Suddenly she was no longer aware of anything but the provocative rhythm of the music and the feel of his muscles playing against her own. She could hear the steady sound of his heart pounding, feel the quickening of his pulse. A desperate hunger began to build deep inside her, a hunger that was clearly matched in the man who held her so tightly.

“You’ll stay the night?” he asked out of the blue, his gaze searching hers.

“Jenny,” she said, unable to manage another single word.

He nodded his understanding of her concern. “Not to worry. I’ll speak to Cody. Melissa will think up an excuse to have her baby-sit. Will that do?”

“Yes,” she whispered, sighing as she settled her head against his shoulder. She was grateful for his consideration, anxious to get this entire crowd on its way before she had time for second thoughts.

He leaned back and gazed down at her. “You want me to send everybody packing as badly as I want to do it?” he inquired, a teasing glint in his eyes.

“Yes,” she admitted. “Isn’t that terrible, especially when you’ve gone to all this trouble?”

“Wanting it isn’t so bad,” he claimed. “We’ll just have to think of it as a test of character that we don’t act on it.” He winked at her. “Besides, a little anticipation isn’t all bad. It’ll just make the rest of the night all the sweeter.”

Janet regarded him skeptically. It seemed to her the next few hours were going to be the longest of her entire life. And if Harlan had a brain in his head, he wouldn’t give her anywhere near that long to reconsider the decision she’d just reached in the provocative circle of his arms.

He leaned down then to whisper in her ear. “Don’t look so impatient, darlin’. You’ll be giving folks ideas about what’s on your mind.”

“No question about that,” Luke said impudently as he tapped his father on the shoulder. “I’m cutting in before you two make a spectacle of yourselves.”

“Go away,” Harlan said, refusing to release her.

Janet chuckled as the two of them stared each other down. “I think Luke has the right idea,” she said, slipping out of Harlan’s embrace. “Go dance with somebody else for a while.”

Harlan frowned at his oldest son. “You’ll pay for this,” he muttered irritably, but he did start off. He hadn’t gone more than half a dozen steps before he turned back to Janet. “You and I have a date, darlin’. Don’t be forgetting it.”

“Not a chance,” she promised.

She looked up to find Luke chuckling. “What?” she demanded.

“Another five seconds I’d have had to hose the two of you down.”

“I’m beginning to see why your father finds you so irritating,” she muttered.

He laughed out loud at that. “Jessie was right.”

“About?”