“What's the current price for a thought in these days of inflation?" Alan donwered aloud as he paused in the doorway. She'd looked so beautiful, he reflected. So distant. Then she glanced up with a smile that enchanced the first and erased the second."That was quick," Shelby complimented him and avoided the question with equal ease. "I'm afraid I admired your tea set a bit too strongly and made your butler nervous.He might be wondering if I'll slip the saucer into my bag." Setting down the cup, she rose. "Are you ready to go be charming and distinguished? You look as though you would be."Alan lifted a brow. "I have a feeling distinguished comes perilously close to sedate in your book.""No,you're lots of room yet," she told him as she breezed into the hall. "I'll give you a jab if you start teetering toward sedate.”

“Carpool,my foot. But it's still not a date,MacGregor. What we'll call this is a...a civilized transit agreement. That sounds bureaucratic enough.I like your car," she added, patting the hood of his Mercedes. "Very sedate."Alan opened the trunk and set the box inside. He glanced back up at Shelby as he closed it. "You have an interesting way of insulting someone."She laughed,that free smoke-edged laugh as she went to him. "Dammit, Alan, I like you." Throwing her arms around his neck, she gave him a friendly hug that sent jolts of need careening through him. "I really like you," she added, tilting back her head with a smile that lit her whole face with a sense of fun. "I could probably have said that to a dozen other men who'd never have realized I was insulting them.""So." His hands settled at her hips. "I get points for perception.”

“You're trying to be charming again," Shelby muttered."Am I succeeding?"Some questions were best ignored. "I really don't know how to be more succinct, Alan."Was that part of the appeal? he wondered. The fact that the free-spirited Gypsy could turn into the regal duchess in the blink of an eye. He doubted she had any notion she was as much one as the other. "You have a wonderful speaking voice.What time will you be ready?"Shelby huffed and frowned and considered. "If I agree to spend some time with you today, will you stop sending me things?"Alan was silent for a long moment. "Are you going to take a politician's word?"Now she had to laugh. "All right, you've boxed me in on that one.""It's a beautiful day, Shelby.I haven't had a free Saturday in over a month. Come out with me."She twined the phone cord around her finger. A refusal seemed so petty, so bad-natured.He was really asking her for very little, and-dammit-she wanted to see him. "All right, Alan, every rule needs to be bent a bit now and again to prove it's really a rule after all.""If you say so.Where would you like to go? There's an exhibition of Flemish art at the National Gallery."Shelby's lips curved. "The zoo," she said and waited for his reaction."Fine," Alan agreed without missing a beat. "I'll be there in ten minutes."With a sigh,Shelby decided he just wasn't an easy man to shake. "Alan, I'm not dressed.""I'll be there in five."On a burst of laughter, she slammed down the phone.”

“You look beautiful, Rena." Gently he laid a hand on the mound of her belly. His sister, he thought as wonder and pride mixed together. His baby sister. "I can't get used to it," he murmured.Serena put her hand on his. "You don't have a great deal more time to get used to it." She felt the baby move under their joined hands and grinned as Alan's gaze dropped to them. "He or she is impatient to begin." Tilting her head, she studied Alan's face. "Dad's suddenly gotten it into his head there might be two...I wonder who might have planted that seed?"His eyes smiled as he lifted them to his sister's. "It was purely a defensive maneuver.""Mmm-hmm." Turning, she held out both hands. "You must be Shelby. I'm glad you could come."Shelby felt the warmth, more carefres than Alan's, the welcome, less curious than Caine's. "So am I.I've been wanting to meet the woman who broke Alan's nose."With a muffled chuckle, Serena jerked her head toward Caine. "It was supposed to be his." She narrowed her eyes a moment as Caine dipped his hands into his pockets and grinned. "It should have been his. Come on in and meet the rest of the family," she continued as she tucked her arm through Shelby's. "God,I hope Alan prepared you.""In his own way.""If you start to feel overwhelmed, just shoot me a look. These days all I have to do is sigh to distract Dad's attention for an hour and a half.”

“Walking home's going to be...interesting half dressed." Alan mused as he dropped the shirt over the lip of the sink.Shelby shot a look over her shoulder, but the retort she had in mind slipped away from her.He was lean enough so she could have counted his ribs, but there was a sense of power and endurance in the breadth of his chest and shoulders, the streamlined waist. His body made her forget any other man she'd ever seen.It had been he,she realized all at once, whom she'd been thinking of when she'd thrown the clay into that clean-lined bowl.Shelby let the first flow of arousal rush through her because it was as sweet as it was sharp. Then she tensed against it, rendering it a distant throb she could control."You're in excellent shape," she commented lightly. "You should be able to make it to P street in under three minutes at a steady jog.""Shelby, that's downright unfriendly.""I thought it was more rude," she corrected as she struggled against a grin. "I suppose I could be a nice guy and throw it in the dryer for you.""It was your clay.""It was your move," she reminded him, but snatched up the damp shirt. "Okay, come on upstairs." With one hand, she tugged off her work apron, tossing it aside as she breezed through the doorway. "I suppose you're entitled to one drink on the house.""You're all heart," Alan murmured as he followed her up the stairs."My reputation for generosity precedes me.”

“Are you staying in tonight, Moshe?" she asked as she passed by the cat who lounged on her bed. When he only opened his eye in acknowledgement, she breezed out of the room. "Okay,don't wait up." Shelby dropped her purse on top of the box that held Myra's lamps and prepared to lift both when someone knocked on the door. "You expecting someone?" she asked Auntie Em.The bird merely fluttered her wings,unconcerned. Hefting the box,Shelby went to answer.Pleasure.She had to acknowledge it as well as annoyance when she saw Alan. "Another neighborly visit?" she asked, planting herself in the doorway. She skimmed a glance down the silk tie and trim, dark suit. "You don't look dressed for strolling."THe sarcasm didn't concern him-he'd seen that quick flash of unguarded pleasure. "As a public servant, I feel an obligation to conserve our natural resources and protect the environment." Reaching over,he clipped a tiny sprig of sweet pea into her hair. "I'm going to give you a lift to the Ditmeyers'. You might say we're carpooling.”

“Hello."Her mood deflated as if she'd been pricked with a pin. "Alan.""Shelby."She struggled not to be moved by the quiet,serious tone that should never have moved her.She liked men with a laugh in their voice. "Alan, this has to stop.""Does it? It hasn't even started.""Alan-" She tried to remember her decision to be firm. "I mean it. You have to stop sending me things. You're only wasting your time.""I have a bit to spare," he said mildly. "How was your week?""Busy.Listen,I-""I missed you."The simple statement threw the rest of her lecture into oblivion. "Alan, don't -""Everyday," he continued. "Every night. Have you been to Boston, Shelby?""Uh...yes," she managed, busy fighting off the weakness creeping into her. Helplessly she stared up at the balloons. How could she fight something so insubstantial it floated?"I'd like to take you there in the fall, when it smells of damp leaves and smoke."Shelby told herself her heart was not fluttering. "Alan, I didn't call to talk about Boston.Now,to put it in very simple terms,I want you to stop calling me, I want you to stop dropping by, and -" Her voice began to rise in frustration as she pictured him listening with that patient, serious smile and calm eyes. "I want you to stop sending me balloons and pigs and everything! Is that clear?""Perfectly.Spend the day with me."Did the man ever stop being patient? She couldn't abide patient men. "For God's sake, Alan!""We'll call it an experimental outing," he suggested in the same even tone. "Not a date.""No!" she said, barely choking back a laugh. Couldn't abide it, she tried to remember.She preferred the flashy, the freewheeling. "No,no,no!""Not bureaucratic enough." His voice was so calm,so...so senatorial, she decided, she wanted to scream. But the scream bubbled perilously close to another laugh. "All right, let me think-a standard daytime expedition for furthering amiable relations between opposing clans.""You're trying to be charming again," Shelby muttered."Am I succeeding?”