Stormy Vows - Iris Johansen [35]
Donovan shook his head decisively. “No way!” he said curtly. “I bought the island two years ago for the express purpose of having a place to go when I wanted to do some writing. I wouldn't get anything accomplished if I could be reached by phone. If anything urgent comes up, Monty can always hire a helicopter or a launch to bring him over.”
They had reached the clearing now, and Brenna saw the A-frame chalet. The cabin, while charming, was really quite small. When she commented on this, Donovan smiled, his blue eyes dancing.
“It was quite large enough for the original owner's purpose,” he said dryly. “I bought it from one of Dominic's playboy buddies, who had it built to his own specifications.
Suspecting that she knew the answer already, she asked, “And that purpose was?”
“A love nest,” he said succinctly.
“I see,” Brenna said thoughtfully, her eyes gleaming curiously, a question trembling on her lips.
“And, no, I have never used the cabin for that reason.” He anticipated her question with a grin. “I come here to work.”
Donovan unlocked the door and, with a mocking gesture, indicated that she should precede him, then followed her closely so that he could see her reaction. He wasn't disappointed.
Brenna gazed around as wide-eyed as a child. A love nest, indeed, she thought faintly. The chalet had a floor plan that provided no privacy whatever. The living room area flowed into the tiny kitchenette with only the free-style cabinets to divide the room. A spiral staircase led to a half-loft that was occupied by a king-sized bed and two bedside tables. The decor was contemporary, with the accent on comfort, and sang with glowing reds and orange. A huge stone fireplace dominated one wall, with a long, scarlet couch and a white fur rug placed cozily before it. There was an almost overpoweringly intimate atmosphere about the chalet, and she was filled with a strange tension under Donovan's mocking stare.
“What, no communal bathing?” Brenna asked jokingly, her eyes not meeting his.
“Now that you mention it,” he said lazily, and sauntering over to the far wall, he slid a decorative panel aside to reveal an enormous emerald green sunken tub, surrounded by several white potted ferns.
“The poor fellow was painfully obvious, wasn't he?” Donovan commented casually. “One hopes his little playmates came here with the same aim in view. One look at this setup would send any shrinking violet running for the hills screaming bloody murder.”
He slid the screen closed, and, ignoring Brenna's scarlet face, strode quickly to the tiny kitchen. Rummaging in the compact freezer, he triumphantly extracted two paper-wrapped packages and put them in the portable microwave, pushing the button to defrost.
“All set,” he announced crisply, coming around the counter into the living room area. “Shall we go?”
Brenna nodded quickly, and hurried out the door and down the steps, conscious all the time of Donovan's amusement. Once outside, she breathed a covert sigh of relief, and, turning to Donovan, asked eagerly, “Where shall we go?”
He smiled indulgently at the glowing eagerness on her face. “I thought we'd climb the hill and watch the storm approach. It can be quite an experience. Would you like that?”
“I'd love it,” Brenna said enthusiastically, her brown eyes shining.
“You're easily pleased,” Donovan said dryly, as he took her hand once more, and they set off toward the hill he had indicated. “The last time I saw that much enthusiasm on a woman's face, she'd just been gifted with a diamond bracelet.”
“By you, no doubt,” Brenna said lightly, ignoring the twinge she experienced at the intimacy implied in Donovan's comment. She was determined to let nothing spoil this day. “How cynical you and Jake are about women. There are a few women in the world who aren't for sale, you know.”
Donovan's hand tightened painfully on hers, but his voice was even as he said