Twin Temptation. Cara Summers

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СКАЧАТЬ seen the same expression before when she was carefully considering something.

      “A penny for your thoughts,” he said.

      “It’s just…odd. No, ironic is a better word.”

      “For what?”

      The frown on her forehead deepened. “I love riding, and I enjoy living on a ranch, but I’ve discovered that my real passion is designing jewelry. And Jordan seems to have a passion for horses and riding the way my father did. From what I saw on her bookshelf, they even share a passion for westerns.”

      “You’re thinking they picked the wrong daughters when they made their choices.”

      She nodded.

      Even though he knew it was a mistake, he took her hand in his. “I doubt that either your father or your mother would feel that way.”

      HE UNDERSTOOD. Something tightened in Maddie’s throat. Even though her hand was clasped lightly in his, she was aware of the pressure of each one of his fingers. But it wasn’t a sizzle of passion that moved through her blood. This time it was something warmer and much sweeter. He leaned toward her and brushed the merest hint of a kiss over her lips.

      Without thinking, she raised her free hand to his face—to push him away? To keep him there?

      Before she could decide, he drew back and said, “Do you think you can manage three blocks on foot?”

      Maddie frowned at her feet. “No promises, but I’m game to try. After all, I’m supposed to be walking around in Jordan’s shoes.”

      He grinned at her. “She always wore her sneakers when she walked to work and carried the ankle-breakers in her bag.”

      Maddie glared at him. “You might have told me that before we left the apartment.”

      “It’s only a couple more blocks.” Jase passed the taxi driver two bills. Then he grabbed Maddie’s hand again and pulled her with him to the sidewalk. As they blended into the flow of pedestrians headed uptown, a cacophony of noise enveloped them—horns blaring, engines thrumming, one-sided snatches of conversations as passersby chatted into their cell phones.

      Jase raised his voice. “How are the shoes?”

      “Glorious to look at—but agony to wear.” She shot him a determined look. “It’s going to be worth every bit of discomfort when I walk into that store not looking like the country bumpkin they’re probably expecting.”

      “You’ll be fine. Just remember the roles we’re assuming.”

      “I’ll be playing myself—the other daughter.”

      Taking her hand, he raised it to his lips and kissed her fingers. “And I’ll be playing your lover.”

      Heat shot through her and Maddie was sure that if there had been room in the shoes, her toes would have curled. In spite of the role Jase was playing, she intended to keep her focus.

      Suddenly, she stopped short and a startled pedestrian jostled her as he passed.

      Gripping her shoulders, Jase pulled her out of the flow of traffic into a doorway. “What is it?”

      “I forgot the earrings.”

      “No, you didn’t. You’re wearing them.”

      She shook her head. “I was going to take these off and put on one of Eva’s designs. My style is so…different. Next to hers, my earrings look…” She paused, searching for the right word.

      “Beautiful.” He reached up and ran his finger down one of the horseshoes.

      Her thoughts scattered. He was going to kiss her again. She could see the desire in his eyes, feel her own response rip through her. The noises that had surrounded them since they’d left the cab faded to a dim buzz. Her mind constricted like a spotlight on a stage until there was only Jase.

      He slid his hands from her upper arms over her shoulders, then framed her face. It seemed as if it had been forever since he’d touched her. Had it only been a matter of hours?

      Using his thumbs, he tilted her chin up. “I want to kiss you. I thought I could wait until later when we got back to the apartment. Back to my bed. But I can’t.”

      He lowered his mouth slowly until it was nearly touching hers. Then he paused.

      She should push him away, Maddie thought dimly. She’d always prided herself on having a logical, practical turn of mind. But she’d never experienced this kind of desire before. Each time he touched her or even looked at her, she wanted. It was just that elemental.

      “I can’t wait either.” The words tumbled out of her on a ragged breath as she slipped her arms beneath his jacket and rose on her tiptoes. Finally, finally, their mouths were touching, tasting, exploring as hunger deepened into a fierce need.

      The kiss was so much more than she remembered. What had happened between them during the night seemed more like a dream. This was reality. Each sensation was so intense—the hard planes and angles of body pressing her into the unyielding glass of the display window, the scrape of his teeth on her bottom lip, the heat of his hand as he slipped it beneath her jacket and ran it possessively from her waist to the side of her breast. Then he changed the angle of the kiss and she sampled again the flavor of his need. Irresistible.

      Jase ran his hand down to her waist and then back up again. It seemed that he’d been waiting forever to touch her. She was driving him crazy. That had to be why he was acting this way. It wasn’t that he hadn’t lived dangerously or taken risks before. He’d made his living so far doing both. But he’d always been in control. Maddie Farrell was draining that away.

      The taste of her surrender poured into him. He drew her closer until every curve of her body was molded against his. The thin material of her blouse was tempting, maddening. He wanted her out of it. Desperately.

      They were standing in the middle of a busy Manhattan street. In some dim corner of his mind that hadn’t yet shut down, Jase reminded himself of that. But it was almost impossible to keep a grip on reality when the concrete sidewalk beneath his feet seemed to shift as easily as sand on a beach. He struggled to keep his balance. Shocked, he tried to strengthen the slim grip he had on his control. He should be damning himself for acting like a hormone-driven teenager. He should be damning her for driving him to this. But all he wanted was more of her.

      When it finally struck him that he might not be able to stop himself from taking more, a sharp stab of fear gave him the strength to draw back. Releasing her, he took a step away. Even then he struggled, his mind battling against his emotions, and he very nearly dragged her back and kissed her again. He might have if a woman hadn’t chosen that moment to walk by them and enter the store.

      Jase backed up another step. The first completely coherent thought that slipped into his mind was that he wasn’t capable of controlling this. The realization stunned him.

      Maddie spoke first. “This is ridiculous.”

      Jase studied her closely. There was a vulnerability in her that he hadn’t noticed before. And because he wanted badly to reach out to her, he slid his fingers into the pockets of his jeans. “That’s not exactly СКАЧАТЬ