Free The Samurai Inheritance by James Douglas Page B

matched her hair, and the opaque ivory of her complexion and scarlet lips provided a startling contrast to the dark material. The effect was striking. No, it was more than striking. She was the most beautiful woman in the restaurant by a long way, and her expression said she knew it.
    He realized he was staring and the red lips twitched into a smile. ‘If you find the picture a distraction, I can always ask to move table again,’ she suggested. ‘If they can’t come up with something perhaps we could go somewhere a little less formal?’
    ‘Not at all.’ Jamie returned her smile. ‘It’s not a part of the anatomy I’m unfamiliar with. In any case, my table companion eclipses anything that adorns the walls of this fine establishment.’
    He’d intended to sound like a man of the world, but he found himself the focus of deep brown eyes and knew he was in trouble. ‘Are you flirting with me, Mr Saintclair?’
    ‘We hardly know each other, Dr Ross.’ He struggled to hold her gaze and his nerve. ‘All I did was state a simple truth. And please call me Jamie.’
    ‘Is there a significant other in your life, Jamie?’
    The enquiry was so unexpected Jamie wasn’t sure he’d heard right. ‘That’s a very direct question.’
    ‘You’ll find that I’m a very direct lady.’
    It was a relief when the waiter interrupted to take their drinks order.
    ‘ Eiswasser, bitte ,’ Magda said.
    ‘Oh, you can’t come to a steak restaurant and drink water.’ Jamie smiled, struggling to regain the advantage. He turned to the young man. ‘Do you have a bottle of Nuits-St-Georges premier cru?’
    ‘Of course, sir, the 2005 or the 2007?’
    ‘Which was the best year?’
    ‘I’ll check with the sommelier, sir.’ He placed two menus on the table in front of them and moved away.
    ‘I get the feeling you’re trying to impress me.’ Magda’s eyes narrowed in mock suspicion. ‘But you haven’t answered my question.’
    ‘You’ve lured me to this wonderful restaurant,’ Jamie pointed out. ‘It would be very mean of me if I couldn’t repay you with a glass of rather special wine. Besides, my client is paying. To answer your question: yes, there is a significant other in my life, and we’re very happy together.’
    ‘Good,’ she said. ‘I’m glad we got that out of the way. Now we can both relax.’
    ‘Why did you ask?’
    ‘Because you’re an interesting and quite attractive man, and in other circumstances we might have spent a bit of time together while you’re in Berlin. But I have a policy of not encroaching on other people’s lives. In any case,’ she smiled, ‘I appreciate your compliment. She scrubs up well, as my old dad used to say.’
    ‘And I appreciate yours.’ Jamie laughed, glad to be back on safer ground. ‘I’ve occasionally been called interesting, but seldom attractive. Scrubs up well? My grandfather used to say that about my mum. She hated it. Where did your dad come from?’
    She hesitated, as if she was unsure where to start and how much to tell. ‘My dad’s originally from Scotland, but we travelled a lot. He was a Royal Navy helicopter pilot based in Somerset, which was where I was born. Later on he became a military attaché. He was posted to Athens, Prague and a few other places and he insisted I attend local schools so I could get an ear for the languages. I never took to Czech, but some of them stuck …’
    ‘German?’
    Magda shook her head. ‘My mother is German and we spent almost every summer holiday with Oma just outside Hamburg – hence the accent. I was pretty much fluent by the time I was twelve. Dad’s retired now and they have a nice little place near the coast in Somerset.’
    She paused as the waiter returned, along with a second man carrying a bottle of wine who bowed and introduced himself as the sommelier. ‘I am afraid we didn’t have the 2005, sir, may I recommend the 2003 as an alternative.’
    ‘That will be excellent, thank you.’ The waiter took