A Bride for Jackson Powers (Desire, 1273) by Dixie Browning Page B

up.”
    “Now why would I do a thing like that?”
    With his hard, dry palms stroking her foot, she could hardly remember the question, much less think of an answer.
    “To educate you?” His fingers massaged her ticklish arch.
    “Ah, mmm…”
    “To entertain you?”
    “Oh, well…”
    “Hetty, if I wanted to entertain you, I could think of a number of better ways. Hmm. Skin’s not broken.Your heel’s pink, though. We’ll have to get you a bandage.”
    He folded the flap of her robe back over her knee, replaced her foot on the floor and reached for her hand. As if mesmerized, she let him pull her to her feet and draw her into his arms.
    It had to be the wine, she thought distractedly.
    Not true. It’s the man.
    The kiss began gently, almost as if he was afraid of frightening her. By the time Jax took her chin between thumb and forefinger and tilted her face for a better advantage, Hetty had surrendered to the inevitable. They had been heading toward this moment for days, ever since he had kissed her at the airport.
    Thinking about it.
    Trying so hard not to think about it.
    He tasted of wine and chocolate and something far more delicious, far more intoxicating. It never occurred to her to hold back. Whatever mysterious forces had led her here, to this man, this moment, they were beyond her power to resist. Far from resisting, she eagerly embraced whatever fate had in store for her.
    His hand moved down her back, curved over her bottom and pressed her against his fierce arousal. Needing desperately to be even closer, to put out the fire that was blazing out of control, she pressed back, moving against him.
    They both heard the whimper at the same time. Jax lifted his head, his eyes oddly unfocused.
    “Sunny,” she whispered.
    “Probably just the rain.”
    Whatever it was, it was enough to put out the fire, or at least dampen it enough for Hetty to come to her senses. If she backed out now, she would always wonder what she’d missed, but wondering was better than regretting. Come tomorrow or next week or even the week after, he would buy her a ticket home and that would be the end of that.
    “Hetty?”
    The question lay unspoken between them.
    “No. I don’t think so. Jax, our worlds are so different. You’re far more experienced than I ever will be. Gus was my only lover, and I knew him practically all my life.”
    “That doesn’t mean—”
    “It means that I can’t afford to be in love with you, and if we make love, I might lose my perspective, and you see, I have to go home. I have to live with myself the rest of my life, and I’d as soon not make any more mistakes than I already have.”
    He didn’t give away a single clue as to what he was thinking. It must be a lawyer thing, she told herself. She had no way of knowing if he was disappointed or relieved or merely bored.
    “Yes, well—I’m glad we agree,” she said gruffly in response to his silence. “Now I’d better go see if Sunny’s kicked off her covers yet. And, uh, thank you for the supper. And the clothes. I—well, I suppose I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Seven
    A s it turned out, Hetty didn’t see Jax until nearly eight the following evening. She was watching cable news when he let himself in, carrying his briefcase and a dark suit in a dry cleaner’s bag. “I’ll be going out pretty soon, so if you haven’t eaten yet, order whatever you like for dinner. Why not try the seafood for a change?”
    Dying of curiosity—she would never admit to disappointment—she nodded and said with admirable composure, “I think I’ll have something light tonight. There’s a good movie on TV at nine and I think Sunny might sleep through. She’s certainly old enough.”
    She tried her best to concentrate on what was beingsaid about the explosive situation in the Middle East, but it was no good. She heard keys and change hit the dresser in the next room. Heard the soft thud of a shoe falling to the carpeted floor, then another one. A few