Page 40 of The Playboy Meets His Match
“No, I don’t. If the bomber was Dorian, I suspect he was after the disk or giving us a warning. I’ll keep you safe, I promise.”
“You can’t promise me absolute protection.”
“I’ll do my best. Darlin’, this morning seems a year away instead of hours.”
“Yes, it does,” she answered in a softer tone of voice.
“I hate being away from you, and I’ll be home as soon as I can—probably half-past five before I can get there. I’ve gotta run now, but I had to talk to you.”
“Thanks for calling,” she said in that same low, breathless voice that made him want to cancel all the rest of his afternoon appointments and go home right now.
“’Bye, Merry,” he said, wanting to say so much more, continually shocked by his intense reaction to her. As soon as she returned his farewell, he broke the connection, pocketed his cellular phone and left for a meeting with his accountant.
In a daze Merry replaced the receiver and walked to the bedroom they had shared the night before, staring at the bed while her thoughts spun vivid memories. She was in love with Jason, but she wasn’t falling for any wild promises or lines from him because this was old stuff to him. He was a playboy and oh-so-clearly had let her know he didn’t want to be involved in a serious commitment.
In spite of knowing about his past and his reputation, she loved him, and a broken heart seemed inevitable. She knew that she needed to move out of his house and get some distance between them because she was going to have to resist his sweet-talking, sexy charm if she didn’t want to become as devastated as her sister.
In the meantime, she would be here tonight and she was going out with him this evening and for the next twenty-four hours, she was going to close her mind to the future.
At half past five she heard his pickup and saw him stop at the main house and get out to talk to one of the hands, then he climbed into the pickup and drove to the guest house. She wanted to run and throw herself into his arms. She looked down at her cutoffs and red T-shirt. Her hair was clipped behind her head and she smoothed wayward tendrils back into place.
The door of the pickup slammed shut, and as she watched his ground-eating stride, her pulse jumped. In his black Stetson, jeans and a white shirt, he looked sexy and appealing. In his hand was a crystal vase with a dozen deep-red roses.
He opened the door and tossed away his hat as his hot gaze met hers.
“Hi,” he said in a husky voice. “I brought you flowers.”
“They’re beautiful,” she said without taking her gaze from his. He set them on a table as he crossed the room to her.
Her racing pulse accelerated, and then she was flying to fling herself at him. The moment they were in each other’s arms, Jason walked her backwards toward the bedroom.
While they kissed, her hands were all over him as much as his were all over her. She hadn’t known it was possible to desire someone the way she did Jason. Still kissing him, she unbuttoned his shirt and tugged it out of his jeans frantically, barely aware when he pulled her T-shirt over her head and tossed it away. In their slow walk to the bedroom, clothing was strewn willy-nilly.
“I want you, Merry,” he whispered hoarsely. “I haven’t been able to think about anything else all day.”
She wound her fingers in his hair, kissing him while her other hand trailed over his chest.
He cupped her bare breasts to fondle and kiss her while she closed her eyes and moaned with pleasure. Urgency tore at both of them. Her hungry need for him overwhelmed her. She caressed him as he lifted her onto the bed and moved between her legs, lowering himself and entering her swiftly.
She arched beneath him, clinging to him and moving with him, giving herself completely to him. She ran her hands over his smooth, muscled back, down to his thighs, memorizing each inch of him. Body against body, united, hearts beating together. How she wanted it to be forever!
When they crashed with release, ecstasy filled her and in that one moment, she held him, knowing they were one.
“I couldn’t wait to see you,” he said when their breathing slowed to normal. He held her close in his arms, his fingers smoothing her hair from her face. “I’m torn between wanting to take you to Claire’s tonight and wanting to stay right here in bed and love you all night long.”
She drew her fingers through his hair, feeling the thick strands, letting her hand slide down to his strong shoulder. “I suspect you’ll get hungry later.”
“Hungry for you,” he said, nuzzling her neck. “Reservations are for half-past-eight. That gives us some time.” He turned to kiss her throat. She ran her hand over his muscled back, still covered with a sheen of perspiration. She couldn’t get enough of him either. She wanted him in her arms, loving her, more than she wanted anything else. And she really didn’t care whether they went to Claire’s or not.
“Merry, the club has an annual charity ball coming up—will you go with me?”
She looked into his thickly lashed eyes and kissed him lightly. “Yes, I’ll be happy to go with you. What’s the charity?”
“Sebastian headed up the ball this time. He decided to make a bet with all of us. This was back in his bachelor days. All of us were bachelors then.”
“Sorry to interrupt your story, but who is us?”
“Sebastian, Rob Cole, Keith Owens, Will Bradford and I are the group. The bet was that the last bachelor left standing—since most of those guys are marriage-minded—”
