A tormented groan of pure pleasure tore from Jason's throat, and Samantha found herself caught up in the sheer joy of it. At first he rocked against her gently, his hands on her hips, as if to savor and prolong the moment, until neither one could stand the sweetly restrained pace. Their bodies surged and met with an increasing power and driving urgency that sent them stealing out and away to the heavens and beyond.
They reached that pinnacle of feeling at one and the same moment, each crying the other's name until it receded into a breathless whisper of sound. Their breath intertwined, they lay basking in a warmth that went far beyond the immense physical satisfaction they had just known.
Curled up in the haven of his arms, Samantha turned her face and pressed a kiss against his collarbone. "I love you," she whispered softly.
Jason looked down at her. "Lady, I was beginning to wonder," he drawled with a grin. It faded to a smile, and the light in his eyes grew softer yet. "I've been waiting a lifetime for a woman like you." He bent and brushed her lips. "By the way, I have something to tell you."
Samantha snuggled closer against him. "What?"
"I bought this house."
"You what?" Disbelief edged her voice, and her hand stilled its restless roaming against his chest. "When?"
Jason grinned. "Why do you think David came down last week?"
She propped herself on an elbow and stared at him in amazement. "Why didn't you tell me?"
"You left that day before I even had a chance. And today I had other things on my mind, and my hands—" a wicked glint appeared in his eyes "—my hands were rather busy as well." As if his meaning wasn't clear enough, a large hand stole out to stroke the rounded flesh that peeped above the rumpled sheet.
Samantha's heart was suddenly so full she could hardly speak. "You bought this house... because of me? Jason..." Her hand touched his arm tentatively. "I wasn't expecting you to give up everything for me. I..." She took a deep breath, her eyes never leaving his. "I'd get used to living in Los Angeles."
"Samantha, this is your home." His quiet tone touched something inside her. "Your job is here. And as a writer, I'm flexible. I can work here as well as anywhere, better than anywhere since you're here."
"But your research--"
His lips touched hers lightly, possessively. "You're lucky enough to have an entire summer free. If we want to travel, fine. If not, then that's fine, too." He paused. "I've grown to like this little stretch of beach," he said lightly. "And the roof doesn't leak." His eyes caught and held hers before he grinned. "I could always use your house as an office."
Once again her heart began to sing. She climbed out of bed, dug in her purse for a second, and came up with a small rectangular object. The beautiful smile on her face deepened as she slipped beneath the sheets and dropped it into Jason's lap.
"I have a surprise for you, too."
"What's this?" He stared at the tiny package wrapped with a frilly red bow.
"You gave me Valentine's Day in June. Now it's your turn."
"Well, I'll be damned—just like yours!" He grinned and held up a pair of men's boxer shorts. They were white and dotted with bright red hearts. "Where did you ever find these?"
"That's why I was so late getting here," she said dryly. "It wasn't easy trying to find a store that carried a gift like this during the summer."
"Think we'll ever wear them?"
She chuckled and ran her fingers down the length of one strong arm. "Not for long, I hope." A dimple appeared in one cheek. "My mother wants to know when the wedding is."
His hand closed over hers. His fingers circled the wedding finger of her left hand. "We could fly to Reno or Las Vegas tomorrow. Hell, why not tonight?"
Samantha laughed. "You are determined to make a gambling woman out of me yet. I think I should warn you, though, I only bet on a sure thing."
"Don't I know it!" he groaned, then his eyes darkened a little as they searched hers. "I can't promise you paradise, Samantha. I can only promise I'll love you for the rest of my life."
"Forever," she interrupted with a smile.
Jason relented with a kiss. "Forever," he murmured against her mouth.
"Jason." She frowned a little as her eyes searched his. "Are you really thinking of writing a thriller?"
"What!" Jason cocked a jaunty eyebrow. "Don't tell me you think I should stick with romance!"
"I can think of a few advantages," she admitted with a grin. "I wouldn't have to buy your books anymore." Her eyes gleamed as she ran her fingers tauntingly over the wiry curls covering his bare chest, pleased at the golden flame in his eyes, which flared brighter at the first faint brush of her fingers. "And it would be a shame to waste such talent. You really should do what you do best."
His eyes were alight with laughter as he looked at her. "Aren't you the woman who was my staunchest critic only a few weeks ago?"
She wrinkled her nose at him. "It's a woman's prerogative to change her mind. Although there is one drawback." Her eyes shone with love and laughter. "You'll be forever doomed to play the role of the unsung hero!"
Jason's eyes wandered tenderly over her glowing face. "Oh, I think I'll learn to cope," he murmured warmly, "somehow." He bent his head to take her lips in a fiery kiss that spoke of the promise of the future ... the promise of forever.
Like this book? Read on for an excerpt from the e-book re-release of A Family Affair.
CHAPTER ONE
The stillness of the night was broken only by the quiet murmur of the sea. Gently undulating waves lapped the Gulf Coast shoreline. Soft as a sigh, a salt-tanged breeze wrapped its way around the solitary figure roaming the sandy stretch of beach.
There was a sensual fullness to the tall and graceful form, from the curve of rounded breasts beneath the pale blue cotton top, to the coltish legs clad in dark blue slacks. The woman ceased her restless prowling and slowly closed her eyes, lifting her face to the sable canopy that stretched endlessly above. Hundreds of diamond-bright stars wove a meandering pathway through the night-dark sky. The moonlight shone down on her profile, etching in silver the small straight nose, the full mobile mouth, the wavy hair that flowed like silk halfway down the proud lines of her back.
To a casual observer, she might have appeared much like the serene moonlit Texas night of which she was so much a part. But only the moon, the stars and the sky were there to bear witness to the turmoil in her mind—and her heart.
No, there was little comfort to be found in the solitude of the night for Jenna Bradford. And for the third night in a row, she was very much afraid she would find sleep just as elusive.
A sudden burst of wind sent her long black hair whipping around her face. Eyes that were normally a vivid shade of green turned dark with uncertainty as she opened them and lifted a slender hand to brush the wayward strands from her face. Wrapping her arms around herself to ward off the sudden chill, she retraced her steps with a long-legged stride that soon carried her to the rear of a long string of apartment buildings dotting the shoreline. Once on the flagstoned terrace, however, she made no move to enter her home. Instead she settled herself on a lounge chair and gazed out at the glasslike surface of the Gulf.
Jenna smiled a little ruefully as she pulled a blanket over her shoulders. Neil would have a fit if he could see her now. Her late-night excursions would have to stop once they were married; he would never stand for it. Perhaps Neil was a bit overprotective, but he had compensating qualities, she hastened to remind herself. He was concise and articulate, not only in his manner of speaking but in his way of thinking, as well. She suspected this stemmed from his years in law school. With his oftentimes serious, intent look, she occasionally teased him that he reminded her of a wise old bird. A pair of owlish glasses was all that was needed to complete the picture. Yet, even though she admired his sound reasoning and judicious nature, she was beginning to wonder if he wasn't rather... ambitious.
And somehow, Jenna wasn't quite sure how she felt about that.
Bu
t now was a time for joy, a time to love and be loved, a time every little girl dreams of. She should have been deliriously happy, she told herself for what seemed the thousandth time that day. Well, perhaps not deliriously so, since that wasn't her style. But certainly she had every reason to be thankful.
Again her eyes grew troubled as she gazed at the luminescent moon riding high in the sky. Thankful. It was, perhaps, an odd word to describe a woman who was to be married to a successful Houston attorney in six weeks' time.
Pre-wedding jitters. Could that possibly be what this vague uneasiness about her future husband could be? She breathed an uneasy sigh. She wasn't sure, and a twinge of guilt shot through her. Neil, her wedding, her future with him, should have filled her thoughts to the exclusion of all else. Instead the past few days had found her looking over her shoulder, unable to escape the specter of the past.
No, it wasn't Neil who dwelled in her thoughts so much as... Robbie. Robbie. Again she felt that elusive tug on her heart, like a fish caught on a hook and struggling to be free.
It was hard to believe the evening three days prior had started so innocently. Jenna shook her head. Her feelings, capped tightly in storage for nearly four years, had suddenly escaped, like a burst of steam from a kettle, and now she was being forced to deal with them. The only problem was how. Her heart gave her only one choice, but her mind urged caution. Three days of searching and she still wasn't sure. But was her choice the right one? For her? For him? For all concerned?
Her doubts had started Monday night, just a few days after she'd stopped working. It had been ages since she'd taken a vacation, and with so many details to be taken care of before the wedding, she had decided to take a short leave of absence from her nursing job in the Galveston Hospital Emergency Room. She and her mother had spent the day in Houston shopping for a wedding gown, and when her mother had headed home late in the afternoon, Jenna had met Neil for an early dinner. Later, when the nose of his car pointed toward Galveston, she glanced over in surprise as he exited the highway for a suburb twenty-five miles from the city. He drove straight to the heart of a residential district, finally pulling over to the curb on a wide, tree-lined street.
"Well, what do you think?" With the characteristic energy that was almost his trademark, Neil was at the car door and opening it for her before she had a chance to turn in her seat.
Out on the sidewalk, Jenna could only stare at the large Cape Cod-style house in front of her. Dense foliage edged the house before giving way to a velvety green lawn that stretched to the curb. Tendrils of ivy hugged the base of the huge oak tree in the middle of the front yard, lending a homey ambience that she found immensely appealing.
"Why are we stopping here, Neil?" she asked curiously as he pulled her toward the house. "I thought you were taking me home."
A slight breeze ruffled his thick brown hair, and he grinned openly at her. "How would you feel about calling this place home?" Pulling her toward the front door, he laced his fingers through hers.
Stunned, Jenna turned slightly to stare over his shoulder. Her gaze encompassed the house and surrounding expanse of lawn before she turned her tentative look on him.
"Well, don't you have anything to say?"
A niggling feeling of suspicion traced its way up her spine. "Neil," she began, "are you trying to tell me—
"I bought this place?" he finished for her, smiling. "Not exactly, but I think we should think seriously about it. Even the location is perfect—halfway between Houston and Galveston. It's no more than a thirty-minute drive to work for either of us." He grabbed her hand and pulled her along behind him. "Come on, I'll give you the grand tour."
Jenna was speechless as he produced a key and led her through the house, exclaiming delightedly over the extensive use of wood and brick throughout, the polished oak parquet floors, the crisp starched curtains hanging at the windows. When they were standing in what Neil informed her was the master bedroom, he wrapped an arm around her and tipped her face up to his. "Tell me the truth now. Do you like it?"
"I—I love it," she told him breathlessly. "But I had no idea—"
"I know." His mouth curved in a self-satisfied smile. "I wanted to surprise you. You don't mind, do you?"
"Mind! How could I mind living in this lovely home?" Her fingers traced his cleanly shaven jaw. "You're a treasure, Neil. You know that, don't you?"
He laughed and pressed a kiss in the palm of her hand before his eyes roamed around the room. "You're the one who's a treasure. I wish I'd found you years ago. Long before I ever met Anna." He shook his head. "Marrying her was the worst mistake of my life. Thank God the marriage lasted only two years."
Jenna smiled. "Marrying her was probably the only mistake you've ever made in your life," she teased gently. "And you did find the perfect woman eventually."
"A woman after my own heart," he said, looking down at her. "Just as dependable, efficient, stable and practical—"
"As you are," Jenna finished, laughing. "I've never been much of a believer in the theory that opposites attract."
Neil drew her body firmly against his. "We are a lot alike, you know. Anna used to prattle on incessantly. I think your reserve was one of the first things that attracted me to you."
"I didn't think you even noticed," she recalled dryly. "The night we met you were too busy talking about the job offers you'd had and which one you were going to accept."
His smile was a little sheepish. "What can I say? I was fresh out of law school and I guess it went to my head."
On reflection, she could see why. Neil had worked hard for his law degree. His parents had farmed a small piece of land in west Texas that had seen drought after drought for many a year, and his childhood hadn't been the easiest. After a stint in the military, Neil had been nearly twenty-six before he'd been able to scrape up enough money even to begin college. But despite juggling his classes with a full-time job, he had graduated from law school with honors. As a result, he'd had offers from several prestigious law firms. He had finally accepted a position as legal counsel for Citizens for Texas, a watchdog land conservation group that had become a force to be reckoned with during the past two years.
"You told me once you thought I was rather standoffish," she remembered suddenly.
"You do come across that way at times," he said, raising an eyebrow. "You're not shy, just rather conservative. Not that there's anything wrong with that." A rare twinkle appeared in his eyes. "But I certainly never thought I'd have an Amazon in my bed."
She smiled in spite of herself. "You may never have one in your bed if you keep this up," she warned him with mock severity. Neil was usually so serious and businesslike; she enjoyed the few times he teased her. But the fact that she didn't wear her heart on her sleeve was no indication that her feelings weren't as strong as the next person's. And as for her height, she was tall for a woman—five-nine in her bare feet. Secretly she was glad she didn't have the large bone-structure that sometimes went hand in hand with such height in a woman. As a child, she'd hated towering over her schoolmates, boys and girls alike. It wasn't until Jenna was thirteen, when her mother finally convinced her to throw back her shoulders and make the most of her slender gracefulness, that she'd gotten over her self-consciousness. And, she had to admit, it was certainly no liability for a nurse to have a strong back.
She lifted her hands to Neil's shoulders and glanced up at him. "When Mother and I were shopping today, I found the most fantastic wedding dress at Neiman-Marcus." Touching her lips gently to his, she smiled up at him. "You should see it, Neil—yards and yards of ivory satin and lace, a high Victorian neckline..."
A half smile tipped his lips. "Are you trying to tell me I'm marrying an old-fashioned girl?"
"I thought I was marrying an old-fashioned guy," she retorted pertly.
"You are." Gently he untangled her arms from around his neck. "Come on, I'll show you the rest."
There were four bedrooms upstairs, a country-sized kitchen, very spacious l
iving room and a small den downstairs. Though the house was old, it had obviously received a great deal of tender loving care.
"Has it been on the market long?" she asked as they stepped into the dining room. Her voice bounced off the walls of the empty room.
Neil shook his head. "The owner was transferred out of state. I don't think it will take long to sell once it goes into multiple listing. Mark Henderson tipped me off about it."
"Mark?" She glanced over in surprise. A big, sandy-haired man with a booming voice, he was an acquaintance of Neil's. "I thought he was an insurance salesman."
Neil nodded. "He's taken up real estate on the side." Blue eyes alight, he clasped both her hands in his. "Well, what do you think? Should we buy it?"
Jenna frowned. "What about the price?" she asked cautiously. "You're not a struggling young attorney anymore, but can we afford it?"
A faint line appeared between his eyebrows. "You said it yourself, Jenna. I'm not a struggling young attorney. Do you think I'd even consider it if I thought it was beyond our reach?"
It was, she decided, a silly question, after all. Neil was perhaps the most organized person she had ever known, always planning ahead. Her smile reappeared. "Does that mean no more peanut butter sandwiches for lunch?"
He seemed to relax. "No more peanut butter sandwiches," he assured her, then kissed her briefly on the mouth. "The owners are eager to sell and they're asking less than market value. I think we could make this place a home, Jenna." Slipping an arm around her narrow waist, he walked her into the living room, glanced sideways at her and said lightly, "I can see it already—coming home from the office into your arms, the smell of fresh-baked bread drifting through from the kitchen, the pitter-patter of little feet upstairs—"
The Unsung Hero Page 16
