“Well, now I’m duly warned about your feelings,” he said with a smile.
“I figure it’s better to be forthright and upfront with you. Why are you smiling?”
“I didn’t mean to. You just remind me of a friend who is forthright,” he replied, combing his fingers slowly through her hair, caressing her nape and then picking up long strands to wind them in his fingers again. “Sophia, I already feel as if I’ve known you a long time.”
“I like that,” she said, trying to focus on their conversation, yet more aware of his hand lightly toying with her hair.
“So. Let’s talk. Do you have other relatives?” he asked. “Did your mother have any brothers or sisters?”
“I have two aunts, one uncle and eight cousins, all scattered around this part of Texas. I see them at family events, but otherwise, we haven’t been that close since she’s been gone. I never knew my father’s family, nor did I want to,” she said coldly.
“You might be making a mistake there,” Garrett said.
Sophia felt her blood turn to ice, and she glared at Garrett. “No, I’m not. His family was the reason he wouldn’t marry my mother. I don’t want to know them or have anything to do with any part of him.”
“Sophia, you’re part of him. And they couldn’t help being part of him any more than you could.”
She hadn’t ever thought about how innocent they were of what their father did, and the thought startled her, but she pushed it away. His sons were still his blood. “Even so, they grew up with him. They have his name and he’s honored them.” Why did Garrett keep taking Argus’s side? She disliked talking about her father or even thinking about him. “Garrett, let’s find something else to discuss. Do you have any other hobbies besides the furniture?”
“Sure. I work out. I ski. I play tennis, play polo and I swim. You?”
“More things we have in common. I love rodeos, country dances. I also like to ski, swim and I play the piano,” she answered.
“With the storms that have gone through recently, they’ve already had enough freezing weather in the upper levels of Colorado mountains to ski. Fly up there with me for the weekend. We can leave early in the morning and come back Sunday evening.”
“You’re serious,” she said, surprised by his invitation.
“Why not? We’ll have fun, ski, nothing big. Just a fun getaway. My condo is large. You can take your pick of bedrooms.”
“You are serious.” A weekend with Garrett. Excitement bubbled and she wanted to accept, yet common sense reminded her again to slow down with him. He had come into her life like a whirlwind.
He leaned closer and held her chin. “Come with me. No strings. I’ll bring you home anytime you want. We’ll ski, relax, talk. Do whatever we want.”
Her heartbeat quickened. She was surprised at herself because his offer held some appeal. On the other hand, years of being wary of getting too close to someone were ingrained in her.
“I don’t think flying to Colorado with you is a good idea.”
“Sophia, you’re not going to risk getting hurt by spending the weekend skiing with me. We’re not getting into anything remotely serious.”
“But this is exactly how you get into something serious. Moment after moment together and then it’s too late.”
“Take a risk and live a little. This is simply two days. We’re not going to fall in love over the weekend.”
She blushed. She hadn’t been worried about falling in love.
Had she?
“If you’re worried, we can ask Edgar to join us.”
She couldn’t keep from laughing. “You’re willing to invite Edgar, too?”
“If that’s what it takes to spend the weekend with you, yes, I’ll invite Edgar, too.”
“Now you’re making me feel foolish.”
“That’s not my intention. Listen, I understand why you don’t want to follow in your mother’s footsteps, but I don’t think you run any risk of that happening with me.”
Her eyes widened. “I guess I’ve lumped all males into the same group as my father.”
“I can’t blame you for being hurt, Sophia,” he said solemnly and her heart warmed. He gazed intently at her while she debated, waiting quietly.
“I’ll go with you,” she said, smiling at him.
“Excellent. It’ll be fun. No big deal.”
It was a big deal because she didn’t even spend weekends with men she knew. All she had to go on with Garrett was the information she had received about him from others and her own feelings.
“I’ll tell Edgar I’m going, but we’re not inviting him along. He hates cold weather and he can’t imagine fastening his feet to ‘long boards,’ as he calls them. Thank you, though, for the offer to invite him,” she said.
“Good. I’ll check the weather right now. I don’t fly into storms if I can possibly avoid it.”
She watched as he pulled out his phone. He smiled broadly, sexy creases bracketing his mouth. “Good weather—cold nights, sunny days. I’ll call my pilot. How early can we go?”
“Name your time.”
“I’ll pick you up at seven.”
“Fine with me,” she said. She’d surprised herself, she thought as eagerness bubbled in a steady current. The weekend with Garrett. Foolhardy, risky for her heart.
Exciting.
Walking away, Garrett talked with the pilot and made arrangements. When he was done, he sat beside her again. “We’re set to fly at eight.”
“So one of your traits is impulsiveness,” she said. “I’m learning more about you.”
“I don’t think I’d describe myself as impulsive. Usually I’m predictable and methodical.”
“If we get to know each other, I’ll weigh in on that.”
“We’ll get to know each other, Sophia,” he said softly in a husky tone that sent a tingle spiraling in her. “I definitely intend that we do.”
Desire was constant with Garrett, keeping her intensely aware of him in a physical manner. Despite her concerns, she couldn’t deny that she loved being with him, hearing about him, learning about him. In some ways, she, too, felt as if she had known him a long time. They talked until one and she promised herself by half past she would end the evening. Finally, when it was almost two, she stood.
“Garrett, I must get home.”
“You don’t have to go if you don’t want.” He waved his hand toward his house. “Needless to say, there is plenty of room here. Take any bedroom you want. Close to mine, far from mine or in mine with me,” he teased. “I’ll even promise to not wake you in the morning. Particularly if you make the last choice.”
Shaking her head, she laughed. “It does seem silly for you to drive me home, but that’s what I want. If I’m going to Colorado to ski, I want to go home and get some things.”
“All right. Home it is. I told my chauffeur we’d take you home tonight.”
“See, I should have driven.”
“I would insist on taking you home even if you had driven. It’s way too late for you to be out driving around by yourself.”
“That’s an old-fashioned notion.”
“It’s