TONIGHT was the night, Jenna decided as she headed downstairs to wait for Garrett to arrive for their first official “date.” She’d put off the inevitable conversation with Garrett long enough, much longer than she’d originally intended once she’d made the decision to tell him the truth about her past. There had been no opportune moment to bring up the subject during the week, and now, guilt was starting to settle on her conscience, and that was something she refused to allow to taint her growing relationship with Garrett.
Tonight would be the night, she vowed. Lisa had asked to take Chelsea for the night so her niece could spend some time with the twins, and Garrett wanted to take advantage of the evening alone to take Jenna out to dinner. While she didn’t want to spoil their date with a discussion about her secret, before the evening was over, they needed to talk.
She entered the living room and smiled at Ella Vee as the older woman sat in her favorite over-stuffed chair and worked on a floral cross-stitch pattern. She tipped her chin down to look at Jenna above the rim of her wire-framed glasses. “My, my,” she said exuberantly. “Don’t you look pretty.”
“Thank you.” Jenna smoothed a self-conscious hand over the bodice of the peach-colored dress she’d chosen to wear for tonight’s intimate outing. The outfit was made of a silky material that clung lightly to her breasts and waist, then flared over her hips and flirted around her knees in a way that showcased her slender legs. She’d left her hair down and unrestrained, allowing the curls to cascade over her shoulders and back, just how Garrett liked it best. She wanted to look beautiful and feminine for him, wanted him to be proud to be seen with her.
She inwardly winced at her insecure thoughts. For all she’d grown in strength the past weeks, it was apparent she still possessed a bit of vulnerability she couldn’t shake. But this night was so important to her, for so many reasons, and she’d be lying if she didn’t admit that she was nervous.
Ella Vee rocked back in her chair. “Where are you off to on this fine Saturday night?”
“I’m going out to dinner with Garrett.” Jenna glanced at her wristwatch, feeling both anxious and excited at the same time. “He should be here any minute.”
“It’s about time that boy took you out on the town,” Ella Vee said with a satisfied nod. “He’s been a little slow coming around, but I have a feeling he plays for keeps.”
“I certainly hope so,” she said softly, realizing too late that she’d spoken her thoughts aloud.
Ella Vee set aside her cross-stitch and regarded Jenna speculatively. “Things are serious between the two of you, aren’t they?”
She sat down on the couch and shrugged indifferently, but couldn’t stop the telltale warmth that infused her cheeks. “I enjoy being with him, and Chelsea.” That was all she was willing to admit to Ella Vee, or anyone else for that matter, for now. No one needed to know that both father and daughter had so thoroughly captured her heart, and in such a short span of time.
A knowing smile curved the corners of Ella Vee’s mouth. “You have the same glow in your eyes that I felt for my beloved Byron when he first started courting me so many years ago.” She pressed a hand to her chest and sighed. “Ah, to be young and in love again.”
Startled by Ella Vee’s observation, Jenna glanced away from the older woman’s gaze, but couldn’t deny feeling a bit giddy at the lovely notion of being courted. She’d never been romanced by any man, not even Sheldon. He’d pursued her for purely practical reasons, and that hadn’t included frivolous dates and romantic interludes.
The doorbell rang, and Jenna’s heart lurched in her chest.
Ella Vee smiled. “Looks like your man is here.”
Her man. Jenna liked the sound of that. Taking a deep, relaxing breath, she pushed to her feet and went to answer the door. The man standing on the other side of the threshold took her breath away. She’d always thought Garrett gorgeous, but there was something about this whole entire night that made him seem like the prince of her dreams with his pitch-black hair and sexy blue eyes that appraised her outfit with as much interest as she took in his. His jeans and casual shirt were gone, replaced by a button-down shirt in brown tones and chocolate-colored trousers.
He held a fragrant bouquet of carnations and roses toward her. “These are for you.”
A lump formed in her throat, making speech impossible. She took the floral arrangement, melting inside at the sweet gesture. “The flowers are beautiful, Garrett,” she managed around the tightness in her chest. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” He grinned, making him look young, boyish, and carefree.
“Come on in,” She stepped aside for him to enter the house. “I’m going to put these in water. I’ll be just a minute.”
Needing a quick reprieve to gather her composure, she headed toward the kitchen, listening as Garrett greeted Ella Vee. Finding a vase in the cupboard, she filled it with water and carefully arranged the flowers and baby’s breath in the glass container.
She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn’t hear him enter the kitchen. She gasped when he slipped his arms around her waist from behind and pulled her flush against his chest. Her entire body tingled at the contact.
“You look and smell good enough to eat,” he growled into her ear, then buried his face into her hair to inhale a deep breath of her scent.
She shivered with pleasure and the stirring of desire taking up residence in her. Closing her eyes and reveling in every sensation he evoked, she reached back and placed her palm against his smooth cheek. “You look and smell pretty good yourself,” she said.
His warm chuckle seemed to reverberate through her. “Aren’t we a pair.” He turned her in his arms, the irresistible heat glimmering in his eyes pure temptation. “We’ve got a full evening ahead of us. Ready to go?”
She nodded, willing to follow him anywhere.
The magical night ended much too soon for Jenna’s liking.
Once they left Ella Vee’s, Garrett treated her to dinner at the nicest restaurant in town, requesting a secluded booth and candlelight that gave the atmosphere a very intimate feel. While many people watched them with interest on their first public outing together, Garrett was openly attentive and affectionate. He touched her often, insisted on holding her hand, and refused to hide the fact that they were a couple.
He took her to a romantic comedy movie, and afterward they strolled along the closed shops, illuminated by the full moon and star-studded sky. He stopped to kiss her frequently, leaving her restless for more. And because Jenna was loathe to shatter the wondrous fantasy evening Garrett had woven, she couldn’t bring herself to shift the romantic, playful mood to a more serious topic.
But just like Cinderella and her prince, the clock struck midnight, signaling that she’d avoided the inevitable much too long. Garrett ushered her back to his truck, slipped behind the wheel, and stretched his arm across the back of the bench seat toward her.
He brushed her loose hair aside and skimmed his fingers down her throat. “Do you want me to take you to the boarding house, or would you like to come back to my place for a while?” he asked, his deep voice as seductive as silk strumming along her skin. “I’m not expecting Rylan home tonight.”
His insinuation was unmistakable. They’d be alone, cloaked in privacy. And that’s exactly what she needed to divulge her secret, to tell him the truth about her past. Gathering the courage to put her future in Garrett’s hands was another matter altogether.
“Your place,” she whispered, and felt butterflies flutter in her tummy at the wholly masculine smile curving his mouth.
But when they arrived at his house, it was apparent that serious conversation wasn’t anywhere on Garrett’s agenda. He led her to the living room, keeping the lights dim, and the atmosphere romantic. A tantalizing shiver coursed through her, the sudden, unexpected chill suffusing her veins.
Garrett regarded her thoughtfully. “Would you like something to drink?” He rubbed his hands up and down her arms, warming her with his body heat. “Maybe a glass of wine?”
Grateful for his perception, she sat on the couch. “A glass of wine would be nice,” she said, hoping that might calm the dozen insecurities that had taken flight within her and bolster the fortitude she so desperately needed to see her through the upcoming discussion.
He left her alone with her thoughts, but returned minutes later, giving her very little time to formulate an easy way to bring up what was on her mind. He handed her the glass of blush liquid, and settled in beside her—close enough that their thighs touched, and his enticing male scent saturated her senses with a familiar longing she tried hard to resist.
He wove his finger through a curly strand of her hair and gave it a gentle tug to capture her attention. “Ah, alone at last.”
His dark, intense gaze captured hers in the golden lamplight, and she smiled. “Do you think Chelsea is having a good time with the twins?” She took a long swallow of the wine, and it settled in her belly, warm and relaxing.
“I’m sure she’s having a ball helping Lisa. She was so excited about spending the night and being with the twins.” A grin touched his mouth, and he brushed his fingers along her jaw, igniting a very pleasurable sensation just beneath the surface of her skin. “You know, I’ve been wanting to thank you for everything you’ve done for Chelsea, too.”
She laughed lightly, trying to ignore the flicker of awareness his caress evoked. She had a mission to fulfill tonight, and couldn’t afford to be distracted. “I haven’t done much at all. I enjoy spending time with her.” She took another drink of her wine, realizing she’d nearly drained the glass.
“Chelsea has really taken to you, not that I’m surprised, and so have I.” Taking the wineglass from her, he set it on the coffee table in front of them. When he returned to her side, he swept her wild fall of curls aside, exposing her neck. He dipped his head and nuzzled the sensitive spot just below her ear. “I was thinking, once Lisa returns to the office, maybe you’d like to continue watching Chelsea? I’d keep your salary the same, of course, but I don’t want you to think that’s the only reason I’m making the offer.”
She closed her eyes as his lips set her flesh on fire, and managed a breathy, “Oh?”
His damp mouth opened against her throat, and he slid a hand down her spine, crushing her breasts against his chest. A moan rumbled in his throat. “I like having you here to come home to in the afternoons and evenings,” he said, the tenor of his voice turning husky.
Her heart beat wildly as heat and need threatened to swamp her. She had to tell Garrett the truth, before he dragged her into the flames he was creating. Her doubts and fears returned in a rush of anxiety that shook her to the core.
He lifted his head, his expression infinitely tender and caring. “You’re trembling, Jenna. Are you nervous?” he asked, his voice low and soothing.
Was he that in-tune to her? Or was she that transparent? “Yes. A little,” she whispered. But for reasons he didn’t yet understand.
A concerned frown creased his brows. “Do I make you nervous?”
She swallowed the knot of emotion gathering in her throat. Needing to touch him, she smoothed back the dark lock of hair that had fallen so rakishly over his forehead. “No, you don’t make me nervous.” I’m just so scared of losing you once you discover what I’ve done.
He caught her hand and pressed a kiss in her palm. “Then how do I make you feel?”
The answer to his question came easily. “Safe. Secure. Desirable.” Respectable. And she feared losing that, too.
His smile was lazy and very sexy. “I’m glad I make you feel that way.” Reclining against the end of the couch, he pulled her closer, and she flowed into his arms willingly. “Do you realize I haven’t had you alone and all to myself in two days? I feel like I’m starting to go through symptoms of withdrawal.”
Her mouth was positioned just above his, so near she could almost taste his kiss. She dragged her tongue along her bottom lip. “Are you suggesting that you have lost time to make up for?”
His hand slipped to the nape of her neck, his wonderful fingers gently kneading the tense muscles there, making her feel lethargic. “Maybe I do,” he murmured.
Her breath left her lungs in a rush. Temptation beckoned, pulling her in two distinctly different directions. Her body softened, grew pliant, while her mind urged her to pull away and put much needed distance between them. She fought her way through the sensual fog settling over her, just barely.
“Garrett—”
“No more talking, Jenna.” He effectively cut her off with his words, and the slow exploration of his hands along her waist and over her bottom. Slowly, he inched up the hem of her dress, until his palms encountered the backs of her bare thighs.
She gasped, and a sexy grin lifted his lips.
“We talked all evening. Now it’s just you and me, and I have a different form of communication in mind.”
His eyes turned a smoldering shade of blue, and she wanted nothing more than to lose herself in his gaze and never be found again. There was so much about this man she did want…she yearned to touch him everywhere, ached to hold him close and feel his body against hers—heartbeat to heartbeat.
More than anything, she longed for his love.
For now, for the moment, she’d settle for desire and passion. Her lashes fluttered to half-mast. “One kiss,” she relented as he drew her mouth to his and she surrendered to him.
But Garrett was like a potent, addictive drug, and one taste wasn’t nearly enough to satisfy her hunger. He slanted his mouth beneath hers as each kiss melted inevitably, enticingly into another, until the only thought filling her head, the only emotion in her heart, was being one with this man who’d made her feel so whole and complete.
Before she changed her mind, before she allowed her better judgment to intrude on the sensual moment, she whispered her greatest need against his lips, “Garrett, make love to me.”
He stilled, the muscles across his chest bunching. “Are you sure?”
She’d never been more sure of anything in her entire life, and she supposed love had a way of turning doubts into certainties. Selfish as it might be, she wanted this one night with Garrett, wanted to meld her heart with his, and let their souls entwine in a way she’d never before experienced. “Yes, I’m sure.”
He stared at her for a long moment, his eyes searching hers. “No regrets in the morning?”
She shook her head, knowing the only thing she’d ever regret was not making love with him. It would be a beautiful memory she’d forever cherish, no matter what tomorrow, and the truth, would bring. “No regrets.”
With that solemn promise, he led her up the stairs to his bedroom, where there were no more lengthy conversations to worry about, just the anticipation of pleasure. Instead of words, they communicated with their lips, their hands, and their bodies.
Standing by the big four-poster she’d slept alone in weeks earlier as they slowly, leisurely undressed each other, Jenna realized that she’d come full circle. From a runaway bride seeking a place where she belonged, to a woman who’d found all that, and so much more. And tonight, she refused to allow her past to overshadow this moment of pure contentment, and the bliss awaiting her.
With each article of clothing Garrett stripped away, he caressed the flesh he’d bared, and she reveled in the exquisite sensations tumbling through her. And then she helped him shed his own clothes, and was struck by the sheer physical beauty of his body, the strength of his desire for her, as well as her own feminine reaction to him. She experienced no apprehension with him. No shame. Just a rightness that filled her to overflowing.
He pulled down the covers and eased her back onto the mattress, and after taking a moment for protection, he covered her with his hard length, finding his natural place between her legs. While she automatically braced herself for this first joining, it seemed Garrett was in no rush to complete the union. While one hand delved into her hair, his other skimmed her body with need, warmth, and an urgency that left her breathless. His kisses were deep and reverent, and he completely seduced her mouth before his lips left hers to blaze a trail down her throat to her full, taut breasts. She shivered at the erotic brush of his breath against her skin, and the excitement coiling tight in her belly.
He lifted his head just as he reached the tip of her breast, his gaze rich with appreciation as he took in her lush figure. “Ah, Jenna, you’re absolutely perfect, so incredibly beautiful,” he whispered. He curved his hand possessively around her soft, feminine flesh and skimmed his thumb over the hard peak.
She inhaled a startled breath, stunned by the intense ache spreading within her. “Thank you,” she said, her tone shy, matching the blush she knew was staining her cheeks.
He studied her face, surprise lighting his eyes. “No man has ever told you that before?”
His incredulous tone made her smile. The shift of his legs along hers created sparks she felt from her head all the way to her toes. “You’re the first.”
“Amazing,” he murmured, and dipped his head to lavish attention on the breasts he’d just praised.
The heat of his mouth, the softness of his tongue, all conspired to make her wild and restless with sensual longing and something far more pleasurable. Moaning softly, she pushed her fingers through his thick hair, and clung to him. She’d never felt so cherished, so utterly worshiped, and it was a feeling she never wanted to end.
Unable to help herself, she touched him in return, running her hands over his hard muscles, down his arms and over his chest, until he was just as feverish as she.
And then his lips crushed hers in a rapacious kiss and she felt the pressure of him pushing against her. She gasped sharply at the invasion, and the twinge of pain she experienced at being stretched too quickly. But the discomfort ebbed as he moved, filling her completely, building the pleasure until they were both swept into the awaiting storm. Just as Jenna wished, she felt connected not only by their bodies, but their hearts and souls as well.
The emotions that crashed over her in the aftermath overwhelmed her. Her breath caught on an unexpected shudder, and tears of happiness filled her eyes.
Garrett lifted his head from the crook of her neck, and frowned when he saw the moisture shimmering in her eyes. One blink, and a tear escaped, and he brushed it away with his thumb.
Concern etched his bold, masculine features. “Jenna, honey, are you all right?”
“I’m fine.” She pressed her palm to his cheek and gave him a reassuring smile. “I just never knew making love would be this perfect.”
Understanding dawned in slow degrees, infusing his velvet blue eyes with shock. “You’re a virgin?”
“Not anymore,” she whispered.
Braced on his forearm, Garrett couldn’t take his gaze off the satiated woman laying beside him on his bed. The lamplight illuminated her incredible body flushed with luxurious fulfillment, her wild curly hair spread over his pillow, and her soft mouth. But despite that enticing visual display, it was Jenna’s eyes that held him riveted. The depths reflected a vulnerability that wrapped around his heart and made him feel extremely protective of her.
He supposed being her first lover had something to do with his fierce feelings as well. And that particular revelation still baffled him—that this very sensual woman had saved herself…for him.
The gift humbled him, pleased him, and brought too many questions rushing to the surface of his mind. He expressed the most predominant one. “Jenna, why didn’t you tell me you’ve never been with another man?” Not even her fiancé.
She tugged the sheet up, covering her breasts, and turned more fully toward him, so they were face-to-face. “It never came up in conversation.”
Her tone held a teasing lilt, but her simple answer didn’t satisfy him. “You can do better than that, sweetheart.” His knuckles drifted down her soft cheek, over that enticing beauty mark near her mouth, then across her bare shoulder. “You had plenty of opportunities to say something, like before we came upstairs.”
She placed a hand on his chest, right over where his heart beat steadily, while her eyes held his captive. “Garrett…I didn’t want it to matter.”
But her being a virgin did matter, for so many different reasons. He’d taken something from her he could never give back, despite the fact that she’d freely given herself to him. “How come you’ve never been with another man?” he asked, curious to know the reasons she’d resisted such a natural progression to any serious relationship. “Not even Sheldon.”
“No, not even Sheldon,” she agreed softly as she absently traced a pattern on his chest with her finger. “After everything my mother had been through with men, most of whom used her and took advantage of her, she preached the importance of being respected and respectable when I started developing breasts and other curves. She didn’t want anyone taking advantage of me, and believed being respected by a man was much more important than love, because that emotion made a person weak. My mother truly loved my father, and he broke her heart. She was never the same after that and felt as though she lost both love and her respectability. It’s been a lifelong lesson for me.”
He suspected there was more to that lifelong lesson. For as much as she revealed, the sadness in her eyes hid so much more. “Jenna, I have to ask…after saving yourself for this many years, and now knowing your reasons, why me?”
“Because you’re a man of honor and integrity, and being with you feels right.” She swallowed convulsively, and a tremulous smile wavered on her lips. “And…I love you.”
For the second time that night, Jenna stunned him, rendering him speechless.
“Garrett, I don’t expect you to say it in return,” she rushed to assure him. “I just wanted you to know that I don’t take making love with you lightly.”
He believed her. While Angela had manipulated him for her own selfish gains, there was no denying that Jenna was nothing like his first wife. She had a pure heart and a giving spirit, which was exactly what drew him to her in ways he couldn’t fight.
He lowered his head and kissed her, and she matched his desire on all levels. Exquisitely so. Primitive need gripped him, and he pulled her into his arms and gently eased her beneath his hard body, wanting her with an intensity that made him impatient and greedy.
She broke the kiss, her breath coming in short gasps as she seemingly struggled to keep from being swept away by their passion for each other. Her luminous eyes found his in the shadowed room. “Garrett…we need to talk.”
He smiled down at her. “We just did. You told me all I need to know for tonight.” He dropped a kiss on her nose, her cheek, her lips. “Tomorrow we have all day together, and we’ll talk about anything you want.” His hands stroked away any other protest she would have tried to make, and his persuasive mouth melted the last of her resistance, leaving her pliant and dewy with wanting.
And as Garrett made love to Jenna again, he accepted the realization that he’d fallen in love with her, too.