She barked out a laugh. “Money for your family. I remember. But this…this could generate as much money or more than you make playing professional football.”
“Not in a timely manner. I needed the money sooner rather than later.” He saw the play of emotions on her face. “You don’t get it.”
“No, I understand. I don’t like it, but I understand.”
“Good.” He touched her arm. “Come on. Let’s go sit by the fireplace in the pavilion. I want to talk to you.”
Jensen swallowed. The time had come. “Yea, we do need to talk.”
Heading around the property to the rear of the house, they didn’t speak until they were seated on a padded limestone bench near the hearth. Before he sat down, Clint fed the fire, adding two or three logs. Taking a poker, he stirred the flames. “I need to apologize to you.”
Watching the sparks dance and fly, Jensen whispered, “I don’t want your apology.”
“You deserve one. I reacted…badly. I should’ve told you how sorry I am for what you’re going through.”
“I don’t want your pity, Clint.”
“You…don’t have my pity. I’m trying to give you my support.”
“I…” She started to say she didn’t want that either, but there was no use sounding like a broken record. “I wasn’t fair to you. I enjoyed making love to you and I thought that night in Austin might be my last chance.”
“I know. It’s okay. It’s not like I didn’t love every second of it. I just wanted more.”
“I did too.” Jensen wiped her eyes. “You’re an amazing man, Clint. If things were different…”
About that time the fire spit out a large spark which landed on his shirt. He jumped up and swatted at the spot, hissing at the searing pain as the singed material adhered to his skin.
“Hold on.” Jensen quickly emptied her coffee and jumped up to dip a cupful of ice from the tub. Placing it on the hearth, she began to unbutton his shirt. “I got it. I got it.”
Clint froze – not only from the pain, but from the nearness of Jensen as she pushed the material of his shirt out of the way to tend to the small wound. Taking a piece of the ice, she held it to his flesh, placing her other hand on his bare chest. He didn’t know what burned the most, the place where the spark landed, or the place where she touched him. “Jensen…”
“I know it hurts. Just be still. Do you have aloe?”
“I don’t know. Jensen…”
She caressed his chest. “Burns are the worst. It’ll stop hurting in a second.”
Clint barely felt the burn. All he could feel were Jensen’s hands on him, touching him with tender concern. Moving gently. Stroking. Petting. Turning him on.
Closing his eyes, he tried to talk himself down. Damn, his cock. The pushy appendage had a mind of its own. Down, boy. Down. Not a good time. Clint didn’t know how he’d react. If he could… Oh, hell.
When he stiffened and grew quiet, Jensen realized what she was doing. Freezing, she took a step back. “Dang, I’m sorry.” She shook her head, her whole body flush with self-consciousness. “I guess I’m making it worse.”
“No.” He grabbed her hands and brought them back to his chest. He told himself it was to keep her from leaving, but deep inside he knew it was because he wanted to feel her hands on him. “You haven’t done anything wrong. I have. I’ve hurt you.”
“I hurt you too. And I never intended to do that.”
He could hear the tears in her voice. “Don’t cry. There’s nothing to cry about.”
“There’s everything to cry about. Nothing is the same.”
When she looked up at him with those big blue eyes, Clint thought his heart might explode. “I know one thing that’s hasn’t changed.” He wanted her more than ever.
Jensen couldn’t believe what was happening. “Clint?” He was taking her in his arms, pulling her close. She didn’t know whether to push away and run or stay in the one place she most wanted to be. As he lowered his head to claim her lips, she put her palms on his chest. If she didn’t keep some distance between them, she’d lose the last bit of self-control she possessed. When he layered his mouth to hers, sweet and tantalizing, she tried to turn her head – but he followed her, framing her face so she couldn’t escape.