Forsaking All Others

“I’d love that.”

Jessica hadn’t hesitated in the least to reply to Weston’s query because she was very eager to spend as much time with him as he desired to spend with her. She no longer had to wonder where he was coming from. His intent toward her had been right there in his kiss. She had no desire to thwart a single intimate advance from him. Jessica recalled earlier wishing for them to be off somewhere alone—and that lofty wish was about to come true.

Weston had Jessica in his arms no sooner than they had stepped outside. His hands brought her in to him until there was nothing between them but their bulky clothing. His mouth hungrily sought hers and she responded with no less fervor. More kisses from Weston, all in the same day, had her beyond excited. Despite the heavy clothing he wore, Jessica could still feel his heat, not to mention her own. Her body felt on fire, in spite of how cold it was.

Although Jessica wished she could stay in Weston’s arms forever and a day, she slowly pulled away, hoping his feelings wouldn’t get hurt. She certainly wasn’t trying to reject him, but making a spectacle of herself in public wasn’t her cup of tea. Since they were both staying in the town houses with their parents, there was nowhere else for them to go to ensure privacy.

Weston pulled Jessica back to him. “I just leased a cabin this morning. Come back there with me? It’s close by, near the middle of the forest.”

Jessica looked surprised by Weston’s revelation. Why had he suddenly decided to get his own place? If he had leased the cabin with the intent of seducing her, shouldn’t that make her feel a bit weird? It didn’t. Did he think she was easy? Perhaps she should be concerned with what he thought about her, but she really wasn’t offended by him wanting to be alone with her. She wanted the same thing. They were adults, not teenagers.

Weston lifted Jessica’s chin with his two fingers. “What’s wrong? Did I do or say something you didn’t like?”

“What would make you think that?”

Weston stroked with his gloved hand the length of Jessica’s hair, the section that wasn’t covered by the brand-new cute winter hat she wore. “You look surprised. That’s why I asked.”

“The cabin. Why are you no longer staying with your parents in the town house they leased?” She began walking. It was really cold enough to freeze her solid.

“Oh, that.” Weston stifled his urge to laugh. He bent down and grazed her lips with his own. “Do you know how long I’ve been living on my own? I’ll tell you. Nearly ten years if you count college-dorm time. A time came when I realized my mother and father made love—terribly shocking. It’s one thing to know what your parents do in their bedroom…and another one to hear evidence of it. Let’s just say my mother was a little overzealous last night in vocalizing her physical state of euphoria.”

Jessica knew exactly where Weston was coming from, which caused her to blush heavily. Her parents had also gotten a bit rowdy a time or two in their bedroom, but those incidents had occurred way back when she and Jennifer were teenagers.

“Think they forgot I was in the house?”

“That’s pretty obvious. No parent, especially a mother, wants their child or adult son to hear them making love. I’d be mortified if it happened to me. What went down when you two saw each other this morning?”

Weston shrugged. “Mom tried not to let on. I know she knew I knew. The expression on her face changed the minute I walked into the kitchen—like she had suddenly remembered the wild escapades from the previous night. Like you did a few minutes ago, Mom blushed hard. On top of that, she looked thoroughly embarrassed. For the next half hour or so she and Dad kept exchanging questioning glances.”

“Does he know or doesn’t he? That’s what they were probably thinking.”

“Oh, no doubt. They’d like to know the truth but won’t ever ask. This is one of those uncomfortable situations they’ll always wonder about. I know that because they didn’t even ask me why I’d leased the cabin.”

“I wouldn’t have asked, either. Speaking of the cabin, we can go there now. I was just curious about you getting your own space.”

“Like my parents, I won’t ask what you thought before I told you the story. I don’t want to know, especially if it’s not favorable to me.”

“Nothing unfavorable. Not at all.”

Weston looked relieved.

The two-bedroom cabin was smaller than the town houses the Harringtons and Chamberlains had leased. Though very rustic, it was every bit as comfortable. On the way there Weston had told Jessica how lucky he had been to rent it. The guest who had held the reservation on the cabin had called to cancel only minutes before he had walked into the leasing office. The entire lodge had been booked solid up to that point; not unusual for such a major holiday.

Weston had gone to the local store to purchase some of the items he needed. He had had Jessica in mind when purchasing the Earl Grey tea, her favorite. Figuring how cold she had to be after their walk, though much shorter than their previous stroll, he went into the kitchen and turned on the teakettle.

Jessica was busy looking the rest of the place over, so Weston began lighting the candles. He burned candles at his home all the time, even in broad daylight, something his parents had done all his life. He always enjoyed the relaxing ambience they created. Lighting the fireplace came next.

Jessica stepped into the room at the same time Weston finished with the fireplace. He preferred to burn real wood, but a lot of the resorts had begun using gas-burning equipment. The firelight was just as beautiful, but he regretted the absence of the woody scents he loved. The town houses had wood-burning fireplaces.

The warm sensations Jessica experienced over the tea Weston had prepared made her smile. He had been a busy man in her absence, since he had also taken care of the fireplace. He seemed to like to take care of her and his attentiveness made her feel special.

Chapter 4

Curled up on the large rug in front of the fireplace was right where Jessica longed to stay. Positioned right behind her, his hand lying flat on her abdomen, Weston pressed his body against hers. She hoped she wouldn’t need to disrupt their serenity for a bathroom break, feeling as though she had drunk enough tea to float a small ship. She also felt very drowsy. A short nap could only do her body good. Sleep should be the last thing on her mind when she had such a sexy live wire lying next to her.

Weston nibbled at Jessica’s ear, slowly outlining it with his tongue. He felt her tense up and then relax in the next instant. “Warm enough?”

If Jessica’s anatomy got any hotter, she’d find herself begging Weston to help cool her down by any means necessary. Being in such close proximity to him made her feel as if she was amidst a firestorm. The inability to get his earlier kisses out of her mind had only added more heat to the mix. The man definitely knew how to dole out the passionate kisses. His full, pouting lips moving over hers was one of the most sensual experiences she had ever encountered.

It was very easy for Jessica to imagine Weston making wild, hot and heavy love to her. All she had to do was close her eyes to envision them entwined in a compromising position. She had only conjured up that very erotic image of them hundreds of times over the past years. He was an expert in keeping her mind and body turned on, even when he wasn’t in her presence. A cold shower would work wonders for her right about now.

Jessica had decided not to answer Weston’s question about being warm enough, since she couldn’t answer it candidly. The truth could set them both on fire. If he knew how often she thought of them making love, he would want to make certain all of her dreams and fantasies about it came true.

Weston buried his nose in Jessica’s hair, inhaling deeply of its fresh scent. As he tenderly kissed her neck and ears, periodically allowing his tongue in on the action, he had a hard time suppressing his arousal. Over the past twenty-four hours he had had his own erotic thoughts about the two of them. He couldn’t help wondering what kind of intimate apparel she wore. Silk, lace or cotton? A thong, bikinis or briefs?

It wasn’t hard for Weston to conjure up an image of Jessica wearing a hot lace or silk teddy. Her long hair swinging loose and free over her perfectly rounded breasts caused him to have a painful stiffening. The image of her in nothing at all was the one he loved most. He wanted her in the worst way, desired to lose himself deep inside her. He couldn’t wait until Jessica was ready for that.

Weston wasn’t the kind of guy who indulged in any sort of casual sex and he was pretty sure Jessica wasn’t into that lifestyle, either. There just wasn’t enough time for them to develop a deep, meaningful relationship before they had to go their separate ways.

Weston knew he had to remedy that. Seeing her beyond Aspen was the key. Jessica agreeing to his proposition was anyone’s guess, but he would suggest visiting her in California soon. It wasn’t about sex, either. He wanted her, period.

The intense heat burning between Jessica’s thighs had her turning over and pressing her body fully against Weston’s. Foreplay had its benefits even though it could get a body into lots of trouble, literally. Turning off the turn-on wasn’t always easy to accomplish. Despite her warning thoughts Jessica engaged Weston in a hot, wet kiss.

Weston responded to Jessica’s kiss with the same degree of passion, loving the way her mouth fitted perfectly against his. He couldn’t get enough of the sweet taste of her soft, crushable lips. He hated that he had missed out on all this sweetness and heady passion over the past years. Wishing he had gone along to California with his parents on their visits was no good. Those particular opportunities were lost, never to be recovered. Get over it.

Jessica pulled her head slightly back, eyeing Weston intently. “You seem to be quite a guy, directly the opposite of what I’d thought. I’m astonished by how well you turned out. I love who you’ve become. I love how you make me feel.”

“How do I make you feel?”

“Special. Whether we’re alone or with the group, I know you’re with me in mind, body and spirit. You are attentive to me. Your entire being is expressive. You don’t make a woman guess what’s going on with you. That’s a unique quality to possess. Not a lot of people can lay claim to that.”

Weston’s eyes had an undeniable way of telling Jessica he thought she was special. His hands and body language easily conveyed the messages he intended to get across. He wanted her—and his body language was easy to read. “I don’t know how I should feel about all that. You make me sound like an open book, one that’s pretty easy to read. Do I really put it out there like that?”

“Right out there in plain sight. I’m not usually bold in speech or in deed, but you are one hot man. If I were the kind of person who indulged in meaningless sex, we’d be getting it on right now. The chemistry between us is scorching hot yet so magical.”

If Jessica didn’t look so serious, Weston would have laughed. As he went over in his mind her galvanizing remarks, he sobered. She wasn’t opposed to making love under a different set of circumstances. She had voiced aloud her desire.

How was that for bringing it on home?

Weston couldn’t help wondering if Jessica already regretted her boldness. He hoped not. He also hoped she wouldn’t withdraw from the sexually charged arena. Things were just beginning to heat up…and the temp was at the top of the thermometer. Weston was a man who liked the chemistry to be hot, hot, hot.

As if Jessica had read Weston’s mind, she indulged him in another lingering kiss. Just as before, the kisses grew in intensity, making both parties wish they had been together over the past years.

Weston deeply regretted he hadn’t been able to see Jessica for who she was inside. He had focused too much on her outer appearance, but he hadn’t been anything to write home about, either. Maybe that was the reason he had mistreated her. Had she rejected him during his awkward teen years he couldn’t have handled it. Life for him as a teenager had been very difficult. Surprisingly, he could now admit to himself that he had had a serious crush on Jessica. Perhaps he hadn’t known how to show it.

Jessica pulled away from Weston and smoothed her clothing. She quickly got to her feet, leaving her companion looking bewildered. After crossing the room with deliberate strides, she stood in front of the large picture window. Why had she come to the cabin with Weston? Deeply conflicting thoughts and emotions had her at war with herself. One part of her wanted to throw caution to the wind and make steamy love to the man of her dreams. The sensible part of her makeup was telling her to run for her life, get out while she still had the strength to do so.

Weston came up behind Jessica and circled her waist. “You’re trembling. I’ve frightened you, haven’t I?”