Jason crossed the room and gently placed the icepack he’d wrapped in the hand towel on Emma’s swollen knee, careful not to hurt her. “How’s that?”
She sighed. “That feels good. Thanks.”
He looked around the room for a place to sit and thought he saw a chair. It was hard to tell because of all the clothes draped over it. She had a body made for sin, and a quick mind, but she was a lousy housekeeper. Jason shook his head as he tossed pants, shirts, and…a hot-pink bra to the floor. He imagined the pretty color against her creamy skin, and the fly of his jeans tightened. A rocking chair finally came into view. He made himself comfortable and waited. He wasn’t going anywhere, not until they had a chance to talk.
Chapter Four
Emma stared at Jason sitting in the chair. A sudden image of the two of them in a room filled with flowers and candlelight entered her mind. She even pictured a warm fire with a large soft white rug laid out on the floor in front of it. Emma and Jason would lie atop it. Both of them would undress, and Jason would make slow, sweet love to her. She could almost feel his hands against her warm flesh, his mouth trailing kisses down her torso to her stomach. His touch would feel so good, Emma practically floated on a sea of rapturous bliss. When she heard her name, Emma yanked her wanton mind back to reality. She blinked, bringing the room into focus, a little rattled when she heard quiet male laughter.
“You looked pretty far away just now. Care to share your thoughts?” Jason asked as he watched her from across the room.
Emma glared at him. “Not really”
He rose from the chair and approached the bed. “Fine, but you and I have yet to talk.”
He was entirely too sure of himself. It made her want to smack him, but he was so big and hard it’d be like hitting a rock wall. “Why do I get the feeling that you often get your way.” She made an effort to swing her feet to the ground, feeling at a distinct disadvantage.
“What are you doing?” And then he was standing over her, all but holding her down.
“Excuse me, but do you mind?”
Jason put his hand on her shoulder and held her in place. Amusement seemed to light his eyes as Emma tried to resist him. She wasn’t any bigger than a gnat compared to him. “Actually, yes, I do mind. You can’t stand on that leg. You’ve got to give it time for the swelling to go down.”
Her anger grew by the second. Who did he think he was to tell her what to do? “My knee is not for you to worry about. I’ve been taking care of myself for a long time. I will continue to do so.”
“Not all that well, you haven’t. You barely have a pot to piss in, and you’re a total slob, by the way. This place is a wreck. And apparently you don’t eat, as there is no stove, and I won’t even mention the items you carry in this shop. I mean, elves, for Pete’s sake? You can’t possibly have a big demand for those.”
“Are you quite through with you evaluation?”
“Not even close. And how come you’re living above a shop? It’s really not what I’d call a safe place for a single woman.”
She rolled her eyes at his tirade and readjusted her pillows, trying at the very least to sit up. Lying down made her feel defenseless. And she didn’t do real well with defenseless. “Look, it’s none of your business how I live,” she explained, her voice firm. “We’re nothing to each other, Jason, except old schoolmates.”
“We’re more to each other than that.”
She ignored him and swiftly continued, “I live above Your Heart’s Desire because my business is still very new. I can’t afford a bigger place right now.” When he began to protest, she shot right over him: “And I may be a slob, I may even snore, though I don’t think I do, still neither of those things has anything to do with you. I live alone. I live the way I want. Eat when and what I want. No one, least of all you, tells me what I should do and when. Got that?”
He raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms over his chest. “Yeah, I got that.” A soft smile crossed his face. “I’m sorry if I offended you. My brother tells me all the time that my mouth will eventually get me into trouble.”
“I’d love to meet him. He sounds like a smart guy.”
“He’d probably have you running as far away from me as possible,” he admitted as he began to massage her leg. “I wouldn’t be pleased.”
“Oh,” she moaned as her eyes drifted shut. “Wow, that feels good.”
Her voice dripped warm honey. Jason watched as her neck arched backward, a little sigh escaping her throat. He was positive she wasn’t aware of the erotic picture she made. The thoughts that sprang to his mind made him go hard instantly. She had that effect on him. He wasn’t sure if he was happy or pissed about that. First things first.
“Are you dating anyone?” he asked.
Her eyes sprang open, and she quickly pushed his hand away. “Of course not.”
The hurt in her eyes told him there was a story there. “But you were dating someone recently?”
“It was months ago, and we parted on nasty terms. After he dumped me, I moved across town and opened up Your Heart’s Desire.”
“You wanted a fresh start,” he quickly surmised.
“Yes.” She moved to the edge of the bed. “I never managed to please him.”