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“While you two thrash out where the portrait is to be hung, I think I’ll make good use of the shower facilities.” Excusing himself, Sebastian crossed to the stairs.
“That goes for me, too,” Trey said and lifted a hand to Boone. “See you later at dinner.”
Laura covered their departure by giving Boone an embracing squeeze. “I’m so glad you came.”
“Why didn’t you tell me Dunshill was here?” His sharp gaze searched her face.
“When did I have a chance?” she countered in wide-eyed innocence. “I was out when you called me, and you were gone when I called you back.”
“I’m surprised you didn’t show him the door, considering what you know about him.”
“But, darling,” Laura turned into his arms and ran her fingers along the open front of his shirt collar, “I couldn’t be that rude, not when he gave me the painting of Lady Elaine.”
“Just how long has he been here?”
“A couple of days,” Laura answered with a shrug. “Hardly long enough to get over his jet lag. More important,” she said, linking her fingers behind his neck and arching against him, “how long will you be staying?”
“I’m not leaving until he does.” It was a flat, hard statement.
Laura’s smile widened. “In that case, I’ll make sure he stays a long time.”
“Dammit, Laura.” The words came from him in an explosive burst.
She tipped her head back and laughed low in her throat. “Really, darling, you can’t possibly be jealous of him. Not now.” Rising on her tiptoes, she rubbed her moist lips over the tight line of his mouth until his arms circled her and crushed her in a hard, claim-staking embrace.
Laura couldn’t say why she was reluctant to send Sebastian on his way. It would have been an easy thing to do. She suspected it was a natural resistance on her part to having someone else impose his will on her.
She suggested as much to Tara the following day when she and Boone spent the afternoon poolside at Tara’s summer home in Wolf Meadow. When someone from the ranch in Texas called Boone on his cell phone, Tara had used the private moment with Laura to remark, “I imagine Boone was upset when he discovered Sebastian was at the ranch.”
“He definitely wasn’t happy.” Laura rubbed a generous amount of sunscreen lotion on her leg.
“I’m surprised he didn’t insist that you ask Sebastian to leave.”
“He tried,” Laura replied. “But he needs to learn that I won’t be pressured into doing things.”
“Don’t be foolish, Laura,” Tara stated with unexpected sharpness. “The pressure is coming from Max. You can never butt heads with Max Rutledge and win.”
With a little shock, Laura realized that Tara was right, both in her identification of the source and her assessment of the outcome. “I’ll figure out a way to handle him.” Laura didn’t kid herself that it would be easy.
“Laura,” Tara said in warning, but she was prevented from saying more by Boone’s return, his phone call finished.
“Everything all right at the ranch?” Laura recapped the lotion bottle and set it on the pool deck next to her chair.
“No major problems.”
“Good.” Her smile was quick and warm. “I have a suggestion to make. Why don’t we go out to dinner tonight? Just the two of us.”
“That would be a change,” he replied dryly.
“That’s what I thought.”
Tara allowed a little frown to mar her smooth forehead. “But where will you go?”
“Harry’s, of course.”
“Harry’s!” Tara repeated in distaste.
“I know it’s a far cry from the Mansion on Turtle Creek, but they do serve a good steak,” Laura replied and swung her long legs off the lounge chair. “I’m going to cool off in the pool. Join me?” she said, issuing the invitation to Boone.
