Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger (15 page)

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Authors: Lori Copeland

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Westerns, #test

BOOK: Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger
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Page 109
She was sobbing in deep gulps now, the front of his shirt rapidly becoming wet and plastered to his broad chest.
''I know you didn't," she said, patting his chest lovingly, trying to console him now. "It's just that you seem to bring out the very worst in me at times. I'm so sorry about your barn today, and then I've torn your truck up again . . ."
"It's all right, Angel," he promised. "I shouldn't have made you drive the truck when you didn't want to . . ."
"But I could have done it for anyone else. It's only when I get around you that everything always goes wrong," she said, crying harder now. "You must think I'm a total idiot!"
Laughing softly, he began to nuzzle her neck, tracing a soft pattern of kisses down to her throat. "I've had a lot of thoughts about you lately," he said, his voice becoming husky and low, "but I've never thought you were an idiot."
She snuggled closer to him, and he reached a searching hand out and gently cupped her breast in it. She shuddered, and liquid fire raced through her veins as he stroked her nipple into a hardening peak. No other man had ever made her feel the way he could with just a soft touch or a fleeting glance.
"I think I had a pretty dull life before you came along," he murmured, touching the tip of his tongue, very gently, to her trembling mouth. She returned his soft teasing probes with her own tongue, running it lightly over his. She heard him moan softly before his mouth covered her vulnerable one in a kiss that was so devastating in its intensity they were both left trembling in its wake.
"Hey, Jason! You guys going to stay here and neck all night? The party's over," someone shouted good-naturedly. "Better take her home, where you can have some privacy," someone else offered helpfully.
They broke apart quickly, feeling a little guilty about
 
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making such a public spectacle of themselves and got to their feet rapidly. Jason's face was a tense mask as he helped her into the car. ''They're right, you know. Five more minutes and we would have made another 'mistake,' " he told her firmly.
"I know." She sighed wistfully, taking one last look at the pavilion and picnic grounds with its twinkling lights hanging in the soft night. "But I wish it didn't have to end," she said sadly.
"I think it's better that it does," he muttered softly.
He pulled her back to him for one last short, tender kiss, then gave her a playful swat on the bottom, saying teasingly, "We would have made a great team, sweetheart. Too bad things had to work out like they did."
 
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Chapter Six
The phone rang bright and early the following morning. It was Monica wanting to speak to Jason, who just happened to be walking in the back door, with his chores for the morning finished. Jessica handed the phone to him.
''For me?" he said, a puzzled look on his face.
Jessica nodded curtly, then went back to dressing for church. She could hear the rich timbre of Jason's baritone voice as he laughed at some stimulating comment Monica had apparently made. She looked in the mirror and mimicked his laughter in a sarcastic manner, jealousy shooting through every part of her body. She threw her hairbrush disgustedly back onto the dressing table. What was she going to do? It was becoming more apparent every
 
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day she lived here that Jason was bound and determined he was
not
going to ever give her a chance again. Her love for him was so complete now that she didn't know how she would ever be able to give him up again. Not that she had him, but at least she was in his home, able to see him every day, cook for him, take care of him. Monica was such a nice personwhy couldn't Jessica simply reconcile herself to the fact that Jason would in all likelihood marry her, and she would probably make him very happy? Jessica groaned aloud as she thought of Monica wrapped in Jason's arms at night instead of her. Well, she had to try to do something about it. After all, he had been attracted to her years ago. Still was, if that one night they had spent together several weeks ago proved anything. No, she just couldn't sit idly by and let him slip through her fingers again without trying to win him back. She smiled smugly at herself in the mirror as a mischievous glint came into her eyes. No, Rawlings, you better head for the hills, because you are just about to be seduced in the most blatant manner!
The first thing she had to do, was get him to spend some time with her alone. She stood up and walked over to the window in the bedroom, pausing to look out on the farmyard. He was awfully skittish about being with her alone lately, so she would need something convincing to entice him.
She could still hear him talking in the other room as she plotted feverishly. Short of her death, she couldn't think of anything that would keep him home. She paused, her eyes lighting up. Well, she might not be dead, but she could be
near
death! Grinning triumphantly, she waltzed over to the bed, dropping spread-eagled onto the middle of it.
She heard Jason whistling as he came down the hall, stopping in front of her room with a wide grin on his face. ''I'm going on a picnic, Angel. See you later."
 
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''Have a nice time, Jason," she muttered weakly, her eyes drooping pathetically closed.
"Hey . . . you feeling all right?" Jason stepped into the room, concern showing in his face.
"Me? Oh, I'm finejust fine. But before you go, could you bring me an aspirin?" she asked meekly.
"An aspirin? Sure. Are you sick?"
Jessica opened her eyes wearily and smiled pitifully. "I don't know what happened. I was feeling fine just a few minutes ago."
Jason walked over to sit down next to her on the bed, reaching up to feel her forehead. "You don't seem to have a fever. Where do you hurt?"
Jessica let out a long heartrending sigh. "Everywheremy stomachmy head . . . but don't let me keep you from your date with Monica. If I need anything, I'll try to make it to the back door and callRick."
She closed her eyes again and let out a deep, shuddering breath.
"Well, hell, Angel! I'm not going to leave you here if you're sick! I'll just call Monica back and tell her I can't make it today."
Jessica cautiously opened one eye as he stood up and started for the phone. "Oh, Jason, no! I don't want to spoil your day," she protested valiantly.
He turned around, giving her a stern look. "I'm not leaving you, Jessie!"
"Whatever you say, Jason. I'm too sick to argue."
Jason left the room to make his phone call as Jessica quickly got out of her clothes and put on her nightgown. Then she snuggled down deeper in the bed.
This really is a dirty trick to pull on him,
she berated herself, but she was desperate.
Coming back into the room a few minutes later, he brought a cold cloth and placed it on her head. He brought out the aspirin, Alka-Seltzer, everything he could think of
 
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to case this strange malady that seemed to have overtaken her so quickly.
Jessica dozed most of the day, not quite sure where she was going with the plan from here. Granted, she had him there, but she wasn't quite sure what to do with him. He sat quietly by her bedside all afternoon reading a farm journal, granting her every request for a glass of water, juice, more aspirin. Jessica was running out of things to ask for toward evening when he suggested that he fix them some soup.
''Great, I'm starved!" Jessica said eagerly, then caught herself as Jason's face took on a surprised look. "I mean . . . I may be able to force something down."
"I'll be right back," he told her, eyeing her suspiciously for the first time.
By the time he brought the soup, Jessica was ravenous. She had had only a piece of toast for breakfast and no lunch, but she felt like she had had at least forty-five aspirins. She had to force herself not to ask for a third bowl of soup.
Jason sat watching her eat with gusto, a knowing smile on his face. "Do you want
my
bowl?"
Jessica looked up sheepishly. "I think I'm feeling better."
"Obviously," Jason said dryly.
Laying her spoon down carefully on the tray, she smiled at him beguilingly. "I'm through."
He cleared the tray away, then sat back down in his chair. "Do you want to watch some TV?" He inclined his head toward the small portable TV set sitting on the dresser.
"That would be nice," Jessica said sweetly. "Want to lie down on the bed with me?" She patted the space beside her enticingly. "You look uncomfortable sitting over there," she added hastily.
Jason studied her for a moment, then moved to lie down
 
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next to her. ''Sure, what have I got to fear? You're a sick woman, aren't you?" He glanced at her pointedly.
"Very!" she assured him.
They lay contentedly next to each other watching an old Disney outdoor film. Jessica wanted to snuggle closer to him, but he was keeping a discreet distance between them. By about nine Jessica was starving again. "Jason, doesn't popcorn sound good?"
Jason looked at her in astonishment. "You want greasy popcorn?" he asked increduously.
"Maybe just a small bowl," she said weakly.
"Whatever this sickness is, it sure hasn't affected your appetite!" he said, grumbling as he got off the bed to head for the kitchen.
While he was gone Jessica bounded off the bed to go to the bathroom and to do some quick calisthenics before getting back in bed. She was stiff from lying down all day. She was in the middle of her leg kicks when Jason walked back into the room unexpectedly, carrying a large bowl of popcorn and two Cokes.
"Well, hallelujah! I've witnessed a miracle," he said snidely, setting the bowl of popcorn down on the bed.
A crimson blush overtook Jessica's face as she climbed back into bed, her skimpy nightgown barely covering her bottom. "I told you I was feeling much better," she muttered defensively.
Jessica cursed herself for not listening more closely for his footsteps in the hall, but she had figured she had at least another ten minutes before he finished in the kitchen.
The late movie was just coming on when she felt Jason stir beside her later that night. She had dropped off to sleep during the ten o'clock news. She awoke to find her head lying on his chest, Jason dozing, too. She lay still for a moment, enjoying the feel of that solid wall of muscle. She slipped her hand up to play softly with the small tuft of hair showing where his shirt was unbuttoned. How she
 
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longed to run her fingers through that thick, wiry mass of hair on his chest!
''You having fun?" Jason's sleepy voice startled her as she jerked her hand back down to her side. He reached down, taking hold of her small hand, and brought it back up to the buttons on his shirt. "Be my guest."
Slowly she unbuttoned each small button, her pulse pounding as the front of the shirt gaped open to reveal the expanse of golden-brown hair on his chest.
Sighing softly, she buried her face in its depth, inhaling his unique and very masculine scent.
"You've got a thing about that chest hair, haven't you, lady?" He chuckled softly.
"Just yours," Jessica whispered quietly, running her fingers lightly over his chest.
"Well, don't feel bad. There's certain things about you that drive me out of my mind," he murmured suggestively.
"Such as?" Jessica placed his hands gently on her rounded breasts.
Jason groaned as his hands came in contact with the soft white flesh, burying his face deeply in her bosom. His mouth and tongue began to trace soft searching patterns, nibbling gently at the voluptuous mounds.
Jessica could feel Jason's hard arousal pressing hotly against her bare leg as his mouth came up to capture hers. They lay lazily exchanging tender kisses, their tongues playing lightly with each other. Jason's breathing became more and more ragged as his hands intimately explored the inner warmth of her femininity.
"Don't you think that's a little unfair?" Jessica whispered huskily.
"What?" Jason's tone was deep and drowsy.
"You still have your clothes on and I don't," Jessica reminded him.
"So?" He brought his mouth back to capture hers in a long, drugging kiss.

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