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That had been a couple of hours ago. Now they had finished dinner and were enjoying glasses of wine. “You want to talk about it, Rylee?”
Her head snapped up. “Talk about what?”
“Whatever is bothering you. You’ve gotten very quiet.”
She held his gaze, which was a start, since she hadn’t looked him in the eye since she’d appeared for dinner. Frazier wasn’t a kid—he knew when a woman was ticked off at him. But that was usually when they discovered they couldn’t get their way with him. But he didn’t think that was the case with Rylee. She was too mature for that. Besides, she wasn’t the type to play those kinds of games.
“What is it, Rylee? Did I say something to offend you?” He had gone over their conversation in his mind several times, but couldn’t recall what he might have said.
She placed her wine glass down. “You didn’t offend me, Frazier. You only made my being here that much more confusing to me.”
“Confusing in what way?”
She paused a moment, then let out a long breath. “Because I know that I’m not like the women you normally date.”
“No, you’re not. But then, if you were like them, you wouldn’t be here now, Rylee. I see you being different as a good thing. Did I say something to make you think otherwise?”
She hesitated a moment and then said, “It was the comment you made about Goldwyn liking some of the women and not others, and the reason for it.”
He nodded, recalling the conversation. “But what does that have to do with you? I even said he liked you because you weren’t like them.”
“Yes, but…”
“But what?”
She started to say something and then, as if she thought better of doing so, she shook her head. “Nothing.”
He placed down his wine glass. “I believe there is something, Rylee, and I’d like to know what it is.”
She didn’t say anything for a minute, then shook her head. “I don’t know what you want from me, Frazier. I’m new to all this. You are the experienced one. You say you like that I’m different. But does it matter? You’ll never take me, or any woman, seriously.”
He frowned. “What makes you think that?”
When she didn’t answer, he stood and went over to her, then extended his hand. “Let’s take a walk in the courtyard to discuss this.”
She held his gaze for a minute, then nodded and placed her hand in his. When she stood, he called out to Baylor. “Dinner was great as usual, Baylor. Rylee and I are taking a walk in the courtyard for a while. We’ll enjoy dessert when we return.”
Holding tight to Rylee’s hand, he led her from the dining room through double French doors that connected to the courtyard. As beautiful as the beach was, it hadn’t been the key selling point when he’d first seen this house. No, it had been the tropical courtyard that had captivated him.
He’d never been one to appreciate greenery and flowers before, but there was something relaxing and peaceful about this place. He loved sitting out here in the late afternoon, smelling the fragrance of the flowers combined with the scent of the sea. It soothed his soul.
Because the sun had gone down and dusk was settling in, several lanterns had been lit along the pathway that was lined with decorative brick pavers. He led her to an open area surrounded by flowers, where several benches circled a huge water fountain. They sat down on one of the benches and he turned to look at her.
“I thought I made it clear why I brought you here, Rylee. I just wanted a chance to get to know you better.”
And he felt he was doing that. He’d learned, during their walk on the beach, that they enjoyed many of the same things. One thing she said she liked to do, but hadn’t had a lot of opportunity, was travel. He loved traveling aswell and did it often. She also liked all types of music, even rap. So did he. She liked reading, so did he. They were even of the same political party and their views on personal values and family were in full agreement.
He paused a moment, and then added, “Maybe I haven’t done a good job of explaining myself to you. I’m not the same man that I was a few years ago. I’m not sure I’m the same man I was last month. All I know is that lately, my life has been sort of mixed up. Confused. At least, it was…until the day I met you.”
She raised a brow. “Me?”
He nodded. “I can’t explain it, but it’s true. That’s why I want to get to know you better. I’m hoping it will allow me to figure things out. One minute I was sitting at my desk listening to Electra and the next, I turned my head and saw you. Even before you said anything, I knew there was something about you that was unique.”
She didn’t say anything for a minute. Then she cleared her throat. “I don’t see myself as being unique, Frazier. I’m a divorcée and the mother of a soon-to-be-college graduate.” She shook her head. “This is confusing for me, too. I find it hard to believe that, for the first time in years, I find myself attracted to a man. A man who seems attracted to me as well. I’ll admit, the thought of that makes me a little afraid.”
Damn, he loved her honesty and how forthright she was about things. Those traits just made her even more desirable. “What are you afraid of, Rylee?”
She met his gaze. “Not knowing what you want of me. Or worse, possibly wanting more out of a relationship thanyou do. I’m dealing with feelings I haven’t experienced before and it’s unnerving.”
