Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger (25 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 182
''How many did she have, Jason?" Jessica was excitedly awaiting the news.
"
You think I flew seven hundred miles to tell you the damn cat had her kittens?
" Jason bellowed, his eyes turning wild.
Jessica stepped back uncertainly. "She hasn't had her kittens?" she asked meekly.
Jason shot her a look of pure disgust. In a low, tightly controlled voice he said, "No, she hasn't had her kittens!" He brushed past her, walking into the small living room. Jessica followed behind him, still trying to figure out what had brought him here in the middle of the night, nearly hysterical.
"Jason," she tried again, "is there something wrong?"
He looked up in a daze, as if he were just now seeing her for the first time since she opened the door, his jade eyes flashing angrily.
"Wrong?" he sneered sarcastically. "Wrong, Jessica? Why, hell, no, nothing's
wrong,
unless you'd consider my being in a plane half the night last night trying to get here, then traipsing around this damn town in total confusion all day trying to find out where you lived, then spending the last two hours wandering around in thisthisdamn monsoon looking for your address as
wrong!
" He began pacing the floor like a caged animal, his boots, which were filled with rainwater, making a squishing noise.
"Butbut why are you here?" Jessica stammered meekly, her pulse beginning to pound, her heart taking on new hope.
"Why am
I
here?" he shouted loudly. "That's what I came to ask you! Why in the hell are
you
still here?"
Jessica dropped her eyes sheepishly, unable to meet his penetrating gaze. "Does it matter?" she whispered softly.
"Matter? Of course it matters! You told me you'd be back in a couple of days. What in the hell's holding you up?"
Jessica stiffened, bringing her eyes up to meet his. "I'm
 
Page 183
not coming back, Jason,'' she said, holding her breath for a moment before releasing it slowly.
"You wouldn't like to lay odds on that, would you,
Cole?
" Jason said tightly, his eyes never leaving hers.
"Oh,
Jason!
" Jessica wailed. "Why didn't you just let things alone. You don't love medon't want me around, except to fill your bed at nights. Why couldn't you let us part with the memory of our last night together, instead of coming here to tear my life up again?" She began to pace the floor, following in Jason's footsteps.
"What do you mean, don't love you?" he sneered as he passed her going the opposite direction. "Where did you get a stupid idea like that?"
Jessica stopped in her tracks and jammed her small fists on her hips, her mouth dropping open. "A
stupid
idea like that?" she taunted. "When have you
ever
told me you loved me? It's always been
me
dogging
your
steps ever since the first day I met you, youyouyou
toad!
"
Jason stopped in front of her, his hands coming up sharply on his own hips. "I told you on our wedding night, youyou
toadess!
"
Jessica's purple eyes blazed back at him. "You did
not!
You said you
wanted
me! You said you loved my eyes, my nose, my face . . ."
Jason flailed his hands through the air. "Wanted? Loved? What's the
difference?
Aren't your eyes, your nose, your faceyou? You know perfectly well I've never gotten you out of my system." His voice was full of irritation as he resumed pacing in a huff, bellowing above his squishing shoes, "Lord knows I triedand I almost made it. Then you came back and set out to systematically destroy every means of transportation I own!" He whirled sharply, his face just inches from hers. "I'm damned surprised you didn't run over my horse!"
She clenched her teeth, her eyes shooting purple daggers into the green blazing depths of his. Frustration washed over her as she doubled up her tiny fists and shook
 
Page 184
them wildly in his face. ''I'm sick of hearing about those wrecks! When I get some money, I'll buy you a car agency of your very own!"
He turned from her, snorting as he continued pacing, ignoring her last remark. "Then you used our 'business arrangement' to try to seduce mewhich was really, pardon the expression, hitting below the beltpretty rotten, if you ask me, when you
knew
what, your body does to me
knew
I hadn't gotten over you!"
"You
said
you had!" Jessica held firm to her argument, the tension thick in the small apartment. "You plainly told me the day I
hired
you that you didn't care for me any longer. Then, the first night we made love after I moved into your house, you said it was a mistake!"
They both began their pacing again, passing each other in heated silence.
"And what about Monica!" she yelled triumphantly. "Just explain why you've continued to see her all these months if you love me, Jason Rawlings!"
"What about Rick? You threw him in my face enough in the last few weeks, Jessica Cole!"
"You know perfectly well I didn't care for Rick romantically!"
Jason snorted disgustedly as he passed her. "It didn't look that way to me! And I'm
sure
I told you that I loved you the night after the hayride," he said tensely, getting back to the original subject.
"You did not!" Jessica screamed again. "You only said you wanted me
wanted
me in your bed every night," she added lamely, her temper starting to cool somewhat, her pacing slowing.
Jason stopped again, pulling her around into his arms. "Do you honestly believe for one moment that I don't love you, Angel?" His voice had dropped to a low, husky whisper.
"Oh, Jason, I want so desperately to believe that you do." Jessica froze, barely able to breathe, as they stood in
 
Page 185
the middle of the small room staring at each other, the rain pattering against the windowpanes.
''Well, you can believe it, or notI'm tired of fighting. I want you to come home with me. I love you and I want you. If I can't have it all, then I'll take what I can."
"Why would you think that you couldn't have it all? I've always been yours."
"Then why were you able to give me up so easily eight years ago?"
"Easily? Is that what you think? Jason, you'll never know how many times I walked to the telephone those few days before I left for college wanting desperately to call you and beg you to come for me. I realize now I was young and I felt like I owed Uncle Fred and Aunt Rainey their dream that I go to collegebut if I could put back the hands of the clockand, Jason, I'd give my life tothen there would be no power on earth that could separate me from you. Don't you know I've loved you from the first day I set eyes on you?" She moved closer in his arms, her hands sliding around his neck, her eyes looking pleadingly into his. "I know I've hurt you, but believe me, Jason, my hurt is as great as yours. I love you beyond beliefand you can believe that, or not!"
His emerald eyes were drinking in her loveliness, his hands trembling slightly as he pressed her closer to him.
Those disgusting tears swam into Jessica's eyes once more as he enfolded her lovingly in his arms, his cheeks becoming wet, too.
"I thought I'd never hear you say those words, Angel. I'm sorry for what I've put you through," he whispered raggedly as his mouth descended to take hers.
"Shhh-shhh," Jessica comforted, holding him close.
"No, let me say thisI love you, I
love
you," he rasped emphatically.
They stood locked in each other's arms, their kisses and tears washing away eight years of pain and loneliness.
 
Page 186
They were laughing and crying at the same time, both trying to convey their love for the other.
''Oh, hell, Angel," Jason said, hurriedly jerking her up into his arms. "I can show you better than tell you! Where's the bed?"
"Jason!" Jessica teased. "Surely you can control yourself a little longer. We have a lot of things to discuss . . ."
His lips cut her off as he kissed her soundly. "Talk, talk, talk. You're always wanting to talk! Give me a breakI haven't seen you in eight days. We can talk later." Flashing her one of those knee-weakening grins of his, he said seductively, "You're talking to an overheated toad, lady!"
"Well, for heaven's sake," Jessica said with a dramatic sigh, "why are you standing here wasting timetalking! Just start walking, Rawlings, and I'll point the way!"
The soft patter of rain falling on the roof made a melodious backdrop for the two lovers, who eagerly sought each other. Gone was the shy, timid bride of eight years ago as she confidently brought her hands effortlessly and swiftly up to remove his wet shirt, tossing it carelessly across the room.
Jason smiled down at her through passion-laden eyes, his arms hanging limply at his side while she methodically and diligently unbuckled his belt and pulled it through the loops with a snap with one hand while with the other she snapped, unzipped, and stripped off his jeans.
"You've been practicing," he noted dryly, clasping his hands behind his head and parting his legs slightly, grinning deviously. Jessica felt her cheeks warm as it dawned on her that she was acting a bit impatient.
Drat!
she said to herself.
I wanted to be so sophisticated!
She hesitated for a second, marveling at his composure.
"Well?" he asked.
"Well what?"
"Haven't you forgotten something?" He motioned to his briefs with his eyes.
 
Page 187
''Oh," she said, her mouth forming a wry grin as her thumbs hooked under the elastic waistband. She gave him a seductive wink and murmured, "Don't be afraid, Jason. I'll take it nice and slow. I'll show you the beauty of becoming a man."
He grinned broadly, enjoying-very minute of her silly reenactment of their wedding night.
She gave his briefs a gentle tug and slid them to the floor, trailing little nibbling kisses up his legs as she rose with maddening slowness, lingering to kiss the taut, flat expanse of his stomach, making little circles with her tongue.
Jason drew his breath in sharply, his grin turning to an agonized mask as his desire for her became firm and rigid.
Now where's your composure, Rawlings?
she thought wickedly, stepping back to arm's length and resting her hands on his hips. Her eyes widened with delight. "Holy cow! You're not bad for a toad!"
A deep rumbling laugh burst from his throat as he grabbed her and fell onto the bed, pulling her on top of him. She kissed him lightly on his nose and whispered cunningly, "Jason, darling, my clothes are going to have to come off before we can have our . . ."
"Okay. All right! You're driving me crazy," he said, reaching to pull her gown off. She held his hands in check. "I'll do it," she told him. "You might take too long." With that her gown became a cloud of silk floating through the air to land in a far corner of the room.
Her warm, sensuous curves blended with his sinewy form as she melted into his embrace. "Since I've taken care of all the preliminaries," she whispered, "you take it from here."
"Mmmmmm, and just when I was enjoying myself," he said, a smug grin pasted across his face.
Jessica bit her bottom lip pensively, then ran her tongue around her mouth, moistening her lips before breathing sexily against his. "Well, on page fifty of the . . . uh

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