Page 54 of The Playboy Meets His Match
“Let’s go home and let me check out your muscles.”
She made a face at him. “Call Rob now and set something up. The sooner the better.”
Jason sighed and shook his head. “I should have known what your reaction would be.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his cellular phone. In minutes he handed it to Merry.
“He wants to check things out with you. We’re set.”
He watched her while she listened and talked to Rob and all Jason could think about was taking her home. He wanted to talk her into coming back to the ranch with him. When had he ever had trouble talking a female into anything he wanted? Since he had met Merry. She could resist all his wiles. He reached across the table to run his fingers along her soft cheek. She returned the phone to him, and he talked to Rob, who said he would call back as soon as he talked to Sebastian, but they would plan on tomorrow afternoon when Dorian left work.
Jason put away the phone and stood to take her hand. “Let’s dance.”
He whispered endearments in her ear and then tried to talk her into going back to the ranch, but she was adamant about returning to her new apartment.
When he walked to the door of her apartment with her, she turned to face him, and he realized she didn’t even intend to invite him inside.
“Aren’t you going to show me your apartment?”
“Not tonight. You won’t like it because it doesn’t have furniture in it.”
“Come home with me,” he said.
“We’ve been over that more than once. We need a little time and space. Or at least I do, and I think you should take a step back.”
“That’s crazy when I feel the way I do about you,” he said, wrapping her in his arms. “You’re not going to let me come in tonight?”
“No, I’m not.”
“I love you, Merry.”
Her heart thudded, and she wanted so badly to believe him, so badly to go home with him, but he had a history that worried her. “You were very convincing when I met you and you told me you never wanted to marry.”
“I wish I had kept my mouth shut. Don’t you know that I’ve fallen in love with you? It happens, Merry. Why can’t you believe me?”
“I want to, and maybe I will, but I want us both to do a few things that are logical.”
“Yeah? Well, where’s logic in this?” He leaned down to kiss her, his mouth covering hers, opening it as his tongue touched hers. Her heart pounded and she stood on tiptoe and clung to him to kiss him back. She wanted him desperately, wanted him to really be in love with her and she poured herself into her kisses until they both were panting.
“Give me your key,” he whispered.
She pushed against his chest. “As difficult as this is, I’m going to do what I said. I’ll talk to you tomorrow, and tonight was fun.” She unlocked her apartment, stepped inside and gazed into smoldering blue-green eyes that took her breath with blatant desire.
“’Night, Jason,” she said, thinking it was the hardest thing she had ever done and wondering how she was going to be able to leave him and go back to Dallas if that’s the decision she eventually made.
She closed the door and locked it, standing in the empty darkened apartment and feeling forlorn. In minutes she heard his car drive away, and she wiped away tears. She wanted to be with him, wanted to accept his ring. Did he really mean his declarations of love? she asked herself for what seemed like the millionth time. Or would he gradually disappear out of her life and go on to another woman? That possibility hurt. “I love you,” she whispered the words she had wanted to say to him so many times, yet she had to be sure about him.
She couldn’t see how he could be so sure about himself when he had spent a lifetime fighting the idea of marriage.
She shifted restlessly and tried to think about their plan for her to meet Dorian face-to-face. She would welcome the opportunity. And then she could prove to Jason that Dorian was lying about knowing Holly and her.
Late in the afternoon the next day, Merry opened the gate for Jason and watched as he drove his black car to the front of her apartment. Wanting to avoid showing him the empty apartment, she stepped outside quickly. His gaze went over her in a swift assessment, and she saw a momentary relaxing of his somber expression. “You look great.”
“Thank you.”
He kissed her lightly on the mouth and looked down at her solemnly. “Sure you don’t want to change your mind?”
“I’m dead certain. I want to talk to Dorian.”
“Come on. Let’s get this over with,” he said, taking her arm. He opened the door of the car for her, closed it when she was seated and strode around the car to get behind the wheel. As they drove to Wescott Oil, she glanced at him. He was in a dark suit and crimson tie. She, too, had dressed for the occasion, wearing her navy suit and navy pumps. Her hair was twisted and pinned behind her head, and she hoped she had achieved a businesslike, no-nonsense appearance. All she could feel was anticipation; she would finally be able to confront Dorian. It was Jason who amazed her today. She was both surprised and amused by his concern for her safety.
