fair to you. So I will try to keep an open mind, within reason.”
He smiled grudgingly in return. Who had been treating whom unfairly? Tonight was going to be a sleepless night over Jessie again, he acknowledged glumly. She was one surprise after another. He had been sure she would turn him down; that was why he hadn’t waited until Monday to see her. The suspense had been gnawing at him. Maybe he should also send her friend a token of appreciation for her defense of him. He was probably going to need all the help he could get. Unable to think of another topic to discuss, he rose to his feet to leave.
The lady hadn’t expected his sudden movement and took a cautious step backward. He smiled sadly at her reaction. “I’m not really all that dangerous.”
Jessie didn’t answer, merely raising an arched brow that seemed to contradict his words. He simply walked to the front door, trying to tamp down his instincts. What he wanted most in the world at that moment was to take Jessie in his arms. He was sure, however, that would be the worst move he could make. She remained silent as she followed him to the door.
When he grasped the doorknob, he turned to glance down at her. For perhaps the first time, she wasn’t looking at him with anger or disdain. Her blue eyes were wide with curiosity. Even without makeup, her face was alluring.
Not stopping to think about his actions, not calculating the result, he slowly bent his head. His lips feathered across the full warmth of hers. Reluctantly, he raised his head. She didn’t pull away, which he thought was encouraging. The temptation of her flushed face and slumberous eyes was too great, and he bent to kiss her again.
Just as before, the world went into a tailspin. A mixture of feelings coursed through him. He felt a basic, primitive desire for the soft woman in his arms, mingled with a need to cherish and protect her. When she trembled against him, his arms tightened instinctively, but he didn’t deepen the kiss. He didn’t trust himself.
“I’m not dangerous,” he told her, his voice not quite steady, “but I don’t have much will power where you’re concerned. I’ll try to keep to the agreement, but I won’t promise that I’ll always keep my hands to myself.”
Before she could say a word, he walked out the door, closing it firmly behind him. Pausing on the front step, he took a deep breath to clear his head. Even a brief kiss from Jessie was potent. He had felt her lips move under his, he was sure of it. Liquid desire still coursed through him, and he wondered if he would be able to survive actually making love with her.
As he ambled to his car, a sudden thought occurred to him. What was a woman like Jessica DeLord doing with books on dating and babies? More important, what was Jessie’s preoccupation with babies? Before he grasped the door handle he looked back at the house. He tried to remember the titles of the books by the photographs. Shaking his head, he climbed into the car. Every time he solved one piece of the puzzle about the lady, another one seemed to spring up.
“Hi, beautiful.”
Jessie almost spilled her tea on the fabric samples in front of her. Somehow Trevor had materialized out of nowhere after a three-day absence and was now sitting on the edge of her desk. “Hello.”
“Did you miss me over the weekend?”
She caught the teasing glint in his brown eyes and relaxed. After Thursday night, she decided to take things one day at a time. She wasn’t going to let Trevor goad her into any rash behavior. They’d been able to have a rational conversation that night, so if she was careful, they could get along. She just refused to remember his departure. “Was I supposed to miss you?”
“You could pretend. At least tell me that the news was flat without me.”
“I don’t watch the local news.” She smiled gently to soften her denial. As long as she kept her distance from him and didn’t think about her physical reaction
He smiled grudgingly in return. Who had been treating whom unfairly? Tonight was going to be a sleepless night over Jessie again, he acknowledged glumly. She was one surprise after another. He had been sure she would turn him down; that was why he hadn’t waited until Monday to see her. The suspense had been gnawing at him. Maybe he should also send her friend a token of appreciation for her defense of him. He was probably going to need all the help he could get. Unable to think of another topic to discuss, he rose to his feet to leave.
The lady hadn’t expected his sudden movement and took a cautious step backward. He smiled sadly at her reaction. “I’m not really all that dangerous.”
Jessie didn’t answer, merely raising an arched brow that seemed to contradict his words. He simply walked to the front door, trying to tamp down his instincts. What he wanted most in the world at that moment was to take Jessie in his arms. He was sure, however, that would be the worst move he could make. She remained silent as she followed him to the door.
When he grasped the doorknob, he turned to glance down at her. For perhaps the first time, she wasn’t looking at him with anger or disdain. Her blue eyes were wide with curiosity. Even without makeup, her face was alluring.
Not stopping to think about his actions, not calculating the result, he slowly bent his head. His lips feathered across the full warmth of hers. Reluctantly, he raised his head. She didn’t pull away, which he thought was encouraging. The temptation of her flushed face and slumberous eyes was too great, and he bent to kiss her again.
Just as before, the world went into a tailspin. A mixture of feelings coursed through him. He felt a basic, primitive desire for the soft woman in his arms, mingled with a need to cherish and protect her. When she trembled against him, his arms tightened instinctively, but he didn’t deepen the kiss. He didn’t trust himself.
“I’m not dangerous,” he told her, his voice not quite steady, “but I don’t have much will power where you’re concerned. I’ll try to keep to the agreement, but I won’t promise that I’ll always keep my hands to myself.”
Before she could say a word, he walked out the door, closing it firmly behind him. Pausing on the front step, he took a deep breath to clear his head. Even a brief kiss from Jessie was potent. He had felt her lips move under his, he was sure of it. Liquid desire still coursed through him, and he wondered if he would be able to survive actually making love with her.
As he ambled to his car, a sudden thought occurred to him. What was a woman like Jessica DeLord doing with books on dating and babies? More important, what was Jessie’s preoccupation with babies? Before he grasped the door handle he looked back at the house. He tried to remember the titles of the books by the photographs. Shaking his head, he climbed into the car. Every time he solved one piece of the puzzle about the lady, another one seemed to spring up.
“Hi, beautiful.”
Jessie almost spilled her tea on the fabric samples in front of her. Somehow Trevor had materialized out of nowhere after a three-day absence and was now sitting on the edge of her desk. “Hello.”
“Did you miss me over the weekend?”
She caught the teasing glint in his brown eyes and relaxed. After Thursday night, she decided to take things one day at a time. She wasn’t going to let Trevor goad her into any rash behavior. They’d been able to have a rational conversation that night, so if she was careful, they could get along. She just refused to remember his departure. “Was I supposed to miss you?”
“You could pretend. At least tell me that the news was flat without me.”
“I don’t watch the local news.” She smiled gently to soften her denial. As long as she kept her distance from him and didn’t think about her physical reaction
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