Chapter 2
As promised, Joshua called Jessie on New Year's Day.
Jessie made sure she wasn't home.
He called again on the second, the third and the fifth. She'd let the answering machine pick up while she sat in her kitchen listening, his tone getting progressively cooler and more impatient with each call.
Joshua had left half a dozen imperious messages in the last two weeks. She had no intention of falling over herself to call him back. Obviously he wasn't used to being ignored.
She knew she was playing a dangerous game. There was a fine balance as she waited for the timing to be right without causing Joshua to lose interest.
Soon. Very soon, Jessie thought as she drove onto the narrow road leading up to the gatehouse. She'd been startled, no, stunned, when Joshua had admitted he was a married man. His honesty, not only in acknowledging his marriage, but the status of that marriage, had confused her.
If she hadn't been his wife she would've politely walked away. Her mother had had plenty of married lovers. The ending was always sad and messy.
She sighed. His honesty had disarmed her and made her feel a little guilty about what she was about to do. But he was still The Glacier. Cold. Hard. Ruthless. He was still her absentee husband. He was still the man who was going to give her heart's desire. A baby. Born in wedlock.
It was the second week of the new year and cold for Northern California. The wind cut through her jacket as Jessie got out of the car. It was after three and she'd missed lunch looking for a particular wallpaper sample at the design center in the city. Her stomach growled.
The little cottage welcomed her with warmth as she quickly closed the front door behind her and headed for the kitchen. She loved the carriage house. It was home. Safe, warm, welcoming, and as permanent a home as she'd ever had. Joshua's lawyer, Felix Montgomery, had taken her under his wing and introduced her to his son Conrad that dizzying day seven years ago.
Con had offered her not only the use of the gatehouse, but also a job in his architectural company while she went back to school. Conrad and his partner, Archie, had converted the gatehouse cottage into a charming home for her, then later incorporated the studio when she'd gone to work for Conrad full-time as an interior designer.
They'd helped her transform her life and, in the process, the two men had become her dearest friends and the brothers she'd never had.
The phone rang. Jessie turned off the machine. "Hello?"
"Where in the hell have you been?"
She dragged in a breath. "I believe you have the wrong number," and hung up.
The phone rang again. Jessie tossed a tea bag in a mug of water and stuck it in the microwave. The phone continued ringing. The microwave dinged. She squeezed out the bag and poured in a little milk. "Hello?"
"This is extremely time-consuming," Joshua said with a great deal of annoyance.
"Who is this?"
There was a pause. "Joshua Falcon."
"Oh. Sorry. I've been getting a lot of crank calls," Jessie told him sweetly. She sipped her tea and burned her tongue. She sat down at the small round table in a weak ray of sunshine and unhooked the calendar beside the phone.
"I've been calling you for weeks."
"Darn. And I kept missing you." She didn't bother trying to sound too sincere. "I've been so busy."
"So have I," he said coolly. "I just returned from an important business trip, but I made time to call you anyway."
Jessie grinned. "Where did you go?" Her stomach growled.
"Ireland."
"I've always wanted to travel. Tell me about it." She dragged the cord over to the cupboard and scanned her soups.
Talking to him on the phone was easier, safer, than in person. She couldn't see his eyes. Or his mouth. Or smell his cologne. She wanted a baby from this man. She did not want to fall in love with him.
Jessie refused to go there. That path was rocky and filled with potholes. Fortunately, she'd outgrown the gigantic crush she'd had on him years ago. She'd seen what love had done to her mother. No, thank you very much. That wasn't for her. Mutual attraction would get the job done. Quick. Painless. Satisfying. No fuss. No muss. It might be cold-blooded, but she'd know who her child's father was. No one would get hurt. Everyone would get what they wanted.
It was a good plan.
She prayed she'd get pregnant immediately.
She held the phone between chin and shoulder as she found a bowl, opened a can of tomato soup and added water and milk to her late lunch.
Joshua gave her the Reader's Digest travel tour of Ireland while she mumbled "Hmmm" and "Fascinating" at appropriate moments. And it would have been if she wasn't so uptight about seeing him again. At this rate, she'd develop indigestion.
She was sure as soon as she saw him the panicky feeling she'd been experiencing would pass. Between her "schedule" and his business travel, she'd managed to avoid him since Simon's Christmas party. Unfortunately January was a slow month in the interior design business, and she could've used the distraction of being genuinely busy. She'd have to see him soon, even if the timing wasn't right.
"All right. Enough about my trip." He sounded exasperated. "When the hell am I going to see you?"
"How about tomorrow night?" Jessie glanced at the calendar where the next night had been marked with an X. She'd calculated just how long she could keep him dangling. She didn't want to see him one second more than necessary. Her attraction to him was already putting a crimp in her plans. She had to stay focused, no matter what
"Tonight," he insisted.
"I'm busy tonight." She lied cheerfully, getting up to place her empty bowl and spoon in the sink. "I'm free tomorrow night or next Wednesday. Your choice." Next Wednesday was circled in red. And underlined. She closed her eyes and prayed he'd pick door number two.
"I'll pick you up tomorrow night at seven."
"I'll meet you at Noble's, near Fisherman's Wharf, at seven-thirty," she said, resigned. There was a long pause. Jessie held her breath. Had she pushed him too far?
He laughed sardonically. "God, you're ornery. All right Noble's. Seven-thirty." The dial tone buzzed in her ear.
She collapsed back in her chair, eyes closed. She'd done it. She picked up the calendar and ran her finger tenderly around the dates she'd marked in red and underlined. The nights for conception. All she had to do was hold him off a week, until her next ovulation. The prize was worth any discomfort she might feel, any small niggling twinge of conscience she might have. All she had to do was stick to her plan without deviating and she'd walk away with the grand prize.
* * * * *
Jessie was cool, calm and collected when she walked into Noble's restaurant at precisely seven-thirty the next night. She wore a simple royal-purple dress with a jewel neckline and cap sleeves. Sophisticated and sexy enough to hold him off while beckoning him closer.
Joshua rose to greet her. The hem of her dress suddenly felt way too short, the silk far too thin, clinging to her body in a way it hadn't done at home.
"Hello, Jessie. You're more gorgeous than the last time I saw you." His pale eyes gleamed in the candlelight as he took her hand, and drew her onto the banquet seat beside him. A sizzle of electricity arced up her arm.
"The last time you saw me I was covered in dirt." God, but he smelled good. He looked virile and alarmingly masculine. And he was sitting far too close. Jessie tried to scoot up against the window "You were covered in skintight Lycra." His breath fanned her mouth. She struggled to draw in air, mesmerized by his silvery gaze as he whispered huskily. "I've dreamed about peeling you out of it for weeks."
Jessie paused a beat for her nerves to steady, then reached for the menu. If she handled this right, she could make the next date for the following week when it would count. One dinner for one night in his bed. Two dates. I can do this. I can.
"The seafood here is fabulous." Her pulse throbbed in her ears. She willed herself to relax. She knew the outcome of tonight. He didn't.
The waiter arrived. "Two specials," Joshua said, neither consulting her nor taking his eyes off her for a second.
His broad chest, covered in shirt, tie and jacket, was inches away. She had a lustful vision of it quite naked. Would his chest be sleek and smooth, or sprinkled with hair? It was alarming how badly she wanted to touch him to find out. "Perhaps I'd like something else."
So would I." Joshua brushed a wisp of hair away from her cheek. His touch was electrifying. "But I'm not going to get it before we eat." She must have looked as blank as she felt. He gave her a wry smile. "I don't give a damn what the specials are, as long as it's served fast."
Jessie controlled a bubble of hysterical laughter. "We could've gone to McDonald's."
"This was your choice."
"I'm starving." God. If they were this hot for each other they'd burn each other to cinders.
He slid from his seat and held out his hand.
"Where are we going?" Jessie took his hand automatically.
"To dance," he said thickly. "I have to hold you."
He pulled her up, then maneuvered her to the small, empty dance floor and tugged her into his arms.
It felt good pressed against the length of him like this. Far too good. Jessie tried to put a little space between them. Joshua's arms tightened in a firm, inexorable embrace.
The solid width of his chest felt like heaven beneath her hand. She looked up at him. Would her baby have Joshua's nose? His pale-blue eyes? His mouth?
The small band in the corner played something soft and bluesy. Lord, this is dangerous, Jessie thought, as Joshua moved her expertly around the floor. And expertly against him. She should have been shocked by the hard length of his erection pressed against her. Instead her heart leaped, and her skin heated. Her nipples puckered and rubbed against the inside of her bra. She moved a little closer, allowing the slide and sway of their bodies to ease the ache a little. He brought his hand up between their bodies, and clasped her hand against his chest. The backs of his fingers brushed against her nipple making her shudder with longing.
It was no accident. Of course it wasn't. He kept up the slight friction, until Jessie wanted to scream.
His hand felt warm through the thin silk at the small of her back as he pulled her more snugly against him. His thumb moved in a maddeningly light caress. Goose bumps spread from her back to her breasts in a slow, sweet rush that heated her skin another few degrees and made her heart pound.
Oh, boy. Definitely dangerous.
They were practically making love while vertical. Joshua brushed his mouth across her forehead and Jessie felt dizzy with longing. She struggled to find a topic of conversation to keep herself sensible. "Noble's was the first commercial interior design job I ever did on my own. I'd never done any commercial work until Con convinced Charlie to let me do—"
She glanced up while she was speaking. Why did he have to look at her like that? She licked her bottom lip, losing her train of thought.
Joshua's eyes smoldered; he drew her closer. "You did a superb job." He caught her nipple between the backs of two fingers and exerted gentle pressure. Moisture pooled between her thighs and her eyes glazed.
Her skin felt overly sensitive, almost electrified. Get a grip, Jessie. "How would you know? You haven't even looked." She managed a smile, and covered his eyes with her hand. She was demonstrative by nature and didn't give the impulsive act a moment's thought. But touching his bare skin, no matter what part of his body, was a mistake. A huge mistake.
"Tell me what you like about it." Her voice sounded strangled. Joshua's hot breath fanned the edge of her palm, his hips moved in a lazy, age-old rhythm that was making her insane, and his tweaking fingers had her libido at fever pitch. Jessie shifted slightly and rested her elbow high on his shoulder, feeling the play of muscles and the tantalizing brush of his hair on her overly sensitized skin as they swayed to the music. When had their feet stopped moving?
"I like the plaid carpet. And the mahogany paneling, the subtle lighting on the seascapes." He was very observant. The thought gave her a chill. Watch yourself, Jessie. "And the brass lighting and the dance floor." She felt his eyes move beneath her fingers.
"Lord," he said roughly, nuzzling her temple. "You smell like sin."
She withdrew her tingling palm and vowed to keep her hands to herself from now on. His lips skimmed her cheek.
"Would you make those sweet little moans for me in bed, Jessie? Would you whimper?" His teeth teased the shell of her ear. "You'd be hot and so sweet." He paused, breathing as raggedly as she, and when he spoke again his words were a fragmented whisper against her cheek. "Do you lie in bed at night and wonder how you'd move beneath me? How incredible it would feel to have me deep inside you?"
The picture came to her in vivid Technicolor and her mouth went dry. She gave him a cool look. "Actually… no."
"Liar." His pale eyes looked as hot as lava. "I can see how much you want me. I can see your heart pounding." He used the tips of two fingers to measure the pulse at her throat. "Right here." He dropped his hand, satisfied as her pulse throbbed even harder.
"I don't like the way I behave around you, Jessie Adams. It's completely out of character and I don't like it at all." He said it like a caress. Like a curse She smiled, but inside a frightened little voice silently echoed his sentiment. "I thought I made you hot."
"Oh, you do. Make no mistake about that." A muscle jerked in his jaw. "Hell, right now I wouldn't give a damn if half the press corps sat at the next table. That's how much I want you."
His face was just inches away; she could see herself reflected in his eyes. Jessie dug her short nails into her palms until she regained her senses.
"Wow," she said dulcetly. "That much?" She'd observed men play the game of "I want you until I have you" all her life. "Then it's a good thing we're in a public place."
"Which is why I'm not stripping your clothes off." His brows drew together in a frown. "As a rule, I'm a patient man. Congratulations, you've managed to try that patience to the limit." His fingertips ran along her jaw and left a trail of heat in their wake. His thumb glided over her lower lip.
"You and I have different priorities, Joshua." She struggled to control her own libido. "Satisfying your expectations is on the very bottom of my list. I happen to have a life of my own and you're only a very small part of it."
"That's going to change, Jessie. Very soon I'm going to be a major part of it."
His arrogance and self-confidence were bred to the bone. "Don't be too optimistic, Mr. Falcon. This is our first date and I don't like having a man tell me what to do, or when to do it."
His gaze rested on her mouth before he looked her right in the eye. "Are you telling me we won't become lovers?"
"I haven't decided one way or the other—yet." She ignored the little thrill of excitement skimming her nerves. She fought the unwelcome, insidious attraction with a reminder it was a physical ailment, like a cold or the flu, and would pass.
"You'll be the second person to know once I make up my mind." She glanced at the table where the wait staff hovered. "Oh, our dinner's arrived." Her hand slid down his arm and caught his as they returned to the table.
Joshua sat down and flicked his napkin onto his lap with controlled irritation. "Are you always this stubborn?"
"Let's say I'm extremely selective. I don't jump into bed at the drop of a hat. And, frankly, the thought of tossing my underwear into your collection is something I have to think about."
"Will I see you tomorrow?" he bit out, his expression savage. Desire dilated his eyes. Clearly part of him loved the challenge; the rest of him wanted her. Now.
Please God, next Wednesday was the next and last time she planned to see him. She'd see how Mr. Impatience liked waiting another week. She groaned inwardly. At the rate she was going, he might become a vapor trail before tonight was over.
"Let's see if we manage to complete this evening unscathed first, shall we?"
Amusement flared in his eyes. Jessie was afraid he knew exactly what she was experiencing. He leaned back in the booth, his expression bland as his hot gaze raked her face. "We'll see just which of us raises the white flag first then, shall we?"
Jessie relaxed the tense muscles gripping her spine. She didn't even own a white flag. He had no idea just how stubborn and determined she could be.
Neither of them was getting any sex tonight, she reminded herself. After dinner she would drive herself home. Alone. It made a world of difference to her nerves when she leveled the playing field. The balance of power was in her hands tonight.
He might wonder.
But she knew.
* * * *
The sun shone bright as a spring day, but there was still a nip in the air as Joshua strolled beside Jessie at the antique street fair one Sunday afternoon. She wore blue jeans that did marvelous things to her long legs and heart-shaped butt, a short, screaming orange sweater, and a brightly patterned silk scarf. The outfit was so Jessie, as he was finding out. She hadn't worn the bold colors to attract attention, Joshua knew, although several men had turned to look at her. Jessie loved bright colors. Happy colors she'd informed him, eyeing his tan slacks, pale-blue shirt and navy windbreaker with disfavor when he'd met her downtown earlier.
The streets were crowded and noisy. Not the kind of place he'd ever have chosen to spend a Sunday afternoon. And certainly not where he would have chosen to be with Jessie. He preferred his surroundings slick, modern and new. And he wanted this woman to him self. Preferably in his big, black lacquered bed.
An unexpected business trip had kept him out of the country and he hadn't seen her in a week. Her face had come to mind at the most inappropriate times. It annoyed the hell out of him.
Jessie paused beside a table laden with junk. She ran her hands over chipped cups and tarnished silver, all the while chatting comfortably with the vendor, an older woman with improbably red hair and a tired face.
Joshua admired the way the sun tangled in Jessie's dark hair, and the sweet curve of her cheek and mouth as she spoke. She talked with her hands, too. Animated, alive, interested in strangers. He felt a pang he grudgingly admitted was jealousy.
He wanted her to himself. Yet each time he saw her he became more intrigued by her interaction with others. She put people at ease. The things that drew him to her were the same traits that drew other people. Jessie's obvious joy for life, her enthusiasm, her sheer pleasure in everyday things. He glanced at the elderly lady's face as Jessie asked about a particular item on the overcrowded table.
The woman was brought to life by Jessie's animation, by her interest. It wouldn't have surprised him if she gave Jessie anything she wanted from her table of wares.
"She expected you to bargain, you know." Joshua told her as they strolled away with Jessie's purchase, a beaten-up, tarnished teapot for which she'd paid the asking price. A ridiculous amount for a piece of junk.
Jessie cradled her purchase to her chest. "She's raising her two grandchildren. Oh, look at that!" She grabbed his hand, dragging him through the crowd to look at a sideboard on the opposite sidewalk.
Joshua looked at their clasped hands. Her skin looked pale and soft, her hand small. He liked the feel of it in his. He liked the joining. And he wanted her more than his next breath.
Not just the wanting sexually. Although, God only knew, he urgently wanted her naked beneath him. But he wanted some of her joy, some of her zest for life.
He didn't ever remember having Jessie's… zing, for want of a better word. She crackled with energy. Was gloriously, unabashedly alive.
"What?" She glanced up to find him staring at her.
The milling crow faded as Joshua bracketed her face between his hands and brought his mouth down on hers. Her lips felt smooth and soft beneath his. He eased his tongue into the warm wetness of her mouth. She tasted of the caramel corn she'd eaten earlier. He'd never cared for the flavor before, but, on Jessie, the too sweet flavor tasted like ambrosia.
He stroked down her back and held her lithe body against him in an agony of want. The sun shone brightly on Joshua's closed lids, bathing him in gold. I've lost it. We're in the middle of the street for heaven's sake! Surrounded by hundreds of people—A magnitude-ten shudder traveled from his face to his groin when Jessie used both hands to hold his head steady, then lightly stroked his cheeks with her thumbs as he kissed her. Her agile tongue played with his, darting and playing tag until Joshua felt weak and stupid with desire Once. That's all he'd need. One time in Jessie's bed. One time in Jessie. Surely to God that was all that was required to get her out of his system. Jessie Adams was just too much hard work. He was used to picking up the phone and having his woman available immediately. With Jessie he had to watch the ball.
Her tongue slipped from his mouth, and an ache of disappointment pressed against his chest, No. His arms tightened about her slender waist. But his Jessie wasn't done with the kiss, after all. She brushed her damp lips across his, once, twice, then nipped his lower lip between strong, white teeth, and all the while her soft hands stroked his face.
Joshua had never experienced anything like it. Hell, he'd been horny before. He'd been turned on before. Sex was fine. Gratifying. A stress reliever. But with Jessie he wanted… What? More? Joshua went hazy for a moment as Jessie's body shifted against him.
She was dangerous… lethal. Damn it, he didn't do commitment. He wanted her to be the same as other women he'd dated and slept with. He needed her to be just like them. He wouldn't have it any other way.
She finally pulled her mouth away. "We're going to be arrested if we don't stop."
Joshua looked at her through dazed eyes. "What?"
Jessie smiled, her mouth blush-pink, damp and swollen from his kisses. Her unruly hair flew about in the warm spring breeze, strands stuck on the front of his sweater. Bonding them.
Joshua took a step back and stuffed his hands in the front pockets of his Armani slacks. "I don't do public displays of affection."
"Really?" Jessie's brown eyes danced. "I'll have to remember that the next time you grab me for a kiss in public."
* * * * *
Another dinner date. Joshua vowed he wouldn't see this woman anywhere dangerous. Like a street fair. Or a parking lot. Or standing beside her car outside the theater in broad daylight.
There was something wrong with him, Joshua knew. He was incapable of feeling true emotion. Oh, he could fool most people, and he was quite proud of his ability to project the illusion. But the reality was he didn't experience emotional highs or lows like other people. He had some sort of missing gene.
He could claim it was because unemotional, uncaring parents had raised him. But he was an adult now, capable of seeing their selfishness for what it really was. No, the failing was his and his alone. It just wasn't in him to have any depth of feeling. It wasn't a problem. He'd managed perfectly well without it for thirty-three years.
It was easier to move on and not linger when he had an affair. No one got hurt. He was upfront and always told the woman that he had no intention of getting involved. Hell, fact was, he couldn't get involved. It just wasn't in him. It was always her choice if she decided to stay or go. He never admitted he didn't have the emotional fortitude to sustain any kind of relationship.
Take it or leave it. This was who he was. The Glacier.
Joshua had coldly analyzed his obsessive attraction to and fear of being with Jessie. He didn't want her to get close enough to see through him to his empty heart He didn't want her to know that what she saw was merely the shell of a man going through the motions. Like Pinocchio, he wanted to be a real boy. Unfortunately he had a wooden heart. If he had a heart at all.
Fortunately Jessie would never know just how much he relished basking in her joie de vivre.
"Are you angry because I went to Paris without you?" he asked, reigning in his thoughts. She'd been quiet all evening.
"A." Jessie broke a small loaf of sourdough bread and absently handed him a chunk. "I'm far too busy to go gallivanting off to Europe at the drop of a hat. B, I wouldn't have gone even if you'd asked me."
"Then why are you so annoyed?"
Her brown eyes were so dark they were almost black as she gave him a waspish glare. "You were gone for ten days."
Joshua bit back a satisfied smile. "Not a lifetime, surely?"
There was a pregnant silence when she said, "I hate playing games," and she suddenly looked frustratingly lost. Some of the heat left her eyes.
"You do it remarkably well," he told her.
She stared up at him, her eyes huge. "I won't sleep with you tonight."
"A. I haven't asked you to." He smiled coldly. "And B, when we're in bed, we won't be sleeping."
Jessie made a low growling sound. "The reason I agreed to meet you tonight was to tell you to go to h—" She paused to look up as a family settled themselves noisily at the table next to them.
"You were saying?" Joshua ground out over the child's shrieks as its mother stuffed its flailing legs into the high chair their waiter had pulled up. "Jessica?"
She turned back, her expression dazed. "What?"
"You came here tonight to tell me to go… ?" He knew damn well what the little shrew was going to say. He wanted to inform her he would go to hell after he had taken her to bed and made love to her until she couldn't remember her name, let alone give him so much aggravation.
"To tell you… " She looked at him blankly, glanced back at the fussy baby, then in a split second recovered herself. She smiled. Lord, he had never seen anything more captivating than Jessie's smile. "To tell you I missed you," she said huskily.
The waiter must have been trained to wait for the most inconvenient moment. He chose right then to deliver their entree, then fussed with salad and plates and refilled water glasses. Joshua sent him off with a glare.
Before he went to hell, before he was driven out of his mind, he was going to have to spend at least a week in bed with this infuriating woman. He didn't like this sensation of not being quite in control. She smiled a sweet, gentle smile before picking up her fork.
Joshua had never experienced anything like this in his life. Not when two people's desire for each other was so palpable. Jessie Adams was just as turned on by him as he was with her. And still she held him off.
Half of him was annoyed by her reticence. The other half admired her restraint. When they did finally have sex he'd better alert the fire department.
He glided his fingers up her thigh. Jessie shivered, then grabbed his hand and set it back on the table. For a split second, her eyes flashed. The child at the next table broke into a high-pitched babble capturing Jessie's attention again for a moment. When she looked back at him she gave him a dulcet glance and picked up her water glass. Her cheeks were flushed.
She laid her napkin on her lap. A traction of a second later, her eyes met his, a warm, soft smile touched the corners of her lips. A jolt of pure desire sizzled through him.
His heartbeat sped up as he said gruffly, "I want you very much, darling, so if you don't stop looking at me like that—"
She laughed, that deep, throaty, sexy-as-hell laugh of hers. A couple of heads turned, people smiling reflexively with her. "Behave," she told him sternly.
Her mouth, pale and free of lipstick, tempted him beyond endurance. Damn her. "Impossible. You wore that red dress expressly to make me crazy. It did its job. Now you have to pay up."
He leaned forward for a brief taste of her smile, slanting his mouth over hers briefly. He felt the quick, unexpected flick of her tongue. Perhaps he'd better place busy restaurants on his dangerous locations list. Electricity shot through him and he jerked away from her potency. After a quick glance his way and a raised eyebrow, Jessie resumed eating.
Joshua enjoyed the delicate greed with which she consumed her meal. A silky strand of hair trailed down her shoulder. He was sorely tempted to pull out the rest of the pins and see how it would look tangled after their lovemaking. He grew harder just at the thought.
"Tell me about Paris," Jessie demanded, leaning forward. "What you like about it. What you hate. What does the city smell like? Did you walk along the Seine in the rain? What's the food like?"
Joshua laughed at her outpouring of questions. So Jessie. Having her focus her entire attention on him was intoxicating. In the flickering candlelight, her skin looked translucent and incredibly soft. Her long, elegant legs were hidden beneath the table, but he could feel the erotic brush of her foot against his calf.
Once the honeymoon part of the relationship ended, he wouldn't have to invest as much time and energy into getting her into bed any time he wanted her. He didn't like wasting the time thinking about sleeping with her. He wanted to do it, and then go back to concentrating on Falcon International.
He bought failing businesses, put a competent manager in place, and when the business was once again in the black, sold it off. Much like not having the emotional fortitude to bond with a woman, he didn't form emotional attachments to the companies he purchased either. Everything about his life was controlled, planned and had a finite ending.
An ending of his own choosing.
It had been years since he had taken the time to slowly seduce a woman. It had been even longer since he had wanted a woman as much as he wanted Jessie. In fact, when he thought about it, he couldn't remember ever wanting another woman as much as he wanted Jessie. Nor could he remember one who actually listened without trying to impress him—which might explain his excruciating patience.
And the fact that he was still around. And very aroused.
Over the past several weeks, and mostly during transatlantic phone calls, he'd discovered they had many things in common: old movies, Japanese and Italian food and skiing. Joshua had no interest in skydiving, bungee jumping or spelunking. Jessie's love of dangerous sports appalled him. Not sure why, but wanting to understand this complicated woman better, he brought the topic up again
"I don't get the fascination," he finally said, after she'd told him about a recent rock-climbing excursion. "What is it about the danger that turns you on?" Her skin looked soft, the bones in her slender hands almost fragile. He refrained from touching her. He wasn't a hand holder. Had never even thought about it before. He frowned. Even the idea of just holding this woman's hand had appeal.
"Everything." Her eyes looked mysteriously dark in the shimmering light. Her gaze skittered to the table next to them and back. The toddler was banging a spoon on the high chair tray.
"I suspect it's the same surge of adrenaline you get when you… when, you know, you're going to attempt a merger. That heady rush that tells you you're alive. That feeling of power can't be duplicated. I feel invincible… " She shrugged one slender shoulder. "It's hard to explain. Why don't you come with me the next time I go?" She gave him that mysteriously limpid look he couldn't fathom.
"Thanks," Joshua said dryly, picking up his wineglass and taking a sip. "I'll stick to mergers and acquisitions. At least I won't have any broken bones."
"Luckily, I haven't had any of those. Believe me, I'm not into physical pain. Just the rush."
"I don't like you doing anything that has the distinct possibility of leaving you dead or paralyzed." He didn't like the thought a lot, he thought scowling.
"I'm always careful." She viewed his concern with a strange expression in her dark eyes. "I've never had anyone worry about me before." Her lips curved in a poignant smile for a moment before she looked down at her lasagna, then back to meet his eyes. "I'll probably stop soon anyway." Something flickered behind those fathomless brown eyes again, then was gone.
"Somehow I doubt anyone could make you do something you didn't want to do." His tone was dry.
She picked up her wineglass. "With the right incentive—" she toasted him "—you'd be surprised."
* * * * *
"I loathe that man!" Jessie slammed the kitchen door at the main house and stormed into Conrad and Archie's family room.
Conrad hid a grin. "Another amicable dinner date?" He folded his newspaper on his lap.
"Grrr." Jessie started pacing. "This isn't in the least bit funny, you know. I've missed out a gazillion times because he keeps going on these blasted business trips. Damn it. I'm starting to like him!" Jessie flopped down in an easy chair cradling a cushion on her lap. "I don't want to like the blasted man. Don't look at me like that, Archie. I don't!" She grimaced. "At this rate I'll be old enough to be my baby's grandmother before we do it."
Archie hid his grin behind his book. Conrad managed to look mildly interested by keeping his expression bland. "Good Lord," he said, tongue-in-cheek. "Sounds like you might have to have a relationship before you fall into bed with each other. How novel."
Jessie stuck out her tongue at him. "How droll." She kicked off her shoes and pulled her legs under her. "Neither of us wants a relationship." She said it as if it were the plague. "I just want him to be in the right place at the right time, damn it."
25-08-08, 09:26 PM
Chapter 2
جديد مواضيع قسم الارشيف
العرض العادي
