she began, and saw the laughter fade, his mouth take on a straighter line.
‘I can’t pretend he isn’t a factor, but only insofar as the time element is concerned.’
Jessica kept her tone level. ‘You mean, you’d still want me to marry you if he died tonight?’
Zac returned her gaze without a flicker. ‘I’ve never been against marriage itself. I just never met anyone I could contemplate being with on any permanent basis before.’
‘Which you can with me?’
‘Very much so.’
What was she waiting for? Jessica asked herself. How many times in her life was she going to be offered all that Zac could give her? There might be little real depth to what they felt for each other as yet, but that could be true of many a marriage in its early stages.
‘All right,’ she said recklessly. ‘Let’s do it!’
She closed her eyes as his mouth sought hers again.
Waking at first light to see a head on the pillow next to her, Jessica thought for a fleeting moment that she was back in the flat with Paul. Memory brought little reassurance. Last night had been sheer madness! How could she possibly contemplate marrying a man she barely knew?
Judging from his steady breathing, Zac was still deeply asleep. She slid slowly and carefully from the bed, and pulled on her cotton wrap, standing for a moment to gather herself.
The scattering of clothing across the floor bore mute testimony to just how wild a night it had been. She followed the trail, gathering the garments up as she went. A bare week ago she hadn’t even known Zac Prescott existed!
It wasn’t going to happen, of course. Zac would have second thoughts too in the cold light of day. What he needed to do this morning was go back to Dorset and clear things up. His grandfather might be angry enough to do as his grandmother had intimated, but that was a chance he would simply have to take.
As to herself, she would be doing as originally planned and taking advantage of Leonie’s offer. If the idea held little appeal, that was something she was just going to have to live with.
She was standing at the window looking out at the river scene when the strong male arms encircled her waist.
‘Why didn’t you waken me?’ Zac asked softly, nuzzling her ear. ‘I know a far better stimulant than coffee!’
‘Don’t men ever think of anything else?’ Jessica jerked out.
‘Depends on the place, the time and the incentive,’ came the undaunted answer. ‘Particularly the last. I can’t have enough of you!’
Gritting her teeth, she put the coffee cup down on the sill. ‘You’ve had all of me you’re going to get.’
He gave a low laugh. ‘That’s fighting talk, lady!’
‘I mean it!’ She caught at the hand sliding between the edges of her wrap, knowing if he touched her the way he was aiming to do she’d be lost. ‘Let go of me, Zac! I want you to let go of me!’
He did so immediately, standing back with hands raised in mock defence as she turned to face him. He was wearing one of the white towelling robes from the bathroom. It gaped at the chest, revealing the wiry thicket of dark hair she had found such a stimulant last night. She ran the tip of her tongue over lips gone dry, desisting abruptly on seeing the look in the grey eyes as they followed the movement.
Zac put his hands down and leaned against the nearby chest of drawers. His regard was devoid now of humour. ‘So, why the change of mind?’ he asked. ‘You were all for it last night.’
‘Not all.’ Jessica did her best to at least sound in control. ‘I let my better judgement be put aside for a time, but I knew deep down that it couldn’t possibly work out.’
‘Give me reasons why not,’ he said levelly.
‘Because it would be for all the wrong reasons. The only thing we have in common is sexual attraction.’
‘Not true. Not from my side, at any rate. As I told you last night, there’s a whole lot more to you than a face and body. I like being with you. I was under the impression that you felt much the same way about me.’
‘It isn’t enough,’ she declared. ‘You’ve no idea what love is.’
Zac studied her with a certain cynicism. ‘Are you all that sure you do?’
About to return a short sharp affirmative, Jessica caught herself up. Did she though? If she’d truly loved Paul, would she have got over him as fast as she appeared to have done? Would she have even considered marrying another man within a few weeks?
‘I know enough to be sure that what we have isn’t anywhere near it,’ she said at length.
‘Maybe not yet. We can learn together.’ Zac hadn’t moved from his position, but there was nothing indolent about him. ‘I’m not giving up on this, Jess!’
She looked back at him helplessly, rent by opposing forces. Dark hair tousled, jawline shadowed, the towelling robe that was so obviously his only covering on the verge of falling all the way open, he stirred every part of her.
Zac settled the conflict by reaching for her, drawing her close to kiss her with a passion she couldn’t hold out against. She felt the swift sure touch of his hands at the tie belt of her wrap, then the garment came loose, exposing her to the exquisite sensation of skin to skin; tying her innards in knots that could only be untangled one way.
‘Come back to bed,’ he murmured.
Whatever doubts she still harboured deep down, the rapture to be found in Zac’s arms was more than a match for them. Lying utterly drained afterwards, she could only compare what she felt like right now with what she’d known in the past. With no other experience to draw on, she had taken it that Paul’s self-interest was typical of all men. Zac had certainly rid her of that notion. Her pleasure was so obviously as important to him as his own.
No more hesitation, she resolved. If this wasn’t love, it was certainly heading that way. They had the rest of their lives to get to know one another.
Her objections to ordering breakfast for two via room service were rendered invalid when Zac informed her that he’d booked the room in the name of Mr and Mrs Prescott.
‘You were so sure of me?’ she said.
‘Sure I wasn’t going to give you up without one hell of a struggle,’ he returned. ‘I left you to save a scene in the foyer, that’s all.’
‘Then created one kissing me the way you did,’ she accused.
‘A mere parting gesture between husband and wife. A little premature, perhaps, but good practice for the future.’
Jessica had to smile. ‘I’ll remind you of that the first time you forget.’
‘See me off the same way every morning, and there’s no chance!’
There was something
