The Cowboy's Temptation Page 0,33

are you trying to get a job offer out of me?”

He took her hands and gently pulled her up to stand next to him, pulling her closer to him when she tried to pull away. “You’re more of a mystery than I realized. You’ve been cooking, cleaning and doing my accounting for me for the past two weeks, haven’t you?”

Elissa pulled back, tired of being intimidated by him. “Well, there wasn’t much to do while Ronny was working. I need to keep busy.”

“I thought you were a stock broker. Don’t you have investments to handle and personal matters to deal with?”

Elissa turned her back to him and moved over to the fence. Jake followed and stood next to her. It took her a long time to reply, but she finally admitted. “I hate my job.”

“Why?”

“It’s useless.”

Jake nodded. “So you don’t like making rich people richer?”

Elissa laughed. “Don’t sound so disdainful. I did your books. You’re an extremely wealthy man, Jake. You have more money than all of my clients put together.”

“Money isn’t everything.”

Elissa sighed. “I know. But what is?”

Jake shook his head. “I don’t know.” They stood at the fence, staring out at the stars, both deep in their own thoughts for a long time.

Jake finally broke the silence. “Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For the meals. For cleaning the house. And most definitely for logging in all those numbers.”

Elissa laughed. “You’re welcome. Can I keep doing it?” she asked. She was suddenly embarrassed. “I mean, until I go home again. I’m not sure how long Ronny will need me…but, I guess she might need some help for a while,” she finished off hopefully.

“You’re a great cook. And I’d appreciate anything you can do for the books. I hate computers and I hate crunching numbers. I’ll pay you what I paid Annie.”

“Who is Annie?” Elissa didn’t like the stab of jealousy she felt when the other woman’s name came off Jake’s lips so easily

Jake’s smile was bright as he heard the anger in her voice. “No need to get jealous. Annie is just a woman who comes in every once in a while to load the costs into the computer. She’s happily married and just gave birth to her fourth child. That’s why she hasn’t been out in a while.”

Elissa’s chin went up slightly. “I’m not jealous,” she exclaimed, but the words didn’t ring true even to her ears.

Jake moved closer. “I think you are,” he said.

“No, I’m not,” she declared and stopped retreating. “You can see whoever you like. I don’t care.”

Jake’s hand reached out so quickly she didn’t know how it happened but the next moment, she was sitting on the top fence post, and Jake was standing between her knees. The intimate position made Elissa gasp. “Let me down,” she demanded.

“Not yet. I want you,” he said. “And I think if you were completely honest with me, you’d admit that you want me just as intensely.”

“No!”

Jake leaned forward slightly and kissed the pulse at the base of her neck. He moved up to her ear, nibbling at her earlobe, then made his way across her neck, her jaw line, kissing her everywhere but her mouth.

As soon as Jake touched her skin, she was lost in a sensuous haze. He seemed to have total control of her body and all Elissa could do was hold on to his shoulders. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own and her body leaned into his, her breasts feeling the hard muscle of his chest, her legs tightening around his waist, telling him without words that she wanted him to continue.

Elissa gasped when she felt his hands touch her bare skin under her tee-shirt. But her body instantly reacted and at the same time Jake’s hand closed over her breast, his mouth covered hers in a passionate kiss that made her dizzy. She moaned in the back of her throat, her arms pulling him closer and her back arched against his hand when his thumb found her nipple underneath the lace of her bra.

A voice in the back of Jake’s head told him to stop but her moans were driving him to distraction. He had never felt this kind of urge to posses a woman. It was raw, overwhelming and he didn’t want it to stop. He didn’t want to stop touching her either. She was so responsive. Each place he touched elicited either a moan or a gasp and it fogged his brain so he searched out the next place, needing