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"Mrs. Dobson knows and Mrs. Greeley suspects."
"And I know."
She felt as if he'd stripped her naked and mocked her frailties. She twisted to get away, but he didn't release her. The burning in her eyes warned her that tears were not far behind. She struggled to keep them at bay. She wouldn't let him know how he'd hurt her.
"Stop struggling," he said, holding on to her more tightly. "I do know the truth and you're going to listen to it whether you want to or not."
"No! Just go away, Justin. You've done enough." She pushed at his chest, but he was as immovable as the building in which they stood.
"I haven't begun to do anything yet. You've always been the most beautiful woman I've ever known."
She froze. Her hands dropped to her sides. "What?"
"When you were fifteen years old, you came to church in a white dress with a pink ribbon at the waist. Your hair was long, down to your waist, and when you walked into the building that morning, I thought you were an angel."
Her mouth opened but she couldn't speak.
"CoDeen is nothing but a pinch-faced prune. She's married to Gene Estes and she wants everyone to be as miserable as she is. She uses self-righteousness to hide the fact that she knows everyone dislikes her. As for chasing after me, if you ever kiss me like that again, I'm going to take your clothes off layer by layer, down to and including your French silk chemise and I'm going to show you exactly what goes on between a man and a woman. I don't care if we're alone in your house, in the store or in the middle of the road." His dark eyes blazed with passion. "You are a
beautiful, desirable woman. Apparently, the entire town of Landing is populated by fools.''
He released her, but she couldn't seem to find the strength to move away from him. He reached between them and took her hand, then drew it toward him and pressed it against his groin. She blushed when she felt the hard ridge of his male-ness. Before she could move her fingers to discover more, he let go of her wrist and stepped away.
"Do you understand?" he asked.
"Yes," she whispered. "I think so."
He stared hard at her mouth. "I don't suppose you'd consider kissing me right now?"
His words about stripping her bare and showing her the secrets between men and women filled her mind with erotic images. She didn't know exactly what happened in the marriage bed, but she'd heard enough to picture herself in Justin's arms, with his bare chest pressed against her exposed breasts. She should have been appalled, but instead she found herself swaying toward him.
He closed his eyes briefly and swore. "Don't tempt me, Megan. This afternoon you pushed me past the point of control. I'm doing my best to get it back, but I need your help."
Boldly she allowed her gaze to slip past the fire blazing in his eyes, past his full mouth and broad chest to his trousers, to the hardness straining against the wool. She'd done that to him. They hadn't even been kissing or touching and he was obviously... She didn't know exactly what he was, but it looked painful and intense.
"Can you keep Bonnie tonight?" he asked.
The abrupt change of subject startled her. "Yes, of course. Why?"
He grimaced. "I feel the need to get stone-faced drunk, and I'd rather she not be around to see that."
Drunk? Why? "Justin-"
"I've got to go." He turned on his heel and walked out of the storeroom. She could hear his footsteps on the wooden floor of the store, then the front door opening and slamming shut.
She stared at the place he'd been standing as if she could find the answers to her questions. Then she smiled. It didn't matter. Nothing mattered. Not Colleen or the town or any of them. Even if it wasn't true, Justin had made her feel pretty and feminine. She'd obviously inspired him physically. She giggled, then touched her hand to her heated cheek. Such wicked thoughts in the middle of the day.
She picked up her shawl and reticule and took them into her office. When she sat at her desk to do paperwork, she couldn't concentrate. Images of Justin kept showing up on her ledger pages. He'd only been back a short time, but he'd managed to win over most of the town. Colleen would continue to wage her campaign against him, as would Mrs. Greeley and some of the others, but Megan was beginning to think Justin would triumph. If two women had had the courage to walk out of her sister's meeting, then others might not go along with Colleen, as well.
