Ian's Ultimate Gamble - Brenda Jackson [22]
Ian's conservatory was the ideal place to create a snug and relaxing haven while surrounded by the beauty of God's universe. The lighting inside the conservatory created pools of soft illumination. It was an intimate atmosphere that used the moon and stars to the best advantage. The room was furnished with several pieces of rattan furniture. Each piece was richly detailed, intricately designed out of woven banana leaf with a natural wash finish. The puffy cushions on the sofa and chair looked too comfortable for words, and the other accessories— the coffee table, side table and foot stool, added a dramatic finishing touch to the decor. Everything in the room seemed to fit. Even the tall, handsome man standing beside her.
"So what do you think?" he asked, breaking into her thoughts.
To say she was impressed was an understatement. He never ceased to amaze or surprise her. But then, she really should not have been surprised. She'd known that Ian was a very smart man who'd graduated from Yale University, magnum cum laude, at twenty-two with a degree in physics. But he definitely wasn't your ordinary geek. After working for a year at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, he had returned home when his grandfather died. Wanting to be close to his family he began working for a research firm in Atlanta and it was there that the gambling bug hit him. The way Ian saw it, beating the odds was based on scientific probability. To him it was a matter of science rather than a game of chance. Fortunately, he was very good at science.
"I think this place is beautiful, Ian. And the furniture and live plants enhance everything. There's nothing like having a comfortable environment with the outside all around and the sky up above."
Ian nodded. That's exactly the way he felt. He'd always loved watching the sky at night, and when he got older it had seemed the most natural thing to choose a career studying it. Although he no longer worked in that profession, he hadn't given up his love of astronomy.
"Come look through this." he said, taking her hand and leading her over to a huge, mounted telescope.
Brooke peered through the telescope at the moon, the stars and the other cool celestial objects that were now visible in the sky. She smiled when she saw a shooting star. According to myth, shooting stars fell to the earth creating a flower with each impact.
She straightened, suddenly feeling Ian's heat, and knew he had come to stand directly behind her, so close she could feel the warmth of his breath on her neck. A long, tense moment passed before she could draw in enough air to ask, "You come here often?"
"Whenever I need to get away or just to think."
Ian knew he would never tell her that although this was the first time she had been in his conservatory, he thought of her often when he was up here. It was the only place he allowed himself to let the memories of the love they'd once shared slip through the tough exterior he had built around his heart.
At one time she had been his own special star. She had shone brightly even when the skies had been gray for him and menacing dark clouds had appeared on his horizon. Brooke had been his star after every storm.
His career change from scientist to casino owner hadn't been easy, but she, along with his family, had motivated and encouraged him to pursue his dream. Brooke had been there by his side when he had celebrated the purchase of the Delta Princess.
He sighed deeply, knowing two things for sure. Brooke was still deeply embedded in his system, and no matter what it took he was going to get her out of it. Just the thought of having her in his bed one last time sent a wave of heat coursing through him. But it wouldn't be fair to rush her into a night of hot. wild passion, even though that might be what they both needed. He had to be patient.
Brooke pointed up toward the sky, trying to deflect the sensations she felt flowing through her body as a result of Ian's closeness. "Look