A Time To Keep. Rochelle Alers

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СКАЧАТЬ he led her to a silk-covered sofa with a magnolia blossom print. He sat, and eased her gently down beside him.

      “Let’s not fight the Civil War again, Gwen.”

      She glared at him. “I would like to think that we would’ve been on the same side during that particular war.”

      “We would,” he said, deadpan. “I didn’t mean to imply that you were so helpless that you couldn’t take care of yourself.” He gave her a sidelong glance. “You strike me as a strong black woman who would be content to live your life with or without a man.”

      There was enough sarcasm in his statement to set Gwen’s teeth on edge. “Men usually say that to me whenever I show them the door,” she countered.

      Shiloh turned to look at her. “How many have you shown the door?”

      “Too many.”

      He lifted his left eyebrow. “It could be that you’ve been attracting the wrong kind of men.”

      Gwen rolled her eyes, shuddering. “Like a mega magnet.”

      He chuckled softly. “Perhaps your luck will change now that you’ve moved here.”

      She shook her head. “I’m really not looking for anyone. Finding a partner is not at the top of my to-do list. In fact, it isn’t even on my to-do list.”

      “How about an escort?”

      Gwen sat up straighter. “What?”

      “I’d like you to be my date for the fund-raiser.”

      Feeling strangely flattered by his interest in her, Gwen asked, “Wouldn’t that pose a problem for Mrs. Harper?”

      Shiloh shrugged a broad shoulder and flashed a smile. “Not in the least. My mother has her own escort for the affair, and I’m sure it wouldn’t sit too well with my brother if my sister-in-law attended the fund-raiser with another man.”

      “Are you saying there are no Mrs. Harpers in St. Martin Parish other than your mother and sister-in-law?”

      “They’re the only two Mrs. Harpers,” he confirmed.

      Gwen hesitated, torn by conflicting emotions. The local hunk of the month had just asked her out, which should’ve flattered her, but she hadn’t made time in her busy schedule for dating. She opened her mouth to decline his offer, then changed her mind. Shiloh had gone above and beyond his role as sheriff to make certain she was safe. What did she have to lose? The fund-raiser was only one date, not a commitment for something more.

      “Excuse me, I’ll be right back.” She stood up, Shiloh also rising to his feet, and walked out of the living room. Two minutes later she returned and handed him an envelope.

      Vertical lines appeared between his eyes. “What’s this?”

      She met his questioning gaze. “It’s a check for the tickets.”

      Shiloh’s frown vanished. “I already paid for the tickets.”

      “You paid for my ticket believing I would go with you?”

      “I paid for your ticket with the hope that you would go with me.”

      She’d glimpsed an air of confidence in the man standing only inches away. She didn’t know anything about Shiloh Harper, but liked what he’d shown her: confidence and truthfulness.

      “I’ll go with you, but on two conditions.”

      “Give it to me straight.”

      “I pay for my own ticket.”

      A hint of a smile softened his mouth. “Okay.”

      “And that you will not treat me as eye candy.”

      Lowering his head, Shiloh shook it slowly. “Now, that’s going to pose a problem because—”

      “Shiloh!” she chided, interrupting him.

      He wagged a finger at her. “Gotcha!”

      Gwen grabbed his finger. “I’d never figure you for a tease.”

      Shiloh sobered, his gaze betraying his thoughts. He wanted to tell Gwen that she was a tease. Everything about her face, body and intelligence teased and tantalized him.

      “Only with you,” he admitted. “Now if this knowledge goes beyond these walls, then my reputation as a tough lawman will be shattered completely.”

      “What goes on at Bon Temps stays at Bon Temps.”

      Shiloh wondered if Gwen had knowledge of the gatherings that took place when her namesake owned the property. And for a quick moment he wondered if history would repeat itself. After all, the present-day Gwendolyn had admitted she wanted to remain anonymous.

      “Promise?” he asked, lowering his head.

      There was a beat of silence before Gwen whispered, “I promise.” She wanted to tell Shiloh that he was too close, his virility too potent, and that she’d been without a man for too long, but the words were locked away in the back of her throat.

      His head dipped and he breathed a kiss on one cheek, then the other. His free arm circled her waist. “I’ll pick you up at six-thirty. This year’s event will be a masquerade ball.”

      Gwen felt as if she were drowning in his gold-green flecked eyes. “Why a masquerade?”

      Shiloh caught and held her entranced stare. “It depends on which organization hosts the event. Last year the chamber of commerce’s theme was Mardi Gras, and the year before, the fishermen association’s theme was a hoedown.” Releasing her waist, he took a backward step, leaving a modicum of space between them. “If you let go of my finger I’ll let you get back to whatever it was you were doing.”

      Gwen released his finger as heat stole into her face. “I’m sorry.”

      Shiloh winked at her. “I’m not.” He winked at her again. “I’ll see you Friday.”

      “Friday,” she repeated.

      Shiloh hadn’t kissed her, really kissed, yet the feel of his lips so close to hers made her want more—so much more. He was a tease—a tall, dark, devastatingly handsome man who made her forgo her promise not to date.

      He pocketed the envelope with her check. “Your donation will be put to good use.”

      “I’m glad I have it to give.”

      Shiloh turned on his heel and strode for the door, Gwen watching his retreat. She stood in the same spot long after he’d gotten into his car and driven away. The soft ring of the telephone on a side table shattered her entrancement with a man who made her pulse race a little too quickly whenever she saw him, a man who was as different from the men she’d known in Boston as night was from day.

      She reached for the cordless instrument. “Hello.”

      “How СКАЧАТЬ