“You’re not listening to the rumor mill, are you?” Jason asked with a skeptical laugh. “Every year, somebody predicts the end of the world, and all we get here is a little rain from November to December. The same thing will happen this year. Nothing’s changed in this area in a long time. We’re blessed with a wonderful weather system.”
“Yeah, but what if they’re right this year? What would flooding do to the vines?”
“There would be destruction of Biblical proportions,” Jason joked.
“Okay, drop it,” Sara said, laughing softly. “I can see you think my patrons are a bunch of lunatics.”
“Just tell me this, was one of the doomsayers Mrs. McClarin?”
Sara nodded in the affirmative as she forked more of the delicious stewed chicken into her mouth. She narrowed her eyes at him. What could he have against dear sweet Mrs. McClarin? Mrs. Mac, as the kids had referred to her, had been her fourth-grade English teacher. She had retired twenty years ago but her mind was as sharp as ever.
“It was Mrs. McClarin who said she saw Big Foot eating out of the garbage can in her backyard last year. Pete Baumgartner told me about it.”
Pete was the local sheriff’s deputy.
“Yeah, well, Pete Baumgartner got a D in her fourth-grade English class and he’s had it in for her ever since. Maybe she did see Big Foot eating out of her trash can.”
Jason threw his head back in laughter.
Sara loved seeing him like this, with his guard down and supremely relaxed.
Those whiskey-colored eyes of his were so enticing at these moments. But it was his mouth that had been her undoing from the beginning of their relationship. She couldn’t look at it with its sensual lines without wanting to know how it would feel to be kissed by him. Once her lips had touched his she couldn’t resist wanting to kiss him again and again. Just the thought of kissing him aroused her.
His laughter under control, he met her eyes across the table. Placing his knife and fork in his plate, he wiped his mouth with the cloth napkin, dropped it onto the plate, and got to his feet. “Are you finished?” he asked softly.
Sara tipped her head back slightly in order not to break eye contact. “Yes.”
The pulse in her neck thumped excitedly. She’d already put her utensils and napkin in her plate. Now, she sat there almost primly, looking up at him.
They had not made love in more than two weeks. Ever since the night he’d proposed. Unfortunately, all of their present problems stemmed from that night. If he wanted her again maybe he had decided to forgive her for turning him down.
Jason went to her and held out his hand to her. Sara placed it in his and he slowly drew her to her feet and pulled her into his arms. She tipped her head back, anticipating his kiss.
She closed her eyes as his face descended toward hers but quickly opened them again when she felt his lips on her forehead instead of on her mouth.
Jason smiled warmly at her as he straightened up. “It’s getting late, and we both have to get up early. I’ll walk you to your car.”
Sara schooled her features. She would not let him see how much his rejection had wounded her. If emotional detachment were his objective she would show him how it was done.
“You’re so right,” she said, her tone eminently reasonable. “I’ll just get my jacket.” She hadn’t bothered to bring her shoulder bag inside. It was locked in the car. Her car keys were in the pocket of her jacket.
He was still holding her by the arms. She turned her back to him, breaking his hold. Walking to the coat tree near the back door, she grabbed her jacket and put it on.
They walked side by side through the house to the front door where Jason opened the door for her and followed her outside. Sara peered up at the sky once they had descended the steps that led to the stone circular driveway.
“Thanks for a lovely evening,” she said when they were standing in front of the Mustang. The tension between them was palpable. Sara fought the urge to throw herself into his arms and beg him to forgive her.
Jason didn’t dare touch her again because he was on fire with the desire to make love to her. He was only a man. But he had his pride. He wouldn’t make love to a woman who didn’t love him enough to marry him. He’d said he was easy, but he wasn’t stupid. This was a war of wills and he was going to be the victor. No. He didn’t want her to come crawling back to him, begging him to forgive her. But even if he had to take cold showers every night and run ten miles each day, he would not take her to bed until this matter was settled between them.
And the only way that was going to happen was if she said yes to his proposal.
That was his final decision.
However, as he gazed into her upturned face, her almond-shaped eyes golden in the bright moonlight, and her mouth looking especially inviting, he knew he was going to suffer mightily for his convictions.
Sara had been watching him while he wrestled with his thoughts. She could guess what was going on behind those hooded eyes of his, and she didn’t doubt for a moment that she would emerge victorious in this test of wills.
But just so he knew what he was fighting for, she tiptoed, grabbed him and kissed him soundly. Jason, caught off guard, thought of breaking it off but her mouth felt so good on his he immediately capitulated.
He held her firmly against him. Her arms went around his neck. His hands molded her shapely body to his, moving downward until they rested on her firm buttocks. Their bodies pressed closer together as they hungrily sought the temporary satisfaction a kiss afforded. As soon as Sara felt his manhood growing hard against her belly, she withdrew her tongue from his mouth and disengaged herself from his embrace. “I’d better go. Don’t want to keep you from your bed.”
She jerked her arm out of his grasp, and reached for the door’s handle.
Jason calmly stepped aside and let her get behind the wheel of the Mustang.
“I know that it seems like I’m sending mixed signals, Sara,” he said, “but I’m having a hard time knowing exactly how to handle this situation. Do we go on as if nothing has happened between us and continue making love? Or would it be better to call a moratorium on sex until we know where we’re going? I don’t know the best course so I’m winging it.”
“Let’s just agree on the last choice, all right?” Sara said as she started the car. “It might do us both good to be celibate for a while. But don’t play with me, Jason. I didn’t turn down your proposal because I wanted to hurt you. I had a very good reason for doing it. I can’t tell you that reason right now. No amount of psychological blackmail on your part is going to get your answers any quicker. Believe it or not I’m trying to do the honorable thing here.”
Jason was shaking his head in the negative. “You’re killing me with all this secretive crap. If you trusted me, you would be able to tell me anything. If you don’t trust me, then you don’t love me. It’s as simple as that.”
“Nothing’s as simple as that!” Sara cried. “The fact is, Jason Bryant, you’re a spoiled brat who doesn’t really know how the world works. You think you’re sophisticated because you were a hotshot attorney and therefore you’ve seen it all. But, believe me, you need years of maturing before you’ll be truly enlightened. Good night!”
With that, she put the car in Drive, hit the accelerator, and sped out of his driveway.
Chapter 4
“Sara, darn it, slow down. What is the matter with you