Sparks of Temptation: The Proposal. Brenda Jackson
of our marriage to anyone.”
“I still need time to think things through, Jason.”
“And I’ll give you that time but my proposal won’t be out there forever.”
“I understand.”
And whether or not he believed her, she did understand, which was why she needed time to think about it. From his standpoint things probably looked simple and easy. But to her there were several “what ifs” she had to consider.
What if during that year she fell in love with him but he wanted out of the marriage? What if he was satisfied with a loveless marriage and like her parents wanted to be discreet in taking lovers? What if—
“How much time do you think you’ll need to think about it?”
“No more than a week at the most. I should have my answer to you by then.” And she hoped more than anything it would be the right one.
“All right, that will work for me.”
“And you’re not involved with anyone?” she asked, needing to know for certain.
He smiled. “No, I’m not. Trust me. I couldn’t be involved with anyone and kiss you the way I did the other day.”
Bringing up their kiss made her remember how it had been that day, and how easily her lips had molded to his. It had been so easy to feel his passion, and some of the things his tongue had done inside her mouth nearly short-circuited her brain. Even now her body was inwardly shuddering with the force of those memories. And she expected them to live under the same roof and not share a bed? That was definitely an unrealistic expectation on her part. It seemed since their kiss, being under the same roof for any period of time was a passionate time bomb waiting to happen for them and they both knew it.
She glanced across the table at him and her stomach clenched. He was looking at her the same way he’d done that day right before he’d kissed her. And she’d kissed him back. Mated with his mouth and loved every minute doing so.
Even now she recognized the look in his eyes. It was a dark, hungry look that did more than suggest he wanted her and if given the chance he would take her right here, on her kitchen table. And it would entail more than just kissing. He would probably want to sample her the same way she’d done the seafood bisque Pam had served at dinner. And heaven help her but she would just love to be sampled.
She knew what he wanted but was curious to know what he was thinking at this moment. He was staring at her with such intensity, such longing and such greed. Then she thought, maybe it was best that she didn’t know. It would be safer to just imagine.
Swallowing hard, she broke eye contact with him and thought changing the subject was a good idea. The discussion of a possible marriage between them was not the way to go right now.
“At least I’ve paid for the appliances they are delivering next week,” she said, glancing over at her stove that had seen better days. “I think that stove and refrigerator were here when my dad lived here,” she added.
“Probably.”
“So it was time for new ones, don’t you think?”
“Yes. And I think we need to get those broken pieces of the teacups off the floor,” he said.
“I’ll do it later. It will give me something to do after you leave. I’m going to need to stay busy for a while. I’m not sleepy.”
“You sure you won’t need my help cleaning it up?”
“Yes, I’m sure” was her response.
“All right.”
“I have beer in the refrigerator if you’d like one,” she offered.
“No, I’m straight.”
For the next ten minutes they continued to engage in idle chatter. Anything else was liable to set off sparks that could ignite into who knows what.
“Bella?”
“Yes.”
“It’s not working.”
She knew just what he meant. They had moved the conversation from her appliances, to the broken teacups, to him not wanting a beer, to the furniture in her living room, to the movie that had made number one at the box office last weekend like either of them really gave a royal flip. “It’s not?”
“No. It’s okay to feel what we’re feeling right now, no matter what decision you make a week from now. And on that note,” he said, standing, “if you’re sure you don’t want me to help clean up the broken teacups, I think I’d better go before...”
“Before what?” she asked when he hesitated in completing the statement.
“Before I try eating you alive.”
She sucked in a quick breath while a vision of him doing that very thing filtered through her mind. And then instead of leaving well enough alone, she asked something really stupid. “Why would you want to do something like that?”
He smiled. And the way he smiled had her pulse beating rapidly in several areas of her body. It wasn’t a predatory smile but one of those “if you really want to know” smiles. Never before had she been aware of the many smiles a person’s lips could convey.
In truth, with the little experience she had when it came to men, she was surprised she could read him at all. But for some strange reason she could read Jason and she could do so on a level that could set off passion fizzing to life inside of her.
Like it was doing now.
“The reason I’d try eating you alive is that the other day I only got a sample of your taste. But it was enough to give me plenty of sleepless nights since then. Now I find that I crave knowing how you taste all over. So if you’re not ready for that to happen, come on and walk me to the door.”
Honestly, at that moment she wasn’t quite sure what she was ready for and figured that degree of uncertainty was reason to walk him to the door. She had a lot to think about and work out in her mind and only a week to do it.
She stood and moved around the table. When he extended his hand to her, she knew if they were to touch it would set off a chain of emotions and events she wasn’t sure she was ready for. Her gaze moved away from his hand up to his face and she had a feeling that he knew it, as well. Was this supposed to be a challenge? Or was it merely a way to get her to face the facts of how living under the same roof with him would be?
She could ignore his outstretched hand but doing so would be rude and she wasn’t a rude person. He was watching her. Waiting for her next move. So she made it and placed her hand in his. And the instant their hands touched she felt it. The heat of his warmth spread through her and instead of withstanding it she was drawn deeper and deeper into it.
Before she realized his intentions he let go of her hand to slide his fingertips up and down her arm in a caress so light and so mind-bogglingly sensual that she had to clamp down her mouth to keep from moaning.
The look in the dark eyes staring at her was intense and she knew at that moment his touch wasn’t the only thing making her come apart. His manly scent was flowing through her nostrils and drawing him to her in a way that was actually making her panties wet.
My goodness.
“Maybe my thinking is wrong, Bella,” he said in a deep, husky voice as his fingers continued to caress her arms, making her stomach clench with every heated stroke against her skin.
“Maybe you are ready for me to taste you all over, let my tongue glide across your skin, sample you in my mouth and feast on you with the deep hunger I need assuaged. And while your delicious taste sinks into my mouth, I will use my tongue to push you over the edge time and time again and drown you in a need that I intend to fulfill.”
His words were pushing her over the edge just as much as his touch