A small smile lifted her lips. “I know, and believe me, I don’t have time to wait on you. But as it happened, it was no trouble for me to bring up the bags. Now, why don’t you sit down, and I'll get your dinner.”
“Dinner?”
The two men she’d been closest to in her life, Jake and Conall, were both formidable men with wide streaks of stubbornness and pride, so the objection Nico was about to make didn’t deter her. She pushed away from the table and stood up. “Ramona made a huge casserole for the two of us tonight, and there was quite a bit left over. She left it warming for you.”
She grabbed a hot pad, bent to pull the dish from the oven, and set it on the counter, talking all the while to distract him. “Remodeling this kitchen is going to be a hellish job. I really dread it. But in order to hold the type of up-to-date professional equipment we’ll need for the resort, we’re going to have to rearrange the kitchen and knock out a couple of walls to make it large enough. That one"—she pointed to a wall—“and the one beyond that. We’ll lose the original servants’ dining hall, but there are so many other rooms down here that we can connect into a dining room and lounge for our employees, we won’t even miss it.”
“Caitlin.”
The sound of his iron-hard voice made her turn and look at him. “Yes?”
“I won’t allow Ramona or you to go to extra trouble for me.”
She shrugged. “You’ll have to take that up with Ramona. I never tell her what to do. ” She scooped a large portion of the casserole onto a plate and set it in front of him, along with a basket of hot, crusty French bread.
“Beef bourguignonne?” he asked.
“Yes. Coffee?”
He nodded, thinking that there probably weren’t a lot of people who would call beef bourguignonne a casserole, but his brief glimpses of the house had already begun to teach him that there were the rich, and then there were the
rich.
Ignoring the food, he watched Caitlin as she moved around the room. Unfortunately he couldn’t find a thing about her to fault. The sundress left her arms, throat, and back bare and revealed skin the color of ivory with a tantalizing undertone of gold. She was too damned beautiful for his peace of mind.
“Did you have any trouble finding the kitchen?” He shrugged. “A little. I took the elevator down to the first floor, then headed in the general direction of the back of the house. It should have been simple, but it wasn't. I had no idea how huge this place is until I made a few wrong turns. And it hadn’t occurred to me that the kitchen would be in the halfbasement.” He took the cup of coffee from her outstretched hand and waited until she sat down again. Now was as good a time as any, he thought, to get a little information. Mainly, though, it would give him something else to think about beside her— something he badly needed. “What’s the general layout of the place?”
There was a coiled alertness in him that seemed to have come out of nowhere, and it presented her with a moment’s unease. She wondered if his controlled energy was natural, or if it came and went with each new difficult situation. No, she thought. This wasn’t a difficult situation, and it was normal that he would want to learn how to get around the place where he’d be staying for a few days. She was being too suspicious. She smiled. “Knowing the layout would make it easier for you, wouldn’t it?”
He nodded, his gaze dropping to the fullness of her curving mouth. She wore no lipstick, but a delicate sheen of moisture had been applied to the natural soft pink color of her lips. He’d like to kiss his way through that sheen of moisture to the taste and the texture beneath. A strong surge of hunger shook him; he picked up his fork and tried hard to dredge up interest in the beef bourguignonne.
“Okay, I’ll give you a rundown on the highlights. Here in the half-basement there’s the kitchen, its pantries, which are quite extensive, service and storage rooms, and the servants’ dining hall. On the first floor, there’s the great hall and staircase, of course, and all the formal rooms. The drawing rooms, a banquet hall, a smaller dining room, plus a library and the study are also on the first floor.”
To his disgust, he was having trouble keeping his mind on business. He was finding Caitlin infinitely more absorbing than the information she was giving him, and he had to have the information. So far, nothing had worked out as he had planned. No, that wasn’t true. His first objective had been accomplished. He was now an official guest at SwanSea. He’d just have to come to terms with this incredible attraction he had for Caitlin. He
had
to, because he wasn’t sure ignoring her would be possible. “Study? That was your grandfather . . . Jake’s study?”
“That’s right, and it was also Edward’s. The ballroom, a billiard room, a music room, and more sitting rooms are on the second floor. I’m going to turn most of those sitting rooms into meeting areas. The third floor contains bedrooms, dressing rooms, and sitting rooms, as does the fourth floor. Neither the third nor fourth floor has enough bathrooms or closets, so dressing rooms and some sitting rooms will be converted for those two relatively modem conveniences. ” “What about the attic?”
“Storage and servants’ quarters. One of these days soon. I’ve got to get around to going through all the trunks and boxes up there.”
Interest quickened in him. “You don’t know what’s stored there?”
“Some of it I do. I used to play up there as a child. But a great many new things have only recently been transferred to the attic from rooms currently being worked in. ”
"I’m surprised you didn’t store it.”
“All the really valuable items
are
in storage. And a lot of the furniture has been sent off to refinishers. A first-floor sitting room, the study, and the bedrooms on the third floor are practically the only rooms left with all of their furniture.”
Having gotten a few of the answers he needed, he finished eating, then leaned back in the chair to study Caitlin. He could afford the luxury just this once, he assured himself. After all, greater knowledge could help him deal with her.
She was a woman who had had the best of everything all her life. She could coast through life on her beauty alone, not to mention her wealth, but by all accounts, she could have become a vital part of the Deverell organization if she’d stayed. Instead, she’d taken on a new and different challenge. “I’m curious. What made you decide to turn this place into a resort?”
She smoothed her thumb and finger around the porcelain rim of her coffee cup, a gesture that unexpectedly brought life to his lower limbs and made him shift uncomfortably in his chair.
“In college, I’d majored in business because it seemed like the thing to do at the time, and it was relatively easy for me. When I graduated, I
naturally"
—she grinned, giving the emphasized word significance and charm—“went to work at Deverell’s. I was in the public relations department, and I’d begun to feel restless when I inherited SwanSea.”
“Restless about where you were in the company?” he asked, totally engrossed in what she was saying.
“No. Public relations wasn't the problem. I could have worked in any department I chose, including assisting Conall, my cousin. But I had found a certain confinement and rigidity to the business world that had begun to chafe.”
“Even In a company where you must have had a certain amount of power?”
“Yes, because I would never have abused that power.”
Somehow he’d known that, he thought.
“Your family must have hated the idea of you turning your back on the business.” His had, in spades. The fights between him and his father had been terrible.
“They called me crazy at first,” she admitted. “They couldn’t see the practicality. But they have their own warm feelings for SwanSea, and now they can’t wait for the grand opening.”
"But running SwanSea will be a business too. ” The sudden luminosity of her expression caught him unaware and caused a tightening in his gut.
“Yes, but SwanSea is different somehow. This place has been a part of me all my life. It was my first home. And even after my mother and I left and lived in Boston, I always considered myself a part of it. I know exactly what’s right for it, and I’ve thought things through very carefully. The style of life Edward Deverell had in mind when he built the place is no longer practical. When I inherited SwanSea, I had several options, one being to open it for tours. But it would have been too dispassionate to have groups of tourists tramping through its rooms.” “Dispassionate?”
She grinned. “You probably think that’s a funny way to speak of a house, but I can’t be unemotional when it comes to SwanSea. Remember? You noticed its strength. The house is almost a living force.”
He nodded, recalling the strange feeling that had come over him at his first glimpse of the house. It had seemed to have a rhythmic energy. Even more strange, it had seemed to be welcoming him. He’d chalked up the reaction to his weariness.
Then there had been his reaction to Caitlin. As much as he had tried to ignore it, he had been strongly attracted to her. He hadn’t expected that with simply a look, a gesture, or a smile, she could make his insides catch fire. He’d slept, awakened rested, and found he still wanted her.
The burning she saw in his eyes gave her momentary pause, a burning that singed her to her fingertips. But was the heat really there? she wondered, or was she seeing something she wanted to see?
“I also decided against giving SwanSea to the government or the state.” Her lips twisted wryly. “The truth is, I’m selfish. The romantic side of me wants always to be able to call SwanSea home, to come and stay whenever I want, to have a part in its future; and hopefully in the years ahead, my children will take over for me. The practical side of me wants to see that SwanSea is preserved, but preserved in such a way that it’s not simply another sideshow or an empty monument. By turning it into a resort, I'll be able to control what happens to it for as long as I live.” She stopped, no longer able to doubt the expression in Nico’s dark brown eyes. The look was a sensual wanting that left her weak.
“You’re quite a lady, Caitlin Deverell,” he said softly. “Romantic
and
practical. You’ve figured out how to safeguard and protect the house and, at the same time, how to give it back its life.”
“SwanSea deserves loving attention. This is a gracious house, and I want to give other people the opportunity to come to know SwanSea the way I do, to stay here for however long they can, to rest, to draw energy from its atmosphere, to love and be happy within its walls. ”
He gave a short laugh, attempting to break free of the web of desire that bound him tighter with her every word, his every breath. “I guess it’s a good thing I’m seeing the house now. When it opens, I probably wouldn’t be able to afford to stay.”
She frowned, taking his lighthearted words seriously. “I wish we weren’t going to have to charge so much, but I’m afraid the value of SwanSea’s contents along with the high costs for renovation, insurance, upkeep, and staff dictate high prices. The resort will be
very
exclusive, but that’s the compromise I’ve had to make to accomplish the things I want.” Suddenly a puzzled look came over her face. “What do you mean you couldn’t afford to stay here. What about DiFrenza’s?”
"My family’s business, not mine.” He gave her a smile meant to divert. “I forgot to ask how much you’re going to charge me, didn’t I?”
Feeling a warmth in the pit of her stomach, she returned his smile. “Yes, but I wouldn’t worry about It. With SwanSea so far from being finished, I can guarantee your bill will be very affordable.”
“You have quite a task in front of you.”
“It’s a labor of love. SwanSea Is one of the best surviving examples of Art Nouveau In America. Everything, from the design of the house to the door handles, panelings and moldings creates a unity.” Suddenly she had to swallow against a dry throat. Unable to go on any further, even about a subject she loved so much, she sat back, aroused, excited, and unsettled. She was used to the passion she felt for her birthplace, but the turbulence Nico had created within her was something she wasn’t sure how to cope with. She tried again. “I’m really sorry you’re not seeing the house at its best. You’ll have to promise to come back when the restoration and renovations are completed.” She gave a husky, uncertain laugh. “I'll give you a special rate.”
He heard her uncertainty and understood she was drawn to him. He had far too much experience not to know that with a little effort he could have her. He shifted restlessly in his chair. The idea played with his mind, seducing him.
He brought his thoughts to a halt. If there was one thing he’d learned over the years, it was that hardly anything was simple and straightforward or what it seemed. Caitlin obviously hadn’t learned that lesson yet, and he wasn’t sure how he felt about being the one to teach her. There was an openness and a warmhearted quality about her—the complete opposite of himself.
Damn this edginess,
he thought angrily. Coming here
had
seemed like the perfect plan. “I think I’d better call it a night.”
It was a shock for Caitlin to realize she didn’t want Nico to go. In her twenty-six years, she’d been through the normal ups and downs with men that most women of her age experience. But the strong, instant response to him was unique. He had made no advances to her, but a look from him was as potent as a kiss from any other man she’d known. Involuntarily, her gaze was drawn to his lips. They were strong and firm, and he would know exactly how to use them on a woman. “I’ll go up with you, to make sure you have everything you need.”
He closed his eyes against the sight of her, but he couldn’t close down the functioning of his brain, and his imagination sprang into overdrive. What would it be like to reach across the table, pull her onto its top, and climb over and into her? Heaven, his body told him. Heaven.
He stood so quickly he bumped the table. The plates rattled, and an empty glass toppled over, then rolled off the table and crashed to the floor. The sound of the shattering glass was earsplitting in an atmosphere of aroused senses. “It’s not necessary to come up with me. I have what I need, and I can find my own way."