The Proposal & Solid Soul - Brenda Jackson [35]
But she had enjoyed the movies they’d gone to after dinner. She had enjoyed sitting beside him while he held her hand when he wasn’t feeding her popcorn.
“No, I’m not trying to rush you, Jason, but it is late,” she said. “If your goal this evening was to tire me out then you’ve done a good job of it. I plan to take a shower and then go to bed.”
They were standing facing each other and he wrapped his arms around her and took a step closer, almost plastering his body to hers. She could feel all of him from chest to knee; but especially the erect body part in between.
“I’d love to take a shower with you, sweetheart,” he whispered.
She didn’t know what he was trying to do, but he’d been whispering such naughty come-ons to her all evening. And each and every one of them had only added to her torment. “Taking a shower together wouldn’t be right, Jason, and you know it.”
He chuckled. “Trying to send me home to an empty bed isn’t right, either. Why don’t you just accept my proposal? We can get married the same day. No waiting. And then,” he said, leaning closer to begin nibbling around her mouth, “we can sleep under the same roof that night. Just think about that.”
Bella moaned against the onslaught of his mouth on hers. She was thinking about it and could just imagine it. Oh, what a night that would be. But then she also had to think about what would happen if he got tired of her like her father had eventually gotten tired of her mother. The way her mother had gotten tired of her father. What if he approached her about wanting an open marriage? What if he told her after the first year that he wanted a divorce and she’d gotten attached to him? She could just imagine the heartbreak she would feel.
“Bella?”
She glanced up at him. “Yes?”
Jason Westmoreland was such a handsome man that it made her heart ache. And at the same time he made parts of her sizzle in desire so thick you could cut it with a knife. She thought his features were flawless and he had to have the most irresistible pair of lips born to any man. Staring at his mouth pushed her to recall the way their tongues would entangle in his mouth while they mated them like crazy. It didn’t take much to wonder how things would be between them in the bedroom. But she knew as tempting as it was, there was more to a marriage than just great sex. But could she really ask for more from a marriage of convenience?
“Are you sure you don’t want me to stay tonight? I could sleep on the sofa.”
She shook her head. Even that would be too close for comfort for her. “No, Jason, I’ll be fine. Go home.”
“Not before I do this,” he said, leaning down and capturing her mouth with his. She didn’t have a problem offering him what he wanted and he proved he didn’t have a problem taking it. He kissed her deeply, thoroughly and with no reservations about making her feel wanted, needed and desired. She could definitely feel heat radiating from his body to hers and wasn’t put off by it. Instead it ignited passion within her so acute she had to fight to keep a level head or risk the kiss taking them places she wasn’t ready to go.
Moments later she was the one who broke off the kiss. Desperately needing to breathe, she inhaled a deep breath. Jason just simply stood there staring and waiting, as if he was ready to go another round.
Bella knew she disappointed him when she took a step back. “Good night, Jason.”
His lips curved into a too-sexy smile. “Tell me one thing that will be good about it once I walk out that door.”
She really wasn’t sure what she could say to that, and in those cases she’d always been told it was better not to say anything at all. Instead she repeated herself while turning the knob on the door to open it. “Good night, Jason.
He leaned in, brushed a kiss across her lips and whispered, “Good night, Bella.”
BELLA WASN’T SURE WHAT brought her awake during the middle of the night. Glancing over at the clock on her nightstand she saw it was two in the morning. She was restless. She was hot.