Falling For Jack by Christina Carlisle

could get a job in a museum run by the government.”
    She laughed again and he watched the pure line of her profile as she leaned her head back against the chair. He wanted to touch her. He wanted to smooth his fingers over her white skin and place his lips to the tiny hollow at the base of her throat. He wanted to lift her against him, her body on his.
    “Why did you have so much luggage?” Inane question, he thought but he had to take control of his lustful imagination.
    “I will return directly to Europe from Port Margaret after changing planes in Adelaide. I’ve shared an apartment with my two best friends while we were studying. Now we’ve gone our separate ways.”
    A fleeting sadness reflected in her eyes and Jack wondered if one of her friends had been the man she’d been running from. A shaft of jealousy gave him a hefty punch in the stomach.
    She leaned forward and lifted a foot to examine the sole. One of the cuts hadn’t healed and looked red and sore.
    “Problem?”
    “It throbs a little. It will be okay.”
    Jack stood. “Stay there. I’ll get the first aid tin.” He returned with the tin, plus a bowl of water and towel. “Rest your foot on my thigh,” he demanded and she obediently lifted her leg to rest on his. He cleaned the wound and placed a Band-aid across the small cut.
    “Your skin is very tender from walking around without shoes. You should have taken more care.” He examined the fine bones of her foot. “I’ll massage them for you.”
    He squeezed a sweet smelling cream from the first aid tin into his hands and rubbed her foot with long strokes.
    “So, you’ve heard about me. What about your life story?”
    “Nothing much to tell,” he replied, concentrating on his task. “I was born along the coast in a small village. My father and my grandfather before him were fishermen. It’s my life.”
    “You appear to be well educated.”
    He raised an eyebrow at this remark but one look at her embarrassed expression, he decided to ignore it. “I went to school, if that’s what you mean,” he replied and motioned for her to balance her other foot on his leg.
    “Was your wife local?”
    “No.”
    “I’m sorry it didn’t work out.”
    He shrugged. “We were very young. She was a city girl and it was always going to be tough. Fortunately, we didn’t have any kids.”
    He slowed the massage of her foot as he thought fleetingly of his wife and what might have been? Between them they had made such a mess of their marriage. They had tried hard to make a go of it but it was doomed from the start. Too young, too selfish.
    Lara tried to pull her foot away but he tightened his hand around her ankle, caressing the delicate bone.
    “Of course, there are other ways of making love,” he remarked, his tone casual.
    Her eyes widened. “What do you mean?”
    “We could touch and hold each other, like I’m holding you now. It doesn’t require the actual act of sex to make love.” The electricity crackling between them. Christ, I want her.
    “I’m not experienced at lovemaking,” she whispered. “I know that may sound strange in this day and age but it’s the way it is and here I am, a real live virgin. I bet you never expected that.” She shrugged and gave a nervous laugh.
    Jack was silent as he contemplated her statement. He already knew she was shy and strangely vulnerable, much different than the proud, arrogant young woman he had first encountered. But inexperienced? Give me a break. A beautiful woman like her who would attract male attention at every turn? He was surprised and yeah, he had to admit delighted.
    “I can teach you. Trust in me.” He tensed waiting for her reply. Lara touched his face, smoothing his cheekbone and jaw with gentle fingers. He turned his head and pressed a kiss into the palm of her hand. Still he waited.
    “I would like you to teach me, Jack,” she said at last and he heard the tremor in her voice. She was offering herself to him and at that