by Leah Brooke
He ran his hands over her back as a surge of possessiveness welled up inside him. His world seemed to shift and settle beneath him as the empty place inside him began to fill.
She surprised him by flattening her hands on his stomach and shoving. “No!”
Stunned, he released her, his stomach knotting at the well of tears in her eyes.
“Jazz, I know you’re nervous about getting involved with someone again, but—”
Shaking her head, she backed away from him, holding out her hands as if to ward him off. “I can’t do this. Oh, God. I can’t. Of all the stupid—”
With a cry, she spun and ran toward the back door of her house.
“Jazz, wait!”
Turning back just long enough for him to see the tears on her cheeks, she shook her head again. “Please, Mac. Don’t. I can’t. Please leave me alone.”
With a sinking heart, Mac watched her go inside and shut the door behind her.
Cursing, he ran his hand through his hair, furious with himself for upsetting her.
He’d spent months being so careful, so patient, but finally having her in his arms had gone to his head like the strongest whiskey.
He moved slowly to the back door and knocked, desperate to comfort her. “Jazz? Honey, talk to me.” When she didn’t answer, he knocked again. “Jazz? I’m sorry.”
Gritting his teeth at the unmistakable sound of her shower running, Mac turned away.
He’d leave her alone tonight and give her a chance to calm down, but vowed to himself that he’d confront her when she got home from work the next day.
After they both calmed down, he’d be ready for her, and hopefully, she’d be ready to listen.
She wanted him.
He could build on that.
She didn’t know it yet, but she was his, and he had no intention of letting her get away.
Chapter Two
“Nurse?”
Jasmine blinked, jerking her gaze to the doctor’s. “Sorry, Doctor.” She handed him the bandages he’d requested, inwardly hating the fact that her cheeks burned.
She’d been caught once again thinking about Mac’s kiss, something she hadn’t been able to stop doing all day.
It had been hotter and more overwhelming than any kiss had the right to be.
His lips had moved on hers with a passion and expertise that wiped every thought of resisting right out of her head. Drowning in sensation, she’d clung to him, desperate for more.
She’d never felt so alive. So desired.
But, it changed things between them, and she regretted it.
She had no idea how she could ever face him again or what she would even say to him.
Dr. David Foster finished bandaging the accident victim, giving instructions on his care before releasing him to his wife’s care. Pausing next to her as she cleaned up the tray, he touched her arm. “Are you okay?”
He smiled, his eyes sharp with interest. “You seem distracted today. It’s not like you.”
Forcing a polite smile, she gathered the soiled items and looked away, not wanting to encourage him. “Yes. I’m sorry. I seem to be in another world today.” Seeing one of the other nurses waving a hand in an obvious attempt to get her attention, Jasmine turned away. “Excuse me, Doctor.” Pausing when he laid a hand on her arm, she turned back to him. “Yes?”
His smile unnerved her. “It’s David when we’re alone. Remember?”
Jasmine smiled at that, looking around pointedly. “We’re not exactly alone, though, are we?”
“Look, Jasmine—”
“Nurse White, there’s a phone call for you. He said it’s important.” Her coworker’s voice held a hint of apology.
Fearing the worst, Jasmine tugged her arm away, impatient to get to the phone. “Excuse me. It might be about one of my daughters.”
She hurried to dispose of the used supplies before ripping off her gloves and disposing of them. It seemed to take forever to get to the phone, and by the time she did, she was out of breath. “Hello?”
“Well, did you fuck him last night?”
Stunned, Jasmine stood there with her jaw dropping. Speechless, she held the phone out, staring at it in disbelief.
It took only seconds for fury to kick in.
Gritting her teeth, she lifted the phone to her ear. “Are you out of your mind? You called me at work to ask me that? You scared me to death. I thought something happened to one of the girls.”
“Well, did you?”
Mentally counting to ten, Jasmine took several deep breaths to calm herself, but it didn’t work. “Unless there’s an emergency, don’t ever call me again.”
Barely restraining herself, she replaced the receiver instead of slamming it down the way she wanted to.
So angry she shook, Jasmine turned away, almost running into David. “Oh! Sorry!”
Gripping her upper arms, David steadied her. Even after working all day, he didn’t have a blond hair out of place. “Is everything okay? You look upset.”
“I’m fine.” Between being distracted with thoughts of Mac and Tom’s asinine behavior, she shook with nerves.
“Jasmine, you look like you could use a friend. No pressure. Just a nice, relaxing dinner to get away from whatever’s bothering you for a while.” His eyes sparkled with amusement. “You’ve turned me down enough times for me to get the message. Just a nice, friendly dinner.”
Jasmine started to refuse but found herself agreeing instead. It would be nice to have a few hours away. Maybe if she thought about it enough, she could convince herself that their kiss had meant nothing to Mac.
“Okay. I’d like that. Thank you.” She just had to find a way of avoiding Mac. “I’d have to go early, though. I didn’t sleep well last night, and I’d like an early night tonight.”
She hadn’t slept more than an hour. Maybe after a good night’s sleep, she could figure out what the hell she would say to Mac when she saw him.
David grinned. “That’s fine with me. I’m on call later tonight, and I wouldn’t want our dinner interrupted.”
Jasmine smiled, letting her smile fall as soon as she turned away. She hoped like hell she could get out of the house before Mac got home.
Something told her he wouldn’t be happy at all with her plans.
* * * *
Jasmine eyed her reflection critically, hoping her decision to go out on a date proved to be a good one.
Right now, it didn’t feel like it.
She felt like a coward. She felt like she was somehow betraying Mac.
She knew they had to talk about the kiss they’d shared, but she just couldn’t handle that until she got control of her emotions.
If she saw him now, she’d probably fall into his arms the way she had when he’d kissed her.
She’d gotten off early from work and had spent the last half hour racing around so she could leave before Mac got home.
The sound of the lawnmower starting in the backyard set up a flight of butterflies in her stomach.
Damn, he was home.
Her heart raced, panic and anticipation vying for attention.
Pressing a hand to her stomach, she looked toward the sliding glass door, grateful that she’d left the blinds closed and that she’d had the foresight to park her car in the garage.
She must have seemed so desperate and needy compared to the other women he dated.
She’d never felt so desired, and she’d let the possessiveness in his touch fool her into thinking he wanted her as much as she wanted him.
She couldn’t let herself think about what had appeared to be hurt in Mac’s eyes when she’d pushed out of his arms, knowing it had to be something else.
He couldn’t want more than a brief fling, one that she knew would change everything between them forever.
She couldn’t let that happen.
She needed him in her life too much, and she couldn’t take the chance of losing him.
She knew he’d be disappointed, perhaps e
ven angry, that she wasn’t home, but she couldn’t let that bother her.
She had to remind herself that it was none of Mac’s business if she went out with another man. They were just friends, after all.
So, why the hell did she feel so guilty?
Listening to the unmistakable sounds of Mac mowing the backyard, she fisted her hands at her sides to fight the urge to peek through the blinds for a look at him.
Just knowing he was close made her heart race.
Mac would have his shirt off, a light sheen of perspiration covering his tall, muscular frame. He would be wearing jeans, as always, and his work boots that had seen better days.
He owned his own landscaping business and had several employees, but insisted on doing all of the yard work at the duplex they shared himself. Years of physical labor had sculpted his body into a work of art her hands itched to explore.
Tall, wide-shouldered, with dark hair that had a tendency to fall over his forehead, and with the most beautiful brown eyes she’d ever seen, Mac had an undeniable sexuality about him that seemed to stroke every erogenous zone in her body with just a glance.
Falling in love again scared the hell out of her.
Trust would never be easy for her, and feeling the way she did about Mac just twisted her up inside.
The knock at her front door startled her, and with a gasp, she whirled toward her bedroom doorway. Pressing a hand to her knotted stomach, she took a deep breath and let it out slowly.
David was a safe choice. Interesting and intelligent, he was a good conversationalist and would make a good companion. Best of all, she didn’t find herself sexually attracted to him at all.
She blamed her decision to go out entirely on Mac. If not for his kiss, she never would have had to find someone to take her mind off of him.
Frowning, she slipped on her shoes and started for the door, wondering why that didn’t sound as logical as it had before—or as easy.
Forcing a smile, she opened the door, determined to have a good time and forget Mac’s gorgeous eyes and the kiss that had turned her world upside down.
* * * *
She had a terrible time.
Even though she’d expected it, it didn’t make it any easier to accept.
Furious with herself that she’d spent the entire evening thinking of Mac, she’d really tried to give David the attention he deserved.
Her thoughts, though, kept returning to Mac.
No matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t help but compare her date to her charming landlord, which pissed her off. She found David lacking in almost every way, which she figured had more to do with her own feelings for Mac than anything David said or did.
She’d expected it. She’d picked a man like David on purpose for just that reason, but it still left her feeling disappointed, which angered her even more.
She’d gone out with David because he was so unlike Mac and should have known he’d never have been able to distract her. By the time he dropped her off, she’d become so mad at herself that she wanted to scream.
With a last good-bye, she shut the door on the handsome doctor, blowing out a breath as she leaned back against it. Thanking God that the evening had finally come to an end, she vowed to herself to never go on a date for the rest of her life. She had no intention of repeating that mistake ever again.
It would take some time, but she was confident she could forget their kiss and put their friendship back on solid ground again.
“Your legs look incredible in those heels.”
Jasmine gasped and jerked upright, dropping her purse and keys, whipping her head around as the lamp in the corner of the room clicked on. Her hand flew to her throat, and, off-balance, she slammed back against the door, her heart pounding furiously.
Belatedly recognizing her intruder, she blew out a breath, sucking in another as his words penetrated. “Damn it, Mac! What the hell are you doing in my house? You scared me to death.” Still mad at herself for letting thoughts of him ruin her evening, she bent to retrieve the things she’d dropped, fighting to hide the flush of warmth at the shock of facing him again so unexpectedly.
Mac ran his fingers over the neck of the bottle of beer he held, making her nipples tingle with the need to have him stroke them in the same way. Clenching his jaw as though barely restraining himself from flinging the bottle across the room, he eyed her steadily. “I’ll bet your date thought about having those legs wrapped around his hips all night. I know that’s what I’ve been thinking ever since you walked through the door.”
“Mac!” Shocked, she could only gape at him. Disconcerted as always by his flirting, she felt a chill go through her at the edge it had now. “I can’t believe you would say something like that to me.” Frowning, she eyed the nearly empty bottle. “Are you drunk?”
Watching him warily, she placed her keys and purse on the low table next to the door, her movements slow and careful.
Something in the way he held himself had her poised to run.
She’d never felt so threatened by him before, nor had she ever seen the look of intent that gleamed in his eyes as they raked over her.
Just as she’d feared, the kiss they’d shared had changed everything.
Mac smiled humorlessly and set the bottle on the table next to him, his eyes filled with the knowledge and satisfaction of her wariness. “On one beer? You wanna tell me who that was and if I need to go beat the hell out of him?” His eyes hardened, his tone like jagged ice. “Did he touch you?”
Not doubting for a moment that he would do it, Jasmine gulped.
Struggling to hide her alarm, she kicked off her shoes and went to the sofa across from him, not tucking her feet under herself the way she usually did in case she had to move fast. “Just a friend. Look, Mac, I’m tired and I had a lousy evening. I just want to get out of these clothes and into my nightgown and go to bed.”
Folding his hands across his flat stomach, Mac eyed her thoughtfully. “Apparently I haven’t been as clear as I’d intended. Did you honestly think I would tolerate this? Did you really think I would just stand aside while you went out with someone else?”
Jasmine’s jaw dropped. Blinking, she wondered if the small glass of wine she’d had with dinner had affected her hearing.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.” Mac’s gaze sharpened. “I’ve been waiting for over a year for you to be ready for another man. I gave you time. I never rushed you, even though I could see you’d started to show some interest. Every time I advanced, you got nervous—so I waited.”
Leaning forward, his forearms resting on his knees, he stared at her unblinkingly.
“I waited. And waited. I knew you were still reeling from your divorce and wanted to give you the time you needed. I wanted you to be ready.”
Jasmine could only stare at him, hardly believing the things he was saying. “What? You’ve dated dozens of women. You only flirted with me because you were trying to make me feel better.” Unable to sit still any longer, she shot to her feet. “I thought we were friends. Why’d you have to kiss me and ruin everything?”
Mac leaned back, studying her, his eyes filled with a hunger she’d seen in them before, but that he’d always masked almost immediately.
Now, he didn’t even bother to hide it. It tugged at her, drawing her into a web of erotic seduction, a web she didn’t know how to escape.
The veil of politeness had been ripped away, leaving her faced with an intense man she barely recognized.
She found him even more exciting.
He smiled, a hard smile that didn’t even come close to reaching his eyes. “Jazz, you know as well as I do that it stopped being just friendship between us a long time ago.”
Jasmine frowned, shaken at the change in him. “You know I hate it when you call me that.”
For the first time, Mac smiled a genuine smile. “No, you don’t.” He came to his feet with a grace she’d always admired, his gaze steady on hers as he took a step toward
her. “I haven’t gone out with another woman in over a year, and you know it. Do you really think I’m going to stand by and watch you go out with other men?”
Her breath caught when he took another step, her pulse tripping at the sensation of being stalked, startled at how it aroused her. Backing away, she lifted her chin, not about to let him see how much he intimidated her. Mortified at the arousal that grew each moment she spent with him, she struggled to keep her voice firm.
“That’s none of your business.”
Mac’s smile widened, the threat in his eyes making him even more intimidating. “Don’t kid yourself. Everything about you is my business. We both know that.” He took another step, and then another. “I’ve been watching over you and your daughters ever since you moved in.”
Jasmine moved aside, working her way back toward the sofa. “Stop stalking me!”
Her heart raced, beating nearly out of her chest. “I don’t know what’s wrong with you. You’ve never acted like this before.” She’d never felt so aware of her femininity and found herself drawn to his raw masculinity like a moth to a flame.
He came closer, too close for her peace of mind. “I’ve never waited as long for a woman as I have for you. My patience came to an end the minute I saw you ride away with another man.” He took another step, not allowing her to put any distance between them. “I thought you would come to me when you were ready to have another man in your life—not go out with someone else. Last night things did change between us, and I should never have let you get away.”
His voice lowered. “Once again, I gave you time and distance. It’s a mistake I won’t make again.”
Shaken and a little confused, Jasmine took another step back, yelping when the backs of her knees hit the edge of the sofa and she fell backward.
“Mac!”
He caught her, easing her down and taking the seat beside her. Sitting at the edge of the sofa and turning toward her, he effectively closed her in, making it impossible for her to escape.
Her skin tingled at his nearness, the awareness of his powerful body so close to hers filling her with breathless anticipation. Heat radiated from him, enveloping her in a warm cocoon of delight, one that made her pulse race and dampened her panties as the need for him became almost unbearable. The scent of warm, clean male surrounded her, filling her senses. Her nipples beaded almost painfully, the need for his attention making them achy and tight.