The Pirate & The Adventurer & The Cowboy

thing with nothing on underneath. You know what I think?"

    "What?"

    "I don't think you'd have even tried it last year. You'd have waited very politely until I was finished. Maybe a little too politely. You were a very self-controlled, very restrained little executive lady last year. Cool, sleek and quite proper. I think the career in romance writing has been good for you. It's made you more inclined to make demands on me."

    "You think that's good?" Margaret was startled.

    Rafe sighed, his eyes turning serious in the shadows. "I think it's probably necessary. You're right when you called me arrogant and bossy and tyrannical."

    "You admit it?"

    "I admit it. I'm used to running things, honey. I've been giving orders so long it comes naturally. I'm also used to putting work first. My father always did and there's no denying I was following in his footsteps. Mom let him get away with doing that. But somehow, I don't think you'll let me get away with it."

    "And you don't mind?"

    Rafe smiled slowly. "Let's just say I'm capable of adapting."

    "It's not that I'm completely insensitive to the demands you face, Rafe, you must know that," Margaret assured him earnestly. "I spent enough time in the business world to know that certain things have to be done and certain deadlines have to be met. But I don't want your work to rule our lives totally the way it did last year."

    He drew his fingers through her tangled hair. In the shadows his eyes were very dark and deep. "It won't, Maggie. And if it ever threatens to, you know what you can do about it."

    She grinned in delight. "Walk into your office and seduce you?"

    "My door is always open to you, Maggie, love." Rafe kissed her lightly on the mouth and gave her a small nudge.

    "I'm being kicked out already?" Margaret reluctantly got to her feet and reached for her cotton shift.

    "Nope. We're both going to retire for the night. It's late and you and I are going to get up early to see Mom and Connor off to Sedona, remember?"

    Margaret yawned. "Vaguely. Going to walk me back to my room?"

    "You're the one whose sense of propriety insists that you wake up alone as long as the parents are around. If I had my way, I'd just walk you back across the hall to my room."

    "Going to sneak back here and work on the computer after you've tucked me in?"

    Rafe shook his head as he led her back across the hall, through his bedroom and out into the moonlit patio. "No, I saw all I needed to see. I've got an answer for Hatcher."

    "It's very sweet of you to not make a fuss about letting me spend the night in my own bed, Rafe."

    "Anything for you, Maggie, love. Besides, things will be different when we have the house to ourselves, won't they? I'm a patient man."

    Much later Margaret awakened briefly. She automatically glanced through the glass door and followed the shaft of moonlight that struck full into Rafe's bedroom. She couldn't be positive, but it looked as if his bed was still empty.

    C onnor and B ev took their leave immediately after breakfast the next morning. Margaret stood with Bev in the driveway as the last of the luggage was loaded into the car.

    "We'll be gone about a week, dear," Bev said cheerfully. "We're going to stop in Scottsdale first. That's where I live most of the time now. This ranch is a little too isolated for my tastes. At any rate, I have some friends I want Connor to meet. And then we'll drive on to Sedona. It makes a nice break this time of year. Much cooler up there in the mountains. There are several galleries I always like to visit when I'm there."

    "Have a wonderful time, Bev."

    Bev searched her face. "You'll be staying on here with Rafe?"

    "Do you mind?"

    Bev smiled. "Not at all. I'm delighted. I was afraid you might head straight back to Seattle. In fact I told Connor that perhaps we should cancel our plans in order to encourage you to stay here with us a little longer."

    "I told her, forget it," Connor said as he walked past with a suitcase under each arm. He was followed by Tom who was carrying two more bags. "I was willing to help Cassidy get you down here but he's on his own now. I refuse to help him with any more of his courting work. I'm too busy tending to my own woman."

    Bev's eyes lifted briefly toward the heavens. "Listen to the man."

    Connor chuckled hugely as he put the suitcases into the trunk. He looked over at Rafe who was coming through the door with one last bag. "Hey, Cassidy. Tell your mother you can handle my daughter