watching.
Riley experienced an intense urge to become
a cookie.
"And writing my second book—my follow-up
workbook," Jayne went on, "will prove it."
"Prove your knack."
"Yes." Of course . "That's why this
trip is so important to me. And it's also why I was so concerned
about your reaction to my leading the group."
"My reaction?" Uncomfortable, he shifted his
shoulders. "I went for a hike after I found out. That's all."
" Exactly ! That's all . That's
all you did!"
"It's not a crime. It's not even that hard.
You just put on some all-terrain shoes and—"
"What about talking? What about sharing?
What about expressing your feelings?"
He felt trapped. "I'm trying to quit. Ha, ha."
"Oh,
Riley." Sadly, Jayne shook her head. "Maybe you need some of
my techniques. I think you're seriously out of touch with your
emotions."
He was perfectly in touch with at least one
emotion right now. Confusion.
"Let me get this straight," he said. "You're
mad because I didn't do anything when I learned the truth
this morning?"
She nodded, eyes wide. "Of course."
"I will never understand women."
"All we want is some communication!" Jayne
sat straighter, waving her halved Oreo like a chocoholic
relationships cheerleader deprived of her usual pom-poms. "Some reaction , and some discussion. You know it drives me
crazy when you do...that thing you do."
"When I do...nothing?"
"Yes!"
Riley shook his head. Gamely, even though he
wasn't sure how he was going to manage it, he said, "I'll try to
do...something in the future."
"Excellent." Apparently satisfied, Jayne
squeezed his hand. Her chipper demeanor veered toward full
relationship-counselor mode.
And aggravated him. He wasn't one of her
breakup-ees, and she'd damn well better remember it.
He squeezed back, leaving their fingers
intertwined.
She glanced up, startled. Something sparked
between them, something not forgotten but...delayed. All at once,
he wanted to lean nearer. Wanted to find out if her lips still
tasted as sweet as he remembered, if her body still fit his as well
as he recalled...if her heart would race the way his would if they
came together. He felt an urge to claim her for his own. And
he would have, if not for—
"Come on, you two! It's time to play
Twister!"
Mack, Kelly, and Carla were suddenly there,
grinning. They appeared to have every intention of dragging Riley
and Jayne onto the plastic polka-dotted game mat spread in the
center of the common room. Riley didn't know where it had come from
( he sure as hell hadn't packed the thing in), but he did
know one thing for certain.
He could duck faster than they could
grab.
He glanced at Jayne. "Race you to the back
deck?"
"You're on!"
Laughing, Jayne collapsed against the
tumbled rock wall surrounding the deck. Riley stopped beside her in
the semi-darkness, not the least bit out of breath, laughing
too.
A companionable feeling came to life inside
her. The intimacy of the late hour, the camaraderie of having
evaded the potentially-embarrassing Twister game, the slightly
naughty thrill of having shed their responsibilities for a while,
all combined to leave Jayne with a surprising sense of
togetherness. With Riley, of all people.
Who'd have thunk it?
She looked at him. In the faint glow from
the lodge's windows, his features took on an unfamiliar cast—one
that temporarily changed him from the man who'd laid her heart bare
to simply...a man. A man who intrigued her, despite all common
sense. He looked dark, a little dangerous, wholly alive.
He looked good .
"You're fast," she said before she could get
carried away with this stuff. "I can hardly believe I beat
you."
"You didn't beat me. You tripped me!"
"My slipper came off." Jayne gestured toward
her plush baby blue platforms, both of which she'd restored to her
feet. "It's not the same thing."
" Then you elbowed me when I got back
up."
"I was putting my slipper back on. Can I
help it if you ran into my arm?"
"And when we got to the outside
Riley experienced an intense urge to become
a cookie.
"And writing my second book—my follow-up
workbook," Jayne went on, "will prove it."
"Prove your knack."
"Yes." Of course . "That's why this
trip is so important to me. And it's also why I was so concerned
about your reaction to my leading the group."
"My reaction?" Uncomfortable, he shifted his
shoulders. "I went for a hike after I found out. That's all."
" Exactly ! That's all . That's
all you did!"
"It's not a crime. It's not even that hard.
You just put on some all-terrain shoes and—"
"What about talking? What about sharing?
What about expressing your feelings?"
He felt trapped. "I'm trying to quit. Ha, ha."
"Oh,
Riley." Sadly, Jayne shook her head. "Maybe you need some of
my techniques. I think you're seriously out of touch with your
emotions."
He was perfectly in touch with at least one
emotion right now. Confusion.
"Let me get this straight," he said. "You're
mad because I didn't do anything when I learned the truth
this morning?"
She nodded, eyes wide. "Of course."
"I will never understand women."
"All we want is some communication!" Jayne
sat straighter, waving her halved Oreo like a chocoholic
relationships cheerleader deprived of her usual pom-poms. "Some reaction , and some discussion. You know it drives me
crazy when you do...that thing you do."
"When I do...nothing?"
"Yes!"
Riley shook his head. Gamely, even though he
wasn't sure how he was going to manage it, he said, "I'll try to
do...something in the future."
"Excellent." Apparently satisfied, Jayne
squeezed his hand. Her chipper demeanor veered toward full
relationship-counselor mode.
And aggravated him. He wasn't one of her
breakup-ees, and she'd damn well better remember it.
He squeezed back, leaving their fingers
intertwined.
She glanced up, startled. Something sparked
between them, something not forgotten but...delayed. All at once,
he wanted to lean nearer. Wanted to find out if her lips still
tasted as sweet as he remembered, if her body still fit his as well
as he recalled...if her heart would race the way his would if they
came together. He felt an urge to claim her for his own. And
he would have, if not for—
"Come on, you two! It's time to play
Twister!"
Mack, Kelly, and Carla were suddenly there,
grinning. They appeared to have every intention of dragging Riley
and Jayne onto the plastic polka-dotted game mat spread in the
center of the common room. Riley didn't know where it had come from
( he sure as hell hadn't packed the thing in), but he did
know one thing for certain.
He could duck faster than they could
grab.
He glanced at Jayne. "Race you to the back
deck?"
"You're on!"
Laughing, Jayne collapsed against the
tumbled rock wall surrounding the deck. Riley stopped beside her in
the semi-darkness, not the least bit out of breath, laughing
too.
A companionable feeling came to life inside
her. The intimacy of the late hour, the camaraderie of having
evaded the potentially-embarrassing Twister game, the slightly
naughty thrill of having shed their responsibilities for a while,
all combined to leave Jayne with a surprising sense of
togetherness. With Riley, of all people.
Who'd have thunk it?
She looked at him. In the faint glow from
the lodge's windows, his features took on an unfamiliar cast—one
that temporarily changed him from the man who'd laid her heart bare
to simply...a man. A man who intrigued her, despite all common
sense. He looked dark, a little dangerous, wholly alive.
He looked good .
"You're fast," she said before she could get
carried away with this stuff. "I can hardly believe I beat
you."
"You didn't beat me. You tripped me!"
"My slipper came off." Jayne gestured toward
her plush baby blue platforms, both of which she'd restored to her
feet. "It's not the same thing."
" Then you elbowed me when I got back
up."
"I was putting my slipper back on. Can I
help it if you ran into my arm?"
"And when we got to the outside
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