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The group turned toward the large print above the fireplace. It showed an ice-covered tree branch sparkling in the sun. Jill had taken the shot with the sun alighting on small droplets of water that fell to the ground as they melted from the branch. The scene was so simple, but the effect was mesmerizing.
Jill beamed at the compliment. “Thank you.”
Jennie nodded. “It does look perfect in this room, Kelly. Just like you said it would. But you’ll need to put something warmer in here for the spring and summer, though. You can pull this one back out each fall.”
Jill grinned at Jennie’s assessment. “That’s the idea.”
“God, that’s brilliant,” Andrew said, turning to Jill. “You’re an artist and a business mogul. I never would have thought of seasonal art.”
“It’s beautiful,” said a man who had joined the group shortly after Jack, but who hadn’t been introduced to Jill yet. Jill felt his curiosity on her and smiled at him.
“Oh, sorry. Gabe, this is Jill Walsh.” Jack made introductions. “She’s the photographer I was telling you about.” He turned to Jill.
“Jill, this is Gabriel Sawyer. He’s an old friend of Chad’s and mine. He owns a large chain of hotels and they’re in the middle of redecorating about a third of them. Since you’re getting more into the commercial side of things with some of your prints, I thought you might like to show him some of your work.”
“I’d love to,” said Jill. “I’d imagine you don’t want anything seasonal, though.”
“You’re right, probably not seasonal, but I definitely want to see more of your work.” Gabe smiled at her and Jill felt Andrew’s body tense beside her.
She was surprised to find she liked the idea he might be jealous of Gabe, when really his jealousy should offend her. When her ex seemed jealous, it made Jill feel like a prized toy he didn’t want anyone else to play with. With Andrew, it felt different, although she couldn’t quite say how.
Still, she wasn’t the kind of woman who would openly flirt with one man to make another jealous. She didn’t play games like that.
But once again, his behavior was soothing something in her she hadn’t thought could be soothed. And it felt good. Really good.
Chapter Ten
Andrew didn’t think he had ever felt this crazed drive to be with a particular woman before. At least not since he’d left puberty behind. He enjoyed sex and had plenty of it, but even during his time with Blair, he never felt anything like the pull he felt from Jill.
Tonight, from across the room full of people, Jill’s body called to his as though some unseen tether connected them, one that he couldn’t break with distance or space. All night, Andrew had fought to keep sensuous images of Jill at bay. He tried walking away. He went to the other side of the room to mingle, but still she followed him in his thoughts.
Flashes of Jill’s sexy legs, in those sweet cowboy boots, wrapped around his hips flew through his mind. Of burying his head in the soft curve of Jill’s neck to breathe in the scent of her. Then lower, licking the sensitive swell of her breast. Closing his mouth around her nipple as she pushed her body closer to him, writhing for more.
Again, he had to shake off the images and force himself to focus on the party going on around him. He knew he couldn’t date Jill. He never dated in his circle of friends. Hell, he never really dated. He slept with women.
Women who understood that he didn’t want more from them. Women who knew he’d sleep with them a few times and then move on. No strings attached. No long-term relationship. Not even a friendship when it was over. Jill Walsh wasn’t one of those women. Never could be.
He refocused on the group around him and saw Jill trying to hide a yawn behind her hand. He approached her and placed a hand on her lower back. When he leaned in to speak to her, he cursed himself for being weak enough to manufacture that small bit of contact. “You’re tired. We can head home if you want.”
She smiled up at him. “You caught that, huh?”
“It’s all right. It’s getting late. Even Rev and Zoe have quit.” Andrew nodded at the dogs who were now asleep in a corner of the room.
“As long as you don’t mind leaving, I’m ready to go.”
“No problem.” He turned to Jack and Kelly. “Hey guys, we’re gonna head out. I’ll see you Monday, Jack?”
“Thanks for coming you guys,” Kelly said, hugging Andrew and then Jill.
Jack and Andrew said goodnight and several of the others in the small group of people that were left at the party called out good-byes as Jill, Andrew, and Rev made their way to the door.
Andrew was annoyed to see Gabe give Jill a card with his personal number scrawled on the back before they left. He wanted to growl and tell the hotel owner to back the hell off, but he managed to control the urge.
They rode in comfortable silence again. Neither felt the need to fill the gaps with talk and he liked that about her.
Before long Jill was asleep in the seat. His mind immediately went to thoughts of waking up with her next to him. He could almost feel her long, supple body pressed into his, arms and legs tangled, his body growing hard against her soft, giving curves...
Shit, where is this crap coming from?He didn’t spend the whole night with women. There was no waking up next to them, no snuggling in bed with them, no pillow talk. Nothing. And it needed to stay that way.
