going out with someone else and he wasn't even jealous. Jessica didn't know whether to laugh or cry.
"All evening," she answered bitterly. "As it happens, I didn't have any plans for tonight, but you could have had the courtesy to ask." She glared at the knot of his tie. "I don't like being taken for granted, and I won't be at your beck and call!"
He forced her chin up, amusement glittering in his blue eyes. "I don't take you for granted, Green Eyes. At least, not consciously," he qualified his statement.
"I…I hope you don't." Jessica found it hard to stay angry.
Brodie reached inside his jacket. "Here, I bought you this." When his hand came out, it was holding a small narrow case. Jessica took it from him hesitantly, then lifted the lid. On a bed of black velvet was a delicate, spun-gold chain with a single, sparkling blue diamond.
"It's beautiful," she murmured, and felt her stomach twist into a sickening knot. She closed the lid and handed it back to him. "I can't accept it."
"Why not?" A dark eyebrow swept up in an arrogant, impatient line. "I bought it for you."
"It's much too expensive," said Jessica, fighting the waves of nausea. "I can't accept it."
"You're used to expensive things. Should I have bought you some cheap piece of costume jewelry and risked offending you?" Brodie demanded.
She lifted her head, her chin quivering with an abundance of pride. "At least I wouldn't feel as if you're trying to buy me."
"Buy you!" Brodie flared, and controlled his temper with effort. "I was not attempting to buy you."
"Do you make a habit of buying diamond necklaces for whatever girl you happen to be dating?" Jessica retorted.
"No, I don't make a habit of it," he denied with a savage bite. "I buy gifts only for people who are special to me. The motive is simple: I want to give them pleasure. That's all I get out of it, and that's all I expect to get out of it."
Perhaps he hadn't been trying to buy her affection. Jessica began to doubt the conclusion she had reached. She searched the tempered steel of his eyes.
"Then you shouldn't buy such expensive gifts and people wouldn't misinterpret your reasons," she backed down from her accusation.
"The cost is relative. I can afford this necklace." He lifted the case in his hand. "When I was fifteen, spending five dollars on a girl was a lot of money to me. Now I can afford to spend a great deal more." He studied her for a long second. "l want you to have this necklace, Jessica. Will you accept it?" She hesitated. "What good is money," he argued, "if you can't spend it on people you care about?"
His logic was irrefutable. Reluctantly she held out her hand for the case. "It was very thoughtful of you, Brodie." She recited her acceptance of it as if she was a child being prompted to say the right things. "It's beautiful. Thank you."
"Jessica," he sighed her name.
She lifted her gaze. Her green eyes were colored brightly with pride. A muscle flexed in his jaw where tanned skin was stretched taut. His hands closed over her shoulders, their hold firm but not gentle.
"I gave you that necklace with feeling," he said in a growling underbreath. "Why can't you putsome feeling in accepting it?"
"I tried." Her answer was stiff as her body.
"You damned sure haven't tried hard enough."
He hauled her against his chest. "It can be done without words."
His fingers wound into a handful of honey gold hair and forced her head back. The iron band of his arm crushed her ribs, denying her breath, while his mouth brutally smothered her lips. Jessica was caught in the dangerous whirlpool of his savage aggression.
She had angered him, aroused latent instincts from his childhood where survival and power went to the strongest. Despite the violence of his possession, her hammering heart was reacting to the indomitable force of his virility. She trembled at its power.
The sensuality of his kiss changed from punishment to passion. The iron bars of his imprisoning embrace became gloved in
"All evening," she answered bitterly. "As it happens, I didn't have any plans for tonight, but you could have had the courtesy to ask." She glared at the knot of his tie. "I don't like being taken for granted, and I won't be at your beck and call!"
He forced her chin up, amusement glittering in his blue eyes. "I don't take you for granted, Green Eyes. At least, not consciously," he qualified his statement.
"I…I hope you don't." Jessica found it hard to stay angry.
Brodie reached inside his jacket. "Here, I bought you this." When his hand came out, it was holding a small narrow case. Jessica took it from him hesitantly, then lifted the lid. On a bed of black velvet was a delicate, spun-gold chain with a single, sparkling blue diamond.
"It's beautiful," she murmured, and felt her stomach twist into a sickening knot. She closed the lid and handed it back to him. "I can't accept it."
"Why not?" A dark eyebrow swept up in an arrogant, impatient line. "I bought it for you."
"It's much too expensive," said Jessica, fighting the waves of nausea. "I can't accept it."
"You're used to expensive things. Should I have bought you some cheap piece of costume jewelry and risked offending you?" Brodie demanded.
She lifted her head, her chin quivering with an abundance of pride. "At least I wouldn't feel as if you're trying to buy me."
"Buy you!" Brodie flared, and controlled his temper with effort. "I was not attempting to buy you."
"Do you make a habit of buying diamond necklaces for whatever girl you happen to be dating?" Jessica retorted.
"No, I don't make a habit of it," he denied with a savage bite. "I buy gifts only for people who are special to me. The motive is simple: I want to give them pleasure. That's all I get out of it, and that's all I expect to get out of it."
Perhaps he hadn't been trying to buy her affection. Jessica began to doubt the conclusion she had reached. She searched the tempered steel of his eyes.
"Then you shouldn't buy such expensive gifts and people wouldn't misinterpret your reasons," she backed down from her accusation.
"The cost is relative. I can afford this necklace." He lifted the case in his hand. "When I was fifteen, spending five dollars on a girl was a lot of money to me. Now I can afford to spend a great deal more." He studied her for a long second. "l want you to have this necklace, Jessica. Will you accept it?" She hesitated. "What good is money," he argued, "if you can't spend it on people you care about?"
His logic was irrefutable. Reluctantly she held out her hand for the case. "It was very thoughtful of you, Brodie." She recited her acceptance of it as if she was a child being prompted to say the right things. "It's beautiful. Thank you."
"Jessica," he sighed her name.
She lifted her gaze. Her green eyes were colored brightly with pride. A muscle flexed in his jaw where tanned skin was stretched taut. His hands closed over her shoulders, their hold firm but not gentle.
"I gave you that necklace with feeling," he said in a growling underbreath. "Why can't you putsome feeling in accepting it?"
"I tried." Her answer was stiff as her body.
"You damned sure haven't tried hard enough."
He hauled her against his chest. "It can be done without words."
His fingers wound into a handful of honey gold hair and forced her head back. The iron band of his arm crushed her ribs, denying her breath, while his mouth brutally smothered her lips. Jessica was caught in the dangerous whirlpool of his savage aggression.
She had angered him, aroused latent instincts from his childhood where survival and power went to the strongest. Despite the violence of his possession, her hammering heart was reacting to the indomitable force of his virility. She trembled at its power.
The sensuality of his kiss changed from punishment to passion. The iron bars of his imprisoning embrace became gloved in
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