Sentimental Journey by Janet Dailey Read Free Book Online Page B

ago."
    Ten years ago, Jessica thought. That was before Brodie achieved his success. She wondered if it bothered him that his father had never lived to see how far he had progressed, but decided the question was too personal.
    "I didn't know. I'm sorry," she offered in sympathy.
    "There isn't any reason why you should have known about it. You didn't know him," Brodie stated in an unemotional tone.
    "No, I didn't know him," Jessica admitted, and fell silent.
    "There was something else you wanted to ask me, wasn't there?" He slid a sideways look at her. Jessica nibbled at her lower lip, but didn't answer. "You were wondering about my mother." She caught her breath, stunned that he had guessed so accurately. "I don't know where she is. She and my father were divorced when I was two. An attorney tried to locate her when my father died, but he couldn't find her."
    There was absolutely no emotion in his voice, neither bitterness nor remorse that he had never known the woman who had given birth to him. The twinge of pity Jessica felt was wasted. Family had always played an integral part in her life, even now when her relatives lived at a distance. Brodie, obviously, hadn't missed what he had never known.
    The car slowed to a stop in front of her apartment building. It took Jessica several seconds to shake out of her reverie. In that time Brodie had got out of the car and walked around to her door.
    As she stepped out of the car, a whole new set of thoughts assailed her. The male hand at the small of her back wakened her to the fact that she would soon be bidding Brodie good-night. At the conclusion of every date, with the exception of her first few as a teenager, it was expected that a kiss would be exchanged at the door, but her senses shied vigorously away from the image of his hard mouth pressed against hers.
    Her heart was skipping beats when they reached her door. She made a project of searching through her bag for the key. Aware of his eyes watching her, she had the uncanny sensation that Brodie knew exactly what she was thinking, feeling and trying to avoid.
    "Thank you for dinner." Her fingers closed around the key at the bottom of her bag.
    It struck her then that Brodie might expect her to invite him in for coffee. She had no intention of doing so and wondered how she could delicately avoid it if he suggested it.
    "It was my pleasure." Brodie sounded as if he was silently laughing.
    Jessica didn't look to see if he was. She removed the key from her bag. But before she could insert it in the lock, Brodie was reaching for it. The touch of his fingers was like scalding water. Jessica surrendered the key to him without resistance and took a step backward to avoid further contact while he unlocked the door.
    The bolt clicked open. Jessica trembled when he straightened to face her and tried not to show it. She wondered if it was by design that he was between her and the safety of her apartment.
    She held out her hand for the key. "Thank you again. And good luck in your new venture."
    She attempted to slide between him and the door, hoping her movement would prompt him to step aside. He didn't. In consequence, she was uncomfortably close to him, and Brodie still hadn't returned the key.
    Her gaze focused on the tiny stitches in the sleeve of his sweater while waiting for the key—but not for long. The hand with the key moved toward her. She followed it, expecting the key to be placed in her outstretched hand. Her hand was ignored as his continued in an upward motion that stopped with his forefinger at her chin, the key hidden inside his closed palm.
    Forced to meet his gaze, Jessica felt a rushing heat sweep over her skin. One corner of his mouth was a fraction of an inch higher than the other, implying mockery.
    "Are you wondering whether I intend to kiss you good-night?" His voice was a slow, lazy drawl, pitched low to lull her into a sense of false security.
    How should she respond to that? Laugh it off? Deny that it had even