in a drunken stupor.

  “I’m sorry,” Brianna murmured. The phrase was such an inadequate way to express of sympathy was inadequate. There simply weren’t words to express her horror over the hell he and his sibling must have experienced.

  He shrugged, brushing her sympathy aside. “Lauren and I survived.” Their father hadn’t been so fortunate.

  “Still, no child should have to endure that.”

  “We’re stronger for it. Besides, everyone has a demon or two hiding in their closet. Care to share yours?”

  “My demons are pretty tame. You’d be bored,” she dismissed. “Besides, I prefer to live in the present and forget about my past.”

  “Not a bad philosophy, if you can pull it off.”

  Suddenly uncomfortable, Brianna decided to divert the conversation to less weighty ground. “So … what’s the plan for the rest of the day?”

  “When you’re ready, we can gather our stuff and check out of the hotel. Then we’ll drive to Maine.”

  “I really enjoyed breakfast and meeting your friends,” she told him on the way back to the hotel.

  “I’m glad. Armando can be a bit overwhelming, but he’s a teddy bear at heart.”

  “I could tell.”

  She couldn’t help thinking that perhaps the man walking alongside her had a bit of teddy bear in him, too. But even if he did, she had no business poking around looking for his marshmallow center. She reminded herself that she might be disappointed if she tried to delve past his arrogant, self-assured exterior and look for a soft spot. And she knew very well it would be a grave mistake to think he was someone she could tame.

  Chapter Nine

  “This is your car?” Brianna queried when the hotel valet drove a racy little silver convertible up to the portico.

  Luke stepped off the curb, one dark eyebrow lifted in inquiry. “You don’t like it?”

  “It’s gorgeous. It’s just that I had you pegged for an all-wheel-drive kind of guy. You know, considering your love of outdoor adventures and all.”

  “I drive a sport utility vehicle on my off-the-beaten-path trips, but this baby is built for cruising along coastal roads with the top down.”

  “Boys and their toys,” Brianna quipped. Still, she had to admit she couldn’t fault his taste in vehicles. The car was flashy yet elegant. Sleek and predatory, and a bit dangerous.

  Like its owner.

  Once their luggage was safely stowed in the trunk, she found herself the focus of Luke’s attention again. All the confident, sexy-male vibes wafting her way had her second-guessing her decision to travel with him. It had seemed the sensible thing to do at the time. Now she wasn’t so sure.

  To be fair, Luke wasn’t to blame for her misgivings. He’d been a perfect gentleman last night. It was what she might do that worried her. Traveling with him meant there would be no escaping his potent brand of charm, and no reprieve from the sensual onslaught. The situation could go from blasé to the too-hot-to-handle zone in no time. But it was too late for second thoughts. She was already committed.

  She realized he was regarding her expectantly.

  “Ready?” he asked.

  “Whenever you are,” she replied with far more conviction than she was feeling.

  He tossed her the keys. “Why don’t you take the first stretch?”

  “Really? You trust me to drive this gorgeous piece of machinery?”

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t I? You have a valid driver’s license, don’t you?”

  “Sure, but …”

  “But what? Come on. You know you want to.”

  The offer was too tempting to pass up. “Okay. But no comments on my driving,” she warned.

  He brought his fingers to his mouth, miming a zippering motion. “I promise not a single derogatory comment about your skills behind the wheel will pass these lips.”

  Did he really have to bring his lips into the conversation? Now she was fixated on all the amazing things he could do with that masterful mouth of his.

  Driving would be a welcome distraction, she determined. With a twist of the key, the powerful engine roared to life. To his credit, Luke didn’t flinch when she put the “zero to sixty in two-point-five seconds” acceleration claim to the test. The sports car didn’t disappoint, responding in a way that was both exhilarating and a little intimidating. She got the hang of the close gear ratio after a couple of sketchy attempts, and shifting quickly became second nature. Driving the high-performance vehicle was a rush, but it was still not nearly as thrilling as her body’s reaction each time she changed gears and brushed hands with the man riding shotgun in the passenger seat beside her.

  Luke shot her a thumbs-up. “Fun, huh?”

  “Fabulous!” With the sun on her face and the wind in her hair, she was suddenly a thousand miles removed from last night’s close call.

  “We have plenty of time for a little side trip, if you’d like. It’s a beautiful day. I don’t know about you, but I can’t remember the last time I had a few hours of downtime to just kick back.”

  Oh, she could remember, all right. How could she forget when the man responsible for making that R & R time so unforgettable was comfortably ensconced in the seat next to her?

/>   “What kind of detour did you have in mind?” she asked cautiously, wary about treading an uncharted path with him.

  “Have you ever visited Hampton Beach?”

  “No.”

  “Would you like to? It’s on our way. We could soak up a little sunshine and take in the sights.”

  The idea was tempting. It would be fun to do the touristy thing. And they’d still be in Maine by nightfall.

  “Okay,” she agreed. “But I don’t know the route, so I’ll need you to navigate.”

  He shot her a self-satisfied grin. “I’ve already called up the directions in the GPS.”

  “Pretty sure of yourself, weren’t you?”

  “I figured you wouldn’t be able to turn down a few hours on the beach on a day as perfect as this.”

  A little over an hour later, the ocean stretched before them. Brianna found a parking spot, and they grabbed their swimsuits, towels, and sunscreen from the trunk.

  Alone in the women’s changing area, Brianna drew in a relieved breath. She was trying to maintain her tenuous grasp on her professional footing, but every time her eyes locked with Luke’s, she lost a little more of her battle. She couldn’t believe she’d even agreed to this side trip with him. She attributed the lapse in judgment to her failure to remember to breathe around him. Obviously she’d lost too many brain cells to oxygen deprivation and now she was paying the price.

  She’d backed herself into this corner, and there was no way out other than to simply go along gracefully with his plan. Resigned, she quickly changed out of her street clothes and into a deep purple bikini. She caught herself checking her appearance in the changing room mirror with critical eyes, and sighed.

  For goodness sake, the man had seen her naked. Donning a bikini for an afternoon on the beach should be no big deal.

  So why, then, am I giving my reflection the thirtieth once-over in as many seconds?