by Sally Falcon
“Come on, Wendy, sing us another one,” Jessie called across the campfire they’d built down by the lake. The fishermen had been triumphant, claiming that the trout had been so happy to see them that they had almost jumped into the boat. Dinner had been a feast of fried fish with all the fixings.
After some good-natured bickering, the men had grudgingly cleaned up. Winona had rewarded their efforts by producing marshmallows, graham crackers, and chocolate bars for dessert. She also conned the men into toasting the marshmallows, claiming that it was man’s work.
Jessie settled back against her rock, licking the last remnants of gooey marshmallow and melted chocolate from her fingers. “Did you really learn that song at scout camp?”
“Are you kidding?” Wendy had become more talkative as the day had progressed. “That little ditty was from my summers in Branson at Silver Dollar City. I danced and sang my way through college.”
“Lucky you. I worked as a waitress forever to get my sister and me through college,” Jessie returned, trying to pretend she didn’t see Trevor dropping down beside her. His hip brushed against hers as he settled into place, but she kept her eyes trained on the fire in front of them.
“Both of you?” Winona and Wendy asked together.
“We went in pairs, each one working to help the other. Betsy and I were the oldest,” Jessie explained, not bothering to mention they hadn’t started college until their mid-twenties.
“Well, I don’t know about you folks, but all this exercise and fresh air has made me really sleepy,” Griff announced before pouncing on Winona, who squealed in delight at his attack.
“That’s subtle, Alexander,” Nolan called from the other side of the fire, where Wendy was snuggled close to his side. “I think I need to take a walk before turning in. Don’t you think so, sweetheart?”
“Definitely,” she said, unable to contain her giggle. Jessie wasn’t sure what to do. If Winona and Griff wanted some time alone, she couldn’t go back to the shelter. She shivered against the cool night breeze. Next to her, Trevor was incredibly still and quiet. Helplessly she watched the two couples scramble to their feet.
“We’ll take care of the fire,” Trevor announced suddenly, almost making Jessie squeak in surprise. “Y’all take the supplies up, and we’ll be all set.”
“The man has no romance in his soul, making me carry garbage,” Griff grumbled good-naturedly as they gathered up the picnic basket, cooking supplies, and trash bags.
“I do, too,” Trevor countered. “I’m getting someone else to carry the garbage, aren’t I?”
As the others disappeared into the trees, Jessie tried not to react nervously. She was a rational adult who didn’t think Trevor was going to pounce on her the minute the others were out of sight. Of course he wasn’t. They would simply sit here and have a nice, quiet talk.
“Boo!”
Jessie shrieked and would have jumped to her feet if Trevor hadn’t caught her by the shoulders. Her breathing labored and her heart leaping into her throat, she turned on him and pummeled his chest with her fists. “Are you crazy?”
“No, I just wanted to get all this skittishness out of the way,” he explained matter-of-factly, his hands anchored firmly on her shoulders. “You’ve fidgeted from the moment you realized we were going to be alone together. Now we can relax and just sit here and quietly talk.”
Jessie shook her head in wonder. She didn’t think she was going to understand this man in a million years, but she realized that he’d done exactly the right thing. All her reservations seemed to have melted away abruptly. The tension miraculously lifted, and Trevor immediately sensed it. His hands gently squeezed her shoulders.
It seemed natural a few minutes later when he turned her and settled her back against his chest, his arms linked around her waist. “Tell me about growing up with ten kids in the family. I thought four was a madhouse. Ten must have been murder.”
She responded to his gentle demand, talking easily about her family for the first time in years. Telling him about her father that morning had released something inside, letting her face her ghosts, as Gina would say. She talked about the good times and the bad.
It was a perfect night, she decided with a contented sigh, listening in turn to Trevor talk about his childhood. The sky was clear with hundreds of stars twinkling overhead, sparkling in the lake along with the half moon. The cool breeze wasn’t a bother as long as she was sitting next to the fire with Trevor’s arms keeping her warm. Tonight was a time that she wanted to capture in a bottle. She could snare the beauty of the moment and take it out later to luxuriate in the magic again and again. It was a special night; she didn’t have to think about yesterday or tomorrow, only the moment.
Chapter Nine
Jessie didn’t want the moment to end. She felt lethargic, floating on a cloud of sensations, hot and forbidden. Threading her fingers through the silky substance of Trevor’s hair, she encouraged him to deepen their kiss. He was the source of her languor, making her blood flow like warm molasses to the heated core of her yearning.
His skin felt like roughened velvet as she trailed her fingers over his chest and arms. She couldn’t get close enough to assuage the burning need that he kindled with his clever fingers and drugging kisses. Parting her lips, she allowed him to plunder the secret depth, beginning an exploration of her own that could take forever. She was a smoldering ember that he was bringing to life, fanning her internal heat. Any minute she would burst into flame.
Twining her arms around his waist she moved closer, but not close enough. With restless movements, she tried to show him what she wanted, what they needed. To appease the aching hunger simmering low in her abdomen, she rubbed against the hard length pressing between her legs. She couldn’t contain her purr of satisfaction.
“Hey, rise and shine, everybody! The sun’s a’wastin’.” Jessie’s eyes snapped open, meeting the passion-glazed brown eyes directly below hers. For a moment she was disoriented, then reality came crashing into focus. She was lying on top of Trevor, not merely resting, but with her body clinging and molding to his contours.
Nolan was the one who had given the morning call, she realized, but didn’t dare look around to see who else was up.
Suddenly everything went dark. She reached out automatically for something stationary, an anchor in the unknown. Her wandering fingers encountered warm, taut flesh. “Jessie, please be still for a moment.”
Trevor’s hoarse plea froze her in place once more. Her mind and body were now fully awake. He had pulled the sleeping bag over their entwined bodies, out of sight of the others. Unfortunately it only alleviated one of their problems. She was still draped across his chest with her legs tangled intimately with his. The slick perspiration between their bodies told her that they had been clasped together for some time. With the two of them trapped under the down covering, the heat was intensifying. The darkness magnified her sense of touch, making her all too aware of every inch of their bodies pressed together in the confined space.
“Come on out, y’all. We got more fish to catch today.” It was apparent that Nolan was having trouble suppressing the amusement in his voice, making Jessie want to wear the sleeping bag over her head for the rest of the trip. “You, too, Griff and Winona. Let’s get crackin’.”
“Jessie, just slide very carefully over to your left,” Trevor whispered, his hands resting lightly at her waist. His hands touched bare skin, making Jessie all too aware that her nightshirt had ridden up.
“Okay, here I go,” she managed to croak. Desperately, she tried to remember what had been reality and what had been fantasy. Her troubled thoughts were the least of her worries as she awkwardly attempted to maneuver across the disturbing body beneath hers. A moment later she was on her side of the bed, wondering if the groan of relief had been hers or Trevor’s.
She huddled under the shield of the sleeping bag while Trevor got up. Her senses went back into overdrive at the sight of his sweat pants riding low on his hips
before he hiked them back in place and tightened the drawstring. Had she untied it during the night? She could feel her cheeks flame at the thought.
“I’ll be done in the bathroom in a few minutes,” Trevor said softly, then surprised her by leaning over to brush his lips across her damp forehead. He sauntered away with his change of clothes held squarely in front of him.
This was exactly what she had been afraid of by being thrown into the company of Trevor Planchet, Jessie groaned inwardly, brushing her tousled hair out of her face with an unsteady hand. Mmmm, it certainly is, responded the traitorous little voice. She squelched every memory and thought that wasn’t to do with getting out of bed with as much dignity as possible.
Now all she had to do was get through the rest of the day, if she could. Everyone else seemed to be preoccupied with gearing up for the morning, she noted with relief as she shrugged into her robe. Griff gave Winona a smacking kiss under Nolan’s interested gaze, unconcerned about his ribald comments. Could she be as nonchalant?
As she passed Trevor on the way to the bathroom, she experimented with a carefree smile. It was a dismal failure, judging from his somber response. For someone who prided herself on having impeccable manners, she certainly had no idea how to handle a situation like this. She doubted that Miss Manners had an example on how to apologize for mauling a man in his sleep.
He didn’t know what to say now that they were alone together. The others seemed to have conspired against them all day, separating them for hours or never leaving them alone. Trevor surreptitiously watched Jessie as he steered the car along the mountain road. Somehow he didn’t think saying, “This morning was great. Want to do it again sometime?” had the right ring to it. Jessie didn’t always appreciate his humor.
If he had given in to his first impulse this morning, he would have bundled her, sleeping bag and all, into the rover and headed for the nearest motel. A real romantic he was, he thought morosely.
Now, ten hours later, he was still reeling from the impact of waking up to Jessie’s ardent kiss. He always suspected there was a deep well of passion inside her, but this morning told him that he hadn’t had a clue. A twenty-four-hour dip in the icy waters of the lake probably wouldn’t have helped him recover. Looking at her averted profile, he knew that he couldn’t bring up that subject. So, when in doubt, go for the mundane.
“Are we going to be able to get everything ready for the tours in two weeks?” Did the question sound as lame to her as it did to him?
“Hmm, oh, I think so.” Her voice was barely a thread of sound before she cleared her throat. Trevor wondered in a moment of panic if she was on the verge of tears. Why had he pressured her into coming this weekend? “The painter starts tomorrow, and should be done by the end of the week. You’re certainly paying him enough.”
“I’ve been told by Mrs. Langford-Hughes that Timothy is an artiste, a regular virtuoso with his brush—whatever that means. Apparently his brother has an equal talent with wallpaper, so I guess I’m paying for quality as well as quantity.”
“I hope so.”
Now what do I do? Do I promise her that I’ll never hurt her the way her father did? Trevor had always been monogamous in his relationships, but he didn’t think testimonials from the women in his past would be such a hot idea.
“Well, the landscaping is done.” That was brilliant, Planchet. Trees and shrubs are always a real conversation rouser.
“It looks wonderful.”
“When will the furniture get here?” Yet another conversational winner, he decided, but he would rather talk about the house than return to the oppressive silence.
“I think the first delivery should be Friday. The Dallas warehouse had all the bedroom pieces in stock,” she answered matter-of-factly, sounding almost normal to Trevor’s sensitive ears.
Could he lead into something more personal now that they were discussing bedroom furniture? A quick look at his companion’s patrician profile said no. But at least she wasn’t turned away from him anymore.
“What about the rest of the stuff?” Stuff? Was that the best he could do? He couldn’t care less about the furniture; his sole interest was the decorator.
“That should be here by the middle of the following week. If everything goes all right, I’ll have three full days to make sure all the pieces are in place. The drapes will be delivered the day before the tour.”
“That’s cutting it awfully close.”
“A little, but what’s a little stress among friends? The drapes are the least important accessory. It won’t matter too much if they aren’t up.”
Did he imagine that her tone was forced? “Jessie, I’m sorry I’ve dumped all this extra work on you. I had no idea what was involved. I’m used to going to the store, picking out something, and taking it home.”
“Well, you are still going to do some of that,” she stated, a slight trace of humor in her voice. “I’ve compiled a list of linens as well as a few items for the kitchen and the bathrooms that you get to shop for. I’m not one of those decorators who pick out personal items for clients. I just gift wrap your possessions.”
The only item he wanted gift wrapped right now was sitting next to him.
“Don’t worry about too much work. It’s been kind of fun working on a domestic project, especially on a deadline like this.” Jessie scooted down in the seat, seeming much more approachable than she had all day. Was she forgetting about this morning? “It was a real challenge to my professional pride.”
Trevor considered the word pride. Was there too much pride involved in their relationship, professional and personal? As he changed lanes for the entrance ramp to the interstate, he speculated on what he would have to do to breach Jessica DeLord’s pride while soothing her vulnerability. Did he have the ability to handle such a complex matter?
For now, he was leaning toward emotional cowardice. “The house chair will be getting in touch with you the week of the tour. She has the florist lined up and wants to set up a meeting with the tour guides, probably Thursday night before the tour. They can go over the house and estimate how long each group will take to go through the house. Mrs. Langford-Hughes thinks there will be a large turn out this year with a number of older houses on display for the Candlelight and the day tour.”
“That’s nice.” Jessie’s answer was slurred. When Trevor turned to ask if she wanted to stop for dinner at the next exit, he discovered that she had fallen asleep. So much for his anxiety about what to say, he decided with a humorless smile. She was so concerned about what had happened this weekend, she couldn’t stay awake.
Trevor frowned as he looked down at the card in his hand early the next morning. He studied what he had written, wondering if it was enough and knowing it wasn’t what he wanted to say. A man just didn’t write something like that on a card to enclose with a gift. Would Jessie read between the lines? Would she want to? Looking down at the green rabbit snugly tucked in a plaid sleeping bag, he was torn. What else could he write but “Thank you for a wonderful weekend. Will call when I get back in town”?
“Another one, Trevor? I would have thought the other four bunnies would have been more than enough,” the woman behind the counter stated. With one look at his confused frown, she continued, “They’re hearty little breeders, so only two would be necessary.”
The clerk shrugged when he didn’t laugh and silently rang up the sale. She didn’t bother to ask where it was to be delivered. Trevor thanked her absently and walked out to his car. After climbing into the driver’s seat, he waited before starting the engine. He knew that he was cutting the time short. His flight to Tampa left in about forty minutes, but traffic would be light by now.
Trevor had forgotten about the trip until his boss had called late last night to go over some last-minute details. It didn’t matter to him. He had more important things to worry about than covering the end of spring training. The professional baseball season would start with or without him, and it certainly wasn’t as important as fal
ling in love with Jessie DeLord. That was the most important thing in the world to him, and now he had to leave town.
He wasn’t sure when it happened, possibly the moment he’d looked across the room at the Bushes’ party and saw a princess in red satin. Or had it been the night she was sitting on his dining room floor looking like she belonged there? He knew for certain the night by the campfire. The certainty had grown steadily all the next day. When she told him about her family, he’d wanted to hold her and wipe away all the hurt she had known. Her usual self-assurance had disappeared, leaving only the vulnerability.
At that moment, the growing bud of love deep inside him had started to unfurl. He knew why he’d been so persistent, so dogged in his pursuit. Without acknowledging the true reason, he simply knew he couldn’t let her out of his life. His happiness, his well-being, his very existence now depended on having Jessica DeLord by his side.
And all he had to do was prove to her that he wasn’t just another charming, irresponsible man that could make her life miserable. He’d certainly shown her what a perfect fool he could be. Was it too late?
The memory of waking up yesterday morning with Jessie’s tantalizing lips on his, her body soft and sultry in his arms, was his single ray of hope. It didn’t matter that she’d been very quiet the rest of the day, keeping mostly to herself and sleeping most of the way home. He was depending on what had taken place that morning.
Could she be ignoring her subconscious emotions as he had? Reluctantly, he turned the key in the ignition. He wasn’t going to get any answers by sitting there. The next few days were going to be torture until he could see Jessie again. Maybe by then he could come up with some answers on how to win her.
“If I see you mooning over that damn rabbit one more time, I’ll scream,” Gina announced from behind Jessie. “You’ve been acting very strange ever since that little item arrived three days ago.”