It wasnt enough.
That thought made her turn her head away from his lazy, maddening mouth. Jack, this is stupid. You dont think of me this wayyou know you dont!
Turning her head hadnt saved her. It only left other places available to him. When his mouth skimmed along her cheek to the sensitive skin just under her jaw, she shivered. He chuckled, damn him. Of course Ive thought of you this way from time to time. Im a man. He nibbled at her earlobe. I just never let myself do anything about it before, because were friends.
Then whyoh, stop that! She got herself together enough to push away the hand that had wandered up her side, nearly reaching her breast.
He obeyed, straightening to look at her. Youre trying to leave me, Annie. I dont want you to go. His eyes were dark and unreadablemagicians eyes, capable of raising both heat and hope in a woman who welcomed neither.
The hope was impossible. She knew that. The heat was all but irresistible. And why not? she thought suddenly. Why not let herself have this one time, this one memory? Surely being with Jack one time wouldnt make the hurt that much worse later, when he was gone.
He raised one hand and deliberately cupped her breast, those magical eyes fixed on hers. Her breath caught and her eyes closed and she knew she was losing her mind. Giving herself to Jack would only make the pain worse. Much worse.
But maybe it would be worth it. Maybe
When his mouth caught hers again, she wasnt ready. How could she have been ready for the need in him, the hunger? It amazed her, swept her under, taking her to a dark, private place where sensation ruled and no hope seemed truly impossible. He wrapped himself around herhis arms, his scent, his hungerand when he pulled her down with him, she went.
When she finally broke the kiss, they were tangled together on the floor. Hed
kept most of his weight off of her, but her ribs ached dully. The pain was an insufficient distraction when Jacks hand was beneath her sweater, hot and demanding on her breast.
Dont leave, Annie, he murmured against her neck.
Jack, she gasped. Jack, Im not the one who will leave. You will. In a few weeks youll be off again, building something on the other side of the world.
So come with me. He lifted his head. His eyes were bright with impulse and delight. Why not? The timing is perfect, Annie. Youre at loose ends right now. You want to feel safe, and I want to make you safe. Why not come with me on my next job?
Why not? The question was so foolish that her mind went blank for a moment. Why not? Are you crazy? Do you really think Im going to travel halfway around the world with no ring on my finger, no promises, nothing but a casual why not?
All right. He sat up suddenly. He was grinning. All right, thats fair. Well get married first.
Chapter 3
Another creak joined the one from the porch swing as the front door opened, spilling light across the darkness for a moment. The door closed again, renewing the darkness.
You hiding out here, or holding a one-woman pity party? Her next-oldest brothers voice was deep, but not the bass rumble of Bens; Charlie was lighter than their oldest brother in every way.
Neither one. Im brooding over my sins.
Ben wants to know if youve got your jacket on. The winds starting to pick up again.
She sighed. Ben might not be speaking to her, but he was still looking out for her in his own overbearing way. Yes, Im wearing a jacket. Have you come out here to yell at me some more?
Maybe. He moved toward her, a lean, rangy shape in the darkness. Scoot over.
Its wet, she warned him, sliding to one side.
Im tough. I can take it. His weight added another creak to the quiet night as the wooden swing settled under him. That was quite a bombshell Jack dropped.
Wasnt it, though. Jack hadnt hung around to deal with the aftermath of his revelation. Hed given Annie one more quick kiss and announced that hed be seeing her soon. Ben, whod had that pound now, talk later look showing in his eyes, had grabbed Jack. Fortunately, Charlie had shown up then and had stepped between the other two men.
Jack had told Charlie to keep an eye on her, and left.
So, Charlie said. Which of your sins are you brooding over?
The sin of silence.
Ah. You know, I think I understand why you didnt tell us youd married Jack. Its a stupid reason, mind you, and Im still mad. But I can understand.
Really? Annie gave a small, mirthless laugh. Tell me, then, because I dont understand myself anymore.
You hate to make mistakes. Either marrying Jack was a mistake, in which case you didnt want to tell anyone until you fixed it by getting divorced. Or letting him go was the mistake, and you didnt know how to fix that. He pushed off with his foot, and they swayed gently. Which was it?
Both. Neither.
You still dont know, huh? Okay. How about telling me how you ended up marrying Jack Merriman in the first place, then? He slanted her a glance. According to that lame excuse for an explanation you gave us, Jack showed up unexpectedly at your Denver apartment one afternoon, and that night the two of you flew to Vegas and got married. He got a call from his boss about an emergency with some project of his, you panicked, the two of you argued, and the next day he flew to some godforsaken corner of the world and you flew back to Denver, where you finished packing and then came home to Highpoint.