The Barons of Texas: Jill Read Free Page A

wanted to talk to, though she was a professional at camouflaging her intent.
    His eyes traveled down her body. For the party, she had worn a high-necked, narrow column of ivory silk crepe that discreetly skimmed her body, leaving only her arms bare. It was a dress in perfect taste, yet on her, it had a subtle sexiness to it that was enough to bring a man—hell, him —to the point where he was almost ready to beg to see more. But he knew that was no way to get to Jill, so he had forced himself to stay away from her and merely watch.
    From the first moment he’d met her, something about her had gotten to him. She was a classically, breathtakingly beautiful woman, with her sleek dark hair and lovely bourbon-colored eyes. They had both been attending a glittering affair in a gilded ballroom with tall candles, the room filled with women draped in jewels and shimmering gowns. But to him, Jill had stood out among the peacocks. She’d worn no jewels, only the unadorned elegance of a slim, strapless, red velvet gown. He could still remember how her skin had glowed in the candlelight.
    Right off the bat, she’d rebuffed him in a manner that had been almost automatic. He’d been amused. Rebuffing men was obviously instinctive with her, and because of it, he’d been challenged.
    At first his attraction had been simple and basic—a burning, hungry, primal need that made him want to grab her, take her to the nearest place where they could be alone and have sex with her until they were both too spent and tired to do anything but go to sleep.
    He had watched her for the rest of that evening, and as he did, there had been a moment when she had turned away from someone she’d been talking with. In that instant, he’d seen something that had connected with him on his deepest, most elemental level. In that moment, he had recognized a depth in her that held much more than what she allowed the world to see. Still, he wasn’t certain what it was about her that he had connected with so strongly. Only later, after other encounters, had he figured it out.
    Loss and need .
    He had seen scars of loss in her, wounds not entirely healed and hurts remembered as if they had happened yesterday. He had recognized that in her because he had some of the same things in him, maybe not as deep, maybe not as hurtful, but he definitely knew what loss and need were all about. Their experiences might have been different, but the pain was the same.
    The knowledge made him realize that the wait for her to turn and look at him as a desirable man whom she wanted in her life would be well worth the patience that would be required. The knowledge also made him more determined than ever to have her,because he knew that, deep inside, where all the holes and hurt were, they could help each other.
    It hadn’t taken him long to learn she was interested in only one man. Des Baron. Once he’d figured out the whys and wherefores, he had known she and Des wouldn’t work out. The bone-deep certainty had come from knowing that he was the only man she should ever be with, and that sooner or later he was going to make her his. What he hadn’t known was how long it would take him. Luckily, he had plenty of patience.
    He had made it his business to study her, learn her moods—what made her happy, what made her unhappy. It hadn’t been easy. Jill, by her own design, had built a formidable barrier around herself. Only recently had he begun to see cracks in her barrier—small cracks, true, but for Jill, even a tiny splinter fracture was extraordinary.
    Maybe the ongoing problem of the migraines had been the cause of the cracks. Or perhaps she was simply running out of challenges, something he knew, because he had made it a priority to know every move she made, business, as well as personal. And because of it, he could almost guarantee he knew what was coming next. It was what he’d been waiting for.
    But tonight, as the party had continued, he’d noticed that her eyes had