thing you know, they get married. Then curtains start going up in the windows. When my men ought to be resting up for the next day’s work, they’re busy fixing things up, making them look pretty.”
Amanda rolled her eyes. “Well, we certainly wouldn’t want that to happen.”
Jason edged closer. “Then my crews aren’t concentrating on their jobs because their women are mad at them. Or because they’re anxious to get home. Either way, my men aren’t thinking about work.”
Amanda felt heat roll off of Jason. It soaked into her.
He leaned his head down. “And a year from now I’ll have babies up here because of all the socializing going on.”
Amanda’s cheeks flamed. How dare he say such a thing to her? She should have slapped his face. And she would have if she hadn’t been so hopelessly caught in the molten aura he gave off.
He came nearer. She wanted to back away—should back away. Then his mouth clamped over hers, and she wanted desperately to stay right where she was.
Jason looped his arm around her waist and pressed himself against her. Heat flamed between them. His lips moved against hers, plying, wanting, asking. He splayed his hand over her back.
A thousand explosions pierced her body. She’d never been kissed before—not like this. Never been touched as Jason touched her now. It wasn’t proper. It certainly wasn’t dignified.
But it was wonderful.
Amanda swayed against Jason. She grabbed his shoulders to keep from falling and parted her lips ever so slightly.
He slipped inside her at once, tasting her, exploring her. Luring her, tempting her until she did the same.
A groan rattled in his mouth as Amanda pressed deep, matching his movements. He pulled her tighter against him.
Amanda was lost in the feel of him, the taste of him. Hopelessly lost in the decadent moment of their mouths blending together.
Until he suddenly yanked his mouth from her and looked up.
A voice intruded into the fog clouding Amanda’s mind. She turned. Ethan stood in the open doorway.
Chapter Five
Ethan froze in midstride. “Uh…sorry.” He backed outside and closed the door.
Jason clung to Amanda, holding her against him. She was soft and warm. She smelled better than anything on his entire mountain. He didn’t want to let her go.
Her lips were wet and her cheeks pink. He’d done that to her. Done it and enjoyed it.
Her eyes were wide with embarrassment. He’d done that, too.
Jason eased his grip on her. She looked so vulnerable, so confounded, that he wanted to keep her in his arms and hold her, comfort her, and make everything all right for her.
But she pushed away from him, drew herself upright, and spun away. She rushed to the door, then stopped, as if unsure which was more embarrassing—going outside and confronting Ethan, or staying inside with him.
“Miss Pierce, wait—”
His words spurred her into action. Amanda yanked open the door and fled, leaving Jason staring after her.
“Dammit….”
Jason raked his hands through his hair and stared at the still open door. He wanted to go after her. He wanted her back. He wanted to hold her, and smell her, and kiss her, and…
And what? Jason grumbled another curse into the quiet office. He knew what he wanted to do. His body had already made it perfectly clear.
The office door opened wider and Ethan stepped inside. “Did you and Miss Pierce kiss and make up? Or just kiss?”
Jason cursed again and waved toward the door Amanda had just disappeared through. “That’s another reason I don’t want women up here.”
Ethan pushed the door closed and dropped into the chair in front of the desk. “Have you something against kissing all of a sudden?”
Jason glared at him. “No.”
“Then what the hell are you talking about?”
“Women gussied up in city clothes, all proper and dignified, getting flustered by a simple kiss,” Jason said. “What kind of wife would that be?”
Ethan grinned. “In the case of Amanda Pierce, a pretty good one.”
Jason cursed again.
“She’s got spirit,” Ethan said. “Determination, drive. If you ask me—”
“Nobody asked you.” Jason grabbed his hat off his desk and stalked to the door. “We’ve got work to do.”
“Jason, hold up a minute.” Ethan rose from the chair. “You work harder than any man on this mountain. You ought to take some time off, go down to Beaumont for a few days.”
“I’ve got a business to run.”
Ethan touched his shoulder. “Working yourself into the ground isn’t going to make up for Pa.”
“That’s not what I’m doing,” Jason said. He stalked outside, slamming the door behind him.
Bad enough that he’d gone and kissed Amanda Pierce, that she’d set his body on fire and sent his mind churning. Ethan didn’t have to bring up their father as well.
Jason stood on the porch of the office looking at his logging camp, his mountain. He’d bought it with his own money. He’d designed the layout of the camp and put the crew together. He’d built it himself and he was proud of it.
Ethan had come along later with the idea for the sawmill and put up the money for the new equipment. Since then they’d worked together, planned together.
For most of their lives, wherever Jason went, Ethan was seldom far behind. Ethan was only a year younger. They were closer than most brothers. That suited Jason just fine because the rest of the family was scattered. They drifted in and out of his life with an occasional letter. Thanks to their Ma and Pa.
Jason didn’t like being reminded of their father. And he sure as hell didn’t need to be reminded of how long it had been since he’d left his mountain. Miss Amanda Pierce and her kiss had done that—with predictable results.
Jason walked off the porch. He needed to get his mind on work, and off Miss Amanda Pierce. She was leaving today, anyway. And good riddance to her. Her and her brides…her sweet smell…her kiss.
Jason hiked to the skid road that led up the mountain. To his surprise he found his crew congregated there loaded down with their axes, saws, canteens and cans of pitch. The bull whackers had two teams of sixteen oxen harnessed, ready to head up the mountain. But they were all standing around talking when they should have been working already.
“What’s
