The Harder You Fall

  Same deal with the porch. At his feet, the cement was severely cracked and in front of him, rotted wood planks looked ready to collapse.

  He had more money than he could ever spend, while Jessie Kay lived like this?

  His too-hard knock boomed louder than he'd intended. A minute passed, then another. If she was out on a date with Daniel--or worse, inside with Daniel and simply distracted...

  West knocked again, nearly taking the door off its hinges.

  He remembered when Jessie Kay had dated Dorian Oliver, one of Beck's closest friends. The two hadn't lasted more than a few weeks and he'd always wondered if he was the cause. If Dorian had gotten tired of West's daily call, when he'd asked how things were going, his voice all snarl, zero polite.

  Perhaps he should acquire Daniel's number.

  Observe. Understand. Act.

  He tested the knob, discovered it turned easily, and wanted to smile and curse at the same time. "Jessie Kay," he called, stepping into the living room. There wasn't really a foyer. He expected warmth, but a chill pervaded, as if she hadn't turned on the heater. "You here?"

  As he waited for her to stomp around the corner--maybe he'd interrupted a bubble bath, and she wore only a towel and drops of water--he studied her natural habitat. Well-worn furniture from early-era Goodwill, if he had to guess. Threadbare patches in the shag carpet. Yellowed wallpaper peeled at the corners. A pile of laundry consumed the end of the couch, and empty candy-bar wrappers and coke cans spilled over the coffee table.

  A noise suddenly screeched from the back of the house. A cat being murdered?

  He dropped his bag and surged forward. At the entrance of the kitchen, however, he stopped and choked back a laugh. There she was, alone, with earbuds in her ears. She sang along to...a song he couldn't identify.

  "Gonna love you foreverrr...something something something...give it to you so goood." As she dried a plate, she gyrated her hips in a dirty bump-and-grind.

  Suddenly the desire to laugh abandoned him. Desire hit and hit hard.

  Pale hair free of pins cascaded down her back, gleaming like melted honey as they swayed. The long-sleeve shirt she wore hung off one shoulder, baring skin so luscious his mouth watered for a taste. Her legs were covered by skintight pants that were tucked into a pair of calf-high boots with faux fur trim.

  Those legs...he wanted them wrapped around his face and later, his waist.

  She was every fantasy he'd never known he had, and his blood burned for her. His hands itched for contact.

  As she belted out a high note, charming him even while making him cringe, she spun in a circle, intending to dance the plate to the rack. Spotting him, she released a scream sharp enough to burst his eardrums, jolted back, tripped and fell. As she gasped for breath, she held out the plate as if it were a deadly weapon.

  "It's just me, kitten."

  "West? What the heck!" Glaring at him, she lowered the plate and yanked out the buds. "What are you doing here?"

  "Would you believe me if I said I'm enjoying the show?"

  She scowled at him. "If your goal was to give me a heart attack, congrats, mission accomplished." Grimacing, she rubbed her lower back. "I think I bruised my pancreas."

  "It'll heal." He offered her a hand up.

  She ignored it, standing under her own steam. "If you're here for your sandwich, feel free to make a peanut butter and jelly. Pay no attention to the expiration dates. They're meaningless. Don't let the door hit you on the way out. Or do. Whatever."

  "We'll deal with the sandwich another day." He noted the bouquet of flowers resting in the center of the table, and satisfaction urged him to pound on his chest like a gorilla. "Tonight our business revolves around a different topic."

  "All right. Enlighten me." She crossed her arms over her chest.

  In due time. "First, explain why your door was unlocked."

  "Because I like it that way."

  "Anyone could have walked in."

  Lips pursed, she waved the plate up and down his body. "Obviously."

  "You're not understanding me, kitten." He claimed the dish and set it on the counter while staring down at her with enough menace to scare her to the bone. "Anyone could have walked in. They could have done anything to you."

  "Are you threatening me?" She raised her chin, unafraid, stubborn and beautiful, so damn beautiful. She was everything right in a world gone wrong.

  A deception. All of his problems currently started and ended with Jessie Kay Dillon.

  "If ever I threaten you, kitten, you won't have to ask. I'm simply pointing out an obvious security fail."

  "Well." Some of the starch left her. "I assure you, I have nothing worth stealing."

  "You sure about that?" He stroked his gaze over her, this woman who was so finely honed she had no equal. "I can name a few things I'd like to take."

  A hitch in breath that came faster and faster. "You're flirting."

  "You're welcome."

  She shook a fist at him. "Don't you know the very moment you start flirting with temptation, you've lost the entire war?"

  "We're at war?"

  "Yes! Your body clearly wants to invade mine."

  He snorted, then looked down and said, "At ease, men. We've entered hostile territory."

  For a moment, she looked ready to burst into laughter. But the moment passed and the sparkle of amusement faded. She sighed, toying with the ends of her hair, utterly feminine and sweeter than sugar. "Today was a really bad day."

  On instant alert, he demanded, "What happened?"

  "What usually happens when I walk through a bone yard."

  He flipped through mental files, came up empty. "A bone yard?"

  "A sea of boners. Horny dudes. Basically, a room full of guys I used to date."

  "Got it. What happens?"

  Her face scrunched up with the most adorable disdain. "My butt got smacked. A lot more than usual. I think I'm bruised."

  A bomb of anger detonated inside him, sharp bits of shrapnel cutting through any sort of composure he managed to gain. "Who? Give me names, and I'll make sure it never happens again."

  "That's kind of you to offer," she said, brightening. "Unfortunately, I'm going to decline. I already slapped the offenders."

  "Did you draw blood?"

  She fluffed her hair. "A few specks."

  "Then I'm satisfied vengeance was achieved." For now. "Just tell me one thing..." He shouldn't ask. He knew better. But he did it anyway. "Is Daniel Porter a former boyfriend...or a current one?"

  "What! Gross. He's like a little sister to me."

  Some of the tension West had carried since his encounter with Edna suddenly evaporated. He had to fight a smile. "Start locking your door. Better yet, I'll start locking it for you."

  Navy blues flared with a mix of surprise and confusion. "Okay, I admit it. You've lost me. You're planning to come over every night just to lock my front door?" She arched a brow. "Are you going to tuck me into bed, too?"

  "I'm willing to do both, yes, but I won't be leaving afterward." Keep it light, easy. "Good news, kitten. I'm moving in." At the diner, Brook Lynn had mentioned her worry about Jessie Kay being on her own, always struggling to pay the bills. Well, he could help out. He was altruistic like that.

  Frowning, she cocked her hip to the side. "I think I just had a stroke. I couldn't have heard you say--"

  "I'm moving in. Yes. We're going to be roomies. Starting tonight."

  One clipped shake of her head. One succinct denial. "No."

  "The farmhouse is overrun with happy couples and--"

  "No. And there are only two happy couples. The place is hardly overrun."

  "Romance is a contagious disease. My insides need a shower before they become infected."

  "I bleed for you, I really do, but my answer is still no, no, a thousand times no. There are a bazillion other places you can stay. Your office. Or the inn. Hey, I know. What about your new girlfriend's place? I'm sure she'll be thrilled to have you."
br />   "First, I don't want to question your math, but three doesn't actually equal a bazillion. Second, I considered each of those places already, and yet here I am. Third, I don't have a girlfriend."

  Another shake of her head. "No. Just... I don't know...buy another house or something."

  "That'll take too much time."

  "Rent a house."

  "In this market?" He prayed she knew nothing about the market. Now that he was here, he didn't want to leave.

  "What about our mutual lust?"

  He liked that she didn't shy away from the issue or try to deny what they felt for each other. Keep things casual. "Can you not resist me? It's okay if you can't, but--"

  She threw a dishrag at him.

  "How about this?" He rubbed the wet spot just over his heart. "Let me stay and I'll pay rent." He kept his starting offer low, giving her room to bargain.

  No woman could resist a good bargain.

  "No way--" She chewed on her plump bottom lip, reminding him of their time in the cleaning closet, when he was the one to torment that lip. "You'll pay rent and utilities. You'll even kick in a little extra for--"

  "Let me guess." He fought another smile. "Your mental anguish."

  "Such a smart boy." She patted his cheek. "Oh, and just so you know, I'll be putting booby traps in my bedroom."

  "Just so you know, disabling booby traps is a specialty of mine."

  "Shooting a .22 is a specialty of mine."

  Was it really? "That's kind of hot."

  "That's not my problem. Now. I'll show you to your bedroom, since it's where you'll spend the bulk of your time. Did I forget to mention the living room and kitchen are off-limits?"

  "Unless I pay extra, right?"

  "A plus plus, Mr. West. Someone's in jeopardy of becoming teacher's pet already!"

  He withdrew his wallet, presented her with a hundred-dollar bill. "This should cover all the extras."

  "For one night, yes." She stuffed the cash in her bra before waving for him to follow.

  He trailed her down the hall, and it was a special kind of hell. The sway of her hips mesmerized him. The curl at the end of her hair beckoned him. Grab me. Fist me. The shape of her ass dazzled him. Perfect twin globes with just the right amount of bounce. Toned and bitable.

  This might not have been his brightest idea.

  My favorite mistake.

  "Well," she said, stopping in the second doorway on the right. "This is it."

  He came up behind her, wanting to be closer, needing to be closer. At five-eight, she was tall, but at six-three, he was a lot taller. She stiffened...at first. As one second ticked into another, she softened. The heat that emanated from her intensified, wrapping around him until he felt embraced.

  "What do you think?" she asked, breathless now. Just the way he liked her.

  The room was small and furnished for a princess. The queen-size canopy boasted pink sheets and a ruffled skirt, the perfect complement to the white vanity with a beveled mirror. "Can't wait to do my hair and makeup," he said drily.

  "I'd stay in the rose family, if I had your skin tone."

  A subtle fruity fragrance danced through the air. A perfume he knew he'd soon find infused in his clothing. Glitter shimmered in the carpet threads--they were mini land mines, and it was only a matter of time before they exploded all over him and he would look like a stripper named Wild Wild West.

  "Still want to stay?" Jessie Kay asked with a gleeful grin.

  That grin nailed him in place, reminded him of the peace he'd felt at the wedding. The rightness. He wanted to stay more than anything. "You're stuck with me, kitten."

  "Your masculine sensibilities aren't highly offended by the decor?"

  "Flash me a few times a day and my masculine sensibilities will be too drunk on testosterone to care."

  "Flash you? Sure thing." She extended both her middle fingers. As he chuckled, she added, "Since I've been the only human living here--do not ask about the raccoons--I haven't had the toilet in the bathroom connected to your room fixed...or the one down the hall. So unless you want to cough up an extra thousand every time you use mine, you'll need to hire a plumber. On your dime, of course. Also, this is Brook Lynn's old room so don't go changing things around. If she and Jase break up, she'll move back, and I want the place to be perfect for her."

  "Are you serious? Those two will never split."

  "You telling me you believe in happily-ever-after?"

  "Yes. With the right person." He moved around her to enter the room. His only other option? Grab her and kiss the breath right out of her.

  "So...you actually think everyone has a one true love? Do you also believe in unicorns and fairy dust?"

  "And dragons and trolls."

  "Zombies?"

  "Don't be ridiculous."

  She snorted.

  "You doubt because you've never fallen." And, he realized as fury poked at him, he didn't like the thought of her falling in the future.

  "I've seen true love. I don't doubt that it's real...for others." A pause as deep as an ocean, as turbulent as a storm, all hints of playfulness leaving her. "Was Tessa yours?"

  He gave a single incline of his head.

  Wistful, she said, "How did you know she was the one you'd be with forever?"

  "I looked at her and couldn't imagine a future without her."

  Longing softened already delicate features as she toyed with the hem of her shirt. "My dad said something similar about my mom." A pause. "What do you see when you look at me?"

  He could have sidestepped the issue, but he met her earlier bluntness with bluntness of his own. "I look at you and I get stuck on an image of you naked in my bed. I wonder if you'll taste sweeter than caramel, if you'll whisper my name or scream it. If you'll crave a soft and gentle ride or a hard one."

  Her hand fluttered to her heart as she backed a step away from him. "West." A husky rasp.

  He held her stare. "What do you see when you look at me?"

  Her mouth opened and closed, but no sound emerged.

  "What do you see?" he insisted. He had to know.

  "West...don't ask me... I don't think you'll like the answer."

  "Tell me, anyway."

  "I see...heartbreak waiting to happen. I'm sorry." With that, she turned and fled into her bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  SHOCKINGLY WARM AND toasty for the first time since the arrival of winter, Jessie Kay stretched with lazy abandon. She blinked open heavy-lidded eyes, brilliant morning light streaming through the crack in curtains she'd made from her childhood comforter. She still loved the elegant ballerinas and colorful butterflies. What would West think of--

  West!

  She jolted to her feet, her heart racing at warp speed. He'd moved in. He was here, tucked away in the bedroom across from hers.

  I look at you and I get stuck on an image of you naked in my bed. I wonder if you'll taste sweeter than caramel, if you'll whisper my name or scream it. If you'll demand I give you a soft and gentle ride or a hard one.

  A whimper escaped her. Those words had floored her. They'd thrilled her. They'd scared the crap out of her. And really, they'd angered her. He'd looked at Tessa and seen his future. He looked at Jessie Kay and thought of sex. Because he equated her with lust and only lust. Not companionship. Not partnership. Not even happiness. Just garden variety lust, what any man could feel for any woman.

  A girl can get a rise out of biscuits. Doesn't mean a darn thing.

  I wish I'd listened to you a long time ago, Momma.

  Sighing, Jessie Kay swiped up her phone, intending to send a message to Daniel. They were supposed to meet for breakfast, which was her favorite time to hang out with him. The perfect start to her day. She paused when she noticed two texts from Sunny.

  What's this I hear about U getting flowers? Is some1 romancing my girl?

  Hey, if I say "Party tonight" please tell me you'll B in. Pleeeeease! I miss the old days when U were f
un!

  Jessie Kay typed: Sorry, chica, but this gal hung up her party hat for good. If you ever decide to knit sweaters or play bingo, I'm your girl! :-)

  She ignored the question about the flowers. What happened with West was private.

  Sunny: THIS IS CRAZINESS! U blow chunks!

  No, for the first time in her life, she didn't.

  She typed the message to Daniel, still amazed he'd become one of her most treasured friends so quickly. But then, he never made a pass at her, and he genuinely seemed to enjoy her company.

  I'm too tired for breakfast. You free for dinner instead?

  Lunch wasn't an option. Jessie Kay planned to meet her sister, Kenna and Harlow at Two Farms for a little girl bonding.

  Daniel texted back.

  I am now. I'll pick you up at 7

  Her: Pick me up at 5.

  Daniel: Only people over 60 eat at 5

  Her: We have plans after we eat (I'm taking up soccer & you're taking up watching soccer)

  Daniel: Any hot girls gonna be there???

  Her: You mean besides ME?

  Daniel: That's so obvious I didn't think it needed to be stated

  Her: Don't know about other hot girls (sorry) BTW you're driving

  Daniel: Fine. I'll suffer through the silver-fox special & your practice but you'll owe me

  Her: Buck up. You're getting the better end of the deal--my company

  Already feeling peppier, she showered. She hoped the hot water would wash away the lingering effects of West's confession--the goose bumps, tingles, aches and the low-grade passion-fever--and for a while, it actually worked. But as she dressed in clothes too sexy for delivering sandwiches, the sensations returned and redoubled, tormenting her.

  If she survived the day, it would be a miracle.

  Hinges creaked as she opened her bedroom door and peeked into the hall. No sign of West. She released a breath she hadn't known she was holding. Maybe he'd decided to break free of his workaholic shackles and sleep in this fine Thursday morning. Maybe she would go the entire day without seeing him. He hadn't yet placed an order.

  As she tiptoed through the living room, confusion overwhelmed her. She felt as though she'd been transported into someone else's home. Empty wrappers and cans had been thrown away. Her blankets had been folded. A new--and bigger--TV sat in place of her old one. Three remote controls were perfectly aligned on the freshly polished coffee table.