the city lights bled together, a watery, glittering blur that stretched to the horizon. Jason sipped absently from the glass of Scotch and viewed the display through narrowed eyes. "As pure as the driven snow," he muttered in a voice that was tinged with wonder. "Who would have thought it."
Shaking his head, Jason gave a short, mirthless laugh. That sure blows your plans all to hell and gone, St. Clair, he chided, lifting his glass to his reflection in mock salute. Despite that bit of face-saving before he'd left her, he'd never seduced a virgin in his life and he wasn't about to start with Dani.
So what do you do now? With a heavy sigh, Jason raked his fingers through his hair, letting his hand slide down the back of his head to knead the tense muscles in his neck. If you have any sense you'll forget her. You know plenty of beautiful women. Beautiful, willing, experienced women. What's the point in tying yourself up in knots over a twenty-eight-year-old virgin, for Pete's sake?
The chime of the doorbell cut into Jason's brooding thoughts, and he swung around, startled. A quick glance at his watch brought a frown. It was after eleven. Who the devil— The bell chimed again, and Jason set his drink on the table beside the sofa and stalked to the door.
When he jerked the door open his pale brows shot upward. "Linda. What are you doing here?"
"Hello, darling. May I come in?"
Jason hesitated. Then his mouth twisted in a wry half-smile. "Sure. Why not." Moving back, he motioned her in.
Linda stepped past him and sailed into the living room. When Jason followed a moment later she had arranged herself on the sofa in a seductive pose, snuggled back in a corner, arms draped over the back and arm. Her long legs were shown to an advantage, stretched out along the cushions, knees slightly bent and turned to one side. Her smile, her sultty gaze were a blatant invitation.
"I haven't heard from you in weeks, darling." Her mouth pouted prettily and the look in her eyes was part accusation, part seductive allure. "So I decided if Mohammed won't come to the mountain..." She smiled and waved her hand airily and let the sentence trail away.
"It's a little late to drop by for a visit, isn't it?"
Linda shrugged. "I was on my way home from having dinner with some friends and decided to stop by on the spur of the moment."
"I see." Jason sat down on the opposite end of the sofa and turned sideways to face her, laying an arm along the back. Briefly he wondered how she had gotten by the security guard in the lobby but then dismissed the thought. What the hell, he told himself. Hadn't he just decided that another woman was what he needed?
"I called you here several times and got no answer. And of course, that witch of a secretary you have won't ever tell me a thing, so it's useless to call you at the office. I assume you've been working hard, as usual."
Jason sighed inwardly at the question in her voice. Linda had no right to act possessive, but she had been showing a tendency in that direction more and more. He'd forgotten that in the past few weeks. Hell, he'd forgotten Linda in the past few weeks. "That, and traveling a bit," he said in a bored voice.
"Really, Jason! I know that your business deals take a lot of your time and you enjoy the challenge, but enough is enough." She leaned forward and placed her hand over his. Smiling alluringly into his eyes, she slowly raked her red-enameled nails across his skin. "I missed you, darling," she murmured huskily. "Very much."
Relenting a bit, Jason allowed his mouth to crook upward in a half-smile. "Did you?" he asked with only a trace of cynicism. He turned his hand and clasped hers. "Well, don't worry. Things are rocking along fairly well now. And I doubt that I'll be taking any trips in the next few weeks."
"Good." Linda swung her legs to the floor and scooted close, and as she pressed herself against him Jason's arms automatically enfolded her. Her hands smoothed up over his chest and
Shaking his head, Jason gave a short, mirthless laugh. That sure blows your plans all to hell and gone, St. Clair, he chided, lifting his glass to his reflection in mock salute. Despite that bit of face-saving before he'd left her, he'd never seduced a virgin in his life and he wasn't about to start with Dani.
So what do you do now? With a heavy sigh, Jason raked his fingers through his hair, letting his hand slide down the back of his head to knead the tense muscles in his neck. If you have any sense you'll forget her. You know plenty of beautiful women. Beautiful, willing, experienced women. What's the point in tying yourself up in knots over a twenty-eight-year-old virgin, for Pete's sake?
The chime of the doorbell cut into Jason's brooding thoughts, and he swung around, startled. A quick glance at his watch brought a frown. It was after eleven. Who the devil— The bell chimed again, and Jason set his drink on the table beside the sofa and stalked to the door.
When he jerked the door open his pale brows shot upward. "Linda. What are you doing here?"
"Hello, darling. May I come in?"
Jason hesitated. Then his mouth twisted in a wry half-smile. "Sure. Why not." Moving back, he motioned her in.
Linda stepped past him and sailed into the living room. When Jason followed a moment later she had arranged herself on the sofa in a seductive pose, snuggled back in a corner, arms draped over the back and arm. Her long legs were shown to an advantage, stretched out along the cushions, knees slightly bent and turned to one side. Her smile, her sultty gaze were a blatant invitation.
"I haven't heard from you in weeks, darling." Her mouth pouted prettily and the look in her eyes was part accusation, part seductive allure. "So I decided if Mohammed won't come to the mountain..." She smiled and waved her hand airily and let the sentence trail away.
"It's a little late to drop by for a visit, isn't it?"
Linda shrugged. "I was on my way home from having dinner with some friends and decided to stop by on the spur of the moment."
"I see." Jason sat down on the opposite end of the sofa and turned sideways to face her, laying an arm along the back. Briefly he wondered how she had gotten by the security guard in the lobby but then dismissed the thought. What the hell, he told himself. Hadn't he just decided that another woman was what he needed?
"I called you here several times and got no answer. And of course, that witch of a secretary you have won't ever tell me a thing, so it's useless to call you at the office. I assume you've been working hard, as usual."
Jason sighed inwardly at the question in her voice. Linda had no right to act possessive, but she had been showing a tendency in that direction more and more. He'd forgotten that in the past few weeks. Hell, he'd forgotten Linda in the past few weeks. "That, and traveling a bit," he said in a bored voice.
"Really, Jason! I know that your business deals take a lot of your time and you enjoy the challenge, but enough is enough." She leaned forward and placed her hand over his. Smiling alluringly into his eyes, she slowly raked her red-enameled nails across his skin. "I missed you, darling," she murmured huskily. "Very much."
Relenting a bit, Jason allowed his mouth to crook upward in a half-smile. "Did you?" he asked with only a trace of cynicism. He turned his hand and clasped hers. "Well, don't worry. Things are rocking along fairly well now. And I doubt that I'll be taking any trips in the next few weeks."
"Good." Linda swung her legs to the floor and scooted close, and as she pressed herself against him Jason's arms automatically enfolded her. Her hands smoothed up over his chest and
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