“Alyssa, when are you going to quit fighting me?”
She replied without hesitation. “Never.”
“Good. I like the fight in you. It makes my day to think about what you’re going to do next.”
“Jackson . . .” How and why did she keep resisting him? He seemed sure that he wasn’t going away, and she was beginning to feel like she didn’t want him to leave. But was he sticking around because of the excitement? If they ended up in a relationship, then their days would become routine, and at that point, wouldn’t he run? It’s what he did.
“Yes, Alyssa?”
“Do you really want to know me?”
He paused for so long she thought she’d lost him. When he spoke, his voice was warm as honey on a hot summer day. “I already know you, Alyssa. I know you love pink, that you fiddle with your hair when you’re nervous. I know that you have a heart as big as Texas and that you are loyal to your family and friends. I know that when we make love you are uninhibited and give everything of yourself . . .”
“That’s just scratching the surface, Jackson.”
“Then go on real dates with me. Accept my offer,” he said, suddenly very serious.
“To be your mistress?” She wanted everything between them clear-cut and unambiguous.
“No. I want more than that,” he said.
“But how much more, Jackson?” She held her breath and waited. Because whether she liked it or not, slowly and surely, though unwillingly, she was getting to know Jackson, and she was beginning to like him. Even more than that, she was afraid she was starting to fall in love with him.
And that was a problem, because he’d been more than clear that he would never love again. This, to him, was a game. And Jackson Whitman was very good at playing games—he played to win. She was heading down a dangerous road. But for the life of her she couldn’t seem to drag herself away from the oncoming wreck.
“I don’t know,” he said, suddenly seeming nervous.
“And that’s the problem, Jackson. You need to figure out what you want. I won’t be someone who is used and discarded. I’m going to be a mother, but besides that, no woman deserves to be treated no better than a recycled bottle. If you can’t even figure out what you want, then you have no business playing with me.”
When Jackson was silent for several heartbeats, Alyssa knew it was a good time to end their visit. “Good night, Jackson.”
He began to protest, but she simply disconnected the phone and then leaned back. She would have to see what tomorrow brought. Maybe this would be the end of their game. Maybe now he would realize that he couldn’t play with fire without getting scorched. He was pushing for an affair, but if he wanted to be with her, really be with her, then she would push for forever.
When three more days passed with no call and no sight of Jackson, she was almost devastated. That’s when she realized she was in too deep. It wasn’t just a matter of her falling in love with him; it was a matter of how deeply in love with him she already was.
She had to make a decision, and the decision was clear. She had to back away from him or lose herself forever in a man who didn’t know the meaning of retreat and who also didn’t know the meaning of love.
Finally! Alyssa was officially off bed rest and ready to party until she dropped. Five margaritas and break dancing! Okay, not quite, but a woman could dream, couldn’t she? Walking into the saloon, geared up for work, she was immediately greeted with a lovefest of questions and hugs by both staff and customers.
“We’re so glad you’re back, Alyssa,” Cody said. “The place hasn’t been the same without you.” He pulled her in for a hug.
“I’ve missed you guys so much. It’s been hell staying in bed for over two weeks straight.”
Of course, Jackson had made that hell a whole lot easier to endure—until he’d disappeared! Now she was just happy to be out and about, able to get back to her normal life, and in a world that didn’t revolve around Jackson Whitman.
It was good that he’d backed off, because Jackson was too sophisticated for her. The man could twist anything she said to fit what he wanted to hear. She was discovering that it was much easier if she ignored him.
Of course, the word ignore wasn’t quite right, because she hadn’t seen him in what felt like forever. Goodness, three days without him and she was mopey! What in the hell was wrong with her? Also, easy might not be an appropriate word, either, because Jackson was a man who didn’t allow others to ignore him, not when he wanted his presence to be known. But he sure as heck could back off when she asked the tough questions. Hypocrite!
“Hello, beautiful.” All of a sudden, Alyssa was being lifted into the air and her lips were covered in a scorching-hot kiss. “Glad to see you up and about again.”
Her shock evaporated, and indignation took over. She hadn’t heard a word from him in days, and then he just showed up as if nothing was wrong and kissed her in a room full of people? Not freaking acceptable.
“Put me down, Jackson. You’re making me dizzy,” she gasped.
He slid her slowly down his body before allowing her to step back. By this time, she was sporting a noticeable baby bump and she tugged self-consciously at her shirt, which was now clinging to her belly. If anyone in the bar hadn’t already known that she was pregnant, they sure did now.
“All right, people, the show’s over. Let’s actually do some work,” Alyssa said as she walked toward the back room to grab her apron.
She took several extra minutes in the bathroom, hoping that the glow in her cheeks had subsided. Yes, Jackson was clearly getting to her. What he’d done hadn’t been just a kiss. It was a brand. He was letting them know, one and all, that she was his property. And she didn’t appreciate that. She’d never agreed to be his. She was her own woman. After returning to the bar, she saw Jackson at his usual table, his laptop in front of him and a wide smile on his face.
“Have your tastes changed in my absence?” she asked, notepad at the ready.
“Nope. Once I like something, there’s no going back,” he said with too much innocence.
“Really? ’Cause you sure were running scared after our last conversation,” she pointed out.
“I had to think. Plus, I figured you needed to do the same.”
“So you disappeared for me?” She should retreat, but she didn’t want to.
“I don’t want to back off.” The intensity in his eyes frightened her, and she decided she was the one backing down yet again.