Forsaking All Others. Linda Hudson-Smith

of something beautiful for them or had their intimate kiss marked the end? Intimacy between a man and woman more often than not resulted in the couple taking things to the next level or it could have just the opposite effect.

      Did either of them even want things to go to a higher level?

      Although Weston couldn’t speak for Jessica, he was sure he wanted to take their relationship as far as it could go, wanting that more than he’d ever wanted anything. He had never desired any woman this way. Jessica had him seriously interested in making her an integral part of his life.

      After deciding to put a hold on his thoughts, Weston went into the kitchen and poured two cups of hot cider. One cup was for Jessica even though she hadn’t asked for anything to drink. His desire was to reconnect with her as soon as possible so she wouldn’t find a reason to disconnect from him, period.

      Weston made it back to where Jessica was and then handed over the hot drink to her. “Here you go. Be careful. It’s still hot.”

      Jessica smiled at Weston as she accepted the cup from him. Although she wanted to speak to him, she was afraid of how her voice might sound. If it came out as high-strung as she felt, that would prove embarrassing. Jessica swallowed hard.

      “The tree is beautiful, isn’t it? We all did a great job,” Weston said.

      Jessica looked over at the Christmas tree. It was magnificent. Positioned in front of the picture window, it appeared as part of the outdoor scenery. “It’s stunning! This group has skills.”

      Weston had to agree with Jessica. They had really delivered on a beautiful tree. “Think you might want to take another walk later on? It’s another great evening.”

      “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