velvet, firm hands stroking her skin. Jessica experienced the exquisite joy of being mastered and responded to it. Then Brodie dragged his mouth from her lips to the pleasure spot behind her earlobe.
"We have so little time," he said in a groaning mutter, his breath hot and disturbing against her skin. "Do you want the necklace, Jessica?"
"Yes." She wanted anything from him—his anger, his kiss, his love.
It was a devastating discovery and she closed her eyes to hide it from him when he lifted his head. Her own was still tipped back, held there gently by the male fingers twined in her hair.
"Will you wear it tonight? Here?" His mouth located the hollow at the base of her throat.
"Yes," Jessica agreed, inhaling the earthy smell of him.
Brodie unwrapped his arms from around her and took the case from her hand. Snapping open the lid, he removed the necklace and Jessica watched the sparkle of the diamond come toward her. Obligingly, she lifted the curling length of hair at the back of her head so Brodie could fasten the gold chain. Her skin tingled at the feather-light touch of his fingers.
When he took his hands away, she fingered the chain and the hard diamond nestled against her throat. Brodie turned her around so she could see herself in the wall mirror, but Jessica barely glanced at her own reflection before her eyes were drawn, to his. He stood behind her, so tall and darkly compelling.
"It's beautiful," she told him. "I do like it."
"Do you?" The slant of his mouth was cynical in its mockery of her statement. "I much prefer your actions to your words. They're more convincing."
The sweep of his inspecting gaze made Jessica aware of her mussed hair and her mouth kissed free of any lipstick. She hardly resembled the poised, sophisticated woman Brodie had seen on arrival.
"You'd better go and fix yourself or the others will he guessing why we're late," Brodie taunted.
"The others?" Jessica echoed.
"Yes, that's my bad news for tonight. We won't be dining alone." He moved away from the mirror and Jessica turned to watch him.
"We're going to Janson's for dinner."
"You said others." That sounds like more than two."
He lit a cigarette and blew a stream of smoke into the air. "I imagine there'll be a dozen in all—Janson, his attorney, mine, my accountant, Janson's son."
"It sounds like a board meeting," Jessica commented.
"In a sense, it is." His mouth quirked. "Janson has been hounding me to come to his house for dinner, meet his wife, his family. There were a few details to iron out regarding the company. I combined business with a social obligation so I can have both of them out ofthe way at the same time."
"Actually you're ridding yourself of three obligations. You forgot me." Jessica smiled, but there was disappointment in knowing they would not be alone tonight.
"You're not an obligation, Jessica." He eyed her steadily, a faint grimness in his look. "When all this came up, I refused to deprive myself of the pleasure of seeing you again. I wanted to be with you…in the company of others if it couldn't be alone."
A searing pleasure coursed through her, sweetening the taste of disappointment. "I…" The admission Jessica had been about to make suddenly made her tongue-tied, so she changed her response. "I'll only be a few minutes."
With her makeup freshened, her hair brushed into its style, and a silk shawl around her shoulders, she left the apartment with Brodie. On the way to the Janson home she remembered to relay her uncle's message, which drew a muttered exclamation of impatience from Brodie followed by silence.
The Janson home was a massive two-story structure with a porticoed entrance. Their host was at the door to welcome them and inform them that they were the last to arrive. As they were led into a formal living room, Jessica discovered she was nervous over the prospect of meeting Brodie's close associates.
Brodie made the introductions. Jessica shook hands with Drew Mitchell, a lean
"We have so little time," he said in a groaning mutter, his breath hot and disturbing against her skin. "Do you want the necklace, Jessica?"
"Yes." She wanted anything from him—his anger, his kiss, his love.
It was a devastating discovery and she closed her eyes to hide it from him when he lifted his head. Her own was still tipped back, held there gently by the male fingers twined in her hair.
"Will you wear it tonight? Here?" His mouth located the hollow at the base of her throat.
"Yes," Jessica agreed, inhaling the earthy smell of him.
Brodie unwrapped his arms from around her and took the case from her hand. Snapping open the lid, he removed the necklace and Jessica watched the sparkle of the diamond come toward her. Obligingly, she lifted the curling length of hair at the back of her head so Brodie could fasten the gold chain. Her skin tingled at the feather-light touch of his fingers.
When he took his hands away, she fingered the chain and the hard diamond nestled against her throat. Brodie turned her around so she could see herself in the wall mirror, but Jessica barely glanced at her own reflection before her eyes were drawn, to his. He stood behind her, so tall and darkly compelling.
"It's beautiful," she told him. "I do like it."
"Do you?" The slant of his mouth was cynical in its mockery of her statement. "I much prefer your actions to your words. They're more convincing."
The sweep of his inspecting gaze made Jessica aware of her mussed hair and her mouth kissed free of any lipstick. She hardly resembled the poised, sophisticated woman Brodie had seen on arrival.
"You'd better go and fix yourself or the others will he guessing why we're late," Brodie taunted.
"The others?" Jessica echoed.
"Yes, that's my bad news for tonight. We won't be dining alone." He moved away from the mirror and Jessica turned to watch him.
"We're going to Janson's for dinner."
"You said others." That sounds like more than two."
He lit a cigarette and blew a stream of smoke into the air. "I imagine there'll be a dozen in all—Janson, his attorney, mine, my accountant, Janson's son."
"It sounds like a board meeting," Jessica commented.
"In a sense, it is." His mouth quirked. "Janson has been hounding me to come to his house for dinner, meet his wife, his family. There were a few details to iron out regarding the company. I combined business with a social obligation so I can have both of them out ofthe way at the same time."
"Actually you're ridding yourself of three obligations. You forgot me." Jessica smiled, but there was disappointment in knowing they would not be alone tonight.
"You're not an obligation, Jessica." He eyed her steadily, a faint grimness in his look. "When all this came up, I refused to deprive myself of the pleasure of seeing you again. I wanted to be with you…in the company of others if it couldn't be alone."
A searing pleasure coursed through her, sweetening the taste of disappointment. "I…" The admission Jessica had been about to make suddenly made her tongue-tied, so she changed her response. "I'll only be a few minutes."
With her makeup freshened, her hair brushed into its style, and a silk shawl around her shoulders, she left the apartment with Brodie. On the way to the Janson home she remembered to relay her uncle's message, which drew a muttered exclamation of impatience from Brodie followed by silence.
The Janson home was a massive two-story structure with a porticoed entrance. Their host was at the door to welcome them and inform them that they were the last to arrive. As they were led into a formal living room, Jessica discovered she was nervous over the prospect of meeting Brodie's close associates.
Brodie made the introductions. Jessica shook hands with Drew Mitchell, a lean
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