difficult not to take her in his arms. Not yet, Montgomery, he told himself, not yet.
“My mother tried to teach me to sing,” he said, “but I never had the discipline. I’d rather be on a boat. My grandmother taught me some about drawing, and I was able to use that to design a few boats for my father’s company, but mostly I just did what I could.”
Nellie suspected he was being modest. Just as she’d sensed his loneliness when she’d first met him, she now knew he was not telling her all the truth. “No doubt your father paid you a salary in spite of the fact that you are a wastrel.”
His eyes flew open. “I earned my keep. In fact, I designed a yacht that outran everything on the eastern seaboard. Neither of my brothers could design a rowboat, and I have some medals at home that—” He broke off, then grinned and settled back in her lap. “I’ll owe you for that, Nellie,” he said, smiling. She’d made him act like a bragging schoolboy. He picked up her hand and kissed the palm. “Now tell me about you.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” she said honestly. “I have no talents, no accomplishments.” Except eating, she thought. One day she ate three whole cakes.
“Music?”
“No.”
“Art?”
“No.”
“You can cook.”
“So can a great many women.”
He opened his eyes and frowned up at her. “You’re not telling me the truth. There must be something you like more than anything in the world.”
“I love my family,” she said dutifully, but when he kept frowning at her she sighed. “Children. I’ve sometimes thought I’d like to have a dozen children.”
“I would love to help you,” Jace said solemnly.
It took Nellie a moment before she understood what he meant, then she blushed furiously and pushed at his shoulder. “Mr. Montgomery, you are wicked!”
He leered at her, wiggling his eyebrows. “You make me feel wicked, Nellie.”
She laughed. The sun was setting, and the day was growing dim. She didn’t know how it was possible, but he was even better-looking in the fading light.
“Listen,” he said.
There was a church at the north end of the park, and in the stillness they could hear a Christmas carol.
“Choir practice,” Nellie whispered. “For the services on Christmas Eve.”
“Christmas,” Jace said softly. “Last Christmas I don’t even remember where I was, but I got drunk and stayed that way for two days.”
“Because of your wife?”
Jace sat up and looked at Nellie, looked at her lovely face, then put his hand on her cheek, then touched her hair. He looked down at her body, at her big breasts, her waist over hips that he’d like to put his hands on. He wondered if her thighs were as white as the skin on her neck.
It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn’t had a woman since Julie. In the four years of his wandering no woman had appealed to him. When he’d looked at women, all he saw was Julie, and every woman paled in comparison to her. But now, looking at Nellie, he wanted her so much that he found his hand was trembling.
“Let’s go listen to the music,” he said at last. He had to get her away from the quiet solitude of the park or he didn’t know if he could control himself.
Nellie had no idea what was going on in his mind, but she knew she didn’t want to leave the park. No man had ever looked at her as he just had, and although it frightened her, it also excited her. She was sure that today was a one-time event and that tomorrow there would be no strolls with a handsome man, so today she had to take all that she could.
“Nellie, don’t look at me like that. I’m only human, and a man can take only so much.”
She hesitated.
Jace rocked back on his heels and groaned.
The groan made Nellie laugh. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but the look on his face made her feel powerful—and beautiful. “All right, let’s go listen to the carols.”
He helped her stand, and it seemed that his hands were all over her body at
“My mother tried to teach me to sing,” he said, “but I never had the discipline. I’d rather be on a boat. My grandmother taught me some about drawing, and I was able to use that to design a few boats for my father’s company, but mostly I just did what I could.”
Nellie suspected he was being modest. Just as she’d sensed his loneliness when she’d first met him, she now knew he was not telling her all the truth. “No doubt your father paid you a salary in spite of the fact that you are a wastrel.”
His eyes flew open. “I earned my keep. In fact, I designed a yacht that outran everything on the eastern seaboard. Neither of my brothers could design a rowboat, and I have some medals at home that—” He broke off, then grinned and settled back in her lap. “I’ll owe you for that, Nellie,” he said, smiling. She’d made him act like a bragging schoolboy. He picked up her hand and kissed the palm. “Now tell me about you.”
“There’s nothing to tell,” she said honestly. “I have no talents, no accomplishments.” Except eating, she thought. One day she ate three whole cakes.
“Music?”
“No.”
“Art?”
“No.”
“You can cook.”
“So can a great many women.”
He opened his eyes and frowned up at her. “You’re not telling me the truth. There must be something you like more than anything in the world.”
“I love my family,” she said dutifully, but when he kept frowning at her she sighed. “Children. I’ve sometimes thought I’d like to have a dozen children.”
“I would love to help you,” Jace said solemnly.
It took Nellie a moment before she understood what he meant, then she blushed furiously and pushed at his shoulder. “Mr. Montgomery, you are wicked!”
He leered at her, wiggling his eyebrows. “You make me feel wicked, Nellie.”
She laughed. The sun was setting, and the day was growing dim. She didn’t know how it was possible, but he was even better-looking in the fading light.
“Listen,” he said.
There was a church at the north end of the park, and in the stillness they could hear a Christmas carol.
“Choir practice,” Nellie whispered. “For the services on Christmas Eve.”
“Christmas,” Jace said softly. “Last Christmas I don’t even remember where I was, but I got drunk and stayed that way for two days.”
“Because of your wife?”
Jace sat up and looked at Nellie, looked at her lovely face, then put his hand on her cheek, then touched her hair. He looked down at her body, at her big breasts, her waist over hips that he’d like to put his hands on. He wondered if her thighs were as white as the skin on her neck.
It suddenly occurred to him that he hadn’t had a woman since Julie. In the four years of his wandering no woman had appealed to him. When he’d looked at women, all he saw was Julie, and every woman paled in comparison to her. But now, looking at Nellie, he wanted her so much that he found his hand was trembling.
“Let’s go listen to the music,” he said at last. He had to get her away from the quiet solitude of the park or he didn’t know if he could control himself.
Nellie had no idea what was going on in his mind, but she knew she didn’t want to leave the park. No man had ever looked at her as he just had, and although it frightened her, it also excited her. She was sure that today was a one-time event and that tomorrow there would be no strolls with a handsome man, so today she had to take all that she could.
“Nellie, don’t look at me like that. I’m only human, and a man can take only so much.”
She hesitated.
Jace rocked back on his heels and groaned.
The groan made Nellie laugh. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but the look on his face made her feel powerful—and beautiful. “All right, let’s go listen to the carols.”
He helped her stand, and it seemed that his hands were all over her body at
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