“‘Entirely different’? I suppose you could rationalize it that way if you wanted to.”
He clasped her hand in his and started walking again. She welcomed the warmth of his touch. He had already shown a depth she never realized he possessed. There was a lot more to Dylan Russell than she had suspected. And she wanted to know it all. Was she repeating old patterns and falling under the spell of a charming scoundrel? If so, she was willingly allowing him to lead her on.
Six
Jessica tried to keep the conversation going, torn between wanting to know everything about Dylan and not wanting to step all over his feelings. “Is that, uh, is that why you decided to become a con man?”
He came to an abrupt halt, released her hand and turned until he fully faced her. “A con man?”
She saw a strange combination of surprise and hurt flicker across his features. She regretted her bad choice of words. “I mean your business deals. Justin always referred to them as high-flying wheeler-dealer speculation. I just assumed that—”
He heaved an audible sigh. It was almost as if he had resigned himself to having to comply with an unreasonable request. “You certainly have some strange notions about who and what I am. Justin would say that to me, too, but it was always said as a joke.”
Her embarrassment inserted itself into her voice. “I seem to be putting my foot farther into my mouth each time I say something. I guess it’s just that…well…” Her gaze connected with his and held there for a long moment. Her pulse raced a little harder and her heart beat a little faster. “You’ve always been a kind of larger-than-life mystery—a globe-trotting playboy whose every action was unconventional, compared to my life. And Justin is always telling tales about your latest adventures. I assumed they were true. And, uh, I just never could get a clear picture about you.”
Another bittersweet chuckle was his immediate response to her revelations. Is this what his life had been reduced to? Speculation about his honesty? “Then I suppose I should straighten you out on a few things. You don’t mind if we walk at the same time, do you? I seem to have a lot of pent-up energy that I need to work off.”
Dylan started down the trail again without waiting for an answer from Jessica. She stayed close at his side. He stuck his hands in his jacket pockets and furrowed his brow in concentration as he sorted things out in his mind. “I guess I should start with college. I graduated with a degree in finance and had just gone to work for a very prestigious stock brokerage firm. A little less than three months later my fiancée jilted me, then two weeks after that my mother died. I tried very hard to work within the parameters of the job requirements, but each passing day became more difficult. I couldn’t put the restlessness aside or stick with the rigid atmosphere and rules of the brokerage house. I finally ended up resigning from the firm.
“That’s when I sort of fell into my first big deal, and I was hooked almost like an adrenaline surge. I had found my calling. Everything took off like a rocket—world travel, first-class lifestyle and lots of glamour. I thought I had it all.”
Another wave of melancholy assaulted his consciousness. He stopped walking and stared at her for a moment. “Then a few months ago something happened…and—” he glanced across the horizon as he tried to collect his thoughts “—it all fell apart for me. I finally made my way to what I thought would be a good place to figure what to do with my life. I ended up here.”
“So that’s why you’re here? To make plans for the future?”
“Something like that. I also have some, uh, well…personal problems to work out—some fallout from the last deal I put together.”
“What happened? Is there anything I can help with?”
He shook his head, not sure how to respond to her questions. “One of my projects went bad. None of my deals were ever scams or con jobs. I never knowingly participated in anything illegal or unethical. My business deals were speculative high-risk venture capital. Big risk hopefully resulting in big gain. I always carefully explained all the pitfalls and risks to all prospective investors.” A moment of reflection crept into his words. “I thought I was dealing only with people who could afford the loss if the risk didn’t pan out.”
He continued walking again. “That’s not to say that there aren’t a lot of con men involved in the same type of activity. I’ve certainly seen my share of them—the leeches who prey on the unsuspecting—but I wasn’t one of them.”
He thought of Rose and Stanley Clarkson again. His voice dropped to a barely audible whisper, and a hint of despair returned. “Of course, sometimes things go wrong…. A deal can fall apart, and everyone loses their money without it being the result of any wrong-doing or anyone’s fault.”
“Is that what happened? You lost a lot of money?”
“Me? No, it wasn’t as simple as that. I didn’t lose any money. If it had just been me it wouldn’t have mattered.” He swallowed down the emotion that choked in his throat. He couldn’t say any more. He wasn’t ready to talk about the Clarksons. He’d already said far more than he had intended.
They walked along in silence again. He thought about his plan for the future. Even more pieces than he had fit together the previous night were coming together in his mind. What had been total chaos two days ago was now forming into a workable plan. It was as if being able to talk about what was going on inside him had helped make things clearer in his mind. And the person he had been able to talk to had been Jessica. A comfortable warmth settled over him, providing a surprising feeling of closeness.
Jessica again captured his attention when she linked her arm through his at the elbow. He liked the sensation the personal gesture conveyed. For three months he had been wrestling with the problem of what to do with his life. It had been a time of confusion and brutal introspection about who and what he had become. And now, less than forty-eight hours after waking up to find Jessica McGuire in bed with him, he had pulled those pieces of confusion together into the framework of a workable plan.
Could she have been the cause? The spark that set the wheels in motion? He wasn’t sure, but if it was true, then he was well on his way to a very sincere emotional involvement…something he swore he’d never allow to happen again. He was definitely in over his head, but had he been thrown an anchor that would weigh him down or a life preserver to keep him afloat? A little tremor ran up his back. Perhaps she was both…the anchor that would keep him grounded in reality while at the same time being the life preserver that rescued him from his inner turmoil.
He had never thought in depth about emotional matters before, never analyzed anything beyond the dollars and cents of the business deal he was working on. A wave of apprehension splashed through his consciousness leaving him a little uneasy. She was the type who made a man think about what could be, to strive for better things. Another tremor rippled through his body accompanied by an equal dose of panic.
They walked along the trail in silence for a while. Conversation began slowly and stayed superficial as they talked about nature, the scenery, weather, movies and books…safe topics that didn’t require either of them to delve into painful areas or confront buried fears. They settled into a comfortable mode as they held hands and talked about likes and dislikes, favorite foods and generally got to know a little about each other.
Dylan laced their fingers together. He liked the feel of her hand in his. It had a calming effect on the uncertainty that had plagued him for the past few months. It gave him a sense of purpose, along with an overwhelming desire to seek her approval. He had never before been concerned with having someone else’s approval. He had always known who he was, what he was doing and where he was going…until three months ago.
He stopped walking, pulled her into his arms and captured her mouth with a kiss that radiated part physical desire and part deep emotion. He wanted to know her more than he had ever wanted to know anyone.
Jessica bounded up the steps to the porch and plopped down on the bench next to the door. “I’m starved. I thin
k I could eat the contents of an entire grocery store.” She pulled off a muddy boot.
Dylan’s spontaneous laugh filled the air. “If you deplete the world’s food supply that sure doesn’t leave anything for me, does it?”
He knelt in front of her, motioning for her to extend her other leg. “Here…let me do that.” He pulled off her other boot and dropped it on the porch.
Their long walk had produced a day of carefree ease, a time of sharing personal feelings and even tentatively allowing some inner fears to show. It had been an exhilarating experience that brought them closer together. Hand holding and casual kisses had led to some decidedly heated kisses. There was a definite chemistry working between them that neither could deny. And they still had the entire evening and night.
She leaned back against the wall and closed her eyes. A slight smile turned the corners of her mouth. “We’ve been walking for hours. It sure feels good to sit down.”
He studied her a moment. Her delicately sculpted features tugged at his senses, and her very kissable mouth sent a rush of excitement through his body. He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers hoping it would satisfy the urge to sweep her into his arms again and this time carry her upstairs, but all it did was whet his appetite for more. He tugged at her hand, pulling her up from the bench. A moment later he folded her in his embrace and brought his mouth down fully on hers.
The moment his lips touched hers all she could think about was how much he excited her, how much she wanted to be part of his life. She allowed the delicious kiss to continue for several seconds. Once again being in his arms transported her beyond the concerns and fears of what might be. He stirred more in her than sensual desires. Oddly enough, he also made her feel protected and cared for. It wasn’t logical, certainly didn’t make any sense, but she could not deny the truth of it.
She broke off the kiss, but her breathless voice gave away the emotional depth of her involvement. There was more going on than her physical response to his action. She looked up into his eyes and saw the same things she was feeling…or perhaps it was just wishful thinking. Another wave of desire swept through her. She took a couple of steps away from his touch, hoping to break the pull his magnetism exerted on her.
“I…I think I’d better see what there is to fix for—” she glanced at her watch “—well, it’s definitely too late for lunch, and it’s a little early for dinner.”
He reached out and grabbed her hand. “I’m hungry, too.”
The look in his eyes said he was hungry for more than food. A little shiver of trepidation raced up her spine. Was it a portent of what the evening would bring? The level of excitement rose, only to be tempered with caution. Her gaze locked with his. Neither of them moved. She rubbed her hand across her nape to still the shiver, then pulled away.
“Whatever we have for dinner, it might have to come out of a can. Do you prefer chunky thick vegetable soup or beef stew?”
He took a calming breath as he attempted to cool off his heated desires. He held the door open for her and flashed a casual smile. “Why don’t you surprise me?”
They went directly to the kitchen. She opened a cupboard and peered inside. “I see some pasta that I can cook and serve with canned marinara sauce.” She moved a few things around. “We also have some backpacker’s meals…ham with green beans and scalloped potatoes or chicken with sliced carrots and rice pilaf. It’s amazing what you can buy nowadays that doesn’t need to be refrigerated. And it tastes surprisingly good, too.”
He pulled her into his arms. “That’s not the only thing around here that tastes good.” He nibbled on her ear, then slid his lips around to her mouth. It was a brief kiss, but one filled with the promise of things to come. His gaze lingered on her mouth, then captured her gaze and held it for several seconds.
He stepped back from her as he took a deep breath in hopes of breaking the now-familiar tightness across his chest. Even though the afternoon had ended up being a carefree time devoid of tension, he still carried the memory of her comments about him being a con man and all the unsavory associations that went with it.
He brushed a quick kiss across her lips. “I intend to change your initial impression of me.”
“My first impression?” She flashed a teasing grin. “You mean back when I was fifteen years old?”
He cocked his head, his amusement spreading across his features. “Fifteen? I think we can safely say we’ve moved past that.”
Her initial opinion of the type of man he was had already changed drastically from her preconceived notions of the man she found in her bed. The part of him he had shared during the course of the day had shown her a man with much more substance than she had at first believed him to have. Yes, her original judgment of him had definitely changed, but exactly how did she feel about him now? She knew more about him than she had, yet she suspected there was a great deal more that she didn’t know.
And she wanted to know it all.
He glanced toward the fireplace, then the front porch before returning his attention to her. “The firewood supply is getting very low…at least the smaller pieces. I’ll build a fire, then split some of those larger logs into a usable size.”
“While you’re doing that, I’ll get some food on the table.”
He took her hand and gave it a squeeze, sending a surge of warmth through her body, then headed for the porch to bring in the last of the kindling. As soon as he had a nice fire going he grabbed the ax and headed for the porch.
A few minutes later, drawn by the chopping sounds, she wandered to the front window. Her hunger pangs faded away as she watched him work. He had taken off his sweater, leaving just his T-shirt. She watched him as he methodically placed the somewhat unwieldy logs on end and split them in two lengthwise, then in turn split each of the halves lengthwise again.
The taut muscle tone of his arms and back could not be hidden by his T-shirt. The image of his well-defined chest and his broad shoulders had continued to linger in her mind from that first morning, but she hadn’t realized just how strong he was until she saw him split the logs with one powerful overhead swing of the ax.
Once again he had surprised her. Chopping firewood was not something an international playboy would be doing. It was not the type of activity she would have associated with him, or at least with the type of person she thought he was. He was doing a good job of refuting who and what she had always believed of him. She continued to watch him for a moment longer. It helped her understand who he wasn’t, but it didn’t tell her anything about who he was.
She stepped out on the porch as he stacked the last piece of wood by the door. She gestured toward the results of his hard work while extending a teasing smile. “I must say I’m very impressed. You seem to be experienced in chopping wood.”
He grabbed her arm, pulled her body against his and returned her teasing grin. “I told you I’d change your first impression of me, and this is only the beginning.” He grabbed his sweater from the porch railing, then escorted her into the cabin.
“I worked up quite an appetite with all that hard work. So…what’s to eat? I need to keep up my strength, you know. Never can tell when I’ll need that little extra bit of energy.” He gave her a sly wink, then headed for the dining table.
They ate quickly, then carried their wineglasses to the large floor pillows in front of the fireplace. They talked quietly while sipping their wine and enjoying the sensual warmth of the fire. The relaxed atmosphere allowed them to each finally let down the protective guard that had never completely been dismissed. The conversation eventually turned to Dylan’s plans for the future.
Where he had been hesitant that afternoon, he now wanted to share the idea that he had been formulating in his mind. He wanted to know her thoughts and feelings about his plan.
He nervously cleared his throat. “Would you mind if I bounced an idea off you?” He pulled her into his arms and leaned back against the pillows. The tension shot through his body. Was he about to
make a huge mistake? He had taken a chance when he shared the information about his almost marriage. But that had been something from his past. These plans were now, they had a definite impact on his entire future.
“Of course not.” She snuggled into the comfort of his embrace.
He paused to gather his thoughts before he went the final step in laying bare his guarded inner self. “As I told you, I wanted the use of the cabin to think out what I needed as a new direction for my life. This is what I’ve come up with.” An anxious tremor coursed through his body before finally subsiding. “Tell me what you think.”
He took a calming breath then plunged in headfirst. “I want to start a business, actually a service of sorts, for people who have been taken in by financial scams. I don’t have all the details worked out yet, but it’s pretty much set in my mind.” The plan had grown and the pieces fused together in direct proportion to his growing involvement with Jessica. Intellectually he knew it was true, but to know it emotionally was a different matter. He tried to shake off that reality as he started to explain his plan.
“I envision it as a sort of seminar where they can get their financial life put back together, learn how to manage their money and rebuild for the future. It would also include information about how to recognize scams and con jobs. The seminar could be presented through the local chamber of commerce, by various civic organizations or as adult education night school. There are several possibilities. It would be a nonprofit endeavor. Any fee charged for the service would be minimal and only for the purposes of covering out-of-pocket expenses for the sponsoring organization, things like rental of the space to hold the class if that’s necessary.”
Another jitter of anxiety darted through his body. He searched her expression for any hint of her thoughts. Once again he found himself seeking her approval and unsure of what her response would be. He tried to set aside his apprehension, but couldn’t keep the hint of hopefulness out of his voice. “Well? What do you think?”
Stormbound with a Tycoon Page 9
