“You got it.”
They sat down at the table. Katie spread out her various folders, then turned her attention to Zach. They were close enough that she could see the tiny lines by the outside corners of his eyes and the various shades that made up his deep blue irises. He was handsome, and he smelled good. A potent combination.
“So talk,” she told him. “Tell me the truth-I can handle it.”
He took a sip of the single malt scotch he’d poured for himself. “They love your ideas. John’s pregnant wife thinks everything is, and I quote, ’Too precious for words.’ That’s a good thing,” he added. “She also wants you to call her. She has the names of a couple of jewelry designers who would be happy to come up with some original designs for various prizes.”
“Great. I hadn’t been worried exactly, but I’ll admit to being relieved now.”
“I had every confidence.”
She blinked at him. Was it her imagination, or had he just shifted closer to her?
“I’ll, ah, call the hotel in the morning and finalize the contract. Menus will be next. Do we want to schedule a tasting for everyone?”
“No, thanks. I trust your judgment. And I don’t want to have a heated conversation about flowers, napkin colors, or table placement.” He leaned toward her. “You’re the expert. Dazzle me.”
“You got it,” she said. “I’ll line things up, make some selections, and then run everything by you. While I’ll agree to skip the massive tasting, there are some things I’m going to want you to try.”
“I’m open to that.”
His low and seductive voice made her think of tangled sheets, champagne, and chocolate. Was there a more enticing combination? Throw in a good-looking man…preferably dressed in nothing, with an eager-to-please attitude, and an evening couldn’t get much more perfect.
Just not her evening.
“So if threats and heartfelt stories aren’t going to work, you’ll try seduction?” she asked.
He looked amused rather than embarrassed. “Will it work?”
“Not on me.”
“Too bad.”
A lesser man would have been rattled by being shot out of the water, she thought. But not Zach. Figures.
“Okay, then.” She began to pack up her briefcase. “That’s all I need for now. I’ll just get out of your hair so you can have the rest of your evening to do whatever it is you do.”
She half expected him to invite her to stay, and when he didn’t, she tried to be relieved rather than disappointed. She was about fifty percent successful.
Zach collected her coat, then held it out for her. As she slipped into it, she said, “I know you’re worried about Mia and David, but I wish you’d relax. I thought a lot about what you said, about young marriages failing and I know it happens, but not to everyone. I come from a long line of people who get it right.”
“I’m a worried father,” he said, staring deeply into her eyes and making her want to throw herself at him. “I can’t help it.”
“You’re a good father, too,” she said instead. “Trust that and trust your son. If that doesn’t work, remind yourself that Marcelli marriages never fall apart. I promise.”
“And if you’re wrong?”
“I won’t be. You can-”
He cut her off with a kiss. Katie supposed she should have seen it coming, but she hadn’t. One second they’d been talking, and the next she was in his arms, and his mouth had claimed hers.
The brush of his firm lips sent her senses into a tail-spin. Heat surrounded her, as did need and passion. He didn’t deepen the kiss, which only made her want more, and when he stepped away, she found it impossible to speak.
He picked up her briefcase and put his arm around her, then led the way to the front door. By the time they reached it, she’d regained the power of speech.
“Why did you do that?” she asked.
“I wanted to. Should I apologize?”
“Would you mean it?”
“No.”
She tried to work up some righteous indignation, but she tingled too much. “Zach, we have a business relationship.”
“You’re irresistible.”
“You’re lying.”
“Am I?”
Pathetically, she wanted him to be telling the truth. Right. Because she was exactly Zach’s type. Not.
“You can’t use sex to get what you want from me,” she told him.
“What can I use it for?”
She ignored him, grabbed her suitcase, and stalked out of the house.
“You didn’t answer my question,” he called after her.
“Go to hell.”
He laughed. “I had a good time, too, Katie.”
She fumed all the way to the car. When she was inside, she put the key in the ignition. The man made her insane.
She couldn’t wait to see him again.
Seed pearls multiplied in the night. At least that was Katie’s conclusion Tuesday morning when she dumped out bags of them onto the dining room table at the hacienda. Along with the seed pearls were tiny beads and stacks of lace appliqués.
Four pairs of eyes turned accusingly from her to Mia. The eighteen-year-old shrugged.
“So the dress has a lot of lace. It’s gonna be beautiful.”
Grandma Tessa fingered the stack of lace, then glared at her granddaughter. “We’ll be beading for months. My fingers will fall off.”
Mia remained uncowed. “I’m your favorite. You love me. You want my dress to be beautiful.”
Grandma Tessa smiled. “You girls are all my favorite, but yes, I do want you to have the most beautiful dress ever. Who needs fingers, right?”
Mia laughed and hugged her. “I knew you’d understand.”
Francesca wasn’t so easily swayed. “How will we get the blood out?”
Katie grinned. Francesca had many wonderful qualities, but she couldn’t sew for spit, and whenever she sewed there were always drops of red scattered on the delicate fabric. It was amazing that she hadn’t bled to death when she’d taken a quilting class a couple of years ago. But then Francesca was a hobby junky. If there was a craft/cooking/decorating class within a fifty-mile radius, she had taken it.
“I can get it out. Don’t worry about it.”
Katie glanced at her watch and frowned. Brenna was late. Maybe traffic had been bad up from the city.
“Let’s get started,” Katie said. “I’ll show Brenna the design when she gets here.”
She opened the sketch pad, exposing the drawing she’d done of Mia’s dress.
“It’s beautiful,” Grammy M said. “So delicate. Just perfect for you, Mia.”
“That’s what I thought.”
Their mother fingered the stack of lace flowers. “I love how you’ve scattered the lace over the dress.”
Even Francesca had to admit that the gown was lovely, before grumbling about the amount of work they were all going to have to do.
Mia, knowing her family, ignored the teasing and discussed hairstyles and shoes instead.
Katie reached for the first lace appliqué. “It’s pretty simple,” she said. “Outline the flower in seed pearls. Fill in the petals with beads. I did one over the weekend. It took me about four hours.”
Four hours she’d spent not thinking about how complicated Zach was and how much she hated that she’d enjoyed their kiss.
Silence descended. Francesca blinked first. “For one flower? How many are there?”
“About sixty or seventy for the skirt, a hundred and fifty for the hem, twenty-five or so for the bodice.”
“Then we’d better get started,” Colleen said, reaching for several lengths of seed pearls and bags of beads.
Just then Brenna burst into the room. Katie turned to chastise her for being late, but the stark expression on her sister’s face stopped her before she could start.
Their mother moved toward her. “Brenna, honey, what’s wrong?”
Tears pooled in Brenna’s dark eyes, then trickled down her cheeks. “Jeff l-left me,” she managed as a sob caught at her throat. “This morning. H-he says he wants a d-divorce.”