The Billionaire's Christmas Baby(37)

“Fine, so I’m leaving my little town for some playboy penthouse.” She drummed her fingers against the table while he laughed.

“You really have got me all wrong don’t you,” he said, smiling.

“You did have that basket of female toiletries at the cabin.”

His loud laugh interrupted her again. She glared at him.

“So you assumed that I bring hoards of women up to my cabin, seduce them, and then give them gift baskets?” His grin was starting to bother her, and so were his logical explanations. “You’re the only woman who’s been up to my cabin, Hannah,” he said, his voice low and throaty. “That basket was left by the designer.”

Her hands settled around her mug of cold coffee. “This is not easy. I haven’t had time to process anything.”

“Hey, who found who, remember?” he said gently. She stopped for a moment and took a deep breath. She had found him, and he was doing exactly what she’d wanted. Could she fault him for trying to make this all work? So what was the big deal to marry Jackson temporarily? Her stomach flopped over. Marry him. Sham or not, it was a huge deal.

“Why don’t we take this one day at a time. Get your stuff, settle into my place, we get married. Help me set up for Emily’s arrival, and then we’ll see what happens.”

“You know, I remembered that I really need to, um, do something. I’ll be right back,” Hannah said and bolted out of the room. She ran into her bedroom, feeling like a complete moron. She didn’t hear him walk in and jumped at the sound of his voice. Jackson filled up her tiny bedroom like a lion in a dollhouse.

“Why are you running away from me?”

Her eyes went to the pile of Christmas presents she’d purchased for Emily. Perfect. She could get them ready. But when she started to turn, Jackson gently reached out to grab her wrist. She didn’t try to pull away. His touch felt decadent, impossible to refuse.

“Why did you end things the other night?”

She felt her face ignite at the memory. Her eyes darted to her antique bed and she couldn’t stop the image of the two of them sprawled across it. What was he doing to her? She finally looked up at him, and realized he stood way too close. And they were both standing way too close to her bed. Years of self-control and self-preservation could be easily tossed out the window when she stood this close to this man. And why did he have to look so good without a shave? It was that darn firm jaw, the eyes that were so…

“Why aren’t you answering my question?”

Hannah looked up at him guiltily. “What was the question again?”

Then he smiled, that arrogant, mischievous smile that somehow didn’t seem to bother her anymore. “The other night, when we were about to make love.” His voice turned throaty and his fingers began circling her wrist.

“We weren’t about to make love,” she said shaking her head, lying through her teeth.

“Really?” he said, lowering his face to hers, probably to make sure she could see that he wasn’t buying her innocent act for one second.

She shook her head. “Nope. It was just—”

“You can’t claim it was the alcohol because you were within your own prescribed limit of intoxication.”

She frowned. Damn him and his smug reminder.

She crossed her arms. “You’re very amusing, Jackson.” She had to pause since there was no use trying to speak over his laughter.

“One minute you’re telling me deeply personal information and the next you’re lying.”

“I don’t lie.”

“So you don’t think we were on our way to bed together that night?”

She forced herself to look up at him. “It was a momentary lack of judgment. You rescued me from a blizzard, so naturally—”

“You’re a virgin, aren’t you?”

Jackson Pierce had no discretion whatsoever. Hannah wished her ancient floor would give in and swallow her whole.

“What on earth makes you think that?”

“I’m starting to piece two and two together.”

“Two and two makes four.”

He took a step closer to her. Her body temperature rose by at least ten degrees. They needed to get off this topic and out of her bedroom.

“You know, your avoidance is only proving my theory,” he said, again taking a step toward her. She refused to back up in case she looked cowardly, but his proximity made it even harder to ignore her attraction to him. “You’re not usually a liar, but you are a master at avoidance.”

Hannah sighed theatrically.

“So, I’ll ask you again, Hannah. Are you a virgin?”

“Stop saying that stupid word,” she said finally, emphasizing stupid with a poke into his rib cage.

He chuckled. Low and deep. She glared at him until he stopped.

“What word? Virgin?”

She sighed and nodded stiffly.

“Stop laughing at me.”

“You think I’m making fun of you?”

She nodded.

He moved slowly and her breath caught in her throat as she watched his eyes take on that warmth that had the ability to turn her knees into jelly. He softly touched her face, his thumb grazing her lower lip. She felt a heat spread through her and was unable to stop herself from turning her face into the palm of his hand. And then, shocking both of them, she kissed his skin. She heard a low sound from Jackson’s throat and then she was in his arms, feeling the solid heat of his body against hers. She felt her heart beating as rapidly as his. All she did was feel. He trailed kisses down her face until he reached her lips. Hannah wanted nothing more than to kiss him.