Star of His Heart - Brenda Jackson [61]
A slow smile touched his lips. “I intend to do just that. But I was hoping I could get you to dance with me before I left. Will you dance with me, Miss Gilford?”
Rainey glanced around the room. A number of people had left already and only a few couples remained on the dance floor. Since Nettie wasn’t there it would be up to her to close up the restaurant, which meant she had a lot to do. But the thought of taking a few minutes of her time and dancing with Howard Reeves was tempting. Too tempting to turn down.
She gave him her hand. “I’d love to dance with you, Mr. Reeves.”
He took her hand in his. “Call me Howard.”
“And I’m Rainey.”
The orchestra was playing a slow jazzy tune by Miles Davis when Rainey went into Howard’s arms on the dance floor. Desire, the likes Rainey had never felt before, sizzled through her bloodstream the moment he pressed her body against his. The two of them stared at each other, and a strong sizzle of sexual awareness touched the both of them. It had been that way all night, whenever their gazes had met across a crowded room.
“What do you think is happening between us, Rainey?” Howard asked in a deep voice, close to her ear.
Rainey’s breath caught in her throat. Heat traveled up her legs. She cleared her throat and swallowed hard. “I don’t know. What do you think is happening?” She didn’t want to act coy and not acknowledge what the both of them knew but she wanted to hear him say it.
“I think we’re seducing each other. Maybe intentionally. Maybe unintentionally. Whichever one it is, it’s working big time.” He pulled her closer as his hand caressed the part of her back the gown she wore didn’t cover. She shivered beneath his touch and leaned her head back to look up at him. She shivered some more when she saw the heated desire that was evident in his eyes.
“I don’t believe in casual affairs, Howard,” she said while she had a mind to do so.
“Good. Neither do I,” he said on a soft exhale of breath. “A long-distance affair will be difficult but in our case, one I believe is crucial. I want to get to know you better.”
She gave him a slow smile. “And I’d like to get to know you better, too.”
“How about if I make plans to come back and see you next weekend, or is that rushing things?”
Rainey’s smile widened at the thought of seeing him again in a week’s time. “No, I’d love seeing you again next weekend.”
“All right, then, it’s a date.”
She placed her head back on his shoulder after saying, “Yes, it’s a date.” She knew that it would be a date she would be looking forward to.
Later that night Rome found a note from Ashton taped to the refrigerator door. It read:
Rome, I’ve kidnapped your sister for a week and have taken her to my home in Oklahoma. Trust me, she’s fine. Also, believe that I know what I’m doing and that it’s for the best. There are issues she and I need to work out. I’ll contact you before you leave for Camp Pendleton on Thursday. If you have any questions or concerns before I call, see Trevor. And let Rainey Gilford know that Netherland has left town unexpectedly for a week so that she can handle things at Sisters.
Ashton
Rome lifted a brow after reading Ashton’s letter. Nettie had surprised even him when she had entered the bidding on Ashton. And he thought it had been a good strategic move when the colonel had bidden on himself, which had allowed him to select the woman he wanted. That woman had been Nettie. He had made that clear in front of everyone present. Rome couldn’t help but wonder what had happened to make Ashton want to take Nettie away now.
He decided to trust Ashton and patiently wait for his call.
Chapter 17
Netherland woke up and lay perfectly still. Although her mind tried to assure her that everything was all right, she knew it wasn’t. For starters, she was not in her bedroom, nor was she in her bed. But the strange thing about it was that she was wearing her own nightgown.
Turning her head on the pillow she slowly glanced around a room that was totally unfamiliar. She blinked, trying to figure out where she was. The last thing she remembered