The Playboy Meets His Match

by Sara Orwig

  Three more days. She would give Jason three more days and then she had to pack and go. She didn’t think she would be in any danger if she moved back to Dallas. She lived in a gated apartment that was as secure as the one that she had rented here in Royal seemed to be. Right now, for tonight, she didn’t want to think about leaving Jason, and she put it out of mind. The time would come soon enough.

  She finished bathing, dried her hair and dressed carefully in a blue sundress with a halter top and full skirt. She slipped into sandals and looped and pinned her hair on top of her head.

  Wayward tendrils escaped to curl around her face and she left them, making a face at them in her reflection in the mirror.

  It seemed like forever before she heard Jason’s pickup, and this time she did go out to meet him, flying into his arms. He caught her up, kissing her hard and long as he carried her into the house and kicked the door shut. He set down the vase of roses and turned to Merry.

  “It’s been an eternity,” he said in a breathless voice and pulled her into his embrace.

  An hour later Jason held Merry close against him. “I’ll cook steaks unless you’d prefer I’d take you to town to Claire’s again.”

  “Actually, the steaks right here sound like a deal.”

  “Steaks it is. Let’s shower first.”

  She moaned softly and hugged him. “If we shower together, there won’t be any steaks for hours.”

  “How hungry are you?”

  She gave him a sultry, heated look that made him groan. He stood and scooped her into his arms and carried her to the bathroom and it was another hour before they were seated in the kitchen over thick, sizzling steaks and baked potatoes covered with melted butter and sprinkled with chives.

  Glasses of red wine sat on the table along with warm slices of bread, crisp asparagus and slices of juicy red tomatoes.

  “How was your meeting today?”

  “I almost forgot. Keith Owens is going to call you. He wants to offer you a job with his company. He was impressed that you got into Dorian’s computer files, because Keith’s company sold software to Wescott and helped them set up some of their programs.”

  “He’s offering me a job here in Royal?”

  “Yes. Think about it, all right?”

  When she smiled at him, Jason thought about the ring upstairs in a drawer beside the bed. Their dinners were only half eaten, but he had lost his appetite.

  “Come here,” he said, taking her hand. “Let’s dance.”

  He already had music playing, and he pulled her into his arms.

  In his arms Merry moved with him as if they had danced together forever. They danced into the family room with its hardwood floor. In her sundress, her back and shoulders were bare and he caressed her while they danced.

  When she raised her head, he leaned down to kiss her, wanting her as fiercely as he had when he had driven to the ranch earlier today.

  “Merry, I love you,” he whispered.

  Something flickered in the depths of her smokey eyes, but she merely gazed at him solemnly and then stood on tiptoe, pulling his head to hers.

  They kissed and Jason wanted to bury himself in her softness. He unfastened the buttons on the sundress and let it fall away while she tugged his shirt out of his pants.

  She took his breath with her luminous gray eyes, hot kisses and fiery hair. He wanted her with a desperate urgency, but he wanted to make love to her for hours, to make it as good as possible for her, to drive her wild.

  He peeled away the bits of lace underwear she wore and shed his own clothing, tossing it aside to pull her down on the sofa and kiss her from head to toe.

  Merry was lost in sensations, aware of Jason murmuring endearments as he kissed her, trying to turn them off in her mind, to give herself to passion and feeling and not let her heart be talked into believing a dream he was weaving around her.

  Hours later, they loved in the big bed until they lay exhausted, wrapped in each other’s arms while their racing hearts slowed.

  He kissed her tenderly, moving beside her and stroking her face. “I love you, Merry. Really love you. For the first time in my life, I’m truly in love.”

  She put her fingers over his lips. “Jason, it’s good. Let’s leave it that way.”

  “You don’t believe me, but I’m telling you the truth.”

  She smiled at him, determined not to be completely taken in by the words. The man was the ultimate playboy, the consummate lover, and she wasn’t falling for a line of love promises made in the throes of passion or right after loving.

  He turned, opening the drawer beside the bed to fumble in the drawer. He rolled back over to place a small black box on her bare stomach.

  She stared at it with curiosity, realized it was probably a jewelry box. Pulling the sheet beneath her arms, she sat up. Jason took the box from her hand and gazed at her solemnly while he opened it.

  “Merry, I love you. Will you marry me?” he asked, leaning forward to kiss her lightly.

  Stunned, Merry looked at the beautiful diamond catching glints of the soft light in its sparkling depths, and then she looked into Jason’s blue-green eyes that made her heart thud. Everything inside her cried out acceptance. If only…

  Ten

  Unable to answer him, she looked down at the diamond. Why did it have to be this way? Inside, she hurt, a pain that spread and deepened, and she wondered whether it would completely consume her. She kept staring at the diamond until Jason tilted up her chin, and she gazed into his solemn eyes.

  “I love you, Merry. You’ve changed my life and how I feel about things. How I feel about love.”

  She kissed him, long and slowly, barely aware of the salty taste of her tears, knowing that she was going to be heartbroken, but also knowing there was only one answer to give him.

  “Tears?” he said, leaning back and framing her face to wipe away her tears with his thumbs. “Merry, I love you. I think you love me,” he said, watching her intently.

  “Jason, we haven’t known each other long enough. This is too fast. Last month I didn’t know you. Days ago you told me in no uncertain terms that you would never marry.”

  “Well, I hadn’t fallen in love then. My life has changed because of knowing you.”

  “It’s too soon to really know what you feel deep in your heart.”

  “I think you’re the one who said something about you’d just know when you fell in love. Well, that’s the way it’s been with me. I know what I want and how I feel.” He gazed into her eyes in a long, probing look. “Tell me you don’t love me.”

  “You know I can’t tell you that, but this is too fast. I don’t want to rush into an engagement, rush into a marriage. Last month you were certain you’d never marry. You’ve spent a lifetime—your adult lifetime—going from woman to woman. For you to really know your feelings is going to take time.”

  “No, it isn’t,” he answered, and her pulse jumped because she wanted with all her heart to believe what he was saying.

  “If we love each other, time will prove it.”

  “I don’t want you to go back to Dallas. I want you here, just as you are now. I want you in my arms, in my bed every night. I want to come home to you, to call you when I need you, to have someone to share everything with.”

  “Jason, I want that so badly that I don’t dare think about it.”

  “Let go and trust me. Acknowledge what you know you feel.”

  “You can’t be so sure so fast. I don’t know if you’ve done this with every other woman you’ve—”

  “I haven’t asked another woman to marry me,” he interrupted her gruffly. “I swear to you, Merry, I’ve never told a woman I loved her. Not once, not ever. Not even as a teen. There was always a part of me that stood back and held back and kept quiet.”

  “Oh, Jason,” she said, knowing that withdrawal was from old hurts, but that didn’t mean he was so completely certain now. “I don’t think you can change quickly and really know how you’ll feel
a year from now or two years from now. This is way too fast, way too superficial.”

  “There’s nothing superficial about it. I know to the depths of my soul, Merry. I’ve never been this way before. I know for certain.”

  “Then date me and show me. There hasn’t been anything normal or routine about the time we’ve been together—the bomb, I’m away from home, I’m living here—”

  “The intimacy and the upheaval ought to allow us to know each other better and know our feelings better. In a crisis all civilized veneer is stripped away and what’s real is left. And that’s what we’ve seen of each other.”

  “Maybe, but I think we need some time and space. I can’t believe you really know your own heart. No one can have a complete turnaround the way you have. Not this fast. Jason, when I marry, I want it to be forever.”

  “I do, too. And I know my heart. I know what I feel for you. I love you.”

  She closed the ring box and placed it in his hand. “Maybe in time, Jason. Not now. There’s no way you can convince me that you deeply, truly love me. You were far too convincing only a short time ago when you said you would never fall in love, never marry.”

  “I didn’t really know you then.”

  “You don’t really, really know me now.”

  “I think I do. And what I don’t know, I want to find out.” He held her face with his hands. “Dammit, woman, I love you. I want you to marry me.”

  She gazed into his eyes, blazing with determination and desire. He pulled her closer to lean forward and kiss her long and hard.

  “Marry me,” he urged after a lot of kisses.

  She moved away, wrapping his fingers around the ring box. “We can talk about it, and you can see how you feel after we get to know each other better.”

  He caught her chin with his hand and his eyes burned into hers. “I know exactly what I want. I love you, darlin’. And I’ll convince you of it.”

  Her heart thudded, and she couldn’t resist pulling him to her, taking them both down on the bed and kissing him wildly. Letting go with kisses and lovemaking, she couldn’t get enough of him or give enough of herself to him. There were no barriers here, no holding back. Time did not exist. Love was all-encompassing, and she could pour out her love for him.

  The next morning, Jason left the house shortly after dawn to round up steers to take to market.

  A lot of the ranch work Jason did was from his pickup, but today he and the men were going on horseback. At the corral he saddled his gray horse and swung into the saddle, riding out to join the others.

  All through the day, unless his attention was completely on his work, he thought about Merry and how to convince her he knew his own feelings. In late afternoon before he returned to the house, he flagged down his foreman.

  Almost seven feet tall and thick through the shoulders and chest, Dusty Grant strode over to him.

  “I want you to handle this sale tomorrow.”

  “Sure,” the blond giant replied, taking off his hat and wiping sweat from his forehead and neck with a red bandana.

  “I’d like to take a few days off. I’ll be around the house if you need me, but I want some time off.”

  “Sure, boss. It’s fine. Day after tomorrow you were going to that horse sale.”

  “I can do that, but you take over the rest.”

  “Will do,” he said. “Men are standing watch around the clock.”

  “Until we find out who planted that bomb, keep a watch going. I don’t want anything else to happen. Thanks, Dusty. I asked Henry to fly us to Houston tonight, and we’ll be back sometime tomorrow.”

  “Sure thing.”

  Jason turned and headed for the house. He was flying Merry to Houston to dinner tonight and they’d return home tomorrow. His pulse speeded in anticipation. She knew they were going out to dinner, but he wanted the flight to be a surprise, so he hadn’t told her.

  He stretched out his stride, hurrying to the guest house, wanting to be with her, something he had yearned for since he’d told her goodbye this morning.

  He crossed the porch and reached for the door as she stepped outside and into his arms. He caught her up and embraced her tightly, kissing her as he walked them both inside and kicked the door closed. Reaching behind him, he turned the lock. He wanted her desperately. “I’m dusty and hot—”

  “I don’t care,” she whispered, and his pulse soared. She was cool, smelling sweet and enticing, so soft in his arms. He couldn’t wait, peeling away her clothes and shedding his. His hands shook with haste and need. She was soft, wild, magical. In minutes he lifted her off the floor and she locked her legs around him while he entered her. Urgency drove them, and he felt as if it were the first time all over again.

  “Merry! I love you. My love, my woman,” he whispered, wondering how long it would take to convince her of the depth of his feelings.

  Thoughts vanished as he relished loving her, swept into ecstasy with her and wanting it never to end.

  Later, after they had showered, he carried her to bed to hold her close in his arms until they had to dress to leave for dinner.

  He waited in the small living room, finally hearing her heels clicking, and then she walked through the door. Sexy and beautiful, she paused, her gaze warm enough to melt him as he drank in the sight of her in a clinging red dress with her hair looped and pinned on top of her head. Stray tendrils hung down, framing her face. As always, he was tempted to forget dinner and just go back to bed. But he wanted to court her and win her over, and taking her out was part of that.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said, his voice husky. He couldn’t keep his reactions to her from showing. Nor did he really want to.

  “You look very handsome, too,” she said breathlessly. “Sure you want to leave?”

  “Hell no, I don’t want to do anything except make love to you, but I want you to have some special moments besides when we’re in bed. So let’s go.”

  She took his arm and it wasn’t until they turned and drove up to the small jet waiting at the Royal airport that she raised her eyebrows. “So what’s this?”

  “We’re going to Houston for dinner and dancing.”

  She smiled and leaned close to kiss him. “Sounds great. Another very special evening with you.”

  “Let’s see how special we can make it,” he said quietly, wishing she would come home wearing his engagement ring.

  Jason tried to be his charming best through a lobster dinner with glasses of chablis and a flaming dessert. The restaurant had an indoor waterfall and a pond with blooming lilies. There was a deserted dance floor because the combo would not commence playing for another hour. In the meantime, soft piano music added to the cozy atmosphere. Their table had candlelight, white linen and a vase of pink tulips and daisies.

  His appetite had diminished since he’d met her, and it wasn’t any stronger tonight.

  “Jason, this is exciting and wonderful, but life goes on. Monday, I have an appointment with Keith. Whatever I do, I need to move out of your house.”

  “Merry—”

  “Wait and let me finish,” she said firmly. “I will either go back home to Dallas or I’ll accept Keith’s offer and move into the apartment I rented here in Royal.”

  “I don’t want you to go.”

  “I have to. I can’t keep staying at your house.”

  “I wish you’d marry me, and that would settle it. I love you. Can’t you see that?”

  “I’m flattered, but I don’t think you know what you feel.”

  He groaned and wanted to pull her into his arms and stop all this nonsense by making love to her until she acknowledged what they both felt.

  His past had caught up with him, something he had never given a thought to before. He sipped his wine and wondered how much time it would take to convince her that he meant what he was saying. This was a problem he had never expected to have. She was sexy and sweet and unfortunately, as strong-willed as he was. He took her hand, feeling her smooth, soft skin a
nd looking into her smoke-colored eyes that held flames in their depths.

  Until Merry, he had never found a female he couldn’t charm or seduce or win over to his way if he wanted to. She was moving out Monday. The announcement was like the plunge of a knife into his heart. She might go back to Dallas. He hurt and he didn’t want her to go. He didn’t want time or distance between them, but he knew it was pointless to argue with her about it.

  “You’re a challenge, Merry. And you’ve been one since that first night at the club.”

  She smiled at him, a twinkle in her eyes. “You need a challenge every once in a while.”

  “What I need is you,” he answered, his voice becoming a rasp. The band began to play and he glanced at the dance floor, standing. “Come dance with me,” he said, taking her hand and wanting her in his arms.

  As she danced with him, he tightened his arm around her waist, holding her close, frustrated because he couldn’t convince her of his feelings.

  He wasn’t going to let her go, but he damned sure didn’t want to court her for a year or longer and that’s what she seemed to be hellbent on him doing. He kissed her soft cheek, blew lightly in her ear, and wished she could see that he knew his own heart.

  “Merry, I’ve told you this before, but I’ll say it again. I know what I want.”

  “If you’re really in love, then time will prove it, Jason,” she answered so sweetly he wanted to gnash his teeth and swear.

  The music changed to a fast number and he watched her move around him, a flame in her red dress. He wanted to pull her hair down and peel her out of the dress and it took a major effort of will to keep dancing instead of taking her back to the hotel suite he had reserved for them. He didn’t want to think about Monday and her leaving.

  In the early hours of Monday morning, Merry lay awake in Jason’s arms. Neither had slept well, loving most of the night, yet both aware of the deadline she had arbitrarily set. She knew the most difficult thing she had ever done would be to move out in a few hours. She had turned down his ring and proposal, now she was moving away from him, but she knew she had to.