Bed of Roses Page 0,62

always do. Have a good time tonight."

"I will."

Emma closed the door, then just leaned back against it.

She could fool herself, she admitted. She could certainly fool Jack. But she could never fool Parker. Of course she was in love with Jack. She'd probably been in love with Jack for years, and simply convinced herself it was lust. The lust had been bad enough, but love? Deadly. She knew exactly what she wanted from love - from the down into the bones, rooted in the heart, blooming through the body love. She wanted forever.

She wanted the day after day, night after night, year after year, the home, the family, the fights, the support, the sex, the everything.

She'd always known what she wanted in a partner, in a lover, in the father of her children. But why did it have to be Jack?

Why, when she finally felt all the things she'd waited all of her life to feel, did it have to be for a man she knew so well? Well enough to understand he was someone who wanted his own space, his own direction, who considered marriage a gamble with long odds?

She knew all those things about him, and still she'd fallen.

If he knew, he'd be . . . appalled? she wondered. No, that was probably too strong. Concerned, sorry - which was worse. He'd be kind, and he'd pull the plug gently. And that was mortifying.

There was no reason he had to know. It was only a problem if she let it be a problem. So, no problem, she decided.

She was as skilled at handling men as she was at handling flowers. They'd go on just as they were, and if it got to a point where it caused her pain instead of pleasure, she'd be the one to pull the plug. Then she'd get over it.

She pushed away from the door to wander into the kitchen for a glass of water. Her throat felt dry and a little raw.

She'd get over him, she assured herself. What was the point in worrying about that now when they were still together?

Or . . . she could make him fall in love with her. If she knew how to keep a man from falling for her - or nudge him into falling out if he thought he was falling in - why couldn't she make one fall in?

"Wait, I'm confusing myself."

She took a breath, took a sip.

"If I make him fall in love with me, is it real? God, this is too much to think about. I'm going out to an opening. That's it, that's all."

The knock on the door brought relief. Now she could stop thinking, stop worrying all this to pieces. They'd go out. They'd enjoy each other. Whatever happened next, happened.

CHAPTER TWELVE

SATISFACTION, EMMA DECIDED, WENT A LONG WAY TO STAMPING out worry. The look in Jack's eyes when she opened the door was exactly what she'd aimed for.

"I need a moment of silence," he told her, "to offer up thanks."

She gave him a slow, sultry smile. "Then let me say you're welcome. Do you want to come in?"

Closing the distance, he trailed his fingers over her shoulder, down her arm. Those smoky eyes stayed fixed on hers. "I'm just having this thought about how I come in and we forget about the opening."

"Oh no." She nudged him back, and stepped out. Handing him the wrap, she turned her back, glanced around as he draped it over her shoulders. "You promised me strange paintings, lousy wine, and soggy canapes."

"We could go back inside." He leaned down to nuzzle her neck. "I'll sketch some erotic drawings, we'll drink good wine, and call out for pizza."

"Choices, choices," she said as they walked to his car. "Art opening now, erotic sketches later."

"If we must." But he stopped at the car to draw her into a luxurious kiss. "I like the way you look, which is amazing."

"That was the plan." She stroked her hand over the slate gray sweater he wore under a leather jacket. "I like the way you look, Jack."

"Since we look so good I guess we'd better go be seen." When he got behind the wheel he sent her an easy smile. "How was the weekend?"

"Jammed, as advertised. And successful, since Parker talked the clients into renting the tents for Saturday. When it rained, everybody stayed dry. Even better, we scrabbled around for more candles and some of my emergency supply of flowers so we had all this soft light