The Danforths: Wesley, Ian & Imogene. Brenda Jackson

sore, but he knew another way he could make love to her and it was a way that she had already enjoyed. Before the day was over, she would remember his every touch.

      The moment Jasmine walked into Wesley’s spacious two-story home she was captivated. Beautiful polished hardwood floors greeted her when she stepped into the foyer. The most gorgeous chandelier she’d ever seen hung overhead. The crystals dripping from the chandelier actually looked like diamonds and she had to blink to make sure they weren’t.

      A spiral staircase loomed ahead and Jasmine could imagine all the grand parties that had been given in the older home, which appeared to have been built in the eighteen hundreds. But what took Jasmine’s breath away more than anything was the beautiful view of the Savannah River from almost every room in the house.

      He had furnished the house with period furnishings. Each piece made the house retain its original splendor and made her feel like she was taking a step back in time. Just from glancing around, she could tell he enjoyed having nice things. So did she.

      After touring the downstairs, they walked up the stairs to the second floor. “You have an office both upstairs and downstairs?” she asked, after taking a glance at another room with a computer, bookcase and a desk.

      “Yes. I do a lot of work at home although my business has office space on the river front. Besides my bedroom, there are two additional bedrooms up here that have their own baths. I have a master bath in my bedroom. I decided to put off decorating the additional bedrooms for now since there wasn’t an urgent need to do so. In fact I use one of them for storage.”

      When they entered his bedroom she was in awe and couldn’t help but stare shamelessly at his huge bed while something stirred deep within her. She tried averting her attention from his bed to the other impressive furnishings in the room but found that she couldn’t. She could see herself in that bed with him making love. She glanced up and met his gaze and the look in his eyes indicated that he could imagine the same thing.

      “Let me show you the master bath,” he said hoarsely, leading her into an area off from the bedroom. His bathroom was as large as one of the bedrooms downstairs and had a huge Jacuzzi tub, as well as a large shower. Another image filled her mind; one of them taking a bath together.

      She turned to Wesley. “Your home is beautiful.”

      Wesley reached out and touched her chin with his fingers. It pleased him that she liked his home and without thinking twice about it, he leaned down and gently kissed her lips.

      The kiss was slow and soul deep. Jasmine’s heart lurched at his tenderness.

      Moments later she experienced a tinge of regret when he pulled his mouth back to end the kiss. “I guess we better get going,” he whispered against her still-moist lips.

      She nodded. “Yes, I guess we’d better.”

      As they walked down the stairs together, she thought about how much she enjoyed the kisses they shared. Somehow Wesley had the ability to elevate a simple kiss to a sensuous art form.

      They walked through his kitchen with the spotless appliances, beautiful tiled counters and floors, and oak cabinets to his four-car garage. In addition to the Mercedes and Explorer and Corvette that she’d known he owned, a huge Harley Davidson motorcycle was also parked in one of the garage spaces.

      She glanced up at him when he opened the door to the Explorer for her. “You like riding your motorcycle?”

      He smiled and even before he gave her an answer, she knew that he did. “Yes, occasionally I enjoy hitting the open road. Sometimes there’s nothing like the feel of wind in your face.”

      After making sure her seat belt was secure, he closed the door and walked around to the front of the vehicle to get into the driver’s side. Jasmine peered over her shoulder into the back seat of the SUV and saw all the books stocked on the seat. “You’re delivering books?” she asked in surprise.

      He glanced over at her as he started the engine. “Yes. A friend of mine from college runs the boys’ club in Charleston. I usually check with him periodically to see what items he may need since funding for the club has been drastically cut over the years. When I talked to him last week he indicated they were trying to steer the boys away from playing video games and focus their free time on reading, so I offered to buy a few books.”

      Jasmine nodded. Wesley had bought more than a few. There were over a hundred books in his Explorer. She couldn’t help but think about the Wesley Brooks she was getting to know. Her father had always said that a person’s deeds reflected their true inner self and part of her couldn’t help wondering how many people, other than the Danforths, had the opportunity to see this side of Wesley.

      The drive from Savannah to Charleston was pleasant. A wave of sadness touched her when Wesley opened himself up and told her about his childhood, that period of time when he’d been moved from foster home to foster home. What he’d gone through made what she’d experienced with Evelyn and her stepsisters look like nothing. At least she had always known she’d had the love of her father and had been fortunate to have had her mother’s love for a while. But Wesley hadn’t known what family was until the Danforths had come into his life. Now she understood his love and loyalty for them.

      “Here we are,” he said, bringing the vehicle to a stop in front of a huge building. “Luke works hard to keep the boys off the street and channel their energy into worthwhile projects.”

      “Luke?”

      “Yes, Luke Murdock.”

      Jasmine blinked. “Luke Murdock? The Luke Murdock?”

      Wesley smiled. “Yes, the Luke Murdock.” Most people had heard about the kid from the small town in Blakely, Georgia, who had later played football at Georgia Tech and had gone on to play professionally, becoming one of the most noted quarterbacks in the history of the NFL before an injury ended his football career a few years ago.

      “And the two of you went to college together?” Jasmine asked, still in shock that she was about to meet Luke Murdock.

      “Yes, we used to play ball together at GT.” Wesley sighed deeply. What he wasn’t ready to share with Jasmine was how because of Caroline Perry’s article, he had gotten kicked off the football team and shunned by the majority of his teammates. Of all the guys on the team, Luke had been one of the few who had stuck by him through the entire ordeal, giving him support and friendship, and even going so far as to ask their coach not to take him off the team. However, the coach had stuck to his decision by saying the information Wesley had given Caroline had been too damaging and had cast a bad light on the entire team.

      Not wanting to think about that part of his past any longer, Wesley glanced over at Jasmine and thought about the time they had spent together. A sensuous shiver made a path up his spine when he thought about making love to her, thrusting inside of her, the way her fingernails dug deep into his shoulder blades, branding him. Everything about her wanted to make him reach out and touch her. The woman was simply distracting.

      Even now he enjoyed being in her presence and was glad she had agreed to come to Charleston with him. “When we’re through here, I’d like to rent a sailboat and have lunch on the Charleston Harbor. Would you like that?”

      Tossing her head to look at him, her braids settled in a way that framed her face. When she tilted her head and met his gaze, he felt as if he’d been punched in the stomach. “Yes, I’d like that, Wesley.”

      Before renting a boat, Wesley and Jasmine visited Charleston’s premiere shopping district on King Street. Since Ronnie’s birthday was in a few weeks, Jasmine thought now would be a good time to pick out a gift for her friend. Then they enjoyed a carriage ride on East Battery, a section of town located on the harbor. The oleanders along East Battery were in full bloom and they were a delight to the senses.

      After picking up a packed lunch at a restaurant that Luke had recommended, they walked hand in hand around Waterfront Park, basking in the beauty of their surroundings. Jasmine had really liked Luke and could see why he and Wesley were good friends. Both