They gave their orders to the friendly waitress, then Alicia leaned in close. “Is your mother lonely now that she’s a widow?” Concern filled her beautiful eyes.
Justin startled at the deeply personal question. “Oh, no. She’s not the lonely type. Always busy with charitable activities, friends, that kind of thing.”
“I’m glad to hear that. I always think it must be so hard to lose your spouse once your children have grown up and left home. Suddenly, you’re all on your own.”
He stared at Alicia for a moment. His mother probably had never been all on her own in her whole life.
There was a staff of five just inside the house, and at least another ten on the estate. Not to mention that his mother was a blur of motion. When he was little, he used to resent that she never invited him to sit on her lap for a story, the way mothers did in books. She was far too busy for that.
Over time, he got used to it. Maybe that’s why he didn’t get all misty-eyed over the idea of family life. He’d never really had any. His father was at work all the time, or off participating in manly sporting pursuits.
Quite possibly having affairs as well.
His parents’ relationship was anything but romantic. He couldn’t imagine how they’d managed to conceive him. Perhaps some aristocratic breeding process involving frozen semen.
“She must wish you lived closer.” Alicia tilted her head with sympathy.
“Oh, I’m not so sure. I’d been away at school almost since I’d learned to read. If she was desperate to clutch me to her bosom, she’d have done it a long time ago.”
“You didn’t grow up at home?”
“Sure, I was there until I turned eight, or so. Then they decided it was time to get serious about my education. I did come home for vacations, though.”
“That’s horrible! I’ve never heard of such a thing.”
“It’s a family tradition. I went to the same school my father attended. The family estate is out in the country so there wasn’t really a school for me to go to there.”
Not unless he’d attended the local public school—over his mother’s dead body. He suppressed a snort. The idea of a Dupree having a normal childhood was quite laughable.
“Would you do that to your child?” Her face was tight with alarm.
“I don’t know. I’ve never thought about it.”
“Never? Do you not want children?” She’d pulled back from the table, almost seeming to put distance between them.
“Sure I do. I think.” He frowned. He truly had never thought about it. “I mean, everyone does, sooner or later.”
Alicia stared at him like he’d grown alien antennae. “You’re thirty years old and you haven’t given a moment’s thought to starting a family?”
“I’m busy with work.” Was that so odd? His crowd didn’t talk much about settling down.
Well, not until lately. Suddenly, it was all the rage.
Alicia must think he was some depraved party animal who never looked beyond that evening’s festivities. He frowned. “You’re right. It is strange. I guess I never met someone who made me think about it.”
Until now.
The words hung in the air between them.
“You’re used to being alone.” She bit her lip. “For all I complain about Alex, I admit I’ve never really wanted to live alone. I’m used to having my family about me, small as it is.”
“I could see how you worried about him being alone even for one day. I think that’s sweet.”
What would it be like to have someone care that much about you?
He’d been expected to fend for himself from a young age. Part of becoming a man. Or becoming a Dupree. It had never occurred to him before that those two things were different, that you could be a man without being a distant, patrician father who wouldn’t kiss his son good-night in case it made him “soft.”
“I think there’s a lot to be envied and admired about the close relationship between you and Alex. Kind of makes me wish I had a sister I could smother.” He shot her a mischievous smile.
“Much as I complain, I know he just does it because he cares. He’s a big softy, really, underneath the gruff exterior. I bet you guys will get along great once you get to know each other.”
“If you ever allow us to meet, that is,” he teased.
The waitress set down their lunch and he watched as Alicia took a bite out of her egg-salad sandwich. She chewed thoughtfully.
“You know what? Maybe it is time for you guys to meet.”
Justin froze.
“I mean, we’ve already been…intimate.” Her lovely complexion darkened a shade. “So, he can’t exactly forbid me to see you.”
“He might just insist we marry before sunset.”
Alicia giggled. “You’re so right. My honor is at stake.” She took a sip of water and flushed even darker. “But don’t worry. I don’t expect you to marry me just because you’ve claimed my virtue.”
She was embarrassed, but turned on at the same time. Her dark eyes glittered and her lips and cheeks were flushed. Alicia Montoya was apparently much more interested in making wild and passionate love than in securing a big rock for her finger.
There was something very reassuring—and totally hot—about that.
She leaned in. “Come to think of it, I pretty much threw my virtue at you.”
“You sure did.” His voice was husky, and his pants uncomfortably tight. “Lucky thing I’m a good catch.”
“I was so upset when you didn’t try anything.”
“It practically killed me not to. I had to take a cold shower that night. But after all you’d been through with the fire and the suspicion of arson, I didn’t want to take advantage of you.” He grinned at her. “I had no idea you were downright desperate to be taken advantage of.”
He raised a quail’s egg to his mouth and flicked his tongue over it for a second before popping it in.
Alicia’s eyes flashed. “I’ve got a lot of lost time to make up for.”
“About ten years, I’d say. We’d better get cracking right after lunch. I’m going to take you to one of my favorite places.”
Chapter Six
Rick turned the car down a gravel drive and under the scrolled-iron arch leading to the Houston Bay Yacht Club.
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