Stormy Vows - Iris Johansen [155]
There were other moments, too, that promised much. Golden moments of shared laughter and more serious conversation, when the exploration of mind and emotion was as precious as that of their bodies. The man who spoke of his work with such single-minded passion was as far removed from the mocking playboy as night was from day. It was no wonder he was so successful at his craft, she had thought at one point, watching the eager flare in the usually jaded eyes. She felt a twinge of jealousy as she realized that here was a much more formidable rival than Cindy Lockwood or Lola Torres, and then dismissed the thought immediately as unworthy. She loved the total Jake Dominic, and the composite was created as much from the brilliance and drive of this other aspect of his personality as it was from the devilish charm and mercurial temperament that made her totally his.
Jane recognized that this was a halcyon period of jewel-bright days to be treasured and stored up against the time when she would no longer be Jake Dominic's sole interest. If she was to keep whatever affection he felt for her, she must release him to this other mistress. Her thoughts had been turning more and more frequently to that time when Jake would return to work, and she knew that she must be prepared to substitute another interest when it happened.
“You're very thoughtful, redhead,” Dominic commented teasingly. “I think you're half asleep.”
“I was wondering if I should begin thinking about a career,” she said seriously.
The smile faded from Dominic's face as he pulled her possessively closer. “Plenty of time for that,” he said impatiently. “It seems that I must redouble my efforts to keep you interested.”
“No, really, Jake,” she persisted. “Don't you think—”
“I think I want another glass of champagne,” he interrupted abruptly, stopping in the middle of the dance floor. “And I think you're being much too serious.” Keeping his arm firmly around her waist, he guided her swiftly among the dancers to their table.
As he pulled her chair out for her, he said lightly. “Did I tell you that you're completely captivating in that gown? You remind me of the cotton candy that I used to buy at the circus.” He bent closer and bit gently on her left earlobe. “Pink, fluffy, and utterly delicious,” he murmured.
The chiffon gown in question was a pink so pale it was almost white, and she knew it looked exceptionally good with her fiery curls. Since Jake had already commented on this curious phenomenon earlier in the evening, she recognized the compliment as an obvious ploy to distract her. She shot Jake an exasperated glance when he slipped into his own chair. She knew better than to try to pursue a subject when Jake wanted it dropped. He could be maddeningly elusive at times. She would just have to broach the subject when he was more amenable.
“I always thought of cotton candy as cloying, sticky-sweet stuff surrounding an empty cone,” she said caustically, still annoyed with him.
He raised his glass to his lips, his black eyes amused. “No one could ever accuse you of being cloying and sticky-sweet, redhead,” he said, his lips twitching. “And I assure you, I intend to make every effort to make sure that the cone is not empty tonight.”
“Jake!” she said, color flooding her face. Would she never be able to control these damn blushes? she thought. Jake took a satanic delight in making these outrageous remarks just to see her light up like a Christmas tree. She looked across the table at his mocking devil's face and met his dark laughing eyes.
Suddenly Jake's face was no longer laughing, and his eyes were flickering with a different emotion entirely. Her breath caught as the world narrowed down