only woman in the room.
Deke had found her talking to Dane when he'd arrived to help serve dinner. Stock market analysis and other things that made his brother light up like a Christmas tree. That was the thing about Jessica. She had a knack for engaging people and putting them at ease. Him included, which was pretty much a miracle these days. She was kind and smart and independent, and she fascinated him. He wanted to get into her head and find out what made her tick. Because he knew she was hiding her true nature from everyone. Maybe even from herself, and that was the worst crime of all.
Underneath that professional armor, she was soft and responsive and so feminine she made him ache. She'd all but melted in his arms, and all he'd done was kiss her. The intriguing, secret parts he'd glimpsed of her over the past two days made him want to see more.
"Ready to go?” Dusty called to him from the doorway.
Deke nodded to him. “Yeah."
They were all supposed to go into town to the bar, except for Dillon and maybe Charissa. They seemed to have a lot of shit to straighten out between them, if his brother's grim expression and the sidelong looks he'd been shooting her way at dinner were any indication.
Sending his brothers out with the bridal party was Dillon's idea of relaxing his rigid demands and being a nice guy. Ironic he wouldn't even be there to keep them in line. Everyone else was going dancing, but Deke wasn't sure Jessica would go. She didn't seem like the bar type, so it wouldn't surprise him if she opted to stay behind in favor of getting more work done. If she did, he'd be tempted to stay with her, to see if he could interest her in more pleasurable things.
He wanted more of what he'd sensed in that kiss earlier today. Breathless anticipation and a yearning so strong he'd barely been able to keep his hands off her the rest of the day. Her unique mix of independence and sensual, ultra-femininity damn near killed him.
It made him wonder what it would take to make her let go and unleash the sexy siren inside. What did she like in bed? He hated to think it was straight missionary-with-the-lights-off sex. She had to want something more than that. She was too beautiful, too feminine not to enjoy her sexuality. What got her off? It'd be fun to find out what forbidden fantasies ran through that pretty head when she was alone and aching for release in the middle of the night.
'Course, it'd be a hell of a lot more fun to make them come to life with her. He'd love to have one night with her alone and at his mercy. Then he'd find out exactly what it took to make those big topaz eyes go hazy and blind. What made that lush mouth part in a cry of ecstasy as she came against his tongue. Or around his cock.
It heated his blood just thinking about it.
Not that he would ever find out. Though seeing how besotted the rest of his brothers were this weekend, the company rules about fraternizing with the guests seemed to have been tossed out the window for the time being. Thank God their parents were out of town.
But Jessica should stay off limits for him. He was a cynical ex-Pararescue Jumper with no fucking clue what to do with the rest of his life and a taste for hard-edged, kinky sex. She deserved better than getting tangled up with him.
Tamping down the sexual hunger roiling inside him, he rose and snagged his keys from the back office. When he came out, Jessica was setting her cake plate into the bin of dirty dishes. She looked up at him and offered a smile.
"Coming to the bar?” he asked.
She glanced over at the others, already filing out the door and heading for the parking lot. She was going to say no. He could see it in her face. But then her gaze went to the keys in his hand and up to his eyes. “Are you going?"
"Was planning to. You can come with me.” The subconscious double entendre made his dick throb.
A pleased smile curved her soft mouth. “Okay then."
"Right this way.” He set a hand against her back