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going to let her glimpse it.

Three
    â€œJ ayne?” Adam’s voice was deep and commanding. She fought against the pull he had over her. Forced herself to take another step before she glanced over her shoulder at him.
    She wasn’t sure what to say to him. It was one thing to imagine having an affair with him, something else entirely to actually do so. In his eyes she saw a deep passion that she’d never really glimpsed in any of the men she’d dated. Just his gaze alone brought her body to readiness. Her pulse beat faster, her breathing came quicker and her center contracted.
    If he lifted his hand and crooked his finger, she’d come to him. She’d bare herself to him and take whatever he had to give. She’d stop thinking about all that was wise and sane and just indulge that part of her that had been quiet and lonely for too long.
    She bit her lower lip, fighting against her own urges and the potent power in his gaze. She slid one foot forward before realizing what she was doing. She stopped.
    Though she always perceived herself as brave and adventurous, she knew deep inside that she was much too practical to ever really do anything that had a high risk potential.
    And sleeping with Adam had risk written all over it. Not just on the job front, but on the emotional level. There was a reason she’d felt safe fantasizing about Adam; he was strictly off-limits. She didn’t like to examine her own motives in life too closely but knew herself well enough to acknowledge that every relationship she’d ever had had been structured to make her feel safe. And safety came from not risking her emotions.
    â€œWhat?” she asked at last.
    He leaned back against the railing, his shirt pulled tight across his muscular chest. A breeze danced past, blowing a strand of hair across her face and obscuring her view for a moment. She hesitated, then pushed her hair back behind her ear. She’d learned early on that hiding from the things that scared or excited her the most was never a good idea.
    â€œShould I have kept silent?” he asked.
    Yes! she wanted to scream. “It would have made the next two weeks easier.”
    â€œNot really,” he argued. He crossed his arms over his chest and she wished she could mirror his casual pose. But she had neither his experience nor his charm. Her coping mechanisms were smart-ass comments and a quip. And somehow she doubted either one was going to help her through this situation.
    What had he said? Something about the next two weeks being hell?
    He was right, but she didn’t want to admit it. She’d spent a lifetime filling in for everyone. She was an emotional fill-in for her mother, for all the emotion her mom could never coax from her wealthy lovers. For her fiancé, Ben, Jayne had been a substitute for the woman he’d really loved, and when Carrie had returned he’d left her. For Adam, Jayne was a fill-in for his mistress, a temporary scratching of an itch. She was warm and female, but was she willing? The fact of the matter was she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed with Adam.
    For once in her life, she wanted to take what she yearned for, and say to hell with the consequences, the way her mother did. But Jayne had paid the piper one time too many to totally allow herself that freedom.
    â€œHoneybun…” She tried for the light, flippant tone she’d managed so easily before, but it escaped her.
    The heart of the matter as far as she was concerned was that she was tired of filling in for others. For once she wanted to have a starring role with Adam.
    â€œDon’t get sassy, chère. I know you do that when you’re nervous. I’m just asking for some honesty here.”
    She froze. He was the first person to ever call her on that behavior. She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re asking for more than I want to give you.”
    â€œWhy?” he asked in the silky tone of his