From the Heart

nodded. He was no longer surprised by her frankness. “He’s needed someone like you to snap the life back in him. If he’s not careful, he could turn out to be a crusty old bachelor like me.”
    “You’re a beautiful man, Harry.” The music stopped, and Kasey kissed his cheek, holding him a moment.
    “What’s this?” Jordan crossed over to them and slipped an arm around Kasey’s shoulders. “Turn my back for a moment and you’re nuzzling up to my date. I thought I could trust you, Harry.”
    Harry colored and harrumphed. “Not with this lady, my boy. I’m part of the competition. And I haven’t lost my touch yet,” he announced before he strolled away.
    “What did you do to him?” Bemused, Jordan watched Harry’s swagger. “I believe he meant that.”
    “I certainly hope so.” Kasey drew Jordan’s eyes back to her. “Would you be jealous? That would be a marvelous Christmas present, Jordan.”
    “It’s not Christmas yet,” he countered. “Let’s go outside before I have to compete with someone else.”
    “Competition’s very healthy,” Kasey stated as they slipped through the terrace doors. “In studies with white mice—”
    He kissed her firmly, cutting off the impending lecture. “I’m damned if I’m going to compete with white mice,” he muttered, pulling her closer.
    His hand was in her hair, and his mouth demanded. Kasey yielded, sensing it was what he needed. Her mouth was soft, and her arms lifted to wind around his neck. A submission of the moment; later there would be time for challenge, for aggression, for equal strength. He needed something different from her now. It was simple to surrender to him when she knew her own power. She could feel his heart pound as he kept her molded against him.
    Jordan drew her away to stare down at her. “Who are you?” he muttered. “I never know who you are.”
    “You’re closer to knowing than most,” she murmured and turned to lean on the rail. “It’s lovely here, Jordan. The air’s soft, and I can smell—verbena, I think.” Kasey lifted her face. “The stars are close.” She sighed and scanned them. “Back at home I used to sit outside for hours and pick out constellations. Pop bought me a telescope one year. I was going to be the first woman on the moon.”
    “What changed your mind?” There was a click from his lighter, then the scent of tobacco on the air.
    Kasey shrugged her shoulders. She would remember that scent for the rest of her life. “I tried to live on dehydrated food for a week. It’s terrible.” He laughed, and she pointed skyward. “There’s Pegasus. See? He flies straight up. Andromeda’s head touches his wing.” She brought her hand down and sighed. She felt pleasantly sleepy. “Marvelous, isn’t it? All the pictures up there. It’s comforting knowing they’ll be there tomorrow.”
    Jordan came closer to touch her shoulder. Her skin was smooth and just a bit cool from the night air. “Is that why you dig into the past? Because it’s a link with the future?”
    She gave another restless shrug. “Maybe.”
    He tossed aside the cigar and pulled her close again. She rested her head on his shoulder. “Dance with me again, Jordan,” she murmured. “The night’s almost over.”

12
    C hristmas Eve. Magic. Kasey was ready for magic. She had palm trees rather than snow, but she’d lived through Christmases without snow before. This time she had something of more value. She would have the day with the man she loved and with a child who was burning with excitement. That was magic enough for her.
    She was aware that her job was finished, or at least nearly so. Jordan spent more and more time working without her. What she filled in now could be done by a letter or a simple phone call. She was procrastinating, and she knew, whether Jordan realized it or not, that so was he. The break had to come—but not on Christmas. Kasey was taking that for herself. When the holidays were over, she’d make her plans, pack, then tell him. In that order. It would be better if everything was set before the words were said.
    With a firm plan in mind, Kasey felt better. She told herself she was entitled to a week. The first of the year, she would take the step away from him, away from Alison, and begin again. She was strong; she’d lived through losses before. But now it was Christmas, and she had a family, if only for another week.
    She sat on the rug in the drawing room and watched Alison poke at the stacks