Lover Be Mine A Legendary Lovers Novel - By Nicole Jordan Page 0,66
could be her one last chance for happiness, and she had to seize it.
Sophie closed her eyes as a fresh wave of longing flooded her. With Jack wrapped around her, it was easier to believe they could find a solution to their impossible dilemma. Absently she pressed a tender kiss to his bare shoulder—
Recognizing her weakness, Sophie glanced up at Jack in the soft glow of firelight. Although he hadn’t fallen asleep, he had shut his eyes. He looked so oddly vulnerable with his long dark lashes fanning over his cheeks.
She knew better, of course. Jack was a wicked devil who broke all the rules. His audacity both vexed and awed her. She had to admire the fact that he constantly challenged conformity and acted decisively instead of accepting the whims of fate. Even if he’d turned her life upside down by abducting her. Even if he’d filled her up with recklessness tonight and transformed her into a complete wanton.
If she were to accompany him to Navartania, though, she would have to lay down some strict rules.
The first concerned his secretiveness. She didn’t want to open old wounds for Jack or hurt him any more than he’d already been hurt. But if he kept all his darkest feelings concealed from her, buried along with his horrifying past, if he didn’t trust her enough to share his most important confidences, then how could he possibly trust her enough to give his heart?
The second concerned his maddening high-handedness. He would have to beg her forgiveness if he expected to win her trust ever again.
Meanwhile she had to take great care. Jack was a heart-stealer of the first order, and her urge to comfort him was so strong, she was searching for any reason to give in to him. Especially when he showed his vulnerable side. Getting Jack to reveal any serious emotions was like chipping away at granite. Skye was right; there were dark undercurrents swirling beneath his charming, reckless facade. Yet tonight he’d shared a part of himself that he always kept secret.
Jack cared for her in some measure, Sophie was certain. His willingness to consider uprooting his entire life for her proved he harbored deeper feelings for her than mere lust, even if he couldn’t or wouldn’t admit to them.
No, Sophie resolved as she laid her head on his shoulder once more. It might be totally idiotic and foolish of her, but she wouldn’t give up on finding happiness with Jack just yet.
When Jack awoke, daylight was seeping beneath the window curtains and Sophie’s warm body was missing from the bed. Evidently he’d slept so deeply that he hadn’t felt her leave his side. In truth, he was still dazed by the lingering memories of her incredible sensuality and the delectable dreams he’d been having. The exquisite arousal he experienced with her was utterly unique.…
As he became aware of the odd silence surrounding him, though, he pried his eyes open. A moment later he raised his head and glanced around the room, only to find it empty.
Sophie was gone.
A sharp stab of unease hit his chest.
Flinging off the covers, Jack rose naked and went to the door, only to discover the corridor empty. Forcibly tamping down his alarm, he resolved to search the inn for her. But when he stepped back inside in order to dress, he could find none of the garments he’d removed last night. His valise was missing also. Evidently Sophie had taken it.
The possibility that she’d absconded from the inn stirred a growing sense of panic inside him.
Swiftly Jack wrapped a sheet around his shoulders and headed downstairs to question the innkeeper. The elderly Frenchman looked startled to see him garbed only in a linen sheet, but swallowed any censorious comment and led him to a private parlor, where Sophie sat fully dressed, calmly eating her breakfast.
The relief that filled Jack was compounded when she offered him a cheerful greeting. The last of his panic allayed, he dismissed the landlord.
“So this is how you repay me for abducting you,” he said accusingly to Sophie when they were alone.
“It is.” Her gaze narrowed. “You are fortunate I didn’t do worse. The thought definitely crossed my mind.”
He had to admire Sophie’s boldness. She could give as good as she got. But so could he. Draping the sheet lower around his waist and tucking in the ends, Jack sat himself down at the table bare-chested.
His plan to discompose her worked to some extent, for her cheeks flushed slightly.