The Blackstone Legacy Read Free Page B

gaze was fixed on his strongthroat. So, she thought, he can laugh. The gesture changed his face, softening it.
    Sheldon inclined his head. “May I continue?”
    â€œPlease,” Kevin said, raising a hand in supplication.
    â€œTonight is very special not only to me,” Sheldon continued, “but to everyone at Blackstone Farms. I get to have my son and grandson back for what I hope is more than a few months, and I want all of us to welcome the newest member of our farm family, Miss Kelly Andrews, the new teacher and director of Blackstone Farms Day School.”
    All gazes were fixed on Kelly. She felt a wave of heat sweep up her chest and settle in her cheeks as everyone applauded. She was grateful for her darker coloring otherwise they would have been able to see the blush burning her face. She jumped noticeably when Ryan placed a hand over hers.
    â€œYou’re expected to say a few words,” he whispered, his mouth pressed to her ear. She jumped again, this time from the moist breath flowing into her ear. Rising, he pulled back her chair, assisting her as she stood up. He stood beside her, his left hand resting against her spine.
    Composing herself, Kelly flashed a smile, eliciting gasps of appreciation from several men seated at a nearby table. “I’d like to thank Sheldon and everyone for their kindness and assistance in helping me set up the school.” Her beautifully modulatedhusky voice was hypnotic. Her gaze swept around the room and settled on Sean. “I’m hosting an open house at the schoolhouse tomorrow morning at ten for everyone, especially the children, to give you an idea of what I’ve planned for the coming year. School begins officially Monday morning at eight o’clock, but for parents who want to drop their children off earlier, please let me know tomorrow.” She smiled again. “Thank you.”
    Ryan seated Kelly, flashing a smile that signaled his approval. Listening to her speak, it was easy to tell she wasn’t a Southerner. It was also obvious that she wasn’t married, and in that instant he knew he wanted to know more about Miss Kelly Andrews. He knew he could go through her personnel file to glean her vital statistics, but it was the personal information he wanted. Did she have an ex-husband or a lover?
    His musings were interrupted when a young woman approached the table to take their orders. Kelly studied the printout of the dinner choices. Appetizers included curried corn-crab cakes, sesame shrimp with a miso dipping sauce, and skewered spiced pork and red pepper with a spicy mango sauce. Entrées included grilled steak, broiled salmon, and roast chicken along with an assortment of steamed and grilled vegetables.
    Leaning to her right, her breast brushed Ryan’s shoulder and he turned and stared at her, the darkpupils in his eyes dilating. Their gazes caught and fused as their breathing found a common rhythm. Within a matter of seconds Kelly registered the overt virility Ryan exuded just by breathing. His warmth, the clean masculine scent of his body, the sensual fragrance of his cologne, and the penetrating gray eyes that appeared to see everything, miss nothing.
    â€œWhat do you recommend?”
    â€œEverything,” he said in a soft voice as he continued to stare at her under lowered lids.
    â€œHow’s the salmon?”
    A slight frown marred his smooth forehead. “You’ve never eaten Cook’s salmon?” Salmon had become a regular Friday night selection.
    â€œI’ve never eaten dinner here.”
    His frown deepened. “Where have you been eating?”
    â€œI cook for myself.”
    â€œWhy would you cook for yourself when we have a resident chef?”
    Kelly heard the censure in his question. “I’ve been working long hours, and by the time I leave the schoolhouse the dining hall is closed.”
    â€œYou can always put in a request to have your dinner delivered to