hallway as if the person knocking would somehow magically appear outside Abby's bedroom.

"Well, don't just stand there," Ellie said, her grin re turning. "Go down there and show Chase how

wonderful you look."

Abby hesitated, then nodded and headed downstairs.

By the time she reached the front door, she was fairly certain the twitch in her eye had now moved to the

whole side of her face.

She placed her hand on the doorknob and took a deep, calming breath. There wasn't any reason to get so worked up. She was attending the Rand Fundraiser with Chase, a friend. Okay, a friend who could very well see her naked before the night was over.

She should have told Chase that she was interested in an affair alter the fundraiser. That way she could have at least remained composed throughout the evening.

With this situation, all she was going to be able to concentrate on was the possibilities that lay ahead. It was daunt- Another loud knock caused her to jump. With one more cleansing breath, she twisted the doorknob and pulled the door open. The sight in front of her not only stopped the tic in her eye, but brought her pounding heart to a standstill as well.

Chase stood before her, wearing a single-breasted black tuxedo jacket. The cut of the tux enhanced the broadness of his shoulders, and the white wing-collared shirt underneath sharpened the cut of his jawline.

His bow tie was slightly crooked, but the lopsided accessory only seemed to highlight the perfection on his features.

He hadn't cut his hair, Abby thought with relief She loved the tousled look of his unruly mane. Somehow the disheveled hair also added to his flawlessness.

Her fingers itched to touch the dark, shiny locks. Instead, she whispered, "Hi."

He took a moment to answer, his own gaze devouring her. "Hi," he finally said, his voice warm, melted chocolate, but it was the sweet scent of lilacs that surrounded him. They stared at each other for another moment, and then Chase moved the hands that he was holding behind his back out to offer her a giant bouquet of fresh-cut lilacs.

Abby's breath hitched and she took the flowers from him. "Chase, they're beautiful."

"You are beautiful."

His adamant pronouncement caused heat to burn her cheeks, but thankfully, her eye remained steady.

That is, until a glaring flash blinded her, leaving only white spots in her field of vision.

"Sorry," Ellie said from the vicinity of Abby's right shoulder. "I think there's something wrong with my flash."

"I think you may be right," Chase chuckled, and when Abby could finally focus her eyes again, she saw that he was blinking in a similar fashion.

"But I need to get pictures. You both look so stunning."

Abby frowned, still widening her eyes now and then, trying to get them readjusted to normal light.

"I'm not sure I can drive if you take another one," Chase said, making a similar face to the one Abby had just made.

"Well, wait here. I think I have a disposable one in my bedroom. Hold on." Ellie hurried up the stairs.

Abby turned and gave Chase an apologetic wince. "My sister gets excited about things like this. I'm sorry."

"Your sister is a romantic. That's one of the most endearing things about her. You know, she actually cried at the end of a very silly, very unrealistic medieval romance. But it was sweet. I like that about her," Chase said. He blinked hard again, then rubbed his eyes with the pads of his fingers.

Abby studied him as he tried to save his eyesight. How did he know what a romantic Ellie was? And when had he been around as she was crying over the end of a romance novel? Abby hadn't seen them visit much since she arrived, but it was obvious that they must have. Why did Ellie never mention it?

Elbe's rushed steps pounded down the staircase. "I found it! Okay, stand together. Abby, hold the flowers in front of you. Chase, what a beautiful bouquet. Okay, smile."

The flash popped, and then Ellie was herding them to the door. "Okay, have a fantastic time. Dance and drink and, oh, just have a great time."

Once Chase was out the door, Ellie caught Abby's wrist, tugging her back in a tight embrace. "Have a magical night."

Abby half-frowned, half-smiled at her little sister. "It's the Rand Fundraiser, not a ball."

Ellie rose on her tiptoes and tilted her head toward Chase waiting by a red sports car, the orangey light of sunset reflecting off the glossy paint job, making the vehicle glow. "I don't think Prince Charming gets much better than that," Ellie whispered.

The evening air ruffled his hair and an amazingly sexy smile curved his mouth as he held the door open for her.

A shiver shimmied down Abby's spine, coiling low in her belly. Ellie was definitely right there. Prince Charming was a drooling oaf with pockmarks and an overbite compared to Chase.

Ellie tugged the lilacs from her numb fingers and then nudged her lightly in the back. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go have a great time."

A great time-if Ellie only knew. But Abby was hardly going to explain that her great time was very likely going to involve nakedness and lots of heavy breathing. Actually she would be lucky if she was breathing at all. She'd forgotten how to perform the function at the sight of Chase in his tux-what would happen when she saw him without it?

Her eye twitched. What were the chances that Chase would actually want to have intimate relations with a mindless, irregularly breathing, sexually-stunted scientist with a tic?

"We better get going," Chase called to her. "I don't want Rand's premier scientist to be late."

Abby smiled weakly and started down the stairs, clutching the thin shawl like it was a life jacket saving her from drowning. And there was no doubt; she was in over her head.

Once settled in the car, and after many, many deep breaths, she managed to ask, "Where did you get this car?" Chase cast her a quick look, then his eyes went back to the road. "I was starting to wonder if you noticed I wasn't driving Helen. I've always had this, parked out back. But I don't use it too often. I have discovered that GTOs aren't really designed for hauling lumber and the like."

He shot her a quick smile, then sobered. "Abby, relax. We'll just have fun, and take things slow. I don't have any expectations on the evening other than enjoying your company. Let's just take it as it comes." Abby lessened her death grip on her shawl and offered him a grateful smile. "So this is a date?" "I don't don a tuxedo for a mere friend." Abby's smile deepened. This time the action was easier. "So how many folks are going to be at this get-together?"

She shrugged. "I have no idea. I just found out on Monday that Rand did a fundraiser."

"That sounds like Cecil. The man is too busy to keep anything straight. Between his work and his family, he is forever on the go."

"Are you and Cecil good friends?"

Chase nodded. "Fairly good. I've done a lot of the renovations on his house. And Adele seems to feel

the need to feed poor, lonely bachelors. So, I've had more than a few meals with them. They're nice people."

"Yes. I really like working with him."

Chase pulled his car into the crowded lot in front of the Millbrook Inn. The sun had set during their

drive, and now the evening sky was a vivid indigo dotted with millions of tiny stars.

"What a gorgeous night." She sighed, accepting Chase's hand and stepping out of the car.

Chase kept his hold on her fingers, pulling her to him. "To be honest, I haven't been able to notice

anything but you." He looked into her eyes for a moment and then placed a kiss on her mouth.

Abby's free hand moved up to find the silkiness of his hair, as she had wanted to since he first arrived at her door. The kiss intensified, their tongues touching briefly, then retreating only to repeat the action. Abby sank her fingers into his unruly locks, smelling the fresh scent of his shampoo mingling with the spiciness of his cologne. His hand slid around her waist, his long fingers splaying across the small of her back. His heat surrounded her.

Chase let out a low groan and pulled back. Resting his forehead against hers, a lopsided smile curved his lips. "If we keep doing this, I don't think you're going to make it into the party."

"So much for taking it slow," she said with her own sheepish grin.

"Yep, so much for slow." He straightened. Still holding her hand, Chase led her toward the inn's French

doors. He paused with his hand on the handle. "Ready?"

She nodded.

Chase seemed to take a deep breath. He pulled open the door and ushered her inside.

At the entrance hall of the old inn, Abby was struck by the magnificence of the building. The foyer was

huge and open, with a curved staircase that swept up to the second floor. An enormous, glittering chandelier hung high in the center of a domed ceiling cast with intricate patterns of leaves and flowers and fruit.

"Did you do this?" Abby asked, releasing his hand and turning to take in the view of the whole grand hall. Chase looked around with her, a pleased turn to his lips. "Yeah, let's see. Two winters ago now, I guess. It took the entire winter. This place was really rundown."

"I remember." Abby couldn't stop gazing around her. The molding on the ceiling, the glossy parquet flooring. Every detail was perfect. It was like stepping into the past. A past of opulence and money. "This inn was built in 1873, and was initially a social club-men only. The rich and famous would come here for vacation. The Vanderbilts, the Morgans, the Pulitzers, all the wealthy mucky-mucks stayed here. The inn touted itself as a literary and social society. Sort of ironic that I would be the one to restore it to its former glory."

Abby frowned. "Why?"

Chase came to an abrupt stop, and she bumped into his side. "I just meant-" He seemed to search for

the right words. "I mean, that it took a lowly carpenter to get it back to the way it once was."

Abby shook her head and gazed around the room. "You are not a lowly carpenter. You're an artist."

Chase didn't respond, but his posture seemed less rigid than moments earlier. "Do you want to hear

more about the inn's history?"

"Oh, yes."

"Well, let's see. In 1899, President McKinley came to the inn for a four-night stay, which was, of

course, a huge coup for all of Millbrook."

"I never knew a president stayed here."

Chase led Abby down a long hallway that was lined on one side with large multi-paned windows that

overlooked Fiddlehead Bay. The sky was now too dark to see clearly, although Abby could make out the silhouettes of several schooners bobbing serenely in the waves and moonlight. "In 1922, women were finally allowed entrance into the inn, but only by special invitation. The ladies didn't have the benefit of equal status with the men that belonged to the club. In fact, they wouldn't have been allowed in the meeting room where the Rand Fundraiser is being held tonight."

Abby raised an eyebrow. "Well, I imagine a few Vanderbilts and Morgans are rolling in their graves at not only women, but educated women, being in their hallowed halls."

"Nah, I imagine the tourists that stay here wearing T-shirts that say things likelobstahs are wicked good andmosquito: the maine state bird have already gotten most of those guys facedown."

Abby laughed. "So, when did this place fall into such disrepair?"

"It happened gradually. The financial cost to maintain the inn was very high, so by the time the Depression hit, it quickly fell into ruin. Or relative ruin. It was always used as some sort of lodging. In fact, the Navy used it as an observation post in World War II."

"I never knew any of this. It's strange they never taught us that in school."

"They may have taught it in school." Chase shrugged. "I never paid attention, so I wouldn't know."

"Well, I would have, since I did little else but study. And they didn't. And you do know it now."

Chase paused just outside a double doorway. Abby could hear the low drone of voices just beyond the dark oak panels.

"Are we here?" she asked.

Chase nodded. "Ready to make a first appearance as a couple?"

Abby's heart stopped, and all the calmness that she'd felt listening to Chase's story of the inn, vanished.

First appearance as a couple? Was that really what they were?