Stone Passions Trilogy (53 page)

His smile faded slightly but he nodded. “Then just drinks and conversation.”

“I guess?” Before she met Rhys she had wanted to test the waters and here was the perfect opportunity. Blake was handsome and she felt nothing more than friendship for him. He was exactly what she required.

“Awesome.” He rubbed his hands together, his eyes gleaming. “How about we grab those drinks tonight?”

It wasn’t exactly what she was expecting but she agreed none-the-less. Melanie or her parents would watch Ferris and it was only for a drink. Since it was a workday in the morning she would have an excuse to leave early so she nodded her head, “Okay.”

Grabbing her coffee, she headed back to her desk, trying to decipher Blake’s behavior. Why now? She had known him for several years, ever since she started working at the company right after graduating college, so why now?

They ended up going to a popular Irish pub in St. Paul that was located not that far from the castle and served hot appetizers. Jenna tried not to think about how close she was to Rhys because she was on a date with one of her co-workers and she was going to enjoy herself even if it killed her. She refused to think about Rhys at all, at least not much.

Blake held the chair out for her and she smiled at him as she sat down. Smoothing the material of her slacks over her thighs, she glanced around the bar and took in the ambiance, trying to get into the mood. She was on a date with an attractive man and she was determined to enjoy herself. With a pleasant expression, she looked at Blake and startled when she caught him staring at her with an amorous smile.

“You’re a beautiful woman, Jenna,” he crooned, caressing her with his eyes, making her blush and feel a little uncomfortable. “Tell me why it is that you never married?”

Her smile was pained but she held it in place so she wouldn’t cry, “My fiancé died shortly before the wedding.”

“Oh, god,” he gasped, leaning back in his chair as the color drained from his face. “I didn’t know.”

Shaking her head, she waved her hand through the air, her smile relaxing slightly. “I wouldn’t have expected you to.”

“At least you didn’t have any children….” His words trailed off as he saw her face, the look of horror she was sure she wore.

“Actually, I have a daughter,” she murmured, thinking how crazy it was to work with someone for so long and know so little about him or her because she knew next to nothing about Blake either.

“You must think I’m the biggest ass in the world,” he continued, obviously upset by his unwitting blunders.

“It’s fine,” she tried to assure him because the more he talked about it the worse it was. Rhys would have made some off-colored remark and had them both laughing. He would have looked at her with laughing brown eyes and….

Her brows drew together in a frown as the familiar form of Rhys sauntered into the bar, a gorgeous woman on either arm. Jealousy hit swift and hard and she had to press her fist against her churning stomach. She had no right to be jealous since she was the one who ended things before anything could begin. She tried to look away before he caught her staring but it was as if he had some sixth sense that made him aware of her presence. A slight worry line marred his forehead as he glanced around the bar, searching.

With unerring accuracy, he turned his head and his gaze locked on hers, the frown melting instantly into a warm smile as genuine pleasure lit his face. He took a step towards her, oblivious to the two women on his arms. With another frown, this time of frustration, he started to let them go when he finally realized that Jenna wasn’t alone.

Scowling, he looked at her as if she had betrayed him and she arched an eyebrow, looking pointedly at the gorgeous creatures dripping from his arms. Shaking his head in denial, offering her a sheepish smile, he shrugged his broad shoulders and led the two beauties to a booth, holding her eyes as he sat down.

She desperately tried to tear her gaze from his but he had a strong hold over her. Even knowing nothing could come of it she still wanted him and by the way he watched her he wanted her, too. Yearning scorched the air between them, eating up the doubts and distance until her body trembled for his possession. Even from across the bar his eyes devoured her where she sat, promising her the world.

“Who’s that?” the darkly asked question jolted her back to the present and she blushed as she attempted to focus her attention on George, er, Blake. His lips were pressed together in an angry line as he glared at her with hard eyes, “Who’s the guy?”

How could she explain Rhys? The destiny that she had to deny? A slight smile curved her lips as she looked up and met Rhys’s eyes, seeing them sparkle with undisguised amusement. “He’s a friend.”

“Really.” Blake took a drink of his whiskey, crunching a piece of ice between his teeth, giving off strong vibes of jealousy which didn’t make any sense. He had no claim on her whatsoever – they were just friends. Co-workers.

She glanced up and caught Rhys’s gaze again and the shards of jealousy that had been embedded in her skin faded away because he wasn’t paying any attention to the women at all. He was completely and utterly oblivious to their charms. His eyes devoured her from across the room, stripping her bare and making her blood boil. Her breasts swelled in the cotton bra she wore, her nipples rasping against the soft material. Moisture gathered between her thighs and if she sat there much longer he was going to make her come just by looking at her.

Pushing back the chair and standing abruptly, she muttered, “Um, excuse me for a moment. I’ve got to use the bathroom.”

“Jenna,” Blake protested but it was too late. She had fled.

Leaning against the sink a few minutes later, she stared at her reflection and laughed. She was a crazy fool, infatuated with an impossible man. Splashing some water on her face, she tried to calm her racing heart, needing to think up an excuse to leave before she acted impulsively and dragged Rhys into a bathroom and gave in to madness.

Her poor sister never had a chance when Vaughn came into her life.

Hell, she half expected him to charge into the bathroom after her, kissing her until she couldn’t think straight, kissing her until she was naked and spread before him, begging him to fuck her.

With a wry smile, she realized that she was just as bad as Melanie because there was nothing that would have stopped her from having sex with Rhys in the bar’s bathroom had he showed up. All of her promises to keep her distance meant nothing when she came face to face with him. She was going to have to either keep her distance or just give in to temptation and hope that in the end it all worked out.

With a remorseful sigh, she knew that she was going to have to tell Blake she was sorry but she couldn’t stay. The relationship between her and the man with long, auburn hair was just too complicated and tumultuous. She spared one last glance at her reflection before heading out to say good bye to Blake.

Suddenly, she was slammed against the wall and a hard body was pressed against hers as hot lips claimed hers in a kiss. As her brain registered the attack, her body recognized Rhys and she relaxed into the kiss, sliding her fingers into the silk of his long hair.

It was over almost before it began and he was resting his forehead against hers, his breath coming in heavy pants. “I couldn’t resist.”

“Shut up,” she breathed, pulling his head back so she could keep kissing him. If she only had this one second chance she was going to take it, damn the consequences. Mindless with need and nearly a week’s worth of erotic dreams, she began opening the buttons of his shirt, sliding her hands beneath the material and over the sleek muscles of his chest. His skin was on fire, burning her palms as they slid over the velvety skin.

His hand reached up and cupped her breast, kneading the soft flesh until she was desperate for more. She hooked her leg over his hip, rubbing her sex against the hard ridge of his erection as she fumbled with the fastenings with her fingers. Tearing his lips from hers, he gasped, “Come with me.”

“Where?” she asked as she stared into his beautiful brown eyes and saw a world of possibilities.

“Anywhere,” he panted. “Just not the castle.”

Those four simple words reminded her why she couldn’t do this: her sister and Vaughn. Stiffly, she put her foot back on the solid ground and unwound her arms from around his neck. “I can’t. You know that it’s impossible right now.”

He inhaled deeply, letting his fingers twine with hers at their sides. “I guess you need to get back to your date.”

“He’s just a co-worker,” she quickly explained. Glancing over her shoulder in the direction of the bar, she asked, “What about the girls you came in with?”

He gave her a half-smile, “I’m only here so they can have fun and not worry about any unwanted attention. Usually Armand is here but he’s back at the castle helping Vaughn get drunk.”

At the second reminder of the complications between his brother and her sister she let one of his hands go and took a step away from him. Understanding the action, he let her go without protest. Awkwardly, not quite able to meet his splendid eyes, she asked, “So, how is he anyway?”

“Not so well,” he admitted bleakly. “And Melanie?”

“The same.” She huffed out a bitter laugh as she studied the sensuous line of his lips and sighed. “I wish…”

“So do I, sweetheart,” he breathed. “You need to leave before I decide I can’t let you go.”

She smiled slightly as she nodded, letting her hand slip from his as she walked away. Pausing at the entrance of the hallway, she looked over her shoulder, “Good bye, Rhys.”

“Good bye, Jenna.”

Slowly, she made her way back to the table wondering if she would ever be strong enough to take a chance on the possibility of maybe. This thing between her and Rhys was too rare, too precious to simply throw away without considering all of the alternatives.

It wouldn’t be fair to Melanie but did Jenna have a choice?

Strong fingers wrapped around her arm, squeezing painfully, and she glared at Blake as he glared down at her. “Are you ready to leave?”

She nodded, grabbing her jacket and her purse. She tried to twist away from his hold but his grasp was too tight and she glared at him. “I’m just going to head home, Blake, sorry.”

“I don’t think so,” he growled, his hazel eyes blazing in anger.

The warmth of Rhys was behind her in an instant and she leaned into his strength. His words washed over her, calming her racing heart, as he asked, “Is everything all right?”

Blake’s eyes lost focus for a moment and then he shook his head, a befuddled expression crossing his face. He glanced down at Jenna, at his hand on her arm, and jerked it away as if burnt. “Whoa, I have no idea what I was thinking. Pardon me, Jenna.”

At the lift of Rhys’s eyebrow, Blake stuttered and turned bright red, “I mean, Ms. Jacobs. I trust you’ll be fine if I say good night now?”

She nodded her head, a little dumbstruck by his abrupt change in attitude. She could only stare as he threw some money down on the table and quickly made his way out the door. Her frown deepened as she glanced at the two twenties on the table since he had paid for his drinks at the bar and they hadn’t ordered anything. With a shrug, she turned to Rhys, “We have to stop meeting like this.”

He gave her a half-smile, “It’s fate, Jenna.”

“Don’t,” she murmured with a sad smile, pressing her fingertips to his lips, not wanting to hear any more about fate and destiny, not when it hurt so much. Inhaling deeply, she breathed in the scent of Rhys and had to remind herself to be strong and let him go. Again. “I have to go.”

“Next time I have you in my arms I’m not going to let you go,” he whispered, the words moving over her skin with the promise of more. “I’m going to make love to you,”

Reluctantly, she walked away one more time, unable to tear her eyes away from him until the very last possible moment. She knew that the next time she ran into him she wasn’t going to be able to just walk away, if only she could find the courage to stay.

Chapter 6

For the next couple of days Jenna was too busy to think about Rhys more than a few times every couple of minutes. At night her hand liked to stray beneath her gown as she fell asleep to thoughts of Rhys and her dreams made it difficult to get out of bed in the morning. She couldn't be perfectly happy because her sister had been so miserable and for a change, she got to be the strong one while Melanie fell apart. Helping Melanie, holding her as she cried, had been almost cathartic, it made her feel needed.