UPON THEIR RETURN FROM TOWN, Damian sequestered himself in the den and flipped on the television to watch the Boston Red Sox play the New York Yankees. Since he hadn't invited her to join him and she was exhausted anyway, Micki retreated upstairs for a nap.
She woke an hour later and headed for the kitchen, intending to cook them dinner. She wasn't a gourmet chef, but she could whip up a passable meal for two. She didn't have to. An older couple was already at work.
She cleared her throat and walked into the room.
A gray-haired woman greeted her with a smile. "You must be Mr. Fuller's guest. I'm Rosa and this is my husband Tino." She gestured to a man who resembled Dom DeLuise. Robust and cheery, he waved, his hands full with a carving knife and breast of chicken.
"Micki Jordan," she said by way of introduction. "Can I help?" But even as she asked, she realized they were extremely at home in the kitchen. They worked in tandem, helping each other and knowing exactly where to find things in the drawers and cabinets.
"No thanks," Tino said, just as Micki had expected. "Go relax and we'll let you know when dinner's on the table."
"Okay." She lifted her arms in a halfhearted gesture, thinking she'd prefer to socialize than go off alone. "So have you worked here long?"
"For the last five years, every time Mr. Fuller comes to town," Rosa said.
"What do you do between visits?" Micki asked.
"If his family's here, we cook and clean for them. If not, we come in weekly to freshen the place up and keep it from getting musty while nobody's living here."
Micki nodded, though she wondered how they made a living on Damian's sporadic visits alone.
"When Damian was young, we were his neighbors in New Jersey," Rosa explained as she chopped tomatoes. "We didn't have any kids of our own, so I'd do babysitting for his mother while she worked. She helped his father out at his car dealerships. Damian made it big, bought this place about the same time Tino had a heart attack."
She spared a loving glance at her husband. "He needed warmer weather and Damian needed caretakers. It's a win-win situation, though a much bigger win for us," Rosa said, clearly embarrassed.
“Don't sell yourself short,'' Damian said, joining them.
He stepped closer, his big body overwhelming Micki from behind, his heady masculine scent sending warning signals to her brain. If she thought she'd slept off the effects of last night, she'd been sadly mistaken. Her reaction to the man was as potent as ever, which meant her plan to seduce him was still in full force.
"I see you met the best people around," Damian commented, affection in his tone.
"We met," Micki said warmly.
'We're almost finished," Tino said. "Do you want us to come back and clean up?"
Micki shook her head. "No thank you. I can take care of-"
"I'd appreciate it." Damian interrupted her.
He eased closer and leaned his head near hers. "They'll be insulted if they think they aren't needed," he whispered quietly into her ear. His breath was warm and his lips brushed against her hair. He might not have intended anything except imparting information but the result was erotic all the same and she shivered.
"Well, I need my rest anyway," Micki said.
Rosa nodded, pleased. "Dinner will be ready in a few minutes, so why don't you go sit and have a drink?' She gestured in the direction of the dining room.
Micki had expected a casual dinner, but as she headed to the other room, she found the rectangular table set with a delicate tablecloth, good china and two glasses of sparkling water poured and waiting for them. Surprised, she turned to question Damian.
He stopped short, nearly walking into her. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing, except…why the formality?"
He shrugged. "Rosa thinks company's a reason to use the good dishes."
"I would have thought this room was for show," she said, laughing.
"If it were up to me, that's what it would be for. My sisters decided if I was going to have a big house and help, I shouldn't be serving on paper plates in the den."
"They have a point."
He strode around her, pulled out a chair and waited for her to be seated.
Suddenly nerves took over as she found herself next to Damian at the end of the table. In the silence that followed, the atmosphere around them grew more intense. She became aware of the ticking of the clock on the wall behind her, a synchronized accompaniment to her heart as it beat heavily inside her chest.
She searched for an easy topic of conversation. He had his prearranged doctor's appointment the next day and Micki knew he put a lot of stock in the doctor helping him get back to work soon.
"So how 'bout them Renegades?" she asked to break the tension.
It worked. He grinned and raised his glass. "To the division championship, then the NLCS and finally the World Series."
She lifted her water and clicked her glass with his. He seemed pleased at the topic of conversation and she didn't want to mess up by getting too serious. "I spoke to Sophie and she said the camp ran smoothly."
He nodded. "It always does. You Jordan girls have a knack for PR."
"Thank you. It's something we all enjoy, which I'm sure helps a lot. Nobody wants to get up and go to work every day and be miserable."
"Amen."
She smiled. "You love what you do, too."
"There's nothing more fulfilling than baseball."
She raised an eyebrow. "Nothing more fulfilling, huh? Are you absolutely sure? Because I can think of a few things that at least come close." And in case her insinuation wasn't clear, she reached out and ran her foot up and down his leg.
He blinked, obviously startled. Well, so was she. She hadn't thought she'd have the nerve to pull off Sophie's first suggestion.
"Micki Jordan, are you flirting with me?" he asked, stunned.
She tried for a relaxed smile. "I believe I am." Because she might never get another chance like this again. A rush of excitement flooded her veins.
Damian, meanwhile, still looked stunned.
"What's the matter? I can't imagine I'm the first woman who's propositioned you."
He placed the glass back onto the table and leaned closer. "Is that what you're doing? Propositioning me?"
She nodded slowly. "The question is are you up for the challenge?" Because Micki wanted him at peak levels.
Damian stared at the woman next to him. How had she gone from embarrassed ingenue to seductive vixen? And how did he get the shyer Micki back? No way did he want to be alone with the bold Micki, who seriously threatened his tenuous restraint.
"Oh, Rosa," he called. "Is dinner almost ready? I'm starving."
Micki met his gaze and chuckled. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."
"Is everything a sexual innuendo where you're concerned?"
She propped her chin on one hand. "Only since I met you." She paused in thought. "Actually only since Carter got me drunk, then you kidnapped me to a remote island off the coast of Florida."
"I tried to talk you out of the strip joint," he reminded her.
"That brings me to another point I thought you were a fun guy."
"I am a fun guy."
"You're going to have to prove it," she teased and his groin tightened with immediate need.
"Dinner," Rosa said, arriving with two plates, heaping with delicious food.
He'd hoped Rosa and dinner would break the tension, but as they began to eat, Damian realized they were just inching closer to the end of the meal and time alone-when he'd have to decide whether or not he wanted to meet Micki's challenge.
"Rosa, this is delicious," Micki said.
The older woman blushed. "Thank you. Steak, potatoes and green beans. All Mr. Fuller's favorites."
"So he ate his vegetables as a boy, did he?" Micki asked.
Rosa shook her head and laughed. "No but we've been piling them on his plate anyway. If we call them his favorites, we figure one day he'll forget and believe it"
"His mother's idea," Tino said, striding into the room with a wine bottle in his hand. "Wine anyone?"