“Was it you who gave Joe the black eye?” Tara asked with a smile, deftly changing the subject.
Nick laughed. “Yeah, that would be me.”
“Nice job,” Tara said, her eyes flashing to Joe.
Nick burst out laughing. “Thanks.” He too looked at Joe, smiling wryly.
“Well,” Tara said. “Why don’t we take our seats?”
She spoke to their other guests and soon everyone was seated at the long table. Joe found himself sitting directly across from Tara. Ben Kibsey, whom he’d met that morning out at the ranch, sat on his left and he resumed the interesting conversation they’d begun that morning about irrigation and a recycled water project going on in Sonoma. But the entire time he was acutely aware of Tara sitting across the table from him. He could feel her eyes on his even as she held a conversation with Bob Moir on her right. If he stretched his leg out, he could find her foot under the table.
“Water’s scarce as you move from the valley floors to the hillsides,” Ben said. “A non-irrigated operation can only produce about a half to a third of the yield of an irrigated operation.”
Joe nodded. “Water’s a big issue, isn’t it?”
He sensed Tara watching him and looked across at her. She held his gaze and lifted her wineglass to her shiny mouth. Joe’s own mouth watered just looking at her and his cock grew painfully hard. His gaze moved down to the enticing cleavage revealed by the dress, the sides of her round breasts visible. Damn. His body tightened even more. Luckily he was seated and a long table cloth and serviette in his lap provided some disguise.
He glanced at Sasha sitting beside Tara and noticed she had just finished her second martini. That one had lasted only minutes and she lifted a hand. With only a small gesture she caught the waiter’s eye and he nodded his understanding. The impeccable service also impressed Joe.
When he opened the menu he saw their dinner was already planned. The chef’s tasting menu was written in a fancy script along with a different wine pairing for each course.
“Chef Gregg has prepared a special menu for us tonight,” Tara told the group. “He’s going to come out and talk to us about it a bit later.”
Everyone nodded and studied the menu. Joe shrugged and closed his menu, then picked up his beer. He turned to Nick on his right.
“What’s with you and the princess?” he asked quietly, barely moving his lips. Nick nodded, smiling.
“Christ,” he muttered through the fake smile. “I can’t believe this.”
“What’s the problem?”
Nick glanced at him, rolling his eyes ever so slightly. “I told her not to come to the center anymore.”
Joe cursed under his breath.
“Nick, what’s the theme for this year’s gala?” Tara asked.
“Uh…”
“The theme this year is ‘Starry Nights’,” Sasha said. Then she stood. “I need to use the ladies’ room. Tara?”
Tara shook her head, then, catching Sasha’s pointed glance, she too stood, picking up her little evening bag.
“I’ll come with you,” she said dryly. Joe and Nick shared a glance.
“Man, this is awkward.” Nick rubbed his face after the two women had left the table.
“I told you to be nice to her!”
“What could I do? I had to stop her from coming!”
“Shit.”
“Yeah. Shit.”
“This is so awkward!” Sasha cried once inside the ladies’ room.
Tara turned and faced her, leaning against the polished granite counter. “What’s so awkward about it? You’re usually good at this kind of social stuff.”
“Nick! Why is he here?”
“Apparently Grandpa told Joe to invite him.”
“How the hell does he know him?” Sasha cried.
“They’re friends. That’s who Joe is staying with until he gets his own place.”
“Oh Jesus.” Sasha shook her head.
“What’s going on?”
“I….I asked him out the other day.”
Tara lifted a brow.
“And he said no.” She hitched a shoulder. “But I really like him. So I…I started hanging around at the center. Doing stuff with the kids. And he…” She looked down. “He told me to stay away.”
“What! Really?”
“Yes.” She sucked in her bottom lip. “So it’s kind of humiliating to see him again.”
“But you have to work with him on the committee.”
“Yeah. Oh God.”
Tara rubbed her nose. “Well, you’re just going to have to make the best of it. We can’t exactly get rid of him.”
Sasha sighed. “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She dragged her fingers through her long straight hair to smooth it, took her shiny red lip gloss out of her purse and touched up her lips. “I need another drink.”
“You’re downing those martinis pretty fast. Maybe you should take it easy.”
One corner of Sasha’s mouth deepened. “Who cares?”
And she turned and left.
Oh God.
Tara’s heart ached for Sasha. She was a spoiled princess, but she had a good heart and she was obviously hurting. Her feelings for Nick couldn’t be all that serious—could they?—but rejection always hurt.
Tara followed her sister out of the stylish restroom, down the dimly lit hall and back into the restaurant. She took her seat at the table, flashing a smile at their guests. Joe was watching her. He’d been watching her all night and her nipples tingled and tightened beneath the silky fabric of her dress. She shivered a little and looked across the table to find his eyes on her. Again.
He was looking at her with such focused intensity she wanted to squirm in her seat. Then she noticed his eyes moving down to her chest. Her breath caught in her throat and she went lightheaded. To her horror, she had an urge to reach her hands up to the wide straps of her dress at her shoulders and slowly tug them down her arms, baring her breasts to his gaze.
Oh. My. God. She picked up her glass and took a big gulp of wine, almost choking on it. Joe’s lips quirked.
Her frown deepened. Damn him. He’d sent her some kind of telepathic dominating command and now he was laughing at her.
A tall, stunningly handsome man dressed in black pants and chef’s whites that fit his broad shoulders to perfection entered their area of the restaurant.
Tara smiled. You couldn’t help but smile at Tyler Gregg, he was so incredibly handsome and sexy. His spiky dark hair was tousled as usual, his sexy eyes gleamed devilishly. When he’d gotten married a couple of years ago, every girl in Santa Barbara—no, make that every girl in California and probably half the girls in America—had been bitterly disappointed. He’d had quite a reputation as a ladies’ man, dating one gorgeous supermodel or actress after another before falling in love with his business manager. Now they had a new baby.
Tara stood to greet Tyler and he hugged her and kissed her cheek.
“So you have something special planned for us tonight?” Tara asked him, leaning back in his arms to smile at him.
He grinned. “Of course.”
“Let me introduce you,” Tara said. She went around the table, her arm linked with Tyler’s, and Tyler shook hands with everyone. Joe’s greeting was curt when it was his turn to be introduced.
“To start this evening, I have an olive spread made with Sevallano olives and fresh California walnuts,” Tyler began. “It’s served on lightly toasted baguette slices that have been brushed with olive oil.”
Tara caught Joe’s eye and he smiled at her. She couldn’t help but smile back.
“The salad will be a simple salad of mixed field greens dressed with a sherry wine vinegar and olive oil vinaigrette,” Tyler continued. “The main course this evening is leg of lamb roasted with green olives, lemons and garlic. It’s served with potatoes and pan gravy. Dessert is a cake made with olive oil and champagne grapes.”