“I don’t ever want to hurt you, Claire. And believe me, you’re not going to fall in love with me because we kissed a few times,” he whispered, his tongue tracing the curve of her ear.
“Ah, Jake, you know I want you,” she whispered. They looked into each other’s eyes, and she could no longer refuse him. She wanted his kiss. And he was right—surely she could kiss him once, twice more without falling in love and breaking her heart. She stood on tiptoe, pulled his head down and placed her mouth on his. Her tongue touched his, and then she was lost in his kiss as he wrapped his arm tightly around her, holding her pressed against him with one arm.
His other hand slipped down her back and then inside her lacy panties, over her bare bottom. She heard him inhale deeply, and then he slipped the panties off her hips, letting them fall to the floor around her ankles. While he kissed her, his tongue stroking her, building desire, he caught the hem of the T-shirt and drew it over her head to toss it aside. He stepped back to cup her breasts again and to look at her.
“You’re absolutely beautiful,” he said in a gravelly, raspy voice. His thumbs played so lightly over her nipples.
Lost in waves that rocked her, she clung to him with her eyes closed as need built from his hands so lightly on her breasts. She realized soon there would be no going back.
You’ll get hurt.
That inner warning wouldn’t be silenced, no matter how much she wanted to ignore it. Finally, she pushed against him and opened her eyes. The hungry look in his eyes made her tremble, but she kept her resolve. “Jake, I’m sorry, but I’m not ready for this.”
Yanking up her clothes, she stepped out of his embrace, trying to avoid looking into his dark eyes that enticed her and melted her resistance.
She realized he wasn’t arguing with her or trying to stop her, and she was glad because she knew she couldn’t stand one more minute of his seduction. Gathering her things as fast as she could, she wrapped the big T-shirt around her and walked away from him without looking back.
* * *
Dressed and ready for the day, she still couldn’t get him out of her mind. Jake—a Reed.
There was no denying she wanted his loving, his kisses, his hands all over her, his male body against hers. With him, she knew she’d have the best sex of her life. But how could she make love to him, fall for him and forget him, when she’d never be able to really get away from him?
He had a big ranch next door to hers—they were both permanently tied to the sprawling Texas land they owned. One day she would have to live next door to him and watch him marry someone else.
She went over it all again in her mind and knew what she had to do. She had to fight the temptation. She had to get out of his cabin and off his property.
“Jake, there’s no place for you in my life,” she whispered as she walked out of her borrowed room to find him for a ride to Persimmon. She had to go to town and get some clothes.
She found him in the kitchen. The second she walked in, he turned around to her. His gaze swept over her, and she felt her pulse jump.
Jake crossed the room, approaching her, and with every step nearer, her heartbeat quickened. He had the sleeves rolled up on his blue denim shirt that was tucked into tight faded jeans—working jeans. He had on boots, and it took her breath away to look at him.
And then he was only a few feet away, standing close, smiling at her, his hungry gaze on her, and all the determination she’d felt when she’d made the trek from her suite seemed to buckle. In its place came one question: People survived broken hearts, didn’t they?
* * *
Jake’s gaze slid over her, and he drew a deep breath. In tight jeans, a red T-shirt and boots, she looked fantastic. “You look great in those clothes, but I can understand wanting a change. I’ll take you to town,” he said. His voice deepened and became huskier in reaction to looking at her. Since when did he find his neighbor sexy, appealing and absolutely fascinating? He knew exactly when—since that fabulous, to-die-for kiss that he didn’t think he would ever forget. And each one after that first kiss had been just as overwhelming and stunning.
“Jake, on the way into Persimmon to get clothes, I’d like to go look at my house. There might be some things in fireproof boxes that made it through the fire. I’d like to go see. There are a couple of boxes I had money in.”
“I hope not a lot of money.”
“No.”
“Ever hear of a bank?”
She gave him a look, and he noticed the moment when she realized he was teasing her.
“Ever hear of minding your own business?” she replied, and he laughed.
“Let’s get breakfast and then we’ll go,” he said. “I’ve got sliced strawberries and blueberries. I can scramble eggs and we can have toast,” he said, but his thoughts weren’t on breakfast as she walked closer. He couldn’t stop thinking about how much he wanted to make love to Claire. How could her kiss totally change his feelings for her?
It took all his willpower to concentrate on getting breakfast on the table and keep his hands to himself.
She helped him, putting plates on the table, filling cups of coffee and orange juice. When they were ready, he held out her chair, his hands brushing her so slightly, yet he was aware of the contact.
As they ate, she was quiet, but he couldn’t miss the glances she’d flick in his direction when she no doubt thought he wasn’t looking. The look in her eyes was not that of someone who viewed him as an enemy. The look in her eyes made him want to drop everything, take her into his arms and kiss her. He ate his breakfast, noticed that she didn’t eat much of hers, and then he stopped her from trying to clean the kitchen.
