softness of her skin and the lemony scent of her shampoo.
“Yes, there was a bit of a bird theme at the dining table wasn’t there? But now he’s accepted you he’ll be fine so long as you’re prepared to talk about birds every minute of every day you’re here. He’s totally obsessed with them. I’m sorry I was angry with you though.”
She twisted her head so she could look at him. “Angry is allowed,” she said. “As long as we make up afterwards.”
“You mean like this,” he murmured, skimming his hand down the length of her body. “And like this…and this.”
It wasn’t until they heard movements in the adjoining room that they pulled apart, but by then Jodie’s normally smooth hair was ruffled and her eyes were twin pools of need. Sliding her off his lap and onto the chair, Marcus stood up and held out his hand.
“I haven’t even shown you your bedroom yet.”
She shook her head. “I can’t Marcus. Not here. Not with Izzie and Luke in the apartment.”
He smiled at her. “That’s not what I meant. I just want you to pick a bedroom. Preferably the one furthest from mine if that’s how you feel.”
She slipped her hand into his. “You don’t mind?”
“Of course I mind. But I’m trying hard to understand.”
* * *
Jodie squeezed the tube of toothpaste with a sigh. Staying with Marcus was going to be difficult. The memory of his kisses, the way his hands had set her on fire, the words he’d murmured in her ear, all of those things had left her taut with need. It was a need she had resolutely ignored for years, concentrating instead on Izzie, and on building up business at the riding school. Now, however, it had come back to bite her big time. She wanted Marcus with a ferocity that almost overwhelmed her. Almost, but not quite. Even while they had been kissing she had been aware of her sister in the next room, and had been ready to break away from him at the slightest sound.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror and saw that her lips were swollen. Red, and slick with the water she had just used to rinse her teeth, they shouted out her desire. Her eyes were different too. They were darker and more languorous. She couldn’t keep her feelings hidden anymore. Marcus had broken down the barrier between her and the outside world, so now her body as well as her emotions was letting her down.
The familiar trill of her cell phone made her jump. Instantly alert she hurried back to the bedroom and grabbed it from the bedside table. Was something wrong at the riding school? Was Buckmaster okay? A hundred things went through her mind until she saw the caller ID. It was Marcus.
“This is getting to be a bit of a habit,” he said when she answered.
Even his voice turned her on. She gave a shaky laugh. “As long as it’s a habit you don’t want to break.”
“I don’t, but if someone had told me a few months ago I would get most of my romantic kicks via a cell phone, I’d have laughed at them.”
“I already said I’m sorry.”
“Hey, I’m not calling to make you feel bad. I’m just calling to say goodnight.”
“You already said it, ten minutes ago.”
“So I did. Well I’m saying it again. Goodnight Jodie.”
She smiled into the phone. “Goodnight Marcus.”
* * *
She wasn’t going to sleep. She knew that. So she rummaged around in her bag for the book she’d thrown in at the last minute, and then climbed into bed. Five minutes later she was still staring at the first page when Izzie came through from the adjoining bedroom.
“I’m sorry Jodie,” she said.
“What for?”
“For being here and spoiling your weekend with Marcus. I’m the reason you’re not sleeping with him aren’t I?
“This is not a conversation I’m going to have with you,” Jodie gave up all thought of reading and put the book on the bedside table, next to her cell phone.
“Why not? I’m your sister. That’s the
“Yes, there was a bit of a bird theme at the dining table wasn’t there? But now he’s accepted you he’ll be fine so long as you’re prepared to talk about birds every minute of every day you’re here. He’s totally obsessed with them. I’m sorry I was angry with you though.”
She twisted her head so she could look at him. “Angry is allowed,” she said. “As long as we make up afterwards.”
“You mean like this,” he murmured, skimming his hand down the length of her body. “And like this…and this.”
It wasn’t until they heard movements in the adjoining room that they pulled apart, but by then Jodie’s normally smooth hair was ruffled and her eyes were twin pools of need. Sliding her off his lap and onto the chair, Marcus stood up and held out his hand.
“I haven’t even shown you your bedroom yet.”
She shook her head. “I can’t Marcus. Not here. Not with Izzie and Luke in the apartment.”
He smiled at her. “That’s not what I meant. I just want you to pick a bedroom. Preferably the one furthest from mine if that’s how you feel.”
She slipped her hand into his. “You don’t mind?”
“Of course I mind. But I’m trying hard to understand.”
* * *
Jodie squeezed the tube of toothpaste with a sigh. Staying with Marcus was going to be difficult. The memory of his kisses, the way his hands had set her on fire, the words he’d murmured in her ear, all of those things had left her taut with need. It was a need she had resolutely ignored for years, concentrating instead on Izzie, and on building up business at the riding school. Now, however, it had come back to bite her big time. She wanted Marcus with a ferocity that almost overwhelmed her. Almost, but not quite. Even while they had been kissing she had been aware of her sister in the next room, and had been ready to break away from him at the slightest sound.
She stared at her reflection in the mirror and saw that her lips were swollen. Red, and slick with the water she had just used to rinse her teeth, they shouted out her desire. Her eyes were different too. They were darker and more languorous. She couldn’t keep her feelings hidden anymore. Marcus had broken down the barrier between her and the outside world, so now her body as well as her emotions was letting her down.
The familiar trill of her cell phone made her jump. Instantly alert she hurried back to the bedroom and grabbed it from the bedside table. Was something wrong at the riding school? Was Buckmaster okay? A hundred things went through her mind until she saw the caller ID. It was Marcus.
“This is getting to be a bit of a habit,” he said when she answered.
Even his voice turned her on. She gave a shaky laugh. “As long as it’s a habit you don’t want to break.”
“I don’t, but if someone had told me a few months ago I would get most of my romantic kicks via a cell phone, I’d have laughed at them.”
“I already said I’m sorry.”
“Hey, I’m not calling to make you feel bad. I’m just calling to say goodnight.”
“You already said it, ten minutes ago.”
“So I did. Well I’m saying it again. Goodnight Jodie.”
She smiled into the phone. “Goodnight Marcus.”
* * *
She wasn’t going to sleep. She knew that. So she rummaged around in her bag for the book she’d thrown in at the last minute, and then climbed into bed. Five minutes later she was still staring at the first page when Izzie came through from the adjoining bedroom.
“I’m sorry Jodie,” she said.
“What for?”
“For being here and spoiling your weekend with Marcus. I’m the reason you’re not sleeping with him aren’t I?
“This is not a conversation I’m going to have with you,” Jodie gave up all thought of reading and put the book on the bedside table, next to her cell phone.
“Why not? I’m your sister. That’s the
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