Free TIS THE SEASON...FOR ROMANCE (WESTMORELAND/MASTERS/JEFFERIES) by Brenda Jackson Page A

them.
    She was ready for another one of his kisses and the moment she opened the door and stepped over the threshold, she turned to him. He closed the door behind him and then reached out and pulled her into his arms. He proceeded to take her lips as greedily as he had all those other times and she responded in kind. She wrapped her arms around his neck while their mouths mated sensuously.
    Moments later it was Rick who pulled back from the kiss and not her. He placed his forehead against hers while drawing in a deep breath. “I think I need to leave before I tempt you to do something you might not be ready for.”
    At that moment Courtney’s warning came washing down on her and she fully understood what her daughter had meant. Uncontrollable desire was something she hadn’t been familiar with until now. Little did he know that she was very much tempted to tell him she was ready for anything he had in mind; however, something stopped her from saying those words.
    Instead she reluctantly took a step back. She had gotten a reprieve today but what about tomorrow. She was finding it easier to give in to whatever he wanted when his kisses were so darn enticing. “Goodnight, Rick.”
    A smile touched his lips before he recovered the short distance and pulled her into his arms. It was only after kissing her senseless, to the point where her head was literally spinning did he release her mouth and whispered against her moist lips. “Good night, Barbara.”
    And then he turned and left.

Nine
     
    “Surprise!”
    Courtney nearly staggered backward when she walked into the darkened room and the lights flashed on simultaneously with the screams of a room full of women.
    After she reclaimed her racing heart, she glanced around the room recognizing everyone. Some of the women in Lake’s family were in attendance, including nationally known recording artist Alexia Masters who was married to Lake’s brother Quinn. Lake’s mother was there as well.
    Tears appeared in Courtney’s eyes. It was hard to believe that this time last year she was wondering if she would ever find a man who could love her as much as she loved him, who would be her all and all like she intended to be his.
    Lake had come into her life at a time when she least expected it. She’d given up when the little black book she’d inherited from Sonya had failed to yield any positive results. He had proven that true love and romance was possible for anyone at any age. You just had to be ready for it when it came knocking on your door.
    She smiled over at her mother who was now standing beside her. She thought they were just doing lunch. She hadn’t expected this. Barbara Andrews seemed happy these days and Courtney knew she had Detective Blair to thank for that.
    A short while later after enduring bridal shower games which she’d gotten eliminated in most of them during the first round, Barbara was making her way around the room, chatting with several of Lake’s relatives who’d flown in for the affair. From their conversations she could tell they were excited that Courtney was joining their huge family and the thought of Lake getting married still had a number of them tickled.
    She had ridden in Courtney’s car and Rick had volunteered to come back for her after the shower was over. They had plans for later that included dinner and the skating rink. He was supposed to teach her how to skate. He refused to believe a woman who could ride a horse as well as she, had never learned how to skate.
    She glanced around the room. The shower was everything that Courtney’s friends and the ladies in Lake’s family had wanted it to be and she was happy. The proud mother of the bride. But she knew that lately she was happy for another reason.
    Rick.
    Sunday brunch had been wonderful and she had felt at home in his house. They had prepared the meal together and then spent the rest of the afternoon watching movies he’d rented. It had been nice sitting beside him on the sofa