Читать книгу Forsaking All Others - Linda Hudson-Smith - Страница 7

Entering the town house, Jessica was immediately drawn to the kitchen, overwhelmed by the delicious aromas. So much for ordering food in for the evening meal.

Sahara had cooked and Jessica was sure her father had helped out her mother. Both were excellent chefs and they often worked side by side in preparing meals. Her parents loved to whip up delicious foods and Jessica hated everything to do with cooking, period. She liked cleaning up the kitchen even less than the meal preparations. No man in his right mind wanted a woman who couldn’t or wouldn’t cater to the needs of his stomach.

Sahara walked up and lightly popped Jessica on the hand. “Stay out of my pots and pans, girl. All the food is for our little get-together this evening. Want me to fix you a sandwich?”

Jessica looked at Sahara as if she had to be kidding. “You fixed all this delicious food—and you want to feed me a measly sandwich? That’s scandalous, Mom.”

“Okay, you win, number-two daughter.” Sahara referred to her daughters’ order of birth, not to how they ranked in her sight. She loved her girls equally. “Get a plate from the cabinet and take some of whatever you want. You know I can’t stand here and deny my youngest child a meal.”

“Thanks, Mom.” Jessica kissed Sahara on the cheek. “Where’s Dad?”

“Off somewhere with Jacque. He left here right after he finished helping me out. They’re probably sitting somewhere talking shop. Those two eat and sleep real estate.”

“And they both have their kids doing the same thing.” Jessica put small samples from each pot on her plate and then took a seat at the table.

Sahara retrieved a cold drink from the refrigerator before joining Jessica at the table. “Speaking of our kids, how was the snowmobiling outing for you and Jen?”

“Lots of fun. The guys were acting a little crazy while driving the snowmobiles, making sharp twists and turns all over the place, but they pretty much stuck to most of the safety rules. I liked it enough to want to do it again. I think I’d like to drive one the next time. It might take a minute or two to get the hang of it. Jen and I were whooping and hollering it up out there. The guys had a tremendous time, too.”

Sahara pressed her lips together, choosing her next words carefully. “Having a good time with Wes?”

Jessica looked down the length of her nose at her mother. “Why don’t you go right ahead and ask me what you really want to know? Your curiosity about us is written all over your face and you’re dying to get up in our business.”

“Just asked a simple question. Why are you trying to make a federal case out of it? My goodness, you’re really sensitive on the subject.”

“The only thing I’m sensitive about is you and Daddy trying to choose a husband for me. It’s not like that with Wes and me. But to answer your question, I’m having a grand time. On January third the vacation will be over with and so will Wes and I. All we’re doing is having some fun and trying to make the best of this situation our parents have thrown us into. Mom, it’s not going to happen for us. Please share that with Dad and the Chamberlains so you all don’t continue speculating.”

“I think you are making way too much out of us wanting to share our holiday time with the Chamberlains. However, I’m glad you’re having a good time.”

“Whatever, Mom. Okay for me to eat before the food gets cold?”

Sahara knew that Jessica meant she wanted to be left in peace. “If you need anything, I’ll be in the bedroom.” Sahara got up from the chair, her head hung low.

Jessica could tell by the look on her mother’s face that she had hurt her feelings. That hadn’t been her intent, but she needed everyone just to get off her and Weston’s backs. No one could choose a mate for another person, even though she knew there were many cultures in the world that still arranged marriages.

“Sorry, Mom,” Jessica yelled out before Sahara could disappear. “I’ll try to be a little less sensitive, but please just let Wes and me be ourselves.”

Jessica knew Sahara was a bit upset with her when she didn’t accept her apology or even bother to respond to her plea. Sahara wasn’t the type who stayed upset long, nor did she hold grudges, so Jessica wasn’t worried that their little tiff would ruin the rest of their stay in Aspen. Both she and her mother would soon forget this had ever happened.

Keeping a covert eye on Weston was difficult to do, especially when Jessica kept catching herself staring at him outright. He looked so darn sexy, though he was only dressed in a neatly pressed burgundy shirt and heather-gray wool slacks, all of which appeared to be of excellent quality. It was how his athletic physique filled out the attire that turned Jessica on; it looked as if it all fit him to a T. His broad shoulders were more accentuated when they weren’t buried beneath a bulky sweater.

Like the rest of the men, Weston was intent on seeing that the full Douglas fir Christmas tree was put up correctly. No one wanted to see it topple over at some point during the planned festivities. Jacque had suggested that the group purchase an artificial tree just before they had gone out to shop for a fresh one. His not-so-brilliant idea had met with clucking disapproval from the four women.

Looking down at her own attire, comparing it to what the other females wore, Jessica was still pleased with the outfit she had chosen for herself. Tucked neatly into the waistband of slim, black wool crepe pants was a long-sleeved black-and-white striped Ralph Lauren shirt. Over the designer shirt she wore a stylish black quilted vest.

Jessica’s long, light-brown layered hair had been blow-dried straight but curled slightly at the ends of each layer to allow her shiny tresses to flow softly about her shoulders. Just the right amount of makeup to her pretty face and hazel eyes gave a gently dramatic flair to her normally wholesome appearance.

Weston thought Jessica looked cover-model perfect, though she hardly measured up in height. Her five-foot-even frame fell way short when compared to many statuesque, leggy models. But he liked how she carried herself. She was every bit as graceful and stylish as any top model in the country today. Jessica was a far cry from the preteen he’d once known, and he was still amazed by her unbelievable transformation. He loved how she was gently curvaceous in all the right spots, the ones his hands craved to tenderly caress. Though she had a small bustline, the twin mounds appeared to stand proud. The vest she wore over her shirt didn’t allow him nearly the exciting view of cleavage he had seen the first day.

Christmas music, the popping and crackling of the fire burning brightly in the fireplace and the sounds of joyous laughter created a wonderful holiday setting. A wondrous winter scene of mountains, snow and large evergreen trees through the large picture window delighted the senses. The draperies had been pulled completely back, making it look as if the scene had been painted onto the glass pane.

Gaily colored rolls of foil wrapping paper, with every kind of decoration on them, from reindeer to Santa Clauses, were laid out on the table, along with bunches of ribbons in bright colors of green, red, gold, silver and white. There were also bows made up of more than one hue. White gift boxes waiting to be filled with presents and then wrapped in the paper were stacked high in one corner of the dining room.

Weston quickly snapped out of his reverie when he heard the others howling. He couldn’t help but join in the laughter even though a sudden rush of empathy for Jessica had just hit him. It looked to him as if she had gotten herself all tangled up in the tinsel she was working with. The bewildered look on her face was comical but so endearing.

Jessica didn’t like the glittery stuff, anyway, so it didn’t bother her that it might be ruined. The tinsel had been Sandra’s bright idea. The Harringtons had never used it on one of their family Christmas trees, although its use was traditional in many a household. Now that the tinsel could no longer be used, Jessica grabbed up the tray of delicate gold-and silver-edged angel and snowflake ornaments to hang on the tree’s sweeping branches.

The delicious aromas of food, hot apple cider and freshly popped popcorn filled the air, mixing with the heady pine scent of the Douglas fir. Jennifer and Samuel had just finished popping the corn and warming the cider and putting out all the reheated foods Sahara and Roman had prepared earlier. The smell of the baked hot wings and grilled chicken tenders eventually ruled over the other scents. Swedish meatballs and beef cocktail wieners simmered in a light but very flavorful teriyaki sauce. Three kinds of pasta had also been made: spaghetti, penne and an angel-hair/vegetable salad.

The group hadn’t finished trimming the tree, but they decided to stop long enough to enjoy the evening meal together. The ladies quickly began to hustle around the room to tackle several chores. Jessica laid out the plates while Sandra took care of the silverware. Sahara busied herself filling the drinking glasses with snowball-shaped ice cubes. She had seen the cute trays on one of the aisles inside a convenience store in town and she hadn’t been able to resist purchasing a few of the cleverly designed items.

Roman requested that Weston ask for the blessing on the food and all the hands that had prepared it. Jacque and Sandra had prepared the sinful desserts. Apple cobbler was their son’s favorite and the triple-layer devil’s food cake was the one dessert Jacque loved most. Sandra and Jacque had also baked sweet-potato pies, an absolute favorite of all the Harringtons, including Jennifer and Samuel. Once the simultaneous “amens” rang out, the group wasted no time at all digging right in.

The tree duties had resumed right after the two families had polished off their dessert. The group worked well together and had worked rather quickly to complete the fun tasks. Everyone had been designated a job and each person had taken it seriously. The families finally stood back to view the end results of their handiwork.

It was now time for the colorful and brilliant show of light. Roman was to do the honors. Jacque scurried around the place, turning off all other lights.

“Lights, action,” Roman breathed excitedly. One flick of his finger on the switch caused the tree to come to life with hundreds of dazzling miniature white lights.

The magical moment had taken everyone’s breath away. All hands were linked together as the oohs and aahs continued to ebb and flow. There was not one pair of eyes without tears of holiday sentiment. Then the laughter broke out, loudly and freely.

“Oh, we forgot one thing,” Weston said. He ran over to the kitchen counter and picked up the mistletoe, holding it up for everyone to see. “Who wants the honors?” Weston looked directly at Jessica, hoping she might step forward. He would like nothing better than to kiss her breathless beneath the fresh sprig of mistletoe.

“I’ll hang it,” Jennifer sang out, moving toward Weston. As soon as she reached for the mistletoe, she saw the disappointment in Weston’s eyes. She didn’t have to be a genius to figure out what was wrong with him.

After Jennifer took possession of the mistletoe, she walked over to Jessica and handed it to her. “You should be the one to do the honors. Does everyone agree?”

Enthusiastic hand-clapping thundered in the room.

Jessica knew what everyone hoped for; she would hang the mistletoe and Weston would kiss her while she stood under it. She had no desire to disappoint anyone, especially herself. Jessica took the offered mistletoe from Jennifer and quickly stepped up to the plate, her heart beating rapidly. The thought of Weston kissing her had her heart rate going berserk. She couldn’t wait to feel his mouth on hers.

“Get the camera,” Sahara told Roman. “This is a special holiday moment.” Although the video camera had been running throughout their time in Aspen, its adapter plugged into the electrical wall outlet, Sahara also wanted still photographs.

Jessica ended up having to get a stool to stand on because the space at the top of the kitchen entry was too high for her to reach without one. Weston rushed over to help her up on the stool, holding it firmly in place as she tacked up the small green and white sprig. Once the mistletoe was set in place, Weston reached up and brought Jessica down and into his arms. Without allowing her feet ever to touch the ground, he tenderly kissed her mouth, doing his best to stave off his desire to use his tongue to deepen the kiss.

In the next second Weston lost himself in the sweetness of Jessica’s lips. She had also slipped away into paradise. The arms that held her so securely made her feel safe and protected. So this was what it felt like to be in Weston’s arms. She had waited a long time to find out, believing she would never experience such an enchanting moment.

Jessica could only imagine the expression on her face once Weston set her down on her feet and released his hold on her. If hers was anything like the bewildered look on his face, he more than likely had also experienced what she had. A brief kiss could be every bit as sensual as a long, passionate one. His kiss had just proven that. It had also left her trembling inside and desperately wanting more of the same from him.

Jessica was relieved that no one had resorted to catcalling, whistling or clapping. Hiding her embarrassment was hard enough without all that. However, Weston didn’t look the least bit embarrassed. After all, he had initiated the kiss between them.

The other three couples went back to chatting with each other, taking their focus off Jessica and Weston purposefullly. Jessica was happy about that. She had never liked to be the center of attention.

Jessica wanted to gently touch her lips with her fingers, hoping she might still feel Weston’s kiss there. Her mind was somewhat befuddled, making her feel as if she were in a daze. She wanted him to kiss her again and again, but she wasn’t so sure it would ever recur. At any rate, Jessica knew she shouldn’t be having these types of thoughts.

Although Weston’s kiss had been soft as a whisper, the impact on Jessica’s senses was profound. Weston had her rocking and reeling and wishing they were off somewhere alone. As far as she was concerned, his kiss had impacted her way more than her first kiss had. Logan Langston had been the first male to deliver the first kiss to her “sweet sixteen” lips. She had been kissed many times since, but she hadn’t ever felt anything akin to what she now felt. The floating sensation she experienced was rather surreal.

Weston was very pleased with the ardent response his mouth had received from Jessica’s. His body was still tingling all over from their brief but very impressionable encounter. He had already begun to crave the sweet taste of her full lips. Weston knew he was addicted and he couldn’t help wondering when his next fix might come, hoping he never had to go into withdrawal. No doubt that would be painful. He thought perhaps he should say something to Jessica, but he just didn’t know what to talk about when his mind was only on one thing. Making love to her until she begged him never to stop.

Weston was positive that he and Jessica had more than just a little bit of chemistry going on between them. He hoped she had experienced the same wonderful sensations as he had. Was this the beginning 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.