Her arms lifted obediently, spread into a posture that invited enthusiastic applause. Blake obliged.
Stephanie appeared suspiciously soon afterward, her red hair a bit mussed. Blake murmured, “I thought Tara’s feet had suddenly grown bigger.”
Stephanie punched his arm. “Where have you been?”
“Busy.” Blake draped an arm around Tara’s shoulders, unable to resist brushing a quick kiss across her flushed cheek. “Having a good time?”
“It’s been fascinating,” she admitted. “I had no idea how much work went into setting up these performances. Jeremy has let me see a few of his illusions up dose, and I’ve given my word that I’ll never reveal anything I’ve learned.”
“Under penalty of permanent dismemberment,” Jeremy added congenially. He looked at Blake. “She’s going to do great.”
“Didn’t I tell you she would?”
“What about you? Have a productive day?”
Blake rubbed the back of his neck. “Not as much as I would have liked.”
“Sorry to hear that. Anything I can do?”
Blake shook his head. “You’re doing enough. Thanks.”
One of the young redheads tapped Jeremy’s arm. “Paula and I are going to do some sight-seeing if we’re finished for the day. Stephanie’s been telling us about some of the cool spots in Savannah, and we’d like to go check them out.”
Jeremy nodded. “Have a good time. But be careful.”
She rose to kiss his cheek, much as she would have if he were her overprotective big brother—the way most of Jeremy’s assistants seemed to view him, Blake had always thought. “See you later, boss.”
Jeremy turned to Noelle. “What are your plans for the evening?”
She smiled and patted her protruding tummy. “Junior and I are going to get some rest. And I promised Jeff I’d call him.”
Jeremy turned to Stephanie. “Steph?”
“Hot date,” she answered with an apologetic smile.
Jeremy heaved an enormous sigh and looked soulfully at Blake and Tara.
Blake couldn’t help grinning at his friend’s hangdog expression. “Would you like to join us for dinner tonight?”
Jeremy grinned. “I’d love to. Thanks.”
Blake was almost glad Jeremy would be joining them that evening. He’d spent the whole day replaying the night he and Tara had spent together, and the emotions that lingered inside him had almost overwhelmed him at times. He didn’t want to put a name to what he felt for her; he superstitiously imagined that calling it by name would give it that much more power over him. But deep inside, he knew the truth. And it scared him spitless.
He glanced at Tara, to find her smiling a bit too warmly at Jeremy. “We would love to have you join us,” she said. “I want to hear all about your career. You’ve led such a fascinating life.”
Blake felt a frown draw his eyebrows downward. Maybe having Jeremy along for the evening wasn’t such a great idea, after all. He’d had no idea that Tara was such a fan of the guy. She’d almost hyperventilated when he’d introduced them.
And he was a certifiable idiot for standing here stewing in jealousy just because she was smiling at another man.
“Let’s get out of here,” he said a bit more gruffly than he’d intended. “Tm hungry.”
“Oh, is that what you are?” Jeremy asked in a murmur meant for Blake’s ears alone.
Blake gave his friend a warning glare that didn’t seem to intimidate the other man at all.
“TELL ME how long you two have known each other,” Tara said over dinner in a quiet little seafood restaurant not far from the busy harbor area. “How did you meet?”
She watched as Blake and Jeremy exchanged a quick glance. Jeremy seemed to be silently asking just how much Blake wanted to tell her; Blake looked as though he was trying to decide. And Tara felt a pang at this reminder that there was so much about Blake that was still a mystery to her, so many things that Stephanie and Jeremy and Noelle knew that Tara did not.