PART TWELVE
Jessica grasped Stefan's face and kissed him soundly and deeply. Placing her cheek against his, she whispered in his ear. "Would you believe that I have wanted to do that from the moment I met you?"
Stefan pulled back triumphantly. "Indeed?"
Jessica stepped away from him. "Now you flatter yourself, Mr. Cassadine."
A tiny smile of genuine admiration momentarily curved Stefan's lips. He was intrigued. Jessica had boldly turned the tables and gone on the offensive. A thrill of excitement coursed through him. It had been a while since he'd engaged in an honest battle of wits with such an intelligent and beautiful woman.
Switching gears, Stefan advanced upon Jessica, who stood with the bar directly behind her. Her only avenue of movement was to either side. Silently he dared her hold her ground.
Defiant, Jessica thrust her chin out. She had no intention of being intimidated by the arrogant man before her. Stefan Cassadine no doubt believed that he could push her into action if he crowded her enough. He was wrong. Jessica had danced this dance before. She knew the steps. Stefan stood so close to Jessica that she could feel the heat of his body. Her eyes locked with his, refusing to concede any ground.
She watched as he ran his tongue along the inside of his mouth. "Perhaps," he began, his voice rough with arousal, "I have been remiss in my dislike of Cabernet. I do not think that I have ever had a taste so sweet as the one from your mouth." Stefan braced himself against the bar, his arms on either side of her effectively blocking her in. He began to lean forward. "May I?"
Jessica stiffened in anticipation. Stefan lowered his mouth until it was almost touching hers. With lowered eyelids, Jessica awaited his touch. Stefan slowly and deliberately angled his face from hers, raised her glass to his lips and took a sip. Smiling wolfishly, he said, "Just as I thought."
The surprised attorney's eyes flew open just in time to catch the fleeting triumphant gleam in his eyes. Driven by a reckless urge she could not define, Jessica reached out and tangled her fingers in Stefan's hair. Determinedly she pulled his face to hers. "Let me taste."
She kissed him on the lips, the tip of her tongue begging entrance to his mouth. Stefan groaned and allowed her access. Jessica tasted him, savoring the tart sweetness of the Cabernet on his tongue. With a gentle suction, she pulled at it until Stefan could endure no more. Abruptly he wrapped his arms about her and moved her blindly along the bar.
The air rushed from Jessica's lungs as she found herself suddenly sandwiched between the unyielding wall behind her and the inflamed man before her. Their bodies strained to be closer, intolerant of even the thin barrier of clothing which separated them. Jessica's hands massaged the taut muscles of Stefan's chest. In response, he slid his hand down along her thigh and lifted it to his waist. With great satisfaction he nestled his lower body intimately between her thighs.
What sweet contact! Jessica's head fell back with the sheer pleasure his subtle movements generated. Who was this stranger who made her feel such passion? Stranger . . . The word echoed in her head.
"Stefan . . ."
He ceased his attentions to her collarbone and moved his mouth to the base of her throat.
"Stefan!" Her husky cry was a plea. "I can't do this."
Stefan cradled her face with his hand. "Jessica, I will not accept that you do not want this," he paused, "do not want me."
"Yes, I want you. That much is obvious," she admitted. "But I will not just fall into bed with you. It is not who I am."
Breathing heavily, Stefan searched Jessica's eyes for the truth. What he found made him close his eyes in surrender. Placing his brow against hers, he lowered her leg from his waist. "No," he said, his voice filled with irony, "I do not believe it is."
With difficulty, Stefan moved away and began to straighten his clothing. In silence, Jessica did the same. The atmosphere, which just moments ago had been filled with passion, was now full of tension. Stefan could not let it continue. He held out his hand to Jessica. "This is not over between us," he smiled ruefully. "If I must court you to have you realize the inevitable, then I shall."
