talk."
"You'll have plenty of time with him, don't worry. If Paula comes, then I'll have someone to talk to as well." A sardonic smile edged his mouth.
"Then why not ask the Penders and make it a real dinner party?" Leigh challenged, only half serious.
"Why not." To her surprise, he nodded agreement. "You like Betty Pender, don't you?"
Leigh's affirmative answer was rather defensive. She was wondering if he was implying that she was immune to making friends or liking people.
As she went to rise from the chair, she felt a protest from muscles that had had too much unaccustomed exercise.
"What's wrong?" Immediately Jason was there to help her up.
"Nothing, I'm fine." She shrugged away from his disturbing touch.
"You overdid it today." It was a flat statement. He needed no other confirmation than the walls around him, which he was noticing all of a sudden.
"Do you like it? It looks better, don't you think?"
"Much better." But he was looking at her. "You know, Leigh, I didn't think you'd really do it." His eyes raked the slender form of the girl standing beside him. "You look too delicate to raise a window shade, much less paint an entire room all by yourself and still come out fighting."
"I'm stronger than I look."
"I'm beginning to realize that."
For one long, breathless moment he was gazing deep into her eyes, seeming to see through to her very soul.
At the familiar melting sensation that was flowing through her, Leigh broke the contact.
"I'd better check on Jody and put a few things into an overnight bag."
"Leigh," he stopped her with a curt command, "pack everything, we're moving. If we're going to have to smell paint, we might as well do so in comfort at the house." His smile was almost tender. "Who knows what else you might take it into that pretty head of yours to tackle if I leave you around here. My next tenant is already enough in your debt."
Her pulse rate doing double-time, she went to get their things ready. With Jason helping, the move to the main house was accomplished in record time. Basically they had only their clothes and Jody's toys to transfer, and the cottage to tidy and close up.
Since Smitty was not expecting them, Leigh undertook to prepare their rooms while Smitty started on the impromptu dinner party. Leigh and Jody were given connecting rooms, and Leigh was glad the child would be near her, but it was a luxury to have a room to herself once again.
She stationed Jody at a small table with a box of building bricks, and humming to herself aired their rooms and put fresh linens on the beds. That finished, she went reluctantly along to do Jason's room, Jody trailing behind.
As she worked, she couldn't help wondering at Jason's change of heart in allowing her to stay in his home. Maybe he had tired of trying to punish her.
When she went to give Smitty a hand, Leigh found everything well under way. Between the two of them they were soon putting on the finishing touches, and Leigh even had time to take a restless Jody for a short walk in the garden before giving her her dinner.
Finally Leigh was able to have her long-awaited bath. She filled the lemon yellow tub with steaming hot water and sprinkled in a generous dose of the bath oil she discovered on the bathroom shelf. As she sank gratefully into the soft, scented water, she could feel the soreness easing out of her muscles and she stayed as long as she dared, giving herself up to pure, sensuous pleasure.
Leigh decided to wear the black lace dress. With the exquisitely groomed Paula Knight around, she would need every boost to her confidence she could get. Somehow the woman always made her feel at a disadvantage, but tonight would be an exception, Leigh decided, the sparkle of combat in her eyes.
With its high neckline and long sleeves, the black gown could have looked demure, but the skin-toned peach underslip peeping through the lace took care of that. The dress fit Leigh's slim form like a glove, the long skirt dropping in an
"You'll have plenty of time with him, don't worry. If Paula comes, then I'll have someone to talk to as well." A sardonic smile edged his mouth.
"Then why not ask the Penders and make it a real dinner party?" Leigh challenged, only half serious.
"Why not." To her surprise, he nodded agreement. "You like Betty Pender, don't you?"
Leigh's affirmative answer was rather defensive. She was wondering if he was implying that she was immune to making friends or liking people.
As she went to rise from the chair, she felt a protest from muscles that had had too much unaccustomed exercise.
"What's wrong?" Immediately Jason was there to help her up.
"Nothing, I'm fine." She shrugged away from his disturbing touch.
"You overdid it today." It was a flat statement. He needed no other confirmation than the walls around him, which he was noticing all of a sudden.
"Do you like it? It looks better, don't you think?"
"Much better." But he was looking at her. "You know, Leigh, I didn't think you'd really do it." His eyes raked the slender form of the girl standing beside him. "You look too delicate to raise a window shade, much less paint an entire room all by yourself and still come out fighting."
"I'm stronger than I look."
"I'm beginning to realize that."
For one long, breathless moment he was gazing deep into her eyes, seeming to see through to her very soul.
At the familiar melting sensation that was flowing through her, Leigh broke the contact.
"I'd better check on Jody and put a few things into an overnight bag."
"Leigh," he stopped her with a curt command, "pack everything, we're moving. If we're going to have to smell paint, we might as well do so in comfort at the house." His smile was almost tender. "Who knows what else you might take it into that pretty head of yours to tackle if I leave you around here. My next tenant is already enough in your debt."
Her pulse rate doing double-time, she went to get their things ready. With Jason helping, the move to the main house was accomplished in record time. Basically they had only their clothes and Jody's toys to transfer, and the cottage to tidy and close up.
Since Smitty was not expecting them, Leigh undertook to prepare their rooms while Smitty started on the impromptu dinner party. Leigh and Jody were given connecting rooms, and Leigh was glad the child would be near her, but it was a luxury to have a room to herself once again.
She stationed Jody at a small table with a box of building bricks, and humming to herself aired their rooms and put fresh linens on the beds. That finished, she went reluctantly along to do Jason's room, Jody trailing behind.
As she worked, she couldn't help wondering at Jason's change of heart in allowing her to stay in his home. Maybe he had tired of trying to punish her.
When she went to give Smitty a hand, Leigh found everything well under way. Between the two of them they were soon putting on the finishing touches, and Leigh even had time to take a restless Jody for a short walk in the garden before giving her her dinner.
Finally Leigh was able to have her long-awaited bath. She filled the lemon yellow tub with steaming hot water and sprinkled in a generous dose of the bath oil she discovered on the bathroom shelf. As she sank gratefully into the soft, scented water, she could feel the soreness easing out of her muscles and she stayed as long as she dared, giving herself up to pure, sensuous pleasure.
Leigh decided to wear the black lace dress. With the exquisitely groomed Paula Knight around, she would need every boost to her confidence she could get. Somehow the woman always made her feel at a disadvantage, but tonight would be an exception, Leigh decided, the sparkle of combat in her eyes.
With its high neckline and long sleeves, the black gown could have looked demure, but the skin-toned peach underslip peeping through the lace took care of that. The dress fit Leigh's slim form like a glove, the long skirt dropping in an
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