The Return of Antonides: Christmas at the Castello(19)

And it wasn't just reassurance he was hanging on for now. It was for  the connection, for simply the feeling of Holly's soft skin beneath the  roughened calluses on his hand, for the quickened beat of her pulse  against his thumb. He could feel the heat rising in him as he looked  into her eyes. Any minute she would break contact, move away as she  always had. Always-but once...

But she didn't. She stared straight into his gaze. And whatever they  had been talking about blew right out the window in the face of the  desire he felt for her.

"I want to kiss you." He couldn't stop the words, only knew them for the truth they were. "You know that, don't you?"

Her cheeks went red, and she shook her head rapidly. "No!" She took a quick breath. "Not a good idea."

"Why not?"

"Because...because I said no." She wouldn't look at him.

"Afraid I won't follow through?" Lukas pressed. "Or that I will?"

She jerked away from him. "Stop it!" She crossed the room, put the desk between them.

"There's something between us," he told her. "Don't tell me you don't feel it."

She looked away, shook her head vehemently. "Can't you ever take no for an answer?"

"I can," Lukas said. "But I want to know you mean it."

She flicked a glance back his way. "I mean it." She thrust out her jaw defiantly.

He drew in a slow, careful breath. "Okay." He let the word out just as  slowly. He had pushed her before and look where that had got him. Never  let it be said that Lukas Antonides didn't learn from his mistakes.  "We'll take it slow."

"We won't take it at all," Holly said fiercely.

He raised a brow. That was what she thought. She was back in his life  now. He wasn't letting her walk out again without a fight. But he could  afford to take his time-for a little while at least. But it went against  all of his instincts. He felt like a panther trapped in a birdcage,  trying to play by the canary's rules.

Holly apparently took his lack of a verbal reply as acquiescence. She  rubbed her hands together as if she were trying to erase the feel of his  fingers wrapping hers, then gave him a bright determined smile. "Well,  I'm glad we understand each other. About...about everything," she added  lamely.

Lukas dipped his head. Let her take it however she wanted.

"Thank you for...understanding about the kids. If you change your mind and decide not to go every week-"

"I won't."

The firmness of his tone must have got through to her. "Well, then,  good. I guess," she added awkwardly. "I should go." She was already  edging toward the door.

"Why?"

Holly looked confused. "Why what?"

He shoved his hands into his pockets. "Why go?" He glanced at his watch. "It's almost five. We could grab an early dinner."

"I'm going to Althea's for dinner. And Stig's. Have you met Stig?"

Lukas shook his head. "Which one is he?"

"The fourth. And final," Holly said. "I believe in Stig."

"I'll believe it when I see it." Lukas had heard occasional stories  about Matt's sister's marital adventures from Matt. Since Matt's death  he'd only caught the occasional rumor passed on by his mother. It didn't  sound promising.

"You'll believe if you ever meet Stig," Holly assured him. She started toward the door again.

"What time's your dinner?"

"Seven. But I should get there early."

"At five?" Lukas gave her his best skeptical look.

"I need to call my Realtor. She's showing the condo now at this very  moment to some lunatic film director." She shook her head. "A location  scout saw it last week and thought it might be a good movie set. As if."  She gave a small laugh.

"It's got a view."                       
       
           



       

"I've had a dozen prospective buyers come through since I've put the  place on the market, and I haven't had a single offer yet." She looked a  bit despondent. "I don't mind if the condo doesn't sell right away, but  I'd like an offer I can close on before I leave. The view won't sell  it," she said, going back to the current issue. "Lots of places have  great views."

"Not this one." Lukas gestured toward the vista outside the tall,  narrow windows that gave them a bird's-eye view of other buildings like  his own. He was willing her to stick around, to let him get a toe in the  door before she vanished again.

Now she came over to look out, too. "You didn't buy it for the view, did you?"

"No. It has great space. You haven't seen it, have you?" Lukas grasped  at the straw he should have grabbed in the first place. "Let me show  you."

Holly shook her head, moving back toward the door. "I'm going to Althea's."

"Right." Lukas shrugged easily. "And where does she live?"

"The West Seventies."

He nodded. "Yeah, well, it might take you two hours if you walk."

Holly made a face at him. But there was a light in her eyes that had always had the power to stir his blood.

Lukas grinned. "Come on, Hol'. You know you want to see it."

"You want to show it off, you mean."

"Yeah," he said, his grin widening. He breathed easier. "That, too."

* * *

"I've never seen anything like it. There's the most amazing art!  Stunning textiles, murals, these astonishing fanciful birdcages.  Birdcages, if you can believe it!"

Holly knew she was babbling, but her mind still boggled at everything  she had seen in Lukas's gallery that afternoon. "And the jewelry..." She  gave a shake of her head in near disbelief. "It's absolutely gorgeous.  The workmanship is superb. And the opals are the most beautiful I've  ever seen."

"You were impressed," Stig said drily, but he grinned at her.

"You could say that." Astonished more like. Partly because she had  rarely seen so much appealing art all in one place. But also because it  was evident that Lukas had had a very big hand in making it possible.

Of course the What's New! article had sung his praises. But articles  like that were showpieces intended to paint things in the best light.  But Holly's own tour of the gallery, coupled with the enthusiasm of the  artists and sculptors she met, told an even more complimentary story.

He'd been eager to show it off, and having seen it now, she could  understand why. He was fretting over details even as he showed her  around, but she was sure it was going to be a success and she'd told him  so.

"You think?" He'd sounded almost doubtful, but genuinely pleased.

"Of course," Holly had said. "The artists are all brilliant. They cover  a wide variety of media, and every one of them has some particular  gift, some talent that just grabs me."

It was true. She loved the airy textiles and the ornate and elegant  birdcages. The wood sculpture was exquisite. The paintings covered the  spectrum from primitive to sort of pseudo-impressionist to realistic to  dreamy ethereal watercolors. She hadn't been able to decide which she  liked best. And the jewelry-the opal rings and necklaces, the brooches  and pendants-was simply out of this world.

It wasn't only seeing such wonderful works of art that enchanted her,  it was that several of the artists were there, working, right in front  of her. Lukas had introduced her to several of them.

"You can talk to them," he'd said. "Comment. Ask questions. Whatever  you want. We want to make the art-and the artists-accessible," he'd told  her. "We want people to understand the process, the artist's mind."

It was fascinating-and a brilliant marketing move. She could have  talked forever with Charlotte, a textile artist who did amazing wall  hangings. And the guy who made the birdcages, Sam, was as charming and  quirky as he was talented.

He told her all about how he designed the cages, the materials he used,  how long it took him to do one, even as he soldered tiny wire flowers  in place, making them look like they were growing up the side of a  Victorian house. "I have my own ideas," he said. "But I've done a few to  order. Want a birdcage? We could have dinner and talk about it," he  offered.

"She's busy." And Lukas had hauled her away peremptorily. "Well, you  are," he said when she protested. "Having dinner at Althea's, didn't you  say?"                       
       
           



       

"Yes, but I could have continued to talk with him."

"Not now. Come on. There's more to show you."

He took her through all the galleries, including one featuring opal  mining. "A little background before we get to the jewelry," he said.  There were blown-up photos of the land, the mines, the work he and Skeet  had done. She would have liked to look closer, but if she lingered, he  took her arm. And Lukas's fingers on her arm were a distraction she  didn't need. So when she sensed he was getting impatient, she moved on  before he could touch her again.