Free One Secret Night by Yvonne Lindsay Page A

isn’t.”
    Ethan gave her an assessing look, taken aback by how genuinely interested she appeared. He launched into a description of the coordination of tasks that were required between the vineyard and the winery and was challenged by the astute questions she asked in a bid for more information. By the time he was leading her through the building to the main entrance, a couple of hours had flown by.
    She was surprisingly good company, though all along his body had been buoyed by a buzz of latent attraction that simmered beneath the surface. He’d tried to avoid physical contact, but on those few occasions their hands had brushed as they walked along, he’d been shocked by the flare of hunger and desire that had flashed through him.
    Their attraction was dangerously addictive, her proximity here at The Masters all too enticingly near. He had to create some distance or the next few weeks would be absolute hell.
    He was surprised to see Tamsyn walking toward the winery as he and Isobel left the building.
    “Meeting go okay?” he asked as his sister drew nearer.
    “Well, we have a consensus—for today, at least,” Tamsyn said with a weary smile.
    His sister looked from him to Isobel and back again. He could see the light of an unasked question clear in her eyes and it forced him into making a decision.
    “Now that you’re back to take care of Ms. Fyfe, I’m off to see Shanal.”
    “Shanal? Today?”
    He didn’t answer Tamsyn directly but turned instead to Isobel. “Let me know if you need more information and when you plan to start shooting.”
    “Sure, thanks for your time.”
    She sounded polite, professional and as far removed from the lover whose skin he’d explored thoroughly with both his hands and his mouth as it was possible to be. And yet, despite all that, he still felt that zing of awareness when she held out her hand to shake his. The instant his hand enveloped hers he wanted to tug her toward him, wrap her in his arms and kiss her like he’d been aching to do since last night.
    As if her hand was suddenly and unbearably hot, he let her go, gave Tamsyn a nod and turned back to the winery. As delectable as Isobel Fyfe’s company had been, he wasn’t going to go there again. He’d have to be wary around her, especially given her growing friendship with Tamsyn. Could he trust her with what she knew? Could he be certain that she wouldn’t take it upon herself to share with his sister the information he wanted to keep only to himself?
    Only time would tell, he thought as he lifted his phone to his ear, the auto dial already punching through to Shanal Peat’s mobile. There was no way he could know for sure, unless he was prepared to spend day in and day out at Isobel’s side—and right now, as disconcerting as the thought had been, and as emphatic as he’d been about keeping some distance between them, it also held tantalizing appeal.

Seven
    I sobel looked around the gathering. Friday night looked to be friends’ night at The Masters, and the swell of people stretched across the back lawn and wide veranda of the main house looked as if they were well used to the company and the surroundings. One arrival had interested her the most. The woman was an exotic beauty with mixed Indian and Australian heritage that made Isobel’s fingers itch to reach for her camera and capture the play of late-afternoon light across Shanal Peat’s exquisite features.
    She looked around for Ethan, expecting to see him here already.
    “Looking for my brother?” Tamsyn asked from beside her.
    “No, not really,” Isobel protested but even she knew the conviction in her voice was weak.
    “He’s still at the winery, although I’m sure when he hears that Shanal is here, he’ll be over. This is usually his most antisocial time of the year so I’m surprised he invited her today.” Tamsyn gave Isobel an assessing look even as she hung on the arm of a tall, leanly built man with sandy hair and blue eyes. “Unless he