Page 37 of Texas Temptation

When she said she was grateful, anger flared. That was not something he wanted. He’d kissed her, tasted the sweetness of her mouth. And he wanted more.

For the first time in years, his libido sprang to life at the thought of someone beside Marissa. He wanted Jordan Carhart.

Emotions churning, he pushed back his chair and walked to the window. Leaning against the sill with both hands, he stared sightlessly out into the dark. The lights twinkling gave no delight. He was looking inward and hated what he saw.

Desire for a woman beside his wife. It didn’t matter that Marissa had been dead for two years. It felt like a betrayal. Betrayal of her, of his vow to remain uninvolved. Betrayal of the trust Jordan had placed in him. Damn, he could control it. He would. Taking a deep breath, he almost jumped when she touched his arm. He hadn’t heard her move to cross the room.

Slowly, he straightened and turned toward her. The lighting seemed bright after the darkness of the night. He narrowed his gaze against it, taking in the uncertainty of her expression, the soft swell of her breasts, the fragrance that whispered Jordan, Jordan, Jordan.

Without thinking, he drew her into his arms and lowered his head. The first touch of her lips drove all thoughts from his mind. Guilt fled. Desire sparked. This felt too right to be wrong.

Marissa was gone. Jordan was here. Alive, warm, sweet and so sexy it drove him crazy.

She held nothing back as he deepened the kiss. His tongue touched hers, mated, swept through her mouth as if he would devour her. Heat rose between them, and he could feel her breasts press against his chest, feel them swell with desire. Her arms wound around his neck and she held on as if she’d never let him go.

One kiss would never be enough. He wanted her as a man wants a woman, completely, totally. He rubbed his hands down her back, lifting her closer, nestling against her as if he’d sought comfort or more.

Every breath was filled with her scent. Every heartbeat increased his body heat until he felt he would ignite. His mouth against hers only had him longing to touch other parts of her. He moved to kiss her cheeks, trail short nibbles along her jaw, down to the rapidly beating pulse point at the base of her throat. When he licked it, her skin was pure ambrosia. She moaned softly in her throat and he felt as if he could capture the sound with his lips.

He brushed back the collar of her blouse and tasted the softness of her shoulders. He felt her own mouth move against his ear, along his cheek, back to his lips.

Mindful of Aunt Amelia only a few steps away, he knew they couldn’t go anywhere with this—even if Jordan would agree.

Slowly, reality returned. He kissed her mouth gently one last time and eased her away, gazing down into her slightly blurred eyes.

She blinked slowly and met his gaze as confusion and desire mingled.

“If that was because you’re grateful, I’ll put my fist through the wall,” he murmured.

She shook her head.

“I might be grateful, but for that, I’d just say thank you.”

She reached out and trailed her fingers down his cheek, rubbed against the evening beard along his jaw as if mesmerized by the texture, by the slight rasping sound. Her eyes followed her fingertips for a moment, then met his gaze once again.

“Why did you kiss me?” she asked softly.

“Because I want you.”

At her startled look, he almost smiled. She had to have known from the level of the kiss there was more than just a brush of lips.

“Been there, done that. It sure didn’t turn out the way I thought it would,” she said flippantly.

She was flat-out scared. She’d thought she had loved the man she knew as Cade Cullen Everett, but that proved false. Now she didn’t trust her senses, her own mind or heart. She could fall for this man and end up the same way—alone with a boatload of regrets.

Backing away, she looked so sad Cade wanted to grab her up in another embrace and kiss her until she couldn’t think of anything or anyone else. Make her forget the past.

But she obviously remembered another time. Another man. Could he blame her for being wary? Especially when all he wanted was time with her, a few hours, days. Not a future, not forever.

“Go to bed, Jordan. Tomorrow you’ll have your hands full with Caleb.”

The swiftness of her departure would have hurt a weaker man, he thought cynically. But he suspected she was the wiser of the two of them.

Chapter Seven

A week later, Jordan had almost forgotten the kiss. At least that was what she told herself endless times during the day whenever the memory of that night arose.

The first few days Caleb was home from the hospital were hectic. Mindful of her obligation, she took an hour or two each day to check the mail. The office phone was switched to ring in the house and she took messages from there. Cade spent the week in Dallas, not even returning home in the evenings.

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