Page 39 of One Texas Night...
Electricity filled the air while heat spread in her and longing became tangible. Locked into his stormy gaze, she could barely breathe. Her heart pounded and every inch of her wanted his touch.
Standing, Jared pushed away his chair and walked around the table. Disheveled, a night’s growth of beard on his jaw, he had never looked more desirable.
Eight
“We lost a night together,” he said, stopping close to her. “Too bad I need a shave and a shower.” He took her hand to draw her to her feet. Her chair scraped as she stood, while her heart pounded.
He pulled her to him. “I don’t care,” she replied, slipping her arms around him. He leaned down to kiss her, his beard rough, the woolen shirt soft beneath her fingers as she kissed him.
Urgency rocked her. Swamped with desire, she wanted him with a desperation that was mirrored in his actions. Clothes were tossed away, and in minutes, as they feverishly kissed and touched, he picked her up.
Wrapping her long legs around him, she clung tightly while they kissed. Right there in the breakfast room, he lowered her onto his erection, filling her in one dazzling motion. Sensations bombarded her. The blaze of desire raged out of control. She wanted him. Wanted his loving because it could vanish from her life after this moment. Her roaring pulse shut out all other sounds. She cried out in a climax, ecstasy pouring over her while he thrust wildly, reaching a pinnacle and crashing as she had.
Rapture enveloped her, and she held him in her arms. The rough stubble of his beard scraped her cheek. She raised her head to look into his eyes and see the satisfaction she felt.
“You’re very special,” he whispered, and her heart lurched. His words were spellbinding. She gazed back at him, and the truth hit her, hard and fast. She had fallen in love with him. She might as well face her feelings. What she did about them was another thing. If he fell in love, could she deal with his lifestyle? Why worry about it now? They weren’t at that point yet.
She lowered her legs, and he set her on her feet. “I should shower,” they both said at the same time and smiled.
“This time we’d better do it separately,” he said. “I need to get rid of this beard that’s started and clean up.”
She grabbed up her clothes, yanking her big sweater over her head that covered her to her thighs.
“Aw, shucks,” he said as he watched her. He had pulled on his shorts. He walked over to put his arm around her and kiss her tenderly. “All I want to do is hold you close.”
“We’ll shower. We have a full day if we expect to get back to Texas.”
“Yeah, I need to, but that isn’t what I want. Allison, this is great,” he said, kissing her lightly. The look he gave her started fires again—it was the warm look of a man in love, whether he declared that love or not. She refused to think about the complications love could bring to both of their lives. Instead she held her clothes in one hand and wrapped her other arm around his waist to walk beside him as they went upstairs.
At the door to her room, he kissed her again, a kiss that began tenderly and changed to passion when he dropped his clothes at his feet and held her against him.
Finally she stepped away. “I think showers are in order. I’ll see you shortly.”
His breathing was ragged while he stared at her as if debating whether or not to leave her. Wordlessly he scooped up his clothing and left. She closed the door to her suite behind him and headed for her shower for the second time that morning.
They were flying to Dallas first, where it would be far warmer, and later to Houston, which was even warmer, so she dressed in jeans and a long-sleeved red cotton shirt, knowing she could roll up her sleeves if needed.
In Dallas, when the plane taxied to a stop, Jared stood and held out his hand. “I’m going to miss you,” he said.
“You’ll be way too busy,” she replied in a breathless voice, hating to part with him.
“Never,” he said. “I’ll come to Houston as soon as I can.” He kissed her goodbye and left the plane. A car met him on the tarmac, and he turned to wave, then climbed into the car and was gone.
She missed him already and could only wonder how it would be when the job finished. Would Jared try to continue to see her? As quickly as the question came, she faced the truth that she couldn’t continue to see him because of their differences. When the job ended, she needed to end the relationship.
All during the flight to Houston, she thought about their lovemaking the previous night and this morning, already wanting him, yet knowing it was best he was in Dallas. Finally the plane landed in Houston, and soon she was back in the mansion to finish her task.
Late in the afternoon she returned to the upstairs study to look at an early eighteenth-century Italian library table, carved on all four sides with four drawers. She ran her hand along it. She had been surprised that Jared didn’t want it, but he said he had one in Dallas that was similar and he didn’t want another.
She wanted it in her living room and loved its ornate carving, but if she told Jared, she suspected he would just give it to her. It was far too valuable, and she didn’t want him doing that. When she had sent a message to her dad that she wanted to buy the table, he had commended her on her beautiful choice.
She wished Jared was back beside her, already missing him and everything about him. The following Friday was their date to go to the rodeo. Would she be able to watch Jared without the anxiety she felt watching Sloan when he had ridden in the bronc event?
Every night Jared called her and they talked, sometimes for hours. Each day she missed him more than the day before, something that she hated to acknowledge. And then Wednesday arrived, and she finished with his mansion in the middle of the afternoon. On the next call from Jared, she informed him and soon arrangements were made for her to fly back to Dallas that night.
“I’ll meet you at the plane,” he said.
“Jared, I won’t get in until eight.”
