cupcake.
“Yeah.” The word was gruff, a wealth of feeling behind the one syllable. She couldn’t help but get the distinct impression that it was an admission Jesse Savage didn’t make very often.
“You never did tell me what happened.”
He averted his gaze and unwrapped another cupcake. “It doesn’t matter. She’s gone, and my brother, too.” Silence settled around them as he leaned against the counter. “I never was much for baking, myself, but she always had something in the oven. The kitchen always smelled so sugary and warm….” He shook his head, as if to shake away the sudden memory.
Faith closed her eyes to her own vision—a drawerful of Hershey’s kisses and a young girl with dark hair and dark eyes, popping chocolate into her mouth while doing a particularly difficult math problem.
“What about you?” Jesse’s voice pulled her back to the present. “Do you like sweets?” She noddedand he grinned. “That figures.” He held out a bite to her. “Sweets for the sweet?”
She opened her mouth and let him feed her the small morsel. His fingertip trailed over her lip, and every nerve in her body went on full alert.
Their gazes locked for the space of several heartbeats before Faith managed to close her mouth. Then he reached out and wiped a smudge of cream from the corner of her upper lip. Electricity shimmered through her body.
“The inside’s the best part.” He slid his fingertip into his own mouth and sucked the dab of cream. The air stalled in Faith’s lungs.
Her mind replayed last night’s kiss and it was all she could do not to take his finger, slide it into her own mouth, taste the lingering cream and bitter-sweetness of delicious male skin.
Him
.
The forbidden thought sang through her head, and she actually felt herself lean forward, just a fraction of an inch. He was so close, the scent of chocolate and raw male like an aphrodisiac to her vulnerable senses.
“I’d better get to work on that screen.”
He turned before she could form a reply and disappeared into the living room. Minutes later, she heard him outside working at the front screen, and she was left to wonder what had just happened between them.
Nothing
, her brain cried out, but her hormones said otherwise. Something had indeed happened. Jesse had retreated. She’d seen the want in his eyes; then for whatever reason, he’d resisted his feelings, and her.
Grubby barked and Faith gathered her control. So he had no intention of kissing her again. So what? At least she’d felt that moment of contact last night,his body pressing against hers, desire rippling through her. She would savor the memory and chalk it up to experience.
If only she didn’t feel so connected to him. When she looked into his eyes, those familiar brown eyes, it was almost as if she’d loved him in the past.
Whoa, wait a second. Love? She’d never met Jesse Savage, much less loved him. He was handsome and kind, and she was vulnerable. That explained everything. And nothing.
But Faith didn’t care about explanations. She cared only about getting her life back together. She forced Jesse from her thoughts and concentrated on putting up the rest of the groceries. After that, she would tackle the mess in the living room, then scrub the bathroom. That should keep her busy.
Jesse Savage and his kiss were history.
If only she could manage to completely forget that he was only mere feet away. The awareness stayed with her, followed her through each chore, driving her to scrub and polish until her arms ached as badly as her reawakened hormones. Worse, even …
Nah
.
Chapter Six
“The screen’s fixed,” Jesse announced an hour later as he opened the front door.
“Not soon enough,” Faith muttered to herself. She sat on the sofa, sipping a diet soda, Grubby curled up in her lap.
“What did you say?”
She forced a smile. “I said it must have been rough.”
“You’re not kidding. The screen was torn, but the frame was nearly
“Yeah.” The word was gruff, a wealth of feeling behind the one syllable. She couldn’t help but get the distinct impression that it was an admission Jesse Savage didn’t make very often.
“You never did tell me what happened.”
He averted his gaze and unwrapped another cupcake. “It doesn’t matter. She’s gone, and my brother, too.” Silence settled around them as he leaned against the counter. “I never was much for baking, myself, but she always had something in the oven. The kitchen always smelled so sugary and warm….” He shook his head, as if to shake away the sudden memory.
Faith closed her eyes to her own vision—a drawerful of Hershey’s kisses and a young girl with dark hair and dark eyes, popping chocolate into her mouth while doing a particularly difficult math problem.
“What about you?” Jesse’s voice pulled her back to the present. “Do you like sweets?” She noddedand he grinned. “That figures.” He held out a bite to her. “Sweets for the sweet?”
She opened her mouth and let him feed her the small morsel. His fingertip trailed over her lip, and every nerve in her body went on full alert.
Their gazes locked for the space of several heartbeats before Faith managed to close her mouth. Then he reached out and wiped a smudge of cream from the corner of her upper lip. Electricity shimmered through her body.
“The inside’s the best part.” He slid his fingertip into his own mouth and sucked the dab of cream. The air stalled in Faith’s lungs.
Her mind replayed last night’s kiss and it was all she could do not to take his finger, slide it into her own mouth, taste the lingering cream and bitter-sweetness of delicious male skin.
Him
.
The forbidden thought sang through her head, and she actually felt herself lean forward, just a fraction of an inch. He was so close, the scent of chocolate and raw male like an aphrodisiac to her vulnerable senses.
“I’d better get to work on that screen.”
He turned before she could form a reply and disappeared into the living room. Minutes later, she heard him outside working at the front screen, and she was left to wonder what had just happened between them.
Nothing
, her brain cried out, but her hormones said otherwise. Something had indeed happened. Jesse had retreated. She’d seen the want in his eyes; then for whatever reason, he’d resisted his feelings, and her.
Grubby barked and Faith gathered her control. So he had no intention of kissing her again. So what? At least she’d felt that moment of contact last night,his body pressing against hers, desire rippling through her. She would savor the memory and chalk it up to experience.
If only she didn’t feel so connected to him. When she looked into his eyes, those familiar brown eyes, it was almost as if she’d loved him in the past.
Whoa, wait a second. Love? She’d never met Jesse Savage, much less loved him. He was handsome and kind, and she was vulnerable. That explained everything. And nothing.
But Faith didn’t care about explanations. She cared only about getting her life back together. She forced Jesse from her thoughts and concentrated on putting up the rest of the groceries. After that, she would tackle the mess in the living room, then scrub the bathroom. That should keep her busy.
Jesse Savage and his kiss were history.
If only she could manage to completely forget that he was only mere feet away. The awareness stayed with her, followed her through each chore, driving her to scrub and polish until her arms ached as badly as her reawakened hormones. Worse, even …
Nah
.
Chapter Six
“The screen’s fixed,” Jesse announced an hour later as he opened the front door.
“Not soon enough,” Faith muttered to herself. She sat on the sofa, sipping a diet soda, Grubby curled up in her lap.
“What did you say?”
She forced a smile. “I said it must have been rough.”
“You’re not kidding. The screen was torn, but the frame was nearly
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