“Thank you for the escort to and from the kitchen.”Though Dara’s tone was sarcastic, her mouth held the tiniest trace of a
smile. “I am sorry to have kept you up.”
“Not at all,” Stefan murmured.“This has been a most enlightening experience.”
“For us both.”
Dara knew that the statement would pique his interest.Still she was not surprised when Stefan chose not to pursue it further.“Well, goodnight,” she said as the master of Wyndemere gracefully
opened her bedroom door.“I think
I can handle it from here.Unless,
of course, you’re planning to come in and tuck me in?”
“It would be my pleasure.”Stefan’s eyes darkened at the teasing challenge.“I assure you, Miss Jensen, that what knowledge I lack in the kitchen
is amply applied to the bedroom.”
The sound of Dara’s indrawn breath brought a little
half-smile to Stefan’s face.Upon
seeing it, Dara, still shaken, realized that she was not quite prepared for the
direction their little battle of wills was taking.
“No, thank you,” she quickly responded, uncaring that
her reaction to Stefan’s proposal had given her away.“It’s late, and the lack of sleep is becoming obvious.For us both.”
Stefan allowed his houseguest to retreat.He was satisfied with the outcome of their latest dialogue, and confident
that Dara would spend the remainder of the night with his words foremost in her
mind.She was off-guard, and he
intended to keep her that way.It
would make the upcoming days easier.
“Oh, yes,” Dara threw over her shoulder as she
disappeared into her suite, “Just for the record, I think your knowledge of
the kitchen is more than you pretend.It
was amazing, wasn’t it, that you couldn’t tell me how to find a bowl for my
ice cream, yet you knew exactly where the silverware was.”
Stefan stared at the closed door and smiled.Dara Jensen was far more resilient and observant than he anticipated.His estimation of her, already high, rose once again.
Suddenly
their association held far greater promise than even he had hoped.
