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few hairs on that pretty little head of yours.”
Taking her arm, he urged her down the hall. “Shall we join our
parents?”
    “What’s the matter, Samuel? Afraid of what
I’ll do to you out here in the hallway all alone?”
    “No. I’m afraid of what
I’ll
do to
you.”

Chapter Three
    Molly decided that a graceful retreat would
be her best bet at the moment. If she had time, she’d sneak off and
email her friends, but she’d already neglected her hostessing
duties too long. She wanted Glory Ethel to love everything about
her father—his house, his dinner, his daughter.
    Taking Samuel’s hand, she led him into the
sitting room. It was a bright and cozy room, filled with chintz and
calico, soft watercolors and earthy pottery. There was the
fragrance of flowers throughout the room.
    Samuel made the space seem smaller. He was a
large man, tall and broad shouldered and muscular. He seemed to
dominate the room. He’d chosen a chair that faced the sofa and gave
him an unobstructed view of the entire room. Although he appeared
to be relaxed and comfortable, she sensed power simmering just
beneath the surface. She saw the iron will stamped in every line of
his body—from the carefully controlled expression on his face to
the tight bunching of muscles beneath his dinner jacket.
    I wouldn’t advise you to play with fire,
my dear.
The words he had spoken in the hallway echoed in her
mind as clearly as if he were saying them now. A shiver of
excitement went up her spine. She didn’t merely love excitement;
she thrived on it.
    She leaned back in her chair, watching
Samuel. He was discussing organic gardening with her daddy as if
he’d invented the method himself. She’d be willing to bet he didn’t
know which end of a spade to put into the ground. Oh, he was
smooth, all right; he was good. And he had her father completely
fooled. But he didn’t fool her. Not for a minute.
    She smiled, thinking of the entertainment she
had planned. .
    “Good girls don’t have such wicked
smiles.”
    “What?”
    Samuel was leaning close so that his voice
was an intimate whisper, and his hand rested casually on the arm of
her chair—so casually that the touch of his fingers against her arm
appeared to be accidental. Her eyes widened and she glanced toward
the sofa. Daddy and Glory Ethel were deep in conversation. She
doubted if they’d notice a herd of elephants tromping through the
room.
    “I said—”
    “I
know
what you said.”
    His smile was so devilish she figured he’d
had to make at least one trip to Hades to learn it.
    “What’s the matter, Molly? Afraid you’ve
gotten more than you bargained for?”
    She made her smile sweet and her eyes
innocent. She knew exactly how to do it. After all, she’d had years
of practice at posing.
    “Oh, no. I’m merely afraid you aren’t up to
the challenge.”
    “You’re referring to my old age, I take
it.”
    “No. I’m referring to your inexperience.”
    One eyebrow lifted and his eyes danced with
amusement.
    Molly patted his hand in false sympathy.
“Samuel, you poor dear. Too busy taking care of all that money at
that old bank to have any fun. You’re so lucky that I’m going to
rescue you.”
    He threw back his head and roared with
laughter. Startled, Glory Ethel and Daddy looked up from the
sofa.
    Glory Ethel glanced from her son to Molly,
then back again. “Good grief, Sam, if it’s that funny, tell all of
us.”
    “It’s just a private joke, Mother.”
    Jedidiah rose from the sofa and took Glory
Ethel’s hand. “I’m glad to hear all this laughter in my house.
Shall we go in to dinner?” He led Glory Ethel through the door and
into the dining room.
    Samuel and Molly stood up to follow. He slid
one arm around her waist. It was a tiny waist, and it felt
altogether too bewitching for his own good; but he was committed to
a course of action, and he’d be damned if he’d back down now.
    “Shall we follow them, my dear?”
    She tilted her head so she could