her like McCallum did.
He reached across the table and caught her hand in his, sending thrills of pleasure up her arm that made her heart race. “I didn’t mean it like that. Jessie, if I were interested in your co-worker, why would I spend half my free time thinking about you?”
She smiled at him, thrown off balance by the look in his dark eyes. “Do you?” she asked. Her hand slipped and almost overturned her water glass. He righted it quickly, smiling patiently at her clumsiness. It wasn’t like her to do such things.
“Hold tight, and I’ll protect you from overturning things,” he said, clasping her cold fingers in his. “We’ll muddle through together. In my own way, I’ve got as many hang-ups and inhibitions as you have. But if we try, we can sort it out.”
“Sort what out?” she echoed curiously.
He frowned. “Do you think I make a habit of taking women out? I’m thirty-five years old, and since I’ve been back here, I’ve lived like a hermit. I’m hungry for a woman….”
This time the glass went over. He called the waitress, who managed to clear away the water with no effort at all. She smiled indulgently at an embarrassed Jessica, who was abjectly apologetic.
She took their order and left. Across the restaurant, Bess was giggling. Jessica looked at Sterling McCallum and knew in that moment that she lovedhim. She also knew that she could never marry him. He might not realize it now, but he’d want children one day. He was the sort of man who needed children to love and take care of. He’d make a good husband. Of course, marriage was obviously the last thing on his mind at the moment.
“Good God, woman,” he muttered, shaking his head with indulgent amusement. “Will you just let me finish a sentence before you react like that? I don’t have plans to ravish you. Okay? Now, move that glass aside before we have another mishap.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just all thumbs.”
“And I keep putting my foot in my mouth,” he said ruefully. “What I was going to say, before the great water glass flood,” he added with a grin at her flush, “was that it’s time I started going out more. I like you. We’ll keep it low-key.”
She looked at the big, lean hand holding hers so gently. Her fingers moved over the back of it, tracing, savoring its strength and masculinity. “I like your hands,” she said absently. “They’re very sensitive, for such masculine ones.” She thought about how they might feel on bare, soft skin and her lips parted as she exhaled with unexpected force.
His thumb eased into the damp palm of her hand and began to caress it, making her heart race all over again. “Yours are beautiful,” he said, and the memory of how her hands felt on his chest was still in his gaze when he looked up.
She was holding her breath. She looked into his eyes, and neither of them smiled. It was like lightning striking. She could see what he was thinking. It was all there in his dark gaze—the need and the hunger and the ardent passion he felt for her.
“Uh, excuse me?”
They both looked up blankly as the waitress, smiling wryly, waited for them to move their hands so she could put the plates down.
“Sorry,” Sterling mumbled.
The waitress didn’t say a word, but her expression spoke volumes.
“I think we’re becoming obvious,” he remarked to Jessica as he picked up his fork, trying not to look around at the interested glances they were getting from Bess and Steve.
“Yes.” She sounded pained, and looked even more uncomfortable.
“Jessie?”
“Hmm?” She looked up.
He leaned forward. “I’m dying of frustrated passion here. Eat fast, could you?”
She burst out laughing. It broke the tension and got them through the rest of the meal.
But once he paid the check and they went out to the parking lot and got into the Bronco, he didn’t take her straight home. He drove a little way past the cabin and pulled down a long, dark trail into the woods.
He locked
He reached across the table and caught her hand in his, sending thrills of pleasure up her arm that made her heart race. “I didn’t mean it like that. Jessie, if I were interested in your co-worker, why would I spend half my free time thinking about you?”
She smiled at him, thrown off balance by the look in his dark eyes. “Do you?” she asked. Her hand slipped and almost overturned her water glass. He righted it quickly, smiling patiently at her clumsiness. It wasn’t like her to do such things.
“Hold tight, and I’ll protect you from overturning things,” he said, clasping her cold fingers in his. “We’ll muddle through together. In my own way, I’ve got as many hang-ups and inhibitions as you have. But if we try, we can sort it out.”
“Sort what out?” she echoed curiously.
He frowned. “Do you think I make a habit of taking women out? I’m thirty-five years old, and since I’ve been back here, I’ve lived like a hermit. I’m hungry for a woman….”
This time the glass went over. He called the waitress, who managed to clear away the water with no effort at all. She smiled indulgently at an embarrassed Jessica, who was abjectly apologetic.
She took their order and left. Across the restaurant, Bess was giggling. Jessica looked at Sterling McCallum and knew in that moment that she lovedhim. She also knew that she could never marry him. He might not realize it now, but he’d want children one day. He was the sort of man who needed children to love and take care of. He’d make a good husband. Of course, marriage was obviously the last thing on his mind at the moment.
“Good God, woman,” he muttered, shaking his head with indulgent amusement. “Will you just let me finish a sentence before you react like that? I don’t have plans to ravish you. Okay? Now, move that glass aside before we have another mishap.”
“I’m sorry. I’m just all thumbs.”
“And I keep putting my foot in my mouth,” he said ruefully. “What I was going to say, before the great water glass flood,” he added with a grin at her flush, “was that it’s time I started going out more. I like you. We’ll keep it low-key.”
She looked at the big, lean hand holding hers so gently. Her fingers moved over the back of it, tracing, savoring its strength and masculinity. “I like your hands,” she said absently. “They’re very sensitive, for such masculine ones.” She thought about how they might feel on bare, soft skin and her lips parted as she exhaled with unexpected force.
His thumb eased into the damp palm of her hand and began to caress it, making her heart race all over again. “Yours are beautiful,” he said, and the memory of how her hands felt on his chest was still in his gaze when he looked up.
She was holding her breath. She looked into his eyes, and neither of them smiled. It was like lightning striking. She could see what he was thinking. It was all there in his dark gaze—the need and the hunger and the ardent passion he felt for her.
“Uh, excuse me?”
They both looked up blankly as the waitress, smiling wryly, waited for them to move their hands so she could put the plates down.
“Sorry,” Sterling mumbled.
The waitress didn’t say a word, but her expression spoke volumes.
“I think we’re becoming obvious,” he remarked to Jessica as he picked up his fork, trying not to look around at the interested glances they were getting from Bess and Steve.
“Yes.” She sounded pained, and looked even more uncomfortable.
“Jessie?”
“Hmm?” She looked up.
He leaned forward. “I’m dying of frustrated passion here. Eat fast, could you?”
She burst out laughing. It broke the tension and got them through the rest of the meal.
But once he paid the check and they went out to the parking lot and got into the Bronco, he didn’t take her straight home. He drove a little way past the cabin and pulled down a long, dark trail into the woods.
He locked
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