Skye smiled contentedly, standing to greet him.
“On second thought—” His hand cupped her face, and he peered into her eyes.“—I may never have completed school if you’d been around.It would have been too tempting to flunk.”
Unable to resist the temptation, Skye planted a tiny kiss at the corner of his mouth.More and more, touching him, kissing him, loving him, was becoming second nature.
“Are you ready?”his controlled voice asked.
“In a minute.”Reluctantly she broke from his arms and withdrew her purse from the bottom drawer of her desk.“Do I have time to freshen up?I’ll only be a few minutes.”Her fingers rose unconsciously to her colorless lips before running through the tangles of her long curls.
“I don’t see why you need fresh lipstick.I’m going to kiss it off within minutes anyway,” he teased, the corners of his mouth curved in amusement.“But take all the time you need.”
When she joined him again, she found him leaning against her desk, glancing through her students’ papers and their still-awkward attempts at letters and numbers.He straightened when she entered, but the drawn look was back in his eyes before he could mask it from her.
A feather-light kiss brushed her lips.“Mmm, that tasted good.”His head drew back slightly to examine her trembling mouth.“I’ll have another,” he said, and with a diminutive chuckle, he tenderly folded her into his arms.
“How did you know where I taught?”Skye asked, still descending from the delight of his kiss.The question had troubled her all day.She was sure she’d never mentioned it.
“You told me at one time or another.”He dismissed her question.“Or perhaps it was Billy.”
She relaxed.Billy knew, of course.Yet she couldn’t help feeling a little apprehensive.Jordan’s call last night had hauntedher most of the day, and looking at him now, she could see he was equally troubled.
“Where are we going?”They were halfway across the school yard before she thought to ask.
Placing an arm around her shoulder, he glanced at her questioning eyes.“That depends,” he answered cryptically.“Why don’t we go to your apartment first?We need to talk.We’ll decide from there.”
Skye glanced again at the uneasiness she’d read in his eyes.He’s going to ask me to marry him,she thought,and he’s nervous.An overwhelming surge of love rose within her.Just as she knew his question, she knew her answer.She loved Jordan, and she wanted one day when the time was right to have his children.Together they would build a meaningful life.The differences in their beliefs would work themselves out.He wasn’t a committed believer yet, but Skye had to believe that he was searching and that one day he would be.
All at once she was as nervous as Jordan and chatted all the way to her apartment.She put water on the stove while Jordan remained in her living room.She studied his profile anxiously, waiting.
“Skye, let’s talk.”
Instantly she moved into the living room and sat opposite him, her heart pounding wildly.She felt like a young girl nervously anticipating her first kiss.
“Yes, Jordan.”
In a lazy, withdrawn manner he studied her, the pause lengthening.Skye had seen him use that expression only once before, and then, unexpectedly, a feeling of dread came over her.
“I was happy to be in church with you last Sunday and listen to your music.It gave me an opportunity to record you without your knowledge.Dan Murphy listened to the tape and would like to offer you a recording contract.”
In a hurt, confused action, Skye quickly averted her face.Closing her eyes to block the pain, she pressed her lips tightly together.It hurt that Jordan had gone against her wishes in such an underhanded way.She would never have believed him capable of something like this.
“I’m...I’m not interested.”She wanted to scream it at him, but instead remained outwardly calm and composed.Suddenly the living room became claustrophobic, and she jerked herself upright and stood before the bay window.
Jordan followed.“I don’t think you understand what you’re refusing.”His gaze flickered over her as she stood, her back stiff and erect.“You’ve got it, Skye.Talent.Beauty.Appeal.You’re superstar material, and I’ll back you every way I can.”
Skye looked at him with a sickening kind of disbelief and hugged her stomach, needing the warmth and protection her arms provided.Hanging her head, a numbness stole over her.And she’d thought he was going to ask her to be his wife.It was almost worth laughing over.
Jordan reached out to touch her, but she roughly pulled away, her indomitable pride taking over.“Please, don’t touch me,” she said, anger wobbling her voice.“What’s in it for you, Jordan?Twenty percent?”she asked contemptuously.
The muscles along the sides of his jaw tightened and jerked.“That’s enough,” he returned.
“You’re wrong.It’s not nearly enough.”Remaining another second in his presence was more than she could bear.“I think it’s time you left.”She could hear Jordan behind her and was caught by her arm and turned around so she had no choice but to face him.
“Skye, listen to me,” he ground out.
Frantically she struggled against him, but it was useless to struggle; he held her helpless for several minutes until the wild, crazy tempo of their hearts returned to a normal pace.Onlythen did his grip slacken, but he still didn’t release her.His fingers combed through her hair, easing it away from her face.
He cupped her face, drawing it upward, but she stubbornly refused to meet his gaze.“I wouldn’t hurt you for the world.Skye, I love you.”
