“Don’t consider it, Bas,” she warned, as if reading his thoughts. “We’ll drive each other crazy. I like enjoying life, having fun. You’re determined to work yourself to death.”
He shook his head. “Hey, I’ve loosened up some.”
She chuckled. “So I see, but you need to do it even more. Just think of all the fun you’re missing.”
He gazed at her for a moment. He had enjoyed the workout at the gym with Reese the other day. He had definitely relieved a lot of stress. And going fishing this past weekend had been great, and playing pinball tonight had been just what he’d needed. But nothing could compare to kissing her. That had been like putting the icing on the cake. An idea suddenly popped into his mind.
“You want to show me how to have fun?”
He could tell his question surprised her, and he watched as she lifted a brow. “Not sure that I can.”
He leaned closer to her and let his lips brush against her moist ones again. “Don’t you want to try?” he asked, nibbling on her neck. “Unless you don’t think you can handle me.” He knew that would be a challenge she couldn’t let slide.
“Oh, I can handle you, Sebastian Steele.”
“Prove it,” he whispered in her ear. “Teach me how to have fun, Jocelyn.”
A deep, gentle trembling in the pit of her stomach answered before her lips could. “Be careful what you ask for Bas…but since you did ask, I’m going to take you on.” She took a step back. “The first thing you have to do is stop work every day at five o’ clock.”
He looked at her as though she had lost her mind. “Five o’clock?”
“Yes.”
He thought again about the time he’d spent at the gym. He could do that a couple of days a week in the afternoons. No big deal. “All right.”
A frown drew Jocelyn’s brows together. He was being too agreeable and she was wondering what was going through his mind. “And you can’t arrive at the office before nine in the morning,” she decided to add just to cover all her bases.
She saw the defiance that sparked his eyes and grinned in spite of herself. He had only agreed to quit work at five because he’d intended to arrive at some ungodly hour every morning. She could tell he didn’t like that she was one step ahead of him.
“And next weekend, there’s a jazz festival in Memphis. You want to go have fun?” she asked, deciding to make him see that she meant business.
He shrugged. “Sure.” And then he asked, “When do I get to come up with some of our fun activities?” A gleam shone in the depths of his eyes. “I think we should take turns coming up with stuff.”
She nodded, thinking that would be only fair, but of course she would monitor the stuff he came up with. She knew men had a tendency to take advantage of what they perceived as a golden opportunity. “I don’t have a problem with that. Do you have something in mind?”
He smiled as he grabbed his jacket off the back of the chair and slipped his arms in the sleeves. His gaze held hers when he said, “Yes, I have a few ideas.”
She lifted a brow. “Should I be worried?”
He chuckled. “Of course not. You’re going to have to trust me like I’m going to trust you.” He leaned over and kissed her again, slow, thorough, and as if he desperately needed the memory.
“Come walk me to the door,” he whispered and she shivered when his tongue snaked out and trailed a wet path from her lips to an area beneath her ear.
Jocelyn could barely walk up the steps on unsteady legs and knew that after Bas left it would take the rest of the night to recover from his visit.
“So, I take it Sebastian Steele found you last night.”
Jocelyn lifted her eyebrows and gazed across the breakfast table at her sister. Jocelyn had arrived at her father’s home a little more than thirty minutes ago to find Leah preparing breakfast. “What made you think he was looking for me?”
Leah smiled. “Because he came here first and then I directed him to your place. He’s a cutie.”
“Yes, he is,” Jocelyn muttered and went back to eating her meal.
Amused, Leah watched her sister. She knew Jocelyn wouldn’t volunteer any information so she decided to go ahead and pick it out of her. “So, are the two of you an item?”
The thought of that made Jocelyn choke on her toast and she quickly grabbed her glass of juice and took a gulp. “Whatever gave you that idea?”
Leah shrugged. “The obvious. He’s good-looking and so are you. He’s unattached and so are you. He’s—”
“What makes you think he’s unattached?” Jocelyn asked, setting down her juice glass.
Leah waved her left hand. “No ring. That’s a sure sign.”
“But not a concrete one.”
Leah’s eyes lifted. “You think he’s married?”
“No, I don’t think he’s married.”
“Then you think he has a girlfriend?”
“There’s that possibility.”
“Have you asked him about it?”
“No.”
“Then I most certainly will.”
“Why would you want to know?”
Leah rolled her eyes. “I don’t want to know for myself. I want to know for you.”
Jocelyn pushed her plate aside and leaned forward. “And why would you want to know for me?”
“Because you’re interested in him. I can tell.”
Jocelyn narrowed her eyes. “I hate to tell you that you’re wrong, but you are. I admit Bas is handsome, but he’s not my type.”
“If you say so.”
“I do, so let’s change the subject.”
“All right.”
Jocelyn didn’t miss how her sister’s lips curved in a smile. “So, did you decide whether you want to go to the jazz festival in Memphis this coming weekend? I invited Bas along.”
“You want me to make it a threesome?”
Jocelyn shook her head. “I told him it’s nothing like that. In fact I’m supposed to show him how to have fun.”
“Sounds interesting.”
“It is, so do you want to go?”
“No, I’ll pass. Besides, I need to start packing.”
Surprise showed on Jocelyn’s face. “You’re leaving?”
“Eventually, Jocelyn. I need to start looking for another place to stay in California. I already told you that the lady whom I used to be a companion to died a couple of months ago. Her sons have been more than kind by letting me remain in the house for a while, but I can’t take advantage of their generosity forever.”
“You can come back and live here, you know,” Jocelyn said, and gestured to encompass the house they were in. “If you don’t, I’ll eventually have to rent it out or sell it. I don’t relish the thought of people I don’t know living here.”
Leah sighed deeply. “I wish I could move back home, but I can’t.”
Jocelyn didn’t need to ask her why. “Leah, if you were to tell him what—”
“No. And I don’t want to talk about it, Jocelyn,” Leah said in a clear and distinct voice.
Jocelyn drew in a deep breath. She wanted so much for Leah, more than her sister was willing to accept as a way of life. If only she would tell Reese the truth.
“To hang around here any longer will be a mistake, Jocelyn.”
“So you’re planning to leave?”
“Yes, in a few weeks. I’m going to start checking out airline tickets later today.”
“I really do wish you’d consider staying.”
“And I really wish that you’ll understand that I can’t.” That said, Leah rose gracefully, proving all of their Aunt Susan’s teachings were still intact, and left the room.
“You’re going to Memphis this weekend with Jocelyn?” Reese asked, tipping his head to one side to stare at Bas.
Bas pushed aside the stack of files. It was four-thirty and if he intended to keep his word to Jocelyn, he had thirty minutes left before calling it a day. “Yes. And if it wasn’t for that, I’d love going to the ho
rse races this weekend with you and your brother.”
Reese’s lips twitched in amusement. “I can’t wait until Duran Law hears about you and Jocelyn’s weekend plans. He’s been trying to get her to go to that jazz festival with him in Memphis for years and she’s always turned him down. Now, just like that,” he said, snapping his fingers for effect, “you breeze into town and talk her into going.” Reese chuckled. “Yeah, old Duran is going to be pretty pissed.”
Bas leaned back in his chair. “Actually the trip was her idea. She thinks I need to incorporate more fun into my life.” Then, without missing a beat he asked, “And who’s this Duran Law anyway? An old boyfriend?”
Reese snorted. “He wished. Duran’s been a pain in Jocelyn’s ass since high school. I guess he figures sooner or later he’ll wear down her defenses, and he’s too into himself to see that something like that won’t happen.”
Bas frowned, not liking the man already. “How are things going over at the Jones place?”
“Great. We hope to have our walk-through next week. But keep your fingers crossed. We’re yet to have one on time for Marcella. She likes finding things for us to correct or change at the eleventh hour.”
“Yeah, we’ll all keep our fingers crossed.” Bas then glanced at his watch.
“Ready to head over to the gym?” Reese asked.
“In a few seconds. I need to touch base with my brother about something.”
“Okay, I’ll meet you over there.”
“Will do.”
Bas pulled out his cell phone, pressed one number and within seconds he heard his brother Chance’s deep voice. “Bas? What’s going on?”
Before Bas could answer, Chance said, “Hey, hold on and let me take this other call.” And then he clicked off.
Bas knew what a busy schedule his brother had as CEO of the corporation, but he smiled, thinking that time restraints hadn’t gotten in the way of him pursuing Kylie once he’d become interested. To kill time while waiting for Chance, Bas glanced around Jim’s office. There were numerous trophies proclaiming him to be Builder of the Year and several plaques awarded for his community service and involvement in such worthwhile organizations such as the Boy Scouts, Big Dads of America, the Newton Grove Mission and others. Apparently Jim hadn’t had any qualms about occasionally putting his work aside to become involved in things he felt were important to him, activities that gave him enjoyment and the chance to do something other than work. Fun things.
“Sorry about that, Bas. That was a call I was waiting on from the Evans Group.”
Bas lifted a brow. The Evans Group was currently in a bitter labor dispute with the Teamsters Union regarding a number of their employees who had been laid off. “Something going on I need to know about?”
“No, not now, but I’ll keep you posted.”
“Yeah, you do that. I know you’re busy so I won’t hold you. I just want to know if things are still on for Donovan’s birthday party.”
“Yes, Vanessa and Kylie are taking care of all the arrangements, but as far as I know they’re on track. I talked to Taylor and Cheyenne and they’re both flying in. Should be nice. You are coming home for it, aren’t you?”
“Yes, and I might be bringing somebody with me.”
“Oh, who?”
“Jocelyn Mason. I haven’t asked her yet, but it’ll be my turn to come up with some fun activity for us to do.”
“Fun activity? Bas, what are you talking about?”
Bas chuckled, knowing his brother was confused. “I’ll explain things the next time we talk. Just let Kylie and Vanessa know that I might be bringing a guest. I’ll know for certain after this weekend.”
“Okay, I’ll pass on the word. Take care, Bas.”
“You do the same.”
After putting his cell phone away, Bas glanced at his watch. It was five o’clock on the dot. He bade Noreen a good afternoon when he passed her office, and walked out of the building while it was still daylight. Amazing.
The September evening was rather chilly and he pulled his leather jacket tighter around his body. He hadn’t seen Jocelyn that day and had avoided dropping by the job site. It would be hard seeing her and not wanting a repeat performance of the kiss they’d shared last night. The art of kissing had always interested him, and depending on his partner, he usually varied his technique. Cassandra had gotten put off by the use of too much tongue. She liked her kisses the same way she wanted everything else they did that was connected to sex—in moderation. According to her, a true lady didn’t get carried away with passion, especially with a kiss. It was just unthinkable.
He chuckled, glad not all true ladies thought that way. And Jocelyn was a true lady, hard hat, jeans, work boots and all. There was that gracefulness about her even when she was wielding a hammer. She was soft but not mushy. Regal but not overly so and she definitely wasn’t a snob. But what he enjoyed most was how much she liked kissing—just as much as he did. And because she did, he’d never enjoyed kissing any woman as much as he enjoyed kissing her. One aspect of that realization disturbed him, while another kept constant heat drumming through his body.
Smiling, he couldn’t help but look forward to the coming weekend.
Chapter 11
“If I didn’t know better I’d think you were trying to avoid me this week.”
A slow smile curved Jocelyn’s lips as she snapped her seat belt in place. She glanced over at Bas and squinted her eyes against the glare of the sun peeking over the mountains. “Now why would you think that?”
Bas stared out of the windshield of his car for a second before tilting his head to meet her gaze. “Because this is the first time I’ve seen you since Sunday night.”
“But we talked on the phone Wednesday,” she reminded him.
“Yes, all of five minutes,” he murmured, backing the car out of her driveway. “And that was to tell me this would be an overnight trip and you had made reservations for us at a hotel. With separate sleeping arrangements.”
Jocelyn grinned and leaned over and tweaked his cheek. “Didn’t want you to get any ideas, Steele.”
An innocent look flashed across Bas’s face before he gave her a warm smile. “You think I’d do something like that?”
“I’m not sure and I decided not to take any chances. This is supposed to be a fun weekend. Our definitions of fun might be vastly different.”
His smile widened as he recalled the kisses that had flooded his mind all week. He just couldn’t shake the memory of how her lips had felt beneath his, the taste of her, how their tongues had mingled, chased each other back and forth. “Oh, I think our definitions might be the same.”
“You think so? Then how about telling me what you have planned for us next?”
Bas glanced over at her when he came to a stop sign. “I want to take you home with me.”
She lifted a brow. “Excuse me?”
He smiled. “My family is giving my youngest brother Donovan a party for his thirty-first birthday next month and I’d like you to go with me.”
“To your family’s function?”
“Yes, as my guest.”
A tiny flush warmed her cheeks. In the good old days when a man took a woman home to meet his family it meant something, but she knew that in this day and age of modern dating, the rules had changed and so had the expectations. You no longer needed a formal date to become romantically involved. The two of you could just meet somewhere and get it on. She’d even heard of the concept of video mobile dating. It seemed “try before you buy” was the way to go now.
“How will your family handle something like that?” she couldn’t help but ask.
He grinned over at her before easing the car onto the interstate. “Seeing you will raise a few brows, I’m sure. I haven’t seriously dated since I ended my engagement eight months ago.”
She was about to tell him that he wasn’t seriously dating now when the last part of his sentence stopped her. “You were engaged?” she asked, trying to stop h
er head from reeling and her eyes from spinning.
“Yes. You sound shocked. Don’t you think I’m marriage material?”
She shrugged her shoulders. “For some reason I can’t see you sitting by the fireplace with a pipe in your mouth while reading to the kiddies.”
“Get rid of the pipe and go with the scene. I love kids and want a couple of them one day, and when I do settle down and marry, I plan to give my wife and children my absolute attention.”
“Really. Then, what happened?”
“Let’s just say Cassandra and I determined we weren’t compatible after all,” he said easily. Too easily for Jocelyn’s way of thinking.
“How long were the two of you engaged?”
“Six months.”
“And how long did the two of you date before becoming engaged?”
“Almost a year.”
“Jeez, it took you that long to discover the two of you didn’t fit? You don’t come across to me as slow, Bas.”
He didn’t know whether to take her comment as a compliment or an insult. He chose the latter. “I’m not slow and there were reasons I hung in there for as long as I did.”
Jocelyn sighed softly, wondering if love had been the reason. Had he loved this Cassandra person so much that he’d been determined to make things work between them? Did he still love her? “Do you think the two of you will ever work things out and get back together?”
“Excuse my French, but hell no. There’s no way I’d consider such a thing.”
Brushing her hair back from her eyes, Jocelyn glanced over at him. He certainly didn’t sound like a man who was still in love. But then she was comparing him with Reese. Although Reese was bitter and angry with Leah, Jocelyn could still detect the deep love in his voice whenever he spoke about her sister. With Bas just now, all she heard was disgust.
“So, will you go home with me to Donovan’s party, Jocelyn?”
She wasn’t ready to give him her answer yet. “I’ll let you know. And thanks for offering to do the driving,” she added, feeling the need to change the subject.
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