Grace concentrated on fastening the clasp of her purse. “I, um…”
“Oh, I’m not angling for gossip to print in my column. That’s not what I write. I’m afraid I simply let curiosity overcome good manners.”
Grace gave the other woman a slight smile. “I’m getting used to that, I guess. Bryan seems to arouse a great deal of curiosity.”
Katherine nodded, then broke into a rueful grin. “You have to admit the man is flat-out dazzling.”
Grace laughed softly. “Okay, I’ll give you that.”
“It must be difficult for you—being the center of so much attention, reading all that silly tabloid gossip about whether Bryan was dating your sister before you.”
“It does get tiresome.” With one last glance in the mirror, Grace turned toward the door. “Nice to meet you, Katherine.”
The other woman spoke quickly. “You might mention to Mr. Falcon that you met me. I would love to interview him for the financial section sometime. No gossip, just straight business talk.”
Grace shrugged and motioned toward the door. “Come ask him yourself.”
Looking suddenly nervo
us, the reporter cleared her throat. “You mean now?”
“He’s here, you’re here. Why not now?”
“Well, I, um…”
Grace had never expected to meet a shy reporter. Apparently Katherine Stanley had used up her courage by introducing herself to Grace. “Don’t worry. I’m sure he’ll be pleased to see you again.”
If there was one thing she could guarantee about Bryan, it was that he was unfailingly gracious in social situations. Even if he preferred not to be interviewed for Katherine’s newspaper, he would decline politely. He might be surprised that Grace was helping a reporter after she’d been so careful to avoid them lately, but Katherine was hardly a tabloid tattle monger. Grace rather liked this one.
Bryan had commandeered a small table. He waited there with two flutes of champagne and a dessert plate of chocolate-dipped strawberries—one of Grace’s favorite treats. He rose when he spotted Grace and her newfound companion.
Plucking a strawberry from the plate, Grace said, “Bryan, this is Katherine Stanley. She’s a financial reporter.”
Flashing one of his patented smiles, Bryan took the other woman’s hand. “Yes, we’ve met. It was at that Arkansas investors’ seminar last spring, wasn’t it?”
The young woman seemed stunned that he had recognized her, even though Grace had predicted that he would. “Yes, my editor introduced us in passing.”
“Would you like some champagne?”
“No, thank you. I have to get back to my friends. I met Ms. Pennington in the ladies’ lounge, and when I mentioned that I would like to do an interview with you sometime about your latest business ventures, she invited me to accompany her.”
Bryan glanced at Grace, who was thoroughly enjoying the biggest, sweetest strawberry she’d ever tasted and pretending not to listen to his conversation with the reporter. “My schedule’s rather full at present, but I’m sure I can make time for a brief interview. Call my office next week and talk to my assistant. I’ll tell her to expect your call.”
Visibly delighted, Katherine thanked him, and then thanked Grace. “It was so nice to see you both. I think you make a great couple,” she added artlessly as she turned to rush away.
Bryan lifted his champagne flute to Grace in a minisalute. “To us—a great couple.”
“A compatible team,” she amended, “at least for now.”
She sipped the champagne, telling herself she would be glad when there was no further need for this temporary partnership. And trying very hard to believe it.
Chapter Five
Despite her perfunctory assertion that there was no need for him to walk her all the way to her door, Bryan escorted Grace to her apartment after the fund-raiser. He hadn’t forgotten the last time they had stood outside this door, when the sudden appearance of her neighbors had generated an impulsive goodnight kiss between them. Judging from Grace’s posture, she hadn’t forgotten, either.
He’d thought of that kiss—and the reasons behind it—several times since that night. True enough, they’d agreed to keep up the charade of an intimate relationship whenever outside observers were around. Her neighbors would have expected him to kiss her before leaving her for the evening. And yet, he was fully aware that he’d wanted to kiss her then, and had seized the first excuse to do so.
He wanted to kiss her again now.