we’re going?” He stared into her eyes. It was as if they were having two completely different conversations, one on trivialities, and the silent one on what they really wanted to do with each other.
Long moments went by before he responded, “Yes. I purchased it and the land three years ago when I was assigned here. It’s prosperous and peaceful.” His gaze flicked back to the fire. As an afterthought, he added, “There are villages.”
“Villages? You have villages, too?” The wine had circulated through her system, warming her blood, relaxing her limbs even as her blood buzzed through her body setting nerve endings aflame. “You’re a regular tycoon.”
A huge yawn, her jaw opening so widely it creaked, caught her off-guard. “Oh, I’m sorry, Marek. It’s not you. It’s the wine and the fire. And the ride. I’m so tired.”
“Well, you’ve had a long day.” Marek pushed to his feet in another graceful, powerful movement. “You should get some sleep, Janney Forrester.”
Janney gasped, her eyes widening as they followed him up.
Her sleepiness disappeared, replaced by she wasn’t sure what.
Fear? No.
Apprehension? No.
Yes.
The thrill of anticipation?
Oh, yes.
“You look at me with such fear in your eyes. I’m not going to hurt you.” He stopped above her, his mouth a hard line, his dark eyes lost in the shadows.
“Wha…” She was confused.
Abruptly he hunkered down next to her and grasped her chin firmly between thumb and forefinger. He was close enough that she felt his breath rasp unevenly over her face. Her heart thudded painfully. What was he going to do? Was this it?
Marek’s thumb drew her chin down until her lips parted.
Firelight flickered in his eyes, heating those brown depths.
“I’m not afraid,” she murmured.
“Yes, you are,” he rumbled back.
Oh God. He’s so sure of himself. “I’ve only been with one man in my life.”
“You want me. I want you.”
“It’s not that simple. I’m afraid I’ll be hurt.”
“I’ve never forced a woman,” he bristled. He released her chin and brushed his forefinger along her jaw, his dark gaze following the movement.
“Oh, I know that.” Instinctively, she was sure of it. “I meant emotionally.” Her eyes widened as his finger slid around her earlobe. She shook, clenched her fists in her lap.
“I don’t know what the future will bring. What I do know is that I can tell by your shaking that you want me.”
She was shaking. How dare he use it against her? Janney tried to draw back but by this time, his palm cupped her neck. “I don’t think I’m ready,” she whispered.
“When will you be?”
“I don’t know.”
“So, you’re just going to taunt me?”
“No, I don’t mean to.”
“Humph,” he grunted before he finally let her go.
Janney silently watched the bushes at the edge of the clearing where Marek had disappeared. Only when he returned, did she realize she’d been holding her breath. He threw a blanket at her feet, grabbed one for himself, and, without another word, rolled up in it on the other side of the fire.
Stunned by the intensity of the last few minutes, Janney quickly drew her blanket around her shoulders. Even as
exhausted as she was, she didn’t know if sleep would come easily.
Chapter 7
Marek smiled in his sleep and snuggled down into the imagined warm comfort of his dog, Atlas. Soft and furry Atlas.
He was glad that he’d bathed the big, white mutt because he could be smelly after a day spent tromping through the woodlands and streams surrounding his childhood home. The hound followed him everywhere and, to the constant dismay of his fastidious mother, lay up against him at night.
“Marek,” she’d say, “push that filthy beast away. He’ll give you fleas.”
Acting on the vividness of the dreamy memories, he nestled against the dog, relishing the warm comfort. As consciousness came to him, he slowly determined that the warm body pressing
Long moments went by before he responded, “Yes. I purchased it and the land three years ago when I was assigned here. It’s prosperous and peaceful.” His gaze flicked back to the fire. As an afterthought, he added, “There are villages.”
“Villages? You have villages, too?” The wine had circulated through her system, warming her blood, relaxing her limbs even as her blood buzzed through her body setting nerve endings aflame. “You’re a regular tycoon.”
A huge yawn, her jaw opening so widely it creaked, caught her off-guard. “Oh, I’m sorry, Marek. It’s not you. It’s the wine and the fire. And the ride. I’m so tired.”
“Well, you’ve had a long day.” Marek pushed to his feet in another graceful, powerful movement. “You should get some sleep, Janney Forrester.”
Janney gasped, her eyes widening as they followed him up.
Her sleepiness disappeared, replaced by she wasn’t sure what.
Fear? No.
Apprehension? No.
Yes.
The thrill of anticipation?
Oh, yes.
“You look at me with such fear in your eyes. I’m not going to hurt you.” He stopped above her, his mouth a hard line, his dark eyes lost in the shadows.
“Wha…” She was confused.
Abruptly he hunkered down next to her and grasped her chin firmly between thumb and forefinger. He was close enough that she felt his breath rasp unevenly over her face. Her heart thudded painfully. What was he going to do? Was this it?
Marek’s thumb drew her chin down until her lips parted.
Firelight flickered in his eyes, heating those brown depths.
“I’m not afraid,” she murmured.
“Yes, you are,” he rumbled back.
Oh God. He’s so sure of himself. “I’ve only been with one man in my life.”
“You want me. I want you.”
“It’s not that simple. I’m afraid I’ll be hurt.”
“I’ve never forced a woman,” he bristled. He released her chin and brushed his forefinger along her jaw, his dark gaze following the movement.
“Oh, I know that.” Instinctively, she was sure of it. “I meant emotionally.” Her eyes widened as his finger slid around her earlobe. She shook, clenched her fists in her lap.
“I don’t know what the future will bring. What I do know is that I can tell by your shaking that you want me.”
She was shaking. How dare he use it against her? Janney tried to draw back but by this time, his palm cupped her neck. “I don’t think I’m ready,” she whispered.
“When will you be?”
“I don’t know.”
“So, you’re just going to taunt me?”
“No, I don’t mean to.”
“Humph,” he grunted before he finally let her go.
Janney silently watched the bushes at the edge of the clearing where Marek had disappeared. Only when he returned, did she realize she’d been holding her breath. He threw a blanket at her feet, grabbed one for himself, and, without another word, rolled up in it on the other side of the fire.
Stunned by the intensity of the last few minutes, Janney quickly drew her blanket around her shoulders. Even as
exhausted as she was, she didn’t know if sleep would come easily.
Chapter 7
Marek smiled in his sleep and snuggled down into the imagined warm comfort of his dog, Atlas. Soft and furry Atlas.
He was glad that he’d bathed the big, white mutt because he could be smelly after a day spent tromping through the woodlands and streams surrounding his childhood home. The hound followed him everywhere and, to the constant dismay of his fastidious mother, lay up against him at night.
“Marek,” she’d say, “push that filthy beast away. He’ll give you fleas.”
Acting on the vividness of the dreamy memories, he nestled against the dog, relishing the warm comfort. As consciousness came to him, he slowly determined that the warm body pressing
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