his.
Discomfort settled over him, and he wanted to apologize to her. For what, he couldn't quite say. For not kissing her? For not tugging her down and taking her right there on the gritty concrete floor?
"It's all right."
Her voice sounded husky and sexy as hell. He knew his brow was knit with bewilderment as well as indecision.
Slowly, confidently, she ran her tongue over her bottom lip. "Nothing may have happened just now," she said, her tone so low it was nearly a whisper. "But I think we just experienced a momentous event."
A delicious tingle ran down his spine when she chuckled.
The momentous event, he suddenly realized, was that both of them were fully aware of the sexual temptation each posed for the other.
"Jenna —" her name rasped from his throat as if his larynx had turned into a rusty spring "— I, um, I'm not looking for this . . . well, for this kind of . . ."
"It's okay," she assured him once again. "It really is okay, Gage."
He hated that he felt so awkward when she seemed so cool ... so at ease with this strange turn of events.
Not that he hadn't wanted her before this moment. He'd felt drawn to her from the very first. He'd admired her strength. She hadn't blinked an eye about taking on the Elders in order to acquire custody of Lily. She'd uprooted herself and changed her whole life in order to do what she had to do for her niece. And he'd be lying if he said he hadn't noticed her physical beauty. Yes, she had roused in him needs that were perfectly natural. But he'd been able to rein in his feelings. Until now.
He gulped in air, instantly desperate to focus on something — anything — else.
The artwork. Of course. That was why he'd come looking for her to begin with.
"I found something," he said. He rose to his feet. Held out his hand to help her do the same. "Something I think you'll want to see."
She slid her palm against his, curled her lingers and gripped tightly. The heat of her caused a hitch deep in his gut. The instant she was standing, he released his hold on her.
"This way." He turned and weaved through the boxes toward the left wall of the storage room.
Gage knew the instant Jenna saw the canvases by her sharp inhalation.
"My God," she whispered, her tone awed. "I expected to find artwork among Amy and David's things, but I never expected anything like this. There must be two hundred pieces here."
He pressed himself against a wall of cardboard so she could get a better look. As she passed him, he was too aware of the feminine scent of her, a fragrance evoking the image of walking through a wildflower meadow on a hot summer day.
He said, "I haven't checked carefully, but it looks like there's more stacked against the back wall."
While Jenna busied herself looking over the art collection, Gage allowed himself to study her.
Astonishment sparkled in her golden gaze and flushed her lovely face, making him remember the softness of her skin against his fingertips just moments before.
The fact that he'd reached out to stroke her face troubled him a great deal. Why had he acted on the urge to touch her this time when he'd been able to subdue all impulses before today?
When he'd approached her, she'd been engrossed in those pictures. Engrossed in the past. Engrossed in a moment of time spent with her sister that would never and could never be repeated. She'd looked distressed and . . . vulnerable.
"These are wonderful!"
Evidently, the surprise she felt was giving way to excitement. He was relieved to see a smile light up her beautiful face as she momentarily glanced his way.
"I can't allow this stuff to stay hidden in here," she told him. "Amy and David would want their work seen. Enjoyed. I've got to find some way to make that happen."
She went back to investigating the canvases.
Pleasure arrowed through him when he realized she was no longer focusing on the sadness of the past, but was instead enthusiastically concentrating on the future.
"You'll think of something," he
Discomfort settled over him, and he wanted to apologize to her. For what, he couldn't quite say. For not kissing her? For not tugging her down and taking her right there on the gritty concrete floor?
"It's all right."
Her voice sounded husky and sexy as hell. He knew his brow was knit with bewilderment as well as indecision.
Slowly, confidently, she ran her tongue over her bottom lip. "Nothing may have happened just now," she said, her tone so low it was nearly a whisper. "But I think we just experienced a momentous event."
A delicious tingle ran down his spine when she chuckled.
The momentous event, he suddenly realized, was that both of them were fully aware of the sexual temptation each posed for the other.
"Jenna —" her name rasped from his throat as if his larynx had turned into a rusty spring "— I, um, I'm not looking for this . . . well, for this kind of . . ."
"It's okay," she assured him once again. "It really is okay, Gage."
He hated that he felt so awkward when she seemed so cool ... so at ease with this strange turn of events.
Not that he hadn't wanted her before this moment. He'd felt drawn to her from the very first. He'd admired her strength. She hadn't blinked an eye about taking on the Elders in order to acquire custody of Lily. She'd uprooted herself and changed her whole life in order to do what she had to do for her niece. And he'd be lying if he said he hadn't noticed her physical beauty. Yes, she had roused in him needs that were perfectly natural. But he'd been able to rein in his feelings. Until now.
He gulped in air, instantly desperate to focus on something — anything — else.
The artwork. Of course. That was why he'd come looking for her to begin with.
"I found something," he said. He rose to his feet. Held out his hand to help her do the same. "Something I think you'll want to see."
She slid her palm against his, curled her lingers and gripped tightly. The heat of her caused a hitch deep in his gut. The instant she was standing, he released his hold on her.
"This way." He turned and weaved through the boxes toward the left wall of the storage room.
Gage knew the instant Jenna saw the canvases by her sharp inhalation.
"My God," she whispered, her tone awed. "I expected to find artwork among Amy and David's things, but I never expected anything like this. There must be two hundred pieces here."
He pressed himself against a wall of cardboard so she could get a better look. As she passed him, he was too aware of the feminine scent of her, a fragrance evoking the image of walking through a wildflower meadow on a hot summer day.
He said, "I haven't checked carefully, but it looks like there's more stacked against the back wall."
While Jenna busied herself looking over the art collection, Gage allowed himself to study her.
Astonishment sparkled in her golden gaze and flushed her lovely face, making him remember the softness of her skin against his fingertips just moments before.
The fact that he'd reached out to stroke her face troubled him a great deal. Why had he acted on the urge to touch her this time when he'd been able to subdue all impulses before today?
When he'd approached her, she'd been engrossed in those pictures. Engrossed in the past. Engrossed in a moment of time spent with her sister that would never and could never be repeated. She'd looked distressed and . . . vulnerable.
"These are wonderful!"
Evidently, the surprise she felt was giving way to excitement. He was relieved to see a smile light up her beautiful face as she momentarily glanced his way.
"I can't allow this stuff to stay hidden in here," she told him. "Amy and David would want their work seen. Enjoyed. I've got to find some way to make that happen."
She went back to investigating the canvases.
Pleasure arrowed through him when he realized she was no longer focusing on the sadness of the past, but was instead enthusiastically concentrating on the future.
"You'll think of something," he
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