The Earl's Outrageous Lover Page 0,32
attracted to them or not.”
He looked at her lovely features, those soft, brown eyes looking up at him like he’d just kicked her new puppy and he felt like an absolute heel. Relenting slightly, he stepped back and rubbed a hand over his face briefly. “How about if we get through tonight and I’ll introduce you to as many men as I know? You can also point out any men who look interesting and if I know them, I’ll make the introductions. If I don’t know them, I’ll find out who they are, do some research on them and get back to you. Tomorrow, I’ll pick you up for lunch and you can go into more details about the kind of man you find attractive and we can continue this search. Is that acceptable?” he asked wearily.
“No! That’s not acceptable! I refuse to be a charity case, Edward,” she hissed.
She started walking out of the ballroom, grateful that most of the other guests were already in the dining room so her exit was easier since the crowd had thinned so much.
She made it all the way out of the building before Edward stopped her. “Where the hell do you think you’re going?” he demanded.
Jessica glared right back at him, but refused to answer him. Instead, she stepped to the curb and raised her hand, intending to catch a cab and go home. A good book would be more pleasurable than this kind of treatment.
“Stop it,” Edward growled. A moment later Tim pulled up and Edward almost pushed her into the back seat. When the limousine was pulling away, he turned to face the spirited woman beside him. “Now explain to me why you’re so upset!”
Jessica wasn’t sure how she could explain it if the man really were that obtuse. “I can’t believe that you could kiss me one moment, then shove me into the arms of another man the next. Doesn’t that seem like a bad sort of evening to you?”
He rubbed his hand over his face in frustration and nodded. “You’re right. I apologize.”
She was so livid, she didn’t even see the warning signs. All she knew was that she was hurt and confused and she wanted to be away from the man who was causing these feelings to overwhelm her. “Just leave me alone, Edward!” she snapped and turned away from him.
“That’s just the problem, isn’t it?” he snapped right back at her.
Jessica was just about to turn back to him and ask him to explain but she felt his hands on her upper arms. The next thing she knew, she was on his lap, his hand dislodging the pins in her hair as he grabbed her and kissed her as if there were no tomorrow. Jessica wasn’t sure what was going on. She just knew that he was kissing her and everything else was secondary. Her own hands reached up and held his head, needing something to steady herself while the hurricane of Edward’s kiss hit her full on.
While one hand stayed in her hair, pulling her head back so he had better access, his other hand reached down, his arm circling her waist. She gasped when she felt his body against hers once again. It was one thing when they were dancing but when she had the double hit of him kissing her as well she was breathless and that crazy desire swelled up within her, almost choking her with the need to touch him as well.
She moved her hands from his head to his shoulders, sliding underneath the black dinner jacket, feeling his muscles move and flex against her hands. Down his back, his chest, she felt him everywhere but it wasn’t enough. She unbuttoned the top few buttons of his shirt and slid her hands inside, stunned by the heat of his skin and the light layer of hair spread across his chest.
Suddenly he was no longer kissing her. The air around her was cooler and she didn’t understand. They had arrived back at her house apparently. But she didn’t need to think about it too much since Edward practically lifted her out of the back of the car, carrying her inside. He unlocked the door for her, then slammed the door as soon as they were inside. He didn’t stop there though. He lifted her into his arms, bringing her back up the stairs and into her bedroom.
Jessica should be embarrassed by the mess of dresses all over her bedroom, but he didn’t