Read The Barons of Texas: Jill for Free Online

front of her, he murmured, “You’re welcome. I’m just grateful you’re not still in pain.” Then he slowly lowered his head and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Take it easy on yourself today.” His mouth descended to her lips, where it hovered. “Take your time getting to the office.”
    The warmth of his breath whispered over her lips. She held her own breath as a quiver shivered through her. Was he going to kiss her?
    He touched her face in a light caress. “Eat something before you leave, and drive slowly to work.” He lifted his head and gazed down into her eyes. Then he smiled. “See you in a few hours.” He swiveled and headed for the door.
    His hand was on the doorknob before she came toher senses. “Wait. What do you mean, you’ll see me in a few hours?”
    “Have you forgotten? I have an appointment with you at two.” He walked out and quietly shut the door behind him.
    Stunned, she sat down on the bed.
    A few hours? That was all the time she was going to have to get over what had happened? She exhaled a shaky breath. Well, okay, then. Even though she had been counting on not seeing him for a while, she would have to find some way to face him this afternoon. She had never before let herself walk away from something just because it was difficult, and she wouldn’t now.
    If she hadn’t exactly asked him to spend the night with her, she had asked him to stay with her a little while longer. She didn’t know why she had felt she needed him, nor did she know why she had slowly slid toward him to seek his warmth. And more.
    All she really knew was that she had felt strange and lost until Colin had drawn her against him and held her through the night.

Three
    “G ood afternoon, Colin.” Jill eyed him cautiously across the gleaming, neatly organized expanse of her mahogany desk.
    “Is it?” She was trying very hard to present her usual composed and imperturbable persona, Colin reflected, but she was trying too hard. With a satisfied smile to himself, he dropped into one of the chairs in front of her desk. After last night, no matter what she said or did, he knew she would never again be able to reconstruct the barrier she had tried so hard to keep between the two of them.
    “Is it what?”
    “Is it a good afternoon? Are you feeling better than you did this morning?”
    “Yes, I’m just fine.”
    “No sign of another headache?”
    “No.” Her jaw clenched.
    He hid another smile. She was really regretting his part in helping her last night. Unfortunately for her, it had happened, and though she was going to try her best to get them back to the casual acquaintanceship with which she had been so comfortable these past couple of years, he had no plans to let her.
    “Now that we’ve covered that subject,” she said tersely, “let’s please drop it.”
    “Sure, whatever you want.” He took in her outfit. She’d chosen a tailored, pin-striped navy suit paired with a cream silk blouse, buttoned at her neck. A plain gold watch at her wrist was her only jewelry. The look was unusually severe, even for her. And her hair was back up in that damnable French twist she seemed so fond of, though not as tight as it had been last night. He would bet money her head was still tender from the pain she’d suffered. “I won’t ask you again unless I see you looking like you did last night.”
    She stared at him for several moments, emotions chasing across her face too fast for him to decipher; then she broke eye contact, opened the folder in front of her and quickly scanned its contents. “Why did you even bother to schedule this meeting, Colin? I could have told you over the phone what I’m going to tell you now. I have no intention of selling you the property that’s adjacent to yours.”
    “Why?”
    She folded her hands together and rested them on the desk. “Let’s not play games. You know every one of the reasons I want to keep that piece of land. Even alone, it’s going to provide a big payoff