Was that pity in his eyes? Jessie pushed his hand away, forced her eyes to go flat and remote. ‘It’s okay, Monroe.’ She’d made enough of a spectacle of herself already. ‘Like you said, it was nothing.’ She whirled away from him.
As Jessie walked towards the public restrooms she kept her head high, her back ramrod straight, but couldn’t stop the silent tears of humiliation rolling down her cheeks.
The journey back to the house was agony for both of them.
As Jessie clung onto the back of the bike, refusing to hold onto Monroe, she felt none of the thrill from the earlier journey into town.
All she could think about was the kiss they’d shared. It had been like no other kiss she’d ever had before. She’d made love before with less excitement.
Why had she responded to him like that?
It was mortifying and, what was worse, it had meant less than nothing to him. ‘What’s the big deal?’—that was what he’d said. He must have kissed loads of women before her and she hadn’t measured up very well. He hadn’t even insisted that she hold onto him on the ride back as he’d done on the way there. She felt angry with him and humiliated, but worse, much worse, was the feeling of rejection that she couldn’t seem to shake no matter how hard she tried. Why should she care what a womanising ex-con thought of her? But the problem was she did care.
Monroe wanted to kick himself for his stupidity. Why the hell had he kissed her? Now he knew what she tasted like, what she felt like in his arms, he was going to have a hell of a time keeping his hands off her.
He had to keep his hands off her.
He slept with women for mutual pleasure, for kicks, but it could never mean anything deeper than that. He never got involved with anyone who might mean more to him. That was the way he lived; that was the way he had to live. Free and easy. No commitments, no ties.
The way she’d looked at him after the kiss, the shattered horror in her eyes had touched a place inside him he’d never even admitted existed. The woman was bad news all round. He was going to have to keep well clear of her. But how the hell was he going to do that, when he wanted her so damn much?
CHAPTER FIVE
‘JESS?’
‘Over here, Al.’ Jessie poked her head round the kitchen counter as her sister waddled into view.
‘Do you think you could get Emmy for me? I’m so tired.’
Seeing the exhaustion on her sister’s face, Jessie dashed over and took her arm. ‘Sit down, for goodness’ sake.’ She guided Ali towards the sofa. ‘Where is Emmy? I thought she was with Linc.’
‘He’s working today, some crisis at the New York office.’ Ali settled into the cushions and gave a hefty sigh. ‘Emmy’s been camped over at Monroe’s all morning.’
Jessie frowned. ‘But I thought she went over to see him yesterday.’
‘And the day before that.’ Ali paused to rub her back. ‘She’s been helping him fix the BMW. You wouldn’t believe the state of her clothes when she got back yesterday. I was worried Monroe might be getting tired of having her hanging around. But I think he was actually pleased to see her this morning.’ She smiled, her eyes warm. ‘Anyway, I thought maybe you could go rescue him, as lunch is nearly ready.’
‘Um.’ Jessie felt trapped.
She’d been avoiding Monroe for over a week. If the humiliating memory of their kiss wasn’t bad enough, the fact that she’d been reliving it in her dreams every night had made it all seem so much worse. She still wasn’t ready to see him again. But Ali looked shattered. She couldn’t very well refuse such a simple request.
Jessie arranged the sandwiches she’d made on the table, tried to steady her breathing. ‘I’ll go get her in a minute, Al.’
‘Why don’t you ask Monroe if he wants to come over for the barbecue tonight?’ Ali said from the sofa. ‘I haven’t been able to tempt him with any of my invitations so far, but maybe the promise of a medium-rare steak will do the trick.’
Jessie’s cheeks coloured. She’d rather gnaw off her own foot than ask Monroe over for the family’s evening barbecue. All she needed was his smouldering looks over the charcoal to put her right off her own steak.
She rustled up a sweet smile for Ali as she slipped on her sandals. ‘Will do.’
It was an effort for Jessie not to curse out loud as she marched across the lawn to the garage apartment. She was just pondering how she could get away with not giving him Ali’s dinner invitation when she heard the delighted peal of Emmy’s laughter, followed by a gruff masculine chuckle.
Rounding the side of the garage, she spotted Monroe’s long jeans-clad legs sticking out from under the car. All she could see of Emmy were two pink sneakers wiggling furiously.
Should she be shocked or amazed that he actually had her five-year-old niece doubling as a car mechanic?
There was a loud clanging sound.
‘Hey, hold on there, kid.’