The devil and Jessie Webster

by Lydia Burke

  "It's no trouble," Ben said smoothly. "I just found out I have to report in to FBI headquarters tomorrow afternoon, anyway."

  "Are you deaf?" Jessie exclaimed. "I said no/"

  Ben's eyes narrowed. "Your protest is duly noted, but there's no negotiation on this. Ifs too dangerous for you atone."

  She hated that unyielding look on his face. Jessie struggled to keep her composure. "Aren't you being a tad inconsistent, Ben? A half hour ago you were trying to push me out the door to get me out of the way. Nothing was said about the trip being dangerous then. "

  "That was before I knew you intended to sashay up to the newspaper office tomorrow. Or didn't it cross your mind that you could pick up a tail there and never see Chicago again?"

  It hadn't. Her sporadic skirmishes with Ben made her forget about the tangle of events Allie's mysterious activities had thrust upon her. She hardly welcomed the reminder now, but it did serve to bring reality crashing down.

  Jessie fell silent, her teeth clenched in frustration. No matter how she looked at it, she was no longer in control of her own life.

  Chapter 5

  It was too much. She felt hemmed in on all sides. Suddenly the cabin, with its tightly drawn draperies and tiny rooms, seemed symbolic of her boxed-in circumstances. She had to have some air, or she would scream the walls down.

  She ran to the door, only to find it solidly chained and dead-bolted. Determinedly she set to work on the locks.

  "Where do you think you're going?"

  "For a walk," she growled white fumbling with the chain. "And don't try to stop me." Dammit, she would have her way in something.

  His large hand, its knuckles speckled under a masculine smattering of crisp brown hair, covered hers and gently removed it from the recalcitrant lock. With a flick of steady fingers, the chain came undone and dangled freely down the doorjamb.

  "I won't stop you, I'll go with you," Ben said. "Wait hare while I get your coat."

  The bracing walk in the woods behind the cabin was just what Jessie needed to release her pent-up tension. She welcomed the biting cold on her cheeks and the crackle of rime-covered leaves under her boots. After ten minutes she even

  stopped resenting Ben's silent, watchful presence by her side. In forty-five minutes they were back at the cabin, and Jessie's nose, cheeks and feet were chilled almost to numbness. Not a single word had passed between her and Ben the whole time they'd been outside.

  "Feel better?" he asked when the door was closed and locked again.

  "Yes." Jessie unzipped her parka and slipped it off her shoulders. Nothing had changed, but the invigorating exercise made her feel more calm and able to cope. She could get through this. Soon she'd return to Chicago and be in charge of her life again.

  "Good."

  She didn't notice how closely Ben was standing until he took her jacket out of her hands and looked down at her. Her eyes strayed to the tips of his ears, which were red from the cold, as were his sculpted cheekbones. He had removed his own jacket, but the scent of fresh air still clung to him.

  Without lifting his gaze from her face, he tossed her jacket haphazardly onto the chair. "If if s any comfort, I know how you feel. It never sits right when a situation is seemingly out of your hands and you can't do anything to change it."

  "It doesn't seem that way, it is that way. Anyway, how would you know how I feel?" she said, observing absently how attractive she found his down-turned eyes.

  "Things don't always go the way I want them to, either."

  "You could've fooled me," she replied tartly.

  A smile crinkled the corners of the eyes she'd just admired. Their unique blend of green and yellow glimmered at her, full of catlike mystery. Fascinated, she watched him leisurely peruse her face, his enigmatic gaze finally coming to rest on her hair. "It's curling again," he said irrelevantly.

  Jessie's hand flew to her head. "I know, the damp air outside-"

  "I like it." The three words were a low, provocative rumble in his chest. Jessie's primping fingers stopped and slowly gave way to Ben's larger, less deft ones as they plowed gently through the curling strands. "It's as soft as it looks," he murmured. "Like silk, twining around my fingers."

  "Ben-"

  He spread his fingers and embraced her head in his open palm. At the same time his other hand stole to her waist. Jessie waited breathlessly for him to pull her closer.

  "What the hell am I going to do with you, Jess? You look so damned adorable, with this rough-and-tumble hair and these

  elegant cheeks all rosy from being outside " His palm slid

  to her ear and he stretched his thumb to lightly graze her cheek. "And this stubborn little chin..." He cupped her jaw. "And these lips..." Back and forth his thumb dragged across her bottom lip. "God, these lips...tempting me...and this—" his heated eyes drifted down "—damned beautiful body..."

  His fingers tightened. Jessie closed her eyes and felt his breath against her mouth.

  "We can't finish it, not now," he whispered, "but I've got to have one more taste."

  He needed this, Ben told himself as he brushed the moist softness of her already-parted lips with his own. Just a little something to hold him until he could have her completely.

  She smelled fantastic, exotic—intrinsically, utterly female.

  Jessie slid her hands up his chest and around his neck at his second fleeting touch against her lips. "Hey," she protested, trying to follow his elusive mouth.

  Charmed by her reaction, Ben tried a third feathery pass. This time she was clearly ready to take matters into her own hands, and—what the heck?—he let her have her way. Standing on tiptoe, she met his lips fully, at the same time pressing her small body into his larger, harder one.

  Ben brought his arm around her waist and felt the mind-numbing crush of her breasts against his chest. The groan he heard at the satisfying contact was his own. Hungrily his tongue delved into the sweetness of her open mouth.

  Oh, yes, baby, just like that, he told her silently when her tongue eagerly met his, restlessly seeking. Without breaking the kiss, he used the hand he'd burrowed into her silky hair to tip her head to another angle. Their lips slid damply in perfect symmetry to the new position. Ben's heart lurched when he felt the little shudder of her body and heard the muted whimper that marked her pleasure.

  Her ardent response fired his blood. He wanted more. Unwilling to break the union of their mouths, wordlessly but urgently he signaled his demand by rubbing and pressing his hand slowly across her back. With carnal understanding she arched into him and moved her upper body sinuously, dragging her breasts against his chest. Their firm points were like darts of fire in an undulating sea of softness. Ben's loins, already tight, surged achingly against his zipper, protesting the confinement of his clothing.

  The momentary discomfort jolted him. Despite his body's charging readiness, or maybe because of it, he realized that they had bettor stop soon. He was in danger of forgetting all the reasons why going to bed with Jessie was a bad idea right now.

  Reluctantly he eased the pressure of his arms and lifted his mouth from hers. Jessie looked at him, still a little muddled with passion, her lips softly swollen and red. Her head was thrown back in surrender, her heavy-lidded gaze lingering on his mouth. Shallow pants escaped her lips, and small but strong fingers pressed and fidgeted behind his neck, urging him back to her.

  It would take a better man than Ben Sutton to resist such a hire.

  "Ah, Jess," he whispered, and he bait to kiss her again. Her mouth opened to him immediately. Just a little longer, then I 9 U stop, he promised himself, sinking back into the voluptuous haze.

  She felt wonderful against him. He didn't know how he'd kept from grabbing her before this, especially after she'd showered and changed clothes. Unlike that big sweater she'd worn earlier, this outfit hid nothing of the sweet, bountiful curves of her body. He hadn't been able to look at her without his palms tingling to touch her.

  Her breasts had been drivi
ng him crazy. He tugged at the back of her blouse until it was pulled free and his hand found smooth, warm skin. Fingers trembling like a boy's, he dragged his palm around to her front under the blouse and cupped her lace-covered softness. Jessie leaned back slightly, lifting herself into his hand.

  Ben murmured incoherent approval and fumbled without success for a front opening to her bra. Finally giving up in

  frustration, he worked the strap over her shoulder instead and reached inside the cup to scoop out the plump, womanly flesh. In spite of Jessie's ample proportions, the weighty fullness of her breast was firm, her skin satiny. She was magnificent. Ben fondled the luscious prize. No other woman had ever felt so perfect.

  The velvety tautness poking his palm beguiled him. With his thumb and forefinger he plucked slowly and experimentally at the hardened nipple. Jessie breathed a keening moan of pleasure into his mouth, sending a renewed rush of blood into his erect manhood. Her arms tightened around him and her tongue became more voracious. Ben's heart nearly stopped when she drew her leg up along the outside of his thigh.

  He tensed, quelling the urge to lift her up and pump his hips against the accessible notch she had made of her lower body. With effort he pulled his mouth from hers and withdrew his hand from under her blouse. His arousal was excruciating. Sliding his hands down and grasping her buttocks, he held her to him tightly and buried his face in her hair.

  "What?" she asked thickly.

  "Jess, honey," he murmured desperately, "please put your leg down."

  He knew the exact moment his request registered fully in her mind. There was a brief stillness in her body, and she jerked her leg to the floor, pushing against his shoulders with her hands.

  "No, wait." He gripped her rear more firmly. "Don't move. Not yet."

  She must have guessed he was still struggling for control, because mercifully she stopped trying to free herself from his grasp. Still, her body was tense as she stood in his arms, her cheek against his chest.

  Gradually the clamoring need inside Ben began to abate. His muscles relaxed and finally he loosened his hold. Shifting his hands to her shoulders, he drew back and smiled ruefully.

  "Damn. That nearly did me in." He lowered his head to kiss the tip of her nose, but she turned her face so his lips landed in the hair over her ear.

  "Excuse me." She pushed him away with more force than necessary. Then she disappeared into the bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

  Uh-oh. The lady wasn't pleased.

  Ben started to go after her, but hesitated. Maybe they both could use a little cooling off time.

  Fifteen silent minutes went by. Ben's stomach growled, reminding him how long it had been since he'd eaten. Jessie was probably hungry, too.

  He approached the bedroom door and said loudly, "It's going on one o'clock, Jessie. I thought I'd call to see whether there's a pizza delivery place open around here. Any preference in toppings?"

  "No anchovies."

  At least she'd answered him. Ben shrugged and walked to the phone.

  A half hour later he called through the door again to let Jessie know their meal had arrived. Then, lured by the tantalizing aroma of the pizza, he dug in without manners or ceremony. He was on his second slice when she came out.

  The first thing he noticed was that she'd put the sweater back on over her blouse. The next was the determined look on her face. Deciding it would be unwise to comment on either one, he gestured with his can of cola to the flat, open box on the coffee table.

  "Thanksgiving dinner," he said. "Large deluxe, no anchovies."

  She gave him a tight smile as she crossed the room and sat down. "There are a couple of things we need to talk about."

  Something about her set face and firm voice told Ben he wasn't going to like what was coming.

  "Eat, while it's hot," he told her before taking another bite.

  She pressed her lips together. "First of all, I realize I haven't said thank you for rescuing me last night, and I want to rectify that. I'm... grateful."

  "All part of the job," he told her magnanimously around his mouthful of pizza.

  "Yes. Well, after thinking about what happened at Allie's, I believe I understand now the dangers you mentioned before. Therefore, I won't object if you feel you should accompany me back to Chicago tomorrow."

  Ben, who was in the middle of a swallow, nearly choked. "I thought we'd settled that," he said after the chewed mass was safely down his throat.

  "In your mind, maybe—not in mine," she said pointedly. "But that's neither here nor there. The thing is, I'd like your expert opinion on something. Since I can't go back to Allie's for the night, I thought I might as well stay right here until it's time to see Kyle tomorrow."

  Ben put his pizza down and stared at her. "You're damned right you're staying here."

  She nodded. "I thought as much. Should I get a room inside the motel, or try for the cabin next to this one? It doesn't appear to be occupied. Which would be safer?"

  "Neither one would be safer than right here, which is where you'll be," Ben said emphatically.

  Her eyes flashed. "I don't think thaf s a good idea."

  "Oh, I get it. You're uptight about what nearly happened between us."

  She arched her eyebrows haughtily. "Not at all, since it won't happen again. I just feel it would be inappropriate for me to spend the night under the same roof with you."

  "Inappropriate or not, it's necessary. I can't protect you if you're in another building."

  "I hardly think I need protection in the middle of the night behind locked doors!"

  It was Ben's turn to raise his eyebrows. Instantly Jessie's eyes lowered to her clasped hands and a soft crimson stained her cheeks. She'd caught the unintentional double entendre in her statement.

  "As tempting as it is to pursue the issue of 'protection' with you, Jessie, I'm not prepared to deal with the consequences." That wasn't quite true, unless you considered the time wasn't right for Ben to get involved in an affair. Otherwise, he was well prepared, since he always kept a few foil-wrapped packages in the shaving kit he carried in his car. He hadn't needed them for months, but these days a man couldn't be too careful. Uncomfortably, he recalled that he hadn't given the contents of his shaving kit a thought while he'd held Jessie in his arms.

  Her blush deepened. She glanced up but didn't quite meet his eyes. "I don't want to engage in sexual innuendo with you,

  Ben. In spite of the evidence to the contrary, I'm not in the habit of behaving like that with someone I hardly know."

  "Don't feel bad," Ben said. "Neither am I."

  She did look at him then. "You aren't?"

  Mildly indignant, he said, "No, Jessie, I don't sleep around. I'm a careful—and particular—man. Though I'll admit things went a little further than I intended awhile ago, you can blame that on the... unusual effect we have on each other. I won't make that mistake again. You'll be safe tonight. I'm not going to touch you again until I'm free to finish what we started."

  "What do you mean by that?"

  Ben detected a bite in her question. "Just what I said. I'm on a case. I can't be sidetracked right now, as much as I'd like to be. But later, when this is all over, there's no reason we can't explore the chemistry between us, is there? We do live in the same city. Oak Park isn't exactly in my backyard, but that's a minor obstacle. I've got a feeling we're going to be great together, honey."

  Jessie sputtered. "Why, you arrogant, egotistical— man! How dare you make such assumptions about me!"

  "What assumptions?" Ben was truly baffled by her reaction.

  "You are the absolute limit! I've got news for you, Ben. Telling a woman you'll come around when you've got time for her is not an effective prelude to seduction. If you think I'm going to sit around waiting for you to snap your fingers when it's convenient for you, you're crazy. For one thing, how do you know I'm not already involved with someone?"

  Ben's muscles tensed. "Are you?"

  She wriggled uncomfo
rtably. "Well, no, I'm not, but—"

  "Good." He relaxed. The thought of Jessie with some other man wasn't a pleasant one. "I'm not, either. So what's the problem?"

  "You're missing the point. I'm not interested in a relationship, particularly with a man like you."

  Ben wasn't interested in a relationship beyond the most basic one, either, but he didn't think telling Jessie at this juncture that all he wanted from her was a few sizzling weeks in bed would win him any medals.

  "A man like me?" If she had a thing against cops, and a lot of women did, there wasn't much he could do about it. He was what he was, and if she couldn't handle that, it was her loss. Regrettably, it was his, too.

  "Oh, yes, I know your type, all right," Jessie said. "I had a bellyful of your brand of machismo with my ex-husband. To men like you, women arc things to have around when you want a good meal or a roll in the sack. They aren't people, they're a commodity to be picked up or put down at your convenience. The rest of the time you can't be bothered, unless ifs to complain they weren't nice enough to your boss or forgot to pick up your suit at the cleaners or tried to have a conversation while you were watching television. No, thanks, I'm smarter than that these days. I learned from a master."

  "Now who's making assumptions?" Ben asked softly. "I don't recall asking you to live with me, Jessie."

  Her flush this time was swift and brilliant. "As if I would! No, you simply presumed I'd be happy to fall into bed with you— on your timetable. Jerk!"

  "Spare me the righteous indignation, princess. You and I both know who called a halt to things before. If I hadn't backed off, I could've propped you against the wall and taken you standing up, and you would've been with me all the way. Don't try to tell me you were thinking of anybody's timetable then!"

  Jessie gasped and leaped to her feet. "Why, you—"

  "I know, I know, I'm a jerk. But I'm a jerk with a job to do, and I'm damned well going to do it. So sit down and eat your pizza before you burst a blood vessel. In twenty-four hours you'll be back home in Chicago and you'll never have to see me again. Since we're stuck with each other till thai, we'll just have to call a truce and see if we can keep from killing each other in the meantime."