Forsaking All Others Read online

  Holding Jessica close to his body was right up there on the top of Weston’s list of desires. She had fitted perfectly into his arms when he’d hugged her earlier. His limbs seemed to have wrapped around her of their own accord, holding her much longer than he had anticipated. It had felt good, too. The feelings surging through him had been wild.

  The delicious scents from the food caused Jessica’s mouth to water. She hadn’t realized how hungry she was until now. The family had had lunch right after they had arrived at the resort, eons ago.

  Jessica was a perfect size-six petite, but the girl had a ravenous appetite. However, the only fried foods she ever ate were French fries and the occasional fish sandwich. The weight problems she had had in her youth had one day up and disappeared, without her resorting to dieting.

  Weston gently nudged Jessica. “Pass the salt, please.”

  That little insignificant touch from Weston had Jessica’s heart doing flip-flops. But it was those dark, dreamy eyes that made crazy things happen inside her body. “Sure.” She picked up the saltshaker closest to her and handed it to Mr. McHunk. In her mind she had already referred to him as such a few times.

  As Jessica looked over at Jennifer and Samuel, she had to smile. The two sweethearts had been in love since junior high school. They were the same exact age, twenty-seven. She had often prayed to find the kind of relationship they had, with no immediate interest in forever after. She thought thirty was the perfect age for women to marry and thirty-three or even a bit older for men. That gave her five years to find her Mr. Right. Jessica wasn’t sure she wanted kids, but she hadn’t ruled them out, either.

  The grilled Chilean sea bass Jessica had ordered tasted so scrumptious she closed her eyes to savor the expertly prepared seafood. Her salad greens were fresh and crisp; the tomatoes had to have been grown in the Garden of Eden. They were the most flavorful ones she had ever tasted. The others also seemed pleased with their meals, Jessica noted. Her family were huge seafood lovers, evident by what each one had ordered. Roman and Samuel’s favorite was grilled salmon. Sahara and Jennifer were into the different varieties of shellfish.

  Weston had ordered a huge porterhouse steak that looked grilled to perfection. He had also ordered a Caesar salad, loving the tangy taste of the dressing. His baked potato was stuffed with everything imaginable. He had dug right into his meal as soon as Roman had passed the blessing.

  Jessica would love to eat steak, but she had a hard time digesting beef. The only ingredients she liked on her baked potatoes were butter and sour cream, at a minimum. Jessica could tell that Weston was enjoying what he had put on his.

  “Mind if I taste your fish, Jess?” Weston asked. “It looks good.”

  Jessica was once again surprised. She didn’t object to giving Weston a bite, but how was she supposed to serve it to him? It was out of the question for her to put some on her fork and feed it to him. Weston handed Jessica a small bread plate and indicated for her to drop it there. She was glad he had solved her dilemma. She didn’t have to look up to know all eyes had been on her, anticipating how she might respond.

  On purpose Jessica refused to make direct eye contact with anyone in her family. The look in her eyes might just be a dead giveaway for how besotted she had become with Weston. No matter what her misguided feelings were for him, they just couldn’t happen as a couple. That was like falling right into the trap their parents had set for them as mere babes in arms. No one with any common sense ever walked into a visible trap.

  The small group had moved over into the lounge, where several tables for two had been put together. There was no odd man out.

  Jessica was highly aware that she and Weston were the only two single people in their party. She was sure it had been by design, that both sets of parents were still hopeful they would become an item.

  Jessica had thought about asking her best friend Jarred Wilkerson, to come on the trip with her. Her parents would’ve done their level best to talk her out of it. She and Jarred enjoyed each other’s company tremendously. Each valued their special friendship. He was happily single now after recently breaking off his two-year relationship with Melanie Holt. However, he and Jessica weren’t remotely interested in each other in a romantic way. They just hung out together a lot.

  On the other side of the coin, Jessica had hoped and prayed Weston would bring along a lady friend. That hope had vanished in the same moment her mother had informed her he was coming to Aspen alone. Now she was glad he hadn’t brought along a date and that she hadn’t invited Jarred. She liked having Weston’s undivided attention. Of course, he hadn’t paid her an ounce of attention since his plate had first arrived, other than to ask her for a bite of her fish. It looked as if she had a meaty rival.

  Jessica chuckled inwardly at her last thought.

  Swallowing the lump in her throat came hard for Jessica after Weston had asked her to dance. Jennifer and Samuel were already on the floor gyrating to the funky beats. The four parents hadn’t stopped talking since sitting down in the lounge.

  What was a girl to do? Accept his invitation. She tried to hush the little voice inside her head. Still finding it difficult to speak, Jessica simply got out of her seat. That move should be evidence enough that she wanted to dance with him. She had wondered if he would ever ask her. Now that he had, she was ecstatic about it.

  Four songs later Jessica and Weston were still on the dance floor. A couple of times they had changed partners with Jennifer and Samuel, but only for short periods. When a step-dance tune came on, Weston didn’t miss a beat. He began stepping, glad that Jessica also knew how to. Their laughter rang out as they put on a show.

  Many of the patrons gawked at Weston and Jessica’s spirited moves.

  As Weston’s hands spanned Jessica’s waist through several of the steps, she continued to keep pace with the music, though his deliciously warm hands had set her body ablaze. He didn’t seem to miss the nervous look on her face when the music suddenly turned slow and romantic; before her fears could take her over completely, he tenderly brought her into his arms, pulling her closer in to his body. Perhaps he found it comforting that she was as nervous about him as he was about her.

  The urge to lay her head against Weston’s chest was overwhelming to Jessica, yet she kept her head raised, her eyes straight ahead. She’d have to look up to peer into his sexy eyes, something she would love to do. Jessica knew she could lose herself there.

  The slower set had consisted of three songs. Jessica and Weston stayed on the floor for each one. Each dance had drawn them closer and closer together.

  As the smiling couple were about to return to their seats, Roman came up and took a hand of each of his daughters. Jessica and Jennifer often danced with their dad. It was always a highlight of any event for them. One song later Sahara eagerly joined her husband and their two girls for a family dance.

  Weston kept his eyes trained on Jessica as she laughed and got down with a line dance she had a ball doing with her family. The girl was as sexy as women came, having gotten him all hot and bothered when he’d held her in his arms. She had a cute little way of twisting her hips and making her upper body wiggle in rhythm to the music. He’d been surprised to learn that she could step, had been pretty darn good at it. He had to admit to the numerous surprises, expecting even more. This was going to be one interesting holiday trip.

  Chapter 2

  Weston and his parents waited in the parking lot for the Harrington car to make it back. The families had decided to have a nightcap and watch a movie or do something else fun in the Harrington town house. The Harrington family had been right behind the Chamberlains, but when Weston had last looked, they weren’t anywhere in sight. That caused worry in the Chamberlain clan. The roads could be treacherous.

  Weston sighed with relief when he spotted the van pulling in, glad everyone was safe. He hurried over to the van to open the door for the passengers seated in the rear. Of course, he knew where Jessica was seated, because he had opene
d the vehicle door for her to get in.

  Once Jessica was out of the car, Weston took her by the hand. “How about taking a short walk? It’s a beautiful night.”

  Jessica rolled her hazel eyes, wondering if Weston was kidding. It was freezing outside. “Kind of cold out here, don’t you think?”

  Weston halfway closed his eyes, slightly tilting his head to the right. “I think I can keep you warm. In fact, I know I can deliver the heat.”

  Jessica had seen Weston’s eye and head gestures as so adorable, his remarks confident. There was no doubt in her mind he could deliver on his word. He had a way of making her hot all over just with a visual connection. “Let’s do this, already. Standing in one spot is freezing my feet to the ground.”

  Weston grinned. “Okay. First things first, though.” He lifted the hood of her heavy jacket and pulled it over her head. As he tied the strings snugly under her chin, he wanted to kiss her ripe lips so badly it hurt. Even outdoors where the icy wind blew hard, he smelled her sensuous perfume. He’d asked the name of the scent earlier.

  The trek around the resort started out with Weston’s arm tightly around Jessica’s waist. She silently promised not to fight any of her romantic urges. If she felt like laying her head against his arm, she would. Her mind wasn’t so sure about any lip action. Her heart certainly wasn’t opposed to it. She couldn’t help recalling all the times she had dreamed about kissing him in the past.

  Minutes later the numbing cold no longer seemed to matter to Jessica. The couple were now scooping up handfuls of snow and tossing it at each other, seemingly oblivious to the freezing temperatures. When she lost her balance, nearly toppling over, Weston was right there to keep her upright. She rewarded his rescue mission with a warm hug, sending his body temperature right up to the sky. He found her protesting when he had thought they should get indoors funny. Seconds afterward, large snowflakes began to fall.

  Back in the town house, Jessica and Weston totally ignored the curious looks from their parents. All they were interested in was something hot to drink. Jessica loved hot cocoa and hot chocolate, and Sahara had packed up both drinks, along with delicious flavored teas and coffees. She was the type of mother who easily anticipated the needs of her family. No matter how old Jessica and Jennifer got, they would always be little girls to Sahara and Roman.

  Jessica didn’t know what the others were watching on television, but she wasn’t interested in viewing anything. She had a television in her bedroom and liked to fall asleep with it on. She planned to do that a little later, but now it was only 10:00 p.m.

  Jessica instead pulled out the travel Scrabble board and challenged Weston to a game. He told her he was a terrible speller, but he’d indulge her in one game. He immediately commenced beating her pants off. His ability to spell and come up with words she hadn’t even heard of was top-notch.

  “Was that a white lie you told about your spelling skills or a bald-faced one?”

  Weston had the good grace to look ashamed. “I guess both. If I’d told you I was an excellent speller, you might have backed out. Most men are terrible spellers so I figured I’d just play the part.”

  “You lied, is what you did! That’s okay. Look for a rematch tomorrow.”

  “You’re on! We can play chess, too. Want a refill on the hot chocolate?”

  “Please.” She wouldn’t warn him on how good she was at chess.

  Amazed at how well things were going, Weston got up from the kitchen table and refilled both mugs. He had actually expected the fur to fly the entire vacation, just as it had done years ago. This was a pleasant diversion from how they had once acted. As he thought more about it, Weston had to admit that he had treated her badly. There was a time when he’d been stupid enough to believe she had a thing for him. No real proof of that had ever come forth.

  Weston carried the mugs of hot chocolate back over to the table. He placed Jessica’s down in front of her. “Here you go, sweetie.”

  Sweetie! Hmm. Jessica liked that term of endearment, especially coming from Weston’s pouting lips. Those babies looked so kissable. She closed her eyes just to conjure up an image of him seducing her mouth in the hottest way possible. When his fingers began to slowly trace the under-wire of her bra, she quickly popped her eyes open. She couldn’t let her mind go there, not in his presence. She wasn’t ready for him to leave, even though she was eager to conjure up more erotic images of him in bed later.

  “What’re you thinking about? You should’ve seen that sensual look. I hope I was somehow involved in your thoughts.”

  Jessica had to clear her throat. “Dream on, fellow. Dream on.”

  “Like that, huh?”

  Jessica failed to stifle a giggle. “Uh-huh. Just like that.”

  Weston got to his feet. “I know when I’ve worn out my welcome. I’m out of here. Are we on for some serious skiing tomorrow morning?”

  Jessica shook her head. “Not sure about that yet.”

  “Still scared of heights, huh? How’d you manage to get up to this elevation without losing it?”

  “Is there nothing sacred with my parents? How much do they tell you about me?”

  Laughing, Weston shrugged. “I actually got that one from Mom, who got it from yours. But I remember your reaction to getting up on the monkey bars when we were kids. You weren’t having any part of it.”

  “God forbid that you should remember all the bad stuff.”

  “I do remember the past. But this is now. I’m for making new memories, good ones. What about you?”

  “Didn’t you say you were leaving?”

  “What I said was I know when I’ve worn my welcome out.” He stretched out his hand to her. “Come on and walk me next door. If we’re to have a good day tomorrow, we’d better get plenty of rest.”

  “I agree. Sledding is more appealing to me than skiing. I hope you’ll join me. Don’t give me an answer right now. Sleep on it.”

  Weston gave Jessica his brightest, sexiest smile. “You have no idea what I plan to sleep on tonight while sleeping in nothing. Care to star in my wildest fantasies?”

  Jessica jumped to her feet. “Let me see you out. You’ve gotten punchy.”

  “It happens. I’m overly tired.”

  “Tell me about it!”

  “I’ll tell you anything you want to know. All you have to do is ask.”

  Jessica smiled smugly. “Gee, thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”

  Jessica lay comfortably in bed. As she thought about all the things that had transpired between her and Weston, she wondered if maybe they’d gotten too friendly too quickly. Many of his remarks to her after the walk and the game of Scrabble had become extremely flirtatious. Maybe so, but she had liked the attention.

  Care to star in my wildest fantasies? had flattered the heck right out of her, not to mention that sexy little smile of his. Had there been real sexual connotations in his comments? She sure hoped so.

  Deep down inside her heart Jessica hoped that Weston found her as sexy as she did him. She was trying hard not to come up with any reasons she couldn’t or shouldn’t get romantically involved with him. Surprisingly, she wasn’t terrified of her feelings for him. Being attracted to him before, with no favorable outcome, didn’t make a good case for compromising her feelings again.

  Of course, Jessica had been barely a teenager then. She hadn’t known the first thing about true love, yet she had been impressionable. His cruel treatment had hurt her pretty badly. Still, she wanted to give him the benefit of the doubt. He hadn’t known any more about love than she had. They had been kids, for goodness’ sake.

  Weston hadn’t shown an ounce of cruelty toward her this evening; quite the contrary. If she had gotten the signals right, he definitely had a romantic interest in her. The feelings were mutual. It hadn’t gotten past Jessica when both had said they wouldn’t want to live anyplace other than where they now resided. She couldn’t imagine how they’d ever have a long-distance relationship. It wasn’t like they’d be
living a couple of hours apart; they lived on totally opposite coasts.

  This was merely a vacation. Jessica felt foolish entertaining the idea of anything happening beyond the holiday. Enjoy this time and move on, she quietly told herself. Make the best of the next ten days. Then give Weston a warm farewell hug. With her mind made up not to take anything too serious, she closed her eyes, hoping to fall right off to sleep. Tomorrow had already been ushered in. It was well after midnight.

  Weston had been tossing and turning for over two hours. Thoughts of Jessica had nearly consumed him. It wasn’t a problem to admit being quite intrigued with her. What to do about it was his biggest dilemma. It was hard not to look ahead to when they’d part company. She’d go back to Los Angeles and he back to New York City. Not seeing her again after Aspen troubled him, despite the nine days of vacation they had left.

  For a few moments Weston wondered if he could possibly live in Los Angeles after his parents moved there. It didn’t take him long to realize he was acting downright ridiculous. It was silly to give the idea any more thought. Nothing assured him that he and Jessica would hit it off so much that either would consider moving to be near the other. He was way ahead of himself and he vowed to stop the mad thinking run before it drove him insane.

  Weston quickly decided that he and Jessica would enjoy each other while in Aspen. That would be the end of it. They might even find other people they were attracted to while on vacation. No one really knew what would happen. They would be meeting a lot of different people at the numerous social functions planned by their parents. After Weston plumped his pillow for the umpteenth time, he settled down in bed, falling asleep minutes after he completely turned off his thoughts.

  The sun was high, seeming to shine brighter than Jessica had ever seen before. The resort was covered in a glistening white blanket from the previous night’s snowfall. It was like stepping into a fairy-tale village nestled snugly between tall mountain ranges.

  The waiter at Café Aspen had already given Jessica and Weston breakfast menus. The café was only a couple of miles down the road from the resort. Weston had taken a quick jaunt to the men’s room, leaving Jessica at the table.