Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger (9 page)

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Authors: Lori Copeland

Tags: #Fiction, #Romance, #General, #Contemporary, #Westerns, #test

BOOK: Playing for Keeps/A Tempting Stranger
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Page 67
Chapter Four
The loud insistent knocking on the front door brought Jessica out of a sound sleep early the next morning. Fumbling for her robe, she groped her way downstairs, her head still fuzzy from sleep.
''I'm coming. I'm coming," she mumbled sleepily, jerking the door open angrily to confront a broadly grinning Jason. Leaning wearily against the doorsill, she glared purple daggers before reprehending him. "Jason, do you realize what time it is?"
"Gettin' late," he answered cockily, his eyes surveying her scanty attire appreciatively. "Almost six o'clock!"
Jessica sagged more heavily against the door. "I didn't even hear you drive up!"
 
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Jason lifted one golden-brown brow ironically. ''I haven't got anything to drive up in. I rode my horse over." Jessica moaned. "Surely," Jason continued brightly, "you haven't forgotten a farmer's day begins early, Jessica."
"I've tried my best to," Jessica confessed, smiling sheepishly.
"Well, Angel," he said matter-of-factly, "you'd better start remembering. We've got a lot of things to talk over." He turned her in the direction of the kitchen, and one large hand came down to give her a swat on her delectable fanny. Jessica whirled around in surprise as he continued pushing her toward the kitchen. "Isn't this going to be fun?" he heckled, giving her a sexy wink.
Boy, he sure was in a good mood this morning, Jessica thought as she filled the coffeepot with water. Setting it back down on the counter, she stood on tiptoe to reach the can of coffee on the top shelf. Straining hard, her fingers kept sliding the can back farther on the shelf, and her housecoat climbed up her shapely legs.
Jason was sitting at the kitchen table nonchalantly smoking one of his thin little cigars, the sweet aroma pleasantly filling the old kitchen. By now Jessica's short housecoat was nearly up to her bottom. Jason sat quietly, watching her growing frustration.
Whirling around angrily, she fumed at him, "Can't you at least help?"
Jason looked at her in total innocence. "You think I'm crazy? I'd much rather sit here and watch you make that coffee than I would drink it."
"Very funny, Jason. Now would you please hand me the can of coffee?"
Jason stood up reluctantly and handed her the can of coffee. Their hands touched briefly before he let go of the can. Jessica felt the familiar surge of desire course through her veins as she quickly jerked her hand away to spoon the grounds into the basket. As she plugged in the pot to perk she asked grudgingly, "Have you had breakfast?" If he
 
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was going to work for her, she was going to have to get along with him.
''Two hours ago."
"Oh." Jessica sat down opposite him at the table. "All right, then, what do we need to discuss?"
"First of all, I'm going to have to hire at least three more men to help run this farm."
Jessica yawned, laying her head down on the kitchen table. "That's all right with me," she said sleepily.
"SecondJessica, look at me when I'm talking."
Jessica turned bleary eyes toward Jason, her head still lying on the table. "Is this permissible, sir?"
Shaking his head tolerantly, he continued, "Second of all, I won't have room for three more men to live on my farm, so they will have to stay here."
Jessica's head raised slightly as she cocked one perfectly arched brow. "Here?"
"That's right. In fact, if you have no objections, I'm going to move three of my own men in, too. My bunkhouse is too crowded as it is now."
"You want
me
to live here in this house with six strange men?" Jessica gasped, coming wide awake now.
Jason laughed at the look of consternation on her drowsy face. "No, you'll be coming over to live at my house. Next I'll have to know how much working capital you have on handthere's some fence down in several areas"
"
Wait a minute, Jason!
" Jessica was wide awake now. "Let's back up to the part where. I come over to live at your house."
Jason looked at her blandly. "What about it?"
"You wouldn't care to humor me and elaborate on that just a hair more, would you?" She smiled with saccharine sweetness, her eyes darkening noticeably.
"Not at all. My housekeeper's sister has had to have major surgery and will need constant care for the next few months. Mrs. Perkins left last week and won't be back for
 
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several months at least.'' He stood to walk over to the coffeepot. "Now, if I have to run two farms, I certainly don't plan on taking the time to find a new housekeeper. So in essence, Jessica, if I'm going to do you a favor, you're going to do one for me."
"But, I'm
paying
you to run this farm," Jessica said hotly, not liking his logic one bit.
"All right. I'll pay you to run my house," Jason said simply.
Jessica sat staring mutinously at his broad back. What a mess! How could Uncle Fred and Aunt Rainey have done this to her, she asked herself again for the hundredth time. "I don't like it," Jessica told him, getting up to get herself a cup of the freshly brewed coffee.
"Take it or leave it," Jason said indifferently.
"Would you still run the farm if I refused?" she asked hopefully.
"No."
Jessica slumped dejectedly back down in her chair. "Then, I guess I'll take it," she said glumly.
"I thought you'd see it that way," Jason said, sitting back down at the table. "You get your things packed today, and I'll pick you up later this evening and take you over to the house."
"This soon? Why can't we wait for a few days?" Jessica gasped.
"I want to make the change as soon as possible," Jason told her sternly. "As soon as these living arrangements are settled, I can get on with my work."
"I thought you didn't want me around, or to be involved with me in any way, Jason," Jessica reminded him spitefully.
"I don't. But as you pointed out, we are two reasonable adults, and this is too good a proposition to pass up. Ten thousand dollars is a lot of 'mad money,' Angel!"
Jessica felt a stabbing pain of discomfort. Well, what had she expected? She had known all along he was doing
 
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it for the money. Then why did she feel such crushing disappointment?
Rising to his feet once again, Jason reached for her, pulling her up out of her chair. Slipping his arms around her waist, he tipped his head and studied her oval, pixie face in the early-morning sunshine streaming through the kitchen window. Jessica's blood began to pulse hotly through her veins as the faint smell of his aftershave filled her senses. Unbidden, her arms slipped cautiously up around his neck, her body unconsciously snuggling in closer to his. His hands began to trace light exploring patterns on the sheer, clinging material of her robe.
''You know, Jessica, I've spent more than my share of long, lonely nights waking up in a cold sweat wanting to see those lavender eyes of yours looking at me with hungry anticipation," he said quietly, his husky, deep voice barely a whisper, "and I swore that if I ever got you out of my mind, I'd never let you back in. No, you're just another woman nowa very desirable one, I'll admitbut I know lots of desirable women," he added, "so that shouldn't bother me." Jessica was beginning to feel light-headed, her body molded so tightly to his she could feel the first stirrings of his manly passion. "So," he continued, his eyes still locked with hers, "don't misunderstand the reason for your living in my home. You're my housekeepernothing else."
Jessica glared back at him boldly, still locked tightly in his arms. "I wouldn't have it any other way," she assured him.
"Fine. Just so we understand each other. As I said, you're a damn desirable woman, so if you ever feel the need for a 'one night stand,' I'd be more than happy to oblige you, but there will never be anything permanent between us again. Understood?"
Well, really!
Jessica thought rebelliously.
Who does he think he is?
The big, conceited oaf thought that her main goal in life would be to get in his bed! Well, she'd play his
 
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stupid little game and happily come out the victor. Putting on the meekest of her faces, she lowered her eyes respectfully and said in a quiet, sedate voice, ''I understand, Jason. I'll try to stay out of your way as much as humanly possible." Bringing her mouth close to his, she brushed her lips lightly over his, feeling his body tense instantly. "Thank you for being such a wonderful man. Running my farm, letting me come and live in your house."
Jessica released a long wistful sigh, then abruptly captured his mouth with hers, searing his lips with a bold, demanding kiss, her soft moist tongue scrimmaging playfully to meet his.
Jason, momentarily stunned, hesitated for a fraction of a second before his mouth took possession of hers. The room grew very silent as they stood locked in each other's arms, their mouths sweetly devouring each other. Jessica's knees began to tremble as Jason deepened the kiss, his lips moving hungrily against hers. His hands cupped her buttocks, moving her in closer against the lean tautness of his muscled thighs.
Jessica moaned softly as he broke the kiss, whispering huskily, "What in the hell do you think you're doing, lady?"
Jessica closed her eyes, savoring the feel of his beautiful, strong body next to hers. She ran her hands lightly over his heavily corded arms as he brought his mouth back down to merge helplessly with hers once again. What had started out to be a game had suddenly turned quite serious. Jessica had to put a stop to it immediately. She started to pull away determinedly, but Jason blocked her move effectively, his arms tightening like a steel vise around her slim waist. "Oh, no you don't, Angel," he breathed raggedly. "You started this, now I'll finish it!" His mouth caught hers one more time, leaving Jessica trembling at the intensity of his ravishing kiss. She leaned closer to his granite body, pressing herself tightly against him as he caressed the softness of her breasts. Jessica felt herself
 
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drowning in his arms, powerless to keep her overwhelming feelings of love for him from rapidly surfacing again.
Jessica broke away violently, fighting to regain some semblance of composure. What had gone wrong?
She
was supposed to be in firm control of this situation. Jason's heavy breathing filled the quiet kitchen as his emerald-green eyes locked with her lavender ones obstinately. Drawing a shaky breath, Jessica pasted a condescending smile on her flustered face. ''Well, now that we have that all settled, and I know what my place will be in your house, I'd better get busy," she said matter-of-factly, her heart still thudding out of control. "It will probably take me all day to pack. See you later, Jason!"
She bolted out of the room in a dead run, leaving Jason standing with a look of disbelief on his slightly flushed face and one terrific ache throbbing inside him.
Jessica was packed and ready when one of Jason's men dropped him by the farm late that afternoon. After a quick glance at her packed bags Jason advised her, "We'll have to take your truck." Jessica shrugged her shoulders unconcernedly, reaching down for her cosmetic bag.
As they started down the porch steps Jason held out his hand. Looking at it in bewilderment, Jessica asked, "What do you want?"
"The keys to the truck," he said firmly.
"Why? I can drive," Jessica told him sharply.
"Bet me!" Jason said sarcastically.
Disgustedly Jessica flung the keys to him. Brother! He would never let her live those car wrecks down!
They drove back to Jason's house in strained silence. Jessica's ride on the passenger side of the old truck was as nerve-racking as the rest of the cantankerous old relic. Her seat was loose at the bottom, swaying around and making a popping noise every time Jason stopped for a stop sign or started up after one, forcing her to grab for anything solid to keep from sliding out of the seat onto the floor.

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