Maybe he was a lunatic.
“You really think anyone is going to believe
this?” Jessica looked over her shoulder to view her image in the cheval mirror.
Hank thought he might swallow his tongue.
Looking at Jessica’s cute butt in a pair of his breeches was almost more than he
could bear. Thoughts of him running his hands over that soft looking derričre
flittered through his mind.
Focus, Beaumont, focus.
He hunted for the floppiest hat he had and plopped it on Jessica’s head. “Pile
your hair up under the hat and pull it down over your eyes. And whatever you do,
don’t stop walking, and don’t talk to anyone on the way out.”
“Hank, the breeches are falling down. I can’t
fasten my hair up and hold the breeches at the same time.” Her soft, chocolate
hued eyes pleaded with him for help. Hank groaned. Was nothing about this woman
simple?
After hunting around the room, he finally
found a short piece of rope to hold up the breeches. He held it out to her.
“Hank, I’m still trying to put my hair under
the hat. Can’t you do it?”
She’s killing me. Lord, help! I don’t talk
to you as often as I know I should, but I vow, if I have to touch this woman
again, without Your help, we might not make it out of the room.
Moving forward, he stood an arm’s length away.
No, this was not going to work. How could he fasten this without touching
her? He stepped closer. Her lips parted and the tip of her tongue edged out to
moisten her lips. Her eyes met and held his. He was going to die.
Groaning, he closed the distance between them.
Wrap-ping his arms around her, he eased the rope from her back around to the
front. Slowly he drew the two ends together, tying them in a knot. Just as she
was shredding his heart and tying it into pieces.
His arms tightened around her as her eyes met
his in expectation. Lowering his mouth to hers…he straightened and cursed. “We
can’t do this!”
Pulling her behind him, they headed to the
hallway and down the stairs.
Thank goodness all the girls are still
asleep. If one of them saw Jessie, they’d never be fooled.
“Follow me. Stay right behind me and keep your
head down. And remember, don’t talk to anyone. When we get in the hotel, do not
stop. Head directly to your room and I’ll stay downstairs and go into the dining
room. Once you change clothes, come downstairs and meet me there. Then we’ll
talk.”
He started to turn the corner to head down the
stairs.
“Hank?”
Sighing, he faced Jessica. “What now?”
She searched his eyes, then stood on tiptoe
and brushed her lips against his. “Thank you.”
His heart slammed against his chest. He
couldn’t speak. Could barely breathe. Without another word, he continued down
the stairs. She’d best be behind him, because he wasn’t stopping. If he did,
he’d sweep her off her feet and back upstairs to his bed.
