[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
whispered. "Even if you haven't made love to her yet." His chiseled lips parted. "Are you jealous of
me?" he asked slowly. Her eyes fell to his chin. "Let me go, please." "No, not yet. Answer me. Are you
jealous?" Her long eyelashes swept down over her cheeks and she relaxed against him with a weary
sigh. Her hand rested against the vest beneath his jacket, and he was pleasantly warm against the chill.
"Ask me why I spend time with Crystal and I'll tell you," he said over her head. But she didn't want the
answer. She didn't want to know. Impulsively, uncharacteristically, she let her head slide back onto his
shoulder and curved an arm up around his neck. He looked as if she'd hit him. She felt the advantage
and took it, smiling breathlessly at the look in his glittering eyes. Her lips parted and she ran her
fingers through his thick hair, carelessly dislodging the hat as she did. The recklessness she felt was
mirrored in his hard face. "Is this what you felt?" he asked curtly, winding his own hand into her hair
to jerk her head back. "This, Bess?" His mouth opened on hers, forcing her lips apart, penetrating
deeply in an assault that was all wild tenderness. She arched in his arms, both hands in his hair now,
her mouth answering his, demanding, needing. The swing stopped and was still. His hands slid under
the sweater again and took the warm, swollen weight of her breasts. She trembled and moaned
sharply. He lifted his dark head slowly, staring down into her hungry eyes. His thumbs edged over the
taut peaks in a lazy, maddening rhythm, and all the time he looked at her, watching her helpless
reaction to him. "When are they coming back?" he asked in a voice that sounded unusually thick. She
licked her lips. "I don't know." He bent and brushed her open mouth with his. "We could lock the
bedroom door," he whispered.
"Yes." She arched again, crying out, as the pressure of his hands increased. She was unusually sore,
and he drew back instantly. "Did I hurt you?" he asked tenderly. "I...I'm sore," she said, and laughed
nervously. "I don't know why." "I'll be careful with you," he said, studying her eyes. "I'll be gentle this
time, I'll take longer. I'll treat you like the virgin you were that first time, Bess." She trembled softly in
his arms as he slowly got up from the swing, cradling her against him. "You.. .laughed the first time,"
she remembered shakily. "You were wildfire in my arms, blazing with the pleasure that I was giving
you," he said quietly. "My God, I was so proud... you were a virgin, and I was making you feel that
way." She caught her breath. "I didn't know." "I couldn't tell you." He bent and kissed her softly. "Do
you really want me this time?" Her lips parted on a wild breath. "Oh, yes, I want you," she whispered
feverishly.
Her arms locked around his neck and she trembled. "Jude," she moaned, arching up. His eyes flashed
as he walked into the house with her. Inside the doorway he bent, his open mouth pressing down on
the high mounds of her breasts even through the fabric, and she cried out. His heart was thundering as
he walked with her toward the staircase, and she felt the same wildness they'd shared that day in the
woods. He might not love her, but he wanted her. He wanted her! And, God, she wanted him! But even
as his boot touched the first step, the loud sound of a car approaching burst into the silence, and Jude
cursed roughly. "Not now," he ground out, burying his face against Bess. "Oh, God, not now!" Her
hands cradled his head and she struggled to regain her lost composure. Slowly he put her down,
regret and bitterness mingling in the expression on his hard face. She turned away, tidying her hair as
best she could with her back to him. "Bess?" he asked softly.
But before she could answer him, the door burst open and Katy and Crystal descended on them in a
swirl of skirts and laughter. "So you're finally back," Crystal called, following Katy's example as she
ran into his arms and kissed his tanned cheek soundly. "About time, too. We've missed you, haven't
we, girls?" "Si, we miss the sound of yelling from the study, all right," Aggie murmured with a grin
as she carried packages into the living room. "Welcome home, Daddy!" Katy laughed. Jude, caught up
in it, was laughing too, his face more relaxed than Bess had ever seen it, and she mourned the little
taste of happiness she'd just lost. She turned and walked off toward the kitchen as Jude was coaxed
into the living room to look at the purchases. "Don't you want to see what they bought?" Jude asked
Bess. She stopped with her back to them, blind to the hopeful look on his face, the almost pleading
one on Crystal's.
"I need some coffee. I'll make a pot, shall I?" she asked brightly, and walked away before they could
question the quaver in her voice. Bess didn't look at Jude for the rest of the night; she couldn't bear to
remember how she'd tempted him. He was going to be furious about that. He always was when his
fiery ardor cooled. She kept carefully out of his way until she could sneak upstairs and go to bed.
"Why didn't you go with us today?" Katy asked as Bess tucked her into bed. "We missed you. Crystal
said we should have dragged you along and made you come." "I had tilings to do here, darling," Bess
said with a smile. "I'm glad you had fun, though." "I didn't. Not really," Katy admitted. She reached up
and kissed Bess's cool cheek. "Crystal is fun to be with, but she just talks all the time, like she's afraid
to stop, so nobody else ever gets to. You know? You listen." Bess's eyes clouded. She kissed the young
girl back.'I love you,'' she whispered.
Katy beamed. "I love you, too. Good night, Bess. Isn't it nice that Daddy's home?" "Lovely, darling."
"He said he'd be up to tuck me in later. He had to talk to Crystal." Bess nodded, turning away before
Katy could see her hurt expression. "Good night, darling." "'Night, Bess, sleep well." Back in her own
room, Bess put on her flannel gown and crawled wearily into bed. She felt vaguely nauseated, and the
swelling in her breasts was beginning to be uncomfortable. Something that should have happened
three weeks ago hadn't, and she felt frankly nervous. It was too soon to tell, of course, but she had an
odd feeling that she was carrying Jude's baby. Her hands went unconsciously to her flat stomach. A
baby. A little boy with green eyes and black hair, or a little girl who might look a lot like Katy. She
smiled. Even if she lost Jude, at least she'd have the baby to love. She could give it all the warmth and
adoration she longed to give to him. Except that he didn't want it. He only wanted her body, and not
even that when Crystal was around. What if Crystal did want him? She was playing her cards close,
and Bess couldn't figure out why she was staying at Big Mes-quite so long. Why wouldn't she go back [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]