An Irresistible Bachelor(30)

She glanced back at the closet where the lid to the box she'd opened was lying on the floor. She went over and put it on tightly, trying to ignore the symbolism and wondering whether she was doing the right thing in staying. Replaying their conversation, she realized he never had promised her that he wouldn't kiss her again. And now she knew that he had a fiancée in addition to his god-awful reputation. Based on both of those two facts, she should probably be packing up and getting back on the train as soon as she could.

Because she had a funny feeling about Jack Walker.

Yeah, it's called dislike, she told herself.

"Oh, hell," she muttered.

Yes, she disliked the man, but that wasn't the only thing she felt. She might as well admit it. He was sexy as hell. And he was a great kisser.

But then practice makes perfect, she thought with a grimace.

She went back to the window and looked at the looming mansion. The idea that she'd end up a bit player in some terrible Gothic drama made her smile, especially as Arthur came over and leaned against her thigh.

Somehow, it just wouldn't be the same if he was a golden retriever, she thought.

As her hand went down to his rough fur, she tried to imagine the situation if Jack weren't involved with someone else. What would she have done then?

She was a grown woman. She was attracted to him. Putting aside her throwback ideas about romance, namely that sex without love was probably just pointless, mildly aerobic exercise, she had to wonder what would be so terrible if they followed a string of kisses like that into bed.


Not that she had anything to compare it with, but she knew he'd be a fantastic lover. He moved with a slow confidence she found incredibly erotic. Just remembering how he pushed back her hair and put his lips on her neck was enough to make her rethink whether she'd done the right thing in pulling away.

Okay, fine, she was pathetically attracted to him. But what if he knew the truth? What would he think if he found out she'd never had sex before? God knew that piece of news had put a damper on things before.

Ending up a virgin at the age of twenty-seven hadn't been a goal of hers; it had happened by default. Years of caring for her mother, going to school, and having a job all at the same time had pretty much shut down her social life. She'd also been trained since birth to keep a low profile so she never courted attention. And she knew her relationship with her father had something to do with it, too. She just didn't trust men.

Her one serious sexual experience had been an awkward straining in the dark with a guy she'd seen for a little bit in college. She'd decided to sleep with him because she liked him and she figured it was about time, but things had come to a screeching halt when she'd explained he was about to be her first. It wasn't fun to watch him throw his clothes back on like they were flame retardant and he was standing next to a Molotov cocktail.

Later, she learned that he'd only been dating her because he wanted to get back at the woman he was really interested in.

It would have been a mistake to have made love to that guy, but she'd always wished she'd had some experience. Previously, it had been because she felt isolated from what every other woman her age was doing. Now, she wished she had some perspective on what it had been like to be kissed by Jack Walker.

Maybe what happened in that closet was nothing special. No doubt it hadn't been extraordinary for him. He'd probably had as many erotic experiences as she'd had nights alone.

Bondage masks and handcuffs, indeed.

She frowned, wondering why she was wasting her time. Jack Walker had someone in his life. And he obviously felt something for the woman because he'd seemed genuinely sorry he'd taken things where he had. Maybe he was merely a good actor but she actually believed he regretted the fact that he'd cheated on his fiancée.

All they needed to do was keep things on a professional level. And once she got to work, the days would fly by and the project would be done before she knew it. He probably wasn't going to give the kiss another thought. So neither would she.

As for the friends idea? She had to wonder whether men like Jack Walker had friends, the kind you called when you were in trouble or when you needed a laugh; Even the super rich needed support, she supposed, but it was hard to imagine him ever turning to someone else for help or comfort. He was just too self-confident. Too in control.

Although it wasn't as if her own address book was full. She didn't have many people in her life, especially now that she'd left Stanley's gallery. There was ... Grace, she supposed. A distant cousin or two. But for Callie, friends were tricky because they got involved in a person's life and hers was hard to explain in a lot of places.