you're talking about! I felt a lot of things for Marina, but not love." Jess exploded off the bed, catching Elly by the wrist because she would have darted toward the bathroom. "Now calm down and stop throwing a temper tantrum or so help me I'll..."
"You'll what? Beat me?" She glared at him.
Jess relaxed, his mouth curving slightly. "No, honey, I won't beat you. I'll take you back to bed and make love to you all over again. This time I'll try to do the job right so that you don't come out of it spitting like a scalded cat."
She was beyond caution now. "Maybe you can't do the job right. The only right way to make love to me, Jess Winter, is to be in love with me."
"Damn you, Elly !" Unexpectedly Jess lost his own temper. Gray eyes darkened with masculine intent. Clamping her around the waist, he lifted her so that she was eye to eye with him. Hastily she braced herself with her palms on his shoulders. Her gaze was gold with the fire of her feelings. "You little witch, I'll teach you to provoke me. I'm going to lay you back and make love to you until you admit I not only give you what you need in bed, but that you won't ever want it from anyone else! Do you hear me, woman?"
Elly heard. She heard all too clearly. She paled at the words. Witch. She'd heard him call her a witch, and with that all the fight went out of her. She was not another Marina, not another witch who would deliberately bait and torment him. The fear that she had acted in a way that reminded him of the other woman swept through her. Impulsively Elly threw her arms around his neck, sinking into him, pleading with him silently to forget the outburst.
"I hear you, Jess. You don't have to prove it." She smiled tentatively into his shoulder. "But if you're intent on doing so, I won't argue."
" Elly ?"
"I love you, Jess."
His hands softened on her. "I know, honey, I know." He set her gently on the bed and came down beside her, gathering her closely. "I'll take care of you and your love, Elly Trent. I swear it."
He didn't call her a witch again. As she lay in bed a long while later, Elly reminded herself that Jess hadn't called Marina's name or seen her face while he was making love. If the other woman still haunted him, at least he hadn't brought her out into the open tonight. As she snuggled down into the comforting heat of his body and closed her eyes, Elly told herself that there was no way Jess could have made love with such passionate intensity if he'd been thinking of another woman.
She thought briefly of explaining exactly what had happened on the lonely, foggy road that night but decided there was nothing to be gained except a violent confrontation. The last thing she wanted to do was involve Jess in another such scene. She had no doubt that he would put the worst possible interpretation on the situation if she were to tell him how Damon Carrington had conveniently happened along shortly after her car had run out of gas. He might have been right, she admitted sleepily. Combined with the evidence of the mischief-making message Damon had apparently sent to Jess, that business out on the road was a little too much of a coincidence.
Had Carrington really thought that he could casually pick her up, take her somewhere for the night and seduce her? Had he actually thought she would allow him to do it? The man must have an ego the size of a football field. Well, she had proven she could take care of herself where Carrington was concerned. There was no point bringing in the heavy guns and risking genuine violence. Elly went cold at the thought. It seemed much smarter to keep Jess and Damon separated.
Just as it had the last time Jess had spent the night, the phone rang early the next morning. Elly blinked herself awake even as Jess shoved back the covers.
"Damn," he said. I'll get it. We're going to have to start leaving your phone unplugged at night." He paced toward the door, not bothering to collect any clothes en route. Arrogantly unconcerned with
"You'll what? Beat me?" She glared at him.
Jess relaxed, his mouth curving slightly. "No, honey, I won't beat you. I'll take you back to bed and make love to you all over again. This time I'll try to do the job right so that you don't come out of it spitting like a scalded cat."
She was beyond caution now. "Maybe you can't do the job right. The only right way to make love to me, Jess Winter, is to be in love with me."
"Damn you, Elly !" Unexpectedly Jess lost his own temper. Gray eyes darkened with masculine intent. Clamping her around the waist, he lifted her so that she was eye to eye with him. Hastily she braced herself with her palms on his shoulders. Her gaze was gold with the fire of her feelings. "You little witch, I'll teach you to provoke me. I'm going to lay you back and make love to you until you admit I not only give you what you need in bed, but that you won't ever want it from anyone else! Do you hear me, woman?"
Elly heard. She heard all too clearly. She paled at the words. Witch. She'd heard him call her a witch, and with that all the fight went out of her. She was not another Marina, not another witch who would deliberately bait and torment him. The fear that she had acted in a way that reminded him of the other woman swept through her. Impulsively Elly threw her arms around his neck, sinking into him, pleading with him silently to forget the outburst.
"I hear you, Jess. You don't have to prove it." She smiled tentatively into his shoulder. "But if you're intent on doing so, I won't argue."
" Elly ?"
"I love you, Jess."
His hands softened on her. "I know, honey, I know." He set her gently on the bed and came down beside her, gathering her closely. "I'll take care of you and your love, Elly Trent. I swear it."
He didn't call her a witch again. As she lay in bed a long while later, Elly reminded herself that Jess hadn't called Marina's name or seen her face while he was making love. If the other woman still haunted him, at least he hadn't brought her out into the open tonight. As she snuggled down into the comforting heat of his body and closed her eyes, Elly told herself that there was no way Jess could have made love with such passionate intensity if he'd been thinking of another woman.
She thought briefly of explaining exactly what had happened on the lonely, foggy road that night but decided there was nothing to be gained except a violent confrontation. The last thing she wanted to do was involve Jess in another such scene. She had no doubt that he would put the worst possible interpretation on the situation if she were to tell him how Damon Carrington had conveniently happened along shortly after her car had run out of gas. He might have been right, she admitted sleepily. Combined with the evidence of the mischief-making message Damon had apparently sent to Jess, that business out on the road was a little too much of a coincidence.
Had Carrington really thought that he could casually pick her up, take her somewhere for the night and seduce her? Had he actually thought she would allow him to do it? The man must have an ego the size of a football field. Well, she had proven she could take care of herself where Carrington was concerned. There was no point bringing in the heavy guns and risking genuine violence. Elly went cold at the thought. It seemed much smarter to keep Jess and Damon separated.
Just as it had the last time Jess had spent the night, the phone rang early the next morning. Elly blinked herself awake even as Jess shoved back the covers.
"Damn," he said. I'll get it. We're going to have to start leaving your phone unplugged at night." He paced toward the door, not bothering to collect any clothes en route. Arrogantly unconcerned with
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