compatible as friends than as a married couple so the parting was amicable. I suspect they still sleep together in between father’s marriages.”
Miranda arched her brows. “Just how many times has he been married?”
“Six or seven…I think. It’s hard to keep count. My father isn’t very good at relationships, obviously, and that includes his two sons. There’s no animosity or anything; that’s just the way he is, and we accept it. As for mother, she spoiled us rotten, although there was some emotional distance there too.”
“Is that why it’s so difficult for you to express your own feelings?”
“I call.”
“I guess avoidance is one way to handle it,” she sighed. “Three of a kind. I was going for a full house, but didn’t quite make it.”
He laid out his cards, gathered up the chips and informed Miranda her blouse had to go. He was practically salivating by the time she peeled it off and crawled back up on the bed. As much as he was enjoying their game, Jack couldn’t quite tear his eyes away from the lacy bra she was wearing long enough to shuffle the cards. He reached out, intent on claiming at least one of her delectable breasts and promptly got his hand swatted away.
“You know the rules,” she said primly, “no touching during the game or you automatically lose.”
He swept the cards and chips off the bed. “I’m losing anyway,” he growled, then pushed Miranda back onto the mattress, pinning her beneath him.
“We didn’t finish our conversation,” she protested.
His lips skimmed down the column of her elegant neck. “Baby, it’s late. Can’t we save the conversation for another day?”
“That’s not fair. You always do this, Jack. I answer all your questions but when I start doing the asking, you change the subject or distract me with sex.”
It was impossible to remain irritated at him once he set his mind on seducing her. Miranda’s body responded with a tremor when his hand glided up her bare back and unhooked her bra. There was no use fighting it when even the slightest of suggestive touches from Jack turned her mind to mush, and what he was doing to her now was a whole lot more than simply suggestive.
The only way she was going to get him to talk about himself was to make him take her someplace public. It would have to be quiet enough to carry on a conversation, but with enough people around, there was no possibility of getting her into a compromising position. Like the one she was in right now. And Lord, was he ever compromising her at the moment. Tomorrow she would work on getting him to open up to her; tonight Miranda was quite content with the nonverbal form of communication Jack was so adept at.
***
They had breakfast in their room the next morning then roamed the casinos for a few hours before taking in a show. He dragged Miranda from place to place, bought her more clothes, and surprised her at lunch by giving her a gold chain necklace with a horseshoe pendant made entirely of glittering diamonds. How he’d managed to purchase it without her knowing was a mystery Jack refused to divulge. Miranda found it incredibly touching, especially since he seemed almost as excited to give it to her as she was to have received it.
“Is it for good luck?” Miranda asked, as she pulled her hair aside so he could hook the clasp.
He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck then turned her around and planted a much firmer one on her lips. “No, it’s to remind you how lucky I feel to have you in life.”
Tears instantly sprang to her eyes and she dabbed them away as they sat down to finish their lunch. It wasn’t until they checked out of the hotel and were settled in the plane for the flight home that she realized he’d kept her so busy all day, they hadn’t had one single opportunity to
Miranda arched her brows. “Just how many times has he been married?”
“Six or seven…I think. It’s hard to keep count. My father isn’t very good at relationships, obviously, and that includes his two sons. There’s no animosity or anything; that’s just the way he is, and we accept it. As for mother, she spoiled us rotten, although there was some emotional distance there too.”
“Is that why it’s so difficult for you to express your own feelings?”
“I call.”
“I guess avoidance is one way to handle it,” she sighed. “Three of a kind. I was going for a full house, but didn’t quite make it.”
He laid out his cards, gathered up the chips and informed Miranda her blouse had to go. He was practically salivating by the time she peeled it off and crawled back up on the bed. As much as he was enjoying their game, Jack couldn’t quite tear his eyes away from the lacy bra she was wearing long enough to shuffle the cards. He reached out, intent on claiming at least one of her delectable breasts and promptly got his hand swatted away.
“You know the rules,” she said primly, “no touching during the game or you automatically lose.”
He swept the cards and chips off the bed. “I’m losing anyway,” he growled, then pushed Miranda back onto the mattress, pinning her beneath him.
“We didn’t finish our conversation,” she protested.
His lips skimmed down the column of her elegant neck. “Baby, it’s late. Can’t we save the conversation for another day?”
“That’s not fair. You always do this, Jack. I answer all your questions but when I start doing the asking, you change the subject or distract me with sex.”
It was impossible to remain irritated at him once he set his mind on seducing her. Miranda’s body responded with a tremor when his hand glided up her bare back and unhooked her bra. There was no use fighting it when even the slightest of suggestive touches from Jack turned her mind to mush, and what he was doing to her now was a whole lot more than simply suggestive.
The only way she was going to get him to talk about himself was to make him take her someplace public. It would have to be quiet enough to carry on a conversation, but with enough people around, there was no possibility of getting her into a compromising position. Like the one she was in right now. And Lord, was he ever compromising her at the moment. Tomorrow she would work on getting him to open up to her; tonight Miranda was quite content with the nonverbal form of communication Jack was so adept at.
***
They had breakfast in their room the next morning then roamed the casinos for a few hours before taking in a show. He dragged Miranda from place to place, bought her more clothes, and surprised her at lunch by giving her a gold chain necklace with a horseshoe pendant made entirely of glittering diamonds. How he’d managed to purchase it without her knowing was a mystery Jack refused to divulge. Miranda found it incredibly touching, especially since he seemed almost as excited to give it to her as she was to have received it.
“Is it for good luck?” Miranda asked, as she pulled her hair aside so he could hook the clasp.
He pressed a kiss to the back of her neck then turned her around and planted a much firmer one on her lips. “No, it’s to remind you how lucky I feel to have you in life.”
Tears instantly sprang to her eyes and she dabbed them away as they sat down to finish their lunch. It wasn’t until they checked out of the hotel and were settled in the plane for the flight home that she realized he’d kept her so busy all day, they hadn’t had one single opportunity to
Similar Books
