Free The Legacy by Fayrene Preston Page A

candlelight. I thought you should know.”
    He exhaled slowly. “Thank you. I appreciate your coming to tell me.”
    “No trouble,” she said shortly and laced her fingers together. “I needed to check out what they’ve done in here anyway, and it looks like they’re making real headway. I see they've carted away the debris, replaced the broken panes, and cleaned the windows. TheyH probably start on the fountain next." She shrugged awkwardly. “Well, I need to get back. I’ve got work waiting for me.”
    An inexplicable panic seized him, and he anxiously searched for something to keep her with him a little longer. “I’ve never seen anything quite like this building. What exactly is it used for, anyway?” She was pleased by the genuine interest in his tone. “Originally, it was built to be an indoor garden for people to stroll through, to rest in, to read in— anything, really. But there have been wonderful parties here, and I can guarantee you, there will be again.”
    His appreciation for the confidence and joy she felt in the great house of SwanSea was newfound. But his pleasure at simply being near her was an ancient, primitive reaction.
    There was a tightrope he’d had to walk for many years. Often he’d had difficulties. But he’d never had to remember to keep his balance as he did now. “You plan to rent it out for private functions?”
    She nodded. Without her being aware, the subject of SwanSea had given her pale, stiff features a lovely animation. “Yes. And I think it would be perfect for the hotel’s regular afternoon tea, with a pianist playing Gershwin and Porter. Or for special dinner parties or events . . . The possibilities are endless.” Her excitement over her plans flushed her skin with luminosity, and Nico decided he’d never seen anyone quite so exquisite and desirable. The sun had been lowering In the sky while they talked, so that the golden light appeared silken and tinted with crimson. To lie down in the light and make love with Caitlin would be the ultimate sensual experience.
    “The conservatory has always reminded me of a glass castle,” she was saying. “Doesn’t it you?”
    His mouth twisted with humor. “That wouldn’t have been my first thought, no. ”
    Caitlin’s gaze went to his mouth, and she was forcibly reminded that her attraction for him was as strong as ever. But unfortunately nothing else had changed either, and the fact that they’d managed to talk companionably for a few minutes didn’t alter the fact that she meant nothing to him.
    She swallowed against a dry throat. “It looks like some sort of iron and glass fantasy to me. The weblike ironwork appears so delicate, yet it supports all of that glass. Using structural ironwork as part of the decoration of a building was a trademark of Art Nouveau.”
    Good, he thought—a topic that would take his mind off the desire building inside him. “I guess you're an expert on the period. ”
    “It’s part of my heritage, just like DiFrenza’s must be part of yours, even though you don’t work there.” “I suppose so,” he said, unaware that she’d managed to change the focus. “It’s true I never developed an affinity for the clothing business, but I did work in the store every summer when I was in school.” He grinned slightly. “It made my family happy.”
    “What sort of jobs did you have?”
    “All sorts. I even learned to dress windows.” “Really?”
    “Really,” he said huskily, “and I also learned fabrics. For instance, I could tell you what your dress is made of.” He paused as he realized what he was about to say and do, and then he plunged on. “But I’d have to feel the material.”
    “All right,” she said as a tremor began within her.
    Two of his fingers slid beneath the edge of the scooped-out neckline and touched her skin as he grasped the shimmery material of her sundress. The sudden heat from the contact made her gasp.
    He heard her and experienced a corresponding