Forsaking All Others. Linda Hudson-Smith

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СКАЧАТЬ off their dessert. The group worked well together and had worked rather quickly to complete the fun tasks. Everyone had been designated a job and each person had taken it seriously. The families finally stood back to view the end results of their handiwork.

      It was now time for the colorful and brilliant show of light. Roman was to do the honors. Jacque scurried around the place, turning off all other lights.

      “Lights, action,” Roman breathed excitedly. One flick of his finger on the switch caused the tree to come to life with hundreds of dazzling miniature white lights.

      The magical moment had taken everyone’s breath away. All hands were linked together as the oohs and aahs continued to ebb and flow. There was not one pair of eyes without tears of holiday sentiment. Then the laughter broke out, loudly and freely.

      “Oh, we forgot one thing,” Weston said. He ran over to the kitchen counter and picked up the mistletoe, holding it up for everyone to see. “Who wants the honors?” Weston looked directly at Jessica, hoping she might step forward. He would like nothing better than to kiss her breathless beneath the fresh sprig of mistletoe.

      “I’ll hang it,” Jennifer sang out, moving toward Weston. As soon as she reached for the mistletoe, she saw the disappointment in Weston’s eyes. She didn’t have to be a genius to figure out what was wrong with him.

      After Jennifer took possession of the mistletoe, she walked over to Jessica and handed it to her. “You should be the one to do the honors. Does everyone agree?”

      Enthusiastic hand-clapping thundered in the room.

      Jessica knew what everyone hoped for; she would hang the mistletoe and Weston would kiss her while she stood under it. She had no desire to disappoint anyone, especially herself. Jessica took the offered mistletoe from Jennifer and quickly stepped up to the plate, her heart beating rapidly. The thought of Weston kissing her had her heart rate going berserk. She couldn’t wait to feel his mouth on hers.

      “Get the camera,” Sahara told Roman. “This is a special holiday moment.” Although the video camera had been running throughout their time in Aspen, its adapter plugged into the electrical wall outlet, Sahara also wanted still photographs.

      Jessica ended up having to get a stool to stand on because the space at the top of the kitchen entry was too high for her to reach without one. Weston rushed over to help her up on the stool, holding it firmly in place as she tacked up the small green and white sprig. Once the mistletoe was set in place, Weston reached up and brought Jessica down and into his arms. Without allowing her feet ever to touch the ground, he tenderly kissed her mouth, doing his best to stave off his desire to use his tongue to deepen the kiss.

      In the next second Weston lost himself in the sweetness of Jessica’s lips. She had also slipped away into paradise. The arms that held her so securely made her feel safe and protected. So this was what it felt like to be in Weston’s arms. She had waited a long time to find out, believing she would never experience such an enchanting moment.

      Jessica could only imagine the expression on her face once Weston set her down on her feet and released his hold on her. If hers was anything like the bewildered look on his face, he more than likely had also experienced what she had. A brief kiss could be every bit as sensual as a long, passionate one. His kiss had just proven that. It had also left her trembling inside and desperately wanting more of the same from him.

      Jessica was relieved that no one had resorted to catcalling, whistling or clapping. Hiding her embarrassment was hard enough without all that. However, Weston didn’t look the least bit embarrassed. After all, he had initiated the kiss between them.

      The other three couples went back to chatting with each other, taking their focus off Jessica and Weston purposefullly. Jessica was happy about that. She had never liked to be the center of attention.

      Jessica wanted to gently touch her lips with her fingers, hoping she might still feel Weston’s kiss there. Her mind was somewhat befuddled, making her feel as if she were in a daze. She wanted him to kiss her again and again, but she wasn’t so sure it would ever recur. At any rate, Jessica knew she shouldn’t be having these types of thoughts.

      Although Weston’s kiss had been soft as a whisper, the impact on Jessica’s senses was profound. Weston had her rocking and reeling and wishing they were off somewhere alone. As far as she was concerned, his kiss had impacted her way more than her first kiss had. Logan Langston had been the first male to deliver the first kiss to her “sweet sixteen” lips. She had been kissed many times since, but she hadn’t ever felt anything akin to what she now felt. The floating sensation she experienced was rather surreal.

      Weston was very pleased with the ardent response his mouth had received from Jessica’s. His body was still tingling all over from their brief but very impressionable encounter. He had already begun to crave the sweet taste of her full lips. Weston knew he was addicted and he couldn’t help wondering when his next fix might come, hoping he never had to go into withdrawal. No doubt that would be painful. He thought perhaps he should say something to Jessica, but he just didn’t know what to talk about when his mind was only on one thing. Making love to her until she begged him never to stop.

      Weston was positive that he and Jessica had more than just a little bit of chemistry going on between them. He hoped she had experienced the same wonderful sensations as he had. Was this the beginning of something beautiful for them or had their intimate kiss marked the end? Intimacy between a man and woman more often than not resulted in the couple taking things to the next level or it could have just the opposite effect.

      Did either of them even want things to go to a higher level?

      Although Weston couldn’t speak for Jessica, he was sure he wanted to take their relationship as far as it could go, wanting that more than he’d ever wanted anything. He had never desired any woman this way. Jessica had him seriously interested in making her an integral part of his life.

      After deciding to put a hold on his thoughts, Weston went into the kitchen and poured two cups of hot cider. One cup was for Jessica even though she hadn’t asked for anything to drink. His desire was to reconnect with her as soon as possible so she wouldn’t find a reason to disconnect from him, period.

      Weston made it back to where Jessica was and then handed over the hot drink to her. “Here you go. Be careful. It’s still hot.”

      Jessica smiled at Weston as she accepted the cup from him. Although she wanted to speak to him, she was afraid of how her voice might sound. If it came out as high-strung as she felt, that would prove embarrassing. Jessica swallowed hard.

      “The tree is beautiful, isn’t it? We all did a great job,” Weston said.

      Jessica looked over at the Christmas tree. It was magnificent. Positioned in front of the picture window, it appeared as part of the outdoor scenery. “It’s stunning! This group has skills.”

      Weston had to agree with Jessica. They had really delivered on a beautiful tree. “Think you might want to take another walk later on? It’s another great evening.”

      “I’d love that.”

      Jessica hadn’t hesitated in the least to reply to Weston’s query because she was very eager to spend as much time with him as he desired to spend with her. She no longer had to wonder where he was coming from. His intent toward her had been right there in his kiss. She had no desire to thwart a single intimate advance from him. Jessica recalled earlier wishing for them to be off somewhere alone—and that lofty wish was about to come true.

      Weston СКАЧАТЬ