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He shrugged. “No harm done. It is what it is. It seems the four of us got a reputation we’ve been trying to live down for years. But I’m sure that’s not the reputation of mine that you were really referring to.”
No, it wasn’t. “I understand you like women.”
He chuckled. “Most men do.”
She raised a brow, not in the least amused. “I mean you really like them, but you don’t care about their feelings. You break their hearts without any concern for the pain it might cause.”
He studied her for a long moment. “That’s what you heard?”
“Yes. And now you want me to believe that you’re seriously considering settling down one day, marrying and having a family?”
“Yes. One doesn’t have anything to do with the other. What I do now in no way affects any future plans. I need to clarify something. I don’t deliberately set out to break any woman’s heart. I tell any woman I date the truth up front—my career as a doctor is foremost. However, if she refuses to take me at my word and assumes that she can change my mind, then it’s not my fault when she finds out otherwise.”
“So in other words...”
“In other words, Jillian, I don’t intentionally set up any woman for heartbreak or lead her on,” he answered curtly.
She knew she should probably leave well enough alone and stop digging, but for some reason she couldn’t help herself. “However, you do admit to dating a lot of women.”
“Yes, I admit it. And why not? I’m single and don’t plan to get into a committed relationship anytime soon. And contrary to what you believe, I don’t date as many women as you might think. My time is pretty limited these days because of medical school.”
She could imagine. How he managed to date at all while in medical school was beyond her. He was definitely into multitasking. She’d discovered most relationships demanded a lot of work and it was work she didn’t have time for. Evidently he made things easy by not getting serious with any woman. At least he’d been honest about it. He dated women for the fun of it and didn’t love any of them.
“I have one other question for you, Aidan,” she said, after drawing in a deep breath.
“What’s your question?”
“If all of what you said is true, about not getting serious with any woman, then why did you kiss me?”
* * *
Now that was a good question, one he could answer but really didn’t want to. She did deserve an answer, though, especially after the way he had plowed her mouth earlier. She was twenty-one, five years younger than him. And although she’d held her own during their kiss, he knew they were worlds apart when it came to sexual experience. Therefore, before he answered her, he needed to ask a few questions of his own.
“Why did you kiss me back?”
He could tell by her expression that she was surprised by his counterquestion. And, as he’d expected, she tried to avoid giving him an answer. “That’s not the issue here.”
He couldn’t help but smile. Little did she know it was the issue, but he would touch on that later. “The reason I kissed you, Jillian, is because I was curious. I think you have a beautiful pair of lips and I wanted to taste them. I wanted to taste you. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while.”
He saw her jaw drop and had to hold his mouth closed for a second to keep from grinning. She hadn’t expected him to answer her question so bluntly or to be so direct. That’s something she needed to know about him. He didn’t sugarcoat anything. Straightforward could be his middle name.
“So now that you know my reason for kissing you, what was your reason for kissing me back?”
She began nibbling on her bottom lip. Watching her made him ache, made him want to take hold of those lips and have his way with them again.
“I—I was...”
When she didn’t say anything else, he lifted a brow. “You were what?”
Then she had the nerve to take her tongue and lick those same lips she’d been nibbling on moments ago. “I was curious about you, too.”
He smiled. Now they were getting somewhere. “I can understand that. I guess the reason you asked about the kiss is because I told you I’m not into serious relationships when it comes to women. I hope you don’t think a deep kiss constitutes a serious relationship.”
From the look on her face, which she quickly wiped off, that’s exactly what she’d thought. She was more inexperienced than he’d assumed. He wondered just how inexperienced she was. Most twenty-one-year-old women he knew wore desire, instead of their hearts, on their sleeves.
“Of course I knew that.”
If she knew that then why were they having this conversation? If she thought he was looking for something serious just because he’d kissed her then she was so far off the mark it wasn’t funny.
“How many boyfriends have you had?”
“Excuse me?”
No, he wouldn’t excuse her. There were certain things she needed to know. Things experience had nothing to do with. “I asked how many boyfriends you’ve had. And before you tell me it’s none of my business, I’m asking for a reason.”
She lifted her chin in a defiant pose. “I can’t imagine what reason you would have for needing to know that.”
“So you can protect yourself.” He thought she looked both adorable and sexy. From the way her curly hair tumbled down her shoulders to the way the smoothness of her skin shone in the sunlight.
She lifted a brow. “Against men like you?”
“No. Men like me would never mislead you into thinking there was anything serious about a kiss. But there are men who would lead you to think otherwise.”
She frowned. “And you don’t think I can handle myself?”
He smiled. “Not the way I think you should. For some reason you believe you can avoid kisses until you’re in a serious relationship and there are certain kisses that can’t be avoided.”
He could tell by her expression that she didn’t believe him. “Take the kiss we shared earlier. Do you honestly think you could have avoided it once I got started?” he asked her.
Her frown deepened. “Yes, of course I could have.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
She rolled her eyes. “I told you. The only reason I allowed you to kiss me, and the only reason I participated, is because I was curious.”
“Really?”
She rolled her eyes again. “Really. Truly.”
“So, you’re not curious anymore?”
She shook her head. “Nope, not at all. I wondered what kissing you was like and now I know.”
Deciding to prove her wrong and settle the matter once and for all, he moved away from the tree and walked toward her.
Figuring out his intent, she stood with a scowl on her face. “Hold it right there, Aidan Westmoreland. Don’t you dare think you’re going to kiss me again.”
When he reached her, he came to a stop directly in front of her and she refused to back up. Instead she stood her ground. He couldn’t help but admire her spunk, although in this case it would be wasted.
“I do dare because I don’t just think it, Jillian, I know it. And I also know that you’re going to kiss me back. Again.”
Chapter Four (#u32952a97-9299-5e7c-9a22-abbb432addc1)
Jillian doubted she'd ever met a more arrogant man. And what was even worse, he had the nerve to stand in front of her with his Stetson tipped back and his legs braced apart in an overconfident stance. How dare he tell her what she would do? Kiss him back? Did he really believe that? Honestly?
She tilted her head back to glare up at him. He didn’t glare back, but he held her gaze in a way that was unnerving. And then his eyes moved, slowly raking over her from head to toe. Was that desire she felt rushing through her body? Where had these emotions inside of her come from? Was she getting turned on from the way he was looking at her? She tried to stiffen at the thought but instead she was drawn even more into the heat of his gaze.
“Stop that!”
He lifted a brow. “Stop what?”
“Whatever you’re doing.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. “So, you think I’m responsible for the sound of your breathing? For the way your nipples have hardened and are pressing against your shirt? And for the way the tip of your tongue is tingling, eager to connect with mine?”
Every single thing he’d pointed out was actually happening to her, but she refused to admit any of them. She crossed her arms over her own chest. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“Then I guess we’re at a standoff.”
“No, we’re not,” she said, dropping her hands to her sides. “I’m leaving. You can play this silly game with someone else.”
She turned to go and when his hand reached out and touched her arm, sharp spikes of blood rushed through her veins, filling her pores, drenching the air she was breathing with heated desire. And what on earth was that hunger throbbing inside of her at the juncture of her thighs? And what were those slow circles he was making on her arm with his index finger? She expelled a long deep breath and fought hard to retain control of her senses.
Jillian wanted to snatch her arm away but found she couldn’t. What kind of spell had he cast on her? Every hormone in her body sizzled, hissed and surged with a need she’d never felt before. She couldn’t deny the yearning pulsing through her even if she wanted to.
“You feel it, don’t you, Jillian? It’s crazy, I know, and it’s something I can’t explain, but I feel it each and every time I’m within a few feet of you. As far as I’m concerned, Pam and Dillon are the least of our worries. Figuring out just what the hell is going on between us should be at the top of the agenda. You can deny it as long as you want, but that won’t help. You need to admit it like I have.”
She did feel it and a part of her knew there was real danger in admitting such a thing. But another part knew he was right. With some things it was best to admit there was a problem and deal with it. Otherwise, she would lay awake tonight and regret not doing so.
His hand slowly traveled up her arm toward her lips. There he cradled her mouth in the palm of his hands. “And whatever it is has me wanting to taste you and has you wanting to taste me. It has me wanting to lick your mouth dry and you wanting to lick mine in the same way.”
He paused a moment and when he released a frustrated breath she knew that whatever this “thing” was between them, he had tried fighting it, as well. But he had given up the fight and was now ready to move to the next level, whatever that was.
“I need to taste you, Jillian,” he said.
As much as she wished otherwise, there was a deep craving inside of her to taste him, too. Just one more time. Then she would walk away, mount her horse and ride off like the devil himself was after her. But for now she needed this kiss as much as she needed to breathe.
She saw him lowering his head and she was poised for the exact moment when their mouths would connect. She even parted her lips in anticipation. His mouth was moving. He was whispering something but instead of focusing on what he was saying, her gaze was glued to the erotic movement of his lips. And the moment his mouth touched hers she knew she had no intention of turning back.
* * *
Nothing could have prepared Aidan for the pleasure that radiated through his body. How could she arouse him like no other woman could? Instead of getting bogged down in the mystery of it all, he buried his fingers in her hair, holding her in place while his mouth mated hungrily with hers.
And she was following his lead, using her tongue with the same intensity and hunger as he was using his. It was all about tasting, and they were tasting each other with a greed that had every part of his body on fire.
He felt it, was in awe of it. In every pore, in every nerve ending and deep in his pulse, he felt it. Lowering his hand from her hair he gently gripped her around the waist and, with their mouths still locked, he slowly maneuvered her backward toward the tree he’d leaned against earlier. When her back rested against the trunk, her thighs parted and he eased between them, loving the feel of his denim rubbing against hers.
Frissons of fire, hotter than he’d ever encountered, burned a path up his spine and he deepened the kiss as if his life depended on him doing so. Too soon, in his estimation, they had to come up for air and he released her mouth just as quickly as he’d taken it.
He tried not to notice the thoroughly kissed look on her face when she drew in a deep breath. He took a step back so he wouldn’t be tempted to kiss her again. The next time he knew he wouldn’t stop with a kiss. He wouldn’t be satisfied until he had tasted her in other places, as well. And then he would want to make love to her, right here on his land. On the very spot he planned to build his house. Crap! Why was he thinking such a thing? In frustration, he rubbed a hand down his face.
“I think we need to move on.”
Her words made him look back at her and an ache settled deep in his stomach. She was beautiful and desire escalated through him all over again. Giving in to what he wanted, he took a step forward and lowered his mouth to hers, taking a sweep of her mouth with his tongue. His groin swelled when she caught his tongue and began sucking on it.
He broke off the kiss and drew in a ragged breath. “Jillian! You’re asking for trouble. I’m within two seconds of spreading you on the ground and getting inside of you.” The vision of such a thing nearly overpowered his senses.
“I told you we should go. You’re the one who kissed me again.”
He smiled. “And you kissed me back. Now you understand what I meant when I said there are some kisses that can’t be avoided. You didn’t want me to kiss you initially, but then you did.”
She frowned slightly. “You seduced me. You made me want to kiss you.”
His smile widened. “Yes, to both.”
“So this was some sort of lesson?”
He shook his head. “Not hardly. I told you I wanted to taste you. I enjoyed doing so.”
“This can’t become a habit, Aidan.”
“And I don’t intend to make it one, trust me. My curiosity has more than been satisfied.”
She nodded. “So has mine. Are you ready to show me the other parts of Westmoreland Country?”
“Yes. We’re headed for Adrian’s Cove next and then Bailey’s Bay and Bane’s Ponderosa.”
He backed up to give her space and when she moved around him, he was tempted to reach out and pull her back into his arms, kiss her some more, until he got his fill. But he had a feeling that getting his fill would not be possible and that was something he didn’t want to acknowledge.
* * *
“So, how did the tour go with Aidan yesterday?”
Jillian glanced up from her breakfast when Bailey slid into the chair next to her. Pam had shared breakfast with Jillian earlier before leaving for the grocery store, and had asked her the same thing. It had been hard to keep a straight face then and it was harder to do so now.
“It went well. There’s a lot of land in Westmoreland Country. I even saw the property you own, Bailey’s Bay.”
Bailey smiled. “I can’t claim ownership until I’m twenty-five so I have a couple years left. But when I do, I plan to build the largest house of them all. It will even be bigger than this one.”
Jillian thought that would be an accomplishment because Dillon and Pam’s house was huge. Their house was three stories and had eight bedrooms, six bathrooms, a spacious eat-in kitchen, a gigantic living room, a large dining room with a table that could seat over forty people easily, and a seven-car garage.
“I can’t wait to see it when you do.” Jillian liked Bailey and had from the first time she’d set foot in Westmoreland Country to attend Pam’s engagement party. And since there was only a couple years’ difference in their ages, with Bailey being older, they had hit it off immediately. “What happens if you meet and marry a guy who wants to take you away from here?”
“That won’t happen because there’s not a man alive who can do that. This is where I was born and this is where I’ll die.”
Jillian thought Bailey sounded sure of that. Hadn’t Jillian felt the same way about her home in Wyoming at one time? Although it hadn’t been a man that had changed her mind, it had been the thought of how much money Pam would be paying for three sisters in college. Although her older sister had married a very wealthy man, it still would not have been right.
“Besides,” Bailey said, cutting into her thoughts. “I plan to stay single forever. Having five bossy brothers and seven even bossier male cousins is enough. I don’t need another man in my life trying to tell me what to do.”
