Page 30 of Craig

Regina Graham was in a class of her own. She was fearless and outrageously blunt.

And she was strong as well as damaged. Severely damaged.

He stared sightlessly over the rippling tides; the wind had picked up, cooling the stifling night. This was his little slice of paradise and solitude, and he appreciated it.

The place made him feel closer to his parents, especially his father. He had come from a loving home; even the tyranny of his grandfather had never been able to take that away from him.

His parents had made certain he was loved and knew it.

He could not imagine a kid enduring the rejection of a parent, but that's what Regina had gone through: a father who had been careless with her love and had slowly killed it over the years, which made it all but impossible for her to show or accept love herself. And thinking of pushing the arrangement into something more personal would be a hell of a mistake.

It would do well for him to stay clear.

She wasn't going to budge. The most important man in her life had rejected her; she wasn't simply going to open herself up to another.

She would guard her heart fiercely. Leaning back against the stout column, he closed his eyes briefly and realized that it had been decided for him, not just now, but all those years ago.

He had tasted her once, and nothing, no one, over the years had managed to take that taste from him. He was bloody stuck, he thought with a sigh.

That much had been proven tonight.

*****

She was hollow-eyed after a restless night and had to apply more makeup than usual. Damn all men to perdition, she thought viciously as she wielded her mascara brush.

The person she was planning on having lunch with would notice even a smudge under her eyes. Leaning forward, she peered into the mirror critically.

She had creamed her skin, used the foundation and skills she had acquired over the years.

Her skin looked dewy and perfect, or at least to her it did. She was wearing something flamboyant.

A cotton dress with thin straps and an uneven skirt that she had designed herself. With a hammered gold belt cinched around her small waist and ropes of gold chains around her neck, it would hopefully take away from the fact that her eyes looked a little tired and too bright.

She added her collection of bangles and colored stones at her lobes. The nose ring glinted in the light from the sun streaming through the window.

She could hear the stirrings of her upstairs neighbors and children streaming past her window, no doubt on their way to the nearby park.

She hadn't been for her usual morning run because of her restless night and the fact that she had overslept. Another grievance to add to the ones she had with Craig Muldoon.

Damn him. Turning away from her reflection, she marched into her overpacked closet and selected a chic red and blue jacket and considered herself ready to face her lunch date.

*****

Kelly Takahashi had simply improved with age. The stunning former model now turned restaurateur walked with the loping graceful walk that had earned her the title of supermodel several years ago.

Now she was a mother, entrepreneur, and wife to a very besotted Japanese-American, who was heir to a fortune which included five-star restaurants, real estate, and hotels all over the world.

But to Regina, the woman was a friend and a very good one at that, in spite of the age difference. A smile touched her lips as she watched Kelly stop to chat up a nearby table, her easy rolling laugh echoing around the room.

Solitude was her newest venture, and the restaurant had earned the name. It was geared mostly toward families and people who wanted some discretion to discuss delicate matters.

The main idea was complete discretion. She had gone for subdued elegance in her signature red and gold.

The chairs were padded and very comfortable, the staff moving about like shadows. The recessed lights were subdued, tables far apart to give the diners privacy.

Votive candles flickered in sconces placed strategically around the large space. The maître d' had escorted Regina to a table near the window, overlooking the stunning lights of the city.

"Darling, I expected you to order something." Kelly, looking exquisite in a chic raw silk pantsuit, embraced Regina as she rose.