Forsaking All Others. Linda Hudson-Smith

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?”

      Jessica leaned her head back against his chest. “I’ve scared myself. What we’re doing scares me even more. We’re strangers, Wes. We haven’t seen each other in ages yet we’re all over each other like two silly teenagers. Is that stranger than fiction, or what?”

      Weston kissed the top of her head. “It’s called attraction, sweetie. I don’t know about you, but it’s more than just a physical magnetism on my part. If you think all I want to do is get you into bed, you’re wrong. I really want to get to know you.”

      Jessica turned completely around and looked up into his eyes. “Are you serious?”

      As Weston’s lips connected with Jessica’s, he closed his eyes for a moment. “I’ve never been more serious. This is not a holiday fling for me. What’s happening to me has nothing to do with a festive atmosphere. My heart is compromised. I hope that’s not too much information.”

      Jessica stood on tiptoes and kissed him deeply. “Just enough information to keep me from questioning my sanity. So, do we just wait and see what develops between us?”

      “I think to do otherwise would be insane. I’m in. Are you?”

      Jessica smiled sweetly. “In.”

      The couple fell into an easy, warm embrace, hugging each other to show they were on the same wavelength.

      “I have an idea, Jessica. What about ice-skating away the rest of the evening?”

      “I’m all for your idea, though I’m afraid I might kill myself on the skates. I’m terrible at skating. Will you help me up when I fall?”

      “You