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She put a hand on his chest, trying to be sensible. Trying to ignore the way he made her feel.
Then he paused and stooped to retrieve something from the floor. It was her envelope. He would have discarded it had she not given an anguished squeak and reached for it.
‘That’s mine.’
‘What is it?’
‘It’s nothing.’ Jenna snatched at it but he held it out of reach, unfurling it with one hand.
‘If it’s nothing, why are you trying to stop me reading it?’ He squinted at the crumpled paper. ‘“10 reasons why I shouldn’t fall in love with Ryan—” Ah.’
With a groan, Jenna covered her face with her hands. ‘Please, just ignore it—’
‘No.’ His voice was calm and steady. ‘If you can make a list of ten reasons not to fall in love with me, I have a right
to know what they are.’ He scanned the list and frowned. ‘I put you off your food? That’s why you don’t eat?’
Mortified, Jenna just shook her head, and he sighed and tucked the mangled envelope into the back pocket of his jeans.
‘If you want my opinion, I don’t think it matters that you’ve been divorced for less than a year, nor do I think your age has any relevance. The fact that I put you off your food might be a problem in the long term, but we won’t worry for now. As for Lexi—’ He stroked his fingers through her hair. ‘I can see that might be a problem. That’s why I stopped when I did. I didn’t want her to walk in.’
‘So you’re not just a sex god.’ She made a joke of it. ‘You’re thoughtful, too.’
‘For selfish reasons. I want you, and you come with a daughter.’
Did he mean he wanted her body or he wanted her? She was afraid to ask and she found it hard to believe that he wanted her at all. ‘Why do I always meet you looking my worst?’ Jenna couldn’t believe the unfairness of it all. He looked like a living, breathing fantasy and she was wearing Lexi’s cast off tee shirt.
‘I think you look fantastic.’ Ryan slid his hand into her hair, studying each tangled curl in detail. ‘Does your hair curl naturally?’
‘Yes, of course. Do you think I’d pay to make it look like this?’ She snapped the words, embarrassed that she was looking her worst when he was looking his best, and really, really confused by the way he made her feel.
‘I really like it.’ His smile was slow and sexy. ‘You look as though you’ve had a really crazy night in some very lucky man’s bed.’
Jenna couldn’t concentrate. His fingers were massaging her scalp and she felt his touch right through her body. How did he know how to do that? Her eyes drifted shut and suddenly the impact on her other senses was magnified.
‘As a matter of interest, what did you wear to bed when you were married?’
Jenna gulped. ‘A long silky nightdress that Clive’s mother bought me for Christmas. Why do you want to know?’
‘Because I suspect this is another of your little rebellions. And now we’ve established that Lexi isn’t coming back in the immediate future…’ His voice husky, Ryan slid his hands under the offending tee shirt and she gasped because his hands were warm and strong and her nerve-endings were on fire.
‘Ryan—’
His fingers slid down her back with a slow, deliberate movement that was unmistakably seductive. ‘I hate to be the one to point this out, but I have a strong suspicion that neither Clive nor his mother would approve of your current choice of nightwear.’
‘They’d be horrified—’
‘Which is why you’re wearing it.’
Jenna gave a choked laugh. ‘Maybe. In which case I’m seriously disturbed and you should avoid me.’
Ryan lifted her chin so that she had no choice but to look at him. ‘Is that what you want?’
All the pent-up emotion inside her exploded, as if the gates holding everything back had suddenly been opened. ‘No, that isn’t what I want! Of course it isn’t. But I feel guilty, because I know I shouldn’t be doing this, and confused because I’ve never lost control like that before. I’m angry with myself for being weak-willed, terrified that you’ll hurt me—’
‘Ah, yes—number eight on your list. Why do you assume I’ll hurt you?’
Jenna thought about Clive. If Clive had found her boring, how much more boring would this man find her? ‘I’m not very exciting. I’m sure I’m all wrong for you.’
