had chosen that the truth came out "Oh, no!" Talia wailed in mock dismay as the elegant little Nikon camera was lovingly removed from its hiding place and slung across Kane's chest. A leather bag which was undoubtedly full of film, lenses, and related paraphernalia followed.
"You have your hobby, I have mine," Kane declared defensively, opening the car door and assisting her out. "At least I can count on results with mine!"
"I'd have thought you would have already taken all the pictures anyone could want of Old Sacramento by now. You've been in the area for years!"
"But I haven't got any pictures with you in them," he pointed out cheerfully, pushing her lightly in the direction of a California-style Mexican restaurant.
"Don't expect me to model!" she told him waspishly, hiding a smile at the sight he made strung with camera equipment. "You look like one of those tourists getting off the tour bus over there!" She nodded toward a plush coach dispensing an assortment of passengers, most with cameras around their necks.
"I'll try not to embarrass you unduly," he said placatingly, leading her into the restaurant.
The light banter continued over a lunch of crunchy tostadas and tortilla chips served in the cool atmosphere of early California. Afterward, Kane seemed in no particular hurry to rush back to the office and suggested they browse through some of the nearby shops.
"Hold it right there," he ordered suddenly just as Talia was about to enter an antique store.
She paused, her tawny head with its neat twist catching the noonday sun, one hand braced on the doorframe.
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"What's the matter?" She turned her head slightly to look at him and, too late, realized the Nikon was pointed in her direction. Her mouth quirked wryly. "You didn't give me a chance to smile!" she protested as the shutter clicked.
"I liked that look of idle interest," he told her airily, letting the camera fall back into place across his chest. "Natural shots are always the best," he added with a meaningful grin.
"Don't get any ideas. I don't do cheesecake!"
"Honey, I'm no leering amateur," he defended. "I take my photography very seriously. It's an art!"
They made the round of the various shops and Talia gradually grew accustomed to having Kane suddenly leap out in front of her to snap another photograph. She was posed on the steps of an opulent private railroad car in the railroad museum, caught in profile as she petted the nose of a bored-looking horse pulling a wagon full of tourists, and shot unawares as she deliberated over the purchase of a straw hat.
"I hate to call a halt, but I suppose I really should be getting back to the office,"
Kane finally announced regretfully as he closed the camera case.
"Perhaps there will have been a response to the cable by the time you get back,"
Talia said with hopeful speculation.
"It's nice to know exactly what my appeal is for you," he grumbled, escorting her gently into the front seat of the Lotus. "You have a way of driving a knife through my fragile ego, Talia Haywood."
"I'm sorry," Talia said abruptly and genuinely contrite. She caught his hand as it rested on the door's edge and looked up at him earnestly. "I really did enjoy lunch and touring the shops. It's been a lovely afternoon."
He smiled but there was a cool greenness in his eyes as he lifted the hand that had touched his and bared her wrist. He said nothing, dropping a small, highly charged kiss on the soft, sensitive skin at the base of her palm. Talia felt a tiny, sensual shock go through her system. Why, oh, why, did she react so to this man?
He drove her back to the hotel, saying little en route. When he pulled into the front entrance, she climbed out and turned politely to thank him for lunch.
"I'll pick you up around seven for dinner," he said quietly, ignoring her thanks.
She stared at him a little uncertainly, sensing that the easy banter had
"You have your hobby, I have mine," Kane declared defensively, opening the car door and assisting her out. "At least I can count on results with mine!"
"I'd have thought you would have already taken all the pictures anyone could want of Old Sacramento by now. You've been in the area for years!"
"But I haven't got any pictures with you in them," he pointed out cheerfully, pushing her lightly in the direction of a California-style Mexican restaurant.
"Don't expect me to model!" she told him waspishly, hiding a smile at the sight he made strung with camera equipment. "You look like one of those tourists getting off the tour bus over there!" She nodded toward a plush coach dispensing an assortment of passengers, most with cameras around their necks.
"I'll try not to embarrass you unduly," he said placatingly, leading her into the restaurant.
The light banter continued over a lunch of crunchy tostadas and tortilla chips served in the cool atmosphere of early California. Afterward, Kane seemed in no particular hurry to rush back to the office and suggested they browse through some of the nearby shops.
"Hold it right there," he ordered suddenly just as Talia was about to enter an antique store.
She paused, her tawny head with its neat twist catching the noonday sun, one hand braced on the doorframe.
ABC Amber Text Converter Trial v ersion, http://www.processtext.com/abctxt.html
"What's the matter?" She turned her head slightly to look at him and, too late, realized the Nikon was pointed in her direction. Her mouth quirked wryly. "You didn't give me a chance to smile!" she protested as the shutter clicked.
"I liked that look of idle interest," he told her airily, letting the camera fall back into place across his chest. "Natural shots are always the best," he added with a meaningful grin.
"Don't get any ideas. I don't do cheesecake!"
"Honey, I'm no leering amateur," he defended. "I take my photography very seriously. It's an art!"
They made the round of the various shops and Talia gradually grew accustomed to having Kane suddenly leap out in front of her to snap another photograph. She was posed on the steps of an opulent private railroad car in the railroad museum, caught in profile as she petted the nose of a bored-looking horse pulling a wagon full of tourists, and shot unawares as she deliberated over the purchase of a straw hat.
"I hate to call a halt, but I suppose I really should be getting back to the office,"
Kane finally announced regretfully as he closed the camera case.
"Perhaps there will have been a response to the cable by the time you get back,"
Talia said with hopeful speculation.
"It's nice to know exactly what my appeal is for you," he grumbled, escorting her gently into the front seat of the Lotus. "You have a way of driving a knife through my fragile ego, Talia Haywood."
"I'm sorry," Talia said abruptly and genuinely contrite. She caught his hand as it rested on the door's edge and looked up at him earnestly. "I really did enjoy lunch and touring the shops. It's been a lovely afternoon."
He smiled but there was a cool greenness in his eyes as he lifted the hand that had touched his and bared her wrist. He said nothing, dropping a small, highly charged kiss on the soft, sensitive skin at the base of her palm. Talia felt a tiny, sensual shock go through her system. Why, oh, why, did she react so to this man?
He drove her back to the hotel, saying little en route. When he pulled into the front entrance, she climbed out and turned politely to thank him for lunch.
"I'll pick you up around seven for dinner," he said quietly, ignoring her thanks.
She stared at him a little uncertainly, sensing that the easy banter had
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