An Irresistible Bachelor(50)

As if Callie had set out all along to seduce her son.

"If you'll excuse me, I don't want to keep Jack waiting." She turned and started down the stairs.

"Don't fool yourself, Ms. Burke. My son is very much in love with his fiancée. There is no hope for you."

Rule number three for dealing with bullies: If you have to set them straight, do it firmly. Any weakness is perceived as an opening and will immediately be capitalized on.

Callie looked over her shoulder and spoke clearly. "Please don't take offense at this, but you are presuming a hell of a lot of things for no good reason. Good night, Mrs. Walker."

She forced herself not to race down the stairs. The last thing she wanted to do was slip and fall and her legs already felt like pipe cleaners.

It was a relief to find Thomas in the kitchen wearing a biker's jacket, all ready to go.

"You're going to like Nico's," he said, holding the back door open. "The owner's a friend of mine. Best osso buco in Little Italy."

Waiting outside, with the motor running, was the Pontiac GTO she'd seen in the driveway earlier.

"Nice car," she said, getting in.

"You've got excellent taste."

Twenty minutes later, he piloted them through a cramped network of streets and stopped in front of a bright red door.

"Thanks for the ride." She got out and waved as he screeched off.

She went inside Nico's, and when her eyes adjusted to the darkness, she saw a fleet of tiny tables and dozens of waiters dancing around with trays held high on their shoulders. The place was packed with people talking and laughing and there was some kind of fabulous opera playing in the background.

No, wait, that was one of the waiters singing.

"Welcome!" A man came up to her and smiled. "I am Nico! Come this way, Ms. Burke."

"How did you—”

"He is right, of course. The red of your hair. Beautiful!"

Bemused, Callie followed the man past a bunch of people who were obviously waiting for tables and she looked for Jack in the crowd.

But he wasn't there and she wasn't led to a table. Nico went straight through the room and into the kitchen. There, at a linen-covered table in the back, Jack was sitting down and laughing at something one of the cooks had said.



"Mr. Walker is an old friend," Nico explained with a smile. "So we always make a special place for him."

Nico took the coat from her shoulders just as Jack turned and saw her. He stopped laughing and seemed to take a breath. Abruptly, the noise of the kitchen quieted down and she felt the eyes of the staff on her.

"Go to him, yes?" Nico prompted with delight. "He has been waiting for you."

Jack got to his feet, his eyes traveling up and down the length of her. He was wearing a black suit, a crisp white shirt, and a brilliant red tie. For some reason, he seemed even taller than she remembered.

Oh, God, Callie thought. Yes, she wanted to go to him.

As she walked to the table, she heard the chefs go back to work which was just as well. Jack's attention was quite enough for her to handle.

"Hello." He came around and pulled out her chair.

He was about to sit down again when his face broke out in a grin.

"Gray! You made it." The relief in his voice was obvious.

Callie looked down and saw the third place setting. So that was it. He'd wanted to set her up with his friend and was giving it another shot.

Right. Good.

As she turned around, she made sure her smile was in place.

Well, at least Gray Bennett was easy on the eyes, she thought as she looked at him.

Jack's friend was tall and had hair that was lightly graying around the temples. His pale eyes were sharp, his suit pinstriped and beautifully tailored, his tie perfectly knotted. She could see instantly why he and Jack might get along.

"Jack's told me a lot about you," the man said, offering her his hand.

"Oh, really?" She felt nothing as they touched and was a little disappointed.

But the night was young, she thought.

As she went to sit down, Jack and Gray both reached for the back of her chair. With a dark laugh, Jack stepped back and let his friend settle her into the table.

Gray smiled at her as he took a seat. "I understand that you worked on the de Kooning with Micheline. She's a very close friend of mine. She restored two of my family portraits."