A Forbidden Temptation

His muscles tightened automatically in anticipation, but somehow he reined his feelings in.

She was waiting for him to go on, so he said deliberately, ‘What does Sean think?’

‘Oh, Sean...’

If Jack hadn’t been so sure he was attributing her with feelings she didn’t have, he’d have said she sounded fed up.

‘Sean doesn’t know,’ she said at last. ‘I haven’t discussed it with him.’ And nor would she. She took a breath. ‘Yet.’

Jack nodded, and she wondered what he was thinking. Despite this conversation, she didn’t think he had a lot of respect for her or for Sean.

Well, that was okay, she decided. She’d had it with attractive Irishmen. With any man, for that matter. And just because Connolly was being sympathetic didn’t mean she should trust him, either.

‘So what do you plan to do?’ he asked now, rocking back on his heels. ‘If you left the estate agency, what sort of job would you like?’

‘I haven’t thought about it.’ Which was true. And despite her determination not to get involved with this man, it would be so easy to confide in him.

Her shoulders stiffening, she continued, ‘I suppose I’ll think about it.’ She paused. ‘I intend to stay in Rothburn. My mother likes me being nearer at hand. We’ve always been a close family.’

‘You have brothers and sisters?’

‘No. I’m an only child.’

‘And that’s the real reason you want to stay? Because of your mother?’

‘What is this? An interrogation?’ She moved towards the railings, her fingers curling over the cold metal. Then she sighed. ‘I suppose I want to stay here, too.’

O—kay.

Jack gave in to the impulse to go and join her. Where was the harm? he thought, leaning on the rail beside her. The fact that Grace was evidently conscious of his bare arm only inches from her sleeve was a bonus.

Dear God, he was in lust, and that was so not good.

‘How is your mother, anyway?’

Jack’s voice was a little strained, but he couldn’t help it. He’d chosen the words purposely to get his mind off the delights of the slender body almost brushing his sleeve.

It wasn’t working, so he added tersely, ‘I’m sorry. I should have asked you before.’

‘Why?’ Wide green eyes turned to look at him. ‘You don’t know my mother, do you? I asked Dad, and he said that as far as he knew—’

Her voice trailed off in confusion. Oh, God, why had she admitted she’d been asking her father about him? But she had to finish her sentence. ‘He—um—he said you’d never been into the pub.’

‘I haven’t.’

Jack didn’t sound perturbed, but Grace was mortified.

‘I suppose my enquiry stems from the fact that she’s your mother,’ he went on reasonably. ‘I hope you didn’t think I was prying.’

Prying?

Grace swallowed a little convulsively. ‘She’s—she’s much better,’ she said. ‘Cancer takes some getting over. But thank you for asking.’

Jack shrugged, turning his gaze towards the marina. But he could still see her eyes, open and candid, those words like a mirror to her soul.

Sean was so lucky, he thought, whereas he was being less than honest with her. And he had no right to be provocative. It couldn’t be easy for her and Sean to spend so much time apart.

All the same, he couldn’t deny that Grace’s mouth was so soft, so generous. A mouth he would very much like to taste...

Not that he ever would, he assured himself grimly. He was celibate, he reminded himself. And he intended to stay that way.

But there was nothing wrong with a little abstract speculation, was there?

Abstract?

Dragging his mind out of the gutter, he forced a polite smile. ‘So do you think Sean will like living in Rothburn?’ he asked, even though the idea of them setting up home somewhere in the vicinity filled him with dismay.

‘Oh...’ Grace was grateful to be distracted from her own thoughts. ‘Sean likes living in London.’ And that was true. She pushed herself away from the rail. ‘We’ll see.’

Jack turned his back to the barrier, arms spread along the rail where she’d been leaning, hooking one foot onto a lower rung.

He’d been on the verge of saying, Let me know what he decides, but it was really nothing to do with him. Besides, hadn’t he wanted to avoid Sean in the future? It would be a hell of a lot safer if they both moved away.

‘I’d better go.’

Grace was uneasily aware of how disturbing Jack looked lounging against the rail. He was much broader than Sean and, with his arms spread wide, his chest looked strong and muscular.

His stomach was flat, powerful thighs taut against the fabric of his jeans. Jeans that were worn to a much lighter shade in places, places where Grace determined not to look.

Although she did.

She couldn’t stop herself. The impressive bulge between his legs couldn’t help but draw her gaze. She felt an unfamiliar shivery sensation in the pit of her stomach.

Which troubled her a lot.

She blew out a breath.

‘Goodbye.’

With a nervous lift of her hand, she started back along the pier towards the quayside. But she was intensely conscious of Jack’s eyes watching her, of how much less constrained she’d have felt if she hadn’t been wearing a skirt.

‘Goodbye, Grace.’

The careless farewell drifted after her and she had to steel herself not to turn around and look back.

* * *

Jack spent the following weekend half anticipating that Sean would find an excuse to come and visit him again. But, despite his fears, Saturday and Sunday passed without incident.