Read Online The Heart of the Matter by Muriel Jensen - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Muriel Jensen
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class.”
The woman turned to her as though she were dense. “Then, make the transition to lovers before he gets away. His wife’s been gone for four years, and every single woman in town’s been waiting for some sign from him that he’s ready to date again. And he chose you. Don’t waste the opportunity.”
After the program, much of the group left and the restmoved to the dance floor. The band was playing torchy big-band-era tunes, and Jason pulled Laura into his arms.
She was braced for the moment, knowing it would be significant. But even being prepared didn’t protect her from the onslaught of sensation.
His arms were strong, his movements competent if not flashy, and the scent of his aftershave was sharply herbal with just a trace of sweetness. She felt as though she could remain in his embrace for a lifetime.
It was as though her body had sighed. She found a sweet spot close to his shoulder and, with her temple against his chin, settled in for the duration. And that was the only rub. For her, the duration was never long enough.
Jason was surprised by how soft she felt in his arms. He’d seen her in stretch Lycra. He knew there wasn’t an ounce of excess flesh on her, and that her muscles were stronger than most men’s. Yet she slipped into his embrace like a cloud and for a moment felt almost as insubstantial.
Then he applied the slightest pressure to her back, she leaned into him, and he felt her breasts against his coat, her legs moving with his as they turned on the small floor.
Lust came to vivid life inside him. But he remembered the conversation he’d had with the boys about his readiness for this encounter. “This isn’t about sex,” he’d told them, “it’s about getting acquainted.” He had to remember that.
Though sexuality wasn’t as dead in him as he’d thought. It had merely been unconscious. And Laura, however innocently, was reviving it.
“Did you eat Twinkies as a kid?” he asked.
She looked first confused then amused by the question. And he noticed absently as he perused her upturned face that she had freckles on the bridge of her nose.
“Yes,” she replied. “Why?”
“Did you eat hamburgers and fries through high school?”
“Of course. Why?”
“I’m trying to figure out,” he admitted, “at what point a junk-eating teenager looks up from a plate of onion rings and decides that health and nutrition are going to be her life’s work.”
He tightened his grip on her and turned suddenly. A large man with exaggerated rumba moves, despite the bigband music, collided with his back, then bounced off and moved on.
Laura felt the collision and the protective move of Jason’s shoulder over her. She stayed within its shelter an extra moment, not because she feared the intoxicated rumba enthusiast, but because in her lonely little world, his care and attention felt so remarkable.
“Actually,” she said, choosing to be frank, “I think I was looking for something I could control. Food and exercise have a direct influence in and on your body, and it’s predictable if you’re consistent.”
He thought about that a moment. The music stopped, and he caught her hand and led her toward open French doors and a balcony that overlooked the ocean. A breeze blew, but it was mid-August warm and felt like the stirring of bath water.
He leaned a hip on the balcony railing and leaned back against a pillar as she looked out at the moonlight on the ocean. “That suggests there were other things in your life you couldn’t control,” he said.
She explained briefly about her parents and their eventual divorce. “My father stopped wanting to see me, and my mother changed into someone else—bitter and angry. I wasted a lot of time wanting the old life back. When Ifinally realized it wasn’t going to happen, I decided to rebuild a life for myself in which I took complete control.” She sighed and smiled. “Did you know that food is one of the few things in life over which
The woman turned to her as though she were dense. “Then, make the transition to lovers before he gets away. His wife’s been gone for four years, and every single woman in town’s been waiting for some sign from him that he’s ready to date again. And he chose you. Don’t waste the opportunity.”
After the program, much of the group left and the restmoved to the dance floor. The band was playing torchy big-band-era tunes, and Jason pulled Laura into his arms.
She was braced for the moment, knowing it would be significant. But even being prepared didn’t protect her from the onslaught of sensation.
His arms were strong, his movements competent if not flashy, and the scent of his aftershave was sharply herbal with just a trace of sweetness. She felt as though she could remain in his embrace for a lifetime.
It was as though her body had sighed. She found a sweet spot close to his shoulder and, with her temple against his chin, settled in for the duration. And that was the only rub. For her, the duration was never long enough.
Jason was surprised by how soft she felt in his arms. He’d seen her in stretch Lycra. He knew there wasn’t an ounce of excess flesh on her, and that her muscles were stronger than most men’s. Yet she slipped into his embrace like a cloud and for a moment felt almost as insubstantial.
Then he applied the slightest pressure to her back, she leaned into him, and he felt her breasts against his coat, her legs moving with his as they turned on the small floor.
Lust came to vivid life inside him. But he remembered the conversation he’d had with the boys about his readiness for this encounter. “This isn’t about sex,” he’d told them, “it’s about getting acquainted.” He had to remember that.
Though sexuality wasn’t as dead in him as he’d thought. It had merely been unconscious. And Laura, however innocently, was reviving it.
“Did you eat Twinkies as a kid?” he asked.
She looked first confused then amused by the question. And he noticed absently as he perused her upturned face that she had freckles on the bridge of her nose.
“Yes,” she replied. “Why?”
“Did you eat hamburgers and fries through high school?”
“Of course. Why?”
“I’m trying to figure out,” he admitted, “at what point a junk-eating teenager looks up from a plate of onion rings and decides that health and nutrition are going to be her life’s work.”
He tightened his grip on her and turned suddenly. A large man with exaggerated rumba moves, despite the bigband music, collided with his back, then bounced off and moved on.
Laura felt the collision and the protective move of Jason’s shoulder over her. She stayed within its shelter an extra moment, not because she feared the intoxicated rumba enthusiast, but because in her lonely little world, his care and attention felt so remarkable.
“Actually,” she said, choosing to be frank, “I think I was looking for something I could control. Food and exercise have a direct influence in and on your body, and it’s predictable if you’re consistent.”
He thought about that a moment. The music stopped, and he caught her hand and led her toward open French doors and a balcony that overlooked the ocean. A breeze blew, but it was mid-August warm and felt like the stirring of bath water.
He leaned a hip on the balcony railing and leaned back against a pillar as she looked out at the moonlight on the ocean. “That suggests there were other things in your life you couldn’t control,” he said.
She explained briefly about her parents and their eventual divorce. “My father stopped wanting to see me, and my mother changed into someone else—bitter and angry. I wasted a lot of time wanting the old life back. When Ifinally realized it wasn’t going to happen, I decided to rebuild a life for myself in which I took complete control.” She sighed and smiled. “Did you know that food is one of the few things in life over which
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