to everything but the grinding need to see Meg, to
learn if she was aware of Zach's betrayal, and if she were badly
hurt by it. Jess reached home in record time. He didn't bother
checking to see if he had patients waiting, but went straight to
the lean-to and saddled his horse. Meg needed to know about the man
she claimed to love, he decided, spurring his horse down the road.
Jess had come to like Zach, but this time he'd gone too far.
Jess galloped his horse all the way to Meg's
house. He knew he'd ridden his poor mount hard but he was mad, damn
mad. At Zach for betraying Meg, and at Meg for letting it happen.
Did she have no pride? No sense at all?
He dismounted, tossed his reins over the
porch railing and charged up the steps. He stormed into the house
without bothering to knock.
"Meg!"
No answer.
"Dammit, Meg, answer me."
Meg came hurrying out of the kitchen, wiping
her hands on the apron she wore around her middle. She looked
beautifully disheveled and flushed.
"Jess? Whatever is wrong?" Suddenly her face
turned white. "It isn't Zach, is it? He's been doing so well
lately."
"You're damn right it's Zach, only it's not
what you think. Do you know who he's with?"
She sent him a puzzled look. "No, but I can
guess. He's with Mary."
Jess sent her a pitying look. "Doesn't that
make you angry?"
"Why should it? Zach is a grown man. He's
free to do as he pleases. So am I."
He grasped her shoulders and gave her an
angry shake. "The man doesn't deserve your love."
"Don't ever say that! Zach saved my
life."
"So you said. And you repaid him by becoming
his lover. He doesn't deserve you, Meg."
"Zach is not now nor has he ever been my
lover," Meg bit out. "You're dense as a doorknob, Jess Gentry!"
Jess stared at her. Her color was high, and
her incredible green eyes glittered like brilliant emeralds. He
could tell she was angry and he wanted to kiss the pout off her
lush lips.
"You're denying you and Zach are lovers?" he
hissed.
"Haven't I always denied it?" Meg charged.
"You're the one who keeps persisting. Let me go."
He pulled her against him. "Zach said to tell
you not to wait supper on him. Though he didn't come out and say
it, he'll probably spend the night with the attractive Widow
Dowling."
"Zach and Mary have been friends for years.
Before I came into his life. Let me go," she repeated.
Jess couldn't explain why he didn't accept
Meg's word and let things go at that. But a devil inside him
wouldn't let the subject rest. He was like a dog with a bone,
digging beneath her denial for the truth.
"If Zach can take another lover, why not
you?"
Meg gave him a startled look. "You're not
offering yourself, are you?"
"Why not? Lord knows I've tried to treat you
as a patient, but I'm not made of stone. I know your body
intimately, Meg. I bathed you, took care of your needs. Every time
I touched you I forced myself to think of you as someone in need of
my services, not as a beautiful woman with a body that would tempt
a saint. I'm not too proud to admit that I want you, Meg Lincoln,
and Zach be damned. Just thinking about you and me together makes
me hard as stone."
Meg realized Jess was going to kiss her, and
she wanted to turn and run. She didn't.
"You liked my kisses once, Meg."
"You just thought I did."
His gaze desire-darkened gaze settled on her
lips. He stared at them for the space of a heartbeat before his
mouth came down hard on hers. Her protest became a pitiful mewling
sound, one that Meg scarcely realized had come from her own throat.
His kiss was hot and intense; a searing mingling of tongues and
teeth and unrestrained longing.
Jess broke off the kiss, the golden flecks in
his eyes glowing like precious amber as he searched her face. "You
want me," he crowed.
Meg expelled a shuddering breath. "No! I
don't..."
"Don't deny it, Meg. "You want me as badly as
I want you."
He grasped her hand and placed it on his
erection. "See what you do to me?"
He grinned knowingly when she snatched her
hand away.
learn if she was aware of Zach's betrayal, and if she were badly
hurt by it. Jess reached home in record time. He didn't bother
checking to see if he had patients waiting, but went straight to
the lean-to and saddled his horse. Meg needed to know about the man
she claimed to love, he decided, spurring his horse down the road.
Jess had come to like Zach, but this time he'd gone too far.
Jess galloped his horse all the way to Meg's
house. He knew he'd ridden his poor mount hard but he was mad, damn
mad. At Zach for betraying Meg, and at Meg for letting it happen.
Did she have no pride? No sense at all?
He dismounted, tossed his reins over the
porch railing and charged up the steps. He stormed into the house
without bothering to knock.
"Meg!"
No answer.
"Dammit, Meg, answer me."
Meg came hurrying out of the kitchen, wiping
her hands on the apron she wore around her middle. She looked
beautifully disheveled and flushed.
"Jess? Whatever is wrong?" Suddenly her face
turned white. "It isn't Zach, is it? He's been doing so well
lately."
"You're damn right it's Zach, only it's not
what you think. Do you know who he's with?"
She sent him a puzzled look. "No, but I can
guess. He's with Mary."
Jess sent her a pitying look. "Doesn't that
make you angry?"
"Why should it? Zach is a grown man. He's
free to do as he pleases. So am I."
He grasped her shoulders and gave her an
angry shake. "The man doesn't deserve your love."
"Don't ever say that! Zach saved my
life."
"So you said. And you repaid him by becoming
his lover. He doesn't deserve you, Meg."
"Zach is not now nor has he ever been my
lover," Meg bit out. "You're dense as a doorknob, Jess Gentry!"
Jess stared at her. Her color was high, and
her incredible green eyes glittered like brilliant emeralds. He
could tell she was angry and he wanted to kiss the pout off her
lush lips.
"You're denying you and Zach are lovers?" he
hissed.
"Haven't I always denied it?" Meg charged.
"You're the one who keeps persisting. Let me go."
He pulled her against him. "Zach said to tell
you not to wait supper on him. Though he didn't come out and say
it, he'll probably spend the night with the attractive Widow
Dowling."
"Zach and Mary have been friends for years.
Before I came into his life. Let me go," she repeated.
Jess couldn't explain why he didn't accept
Meg's word and let things go at that. But a devil inside him
wouldn't let the subject rest. He was like a dog with a bone,
digging beneath her denial for the truth.
"If Zach can take another lover, why not
you?"
Meg gave him a startled look. "You're not
offering yourself, are you?"
"Why not? Lord knows I've tried to treat you
as a patient, but I'm not made of stone. I know your body
intimately, Meg. I bathed you, took care of your needs. Every time
I touched you I forced myself to think of you as someone in need of
my services, not as a beautiful woman with a body that would tempt
a saint. I'm not too proud to admit that I want you, Meg Lincoln,
and Zach be damned. Just thinking about you and me together makes
me hard as stone."
Meg realized Jess was going to kiss her, and
she wanted to turn and run. She didn't.
"You liked my kisses once, Meg."
"You just thought I did."
His gaze desire-darkened gaze settled on her
lips. He stared at them for the space of a heartbeat before his
mouth came down hard on hers. Her protest became a pitiful mewling
sound, one that Meg scarcely realized had come from her own throat.
His kiss was hot and intense; a searing mingling of tongues and
teeth and unrestrained longing.
Jess broke off the kiss, the golden flecks in
his eyes glowing like precious amber as he searched her face. "You
want me," he crowed.
Meg expelled a shuddering breath. "No! I
don't..."
"Don't deny it, Meg. "You want me as badly as
I want you."
He grasped her hand and placed it on his
erection. "See what you do to me?"
He grinned knowingly when she snatched her
hand away.
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