Stolen Kisses (19 page)

“I’ll be done in the bathroom in a few minutes,” Trevor said softly, then surprised her by leaning over to brush his lips across her damp forehead. He sauntered away with his change of clothes held squarely in front of him.

This was exactly what she had been afraid of by being thrown into the company of Trevor Planchet, Jessie groaned inwardly, brushing her tousled hair out of her face with an unsteady hand.
Mmmm, it certainly is,
responded the traitorous little voice. She squelched every memory and thought that wasn’t to do with getting out of bed with as much dignity as possible.

Now all she had to do was get through the rest of the day, if she could. Everyone else seemed to be preoccupied with gearing up for the morning, she noted with relief as she shrugged into her robe. Griff gave Winona a smacking kiss under Nolan’s interested gaze, unconcerned about his ribald comments. Could she be as nonchalant?

As she passed Trevor on the way to the bathroom, she experimented with a carefree smile. It was a dismal failure, judging from his somber response. For someone who prided herself on having impeccable manners, she certainly had no idea how to handle a situation like this. She doubted that Miss Manners had an example on how to apologize for mauling a man in his sleep.

He didn’t know what to say now that they were alone together. The others seemed to have conspired against them all day, separating them for hours or never leaving them alone. Trevor surreptitiously watched Jessie as he steered the car along the mountain road. Somehow he didn’t think saying, “This morning was great. Want to do it again sometime?” had the right ring to it. Jessie didn’t always appreciate his humor.

If he had given in to his first impulse this morning, he would have bundled her, sleeping bag and all, into the rover and headed for the nearest motel. A real romantic he was, he thought morosely.

Now, ten hours later, he was still reeling from the impact of waking up to Jessie’s ardent kiss. He always suspected there was a deep well of passion inside her, but this morning told him that he hadn’t had a clue. A twenty-four-hour dip in the icy waters of the lake probably wouldn’t have helped him recover. Looking at her averted profile, he knew that he couldn’t bring up that subject. So, when in doubt, go for the mundane.

“Are we going to be able to get everything ready for the tours in two weeks?” Did the question sound as lame to her as it did to him?

“Hmm, oh, I think so.” Her voice was barely a thread of sound before she cleared her throat. Trevor wondered in a moment of panic if she was on the verge of tears. Why had he pressured her into coming this weekend? “The painter starts tomorrow, and should be done by the end of the week. You’re certainly paying him enough.”

“I’ve been told by Mrs. Langford-Hughes that Timothy is an
artiste
,
a regular virtuoso with his brush—whatever that means. Apparently his brother has an equal talent with wallpaper, so I guess I’m paying for quality as well as quantity.”

“I hope so.”

Now what do I do? Do I promise her that I’ll never hurt her the way her father did?
Trevor had always been monogamous in his relationships, but he didn’t think testimonials from the women in his past would be such a hot idea.

“Well, the landscaping is done.” That was brilliant, Planchet. Trees and shrubs are always a real conversation rouser.

“It looks wonderful.”

“When will the furniture get here?” Yet another conversational winner, he decided, but he would rather talk about the house than return to the oppressive silence.

“I think the first delivery should be Friday. The Dallas warehouse had all the bedroom pieces in stock,” she answered matter-of-factly, sounding almost normal to Trevor’s sensitive ears.

Could he lead into something more personal now that they were discussing bedroom furniture? A quick look at his companion’s patrician profile said no. But at least she wasn’t turned away from him anymore.

“What about the rest of the stuff?” Stuff? Was that the best he could do? He couldn’t care less about the furniture; his sole interest was the decorator.

“That should be here by the middle of the following week. If everything goes all right, I’ll have three full days to make sure all the pieces are in place. The drapes will be delivered the day before the tour.”

“That’s cutting it awfully close.”

“A little, but what’s a little stress among friends? The drapes are the least important accessory. It won’t matter too much
if
they aren’t up.”

Did he imagine that her tone was forced? “Jessie, I’m sorry I’ve dumped all this extra work on you. I had no idea what was involved. I’m used to going to the store, picking out something, and taking it home.”

“Well, you are still going to do some of that,” she stated, a slight trace of humor in her voice. “I’ve compiled a list of linens as well as a few items for the kitchen and the bathrooms that you get to shop for. I’m not one of those decorators who pick out personal items for clients. I just gift wrap your possessions.”

The only item he wanted gift wrapped right now was sitting next to him.

“Don’t worry about too much work. It’s been kind of fun working on a domestic project, especially on a deadline like this.” Jessie scooted down in the seat, seeming much more approachable than she had all day. Was she forgetting about this morning? “It was a real challenge to my professional pride.”

Trevor considered the word
pride
.
Was there too much pride involved in their relationship, professional and personal? As he changed lanes for the entrance ramp to the interstate, he speculated on what he would have to do to breach Jessica DeLord’s pride while soothing her vulnerability. Did he have the ability to handle such a complex matter?

For now, he was leaning toward emotional cowardice. “The house chair will be getting in touch with you the week of the tour. She has the florist lined up and wants to set up a meeting with the tour guides, probably Thursday night before the tour. They can go over the house and estimate how long each group will take to go through the house. Mrs. Langford-Hughes thinks there will be a large turn out this year with a number of older houses on display for the Candlelight and the day tour.”

“That’s nice.” Jessie’s answer was slurred. When Trevor turned to ask if she wanted to stop for dinner at the next exit, he discovered that she had fallen asleep. So much for his anxiety about what to say, he decided with a humorless smile. She was so concerned about what had happened this weekend, she couldn’t stay awake.

Trevor frowned as he looked down at the card in his hand early the next morning. He studied what he had written, wondering if it was enough and knowing it wasn’t what he wanted to say. A man just didn’t write something like that on a card to enclose with a gift. Would Jessie read between the lines? Would she want to? Looking down at the green rabbit snugly tucked in a plaid sleeping bag, he was torn. What else could he write but “Thank you for a wonderful weekend. Will call when I get back in town”?

“Another one, Trevor? I would have thought the other four bunnies would have been more than enough,” the woman behind the counter stated. With one look at his confused frown, she continued, “They’re hearty little breeders, so only two would be necessary.”

The clerk shrugged when he didn’t laugh and silently rang up the sale. She didn’t bother to ask where it was to be delivered. Trevor thanked her absently and walked out to his car. After climbing into the driver’s seat, he waited before starting the engine. He knew that he was cutting the time short. His flight to Tampa left in about forty minutes, but traffic would be light by now.

Trevor had forgotten about the trip until his boss had called late last night to go over some last-minute details. It didn’t matter to him. He had more important things to worry about than covering the end of spring training. The professional baseball season would start with or without him, and it certainly wasn’t as important as falling in love with Jessie DeLord. That was the most important thing in the world to him, and now he had to leave town.

He wasn’t sure when it happened, possibly the moment he’d looked across the room at the Bushes’ party and saw a princess in red satin. Or had it been the night she was sitting on his dining room floor looking like she belonged there? He knew for certain the night by the campfire. The certainty had grown steadily all the next day. When she told him about her family, he’d wanted to hold her and wipe away all the hurt she had known. Her usual self-assurance had disappeared, leaving only the vulnerability.

At that moment, the growing bud of love deep inside him had started to unfurl. He knew why he’d been so persistent, so dogged in his pursuit. Without acknowledging the true reason, he simply knew he couldn’t let her out of his life. His happiness, his well-being, his very existence now depended on having Jessica DeLord by his side.

And all he had to do was prove to her that he wasn’t just another charming, irresponsible man that could make her life miserable. He’d certainly shown her what a perfect fool he could be. Was it too late?

The memory of waking up yesterday morning with Jessie’s tantalizing lips on his, her body soft and sultry in his arms, was his single ray of hope. It didn’t matter that she’d been very quiet the rest of the day, keeping mostly to herself and sleeping most of the way home. He was depending on what had taken place that morning.

Could she be ignoring her subconscious emotions as he had? Reluctantly, he turned the key in the ignition. He wasn’t going to get any answers by sitting there. The next few days were going to be torture until he could see Jessie again. Maybe by then he could come up with some answers on how to win her.

“If I see you mooning over that damn rabbit one more time, I’ll scream,” Gina announced from behind Jessie. “You’ve been acting very strange ever since that little item arrived three days ago.”

Jessie swung around in her chair to regard her friend. She grinned at her just to watch her grind her teeth. Even after three days of being pestered, she hadn’t said a word to Gina about what had happened over the weekend. “What would you say if I told you that I think Trevor Planchet is a very nice man?”

“I’d consider sending you over to the state hospital for a thorough examination.”

“Do I detect sour grapes?”

“I don’t want him.”

“I didn’t mean that. I’d take you out, the best two out of three, if you did.” She was truly enjoying herself. Too bad she didn’t have something more substantial than a sleep-induced embrace to keep from her impetuous friend. “I meant you’re just mad because I haven’t given you a play-by-play of the weekend.”

“Well, of course I am.” Gina threw her hands up in the air, looking to the ceiling for deliverance. “I have to sit here day after day listening to you bitch and moan about the man chasing you for weeks. Then when he catches you, do you even tell me a single tantalizing detail? No. And you wonder why I’m frustrated.”

“Nothing happened, at least not much,” Jessie confessed as honestly as she could. Something had happened, but not what Gina wanted to know. Sometime during the weekend she had discovered that she could trust Trevor Planchet. Her instinct hadn’t been far wrong that night at the theater. Beneath the façade of the clown was a nice man. A soft smile curved her lips as she remembered the evening by the campfire on the lake shore.

“What’s not much?” Gina asked suspiciously.

“I thought you had to take the Devons’ final plans to them this afternoon.”

Her partner took a quick look at her watch and grimaced. “Not for another hour. Nice try, though. Are you going to tell me or not?”

“We had a nice platonic weekend. I’m sorry if that doesn’t suit your trashy mind. The tabloids aren’t going to make any money off of my personal life right now, so they’ll have to concentrate on politicians and rock stars, as usual.”

“How about later?”

“You don’t ever give up, do you?” Jessie couldn’t help but laugh at Gina’s disgruntled expression before she walked back to her desk. She wanted the same answer. What was going to happen later? She had been disappointed Monday when she received Trevor’s all too brief note. That night she’d felt a sense of relief when she watched the news, discovering exactly where he’d gone.

Would she have acted any differently, on Sunday if she had known? That was a question that she asked herself time and time again. When Trevor wasn’t in sight she could be brave and face up to her feelings. She turned into an emotional coward, however, the moment he appeared again. Though she no longer distrusted him, she wasn’t sure about the extent of her feelings toward the man.

He was different from any man she had ever known. The other men she dated seemed dull and lifeless in comparison, but she had little or nothing in common with Trevor. Did it matter? Was it better for opposites to attract? Was she afraid that he would quickly grow tired of someone like her? Could she withstand the emotional ups and downs with someone like Trevor? The questions continued to circle around inside her head. Unfortunately, she couldn’t discover an answer to a single one.

A few months ago her life had been mapped out, going exactly according to her plans. She had achieved all her goals. All her siblings had gotten their college degrees and her mother had settled in a nice retirement community. Her own college and training were behind her, and she’d opened her own business after long years of waiting. Then there had been the startling realization that she wanted a child, almost too late.