by Dana Ransom
Charley hadn’t known what to expect from this pinch-hit decision. She’d been existing on raw nerves and desperate hope since letting herself in with Matthew Bane’s key. When she’d seen Jess, it had almost finished her. He’d looked as if a train had run over him and dragged him cross-country. And what had happened to his eye? He’d been in such bad shape that he hadn’t moved when she’d undressed him and tucked him in. Not sure he’d even welcome the sight of her, she’d waited. The sound of his deep, full-chested laugh was a reward well worth the anxiety.
“How about we salvage what we can and start over?”
What an open-ended suggestion. It nailed her right through the heart. “Can we, Jess?” That was a hoarse little whisper.
“You’re the champion of lost causes. You tell me.” And he waited, his expression taut with expectation. And belief. That’s what broke her down. She was across the room and in his arms in the span of a reckless heartbeat.
“Oh yes,” she cried huskily into the hollow of his throat. “It’s worth it. Anything’s possible if you want it bad enough. I want it, Jess.” Then softly she told him, “What you wrote, it was beautiful.”
She heard him suck air, then recognized the quiver of humor in his tone. “I was inspired. I wanted to put my own name on something good.”
At first he just held her, tight, so tight that she could feel the outline of every one of his ribs bruising her. Then he began to move, a slow side-to-side shuffle that turned into a swing to the tempo of his rhythm and blues.
“God, I love this song,” he murmured passionately as his lips brushed her temple.
And there was no place Charley would rather be than dancing in Jess McMasters’s kitchen to the sound of Sam and Dave and the scent of burned toast.
The End
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About the Author
Dana Ransom is a pen name for Nancy Gideon, the award-winning author of over 55 novels ranging from historical and contemporary suspense to paranormal, including her “Midnight” vampire romance series written under her own name for Belle Books imprint ImaJinn, with a couple of horror screenplays thrown into the mix. When not at the keyboard or working full time as a legal assistant, she can be found feeding her addictions for Netflix and all things fur, feather and fin in Southwestern Michigan. For more on Nancy visit nancygideon.com and nancygideon.blogspot.com.