Free Desire and Deception by Nicole Jordan Page B

stomach muscles suddenly tensing as she was assailed by a deeper fear. Had she misjudged him? Was he somehow in league with her guardian? Had he been sent by George Burroughs to prevent her from leaving England?
    "Why?" she asked Jason abruptly, her voice breathless.
    Because we were made for each other, he nearly replied. Because fate brought us together, and now that I've found you, I won't let you go.
    But he didn't voice his thoughts, knowing such assertions wouldn't possibly be accepted. Instead, he smiled and said lightly, "I could think of any number of valid reasons. The protection my name offers, for one. Because I am better able to slay the dragons pursuing you. Because my esteemed father would be pleased were I to take a wife. The fact that you need money . . . I expect there are others."
    The shock in Lauren's green eyes faded, only to be replaced by wariness and suspicion. Cat eyes, Jason thought, suddenly feeling uneasy.
    "But you don't even know me," Lauren said slowly. And before Jason could follow up with any other reasons, she added bitterly, "Besides, you left out the one argument I would have believed. The Carlin ships. Isn't that what you were promised for marrying me? What does Burroughs mean to pay you if you succeed?"
    A muscle in Jason's jaw hardened at her accusation, but he clamped down his anger. He would have to gain her trust before he could win her—and that had suddenly become the most important thing in the world to him.
    "Miss Carlin," he said with strained patience. "Before this morning, when my father informed me of the agreement he had made with your guardian, I had no intention of wedding you, or anyone else, for that matter. I admit that the Carlin Line was what induced me to agree to meet you, but oddly enough, when I proposed just now I had forgotten about your dowry. And whatever else you might think, I am not involved in some heinous plot with your guardian. My main concern at the moment is seeing to your protection."
    They stared at each other for a long moment. Then Jason ran a hand through his sun-streaked hair in frustration, wondering what he should try next. "Wouldn't Matthew have wanted you to be safe?" he asked quietly.
    Seeing the stricken look that appeared in her eyes, Jason felt his heart turn over. In two strides he was across the room, setting his glass on the table and drawing Lauren to her feet and into his arms. When she tried to resist, he merely tightened his hold, giving her no choice but to accept the physical comfort he offered.
    The tears came then. She stood quietly in his embrace, but he could feel her trembling with the effort to suppress her sobs. She was grieving for Matthew, he realized. The swift surge of jealousy that welled up in him made Jason grit his teeth, but he managed to murmur some soothing, meaningless phrases in her ear as he grazed her temple with his lips.
    He didn't need to bend to do it, for her body fit his perfectly. The top of her golden head just reached his chin, and without effort he was able to rest his cheek against the silk of her hair. The soft fragrance tantalized him, filling him with the desire to twine his fingers through it. But it was a mistake to hold her like this, Jason realized. The ripe breasts pressing against his chest almost made him forget that he was supposed to be comforting her. And her thighs—he could feel the heat in his loins quickening with just this simple contact with those long, slender limbs.
    She must have felt his body's reaction, or at least sensed the desire that was radiating from him, for she suddenly stiffened and pushed self-consciously against his chest. When he released her, she retreated across the room, choking back her tears and wiping her eyes.
    Suddenly feeling weary, Jason lowered his tall frame into the chair. He drummed his fingers slowly on the table as he contemplated her. He had been overconfident to believe that winning her would be difficult. It was apparently impossible. Yet