Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger (8 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 60
something cold to drink.'' With his arms still around her waist he tucked her closely to his side and began walking to the house.
Coming through the door of the living room, Jason pitched his Stetson in Uncle Fred's big reclining chair in front of the stone fireplace.
As Jessica entered the kitchen she asked, "Iced tea be all right?"
"Sounds good to me," he assured her as he sat down at the oak table. "Boy, does this kitchen bring back memories." He sighed, his eyes roaming around the room. "I'd like to have a nickel for every piece of Rainey's apple pie I've eaten in here." He laughed.
Jessica smiled, removing a tray of ice from the freezer compartment of the refrigerator. "You'd be a wealthy man," she kidded back, pouring his glass full of cold tea.
Jessica felt an unusual self-conciousness steal over her with him sitting so close here in the kitchen, his presence filling the room. One of her recurring daydreams crept into her mind. She would be standing here, fixing him something to drink, he, just coming in from the fields that day. Dinner would be simmering on the stove and his favorite apple pie bubbling hot in the oven. He'd come up behind her, putting his arms around her waist, and begin to nuzzle her neck, planting soft, searching kisses along her cars and throat as he reached down, turning off the burners on the stove. Then he would scoop her up in his strong arms, with all thought of food forgotten for the moment, and start carrying her toward their bedroom . . . Jessica's mind jerked back to his voice.
"I'm afraid I was neglectful in my visits to them in the last few years," he said softly to himself.
Jessica picked up his glass and carried it to the table. She felt so guilty about her previous thoughts that she could not meet his eyes as she asked, "Sugar?"
"No, this will be fine," he answered and took a long refreshing swallow. "That tastes good."
 
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She walked back to the counter and picked up her glass, bringing it back to the table and seating herself opposite him, her back to the open window.
''Well, Jessie," he said idly, "how have you been these last few years? You're certainly as pretty as you ever were," he added in a light tone.
A pink blush crept into her cheeks as she replied softly, "Just fine, Jason."
"Rainey said you stayed on to teach in Austin when you finished school. What do you teach?"
"I teach home economics in high school there," she informed him.
"Is that right?" His gaze fastened unconsciously on the graceful curve of her slender neck, running down to the more than ample swell of her breasts in her skimpy halter top. Where had his little Jessie Cole gone? In her place sat a lovely, desirable woman. "I would have thought you'd be married again by now, with a couple of kids of your own to teach," he suggested coolly.
Jessie gave a short ironic laugh. "No, I'm afraid not." Her eyes dropped painfully away from his.
Picking up his glass of tea again, Jason asked curtly, "What did you want to see me about, Jessica?"
Jessica stood and walked over to the large window, gazing momentarily at the sweet-smelling flowers, trying to bolster her courage. Taking a deep breath, she turned back to face Jason.
"Uncle Fred and Aunt Rainey's will was read today."
"And?"
Jessica could feel his eyes resting lightly on her slim, tanned body, bringing old sweet, torturous memories flooding into her mind. Her eyes fell on his soft, sensuous mouththat perfect mouth which had brought such unbearable pleasure to her that one night so long ago. She could almost feel the teasing yet demanding pressure as it had opened over hers in long drugging kisses. Jessica ran the tip of her tongue around her lips, lightly moistening
 
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them as the vague, familiar tightening inside her increased. For the second time that day her violet eyes met his soft, lazy green ones. The tension in the room increased as they both silently relived their brief but passionate wedding night. Jessica could feel herself drowning in the dark jade pools, alive with barely concealed desire as the quiet ticking of the old grandfather clock that sat in the hall filled the silent room.
Shoving his chair back from the table, Jason rose to his feet, striding over to the counter to pour another glass of tea for himself. Jessica jerked her mind determinedly back to the will. ''It seems in order for me to inherit the estate, I have to return home and run this farm for six months," she blurted out.
Jason was still standing at the counter, his back to her. Jessica saw his muscles tense slightly before he took another drink from his glass.
"How do you propose to do that? You don't know anything about running a farm, do you?" He set his empty glass back down on the counter.
"Absolutely nothing. I've been gone so many years I wouldn't have the slightest idea what to do with all those cows standing out there."
Jason laughed quietly as he walked back over to the table and sat down. "You were raised here. You'd do better than you think."
"Jason, I don't want to come back here and run this farm! I want to start a catering business of my own, and it just burns me to think that Uncle Fred and Aunt Rainey, even in death, have managed to tear my life up once again . . ." She stopped in mid-sentence, a rosy flush coloring her face.
Jason looked at her pointedly, then shrugged his broad shoulders indifferently. "Then don't do it."
"But without the inheritance I wouldn't be able to start my own business." Jessica strolled back over to the table and dropped into her chair. "I can't for the life of me
 
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imagine why they wouldn't let me make my own decisions. My gosh, I'm twenty-five years old nowperfectly able to take care of myself,'' she finished heatedly.
"Perfectly," Jason responded sarcastically, his eyes on the Lincoln sitting in the drive behind Jessica's back.
Jessica's gaze followed his, and seeing his line of thought, she blurted out, "Jason, I said I was sorry! Believe me," she continued, "I've always had a perfect driving record!"
"Well, you sure blew it all to hell in one day, didn't you?" he said grimly, his eyes still on the vehicle sitting in the drive. Turning to face her again, his bold eyes appraised the graceful lines of her shapely body once again, and he asked with irony, "Aren't you sore from the beating you've taken today?"
"A little," she acknowledged sheepishly. "I probably won't be able to get out of bed in the morning."
"Well, I've always made it a point to help my neighbors," he teased, his eyes sparkling devilishly like the old Jason's, "so if you have any trouble, I'll . . ." He stopped, old memories surfacing in his eyes. "Send one of my men over to help you," he finished lamely.
Great,
Jessica thought rebelliously,
just what I always dreamed of!
Jason got to his feet once again as Jessica began to clear the table. "So what are you planning to do?" Jason asked her. Jessica's stomach fluttered, dreading the odious task before her.
"Jason," she started hesitantly, "you don't have any trouble running your big ranch, do you?"
Jason's features took on a guarded expression, his jade eyes narrowing. "No," he said cautiously. "Why?"
She'd play it safe and appeal to his business side right off, she decided. "It occurred to me you might want to take advantage of a rare business opportunity," she said brightly. "I thought maybe you'd like to run the farm for me!"
 
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Jason's mouth dropped open. Jessica's heart thudded as she plunged on. ''No, now wait, Jason. I know what you're thinking, because at first I thought the same thing. I know we didn't exactly part friends eight years ago, but," she rushed on, "we are two mature adults now, perfectly able to set aside our old differences . . ."
"Jessica, just hold it right there," Jason said tensely between clenched teeth.
"No, please, Jason, hear me out." She gulped breathlessly. Somehow she was going to
have
to
make
him run this farm for her! "I'll pay you ten thousand dollars. Just think, Jason! Ten thousand dollars! You could buy some new farm equipment, a new car." She looked guiltily out the window. "You could just consider it your mad money," she suggested helpfully.
Jason interrupted her again. "Look, Jessie, the last thing in the world I need is your mon"
"Oh, Jason,
please!
" she pleaded, very close to tears now. "I don't know of anyone else to ask," she finished hopelessly.
Jason strode agitatedly back over to the window and began to pace back and forth. "Let me get this straight, Jessica. You want me to run this farm for the next six months . . ."
"For ten thousand dollars," Jessica inserted temptingly.
" . . . for ten thousand dollars," Jason conceded. "Now, I'm just supposed to hop over here every day, run your farm, and forget all about what happened eight years ago? Dammit, Jessica! Do you know what you're asking?"
"Well, you wouldn't have to see me much," Jessica promised resentfully. "I'd stay out of your way."
"That isn't the point, Jessica!" Jason stopped pacing, coming to a halt in front of her chair, pulling her swiftly to her feet, his eyes looking deep into her simmering, lavender ones. "There's not enough money in the world to tempt me to put myself back in that emotional blender you had me in years ago. I've spent eight long years trying to
 
Page 65
get you out of my blood, and I'll be
damned
if I'll let you do that to me again.'' A tense muscle worked along his smooth, clean-shaven jaw as Jessica stared back at the familiar loved face before her.
"You never did believe that I let you go because I had no other choice, did you?" she whispered softly.
"You had other choices," Jason said curtly, their faces still perilously close, making her bones turn to liquid jelly as his soft, clean breath fanned her face.
"Did I, Jason? What choices did I really have? I was under age, and Uncle Fred had a serious heart condition, not to mention the fact that I owed them a tremendous debt of gratitude for taking me into their home, loving me as their own child. I just couldn't break their hearts," she finished sadly, her eyes reflecting the deep hurt she was experiencing.
"So instead you broke mine," Jason said huskily.
"And mine, too," she said quietly.
"It doesn't matter, Jessie. You'll never have the opportunity to do it again," Jason stated firmly, stepping back from her.
Jessica felt the sun had gone behind a cloud as the warmth of his hard, granite body moved away from her. Her temper rapidly boiled to the surface, and her eyes turned to a dark purple as she whirled around to confront Jason. "Well, if you were so all-fired brokenhearted over me, why didn't you come after mefight harder for me
do something
other than just walk away? I never even
saw
you again until the other day at the cemetery, Jason Rawlings!"
"You made your choice that morning, right here in this room,
Ms. Cole!
" Jason made stabbing motions with his finger at the spot Jessica was standing in.
"If you had loved me, that wouldn't have stopped you!" Jessica blazed.
"If
you
had loved
me,
there would have been no choice!" Jason glared.
 
Page 66
''I don't know how we got into this discussion in the first place," Jessica screamed. "Will you or will you not run this damn farm for me for the next six months?" Jessica's temper was boiling over now.
"I'll think about it," Jason shot back sarcastically, reaching for his hat.
"Well, by all means," Jessica responded snidely, "let me know when you reach a decision."
Giving her one last disgusted look, he slammed out of the farmhouse. When he reached his car, he shot another dirty look at the kitchen window, backed out of the drive, and with his back bumper dragging on the ground sped angrily toward his home.
Jessica had just stepped out of a hot bath an hour later when the phone rang. Wrapping the large fleecy white towel around her, she ran to answer it.
"Hello."
"I'll run your damn farm for you." Jason's tense, gruff voice said over the wire.
"Thank you," Jessica murmured politely.
"I'll be by in the morning to discuss the details. All right?"
"All right."
The loud click on the end of the line popped in Jessica's ear. Replacing the receiver gingerly, she did a happy little hop down the hall.
"I'll be here," she told Tabby exuberantly. Tabby opened one disinterested eye. It was apparent that he couldn't care less.

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