"I hope not."

"And it is is a very pretty face." a very pretty face."

Large eyes widened and blinked in surprise. I actually upset his considerable composure. "I suppose I should thank you for the compliment, but I can't say I'd agree with your choice of adjective."

"Handsome doesn't really say it, does it?"

Beautiful would only begin to describe him.

He laughed again. "It'll do. Thank you."

I stretched out my hand to him. Again he looked slightly surprised and amused yet took it in his. "I like your face very much." He stroked the palm of my hand.

"Cute." I grimaced. "That's what they say."

"Leonardo might have painted this face, pure in its lineaments, eyes that tantalize with secrets."

"Quit, you'll turn my head," I said imitating his accent.

His eyes moved lovingly over my face. "That, my dear Miss Disantini, is my motive."

I was taken aback. He had me at the disadvantage and it was so delicious. I tried to remove my hand but he hung on. Something happened in that moment. The attraction went beyond the realm of the physical. I broke that lovely silence because I feared to hold his gaze another second. "Where the heck is my food?" But I was lost. I'd fallen with a resounding thud.

The piano player struck up a show tune. My friends sang along loudly. Ethan looked over at them. "Your fellow thespians?"

I grimaced. "They've had a few by now."

Suddenly Burt, the delightfully b.i.t.c.hy old queen who played Solness rushed over to the table. "Sing, Baby Bird. Warble a song for your lovely young man."

I was embarra.s.sed. Sometimes I'd get up to sing, but I was sure I couldn't manage a note. He took me by the arm, announcing to the entire restaurant, "It's her birthday!"

The piano crescendoed into Happy Birthday Happy Birthday and everyone joined in. I was red-faced. Ethan just sat back and enjoyed my discomfort. "Happy Birthday, Mia." and everyone joined in. I was red-faced. Ethan just sat back and enjoyed my discomfort. "Happy Birthday, Mia."

"Come on Baby, let's have that song," Burt cajoled.

Applause started up.

I shook my head. "No, please. I can't."

Ethan leaned back, crossing his arms over that impressive chest. "I'd be honored if you would sing, Mia."

"Theah, mustn't disappoint your handsome new beau, dawlin," drawled Burt, in an outrageous parody of Ethan's accent as he dragged me off to the piano.

He nodded to the piano player. "A Kiss to Build a Dream On."

I was shaking as the pianist played the intro in my key. My voice came out as a breathy whisper. I looked over to Ethan, who'd leaned forward smiling. My confidence returned and I set out to seduce him with the song.

I finished to more applause. Taking a bow, I rejoined Ethan at the table just as Mikey hustled up with my first course.

Ethan took my hand. "Enchanting, perfectly enchanting."

"My father was an opera singer. He taught me when I was young, but my voice is just a light, little thing."

"Clear and pleasing as a silver bell. A man could be driven to his destruction by a sweet siren such as you."

I laughed. "You're too kind."

Mikey placed a soup plate piled high with mussels and a large basket of freshly baked bread before me. I sniffed in appreciation.

Ethan gave me that slow lazy smile. "You appreciate the pleasures of the table."

What an odd way to put it. He had this strange, pretty way of talking. Even if it was just a line I took the bait eagerly. As I dug into the first course, Ethan observed me carefully, like he'd never seen a girl eat before.

"Are you sure you won't have anything?" I asked.

His eyes glittered giving away no secrets. "No thank you, I'll just sit here and watch you. That's a veritable bed of mussels. I do hope you have a healthy appet.i.te."

"Voracious, I'll be fat someday if I'm not careful," I said, as I speared a mussel with my fork and shoved it in my mouth. Mmm, garlic, wine and the slightly iodine taste of the sea exploded in my mouth.

"I don't see any danger of that." His eyes gave me the once over then rested on my low cut bodice. "Girls today are too skinny, if you ask me."

I swallowed. "So you like your ladies with a little meat on their bones?"

"It depends on where you're talking about," he said, with that little growl.

I leaned over and inquired slyly, "How do I measure up?"

He laughed, glittering eyes fixing on mine. "I wouldn't be a gentleman if I answered that question the way I'd like."

"I think you're a rogue at heart."

"And do you like rogues?"

"If they're handsome ones."

He burst out laughing again as he leaned back in the chair. "There's a bit of the rogue in you too, isn't there?"

"Promise not to tell?" I winked. "Won't you at least have some wine?"

He looked longingly at my gla.s.s. "I'm afraid I must abstain," he said, regretfully.

Interesting, he didn't look like a teetotaler. I certainly hoped he wasn't an alcoholic. My, wasn't I in for a surprise? I began to eat again while he looked on. It was making me very uncomfortable to be scrutinized so. I set down my fork and burst out, "Well, if I'm going to sit here and eat in front of you, you have to tell me something about yourself."

He seemed a bit taken aback but replied graciously, "There isn't really much to tell."

"Oh come on, you're one great big enigma, like some mysterious gothic hero. I just know you have a past. What skeletons are lurking in the family closet? Do you have a mad brother locked away in the attic?"

He smiled slowly. "Nothing like that, I a.s.sure you. However, there's one thing you might find interesting. I'm restoring my family estate in Virginia. They lost it after the war."

"Which war?"

He looked vague for a moment, then replied, "The Civil War, as you call it up here."

"Personally, I never saw anything particularly civil about a war."

He smiled at my joke. "I'm sure you know what befell many southern families during reconstruction. They couldn't keep up the taxes and debts and so on. Thankfully the family fortunes revived later. The estate is called Caithness Caithness, after the Sinclair family seat in Scotland. The house was in ruins when I acquired it. That was ten years ago- it's nearly finished. You should see."

Was that an invitation? It had the ring of one. "Is it one of those great big white houses with the columns?" I had stopped eating and leaned my cheek against my hand.

"It's red brick and a bit smaller than those antebellum palaces you see in the movies, built in the Georgian period. I've been in New York hunting suitable antiques. Some of the old pieces were salvageable, but many were beyond redemption. I'm not boring you?"

Not a chance, I could have stared at him forever but a warm, drowsy feeling had come over me. His face became animated, where before his manner had been so composed. He had tremendous feeling for this house. Touching. Still I caught a whiff of desperation. Just what was it about him? Something indefinable.

"Not at all," I replied. "This place has great meaning for you. It gives you a sense of your history."

He was surprised by my response. "You understand."

Our eyes met again. I wasn't quite up to the challenge and changed the subject. "I've a bit of history myself."

"Do tell."

"After you, I've got two more courses."

"You do have a healthy appet.i.te," he said, observing the nearly empty plate before me. His blue eyes narrowed, as he rested that chin on his hand. "Are all of your appet.i.tes appet.i.tes this prodigious?" this prodigious?"

I aped his drawl, "Now you aren't aren't being a gentleman Mistah Sinclair." being a gentleman Mistah Sinclair."

"But you like me better for it, don't you?"

"You're a very bad boy, I think."

He ran his finger along the bottom of his lower lip. "That, my dear Miss Disantini, remains to be seen."

The waiter placed my entree before me. Mr. Salvi must have been convinced I was truly starving and ordered the chef to double my portion. Ethan laughed at my amazed expression. "Are you up to it?"

I observed the mound of food on the plate. "I begin to doubt myself."

"The Bird of Prey?"

"Huh? Oh, the play. That's just acting."

"You have a bit of the bird of prey in you as well. You're sinking your little talons into me- not that I mind in the least. But I must warn you- you haven't met such prey as me before."

I watched him furtively between bites. Oh, he was very easy on the eyes but there was something odd about his looks. He was inhumanly inhumanly beautiful. Hair too glossy black, eyes too icy blue- he looked about thirty-five but didn't have the tiniest lines, smooth and pore-less as a young boy and although very fair, not pale or unhealthy looking, rich red color infusing his skin and lips. Like some celluloid image from Hollywood, he was just too much of everything to be true. beautiful. Hair too glossy black, eyes too icy blue- he looked about thirty-five but didn't have the tiniest lines, smooth and pore-less as a young boy and although very fair, not pale or unhealthy looking, rich red color infusing his skin and lips. Like some celluloid image from Hollywood, he was just too much of everything to be true.

Still there was something else- in the glitter of the ice blue eyes, in the precise control of his movements, so different than anyone I'd ever seen, but not just because of his background. Something under this disciplined and elegant exterior, maybe the posture of his powerful frame, or the arrogant set of his full mouth spoke savagery. Danger. Somewhere in the dark corners we'd met before... "

Joe stifled a laugh. "The gothic stuff... really Mia."

"It's all true. He was all that. Ethan was unlike anyone else."

"And of course you fell madly in love with him?"

"Madly... yes, it was like madness... " I must have been sitting there for awhile with my mouth hanging open, because he waved a hand in front of my eyes.

"Are you still here, Mia? You must tell your story."

I related my history while he listened intently.

"He appraised me with the air of a connoisseur. "You've a European flair. Women of your nationality have a certain, vitality, vitality, about them, very attractive." about them, very attractive."

I shook my finger at him. "You know every trick in the book, don't you? I'm on to you."

"How can one seduce a charming young lady when she's equally adept?"

I lowered my eyes demurely. "I'm no siren. I'm just a little girl who does some acting."

"You're totally aware of the powers you possess, but if the innocent pose amuses you, retain it by all means. It only adds to your appeal- beguiling little bird of prey."

I wrinkled my nose. "I hope I don't bear too strong of a resemblance to that little monster."

He leaned over to me and looked me in the eye. "You have potential you don't yet realize. When I first saw you onstage you captivated me. I was amazed that some little ingenue ingenue could wield so much power. There's much more to you than meets the eye, but the vision before me is most pleasing, I must say." could wield so much power. There's much more to you than meets the eye, but the vision before me is most pleasing, I must say."

He knew me too well, studying me as if I were a new species he'd discovered, and this infuriating att.i.tude was driving me mad for him.

"Continue," he ordered.

Well, how do you like that, already telling me what to do? I looked up in surprise at his imperturbable icy gaze. Not someone you'd want to displease. Mmm, I liked him even better.

I went on. He listened, nodding his head on occasion. Then he inquired about Aunt Selena's whereabouts.

"No idea. Hope she croaked, the old bat."

He threw his head back, laughing out loud. People turned around and stared. He didn't care in the least. "You're a scamp, Mia!"

"Selena would call me a lot worse," I said. "After a party at Richard's place I auditioned for my other role. I've been playing in repertory ever since. There you have it, Maria Michaela Paola Disantini's fall from grace."

Ethan grasped my hands. "You deserve better, Mia." I looked up to the most determined stare I'd ever seen. Strong fingers caressed my wrists, running rhythmically over the veins. "End it."

The entire place went quiet. I was barely aware of people around us. Far off, dishes and gla.s.sware clinked, music played but I was removed from it all. Ethan made everything fade into insignificance. He'd spoken of being captivated by my performance. Then what was this he was doing to me? He touched my wrist to his mouth and to my surprise, licked it. Man, was I hot now. Two pinpoints of blue-white light bore into me like twin lasers. "You're worthy of great love, far more than that bloodless thing can give you. No broken promises. Isn't that what you really want, Mia?"

I wanted nothing more than those parted lips all over my body. "Ye-s-s-s."

"I will stop at nothing until you are mine." He gripped my wrists so tightly I thought they'd break.

"You're hurting me," I gasped, trying to wrest my hands from his grip.

"I won't be trifled with. You will will let him go." let him go."