Eight
The kiss was sudden and nearly violent in the desperate passion spilling from him. Casey’s brain short-circuited around a dozen dizzying thoughts. She should stop him. She should pull away and tell him he had no say in who touched her. That she didn’t need him watching over her. She should remind him that their only connection was Mia. She should say that just because they slept together didn’t mean he owned her.
She did none of that.
Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck, groaned into his mouth and surrendered to the fire. His grip on her gentled but the need didn’t.
The heat was all-encompassing, devouring her, body and soul. His touch as he closed his arms around her middle and held her pressed tightly to him sent waves of awakening desire pulsing through her system. It was this way every time he touched her now. Since that first night together in his house, since he’d somehow shaken her loose from the life she’d thought she knew so well. One touch and she was his. One kiss and she wanted more.
Even knowing that it would all end.
She couldn’t stop the need for him. Didn’t want to.
Finally, he pulled his head back and they both gasped for air. She looked up into his dark eyes and saw the same raw passion she felt reflecting back at her.
“He touched you,” he said, lifting one hand to stroke her cheek. There was fire in his eyes, more than sexual heat, a kind of possessiveness that touched Casey on a deep primal level.
“He put his hand on you and in his mind, he was doing much more.”
“You can’t hang a man for his thoughts, Jackson,” she teased, sensing rightly that the storm was passing.
“Doesn’t mean I can’t want to.” He cupped her face between his palms and the heat of his touch sifted down into her bones. “You make me crazy, you know that, right?”
It staggered her to admit to herself just how much she’d wanted to hear him say he loved her. And that not hearing it was a kind of pain she’d never known before. Then the truth hit. How ridiculous to realize, while standing in a diner parking lot, that she was in love for the first time in her life. She loved alone, that she was sure of and the ache in her heart pulsated heavily.
Trying for reason, trying for balance, she whispered, “Jackson, what’re we doing?”
“Damned if I know.” Shaking his head, he looked into her eyes and she read confusion there. Well, that was something, wasn’t it?
Then he took a step back, slapped one hand to the SUV and said, “I don’t like the idea of you working.”
“Yeah, I got that,” she said, almost amused by the stubborn glint in his eye and the disgusted curve to his mouth. Maybe it was better that they don’t talk about what lay unspoken between them. It was certainly safer for Casey. She couldn’t tell him she loved him without risking seeing rejection in his eyes. Without the pain of watching him try to distance himself.
So in the interests of self-preservation, she kept it light. “But I do work. And I won’t stop that just because I’m living in your house now.”
“Right.” He ground his teeth together, looked out into the distance for a long moment, then shifted his gaze back to hers. “But if you were busy enough with a big client, you wouldn’t have to go out drumming up business, right?”
Wary now, she tipped her head to one side and studied him. “What are you getting at?”
“Just answer the question.”
“Okay, sure.” She nodded as she thought about it. “If I had a big client, of course I’d devote my time to him—or her. But the fact is I don’t, so I have to spread myself around.”
“Not anymore.”
“Jackson…” She had a feeling she knew where this was going. And though a part of her was thinkingyippee, another, more sensible part was warning her not to go down this route with him. If she got in any deeper with Jackson, then the eventual break would be just that much harder, wouldn’t it? But even as she thought it, she knew that she couldn’t get any deeper than love.
Then he started talking and Casey could feel herself getting caught up in his plans.
“I meant what I said earlier,” he told her, words rushing from him as if he were half convinced if he took too long, she’d end the conversation. “Ido need new brochures and business cards and maybe a Web site—can you do Web sites?”
“Yes, but—”
He stepped in close, ran his hands up and down her arms and gave her a half smile she was sure he meant to be charming. God help her, it was.
“Think about it, Casey. Work for King Jets and be able to cut back everywhere else. Spend more time with Mia…”
“That’s cheating,” she pointed out.
His grin widened. “And, I’d like to point out that King Vineyards also has a Web site that needs a redesign—trust me, Travis can’t do it himself and Julie’s too busy opening her bakery to worry about stuff like that. Then there’s the vineyard brochures, tasting menus, event notices…” He stopped, then added, “Julie, too! The new bakery. She could probably use your help in getting notices out about the bakery.”
Her brain started racing. She couldn’t help herself. Being able to list working for the King family on her résumé meant she’d be able to grow her business substantially. And she’d make more money and wouldn’t have to take meetings with people like Mac Spencer anymore. Jackson had been so right about that guy, not that she was going to admitthat.
Plus Jackson was right about something else. If she did this, she would have more time for Mia. Not to mention the fact that when their six months at his home were over, she’d have a better chance at supporting herself and her daughter.
Because, like it or not, the truth was, whatever was between her and Jackson wasn’t forever. It didn’t matter that she was almost getting used to his dictatorial ways. Didn’t matter that the chemistry between them was off-the-charts hot. Didn’t even matter that she loved him.
The only thing thatdid matter was keeping in mind that Jackson had arranged this as a temporary measure. To let him get to know his daughter.
Jackson was still talking, warming to his theme. “And then there’s Gina and her Gypsy horses. She’s got a Web site too and is always complaining about how hard it is to keep it updated when she’s dealing with Adam and Emma and the horses….”
It all sounded wonderful, Casey thought, but how much harder would all of this make the eventual ending between she and Jackson?