The Earl's Outrageous Lover Page 0,16

he were wishing that he was the kind of man who could put up with her temperament.

When he reached up and slid a finger down her cheek, she couldn’t stop the shiver.

Jessica looked up at him, startled out of her anger by his touch. As he looked down at her, she knew that he was feeling the exact same thing. She looked up, their eyes caught and she held her breath, wondering if he would lower his head and kiss her. For that moment, she wondered what it would be like to be kissed by him, to feel his mouth cover hers with the intent she could see in his eyes.

Just as abruptly as it started, Edward released her and stepped back. He continued to stare at her and Jessica wasn’t sure what he was thinking. She thought she saw the surprise in his eyes but it could just be wishful thinking on her part.

“Dinner is waiting,” he said softly and turned to face the doorway. As the ultimate gentleman, he extended his arm and waited patiently while she decided to take it or ignore it, apparently unconcerned what her decision might be.

Jessica declined his arm and started out of the room, refusing to give in to his feigned manners. If the man was going to be a cad, he needed to be consistent.

Dinner was delicious, but she sensed a great deal of tension although she wasn’t sure why it was so thick or how to dissipate the feeling. She refused to look at Edward, smiling graciously in Julianna and James’ direction as they discussed the weather, recent travels, various neighbors and friends who all were acquainted with. There wasn’t a single subject of consequence uttered during the entire meal and Jessica was relieved when Beth finally brought in dessert, a fluffy chocolate mousse with a raspberry syrup drizzled over the top.

Unfortunately, no one really did justice to the dessert and by the time coffee was served, the tension had increased exponentially.

“I’m sorry to leave so early,” James said around ten o’clock. “But I have an early meeting that I need to prepare for.” He set his coffee cup and saucer on the low table and stood up. “Will you see me to the door?” he asked.

Edward immediately stood as well. “I’m afraid we have to head out as well, Jessica. But thank you for an interesting evening,” he said politely. Jessica thought he hesitated at the word ‘interesting’ but wasn’t sure.

With a sigh, she walked everyone to the door, thanking them for coming to dinner. When the door closed, she leaned against the thick wood and looked up at the sparkling chandelier that had graced the foyer for decades. “What am I going to do now?” she whispered to the empty room.

Jessica trudged to the dining room and smiled at Beth. Afraid to reveal too much, but needing the advice of the older woman, she decided to get help, at least on how to handle a man who was a completely mystery to her. “So what did you think of Edward?” she asked softly as the two of them cleared the table of the dessert plates.

Beth smiled and picked up the tray. “I think he was a very handsome gentleman.”

“And horrible.”

Beth shook her head as she shouldered her way into the kitchen area. “I wouldn’t be too hasty to dismiss the man. I noticed the anger as well, but I don’t think we should jump to conclusions about the man. Also, I’m not so sure he’s completely committed to his relationship with the very lovely Lady Holbrook.”

Jessica didn’t want to hear things like that. She wanted Edward to be marrying the woman tomorrow so that these odd feelings of anger and jealousy, not to mention all those other strange feelings that confused her whenever he was around, would just go away. She mulled the situation over in her mind while the two of them washed the dishes and set the house back to order. Jessica wished she could dismiss Edward, but there was just something about the man that got under her skin.

Lying in bed that night, Jessica went through all the other men she’d met, thinking of any that she might have dismissed prematurely because she was just too preoccupied or might have been comparing the man to….not to Edward, but perhaps someone along the same lines as Edward. Unfortunately, of the ones she remembered, none lived up to her hopes for a man of integrity and strength