From the Heart by Nora Roberts Page B

his mouth to hers, but it was tenderness that greeted him, not passion.
    “Kasey.” He kissed her cheek, not certain what he was about to say. The emotions he felt were utterly new to him. There was a bruise on her shoulder, and he lifted his head again to look at it. It was small and faint and fit the pattern of his finger. It horrified him. To his knowledge, he had never marked a woman before.
    “What’s wrong?” Kasey saw the shock in his eyes and followed their direction. She smiled a little when she noted the bruise. “You have strong hands,” she commented.
    His eyes came to hers. It was difficult for him; his feelings about bruising a woman were very defined. He found no excuse for it. Abruptly, he remembered the look on her face when she had told him he would hurt her. “Kasey.” He shook his head. “I don’t want to hurt you.”
    “Jordan.” She recognized the deeper meaning in his words and lifted her hand to his cheek. “I know you don’t.” When he rolled over on his back, she went with him to rest her head against his shoulder. “Don’t think about tomorrow now,” she murmured. “Let’s take today. It’s enough.”
    He pulled her closer, drawing her into the curve of his body. Today, he thought, and closed his eyes. “You’re tired.” He had heard the fatigue in her voice.
    “You did say something about a bed,” she returned, but she was content to stay where she was. Close to him.
    He rose, and before her protest was complete, he lifted her into his arms. “You need to sleep awhile.” When he laid her on the bed, Kasey reached out to him.
    “Sleep with me.”
    Jordan pulled back the covers and drew her into his arms.
     
    It was late afternoon when Kasey woke. She remembered when Jordan had left her, urging her to stay and sleep. She had pulled him back for a kiss that had led to another storm of loving. A glance at his clock told her he had left more than an hour before.
    Lazy, she told herself and stretched. If he had still been with her, Kasey would have found it no effort to roll over and go back to sleep. She pictured him down in the study working. She still had a job, she reminded herself. She pulled herself from bed and dressed.
    Halfway down the stairs, she heard Alison practicing the piano. Beethoven this time. A lovely piece played without interest. She paused in the doorway and watched. She’s doing her duty, Kasey thought with a stir of sympathy.
    “Did you know Beethoven was considered quite a revolutionary in his day?” Alison’s head shot up at Kasey’s voice. She’d been waiting to hear it since she’d returned from school. Kasey smiled and crossed to her. “His music is so full of power.”
    Alison glanced down at her fingers. “Not when I play it. Uncle Jordan said you were sleeping.”
    “I was.” Kasey stroked a hand down Alison’s hair. “You play very well, Alison, but you don’t put yourself into it.”
    “It’s important to have a firm basis in the classics,” Alison stated. Kasey could hear Beatrice in the words and bit back a sigh.
    “Music is one of the greatest pleasures in life.”
    Alison shrugged and frowned at the notes. “I don’t think I like music. I might be tone deaf.”
    This time Kasey struggled with a grin. “That could be a problem.” An idea shot into her head. “Hang on a minute.”
    She bounded from the room. Alison heaved a sigh andwent back to Beethoven. She was still fighting with the notes when Kasey returned.
    “This is a good friend of mine,” Kasey informed her and set down a guitar case. “He’s good company,” she went on as she pulled the battered instrument from the case. “He travels well. I don’t.” She smiled at Alison and was satisfied that she had caught the child’s interest. “I can take him with me on a dig or on a lecture tour which makes him more practical for me than a piano. I need music.” She began to tune the guitar as she spoke. Alison rose from the piano stool to take a closer