Brand Of Possession

‘You mean——’ she broke off in confusion.

‘I mean exactly what you think I mean. But don't worry, I'll give you time to get to know me first.’

She gave an incredulous laugh. ‘Are you honestly trying to tell me——’

‘I believe in being honest about these things,’ he interrupted. ‘I want to go to bed with you, I want to put my brand of possession on you as soon as possible, so there's no point in trying to hide it. I told you earlier that I find you desirable.’

‘Yes, but——’

‘I know, I know, you take things a little slower over here. I've lived in the States so long I've forgotten I'm supposed to be one of the reserved English.’

Stacy gave him a curious look. ‘You aren't American?’

‘As good as—I left England when I was five years old. I was born not far from here. I guess I'll have to try and get a little of this reserve you all seem to have. But like I said, I'm not going to rush you into anything. If you find you don't feel the same way about me after a couple of dates then we'll forget the whole thing. I don't like my women unwilling.’

She swallowed hard, aware of the sensuous allure of his body as he sat beside her. Any woman could be seduced by such virility as he displayed, and she wasn't immune to him, far from it. She could easily find herself falling for him.

‘And I don't go in for casual affairs,’ she told him softly.

He looked at her with brooding eyes, their colour very blue. ‘I didn't say there was going to be anything casual about it.’

‘And I don't intend to be your bed companion for the short time you'll be in this country either.’

‘What makes you think I'm only going to be here a short time?’

She shrugged. ‘As far as I know Mr Weston is only here for the last couple of weeks of filming. As his employee you'll leave when he does.’

‘Then I'll just have to make sure he enjoys his stay enough to want to stay longer.’

‘I shouldn't bother on my account.’ She put her empty glass down on the table. ‘I think I should go and find Matthew.’

His eyes narrowed. ‘You never did tell me how friendly you are with him.’

‘Very friendly.’ She deliberately gave the wrong impression of that friendship.

Those long fingers clamped about her wrist once again. ‘Is that the truth, Stacy?’

She faced him defiantly. ‘Why should I lie?’

‘Fear. Nervousness. There could be any number of reasons.’

It was both of those, and a lot more. The trouble with this man was that he was too attractive for any woman to resist for long. Not that it made him conceited, he had merely seen something he wanted and wasn't afraid to say so. But his age and experience made her nervous, gave her the feeling that this was a battle she was going to lose, which was why she had to stop it now.

‘Matthew and I are very good friends. We even lived together for a time.’ Which they had, on a purely platonic basis. Matthew had been thrown out of his digs and she had let him sleep on her sofa for a while.

‘But not now?’ Jake persisted.

‘Not now.’

The tension seemed to leave his body. ‘Then it couldn't have worked out between the two of you, which means there's nothing between you now. I'm not asking for virginity from you, Stacy.’

‘I don't think you have the right to ask anything of me.’ She gave him a searching look. ‘I hardly know you, but I can tell you're no novice when it comes to making love.’

‘At thirty-eight, no.’

‘Not even at my age,’ she rebuked.

‘Probably not,’ he acknowledged mildly.

‘I would say definitely not.’

He laughed softly. ‘I think you're right.’ He stood up. ‘Let's go for a walk in the garden.’

She looked up at him, wrenching her eyes away from his muscular thighs only inches in front of her. ‘It's after ten o'clock at night, it's dark out there.’

Jake pulled her effortlessly to her feet, retaining a hold on one of her hands as she would have pulled away. ‘The garden is illuminated at night,’ he said tolerantly.

‘Yes, but I——’

‘Come on, Stacy. It's too noisy in here, we can't talk properly.’

‘I think we've talked enough for one day.’

‘About certain things, perhaps, but I have other things to say to you.’ His voice lowered. ‘Things I would rather say when we're completely alone.’

That was what she was afraid of! ‘No, I don't think——’

‘I'm not asking you to think. Don't be such a baby, Stacy. Is there no adventure in your soul, no craving for danger?’

Not when she knew she had a good chance of losing to him. ‘No,’ she said huskily.

‘I don't believe you.’

He pulled her along behind him and Stacy had no choice but to follow him. She was conscious of many people curiously watching their exit, and this didn't improve her mood.

She pulled away from him once they were outside, glaring at him resentfully, her colour heightened. ‘It's cold out here,’ she lied. ‘I want to go back inside.’

His answer was to put an arm about her shoulders and pull her hard against the side of his firm muscular body. ‘It isn't cold, Stacy,’ he contradicted. ‘But if you are just stay close to me, I'll keep you warm.’

‘Perhaps that's what I'm afraid of.’

‘That's what I thought.’ He turned to face her, his arms about her waist as he moulded her thighs to his. ‘I can't do much to you in a garden, now can I?’

She gulped. ‘I suppose not.’

‘Besides, I like the comfort of a bed when I make those sort of advances. I've gone past the impetuous youth bit where I can make love anywhere. Also, I want things to be right between us the first time.’

She gulped again. This man was unlike anyone else she had ever known, said things no one else would dare to say on such short acquaintance. ‘The——’ she licked her dry lips. ‘The first time?’