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“It’s in a private part of your backyard,” he said, trying to make sure he hadn’t misunderstood her.
A long pause. “True,” she finally agreed.
“Will it bother you if Chelsea sees me arriving?” he asked.
She lifted her chin. “We’re both taking risks, here, Jordan. You know that, don’t you?”
“Yes.”
The word hung between them.
“No regrets or recriminations?” she challenged.
“I’ll do my best.”
He stepped back and she hurried down into the cabin, coming out a few minutes later with her arms full.
“I’ll leave you to do whatever is needed on the boat.”
Jordan watched in the golden light as she walked swiftly along the dock. With any other woman, he might fear that she’d change her mind, jump in her car and speed away, leaving him to find a taxi to get home. But that wasn’t Nicole’s style. If she changed her mind, she’d tell him to his face.
Shaking the thoughts aside, he made sure The Spirit was secure and followed Nicole to her sedan.
“I’ll drop you at the agency to get your car,” she said. “I’m not sure how good that lot is for overnight parking.”
“You want me to park up the street and sneak through the side gate?”
“Or we can be open about the fact you’re spending social time with me that has nothing to do with any magazine articles. Objectivity has been shot to smithereens already. I’d just as soon the public didn’t know you’d spent time in my…er…hot tub, but that’s one of the risks here, isn’t it?”
“I don’t like the idea of hiding or sneaking. I’ll park in front of the house and not pretend there’s a reason to do anything else.”
“That’s fine with me.”
He was fairly sure his head was going to explode, that is if another part of his anatomy didn’t beat him to it.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
NICOLE WAS GLAD Jordan didn’t seem interested in conversation as she drove them back to the agency parking lot. What was there to say? They found each other attractive. The hormonal energy had been turned up to high since the day he’d charged into her living room. She knew what the signs were; no one had to hit her on the head or paint a picture. He’d likely recognized it in her as well. And no matter how many times she’d tried to ignore or manage it, some things couldn’t be controlled.
“See you in a bit,” he said, sliding from the passenger seat.
“Right.”
Deciding not to wait for him to follow her home, she headed straight for her place. That way she could turn on the hot tub before he arrived and take a few deep breaths.
One thing she was sure about: there were things you did that you regretted, but there were bucketloads of other things that you regretted not doing because you were too cowardly to take the leap. Of course, she couldn’t be sure this was one of them, but it would be hard to know until after the fact.
It wasn’t as if she’d been fantasizing about Jordan her whole life. Aside from reading a handful of his columns, she had barely thought of him in the years since high school.
Now things had changed.
The mature man was far more dynamic. He was an insightful writer, albeit too cynical, and sexier than any guy had a right to be. The thought that had struck her on the deck of his boat was that she could well look back and regret not taking the opportunity to be with him. It didn’t mean she’d changed one iota of her plans for the future; this was just a small holiday.
At the house she turned on the hot tub, changed into her own clothing and put Terri’s things in the washer.
Nicole had carefully planned the hot tub location along with its protective features. It wasn’t that she’d planned to have nights like this, but because she valued privacy after so many years of living a very public life.
The minutes passed and she began wondering if Jordan had changed his mind or gotten a phone call that was detouring him to another task or destination. She laughed to herself. That would certainly take any decision-making out of the picture and at least she wouldn’t have to agonize over whether she’d have something to regret, one way or the other.
