The Reluctant Heiress. Sara Orwig

      “Maybe. Maybe not. Thank heavens women can’t resist you.”

      Garrett had to laugh. “Oh, hell. Goodbye, Will. I’ll call when I can.”

      Garrett ended the call and tried to get Will out of his thoughts and stop worrying about him. As he headed to his car, he focused on Sophia, his thoughts heating him to a torrid level.

      When Sophia opened the door, her heart missed beats. Dressed in a charcoal suit and matching tie, Garrett looked as handsome as he had the night before.

      His warm gaze roamed over her and he smiled. “You look gorgeous,” he said.

      “Thank you,” she replied, thinking about all the different outfits she had tried on before settling on a plain red linen suit. Her hair was tied behind her head with a matching red scarf and he gave it a faint tug.

      “Very pretty, but if we were going out for the evening, I would untie that scarf and let your hair free, which is the way I like it.”

      “But I won’t,” she replied lightly, locking up and walking to his car with him. “I have to go to the gallery and it needs to be tied and out of my way.”

      As he held the car door, she noticed he watched her legs when she climbed in. He closed the door and went around to slide behind the wheel. “So how did you sleep?” he asked.

      “Great.”

      “I must be slipping if my kisses didn’t keep you awake a little.”

      “You think I would tell you if I had stayed awake all night?”

      As they both smiled, she felt the sparks between them, that electrifying current that had sizzled the whole time they were together last night. She hoped he never realized what a strong impact he had on her. She had a busy life and a time-consuming career. Garrett had come into her life at a time when she was trying to make a name in the art world. She didn’t want him to realize how he affected her. She didn’t want to lose control of her emotions.

      At the restaurant, they were seated on an outdoor patio—the breezes were cool, the sun bright. As soon as they had ordered and were alone, Garrett smiled. “So when will my painting be delivered?”

      “This afternoon.”

      “Excellent. Let me pick you up, we’ll go to my house to hang the painting and then I’ll take you out.”

      Her heartbeat quickened yet again. “You really don’t waste time, do you,” she replied.

      “I’ll pick you up around seven. So how much time do you spend in New Mexico?” he asked.

      “Most of the summer. It’s cool at night and I enjoy being there part of the year. Do you have a home anywhere else?”

      “My home is in Dallas and I have a condo in Colorado because I like to ski. I also have a place in Switzerland.”

      “Nice.”

      “Painting is a reclusive occupation. Do you get out much in Santa Fe?”

      “Sure, when I want to. But I enjoy the quiet and solitude. Chalk that up to being an only child.” As Sophia talked, she couldn’t help but study Garrett. His brown hair had been neatly combed, but the breeze soon shifted the locks and they tumbled over his forehead. His rough handsomeness—his hawk nose and firm jaw—and his spellbinding gray eyes fascinated her. When he began to speak, her gaze lowered to his mouth and she recalled his kisses, not hearing what he was saying as heat suffused her and the temperature of the cool morning changed.

      He touched her chin with his fingers. “I don’t believe you’re hearing a word I’m saying. What could you possibly be thinking about?” he asked in a husky voice as if he guessed exactly why she hadn’t heard a word he had said.

      “My mind drifted, sorry,” she said, embarrassed, looking into his knowing gaze. She felt the heat flush her cheeks and couldn’t do anything to stop it.

      “So, Sophia, where did it drift? What were you thinking?”

      She gave up because he knew full well what she had been thinking about.

      “I don’t think you need me to tell you that, do you, Garrett?” He gave her a slight smile as she changed the subject. “Do you travel much with your job?”

      To her relief he moved on with the conversation and the moment passed. But she suspected it had not been forgotten.

      After breakfast Garrett took her to the gallery and parked beside her car. As he walked her to the door, he said, “We’re early. May I come inside with you in case your building is empty?”

      “Actually, people should start arriving in about ten minutes, and there is a guard outside.”

      “I’d rather stay until someone does arrive.”

      “Garrett, it’s safe, and I’ll lock the door once I’m inside.” She turned to unlock the door and reached inside to switch off the alarm. When it became clear that he had no intention of leaving, she headed down the hall and said over her shoulder, “I’ll show you my office.”

      She stepped into her office and he followed, taking in the beige room with bright splashes of color from her paintings. He studied the paintings for a moment, and then turned to her, making her pulse skip. “I expect people any minute now.”

      “I’ll wait and be certain. Why don’t you give me the key and I’ll unlock the front and switch on lights.”

      She handed him the key and he caught her wrist, drawing her to him. Her “no” died on her lips before she ever uttered a sound. His arm banded her waist and he looked down at her. “I didn’t sleep well and I suspect you didn’t either. This is what I’ve wanted since I woke up this morning.” His mouth covered hers, his lips warm and firm as he kissed her.

      Her heart thudded while heat made the room a furnace. Wrapping her arm around his neck, she combed her fingers through his thick hair while their kiss turned to fire. Forgetting her surroundings, she held him tightly.

      She never heard the car but Garrett raised his head and stepped away. “I hear one of your employees.”

      Garrett’s erratic breathing matched hers. She felt disoriented, trying to ignore her desire and get her focus off Garrett and back to the real world.

      He left to unlock the front for her just as she heard a car door slam. One of her male employees came in the back door, and Sophia introduced him to Garrett when he returned to the office.

      “I’ll pick you up at home tonight. How’s six? Too early?” he asked.

      “It’s fine,” she said, still slightly dazed, thinking six o’clock sounded eons away. “Thanks again for breakfast.” He gave her an incredible smile, said goodbye and closed the door behind him. Sophia felt like she was in a daze until her phone rang.

      “You were out late last night,” Edgar said.

      “Hello to you, too, Edgar,” she said, amused. “I can’t recall having a curfew. I don’t think this is what Mom had in mind when she asked you to look out for me.”

      “I think it’s exactly what she had in mind. You didn’t answer the text I sent you this morning.”

      “Sorry, Edgar. I went out for breakfast.”

      “Uh-huh. With the Cantrell fellow?”

      She laughed. “Yes, with the Cantrell fellow—Garrett, to be exact.”

      “Oh, dear,” Edgar said, sighing audibly. “I suppose I will have to remember his name. So you’re seeing him again?”

      “Correct. Am I going to have to check in, Mom 2?”

      He chuckled. “No. I’ll keep tabs. Just answer your text messages.”

      “Yes, Edgar.”

      “Last