Causing a Commotion (13 page)

Long moments they kissed. A kiss that was hotter than any he’d experienced despite the fact they were fully dressed and her hands never left his hair. A kiss that burned straight through him and set his insides ablaze.

When Jessie pulled back to stare at him with sultry eyes and kiss-swollen lips, he wasn’t ready for the embrace to end. Wasn’t prepared for the emotions whirling through him.

“Why are you here?” she asked.

“The wires.”

She sighed and relaxed into him, resting her head into the crook of his neck. “I could have been hurt. Why would someone do that intentionally?”

“Hell if I know.” Colin stroked Jessie’s nape, tender brushes of his fingertips over the soft skin, and loving the feel of her silky hair curtaining his hand. Loving the sassy cinnamon fragrance filling his nostrils. Loving how her voice echoed words of seduction in his head with sensual metaphors of rose petals and blossoming buds.

How was he supposed to respond to that? Other than the very obvious response straining against his fly? He’d been hard from the moment his lips covered hers, now to the point of pain at her sweet admission. Maybe he’d been hard since that day in the taxi. Certainly he’d wanted her that long, been frustrated that long.

“I do want you.” What was he doing? Why had he come here? Because his heart stopped when she’d gotten shocked? Because he’d wanted to hold her in his arms and comfort her, but an entire studio of people prevented him? Because she’d pushed him over the edge of reason with her wordy seduction of his senses and he’d wanted to hold her for less honorable reasons? Reasons that only had to do with comforting an ache within him?

Holding her was just as wrong now as it would have been in the studio, but there was no one to stop him and his arms were around her. He wanted to hold her. To kiss her. To comfort the need in them. To let go of all the warnings in his head and dive in to Jessie’s excitement.

Which was a real pisser.

He wanted her off
Causing A Commotion
. Could have his show back if he got her off the show.

For her to leave would mean not seeing her five days a week. Which was one of the reasons he wanted her off the show. And the reason he didn’t.

* * *

Jessie couldn’t believe she sat in Colin’s lap with her fingers tousling his hair. A smile played on her lips. He looked good tousled. Good? The man looked totally sexy and downright adorable.

Colin was totally sexy. And adorable. Scarily so.

But the scariest thing was the admission she’d made moments before. Colin kissed her like she’d dreamed of being kissed. Held her like she’d dreamed of being held. Like he needed her.

He didn’t need her. She knew that. His kiss moved her all the same, leaving her glassy-eyed and hungry for more of the heaven his touch promised.

For once, she’d deny herself. Because kissing Colin, making love with him, could undo everything she wanted. Her new career, her new life, her budding belief in her own self-worth. Giving in to the physical yearnings he stirred would crash those beliefs into thousands of shards.

She wouldn’t do it.

How long they sat there, her snuggled in Colin’s lap, him hard beneath her, she wasn’t sure. It didn’t matter. Whether he sensed that she’d go no further, or whether he refused to push, he never made another move. Not except to press his lips to her head and say her name on a sigh.

When the door opened and Tamara stepped into the living room, grocery bags in hand, she stopped short. Jessie wasn’t sure if she’d jumped out of Colin’s lap or if he’d thrown her to the other end of the sofa when they’d heard the jangle of the key in the door.

“Oops, sorry if I’m interrupting,” Tamara apologized in her Southern twang. “I didn’t know you had company.”

Jessie leapt from the sofa and brushed her hands over her clothes. “Tamara, have you met Colin? He’s the host on-”

“I know who he is.” Tamara shot Colin a friendly smile. Too friendly in Jessie’s opinion. “I’d offer to shake your hand, but,” Tamara looked down at the bags she carried.

“Leaving?” Tamara blinked innocently. “I thought he might want to stay for some of my grandma’s meatloaf. It’s to die for and made from her secret recipe. I got all the ingredients fresh at this little shop I found a couple of blocks from here.”

When Colin looked as if he was considering saying yes, Jessie made the decision. “Colin has to go. It’s late.”

He glanced at the slim gold watch on his wrist and growled a low curse. “Actually, I do. I’m late for previous plans.”

Jealousy shot through Jessie. Hot, savage, and so green it shamed the lushest forest to ever grow. She refused to ask if his engagement was a date. Of course, it was a date. Colin was gorgeous, sexy, and a wonderful kisser. Why wouldn’t he have a date?

The second the door closed behind a reluctant-to-go Colin, Tamara asked, “What was that about?”

“Nothing.” It hadn’t been. Just a momentary lapse in judgment. On both their parts.

* * *

Jessie closed her eyes and let the hypnotist’s words fill her mind. Although aware she sat in the studio, she drifted outside her body.

She imagined walking down the peaceful path, the hypnotist described. Imagined sitting beside the waterfall, grazing her hand along the surface of the cold, gurgling water.

She would no longer be afraid to be alone.

She was a strong woman and could meet all her needs without Jill, without her parents, without another person in her life. Particularly a man.

She would not fall for a man just to keep from being alone.

“Now, think of any other thing you fear. Think of it and drop it into the water, let the force of the falls wash it away, carry it far, far from you.”

Colin. He scared her. Knowing he wanted her off the show and J.P. had warned her not to trust Colin, that scared her. Knowing she needed to avoid him during this vulnerable time and knowing she’d see him daily, that scared her. The way she couldn’t get him out of her head, the way she wanted him more than she’d ever wanted any man, that scared her the most.

She would not keep thinking about his kiss and dreaming about blossoming rose petals.

Mentally she picked up Colin and lifted him over the water. She ordered her fingers to let go, but nothing happened.

Funny, she’d had no problem letting go of the other stressors in her life. Had forcibly tossed them into the falls. Colin refused to budge.

“Relax,” the hypnotist encouraged. “Your body has gone tense. This one must be a doozie.”

He had no idea. Said doozie sat only a few feet away, watching her dip into the world of hypnosis. Even in this spiritual place his life force dominated all her senses. Made her tingle with awareness at his utter maleness.

Jessie took a deep breath and let go. Her heart thumped and her stomach dropped. Immediately regretting letting go, she snatched at air, but came up empty handed.

Her eyes jerked open and collided with Colin’s.

Guilt slammed her. Did he know what she’d done?

No, he couldn’t know. Nor should she feel guilty. It wasn’t as if Colin wanted to be the last thing on her mind at night, the first thing on her mind when she woke. Everything in between. So he’d kissed her last week. No big deal.

They’d both pretended like it had never happened when she’d walked onto set the next day. He’d looked away, mumbling only a stilted hello when she’d sat down next to him. Other than to remind her to watch for anything suspicious, he hadn’t said much else.

The hypnotist ignored this and returned his attention to Jessie, taking her hand in his and stroking his thumb in a soothing, circular motion. “No wonder you have so much negative energy to free yourself of, working in this environment. How do you feel?”

Good question. How did she feel? She’d dropped all her cares into the river of tranquility and the calming falls washed her troubles away.

Definitely, she couldn’t describe those stolen moments on her sofa as cold. They’d been hot. Just like the way he’d looked at her while she read the poetry. Hot. Hot. Hot. Colin the total hottie.

But today he was back to ignoring her and acting as if she were nothing more than a thorn in his side.

Perhaps she was. Which was just fine. She didn’t need him. She’d just drowned him in the river. He was kaput from her psyche. Totally gone from her thoughts. Completely—

Jessie winked. “Relaxed as in
relaxed
or just relaxed as in calm?”

The hypnotist’s mouth curved and he shot her an interested look. “Either one.”

“You bad, bad man.” Jessie teased, pulling her consciousness completely back from where she’d been. “No to the first one and yes to the second one.”

She did feel relaxed, strong, like she could deal with taking on the world. Without someone there to help her. She could help herself.

* * *

Colin didn’t like the way Jessie eyed him. Like she was going to devour him in one big bite.

Although she flirted outrageously with him and ever other Tom, Dick, and Harry, they’d kept their interactions limited to in front of the camera. Except for last week and that had been a dip into insanity. Something he wouldn’t allow to happen again.

“I’m really good at helping women achieve all types of relaxation,” the hypnotist assured Jessie, taking her hand again.

Jessie’s eyes flashed fire at Colin. “Really? Tell me more. I’m sure the audience is as interested in hearing about your technique as I am.”

Enough was enough.

“Looks like we’re out of time,” Colin interrupted, motioning to the commercial break cue that for once appeared at an opportune moment.

Jessie cast him a sly look, but nodded. They thanked their guest and the man waved to the audience and then left the set.

She ignored him for the break, which should have been just fine, but instead made him want to demand she pay attention to him. What was with him, missing her teasing and innuendos that normally rapid fired during the breaks? He should be grateful for the reprieve.

“You don’t really buy this garbage, do you?” he asked. So much for reprieve.

Jessie turned her blond head toward him. “What garbage?”

She smiled at him, then the camera. Hell, they were live again. How had he missed that? Because he’d been too caught up in wondering why she was ignoring him.

“That that joker just cured you from your inner phobias?” he asked, despite knowing they were on the air.

She flashed her teeth and lifted sultry eyes. “Ah, but he did cure me, so yes, I do buy this ‘garbage’. I mean, I know it works. Already, I feel freer, more confident.”

“Oh, that one.” Jessie grinned, winking outrageously at the camera. “You wouldn’t happen to feel a little wet beneath the collar there would you, Colin?”