“Not at all. I was just thinking that if I had had such a beautiful teacher when I was in school I would have paid better attention.”
“Where did you go to school?”
“In Athens. My mother hired a male tutor for me. Then when we moved to the territories, we were out on the ranch, miles from any civilized place. My uncle taught me everything I needed to know about horse breeding and ranching. He’s a wonderful man, accident prone, but the kind of man I’d like to be someday.”
“You must be anxious to get back.”
“Actually, I find I’m enjoying myself more than I imagined I would. Because of you.”
He turned toward her again and stepped close. Jade caught her breath, afraid he might kiss her again. Hoping that he would.
“Would you believe me if I told you I think I’m falling in love with you?” His lips were so very close to hers that she was afraid to move, to breathe . . .
“Do you fall in love with every woman you meet?” she whispered.
“No, only the ones who appear on my doorstep.”
He reached out to touch her and brushed his fingertips against her bare arms. J.T. felt her tremble; felt the blood surge through him. She was so very beautiful—so wise and at the same time so untutored. He longed to make her his, all the time knowing that she was not the kind of woman he could merely love and leave. If he toyed with Jade Douglas, he would be playing for keeps.
He brushed a quick, innocent kiss across her lips and started to pull away, but the effort took more strength of will than he possessed. As their lips met and held, he dropped his hands to his sides, unwilling to test his own resolve any more than he had to. Jade swayed toward him, placed her palms against his chest, and opened herself to his kiss.
It was slow and sweet, and Jason savored every moment of it. A tangy lemon scent drifted on the air about her; the soft rustle of her gown added to the unique spell she was weaving around him. He wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms, but he was all too aware of where they were and how her reputation might suffer because of him.
Reluctantly, he was the first to pull back.
His voice was rough with emotion as he said, “I think we should go inside.”
Unable to speak, she nodded in agreement. As they were about to reenter the ballroom, Babs and Reggie appeared in the doorway and Jade thanked the gods that they had not come looking for her a moment sooner, or Babs would be announcing a wedding and Reggie would be demanding an explanation.
“Jade, I’m so glad we found you,” Babs said. “I was worried that you might be alone, but I can see Mr. Harrington has kept you well occupied.”
Very well occupied, Jade thought.
“I’m fine,” she assured Babs. “We were just coming back inside.”
“I thought that the four of us could go downstairs and view the art collection in the foyer. Reggie and Mr. Harrington can become acquainted and we can chat.”
Jade suspected what that little chat would be about, but Jason agreed to the idea after he told them both to call him J.T.
The lifts were crowded with curious guests and a sizable group stood waiting their turn, so Reggie suggested they take the stairs. Babs and Jade preceded the men down the wide, circular staircase.
“Jade, he’s just perfect if you ask me!” Babs whispered in her ear.
“Stop that,” Jade warned. “He’ll be leaving here soon to go back to his home in New Mexico.” She did not want to give Jason the impression they were talking about him, so she ignored Babs and moved to the edge of the stairs to look down on the floor below.
Only half-listening to Reginald Barrett, J.T. was watching Jade as she walked down the stairs with her friend. The opulent surroundings suited her well—her striking coloring and regal bearing set her off like a glowing jewel. For the first time he noticed she was not wearing any jewelry, and thought it perceptive of her to realize how much more alluring she was unadorned. She was as radiant as any diamond.
He watched her intently as she rested her hand gently upon the polished banister and moved gracefully down the stairs. Then he began to take in the sights and sounds around him. Waiters and bellmen moved unobtrusively among the guests. The walls were decorated with elaborately designed wall coverings. Each landing contained more of the exotic potted palms. Jason had never seen anything like it, even in the South before the war. He let his gaze move upward, past the crystal wall sconces to the section of the circular staircase above them. A movement caught his eye.
In the time it took his heart to beat twice, he watched paralyzed as one of the heavy urns containing a palm began to topple over the edge and plummet toward them. Jade was directly beneath the hurtling object. He shoved Reggie out of harm’s way and made a diving leap toward Jade.
His weight knocked Babs back against the wall, while it propelled him and Jade downward. Jason tried to turn with Jade in his arms to absorb the shock of the fall. He had no time to think as he held onto her tightly. They tumbled down a half a dozen stairs to the landing below.
When the huge urn hit the staircase, there was a sound of splintering wood and porcelain. Shards of the container flew out in all directions as loose soil showered them all.
Babs screamed.
The crowd in the foyer below reacted with surprised gasps and shouts. Jade shook her head, opened her eyes, and stared down at Jason Harrington. She was sprawled atop him, safely locked in his arms.
A puffed sleeve of her gown was torn away, the bodice ripped near the underarm. She tried to catch her breath, tried to fight the dizziness that assailed her, tried to ignore the sensations sweeping through her as she lay atop him. She could feel his warm breath against her cheek.
Jade planted her open palms against his shirt front and pushed herself up until she was straddling him. When the world came into focus, she wanted to die when she realized she was virtually sitting astride Jason’s crotch. She slid off of him until she was seated beside him on the floor.
He groaned.
Her heart fluttered with fear.
“Jason? Are you all right?”
Chapter Seven
By a long journey we know a horse’s strength;
So length of days shows a man’s heart.
“JADE! YOU COULD have been killed!” Babs rushed over and stared down at the tangle that was Jason and Jade. “We could have all been killed!”
J.T., still stunned by the fall, shook his head and tried to clear his vision. Reggie Barrett hurried to join them on the landing.
“Get up. Jade!” Chagrined, Reggie glanced at the gathering crowd and admonished her in a whisper, “Good God, you’re making a scene!”
Jade ignored him and smoothed Jason’s hair back off his forehead. “Jason? Are you all right?” He had paled, even beneath his tan.
He tried to sit up. “Yeah. Right as rain. Help me up, Barrett.”
With Babs’s help, Jade got to her knees and Reggie quickly righted Jason, who stared at the broken urn that had made a shambles of the staircase. Had the oversized pot hit them, they would have indeed been killed. He glanced up the stairs to the landing, but all he saw was another mob of curious onlookers peering over the railing.
Babs brushed dirt off of Jade and tucked the torn fabric of her sleeve into the top of her bodice, while Jade watched Jason to be sure he was all right. Reggie merely stood there looking thoroughly embarrassed. The hotel manager was working his way through the crowd. Jade noticed him just before she saw a short man in a plaid suit at the front of the mob staring at them.
She heard Jason groan and gave him her full attention. “You are hurt!” she said.
“No,” he whispered, “I’m not, but I want to get you out of here right now. That ferret of a reporter is staring at us. I don’t intend to answer any of his questions.”
Matt Van Buren
forced his way through the crowd and ran up the few remaining steps to the landing. “Jason? Are you all right?”
“I’m fine, but we need to get out of here. Will you get us a carriage?” Without waiting for comment from the Barretts, Jason turned to them and said, “I’ll take Jade back to your house. She’s badly shaken.”
Jade did not protest, not when it seemed as if her knees would not hold her upright any longer. As she let Jason lead her through the parting mob, she became more and more aware of the curious stares of the onlookers. The room buzzed with whispers. The manager halted their exit as he apologized profusely and assured them that he would be happy to have them spend the night as guests of the hotel, free of charge.
Jason declined and led Jade to the door. They stood in the crowded courtyard while Matt had his own carriage brought around instead of a hotel hack. When Jade began to tremble uncontrollably, J.T. slipped his arm about her shoulders. Fear of what might have happened to her shook him to the core. He tried to dispel her trembling.
“Did you bring a wrap?”
She shook her head. “It was not very cold when we left the house. I forgot it.” The weather had turned chilly, but she trembled more from fear than anything else.
“I’ll have you home soon. Here.” J.T. slipped out of his own coat and drew it over her shoulders. He pulled the lapels closed. He fought the urge to draw her near, and let go of the coat. When the carriage arrived, he helped her in, then joined her in the darkness.
He was as good as his word, and soon they pulled up before the Barretts’s residence. Before he opened the door, Jason lingered inside the close confines of the carriage, watching Jade as she tried to regain her composure.
“Feeling better?”
She nodded. “I think so. And you?”
“I’m fine, but I’m probably going to regret playing the hero tomorrow.”
“I’m starting to feel a little stiff in places myself,” she said, laughing. Jade snuggled inside his coat, all too aware of the scent of soap and hint of bay rum that clung to it.
He was pleased to note her good humor had returned. “What a disaster.” He shook his head.
“Do you think the reporter saw the whole incident, or just the part where I landed on top of you?”
He laughed. “That’s the part he’ll remember, if I don’t miss my guess.”
J.T. reached out for her hand and held it between his own. His were warm and dry and somehow comforting. When she realized how safe she felt with this man, she remembered her uncalled-for fear of him just yesterday.
As he sat beside her, Jason realized what it felt like to be responsible for a woman for no other reason except that he wanted to. “Will you be all right alone until they get back?”
“Of course,” she said, knowing full well that she would relish the peace and quiet. Babs was certain to return in a state of near frenzy after all the excitement.
“I’ll walk you to the door.”
When they climbed the front stairs and reached the landing, Jason rang the bell and waited with her until one of the servants answered. Jade started to draw his coat off of her shoulders. He reached out for her and would not let her go when she stiffened and tried to draw away.
“I’m coming back here first thing in the morning to see how you are,” he promised.
She shook her head. “That’s not necessary. Aside from being spattered with dirt from head to toe, I’m fine. Besides, by tomorrow you might not be able to move. You took the full brunt of the fall.”
“You noticed.”
“That was all I noticed—everything happened so fast. Someone on the floor above us must have bumped into that urn.” Lamplight spilled over them from the doorway. She let her eyes roam over his strong features—his finely drawn lips, the deep-set eyes, the sharp lines of his jaw. “I owe you my life, Jason.” She did not add that the Chinese believed once a man saved a person’s life that he was responsible for that person forever after.
“You owe me nothing. But I will ask for some of your time. I’m coming to get you in the morning, so that you can show me some of the countryside. Do the Barretts have a horse you can ride?”
“Horse?” If there was one thing Jade knew little about and did not care to know better, it was horses.
“That’s usually what one rides.”
She could not fathom why his remark had caused him to stifle a smile. “I hate horses and I’m a terrible rider,” she admitted.
“I love horses and I’ll teach you.”
“I don’t think—”
“You owe me your life, remember. All I’m asking for is your company. Or would riding together be frowned on by San Francisco society?”
“Not in broad daylight . . . ”
“Then I’ll see you in the morning.” He hoped he was not pushing her too fast, but as he watched her stand there in the yellow-gold lamplight, with her hair a wild nimbus framing perfect features set in flawless ivory skin, J.T. wanted nothing more than to taste the sweetness of her kiss again.
Jade stared back, too haunted by his gaze to move away. Just hours ago, he had kissed her in a way she had never even imagined. And now he was staring down at her in the same way he had before. She knew she should move, wanted to draw off his coat and hand it to him, but some force greater than her will compelled her to stand mute before him.
At the same time, J.T. lost the battle raging within him. Before she was aware of what he was doing, he pulled her up hard against him and kissed her. It was another deeply disturbing, soul-shattering exchange that set her knees knocking and his own heart pounding. He kissed her long and expertly, holding her so close he could feel her heart beating. The wild tempo matched that of his own. With aching slowness, J.T. slipped his tongue between her lips.
Her initial resistance ebbed as he expertly held her in his arms, his lips moving tenderly over hers. She gave herself up to the wonder of their blending. Radiating warmth began to spread upward from somewhere deep inside to set her nerve ends tingling. Just as she was about to slip her arms about his neck and hold on for dear life, the exchange ended and Jason stepped back.
“Tomorrow,” he whispered, hating to leave her. Knowing he must.
“Tomorrow,” she promised, even as she wondered what she was doing prolonging their time together. Nothing could come of this relationship. Nothing at all. He was leaving as soon as he could. She was setting herself up for heartache. And she knew it.
Jade handed him his coat and watched him jog down the stairs knowing the few short hours until morning would seem like forever.
ALONE INSIDE THE carriage, Jason slipped off his silk tie and stuffed it into his jacket pocket. He unclasped the studs at his cuffs and collar and deposited them with the tie, then settled back against the tucked leather seat.
His mind was whirling. Jade Douglas had set his whole life upside down since the moment he opened the door and found her on his doorstep. It seemed disaster followed in the beautiful redhead’s wake. First the storm, then tonight’s accident. He shook his head and wondered if her life was always so eventful.
He thought about what she had told him, about her years with the missionary family, her scholarly habits and the interest in the Chinese culture that she had inherited from her grandfather. It was easy to imagine her as a little girl walking hand in hand with her grandfather as he taught her what he knew. The many hours she must have spent with the elderly man would account for her quiet self-control. She had no doubt been the apple of her grandfather’s eye. J.T. had never known anyone like her. Chinese culture, this city—everything she cared about was foreign to him.
As the carriage sped toward Harrington House, Jason told himself he was a fool for pursuing Jade. They were from two different worlds. No matter how natural and unassuming she was, she was used to the city, to a sophisticated way of life.
Why would she consent to give up living in San Francisco for a life on an isolated ranch in New Mexico?
Just listen to yourself, he thought, you’ve known the girl a little over one full day and you’re trying to picture her in New Mexico. And marriage? He hadn’t given the institution a serious thought for fifteen years. Perhaps the sight of Nettie, seeing her for what she really was, instead of the idealized symbol of conviction and virtue he had worshipped all these years, had freed his heart.
He shrugged and crossed his feet on the seat opposite him. J.T. rarely smoked, but tonight he needed something to help him relax. He pulled a thin cigarillo from his coat pocket and lit it. The match flared in the dark interior of the coach, and soon the rich heavy scent of tobacco filled the confined space. He sighed and shook his head.
Nettie Parsons. It seemed she had profited well from the war. He could almost hear his Uncle Cash’s horselaugh now. When he first moved to the ranch he had told Cash and Lupita all about Nettie in glowing terms and about how she had promised to marry him. Then, when the war started and Jason chose not to join the Confederate Army as Nettie had expected, he shared his pain with them when she rejected him.
Cash claimed that any woman who really loved him would have stood by his decision. Jason disagreed. As much as he had loved Nettie, he valued her idealism and the fact that she could not give up the cause she believed in, even for the man she loved. He understood when she wrote and told him she could not betray all she believed in. He felt the same way about his own beliefs.
Still, the war years had not been easy for J.T. Even in the far canyons and mountains of New Mexico, the repercussions of the War Between the States had been strongly felt. Many men left the territories to serve on both sides. Those who stayed behind were most often older or infirm, or men like his Uncle Cash who could not afford to leave his ranch in the hands of a green youngster like Jason. But J.T. had been tall and strong—a strapping youth accused of cowardice on more than one occasion. It mattered little to his critics that he and Cash were raising horses for both armies. He had not donned a uniform and taken sides.
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