She felt her nipples tighten and swell under the heat of his look. "I'm not," she said with a breathless laugh. "You dried me so thoroughly I'm sure I'm still red as a lobster!"
"Your nose is sunburned again—" his smile deepened slightly "—but you look absolutely adorable."
Adorable! How could he tell her she was beautiful one second, and adorable the next? Children were adorable; warm cuddly puppies were adorable. She shook her head and laughed shakily. "What is this fixation you have with my nose?"
That deep intimate glow in his eyes grew more intense. "It's not just your nose," he murmured in a voice that was faintly teasing, "it's your entire body. It's everything about you."
She stifled a groan. If only she knew when to take him seriously! "Jason—" She opened her mouth to protest.
He interpreted her look with pinpoint accuracy and raised an eyebrow. "I've just bared my soul to you and now you're going to give me that nonsense about not believing a word I say."
"Jason, please stop!" His name was half-laugh, half-groan. "I know I'm not pretty—my hair is a mousy brown, I have a pug nose..."
"When are you going to learn!" His fingers pressed urgently into her shoulders. "There's every bit as much to love outside as there is inside." He shifted his position on the edge of the bed and moved so close his hair-roughened thigh brushed the smoothness of her own.
Samantha shrugged uneasily. "I still have a hard time believing you'd want a woman for her mind..." She broke off, again feeling miserable.
His laughter startled her, as did the golden sparkle in his eyes. She drew herself up indignantly, but he reached for her, easily quelling her squirming movements by tightening his arms around her. The laughter in his eyes died as suddenly as it had erupted.
"You have everything," he told her in a voice like melted honey. "You are everything, all I've ever wanted." His voice dropped to a mere whisper. "I've been waiting all my life for a woman like you, Samantha. And now that I've found you I'll never let you go."
She was stunned by the vibrant urgency in his voice. Her eyes sought his as if seeking confirmation, unable to believe what she was hearing.
"Did you know that you have tiny threads of gold in your hair? They shimmer in the sunlight, and in the firelight." His voice rippled over her skin like wine-dark velvet. He smiled as he touched the silky strands that lay on her shoulder. "And those beautiful blue eyes, with those gold-tipped lashes. When you smile it's like a thousand tiny stars light up in your eyes. And that mouth—" his eyes dropped, and his smile faded "—I can't look at you without remembering how sweet you taste, and thirsting for that warm honey—" A finger crept inside her parted lips to trace the sensitive flesh just inside her lower lip. "Right here." His eyes looked directly into hers. "You are beautiful, Samantha."
She felt the sensual magic of his words, the fiery glow in his eyes, everything about him, vibrate through every part of her, clear to her soul. No man but Jason had ever told her she was beautiful. No man but Jason had ever endeavored to appeal to the deeply romantic passion in her heart. And she wanted to believe. Even more, she wanted to believe that Jason believed. A quiet serenity spread through her as she smiled at him. Never before had she felt so proud, so incredibly alive, and yes, even beautiful. Jason might someday belong to another and he might belong to no one.
But right now he was hers. And that was all that mattered.
Chapter 9
For a long moment Jason simply stared down at her, cradling her close. "There'll be no nighttime entertainment in the form of a book for you tonight, Samantha." His tone was incredibly soft, his look tenderly possessive. "Tonight you're mine. All mine."
The words reverberated through her, bringing a welter of excitement in their wake. Samantha matched the unshakable resolve in his eyes with a look of her own. "Does this mean I'm finally going to have my way with you?" she murmured. Her hands slipped over the straining muscles of his shoulders.
Jason laughed huskily. "Do with me what you will," he quoted softly. And with that, he reversed their positions so that she was free to do exactly that.
His body looked very big and dark on the light gold of the bedspread. He had removed his shirt, and Samantha's breath stopped in her throat at the sight of the muscled contours of his chest. A strange curling sensation formed deep in her belly as she looked at him. He was still watching her, a half-smile on his lips, but there was something in those glowing dark eyes that told her exactly how serious he was.
It was an invitation no woman in her right mind would refuse. Her hand reached out to tangle in the silky jungle on his chest, and she leaned forward to touch his lips with her own, gently at first, and then with increasing urgency.
They were both breathing hard when she finally lifted her head. His heart beat a pulsing rhythm beneath her questing fingers. One silky thigh was tangled between his, the contact of his hair-roughened skin against her own smoothness incredibly sensuous.
She smiled against his hard mouth. "So this is what's known as unbridled lust," she murmured.
His hands tangled in her hair to bring her mouth to his. "All-consuming mists of passion?" he suggested throatily.
Samantha arched her body sinuously against his. A blazing fire leaped in his eyes, exciting her further. His hands moved impatiently to the buttons of her shirt. "Insatiable desire," she countered provocatively. It was wonderful to be able to taunt and tease Jason like this. Her eyes darkened suddenly as his shirt was pulled from her shoulders. She felt the heat of his gaze burn through her as his eyes moved irresistibly to the gentle mounds of her breasts. It was even more wonderful to be making love with him like this.
His hands moved to gently cup her rounded flesh. He shook his head as her eyes linked with his. "Something far more complicated—" he muttered as he trapped her mouth beneath his "—and much more meaningful."
Somehow the words never managed to penetrate as his fingers moved to trace lingering circles over her breasts. She felt the brush of his fingers on her bare skin, the tips faintly rough but incredibly arousing. Her breath caught in her throat as she found her eyes drawn to the sight of his dark hands against the gleaming paleness of her rounded softness, coming ever closer to the budding pink rosebuds. Her eyes remained glued to his as he rose and removed the last remaining barrier between them, throwing his filmy shorts aside impatiently.
The last muted rays of the sun shimmered through the open window, bathing the proud male physique in all its glory a gleaming shade of bronze. Samantha felt the insistent heat inside her burst into flames at the sight of him.
"Jason..." Her voice trembled. The husky entreaty sounded strangely like a moan as it passed from her lips. Even she couldn't be sure if it was a plea for him to continue this maddening seduction of her senses or a protest to stop before she threw away every principle she had ever believed in. But nothing seemed to matter, nothing except the feel of his hands on her body when he joined her on the bed once again.
Her fingers crept across his chest, raking through the curly mat of hair to explore his skin, warm and faintly damp. The male scent of him swirled around her, a scent more powerful than any aphrodisiac.
"Hush, sweet... just let me love you."
That low voice was incredibly tender, the sound intensifying the fiery mist of passion that surrounded her. Her fingers clung to his shoulders as his tongue swirled around one taut nipple and then the other, bringing her to a fever pitch. It was like nothing she
had ever known before, this tight aching curl of pure sensation inside her.
"God, Samantha!" His mouth was buried at the base of her throat as his hands stroked a flaming line to catch her hips in his hands. His fingers curled into the softness of her flesh. He raised his head, his eyes blazing fiercely in his face and showing more clearly than words the strain he was under as he held himself back in order to prolong her pleasure.
"Jason," she moaned softly, and a melting feeling swept through her body as he took her mouth hungrily. His ton
gue crept into her mouth and began an evocative exploration even as his lean hips undulated against hers in a corresponding rhythm. She gasped at the feel of his vital male force probing between her nether lips. "Now... Jason... now!"
Planted hard and deep, the heat and power of his entry made her gasp. The melding of their bodies was as explosive as she had known it would be, yet it was something else entirely that touched a chord deep in her soul. Their eyes were linked together by a force beyond control. Jason shuddered, his eyes drifting slowly closed as he settled between the silken prison of her thighs, so deep they were as one. His eyes lifted once again to stare into the slumberous depths of hers, and he smiled then, a smile that filled her heart until she thought it would burst.
He bent his head so that his breath mingled with hers. "Oh, Samantha...I was wrong." His whisper was hoarse against her mouth, his breath harsh and rasping. "So wrong. This is . . . heaven on earth."
And then there were no more words as they were both swept away on a cloud of passion, a whirling giddy feeling overtaking them both. His body surged boldly against hers, yet mingled within that thrusting urgency was an aching tenderness that moved her to tears.
Much later when their breathing had returned to normal, Jason lifted his head to look down at her. That same tender smile curved his mouth as he finally swept aside the bedspread and blankets and scooped her under them. Scarcely wanting to move from the lethargy that followed their fiery union, she lifted a finger to trace the shape of his lips, reveling in their smooth texture.
The pad of his thumb came up to trace the path of the single tear that had slid down her cheek. "Regrets, already?" he asked softly.
Samantha shook her head swiftly, still awed by what had happened. Even loving Alan as she had, she had never felt such all-consuming passion, such immense satisfaction and utter peacefulness. "Not at all," she said softly, her blue eyes shining. "I've never felt quite like this," she added, her voice but a whisper. Jason bent to brush her lips. "Neither have I, sweetheart," he said huskily, his arms tightening around her. "Neither have I."
In spite of herself, Samantha tensed a little. "Not even with your ex-wife..."
She broke off, afraid for a second she had shattered the magical bond between them, but although there was a guarded expression in his eyes for an instant, it disappeared as he saw her wariness.
"I'll tell you something, Samantha," he said quietly. "I never loved my wife, not really. Oh, I thought I did, but it didn't take me long to discover that it was no more than infatuation." He hesitated, and she knew the words were forced from deep inside him. "Natalie came to L.A. like a thousand other women, with visions of stardom dancing in her head. You remember I told you I was a sitcom writer for a while?"
Samantha nodded, listening intently. She sensed this might be the one and only time Jason would ever talk of his ex-wife.
"Natalie was beautiful, ambitious and very vain." His voice hardened. "She's a woman who needs constant adoration, and it wasn't long before I found out a husband didn't stop her from sleeping with any man who wanted her. Believe me, there were plenty. When I found out, I divorced her, and she told me afterward that the only reason she married me in the first place was because of my contacts in the industry."
"How sad." Samantha's eyes moved over the faintly bitter lines of his face. She wanted to reach out and touch him, smooth them away with her fingers, but she wasn't sure if he would welcome her touch right now. So she stayed where she was, her head on the pillow next to his. But not before a question slipped out. "Is she a big star right now?"
Jason shook his head. "She does a commercial now and then but she's a lousy actress. Freeloading is her present specialty."
Samantha frowned and turned to look at him. "Is that why you were going to L.A. to see your attorney?"
Again he nodded. "She's been trying to get her hands on some property I bought during the divorce proceedings." A hard little smile curved his lips. "But as it turned out, the matter was dismissed because she eloped with a French director. Now she's his problem."
He turned on his side to face her, his hand resting possessively on her stomach. He smiled a little crookedly. "Now it's your turn. Why did things go sour with Alex?"
Samantha smiled slightly. "It's Alan, not Alex," she reminded him. "And I'm not sure I can say what went wrong. It just didn't work out. Maybe we didn't take the time to get to know each other well enough. Believe it or not, Alan and I got married exactly three weeks after we met."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "That is amazing." He regarded her quietly. "Do you still love him, Samantha?"
She turned sideways so that she faced him, the sheet draped loosely over her body. Her heart leaped as she saw the guarded expression in his eyes. She had the oddest sensation that it really mattered to him.
She ran a hand down his chest, twining her fingers in the narrowing trail of curls on his lean stomach. "No," she said softly. She gazed into his eyes. "The magic just didn't last."
Jason raised an eyebrow. "That's quite an admission coming from a woman who thinks love is an endless bed of roses."
"Maybe you were right and I did expect too much of it. I suppose, thinking back, that neither one of us was ready to sacrifice. Alan was just getting started in his job, and I was working on my master's at Portland State." She sighed reflectively. "When things began looking bad, I suppose I did what every woman does. I blamed him, and then I blamed myself. But the truth is—" and she was beginning to realize it now more than ever, though she didn't say so "—Alan wasn't the right man for me." Her eyes met his. "But we're still friends."
"I noticed," he commented dryly.
She smiled at him. "Now don't you feel better that we've both got all the skeletons out of the closet?"
Jason's grin was both devilish and lovable. The realization tore at her heart as she was gathered closely in his arms. Lovable—how easily the admission came. She loved this man, right or wrong. Lord, how she loved him!
His hand swept aside the sheet with a single movement. Their bodies lay bare to each other's gaze. "I only wish we'd done it a long time ago." His husky tone was tinged with amusement, but his smile faded as he looked into her eyes. "Samantha, would you believe me if I told you I didn't plan what just happened?"
Her heart melted at his searching look. Her hands slid around to twine in the thick hair on his nape. "Yes," she said simply. "Oh, yes!"
"I won't say I wasn't hoping." A faintly teasing light reappeared in his eyes, but his mouth was tender as his hps sought hers. "But I knew you needed some time."
"Jason, you gave me all the time I needed." And as his hands skimmed over her body, the exquisitely fulfilling passion flared anew between them. This time she knew it could last forever.
It made her just a little sad.
"Jason! Jason Armstrong! Dammit, are you still in bed? You lazy old son of a—"
The good-natured male voice dropped off as Samantha abruptly sat up in bed, clutching the sheet to her bare breasts. Sunlight streamed through the drapes, silhouetting a man standing in the bedroom doorway.
"Jason!" Her elbow nudged his bare shoulder, rising just above the sheet, her startled eyes still on the figure lounging against the doorjamb. He was in his
mid-thirties, roughly Jason's age, with wavy chestnut hair and sparkling blue eyes. "Jason, wake up!" He finally stirred at her hushed whisper and, to her horror, pressed a warm kiss on the silken thigh near his face. His hand delved beneath the sheet and sought the smooth hollow of her stomach, his fingers straying relentlessly downward.
"Jason, get up!" She scooted as far away from him as she could. Dear Lord, to wake from a delightful passionate night in heaven—to this!
"I think you'd better, Jason. I've never seen a face so fiery red in all my life."
The strange laughing voice at last roused Jason. Dark hair tousled from sleep, he sat up and stared at the intruder. He broke into a grin. "Dave! I didn't think you were coming until Friday."
"I can see that," the stranger commented, returning his grin.
Heedless of his nakedness, Jason sat up in bed and stretched. He ran a hand through his hair, then curled an arm around Samantha, who resisted the effort by pulling the sheet up to her nose and sliding down onto the pillows.
"Don't be rude now, Samantha. This is my longtime friend and buddy, David Winters." She cringed at the smile in his voice. "David, meet your neighbor, Samantha Monroe."
To her horror, David Winters acknowledged the greeting gravely. "It's nice to finally meet you, Samantha. I'd say the pleasure was all mine but obviously it hasn't been." She peeked over the sheet to find him smiling. "If I'd known what I was missing, I'd have made the trip much sooner."
This time she did moan. Turning her face into the pillow, she muttered half-miserably, half-angrily,
"Jason, will you get him out of here so I can go home?"
"So soon?" He looked genuinely surprised. "Don't you even want breakfast?" He grinned at David. "As I recall, Dave can whip up a mean batch of pancakes."
When she raised her head enough to glare at him, he nodded at his friend, a crooked grin etching his lean features. David obligingly left the room. He grinned as Samantha got up from the bed, draping the sheet around her body. "No need to be so modest," he teased lightiy. "You weren't last night." He sighed when Samantha fixed him with another blistering stare. "We'll meet you downstairs."
When he had slipped into a pair of jeans, she stalked to the bathroom, where her clothes and underwear were draped over the shower door. After dressing hurriedly she slipped out through the bedroom onto the upper deck. Her face burned with both anger and embarrassment at the thought of facing those two laughing faces. Five minutes later she was back in her own house and in the shower.
The stinging spray washed over her body with a thoroughness that reminded her of the long fiery night spent in Jason's arms, his hands sliding intimately over every inch of her body, exploring and arousing her to heights she'd only dreamed of before. Such sweet devastating pleasure was beyond anything she'd ever known. His desire for her had been boundless, exciting—as was hers for him. How many times had they made love? Too many to count. And each fiery taking had left her passionately fulfilled, but she turned breathlessly, eagerly, in his arms at each renewed caress.
The Unsung Hero Page 13
