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Jason removed the cup and saucer from her hands and set the to kiss her; she realized it in the saht she’d been looking forward to having hi to adentle and sith the taste of coffee and chocolate He kissed her the way he had the night before, and Charlotte could barely take in the sensation that overwhel so profound, so exciting, again She hadn’t believed she was capable of such a rush of feeling…

She whi on to him in a world that had started to spin out of control His hands fra her need with his own

Jason kissed her again and again

The sound coged brain

"Mom…Jason…" was followed by a shocked pause, then, "Wow, this is great"

Charlotte broke away from Jason and leapt to her feet

"Gee, Moet embarrassed People kiss all the time" Carrie floated across the carpet, then threw herself into a chair "So," she said, s either of you want to tell me?"

"Like what?" Charlotte asked

Carrie shrugged with utter nonchalance "That you’re getting married?"

Four

On his way back to his aparthter possessed a knack for the unexpected Arriving when she did was only the beginning; introducing the subject of e had nearly sent hihable

Thinking about it, Jason realized Charlotte had brought up the subject herself, wanting to knohy he hadn’thim if he’d ever been in love Typical wohter were in cahoots, plotting his downfall No, that was equally laughable

Jason si kind Not because he was a woainst the opposite sex He liked wo with the them…definitely But he relished his freedom too much to sacrifice it to commitment and responsibility

No, he told himself resolutely, Charlotte wasn’t involved in any sche him to the altar She’d been so eestion, her face had gone bright red The wos She had chastised Carrie, asked for and received an apology, and looked genuinely grateful when Jason said it was time he left

Despite the episode with Carrie, Jason had thoroughly enjoyed his evening with Charlotte He hadn’t expected to In fact he’d originally regretted having asked her out, but in the end their date had been a pleasant success

Once again he was bewildered by the strong desire he experienced when he kissed her He had ordained a hands-off policy for the night, but had shelved that idea theup at him with those pretty eyes of hers

Actually, he’d known he was in trouble when he accepted her invitation to coe; he’d wanted to see how far he could push his determination Not far, he concluded When she’d looked at hi, he was lost His hands-off policy had quickly beco about Charlotte Weston that got to hiot to him

All that outward confidence she worked so hard to display hadn’t fooled him Beneath a paper-thin veneer, she was vulnerable Any fool with two functional brain cells would have figured that out on the first date

Only she didn’t date

Carrie had told hione out with a man Undoubtedly she’d been asked--and if she hadn’t been, why not? She was attractive, intelligent and fun Offhand, he knew a half-dozen men who’d jump at the chance to meet a woman like Charlotte

If she’d turned down offers, and surely she had, then there must be a reason The question that confused Jason was: If she didn’t date, then why had she agreed to have dinner with hioaded him to ask, Jason concluded The kiss That infamous first kiss It had rocked the them excited--and unsure

As for the other questions that hounded him, Jason didn’t have any answers Nor did he understand everything that was happening between hi he did know--and it terrified hihted sticks of dyna them back and forth The attraction between theerous