She gave them a regal nod and walked away, her back ramrod straight and disapproval pouring off her in waves.
“I don’t think your mother likes me,” Chloe said in a small voice.
“Then it’s a good thing I do. Chloe, I’m sorry you had to face her so soon after we arrived. I wasn’t expecting her to be home, to be honest. She’s always at the office until late most days.”
“It’s okay. I’m not here to please her.”
“Does that mean you’re here to please me?” Miles’s voice dropped an octave, and Chloe felt a shimmer of desire spread through her.
“Well,” she replied, “that depends on how close your mom’s room is to ours, don’t you think?”
Miles laughed out loud. “Don’t worry, we’re on the second floor. She’s on the first.”
“Good to know,” Chloe said, and grabbed a cookie from the plate on the table. “How about you show me our room. I really will need to freshen up before dinner.”
“Sure thing. I could do with a little freshening myself.”
Miles offered her his hand and she let him tug her to her feet. He drew her close and bent his head and kissed her deeply. When he pulled away, he said, “I’m glad you’re here, Chloe. This would have been tougher without you.”
She lifted a hand to his cheek and looked directly in his eyes, for a split second forgetting her real reasons for being here. “I’m glad I can be here for you, too.”
He grinned. “Let’s go shower.”
Eight
Chloe woke alone to tumbled sheets and a sense of satiation she was fast coming to associate with Miles Wingate. Dinner last night had been strained, as if everyone there was on tenterhooks for a variety of reasons to which she was not allowed to be privy. But when she and Miles retired after dinner, all the tension of the evening swiftly dissipated.
She stretched against the sheets before rising from the bed and getting ready to head downstairs. After a quick shower and choosing a cornflower blue sundress she knew flattered her blond hair and blue eyes, she went downstairs.
Beth Wingate was in the breakfast room off the kitchen. She looked up with a friendly smile as Chloe entered the room.
“Good morning. Help yourself to breakfast from the buffet. Mom and the guys have already headed into work.”
“Yes, Miles told me last night that they’d be going in early. Do you think he’ll be able to help source the problem?”
A small frown pulled between the other woman’s brows. “I sure hope so. Say, you’ll be at a bit of a loose end today. Would you like to spend the day with me? I can ask Miles to call us when he’s heading back to the house.”
Chloe pushed down the automatic “no” that sprang to her lips. She wasn’t quite sure how to take the friendly overture from Miles’s sister, but it was an opportunity to learn more about the Wingate family, which could only help her cause.
“I’d like that, thank you.”
“Great! I’m working on a masquerade ball fundraiser for the Texas Cattleman’s Club and was planning on heading to the club after breakfast to discuss decorations. I’d appreciate another woman’s input.”
“I’m not sure how much use I’ll be to you,” Chloe said on a laugh. “My experience with decorating relates most to second graders in the classroom.”
“Well, there’s a child in all of us, right?” Beth replied with a warm smile.
“Do you do a lot of fundraising?”
“It’s my role in life to part the wealthy from their money for worthy causes. Mom used to manage Wingate Philanthropies, but after my dad had his first stroke, she devoted most of her time to him so it was natural for me to take over. I have to admit I love it. There’s a real satisfaction in knowing that what you do makes a difference for those less fortunate. The upcoming ball isn’t for a few months yet, but I like to make sure that all my ducks are in a row early on. That way I always have contingencies should anything go awry.”
Chloe filled a plate with scrambled eggs and a couple of strips of grilled bacon and sat at the table.
“Contingencies are always a good idea. I’ll text Miles and let him know I’m spending the day with you, just in case he comes back here and wonders what I’m up to.”
Beth made a face. “Oh, now Mom and the boys have their hooks into him again, I doubt they’ll be letting him home early. They really need his expertise. I’m not sure how much Miles has told you, but things are looking pretty dire for WinJet at the moment. Safety is such an important issue.”
“And the DEA?” Chloe pressed.