Chapter Seven
Jade turned her car into her parents’ circular drive and parked behind Grey and Mariah’s SUV. She killed the engine, but made no move to exit. She stared out the windshield at the big house she’d been raised in, a house where she and her sister had shared so many hopes and dreams for their future.
At least her sister’s dreams of having a husband and family had come true. Hers had been shattered three years ago. She shuddered to think where she’d be now if she hadn’t come to her senses and ended her relationship with Adam. If she hadn’t had the support of her family who’d helped her through the most devastating period in her life.
“Are you sure you’re okay with me being here today?”
Jade blinked away her thoughts and glanced toward the passenger side of the car, where Kyle had folded his large frame into the compact seat of her sports car. Despite the cramped quarters, he hadn’t once complained that he couldn’t stretch out his long legs, or that the top of his head nearly hit the ceiling of the car.
Although he’d provided her an out, she’d decided there was absolutely nothing wrong with bringing a male friend to her birthday barbecue. Besides, she wanted him there. It was her parents’ problem if they made more of her relationship with Kyle than there actually was.
She pulled her key from the ignition, her mouth lifting in a wry smile. “How can you expect me to be sure of anything? I’m thirty years old today.”
Reaching across the console, he sifted his fingers through her short hair, his gaze full of the teasing charm she was coming to adore. “If it makes you feel any better, you don’t look a day over twenty-one.”
She couldn’t contain her light laughter, nor could she help the special way he made her feel, all from a touch and a few words. “You’re a wonderful liar, but it does make me feel better. I hope you’re still around when I hit forty.”
He lifted a brow. “Do you think I plan on going somewhere?”
His question didn’t really require an answer, because she knew what he meant. And as much as Kyle being a permanent part of her life was beginning to appeal to her, she knew their versions of “permanent” differed vastly. For him, it meant that they’d be friends months and years from now, long after their affair ended, but they’d each have their own separate lives that didn’t include each other on a regular basis. No commitment, no ties, no obligation to the other.
Her chest tightened, right in the vicinity of her heart. Oh, Lord, when had all those emotional connections started to matter? And when had having an affair with Kyle begun to have a deeper meaning than an outlet for her attraction to the man? They hadn’t even slept together, and already she was falling deeper than was wise.
“Jade!”
Welcoming the diversion from her wayward thoughts, Jade glanced to the front of the house. Mariah waved and walked down the front steps, her soft, floral dress swirling around her legs. Kayla, perched on her mother’s hip, imitated her mother and waved, too. Grey followed at a more leisurely pace, then her parents filled the doorway, no doubt anxious to meet her guest.
“Looks like the troops are closing in.” She grabbed her purse and took a deep, fortifying breath. “As much as I’d like to spend the day drowning my woes in a half gallon carton of Rocky Road, my family refuses to let this day pass uncelebrated.”
Kyle’s deep, rich chuckles filled the small confines of her car. “I’ll do whatever I can to make the transition from the twenties to thirties as painless as possible.”
She gave him a grateful smile as they exited the car and headed toward the house. They walked side by side, and she deliberately kept her purse in the hand brushing his so he wouldn’t attempt to hold her hand and give her family the impression they were an item. But that didn’t dissuade the rogue from touching her, and giving their avid audience something to speculate on.
He lightly splayed his fingers on her back, bare from the backless halter top she’d worn. An instantaneous heat and electric awareness flared within her, making her breath catch in her throat and her breasts swell in shameless abandon. Her body’s complimentary response to his no longer shocked her; it excited her beyond anything she’d ever experienced.
It had been a week since the morning at The Black Sheep, and they hadn’t had any quality time alone this past week because they’d both been busy with their hectic and conflicting schedules—hers during the day, his at night. But that hadn’t stopped Kyle from taking advantage of every moment they did seem to find together, no matter how brief. Whether it was in passing in the lobby when she came home from work and he left for the bar, or a brief visit from him in the morning or during her lunch hour. In the span of seconds, he drove her crazy with one of his deep, silky kisses, or a bold caress that left her wanting more. And his phone calls always seemed to take a provocative turn, as well.
The building anticipation was driving her crazy!
Mariah met them first and wrapped Jade in a hug that made Kayla squeal in delight.
“Happy birthday, sis,” she said, then welcomed Kyle into the fold with a brief, warm embrace, which, Jade knew, was her way of stating she fully approved of Kyle.
Grey gave Jade a hug, too. When he pulled back, his dark brown eyes were filled with feigned shock. “Ohmygod! Are those wrinkles I see around your eyes?”
Jade shot Mariah a dark look. Obviously her loving sister had told Grey she was going into the next decade kicking and screaming, and he was taking advantage of the situation. She’d grown fond of her brother-in-law since he’d made an honest woman out of her sister, not that she’d ever admit that to him.
Lifting her fist, she playfully cuffed Grey on the chin. “You’d better watch yourself, Nichols, I’m not so old that I can’t put a few wrinkles on that handsome face of yours.”
He grinned. “And here I thought you’d mellow with age.” Before she could summon a response to that smart remark, he extended his hand toward Kyle and introduced himself. “I’m Grey, Mariah’s husband.”
Kyle shook his hand. “Kyle Stephens. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
Grey nodded toward Jade, a devilish grin touching his lips. “Maybe you’ll have better luck mellowing her.”
“Oh, I don’t know,” he said, meeting Jade’s gaze, and giving her a slow wink filled with all sorts of wicked insinuations. “I happen to like her just the way she is.”
Grey shook his dark head, oblivious to the sexual undercurrents sparking between them. “You’re a braver man than most.”
Kyle merely smiled that winning smile of his, and Jade had the thought that most men weren’t as persistent as Kyle. And not nearly so patient and understanding of her needs and fears.
They continued up to the porch, where she introduced Kyle to her parents, Jim and Donna, as a friend and a Casual Elegance client. Her mother was her usual sweet, courteous self, though there was a fair amount of curiosity sparkling in her blue eyes. Her father openly sized Kyle up while shaking his hand. To Jade’s relief, they got through introductions with a minimum of embarrassment and not one question about Kyle’s intentions.
But that didn’t mean her father wouldn’t take advantage of an opportune moment later.
They all headed to the backyard, where her father had the barbecue heating up. Her mother brought out marinated chicken and ribs, issued instructions for Jim to start cooking the meat, then told Jade and Mariah that she needed their help getting the outside table set, and the side dishes out.
“Will you be okay?” Jade asked Kyle, casting a surreptitious glance at her father, who was behaving himself so far.
Grey handed Kyle a cold beer and grinned at her. “Don’t worry about Kyle, he’ll be just fine. I’m sure we can find something to talk about.”
“That’s what I’m afraid of,” she muttered, and gave her brother-in-law a warning look. “Behave yourself, Nichols, or there will be hell to pay later.”
He chuckled, having been on the receiving end of her version of hell. “I don’t doubt that in the least.”
As she walked across the covered patio, she heard Kyle say to Grey, “Jade tells me you’re in the security business. With the new restaurant coming in, I’ve been thinking of updating the current security system I have. What can you suggest?”
Knowing business would keep the boys distracted for a while, Jade slipped inside the cool house. She walked into the kitchen, where her mother was mixing the potato salad. A smorgasbord of food lined the counter, enough to feed an army. Her mother always enjoyed their family get-togethers and usually went all out in the food department, trying to make everyone’s favorites.
Donna rinsed her hands in the sink, her gaze traveling out the kitchen window to the backyard. It wasn’t hard to figure who she was looking at. “Kyle seems like a nice man,” she commented.
Snagging a carrot stick from the relish tray, Jade dipped it into the accompanying ranch dressing. “He’s very nice, Mom.”
Donna glanced over her shoulder at her, the speculation Jade had been waiting for bright in her mother’s gaze. “Is it serious between you two?”
Jade munched on her carrot. She supposed it depended on one’s version of serious. Their attraction was as serious as anything she’d ever experienced—intense and hot. But there were no promises between them, no deep, lasting commitment. Kyle was a rebel, a maverick, a man who lived for the moment. And at the moment, she was what he lived for.
“He’s just a friend,” Mariah offered as she came into the kitchen from the adjoining family room, where she’d put Kayla down for a nap. “Or at least that’s what Jade tells me.”
“He’s a friend and a client,” she confirmed.
“A client you’re dating,” Mariah added.
They hadn’t managed to go out on a date yet, but she didn’t bother to argue the point with Mariah. Instead, she just rolled her eyes, and prayed that Kyle wasn’t receiving the same interrogation. Picking up the Crock-Pot of baked beans, she headed back outside. Mariah followed with plates and silverware, then went back for napkins and glasses.
As she and Mariah set the table, Jade glanced toward the barbecue where her father, Grey and Kyle were engrossed in conversation. Knowing the guys were out of earshot, she gathered the courage to ask her sister a question that had been bothering her for nearly a week now.
She drew a deep breath, and released it, along with her sister’s name. “Mariah?”
Her sister looked up from the napkin she was folding and smiled. “Yes?”
As casually as she could manage, she asked, “Remember when you were helping me put things out for the yard sale last month?”
Mariah nodded.
“Well, you didn’t happen to come across a journal, did you?”
There was no sign of recognition on Mariah’s face. “What kind of journal?”
A book of intimate fantasies and her most private, secret desires. “A personal journal,” she said, keeping her description vague. “It’s about half an inch thick and has a burgundy cover.”
Mariah thought for a moment. “I can’t say that I did. Besides, I didn’t go through your personal things.”
“I didn’t mean it that way.” She put a fork and knife at each setting. “I can’t find it and thought maybe you’d seen it when you were taking those books out of the old headboard.”
“Not that I can recall.” She tilted her head, and her silky blond hair swung over her shoulder. “Where did you put it last?”
Mariah’s practical question sparked a bit of annoyance. “If I remembered, I wouldn’t be asking if you saw it, now would I?”
“Geez, you don’t have to get so sensitive about it,” Mariah replied in a droll tone. “It’s just a book.”
Not just any book, she wanted to refute, but kept her mouth shut, unwilling to share something so personal. Even with her sister.
“It has to be somewhere,” Mariah went on. “How many times have you stashed away something personal or important then couldn’t remember where you’d put it?”
Mariah knew her faults too well. “Too many times to count,” she admitted reluctantly.
“It’s not like you’re the most organized person in the family,” Mariah pointed out, then soothed that sibling wisecrack with a little reassurance. “I’m sure when you least expect it, you’ll come across your journal.”
She sighed. “You’re probably right.”
Mariah grinned broadly. “About you being disorganized, or eventually finding the book?”
Jade couldn’t contain a sheepish grin. “Both.”
A teasing light shone in Mariah’s eyes. “You know, I kind of like it when you admit to your faults.”
Jade feigned indignation. “I did no such thing!”
Mariah just smiled and sauntered back toward the sliding door leading into the kitchen to bring out more side dishes.
Before long the six of them were seated at the outdoor table, enjoying the warm summer day, and the spread of food. Jade got her share of good-natured ribbing about being over-the-hill, and her father regaled Kyle with amusing, and sometimes embarrassing, tales of when she and Mariah were growing up. They talked about Kyle’s new restaurant, and the time he’d spent in the marines.
The only topic Kyle didn’t seem willing to elaborate on when asked by her father was his family. Knowing a little about the dissension between him and his father and brother, she understood his reluctance. He kept his comments light and superficial, though she could see how uncomfortable he was with the subject.
Everybody liked Kyle, which didn’t really surprise Jade. He was so easy to get along with.
It was too bad he wasn’t going to be around in the future.
And why did that thought bother her so much?
* * *
“I had a great time today,” Kyle said as they drove back to their complex. Since it was only a little after six, Kyle planned on using the rest of the evening for their own private, birthday party. “Thanks for inviting me.”
Taking her gaze off the road for a few seconds, she gave him a dubious smile, though she looked totally relaxed. “If I remember correctly, I think it was my sister who invited you, but I’m glad you came along.”
“You’ve got a great family.” And he had to admit he was a little envious of the closeness they all shared, something he’d never experienced with his own family. Much to his pleasure, everyone today had made him feel a part of the fold, accepting him unconditionally. It had been wonderful to be in a family setting without having to face the issues of what a rough and rebellious kid he’d been, and what a disappointment he was to his family.
There had been no one’s expectations to live up to today. He’d set his own standards, and had been accepted for who and what he was: a bartender and restaurant owner. He liked that. A whole lot.
“Yeah, they’re not so bad,” Jade said as she switched lanes on the freeway to exit. “Did my father grill you too much?”
“Nothing I couldn’t handle. He was just concerned that I didn’t hurt his little girl.”
She cringed. “I’m not so little anymore.”
“No, but since I’m the first guy you’ve brought home since Adam, I suppose he was a little concerned about who his daughter was getting involved with.”
Her head snapped around as she coasted down the off-ramp. “My father told you about Adam?”
The combination of incredulity and anger in her voice was enough to tell him he was treading on very sensitive territory. He’d finally been given a few clues to Jade’s reserve, her apprehension toward him and their developing relationship, and he wasn’t above exploiting them. “Actually, Grey mentioned him. From what Mariah has told him, he said the guy was a real bastard.”
Her face flushed. “What else did he say?” she asked tightly.
“That the details of the relationship should probably come from you.”
She applied the brakes at the stoplight with enough force to make his seat belt tighten against his chest “He was a jerk,” she said succinctly, as if that were the only detail he needed to know.
He’d gathered as much, but he wanted, suddenly needed, to know how this man had had such a detrimental effect on Jade, to the point that she would avoid any involvement with a man for nearly three years. “Want to tell me about it?”
Her fingers tightened on the steering wheel, and when her teal blue gaze met his, he saw a glimpse of pain and apprehension that grabbed at something elemental in him. She’d been hurt very badly.
“There’s not much to tell.” Her tone was brusque, tinged with a lingering bitterness. “We dated. He had a thing about control. I fell into the trap. A humiliating experience made me see the light. End of relationship. End of story.”
He gathered it had also been the end to her trust in men. She’d created a fantasy lover whom she had complete control over. She dictated the level of intimacy, and played it safe by stopping short of going all the way.
The light turned green, and she pressed on the accelerator, continuing steadily down the street. She blew out a long breath, and her tense shoulders sagged. “I’m sorry,” she said quietly. “Getting through my thirtieth birthday is bad enough. I don’t want to ruin the rest of the evening talking about my relationship with Adam.”
He guessed she didn’t want to talk about Adam at all. He’d give her a reprieve for now. “Fair enough. I haven’t given you your birthday present yet. It’s at my place.”
She turned into the driveway leading to their complex and parked her car in her spot. “You didn’t have to get me anything.”
He smiled. After sharing her with her family today, and not spending much time with her during the week, he was anxious to be alone with her. “I wanted to.”
They got out of the car, and he tucked her hand in his, gratified when she curled her fingers around his. Once they were inside his condo, he left her in the living room and went into the bedroom to get her gift. The phone rang just as he reached his dresser, where he’d put her present, wrapped in pink paper and topped with a frilly bow.
He only had one phone, a cordless unit with a built-in answering machine, which he kept in the living room. “Would you mind grabbing that?” he called to Jade, since she was closer. “I’ll be there in a sec.”
“Sure.” Before the next ring he heard a beep as she connected the line, and her soft answer, “Hello?”
He rounded the corner from the bedroom back into the living room, her gift in hand, just as she said, “No, you’ve got the right number.” She paused for a second, listening, then said, “Hold on, he’s right here.”
A slight smile curved her mouth as she handed over the cordless phone. “It’s your daughter.”
Setting the flat, square wrapped box on the coffee table, he took the phone from Jade, thinking his offspring had impeccable timing, though he never minded hearing from her. “Hi, sweetheart. How are you?”
“Dad!” she exclaimed excitedly. “I can’t believe a woman answered your phone. Does that mean you actually have a girlfriend?”
He’d consider Jade at least that. He was seeing her exclusively. “Yes, is that okay with you?”
“It’s more than okay.” Her spirited teenage voice sounded almost giddy. “Is it serious?”
He glanced at Jade, who’d settled herself at the far end of the couch. He’d dated many women through the years, but none of them had ever stimulated or excited him the way Jade did, to the extent that he wanted no one but her. “Yes, I believe it is.”
“It’s about time, Dad! God, I never thought you’d settle down. When are you getting married? I want to be there when you tie the knot.”
He grimaced over his daughter’s enthusiasm. “Whoa, Christy, who said anything about marriage?”
Jade met his gaze, her brows raised in question. He gave a helpless shrug that hopefully conveyed he had nothing to do with his daughter’s meddling.
“Dad, you need to settle down and get married. Mom even thinks so, too.”
“She does, does she?” he asked, though he’d heard a subtle lecture or two from Jamie Ann about the benefits of marriage.
More quietly, Christy added, “I worry about you, and I hate the thought of you being all alone, with no family around.”
His daughter was way too wise for her years. He’d been without a family for so long, he’d sworn he was better off without one. After spending time with Jade’s family today, he was beginning to realize what he’d never had with his own family—the support, the laughter, the love—and what he’d given up when he and Jamie Ann had made the decision not to get married—the chance to have a family of his own. The regret hit harder than usual, surprising him.
“You know I always love to hear from you, Christy,” he said, steering their conversation back to neutral territory. “But I’m assuming you didn’t call to exult my love life.”
“Well, no,” she said a bit sheepishly. “Actually, I told you a couple of months ago that I was looking around for a car to buy. Well, I found one. It’s a used Camaro, and it’s really cool.”
“I’ll bet it is,” he muttered, imagining the guys that would be eyeing the sporty car and the beautiful young woman behind the wheel. It was enough to give him an ulcer, because he knew exactly what those young idiots would be thinking.
He shook off those unsettling thoughts. “I told you I’d help you buy a car as soon as you found one your mother and Tony approved of,” he agreed, “but do you think we can discuss this later? Like maybe tomorrow?”
“Oh, absolutely,” she said, giving in too easily. “I totally understand that you’re busy right now.”
That worried him. What did his daughter know of his kind of busy?
They said goodbye, and he shook his head as he disconnected the line and slipped the phone back in the unit He walked to the sliding door leading to the balcony, opened it, and stood there, staring out at the evening shadows darkening the courtyard.
“I swear that child is growing up way too fast,” he said, more to himself than Jade. Seventeen years—from her first tooth, through ballet recitals, and now, to her first car—gone. All without him being there to share in the most important years of her life. That fact troubled him the most, but it had been the right and only choice during such a tumultuous time in his life. Some days, though, it didn’t feel so right.
Some days, it hurt like hell.
“You miss her, don’t you?” Jade asked softly from behind him.
He dragged his hand through his hair, suddenly feeling much older than his thirty-five years. “Yeah, I do. Sporadic visits and phone calls aren’t nearly enough.” They never had been, but he’d always told himself that it was better this way. That his daughter was better off with Jamie Ann and Tony. And when she’d been a toddler, that was probably the truth. He’d been such a rebel, so determined not to be what his father expected of him, that he was certain he wouldn’t have been the kind of father Christy needed. One she could have depended on. One who’d put her needs before his own.
He couldn’t help wondering if things wouldn’t have turned out differently had Christy been born later, when he hadn’t been so hardheaded and such a wild hellion out to defy his father. If maybe he’d be living in a suburb somewhere with a wife and 2.5 children, instead of convincing himself he was cut out to be a bachelor and didn’t need anyone.
It was a sobering thought.
Jade leaned against the wall next to him. “How come you never married Christy’s mother?”
He met her gaze, seeing the mild curiosity there. She wasn’t judging him, wasn’t condemning him for a decision that everyone else had construed as irresponsible.
He’d like to believe that not marrying Jamie Ann had been one of the more responsible decisions he’d made.
“Because we both realized it would never work between us. Not in the long run, anyway.” He shoved his hands into the front pockets of his jean shorts and transferred his gaze back out to the courtyard, his thoughts going back seventeen years. “We were both so young, and I was so wild and defiant I would have grown to resent the situation, and we probably would have ended up hating one another. We were both smart enough to take that into consideration, and responsible enough to know the odds were against us. Marriage would have only made matters worse.”
Unfortunately, neither of their parents had seen their choice as a responsible one, and had been furious at him for deserting Jamie Ann to join the marines. Though Jamie Ann’s parents had long ago forgiven him, his own family hadn’t been so benevolent.
“Despite how rough those first few years were for Jamie Ann, things worked out for the best,” he said, giving Jade a smile. “She’s found a great husband who treats her like a queen, and Christy has a decent father. They both deserve that.”
She touched his arm, her fingers a light caress. “You’re a good man, Kyle.”
He raised a brow. “What makes you say that?”
“Because you care. Because Jamie Ann and Christy are two of the most important people in your life, and you put their happiness above your own.”
Her observation stunned him. Did she really understand how difficult it was some days to accept the sacrifice he’d made when he’d left Jamie Ann and Christy? How hard it was to watch his daughter grow up through letters, phone calls and photographs?
“Don’t make me into some kind of hero, Jade,” he said, more gruffly than he intended. “I’m just fortunate that everything turned out amicably.”
“Except with your family.”
“That won’t change.”
“But don’t you deserve to be happy, too?”
“Who says I’m not?” he countered, feeling as though she was backing him into an emotional corner.
“I guess you’d know better than anyone,” she said.
He frowned. He was satisfied with his life, but he’d be lying if he said there wasn’t a certain void he experienced every now and then. An emptiness he’d managed to ignore for more years than he cared to recall.
More and more lately he found himself analyzing where he was in his life, and missing things he wished he had. Things he’d convinced himself he didn’t need. He’d believed the bar was enough to be his mistress, the employees and patrons a part of his family, and the new restaurant his baby.
When had that started not being enough?
He looked at the woman beside him, and realized she filled that void in him, and enhanced his life in a way no other woman ever had. She made him feel worthy. She accepted who he was and the mistakes he’d made. He’d always steered clear of commitment and ties. So why did he find himself wondering what it would be like to come home to Jade on a daily basis, and have her in his bed every night?
“What about you, Jade?” he asked, turning the tables on her. “Are you happy?”
Her expression turned cautious. “In certain areas of my life, yes.”
“And other areas?”
She knew what he was asking; he could see the reserve in her gaze, the struggle to keep him from prying the truth from her. He was digging past the surface, to emotional wants, needs and desires. Things past the tangible and superficial, to something deeply rooted.
“I don’t know,” she whispered.
It was as honest as answers got, because he didn’t know anymore either.
“You know,” he drawled, reaching for her hand and hoping to dispel the serious mood between them, “this isn’t the way I’d intended to spend the evening.”
“Me, either,” she admitted, her voice husky, and her eyes darkening with awareness.
Pulling her back to the couch, he made her sit on the cushion, and settled himself next to her. Then he handed her the small gift. “Open your present.”
She hesitated for a moment, then pulled off the bow and tore open the paper. She lifted the flat lid and gasped. Her gaze shot to his, wide with apprehension, and shimmering with a delight she tried to suppress.
Her finger traced the rose pattern on the gold anklet. “Kyle, this is too much.”
It was beginning to be not enough. In so many ways. “Do you like it?”
“Of course, but—”
He pressed his fingers over her soft lips, not wanting to hear her protests. “Then I expect you to wear it and enjoy it. Will you do that for me?”
She pulled his hand away, an incredibly soft and sensual smile touching her mouth. “Yes. Will you put it on me?”
He grinned, not about to decline the task. “It would be my pleasure.”
And it was. Kneeling in front of her while she sat on the couch, he braced her sandaled foot on his thigh and retrieved the exquisite anklet from the velvet lining. He secured the clasp around her slender ankle, and glanced up as he smoothed a hand over her calf. “It suits you. It goes with your free spirit, and compliments your sassy, sexy personality.”
Her face flushed, and she ducked her head to admire her gift, which glinted in the light. “Thank you. I love it.”
And I’m falling in love with you. The realization slammed into him from out of left field, causing his heart to thud heavily in his chest. Oh, man…he didn’t know if he was ready for this. Didn’t know if he could be everything she needed him to be.
Their gazes connected, held suspended on a timeless, sensual moment. Finally he released a long, low breath. “Happy birthday, Jade.”
“Oh, Kyle.” There was so much emotion in her voice, enough to tell him she was just as affected as he by whatever it was happening between them. She leaned down and brushed her soft, incredibly sexy mouth across his, lightly at first, then pressing deeper. He let his lips part, let her tongue slip inside to stroke along his. The kiss quickly flared out of control, grew demanding and avaricious. She wrapped her fists in his shirt and slowly drew him up between her parted knees.
Groaning deep in his throat, he followed her lead, willing to go anywhere with her. Willing to do anything for her. She only needed to ask, with her mouth, with her hands, with her body.
And she did. Her sweet, hot mouth talked to him as he’d never been talked to before, asking for things he wanted just as much as she. The hands gliding up his shoulders, then tangling in his hair begged for closeness, and her arching body spoke a language as old as time. It was enough to make him spontaneously combust.
She felt the same way, judging by the hot feel of her skin beneath the hands he slowly slid up her thighs. She shuddered and moaned, and broke their kiss to look into his eyes. Her own were a deep, dark shade of green-blue, and he had the sudden, annoying thought that he still didn’t know what her real eye color was.
But he would, of that he was certain.
Her trembling fingers tightened in his hair. “What are you doing to me?” she whispered.
He knew her question went beyond physical stimulation to more emotional sensations, because he was feeling a little shook up himself. “I’m trying to seduce you.” He pressed her back on the couch, moved his body over hers, and caught the dizzying scent of peaches that clung to her. “Is it working yet?”
“Yes,” she breathed, her lashes drifting shut as he lowered his head to nuzzle her neck, her shoulder. “Oh, yes…”
The phone rang, and she started beneath him, the obnoxious sound pulling her out of the trance she’d been in. “Kyle?”
“Let the answering machine pick it up.” His voice was rough with arousal, his body just as turned on. No way did he want to let this woman out of his arms. Dropping his mouth over hers, he kissed her deeply, shutting out his outgoing message that clicked on in the background.
“Kyle, we’re swamped down here,” Bruce said, a harried edge to his voice. “If you get this message, we could use an extra hand.”
Leaving his employees shorthanded was something Kyle couldn’t ignore. Dragging his lips from Jade’s eager, pliant ones, he sat up and reached for the cordless phone, muttering, “Damn, I’ve got to hire another bartender. This week.”
He clicked on the cordless and tucked it against his ear. “Yeah, I’m here, Bruce,” he said, his voice gravelly. “I’m on my way.”
He hung up the phone and glanced back at Jade, torn between duty and fulfilling the awesome need she evoked in him. “I’ve got to go,” he said reluctantly.
Her gaze was smoky with passion, but there was understanding there, too. “Yeah, you do.” Pressing her palms against his jaw, she brought him down for another soul-searing kiss. A kiss as erotic as making love. As promising as the emotions blooming between them. She held nothing back, and in that moment Kyle knew she was ready, mind and body, to take the next step in their relationship.
He groaned, in frustration and pleasure, when she finally ended the mind-blowing kiss. Staring at her face, at the stark desire reflected there, a regretful smile tugged at his mouth.
“Hold that thought, tiger.”