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Ian took the plunge he’d been planning when he decided to come to Jada’s room in the first place. “Maybe we could discuss it more, later. Consider all the possibilities. Would you like to go on a picnic? It’s perfect weather today. I can ask Mrs. Best to make us up a basket. We could go to one of my favorite spots on the grounds, near the arched—”
“Yes,” she broke in, her enthusiasm charming Ian. “I’d love to go on a picnic with you.”
“Great. Shall I come for you at eleven?”
“Could we make it noon? Deb gave me a massage last night, and got me to agree to let her wax and mud pack me this morning. I don’t know how long it will take, but surely she’ll be done by noon.”
“Noon is fine. Enjoy yourself. Deb’s great at what she does.”
He turned to the door and heard Jada’s soft tread behind him. He had to get out of that room before he took her in his arms and pulled on that tempting tie around her waist.
She said goodbye to him at the door and closed it softly behind him. He stood in the hallway, rocking on the balls of his feet, extremely pleased with himself. He made a mental list of everything he needed to do to create the perfect picnic, and made note of a few other things to accomplish before calling for Jada.
His step was jaunty and he whistled a happy, tuneless ditty as he headed off on his tasks.
Chapter Five
JADA STROLLED DOWN THE STONE path, her hand on Ian’s sturdy forearm. Spring sunshine warmed her bare arms and the top of her head, the breeze carrying vernal-fresh scents of forest and lake.
She was glad to be there with Ian and was buoyed up with gratitude. She had a near-irresistible impulse to skip.
“It’s not far now,” Ian said. “This is one of my favorite spots on the property.”
“I can’t wait to see it.”
She sneaked a sideways glance at her handsome companion. He was just so ... so ... put together, but with an underlying ease. He didn’t have to work to look like he did. His appearance and demeanor were effortless, unaffected, as natural to him as breathing. Jada guessed it came from a life of affluence and professional success beyond most people’s wildest dreams.
His presence certainly lifted her spirits. Walking with him, his spell-binding confidence spilling onto her, added bounce to her step.
When Ian had called for her at her room, he had sucked in a deep breath as he looked her over from head to toe. For the first time in her life, Jada felt beautiful. Ian did that, giving her the nonsensical idea that she was prettier when in his company, funnier, smarter, more sophisticated.
Admittedly, her hairstyle and clothes added to that feeling. She should have worn shorts or pants, but she hadn’t been able to resist the sleeveless, breezy shirtdress in the palest of greens with intricate hand-embroidered accents and a line of several dozen tiny pearl buttons running down the front. Elly had chosen sandals for Jada with pearl details on the straps.
Deb, who was as wonderful with hair as she was with massages, had worked Jada’s hair into an exquisite bun with braids winding through and around it. A mother-of-pearl stickpin speared the bun at the base.
But for all of the gorgeous add-ons, it was the way Ian looked at her, the appreciation in his gaze, his desire, which made her heart skip a beat and made her think she might be beautiful after all.
She didn’t know how he managed these feats. Ian made everything better. He simply did.
They turned down a new path and Jada noticed Lydia Pepper standing ahead. She wondered what the head of estate security was doing in the forest.
Lydia nodded a greeting when Ian and Jada approached. Lydia was a tall, imposing, attractive woman, around Jada’s age. Jada couldn’t look at her and not think, “Now there’s someone who seriously has it together.” She presented a crisp, professional appearance in her dark blue uniform.
“The perimeter is secured, sir,” she said snappily to Ian. “All access points covered. Potential breaches identified and confirmed elsewhere.”
“Good, thank you,” Ian said. “I knew I could count on you.”
“Just doing my job, sir. I dare a single chipmunk to breach our line.”
Ian laughed. “Chipmunks aren’t the enemy, Lydia. Agatha Brimgore is another matter. You have my permission to use any means at your disposal to keep her out.”
Lydia nodded with the slightest of grins quirking up a corner of her full mouth. She stepped aside and beckoned them forward.
“What’s that about Agatha?” she asked Ian.
“I’ve got a security detail out here to make sure we’ve got privacy for our picnic. The last thing I want is Agatha or Sasha barging in,” he explained.
“So we’ll have privacy, except for the security people surrounding us.”
“It’s a wide perimeter. They won’t be near us.” He gave her a sly look. “We’re going to be all alone. Does that worry you?”
A tiny thrill shot up Jada’s back. “I don’t know. Should it?”
“That’s a coy answer.”
“That’s because I’m flirting.”
“I know.”
“Then quit pointing it out.”
“I’m flirting back at you,” Ian said.
“I guess I don’t mind it then.”
“The flirting or being alone with me?” he asked.
“Both.”
They shared a smile. Jada’s step became even perkier, and Ian walked taller than ever, swinging the massive picnic basket in a wide arc.
They soon arrived at their destination, the arched bridge. It was three or four times of the size of the small arched bridge back near the house, and spanned over a wide spot in a healthy creek which fed the lake downstream. The beauty of the bridge and surroundings made Jada feel like she’d stepped into a fantasy movie.
The wooden structure had elegant lines and an intricate pattern of multi-colored brown pebbles paving the walkway. The railing was burnished smooth, polished by the touches of thousands of hands. It was fairy-tale superb and she half expected a troll to pop out from under the arch and demand five gold coins if they wanted to cross.
“This is gorgeous,” she said, trailing fingertips over the patinated surface. “It seems ancient, yet your grandfather built it?”
“Not this piece. He found it in Japan and had it shipped here. It’s several hundred years old.”
“Gorgeous.”
Ian’s expression sharpened. “Indeed.”
She stood at the railing and took in the surrounding area. A canopy of trees stretched out over the creek, filtering sunlight through leafy branches, sparkles flashing on the surface of the meandering current.
Trailing tendrils of a weeping willow tree created a shadowy enclave on the grassy bank. Had she been a child, Jada would have been drawn to that tree, creating a pretend house under the tree’s leafy, rustling walls of greenery.
Cattails and reedy bushes lined most of the shoreline. Off to one side, she noted a clearing half-circled by towering trees at the forest edge. A large, colorful blanket was spread on the grass, with bright pillows sprinkled about. She noted two large silver buckets filled with ice and bottles.
She nodded in the clearing’s direction. “Our picnic spot?”
“Of course,” he said. “Do you approve?”
She considered a joking comeback, but opted instead for sincerity. Something about the place and the moment demanded it. “It’s absolutely perfect. Thank you.”
He was pleased, she could tell.
They headed to the picnic site, Ian helping her lower herself onto what must have been a cashmere blanket. She smoothed her dress, tucking it around her legs so she didn’t flash parts which would be unladylike to reveal—for now. She smiled to herself.
Ian settled near her, cross-legged with the basket in front of him. Dappled sunlight played over his dark hair. He looked relaxed in his lightweight trousers that rode low on his hips, and in his loose, open-throated, lawn shirt with sleeves rolled partway up his muscular forearms.
“Shall we see what Mrs. Best packed for us?” he asked.
