a stop. His eyes latched on to hers as securely as his hand held her wrist. "I never meant to upset you. It's obvious that you care for your grandfather. That's admirable." Cole's voice lowered. "The last thing I want is to pick a fight with you."
"I'm sorry," Elinor apologized stiffly as she dodged the impact of his gaze. "I shouldn't have said anything. Naturally, I take these things more seriously than you do."
"Why 'naturally'?" he questioned softly, still holding her wrist in a firm, gentle grip.
"Well, we're in very different situations," she floundered, trying to back out of the confrontation. Taking Cole Whittier to task over his values wasn't her affair. She had no business with Cole, outside of her council membership.
He seemed to loom over her, solid and potent in the narrow drive as early-evening shadows darkened around them like a veil.
"Why do you dislike me?" His intense blue eyes trapped hers as his question settled between them, a softly thrown gauntlet.
"I—I don't dislike you," Elinor denied, tugging to free her arm. He was so close, so overwhelmingly male. "We just have different priorities."
"Different priorities?" he echoed, letting her pull away.
"Yes, you're interested in profit and I am concerned about the people of Bayville," she said baldly, abandoning her attempt to dodge the issue.
"You know," Cole said thrusting his hands in his pockets, "this isn't the first time you've sneered at my business. What exactly do you have against prosperity?"
"Nothing," she replied stung. "It just seems to me that businesses sometimes let the pursuit of profit override the bigger issue of what's best for people."
"That doesn't make much sense," he declared. "You're an accountant. You spend your time dealing with money. How does that match up with a distrust of monetary gains?"
"I help people handle their finances," corrected Elinor, "so they don't have crises that disrupt their families. My goal is to help them develop stable, realistic financial foundations."
"So it's my business that bugs you, not me," he concluded with deep satisfaction as they stood still facing each other in the drive.
"I'm not bugged by anything," she retorted wishing he wasn't so close, but determined not to retreat.
"I'm glad" confessed Cole, his voice suddenly soft as warm butter, "because I find you very attractive."
Elinor felt her jaw drop in surprise at his open declaration.
"Very attractive," he repeated his eyes fastened on her mouth as he bent closer.
She was paralyzed Elinor realized in desperation as his mouth lowered to hers. Paralyzed when she should have been running in the other direction.
The taste of his kiss descended over her, warm and heady, as potent as a drug. His hands held her shoulders, but she felt his touch everywhere, the magic of his kiss swirling around her like a gentle fog, overwhelming and disorienting. She lost sight of herself, lost sense of anything but him.
His lips were warm against hers, coaxing and winning an answering desire in her. Elinor opened them involuntarily.
Power radiated from him, sending sensation splintering through her, the stroke of the sun on bare skin, the flavor of desire on her tongue. He fed her with the caress of his mouth, stoking hungers she'd never known, inciting a fire in her body that set off a powerful craving for him.
Elinor felt herself trembling, her dazed body held in a fevered immobility. The desire flooding through her left her shocked and frightened. She wanted this man. Wanted him in every carnal way, even when she knew she shouldn't.
His lips brushed hers, over and over, as if enamored of the taste of her. And just when he had her powerless, trembling with urgency, he pulled back.
Feeling bereft as he lifted his lips from hers, Elinor's eyes blinked open. Cole's gaze met hers, blue fire latching on to her with a banked intensity.
"Uh." She cleared her throat. Regret settled powerfully on her as the fog of passion lifted. If only this man
"I'm sorry," Elinor apologized stiffly as she dodged the impact of his gaze. "I shouldn't have said anything. Naturally, I take these things more seriously than you do."
"Why 'naturally'?" he questioned softly, still holding her wrist in a firm, gentle grip.
"Well, we're in very different situations," she floundered, trying to back out of the confrontation. Taking Cole Whittier to task over his values wasn't her affair. She had no business with Cole, outside of her council membership.
He seemed to loom over her, solid and potent in the narrow drive as early-evening shadows darkened around them like a veil.
"Why do you dislike me?" His intense blue eyes trapped hers as his question settled between them, a softly thrown gauntlet.
"I—I don't dislike you," Elinor denied, tugging to free her arm. He was so close, so overwhelmingly male. "We just have different priorities."
"Different priorities?" he echoed, letting her pull away.
"Yes, you're interested in profit and I am concerned about the people of Bayville," she said baldly, abandoning her attempt to dodge the issue.
"You know," Cole said thrusting his hands in his pockets, "this isn't the first time you've sneered at my business. What exactly do you have against prosperity?"
"Nothing," she replied stung. "It just seems to me that businesses sometimes let the pursuit of profit override the bigger issue of what's best for people."
"That doesn't make much sense," he declared. "You're an accountant. You spend your time dealing with money. How does that match up with a distrust of monetary gains?"
"I help people handle their finances," corrected Elinor, "so they don't have crises that disrupt their families. My goal is to help them develop stable, realistic financial foundations."
"So it's my business that bugs you, not me," he concluded with deep satisfaction as they stood still facing each other in the drive.
"I'm not bugged by anything," she retorted wishing he wasn't so close, but determined not to retreat.
"I'm glad" confessed Cole, his voice suddenly soft as warm butter, "because I find you very attractive."
Elinor felt her jaw drop in surprise at his open declaration.
"Very attractive," he repeated his eyes fastened on her mouth as he bent closer.
She was paralyzed Elinor realized in desperation as his mouth lowered to hers. Paralyzed when she should have been running in the other direction.
The taste of his kiss descended over her, warm and heady, as potent as a drug. His hands held her shoulders, but she felt his touch everywhere, the magic of his kiss swirling around her like a gentle fog, overwhelming and disorienting. She lost sight of herself, lost sense of anything but him.
His lips were warm against hers, coaxing and winning an answering desire in her. Elinor opened them involuntarily.
Power radiated from him, sending sensation splintering through her, the stroke of the sun on bare skin, the flavor of desire on her tongue. He fed her with the caress of his mouth, stoking hungers she'd never known, inciting a fire in her body that set off a powerful craving for him.
Elinor felt herself trembling, her dazed body held in a fevered immobility. The desire flooding through her left her shocked and frightened. She wanted this man. Wanted him in every carnal way, even when she knew she shouldn't.
His lips brushed hers, over and over, as if enamored of the taste of her. And just when he had her powerless, trembling with urgency, he pulled back.
Feeling bereft as he lifted his lips from hers, Elinor's eyes blinked open. Cole's gaze met hers, blue fire latching on to her with a banked intensity.
"Uh." She cleared her throat. Regret settled powerfully on her as the fog of passion lifted. If only this man
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