“And just how is this supposed to benefit me?” He folded his arms across his chest, challenging her.
“Several ways. First of all—”
Amanda stopped as she noticed the loggers milling around the cookhouse door staring at her in silence. Jason saw them also.
“Let’s talk inside.” Jason caught her elbow and steered her toward his office.
Inside, Amanda dropped her satchel by the door. The room seemed smaller than it had last night. Quieter. More secluded. Jason seemed taller, wider, more rugged. She suddenly became conscious of the dress she wore, how it fit snug against her breasts, the fabric clinging to her skin.
“Sit down?” Jason asked.
The blustery anger she’d seen in him moments ago was gone now. He tossed his hat aside and gestured to the chair she’d sat in last night.
She sat, and he eased himself into his chair behind his desk, leaned back and steepled his fingers in front of him.
“You were about to tell me all the reasons I needed brides on my mountain, Miss Pierce.”
His intense gaze riveted her to her chair, making it difficult to breathe. Amanda gave herself a mental shake. This was her chance. Her future—and that of her brides—depended on the outcome of this conversation.
Amanda drew herself up a little straighter in the chair.
“First of all, Mr. Kruger, there’s the stability of your crew,” she said. “Married men are more stable, therefore, you’d have less turnover among your men. It’s more difficult for a man to pick up and move if he’s got a wife and a home to take with him, so he’d be more likely to stay put.”
Except for Gerald McGee, who’d left Meg and Todd with only a goodbye letter. Amanda didn’t want Jason bringing up that example so she pushed on.
“Then there’s the safety issue,” Amanda said. “I’m sure it’s of concern to you when your men have time off. How safety conscious can they be returning from Beaumont after several days of drinking and—”
Amanda clamped her lips together. Goodness, she’d almost said the word aloud.
Jason’s eyebrows raised. “And what?”
He watched her like a cat studying a cornered mouse. Amanda clung to her dignity, refusing to let her cheeks flood with color.
“Another reason brides would—”
“Hold on a minute,” Jason said. “You were talking about safety. Days of drinking and…what?”
He was enjoying her discomfort. It showed in his eyes, plain as day. Amanda drew herself up with what she hoped was regal aplomb.
“Socializing,” she said.
“Socializing?”
Jason Kruger knew what she meant, what she’d nearly said aloud. He was toying with her for his own pleasure, and Amanda was tired of it.
“Yes, Mr. Kruger. Socializing. Mindless socializing. Days and days on end of nothing but thoughtless, incoherent, continuous socializing. Hour after hour of—”
“All right, I got it.” Jason sat forward suddenly and squirmed in his chair.
Amanda drew in a breath, calming herself, focusing her thoughts. “Next, there’s the financial matters.”
Jason rose from his chair and stalked across the room. He flung the window open wide. Amanda was glad. The room had grown awfully hot. He kept his back to her and didn’t say anything, so she continued on.
“As I understand it, you own the mountain. Married couples will need a place to live. You can lease or sell homesites to them. The town will expand, offering another opportunity to profit from your land. And, of course, all of this will create a local market for your lumber.”
He stood with his back to her for a long time, gazing out the window.
Amanda stood. “Mr. Kruger, have you heard one word I’ve said?”
He looked back over his shoulder. “Every word. And the answer is still no.”
She crossed the room and stopped behind him. “I’ve just given you several excellent reasons why brides would be of great benefit to your logging camp. I don’t understand why—”
“Then I’ll tell you why.” Jason swung around. “If I let women up here, first thing you know there will be lines at the barber shop. Men will ask to be let off early to take a bath.”
“What’s so wrong with that?”
“Next thing you know, they get married. Then curtains start going up in the windows. When my men ought to be resting up for the next day’s work, they’re busy fixing things up, making them look pretty.”
Amanda rolled her eyes. “Well, we certainly wouldn’t want that to happen.”
Jason edged closer. “Then my crews aren’t concentrating on their jobs because their women are mad at them. Or because they’re anxious to get home. Either way, my men aren’t thinking about work.”
Amanda felt heat roll off of Jason. It soaked into her.
He leaned his head down. “And a year from now I’ll have babies up here because of all the socializing going on.”
Amanda’s cheeks flamed. How dare he say such a thing to her? She should have slapped his face. And she would have if she hadn’t been so hopelessly caught in the molten aura he gave off.
He came nearer. She wanted to back away—should back away. Then his mouth clamped over hers, and she wanted desperately to stay right where she was.
Jason looped his arm around her waist and pressed himself against her. Heat flamed between them. His lips moved against hers, plying, wanting, asking. He splayed his hand over her back.
A thousand explosions pierced her body. She’d never been kissed before—not like this. Never been touched as Jason touched her now. It wasn’t proper. It certainly wasn’t dignified.
But it was wonderful.
Amanda swayed against Jason. She grabbed his shoulders to keep from falling and parted her lips ever so slightly.
He slipped inside her at once, tasting her, exploring her. Luring her, tempting her until she did the same.
A groan rattled in his mouth as Amanda pressed deep, matching his movements. He pulled her tighter against him.
Amanda was lost in the feel of him, the taste of him. Hopelessly lost in the decadent moment of their mouths blending together.
Until he suddenly yanked his mouth from her and looked up.
A voice intruded into the fog clouding Amanda’s mind. She turned. Ethan stood in the open doorway.
Chapter Five
Ethan froze in midstride. “Uh…sorry.” He backed outside and closed the door.
Jason clung to Amanda, holding her against him. She was soft and warm. She smelled better than anything on his entire mountain. He didn’t want to let her go.
Her lips were wet and her cheeks pink. He’d done that to her. Done it and enjoyed it.
Her eyes were wide with embarrassment. He’d done that, too.
Jason eased his grip on her. She looked so vulnerable, so confounded, that he wanted to keep her in his arms and hold her, comfort her, and make everything all right for her.
But she pushed away from him, drew herself upright, and spun away. She rushed to the door, then stopped, as if unsure which was more embarrassing—going outside and confronting Ethan, or staying inside with