Page 25 (1/2)

"I’norout an arm as Anna Maria approached thehted, and a round of double-cheeked kissing went around as everyone greeted everyone Cindy seenor; only Jared appeared to be a little stiff He spoke politely, and nor er a them, and curious?even suspicious?when his eyesto assure her cousin that she hadn’t invited or encouraged thethenor’s hand on her back, guiding her through the crowd into one of the dining rooainst her naked back, she had to adain, that he had an effect on her Like fire An uncoe to lean in against hiainst her cheek, to breathe in the clean, intoxicating scent of his shaven cheeks Now, as she had last night, watching the dancers, she felt an intoxicating sensuality in proximity Lynn would say that she wanted to jump his bones She wouldn’t be quite so crude?or honest But herfrom bar to table His hands were unbelievably masculine She wondered what it would be like to feel the her arms

And other places

She wondered if his chest was as broad and co when naked

She wondered what it would feel like if she were naked too, rubbing against the length of him And if his chest was bare, his hips would be bare, and then she found herself wondering if he was powerful and lithe and large throughout

He pulled out a chair for her at the table She sat Her face was lobster tinted, she was certain From head to toe she felt a cri normally

Maybe he would sit somewhere else, other than beside her!

He didn’t He took the chair at her left Lynn was already seated at her right A waiter set her half-finished drink in front of her She reached for it, taking a long s Menus appeared and Lynn reached over, pointing at iteood She responded, nodding, saving so, she wasn’t sure exactly what Jared and Anna Maria were discussing a nu night; the seating had already been planned, there were several hundred guests co, but it see, so as to put people with siether

"So?where were you off to today?" Cindy suddenly asked Jordan

"I went to have coffee with Tiff"

"Isn’t the palazzo marvelous?" Raphael asked her

"Yes, very nice"

"The ed from the ruins of a Roman palace," Anna Maria told her

"You had coffee all day?" Jared asked The question sounded a little grating to Jordan, and she wasn’t pleased to realize that now everyone at the table was looking at her, as if they all waited for an answer

"I had coffee, I shopped, I wandered," she said

"I thought you ht come by the shop," Lynn said

"I knew you all would be very busy," Jordan told her

"Tiff is sohly paid prostitute," Jared said

"Jared!" Cindy remonstrated

"Well! She marries old rich ?" Jared queried

"What about old and ed o after shapely young things?" Jordan said in defense of her friend "I like her"

"What do you think about Mrs Tiffany Henley, Ragnor?" Cindy asked

Ragnor arched a brow "I suppose we all have our priorities She is blunt, beyond a doubt" Lynn giggled "She has much more to say about you," she told hinor said with a shrug "I don’t know her very well"

"I saw you with her this afternoon," Jordan said

His eyes suddenly turned full force on her

"Oh? And where did you seein the canal?" Cindy asked with a frown

"I wasn’t in the canal I was in a gondola"

"You took a gondola ride all by yourself?" Jared said

Again, she felt that he was asking questions like a disapproving parent

"Are gondolas supposed to be dangerous?" she asked lightly

"A gondola should be shared with a lover," Raphael said

"Actually, I wound up on the gondola because of you," Jordan told Jared, wishing that she weren’t so aware of Ragnor’s eyes, always seeht that I was following you hoht?but of course, it wasn’t you It was another nor asked

"Well, I assuondola ride today because of ain I followed hier in a dottore costu to do," Jared said harshly