“I’m not in the habit of going anywhere with strangers. Especially not out to dinner.”

“Look, I don’t know anyone in town,” Carter said, holding her hands up in an “I’m harmless” gesture. “Just some food and a little conversation. Have you eaten? I bet you haven’t.” Not unless you snuck out the back door sometime in the last three hours when I wasn’t looking.

“I was going to stop for something at one of the takeout places on the pier.”

“Excellent. So let’s do that and you come over to my place. It’s just around the corner, and I’ve got cold beer and a fairly decent bottle of wine.”

Rica sighed. “No business. Of any kind.”

Carter crossed her heart. “Deal.”

Despite herself, Rica laughed.

Fifteen minutes later, Carter led Rica up the outside staircase to her second-floor apartment, unlocked the door, and held it open with her shoulder for Rica to pass inside. She flipped on the light with one hand and carried the takeout bag she held in the other into the kitchen.

“Beer or wine?”

“Wine, if it’s not too much trouble.”

“No trouble at all.” Carter pulled plates from the cabinet above the sink and looked over her shoulder into the living room. “We can eat out on the deck. It’s got a tiny bit of a view.”

Rica opened the doors to let the heat out and the breeze in, and then walked back inside to help Carter. “What are you really doing here?”

Carter paused, trying to look unfazed while scrambling for an answer. Rica continued to surprise her. She was disarmingly direct while frustratingly distant. It was a tantalizing and intriguing combination. “I thought we said no business.”

Rica felt a flash of disappointment. Of course, whatever the reason Carter was in town, whether it was to report to her father about her activities or not, it was still most likely to be related in some way to the far-reaching tentacles of her father’s enormous organization. “I’m sorry, you’re right. I’m afraid that doesn’t leave us very much to talk about.”

Carter finished pouring the wine and handed Rica the glass of Bordeaux. She opened a beer for herself. “On the contrary. Now we’re free to talk about anything we like. No codes required.”

Rica grimaced. “You don’t seem to have the usual paranoia of most…business associates. Or the obsequiousness.”

“Really?” Carter laughed. “You don’t think following you around town and begging you to have dinner with me was just a little ingratiating?”

Rica smiled that secretive, sad smile that made Carter’s heart tighten. “Maybe just a little.”

“Good. Maybe before the night’s over, I can win a few more points.” Carter opened the takeout containers and transferred the food onto plates. She handed one to Rica. “Let’s sit outside and enjoy the sunset.”

Wordlessly, Rica followed Carter, wondering exactly how she had come to be in a stranger’s apartment. A strange woman, who was very obviously trying to seduce her, and who was just the kind of person she had vowed never to get involved with. She had to admit, though, that Carter’s annoying arrogance was counterbalanced by her refreshing lack of concern for who Rica was. Or more precisely, who her father was. And that was unusual.

So many people in her life had a hidden agenda. They wanted to claim some kind of relationship with her, believing, falsely, that this would gain them favor in the eyes of her father. Men refused to accept the fact that she was not interested in them as bedmates; women pretended friendship or, on occasion, attraction, to move closer to the inner circle of power through her. She’d learned to keep people at a distance, not only because they were often disappointing but because they could be dangerous.

“Your food’s going to get cold,” Carter said softly. She wondered what had put the slightly pensive, slightly faraway look on Rica’s face and resisted the urge to touch her. The physical pull she experienced when she was anywhere near Rica was far stronger than just the ordinary response to a beautiful woman, and she silently reminded herself to be careful.

“I’m sorry.” Rica sighed. “I’m not even particularly good company, and that was half the reason for your invitation.”

“I lied about that.”

“Really?” Rica sipped her wine and eyed Carter curiously. “Which part?”

“I don’t know anyone in town. That’s true.” Carter grinned sheepishly. “But I don’t really care if we talk about anything at all. I’d like to, at some point. But for tonight, I’m happy just to sit out here with you.”

“I don’t know why, but I believe that.” Rica stretched out her legs and tilted her head back, watching the stars suddenly blink on as if a switch had been turned. “It’s amazing, that instant when night falls.”

“You never see it in the city. Too many lights.”

“This place does have a slightly otherworldly feel to it.” Rica nibbled at her sandwich, contemplating the strange sense of freedom she’d had ever since arriving, even though she knew reality was just minutes away. “I can almost believe that I’ve escaped.”

Carter balanced her beer bottle on her knee, watching moonlight dance in Rica’s hair. She didn’t have to see her eyes to know the sadness in them. She’d already seen it more than once, when Rica had been unaware, and she suspected that it was never far from the surface. She found herself wanting nothing more than to make it go away. Counter to all her objectives in getting to know Rica Grechi, she said, “Who knows. Maybe you’ll be able to, here.”

“It would be nice to think so.” Rica shook her head with a rueful smile, then straightened, as if forcibly banishing unwanted thoughts. “I truly am terrible company. I should go.”

“I’m glad you stopped by.” Carter, for the second time that day, had the feeling that the slightest bit of pressure would send Rica fleeing permanently. “I’d like to do it again.”

“Are you always this persistent?” Rica rose and started back into the apartment.

Carter followed. “Always.”

Rica set her wineglass on the counter along with her plate of barely touched food. Then she turned and regarded Carter seriously. “I don’t know what it is you’re really after.” She held up her hand when Carter started to protest. “But whatever it is, nothing of consequence is going to happen between us.”

“Define consequence. Does that include sex?”

“No, it doesn’t. Not necessarily. But you might as well know right now that if anything of that nature were to happen, it would be casual and nothing more.”

Carter leaned back against the counter and folded her arms. “I can see that you’re used to making all the rules. Does everyone always play along?”

The corner of Rica’s mouth twitched. “Usually. Yes.”

“Well, I can agree to the casual stipulation.” She suddenly took a step that brought her very close to Rica. Without touching her with her hands, she closed her mouth over Rica’s and kissed her. When Rica didn’t pull away, she skimmed the tip of her tongue lightly over Rica’s bottom lip before pulling back. “But I intend for it to have very memorable consequences.”

Rica’s eyes swept down Carter’s body and back up, a slow appraising survey, languid as a caress. “We’ll see. Good night, Carter.”

“Ms. Grechi,” Carter murmured, watching her walk out the door. She listened to her footsteps on the stairs, then let out a long breath. Jesus Christ, what the hell just happened?

Nothing about the evening had gone the way she had planned, especially not the way her body had ignited at the first touch of Rica’s mouth. She opened another bottle of beer and tried to tell herself everything was under control. But she knew she was lying.

Chapter Ten

As Rica walked back from Carter’s to the gallery, where she had left her car, she appreciated once more that nothing in Provincetown was very far from anything else. Commercial Street followed the curve of the harbor for three miles, defining the main business and tourist heart of the little village. Though it was after nine at night and all the businesses were closed, people still strolled down the middle of the street, drinking a last cup of coffee, window shopping, or making their way to one of the few restaurants or bars open during the off-season. She disregarded the man standing in front of her gallery, apparently perusing the items visible through the window, until she was close enough to recognize the sharp profile and thick, dark hair that always seemed on the verge of needing a cut.

“What are you doing here, Enzo?” Rica said as she stepped up beside her cousin.

Enzo leaned down and kissed Rica’s cheek. “Your manners are no better now than they were when you were six.”

“Maybe that’s because you’re still a bully.”

Enzo laughed and put his arm around her shoulders, forcing her to face him. “You wouldn’t think that if you weren’t so determined to be independent.” He brushed his mouth over her ear as he murmured, “With me, you might even like it.”

“I think I’ve made it plain to you why I wouldn’t.” Rica put her hand against his chest and tried to push away. His grip tightened and the expression on his face went from amused to angry. For the first time, Rica realized just how vulnerable she was outside the immediate sphere of her father’s influence and the ever-watchful presence of his trusted employees. Even in Manhattan, “friends” of the family were in and out of her gallery constantly, and some of them had undoubtedly been dispatched to monitor her welfare. She hadn’t liked the attention, but some part of her had not found the protection unwelcome.

Now she was very much aware of being alone. Fleetingly, and for no reason she could imagine, she saw Carter’s face. Then it was gone and she was doubly aware of Enzo’s unwanted touch. Determined not to let him sense her uneasiness, Rica kept her voice low and steady. “You don’t have anything that interests me. You should know that by now.”