“Is this where you used to stage your midnight drag races?“ Diana asked as Colby swung the Jeep out onto River Road.
“Yeah, this is it. I won a lot of cash out here.“
Diana’s brows drew together disapprovingly as she studied the narrow road that twisted and curved to follow the river. “But this would be a very dangerous road to drive at high speeds. If a car went out of control around some of these curves, it would wind up in the river.“
“Diana, my sweet innocent, I hate to break this to you, but the fact that the road is a little treacherous is what made the racing exciting. It’s also why I won most of the time. No one knew this road as well as I did. I made a scientific study of every curve and straightaway.“
“Somehow I can just imagine you doing that.“
“I knew exactly how fast I could go into every turn and when to start accelerating on the way out. The races always started about a mile from here and finished at the falls. If I hadn’t managed to shake the competition by the time I reached that hairpin turn in the road near the bridge, I almost always lost them at the curve near the falls.“
“Your teenage years were certainly a lot more exciting than mine were,“ Diana murmured. “But I don’t want you to go to the trouble of recreating them for me. Mind slowing down a little?“
Colby flashed her an apologetic glance. “Sorry.“ He eased off the Jeep’s accelerator. “Does my driving bother you?“
“Not really,“ she said honestly. “You always seem to be in complete control.“ That much was true. Colby drove with a smooth precision that struck her as unusual. “It’s just that I’m accustomed to a slightly more sedate pace.“
“You want sedate – you get sedate.“ He grinned at her. “This evening your wish is my command.“
“So accommodating… Amazing what a little sex will do for a man’s mood.“
“The little sex we had this afternoon was the best I’ve ever had, lady.“
Diana blushed warmly, aware of the lingering aftershocks that were still rippling through her. She’d flown into a whirlwind and survived but she didn’t think she would ever be the same again.
Specter sat with his head hanging over Colby’s shoulder for the entire drive back to Diana’s cottage. The dog’s tongue lolled between his teeth and moisture dripped from it in a steady stream. By the time the Jeep pulled into the small driveway, there was a large, wet patch on Colby’s denim shirt.
“You know,“ Diana said, examining the wet shirt, “I think it may be a sign that he’s beginning to accept you.“
Colby glowered at the dog who stared back with an astonishingly innocent expression. “No, Diana, it’s not a sign that he’s beginning to accept me. It’s a sign that he’s getting sneakier about showing how much he hates my guts. He knows he’s losing the battle so he’s going underground to engage in guerrilla warfare.“
“You’re getting paranoid.“
“I believe in never underestimating the enemy.“ He loped up the porch steps and opened the cabin door. “Going to invite me in for dinner?“
She laughed. “Has it occurred to you that you may be turning into as big a mooch as my dog?“
“Specter only loves you because you know how to open a can of dog food. I, on the other hand, not only like your cooking, limited though your repertoire may be, but I’m crazy about your body.“
“Where does my fascinating mind come into all this?“
“Honey, two out of three ain’t bad. I’m certainly not complaining.“
“You chauvinistic turkey.“ She punched him playfully in the ribs and had the satisfaction of seeing him double up in exaggerated pain. “You want dinner here tonight? You can cook it.“
“Getting tired of doing all the cooking, hmm? I was afraid it would come to this,“ Colby said with an air of resigned gloom. “I should never have let you seduce me this afternoon. I should have known that once you knew you had me well and truly hooked, you’d walk all over me, abuse me and generally take me for granted.“
Diana stood on tiptoe and brushed her lips across his cheek. “Who,“ she asked softly, “seduced who this afternoon?“
“Whom,“ he corrected with a grin. “The question is who seduced whom. Pay attention. Us writers know all about grammar and stuff like that.“
“I’m impressed, but that doesn’t answer my question.“ Diana swept past him and switched on the light. If nothing else, the sensual encounter this afternoon had certainly put Colby Savagar into a playful mood. She realized she’d never seen him in quite this mood until now.
“Sorry. I forgot. What was the question?“
“Now you’re avoiding it.“
“Avoiding what?“
“The question.“
“Speaking of questions) I’ve got one for you.“
She paused at the kitchen door, aware that he had lingered behind her in the hallway. She glanced back curiously.
Colby was eyeing the letter and envelope she’d left on the hall table beside the vase of flowers.
“What’s your question?“ Diana asked pointedly.
He looked up, much of the playfulness in his expression gone. “Who’s Aaron Crown?“ He gave the letter a flick that sent it skidding to the far end of the table.
“My boss,“ she said slowly. “Or, to be more accurate, my ex-boss.“
Colby followed her into the kitchen. “Why’s he writing to you?“
She shrugged, pretending to ignore the faint challenge in Colby’s voice. She pulled a head of lettuce out of the refrigerator. “Two reasons, I suppose. One, because we’ve worked together for quite a while and we’re friends, and two, because he wants me to come back to my old job at Carruthers and Yale as soon as possible.“
“Doing that accounting stuff you were doing before you took a leave of absence?“
“Yes.“ Colby had not displayed much interest in her job. He had only a vague idea of what she did for a living and did not realize just how much her career meant to her. Perhaps he simply didn’t care. “Let’s see you put together a salad. I’ll open some wine and pour us both a drink.“
“I thought it was the man’s job to open the wine and sit around watching while the woman washed vegetables.“
“I’m giving you credit for being somewhat liberated.“ She maneuvered the corkscrew into the bottle.