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“Is it?” he asked.
“What?”
“Is tonight special?” His words caressed the air.
She attempted to misread him. “Of course it is. It’s not often Emily and I have guests for dinner.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
Sheila sighed and turned the burner to the lowest setting. She rotated in Noah’s arms and tried to step backward. He didn’t let go. “I knew what you meant.”
“Do you?”
“Of course I do, Noah. I’m not exactly a naive innocent. I think you were the one that pointed it out to me. I assume you came here to talk about the winery . . .”
“And?” His half smile showed just a seductive hint of white, straight teeth, and a gleam of fascination flickered in his blue eyes.
“And you probably expect to take up where we left off.” Sheila’s heart was pounding so loudly she was sure he could hear it.
“‘The thought did cross my mind.”
“You’re wicked,” she accused teasingly.
“No, I wouldn’t saythat . . . captivatedwould be a better word.”
“Oh, Noah,” Sheila murmured. His words had a magical effect upon her, and she felt unable to resist the spell of tenderness he was weaving. Though she attempted to deny it, she still found something enigmatic and intimately alluring in Noah. A crazy feeling of exhilaration climbed steadily up her spine as she realized that he wanted to be with her. Perhaps she had misjudged him. Perhaps despite everything holding them apart, there was a chance that they could find happiness with each other.
“You look great,” he said. His eyes caressed her face and dropped to the tempting white column of her throat.
“In jeans and an old blouse?”
“In anything. . . .” The pressure of his hands against her back drew her close to him; so close that she could feel the strength of his legs where they touched hers and the pressure of his chest against her breasts. “As I recall, you look incredible in absolutely nothing as well.” His head lowered and his lips captured hers in a warm kiss that evoked passionate memories. In one instant she remembered his embrace in the rain and his touch in the silent afterglow.
Without thinking she entwined her arms around Noah’s neck and parted her lips under the soft pressure of his mouth. His tongue rimmed her lips, and all of the doubts of the last weeks fled with the promise of his kiss. “I’ve missed you,” he groaned when he lifted his head and pulled her roughly against him. “God, how I’ve missed you.”
At the sound of his confession, Sheila felt tears begin to pool in her eyes. “I’ve missed you, too,” she murmured into his sweater. Her voice caught, and she felt him stiffen. Slowly he released her.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“It’s been a long day . . .” she hedged. How could she begin to explain the storm of emotions within her each time he held her closely?
“Is it a bad time for you? I should have called before I came racing over here.”
“No . . . everything’s fine.Really.”
“Is dinner ready yet?” Emily called just as she was entering the room.
Sheila managed to brush her tears aside. “Just about. You can help by setting the table.”
“In the dining room?” Emily asked as she reached in the drawer for silverware.
“No. We’ll have to eat in here.” Sheila withdrew a linen tablecloth and put it on the small kitchen table. Looking skeptically at the makeshift dining arrangements, her mouth pulled into a pouty frown. “It’s not exactly elegant, but it will have to do. The dining room is still a mess.”
“From the fire?” Noah asked.
“And the water that was used to put out the flames. I’ll show you everything after we eat. Maybe then you’ll appreciate my position about the winery.”
The door opened and shut with a resonate thud. Sean strode into the room wearing cut-off jeans, a sloppy red sweatshirt and a look of bored indifference. His face was shaped similarly to his father’s, except that the sharp planes of Noah’s face were softer on his son. There was still a hint of boyish naivete in Sean that he obviously tried to hide under a guise of insolence.
