Читать онлайн книгу «One Texas Night...» автора Sara Orwig

One Texas Night...
Sara Orwig
One night of seduction… and the next morning Jared Weston could never see his best friend’s little sister again. But that didn’t mean he’d stop wanting her…Years later, when the billionaire tycoon hires her, Allison Tyler is all grown up and hotter than ever. But she wants forever; he wants right now. And she’s still off-limits. What’s a hot-blooded Texan to do?



“You’ve got to stop doing this.”
“What?” he asked, his gaze moving to her mouth.
“You know what you’re doing right now,” Allison whispered. “We can’t get close without—”
“Without steam rising,” he finished.
“We weren’t going to get personal. I can’t. I’m on a job. Jared, cooperate. Think of my brother. That ought to cool whatever you’re feeling.”
“The last thing on my mind right now is your brother,” he said in a raspy voice. He stepped back, and Allison should have felt relieved. Instead, her heart still raced and she wanted to flirt, to kiss him, to make love to him. Desire shook her.
She’d promised herself she’d get this job wound up so she could get away from temptation. But it was standing right in front of her. In the flesh.
* * *
One Texas Night… is part of the Lone Star Legacy series:
These Texas billionaires are about to get richer…
in more ways than one
One
Texas Night…
Sara Orwig


www.millsandboon.co.uk (http://www.millsandboon.co.uk)
SARA ORWIG lives in Oklahoma. She has a patient husband who will take her on research trips anywhere, from big cities to old forts. She is an avid collector of Western history books. With a master’s degree in English, Sara has written historical romance, mainstream fiction and contemporary romance. Books are beloved treasures that take Sara to magical worlds, and she loves both reading and writing them.
May God bless those in Oklahoma, as well as other
storm-devastated areas, who have suffered loss
and hurt. I pray and hope for blessings for you.
Also, a special thank you to Stacy Boyd.
Contents
Chapter One (#u66d4dba4-eaa1-5784-bdca-68f69da361db)
Chapter Two (#u5738e320-c2e2-5495-836f-b683c46fbff8)
Chapter Three (#u130174ae-b8d3-5833-a584-36ed53a47af0)
Chapter Four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Ten (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eleven (#litres_trial_promo)
Epilogue (#litres_trial_promo)
One
Though he was looking at his iPad, Jared Weston didn’t see the notes he’d entered on the screen. He could only see the dark blue eyes, long blond hair and lush body that still took his breath away. After six years of endless struggles to fight the memories, he still hadn’t forgotten a second of the night he had spent with Allison Tyler....
It had been at a June wedding reception at the then-new Houston country club. In the crowded ballroom, someone had bumped him, causing a chain reaction. As he brushed shoulders with the woman beside him, champagne splashed from the crystal flute she held. A tall, willowy blonde, she wore a pale blue dress with a jacket cut high above her narrow waist. The dress ended inches from her knees, revealing long shapely legs.
He grabbed a flute of champagne from a passing waiter and held it out to her, taking the opportunity to look into her eyes. With thick lashes darkened slightly by mascara, her eyes were an unusual indigo-blue. He was momentarily riveted, feeling a sizzling attraction.
“I’m Allison Tyler,” she said, smiling at him, taking the flute with one hand and offering the other.
As her hand settled in his, tingles emanated from the contact and he silently swore. Shocked, he focused more intently on her. She may look twenty, but she would be about eighteen now. Too young for him.
“That might be good news, and it might be bad news,” he replied, shaking her hand, reluctant to release her, feeling as if he would lose her when he did and knowing that was exactly what should happen. Allison Tyler.
She cocked her head and asked, “Why?”
Her older brother, Sloan, was his lifetime best friend. Sloan was also the world’s biggest worrier. Jared understood his friend’s worrying. Since they had lost their mother and a brother, Chad, in a plane crash, Sloan had become far more cautious and protective of his younger sister.
Jared was torn between what he wanted and what he should do. “I think at this point, I should say goodbye,” he admitted. When she gave him a confused look, he explained, “I’m Jared Weston.”
Her eyes widened and her smile grew bigger as she laughed and tightened her hand on his, startling him. “The forbidden man. I should have recognized you instantly but it’s been a few years.” She stepped back slightly to give him room to view her from head to toe. “Guess what, Jared? I’ve grown up.”
He looked at her...and he was captivated. Instantly. Of all the women on the earth, this was the sole woman he should avoid. So much younger than he was. His best friend’s little sister. Why did she have to be so appealing?
“You have grown up. I didn’t recognize you. You don’t look at all like you did when you were seven or even twelve years old.”
Her dark blue eyes sparkled with amusement. “Imagine that. I don’t quite view you the same way I did then, either.”
He realized then that her hand still rested in his.
“If we’re going to hold hands, we might as well dance,” he said. “One dance. I can’t be a terrible influence in one harmless dance.”
“Maybe it won’t be so harmless,” she said, flirting with him, sending his pulse racing faster.
“Allison, you’re a temptation,” he said, wanting to prolong the moment.
“Sloan does not run my life. We can dance if we want. Forget him.”
Taking a sip of champagne, she set the flute beside his on a nearby table and joined him on the dance floor. When she stepped into his arms, her enticing scent enveloped him.
Looking at her, Jared could easily forget her older brother, his closest friend even now, although they saw little of each other any longer. “Do you still live at home in Dallas?” he asked, curious about her.
“Officially, but since I’m eighteen now and a freshman at the University of Texas, I’m in Austin.”
“I’m twenty-four. Besides having Sloan’s admonitions burned in my memory, I’m a lot older than you.”
“An older man,” she purred, those deep indigo eyes still twinkling. “That makes you all the more intriguing.”
“You’re a little on the naughty side, Allison,” he said, smiling at her, trying to ease his conscience by telling himself a few dances were harmless.
“Well, isn’t that more fun?” she asked, running her fingers lightly across the back of his hand. “I do not have to pay any attention to my overprotective brother, either. Since Mom died, he’s been more a parent than my dad. And that’s enough about Sloan. He’s far away in Dallas, wrapped up in his own world.”
“I have to pay attention to him. He’s my best friend.”
“Maybe I can make you forget that for a little while,” she said in a mischievous tone, moving closer to him.
He had to laugh. “I think you already have. We’re dancing, Allison, when I shouldn’t be anywhere near you.”
“I’m not scared of you or Sloan. Besides, you’re having fun, and this quiet, uneventful reception has suddenly become more interesting for both of us. You can’t deny it.”
“I can’t possibly refute that,” he said, tightening his arm around her tiny waist. Was it because she was forbidden to him that he wanted her? She was a kid—a college freshman—and he had finished college two years earlier. He was too old for her, but she beguiled him. He wasn’t cutting short the dance or the evening.
“We’re going to forget my brother. I’m of age, and I can take care of myself.”
He should have heeded that challenge and kept her brother in his thoughts. Instead, he wiped Sloan clean out of his mind. Even the undercurrent of guilt swiftly washed away.
A fast number played next, and as they danced, she shed the tiny blue jacket, revealing a tight spaghetti-strapped dress that took his breath away. He wanted to unfasten her updo, and impulsively he reached out and removed the pins. A cascade of pale yellow-gold hair fell over her shoulders, and his heart raced with excitement.
As she danced, her sexy moves fueled his fiery attraction. Whatever he felt, she gave indications she shared the same sizzle.
They continued into the next dance—a ballad—and he drew her closer this time. Her silky hair held a faint, inviting scent of jasmine and orange blossoms.
Slow dancing became a torment. Soft, warm, curvaceous in his arms, she fit perfectly against him. Her full lips made him want to kiss her. How would she taste? How would she respond?
During a break between dances, they sat on the darkened terrace, drinking champagne while they flirted with each other. How much of the night had been because of the effects of the champagne? He wished he could blame it all on the bubbly, but he knew he couldn’t. A hot, intense attraction had flared the first moment they had looked into each other’s eyes.
It was one o’clock in the morning when she said she should leave the reception and get back to her hotel room. He took her to her hotel, and they stopped in the bar for a drink. Within minutes they were headed to her room. The moment he closed her door, he reached for her, drawing her into his embrace while he leaned down to kiss her.
Wrapping her arms around his neck, she returned the electrifying kiss, which fanned desire to a blazing intensity. He had only planned on having a nightcap and then kissing her good-night, but his sensible plans were forgotten instantly. Instead, white-hot passion consumed him. She was as eager as he was. He wanted her as he had never wanted anyone before. Able to fight no longer, he surrendered.
Naked. Passionate. A virgin. All of those described the woman he took to bed. That she was innocent shocked him, briefly cooling his ardor, making him pause in their lovemaking. But then she wrapped those enticing legs around him and whispered a sigh in his ear and he was lost. He could never say no to her. So he made love to her, discovering a passionate woman and an ardent partner, whom he knew he’d never forget.
Later they showered together and made love again. The second time he took it slowly, with more than an hour of foreplay, trying to make it as great for her as possible by dedicating himself to pleasuring her.
She was like a flame, igniting his passion, burning it, until it finally devoured him, leaving him spent.
With the light of day, however, came reason.
They knew they could not see each other again because there was no future in it. Allison had college to get through. He had a career that was commencing, and they both had Sloan to contend with—a friend Jared did not want to hurt and a brother she wanted to keep happy.
So they agreed the night—the wonderful searing night—would be their secret.
He gave her a sweet, fleeting kiss goodbye at the door of her hotel room...and walked away....
* * *
Jared inhaled deeply. Wiping his brow as if to erase the memories that had haunted him for six years, he shoved away from his desk, the iPad notes long forgotten. With little provocation, he remembered that night with Allison as if it had happened yesterday. And he remembered her still.
They had never had contact again. Through the years, each of them had guarded the secret, kept their promises to never contact each other. He had seen her brother often at charity events, college football games, rodeos, occasional meetings if their businesses crossed paths and more recently in a breakfast club. But never in those encounters had he said a word to Sloan about Allison.
The last time he had seen Sloan, her brother had casually mentioned that she was thinking about marrying some guy. The news gave Jared a peculiar stab of pain that he shook off as ridiculous. She meant nothing to him. He had merely shared one night of passion with her. A night that was buried in silence, although never really forgotten.
Right now he could recall the entire night, moment by moment. His memory was flawless, he was sure, of making love to her, her passionate responses, her softness, her enthusiasm.
Jared walked to the window to look out at the sprawling city of Dallas as seen from the top floor of the Weston Energy building. Two flags in the distance fluttered in the March breeze. He wished it could blow away his memories just as easily.
But as he recalled the decision he’d made only days earlier, he knew there was no chance he’d be forgetting about Allison anytime soon.
He had just hired Tyler Antiques and Appraisals for a job he needed done and learned it would be Allison who would be doing his appraisal. In days the lover he’d never forgotten would be back in his life.
* * *
Thirty minutes later, composed, professional and looking slick in a custom suit, Jared walked into a downtown restaurant for a business lunch. He watched the youngest, tallest and the last unmarried Delaney approach their table from the opposite direction. He greeted Ryan, shaking hands with his friend, gazing at friendly dark brown eyes and an infectious smile.
“How’s everything in Dallas?” Ryan asked.
“Everything is fine. How are your brothers?”
“Great. Will is being Will, still taking charge of the rest of the family. His wife is fine, and Caroline is crazy about her little brother.”
“And your world-traveler brother? How does marriage suit him?”
Ryan grinned. “You won’t know Zach. He’s a desk jockey now. Goes to the office nine to five. He’s retired from fieldwork and stays in the office. Very domestic. Phoebe is almost nine months old. She’s a cutie.”
“I can’t imagine Zach sticking to an office. That’s beyond me. I asked you to lunch so I could talk about my inheritance of the Delaney mansion in Houston.”
“Talk away,” Ryan said, sitting and picking up a menu.
As soon as they had ordered and the waiter disappeared, Jared leaned forward. “Ryan, it’s your inheritance from your dad.”
“I know that technically it’s my inheritance, but it’s because of our dads’ friendship.”
“Friendship and gratitude for the time our dads were both roughnecks, working in the oil patch. When that fire broke out on a rig, your dad saved my dad’s life. The mansion is just a thank-you.”
“I had nothing to do with any of that.”
“Dad had it in his will that, if your dad is deceased, the mansion is to go to you. It’s yours to do with as you please.”
“One of the Tylers commences cataloging the contents of the mansion this week. Have any of you changed your mind about the mansion or its contents?”
“Absolutely not. I asked my brothers again, just for you, and they gave me the same answer. We don’t want any part of the mansion. We never spent time there, and it’s meaningless to all of us. Stop worrying about it. The mansion doesn’t hold fond memories for any of us.” Ryan reclined back in his chair, looking fully relaxed and filled with his usual self-confidence. “We inherited enough from Dad, and we’re happy you have the mansion.”
“It’s a marvelous inheritance and I appreciate it.”
“On the phone you said you’d hired Herman Tyler to do the appraisal. You have your own appraisal company now in addition to owning Weston Energy. Why hire Herman?”
“He’s the best. I still have an offer to buy his business, merge it with mine and let him run his part, but he wants to keep it. Actually, I bought my appraisal company to try to entice Herman to run both and work for me, but he won’t sell. I keep the offer open. Ryan, as far as the house and antiques are concerned, what about Sophia?” Ryan’s half-sister was an artist. “I’d think she’d want some of the paintings.”
“Will asked her, as well as Zach. That’s not her type of art, and, no, she doesn’t want any of it. None of us do.”
“Even if I sell it?” Jared asked, intending to make certain no Delaney had regrets.
“If you didn’t sell it, we would. Hear me,” Ryan said, leaning in, “we do not want the mansion or its contents.”
Jared put up his palms. “I’ll take you at your word and drop the subject.”
“Good. I’m riding in the Fort Worth rodeo later this month—bull riding. Are we competing again?” he asked, his eyes sparkling with devilment.
Jared had to grin. “We’re competing, and I’m going to beat you.”
“We’ll see on that one,” Ryan said, his lips twitching in a crooked smile. “Want to bet an extra hundred, plus a burger and a beer for the winner?”
“You’re on,” Jared said, enjoying the friendly competition he had with Ryan.
“I can’t wait.” Ryan tilted his head to study Jared. “You know, we’re kindred souls.”
“We both like life on the wild side.”
“You’re like I am—neither one of us wants to look back with regrets.”
“Amen to that,” Jared replied. “That’s what my dad did.”
When lunch was over, as Jared drove back to his office, he thought twice about his decision to involve Tyler Antiques and Appraisals in the Houston property. The call he had made to Mr. Tyler had not been what he had expected.
Jared hadn’t mentioned Allison, so it had been a shock to hear from Herman that his daughter had taken over the part of the business that was conducted away from the office.
Allison Tyler still was the one woman on the whole planet that he did not want to get involved with. His longtime friendship with her brother was important to him. Too important to jeopardize. Sloan took a dim view of all the women in Jared’s life and certainly would not want his sister to become one of them. Jared didn’t want to be hounded by a threatening, hand-wringing big brother, which Sloan would be. Sloan also still thought Jared had a daredevil streak and risked his life constantly in wild pursuits.
His cell phone rang, and when he glanced at the caller ID, he saw it was Sloan. Feeling guilty as well as amused, he answered. “You didn’t waste time,” Jared remarked.
“Yeah, right. I talked to Dad just now. I heard you hired him to do some work for you.”
“That’s right. I’ve hired him before, and he does a great job.”
“Thanks. I guess he told you that Allison will be the one to go to the site to inventory and catalog items, that sort of thing.”
“Yes, he did.”
“So you know why I’m calling. Women are drawn to you like ants to crumbs. And vice versa.”
“I will not ask your sister out. Does that make you happy?” Jared said, having mixed feelings about Allison and knowing he was following the best course for everyone, himself included. “I’ve been seeing someone.”
“That does not reassure me one degree. Whomever you’re seeing will be gone six months from now.”
Sooner than that, Jared thought but did not say. He had already broken it off with Dawn Rainsford, but Sloan did not need to know about the women in his life or lack thereof. “Nonetheless, you can save your breath. Your sister is there for a job. We will not socialize. I have my own life, and I’m not tangling with you over her. I do not want to lose my friend over his little sister. Actually, though, isn’t she a grown woman now?”
“Very, but I’m still her brother and looking out for her best interests. I figure you’re thinking about her and envisioning a ten-year-old kid who was a pest. I think the last time you saw her was at my wedding. She was fifteen. I don’t want you hitting on her.”
“This is a moot conversation, Sloan. I’m not interested.”
“She’s very pretty, and I know you far too well. Leave her alone. I don’t want her heart broken by you.”
“That will never happen.”
“Is the movie star still in your life?”
“Definitely not. According to your dad, I’ll only work with your sister a few days and then I’ll be out of there and let her take over the liquidation. Just don’t worry.”
There was a stretch of silence that made Jared shake his head, but he hung on to his patience.
“Okay, Jared. She’s busy, and she helps Dad, and she’s dating a guy she’ll marry. As a matter of fact, by now she’s probably engaged to Phillip Blakely.”
“I’m happy for her,” Jared remarked drily. “How are you, Leah and the little Tylers doing?”
“We’re great. You marry the right woman, Jared, and you can’t imagine how happy you’ll be. The kids are great. I hope the current woman in your life is the special one.”
“Stop worrying, Sloan. See you at the next breakfast club.”
When he ended the call, he wondered if they would repeat this conversation when they met with other businessmen for their monthly breakfast.
Jared shook his head again. Sloan was a fire-breathing dragon about his sister, which was absurd. Allison should be twenty-four now. Even at eighteen, she had been mature and her own person, capable of taking care of herself. Now Sloan had a growing business of his own, as well as his kids to raise. He should let Allison go, but Sloan couldn’t let anyone connected to him go. He hovered over Allison, and he probably hovered over his dad as well, ever since his heart attack, even though the man was now healthy and back to work.
For a brief moment when he had heard he would be working with Allison, Jared had thought about canceling, but he had worked with Tyler Antiques and Appraisals before, and Herman Tyler had been efficient with excellent expertise in the antiques business and the history of artifacts. Herman had been friendly and glad to have Jared’s business, so Jared dismissed the thought of canceling as fast as it had come. He had gotten through a night with Allison. He could get through a couple of days of working with her at the Houston mansion.
He looked at his calendar. He’d get his secretary to cancel and rearrange meetings so he would be free for the next couple of weeks to go to Houston and stay if he wanted.
Had Allison changed in the intervening years? Had she ever thought about him? Had their night together been special to her? Questions were torment. If she truly was in love and engaged, as her brother indicated, Jared definitely had to forget her. But he could not avoid the curiosity. What was Allison like now?
Two
Allison Tyler studied the small figurine in her hand, turning it to look at the initials and number on the underside. With her phone she took a picture that went first to her dad and then to her iPad. She made brief notes on her tablet. She was interested in getting a picture inventory, whatever descriptions she felt she needed and sending them on to her dad to do the research about each piece.
She’d battled mixed feelings since the first call to her father from Jared. The Delaney mansion Jared had inherited and wanted to sell was supposed to be filled with antiques and valuable art. It was a great job for them, just as it had been for her dad to work directly with him before. Jared had a hobby of deep-sea salvaging and twice had hired her father to go over items he had brought up from a find in the Gulf off the Alabama coast.
Jared. She couldn’t stop thinking about him.
He’d been a constant companion of her brother’s throughout their school years, but he’d been of little interest to Allison. Until six years ago when he had bumped into her at the wedding reception, and she’d felt as if a lightning bolt had struck her. He was incredibly handsome, sexy, appealing. She couldn’t resist flirting with him. He’d set her heart pounding, and within the next hours, she’d decided he was the most exciting man she had ever met.
The night had been magical. Her brother had once told her that he didn’t want his best friend around her. Though Jared was a great friend to Sloan, where women were concerned, Jared was totally unreliable. Sloan had described him as a playboy, a man who lived life on the edge, who liked mountain climbing, bull riding, white-water rafting, wild adventures and beautiful women.
At eighteen, when she had looked into Jared’s vivid green eyes, she had been as drawn to him as a moth to flames. Exuding self-confidence, he had flirted, made her pulse race, and when he had kissed her, she had melted. No other kisses had been like his.
But the next morning, along with daylight, common sense set in. She couldn’t get involved with a heartbreaker like Jared. She was just a college freshman. Her life was simple, safe and ordinary, and she wanted to keep it that way. Jared, on the other hand, was a risk taker. She never again wanted to go through getting the news that someone she loved deeply had been killed taking a risk. Like her mother, who had flown her small plane through a Gulf storm, killing herself and Chad in the crash. Allison never wanted to experience that kind of needless hurt again.
And there was Sloan. She suspected if Sloan knew about her night with Jared, it would end their long, close friendship. All she could do, then, was get Jared to agree they would not see each other again and the night had never happened.
She had since tried to forget him. It had been a struggle to forget someone as dynamic as Jared Weston. That night she had tossed her usual caution aside because he had been too handsome, too appealing, too exciting.
Now she was older and wiser, and she still felt Jared was a man to avoid. Currently she felt responsible for her dad, and she didn’t want to cause him worry. In addition she had a running undercurrent of anger. Jared had tried to buy Tyler Antiques and Appraisals after her dad’s heart attack. When her dad had refused to sell, Jared had bought another appraisal company and then approached her dad once more, wanting to merge the two, leaving her dad in charge of his part. Her dad loved his business that he had built, and he did not want to sell. Jared had said the offer would remain on the table. Her father never mentioned it again, and she hoped Jared was not now attempting to get their company.
In minutes, she forgot business when her thoughts returned to that night with Jared. How tempting would he be to her now? She suspected very tempting, because she had never been able to forget him. How appealing he was would not matter. He was still off-limits. Sloan had already told her that Jared was about to become engaged. That should keep distance between them.
She had arrived the previous day at the sprawling mansion in Houston. With very little landscaping, the gray three-story Gothic had a cold palatial appearance with medieval turrets, parapets and arched windows, and she could see why Jared intended to sell it. She couldn’t imagine living in a home the size of the mansion, much less one so forbidding in appearance.
Jared had not arrived yet, and the housekeeper, Mrs. Tarkington, as well as the cook, who introduced herself only as Marline, were uncertain about exactly when he would arrive. Allison did not need Jared present to start an inventory of the art and furnishings. All she felt was relief that he was not here. By noon the first day, she had inventoried and tagged six rooms of furniture, sending brief descriptions and pictures to her father. She’d begun with the bedrooms so that they’d be done and she wouldn’t have to deal with Jared in a bedroom—even if they were only remotely polite to each other. But she still had more bedrooms to complete, even after this one.
She paused in front of an ornate gilt-framed mirror to look at her image. It had been six years since she had seen Jared. How much would he think she had changed? How well did he remember that night? In six years she was certain it had been over and forgotten long ago for him. She took a critical study of her appearance: black slacks, a black cotton shirt, her hair secured on her head with a clip. Several blond tendrils had fallen around her face. She tucked them away and continued her inventory of antiques, moving to an upstairs sitting room.
In minutes a light knocking caught her attention and she turned. Looking as commanding and self-assured as she remembered, Jared stood in the doorway, leaning with one shoulder against the jamb. Her heart missed several beats as he smiled. Locks of wavy black hair framed his face. His spellbinding green eyes had not been an exaggeration of her memory. Six years ceased to exist. It could have been this past Saturday night that they had been together as far as her clarity of memory was concerned. A heart-pounding, unforgettable night of seduction. She thought her memories of him had dimmed, but she had simply fooled herself.
Her pulse raced and her physical reaction to him was far more intense than she had expected. Something she couldn’t keep from happening. Dressed in a navy suit and matching tie and Western boots, he was breathtaking. She had a flashback, an instant memory of being naked in his arms, flush against his hard, muscled body.
“So how’s it been for six years?” he asked, coming into the room.
She was thankful he couldn’t detect her racing pulse. To her chagrin, her memory triggered heat that flushed her face. She hoped to look relaxed, to keep hidden all indications of her racing heartbeat.
“It’s been busy, and I’m sure you can say the same. It’s warm in here,” she said, in an effort to explain her cheeks that had to be pink, because she could feel their warmth.
“I agree,” he said in a huskier voice than she remembered, and she realized the next few days of working with him were going to be far more of a strain than she had anticipated.
Strain or temptation? a small inner voice taunted.
“I’ll shed this jacket,” he said, shrugging it off and draping it on a chair. His tie followed, and he unfastened the top buttons of his snow-white shirt. Her insides tightened. She could imagine him peeling away the shirt. He turned to face her again.
Reaching out, he caught her left hand and turned it in his. “I don’t see an engagement ring. Sloan said you’d be engaged.”
She laughed, relaxing slightly. “My dragon brother, who thinks he is protecting me, still sees you as the wild man. No, I’m not engaged,” she replied, catching a flicker in the depths of his green eyes. She was amused and annoyed slightly with her brother, but not surprised. Attempting to focus on their conversation, she tried to ignore the warmth of Jared’s hand, his thumb lightly brushing back and forth over her knuckles. A faint touch, yet scalding. She had all the compelling reactions to him that she’d had that first night, now more disturbing because of the hours of passion with him. “Sloan is still protective even though I’m twenty-four and capable of taking care of myself.”
“I think I’m the one Sloan is trying to manipulate here,” Jared replied. “He still wants me to keep away.”
“He said you’re almost engaged.”
Jared’s perfect white teeth flashed in a grin, while he shook his head. “Your rascal brother. No, I’m not about to become engaged. Not even close.”
“I should have guessed,” she said. She knew she should get them back to a professional discussion, but she was too tempted to flirt with him as she had that magical night. She forced herself to withdraw her hand from Jared’s. “This mansion is filled with treasures.”
“Take a break and let’s get a cool drink and talk about what I would like your company to do.”
Was there a streak of disappointment that he was also being professional? “Of course,” she said as she nodded. She would get directions, and then he could stay out of her way. She would tag the things to sell and get ready to list them in a brochure for their clients. With her father doing the research, she should be able to get a complete inventory in two to three weeks at a maximum.
“Sure. It’s better I hear the directions from you rather than from my dad secondhand.”
“You could have called me,” he said lightly, startling her for an instant until she realized he was referring to the directions.
“I figured I would see you here and could get the info. Why did you hire my dad when you have your own company now?” she asked bluntly.
“Your dad is the best. I’m happy to have my own company, and it’s good, but your dad is the best I’ve ever worked with.”
“Thank you. I think so, too,” she replied coolly, thinking about Jared’s desire to buy her father’s company. “Dad loves the business, and he intends to keep running it as long as his health holds.”
“That’s great. So what’s happened in the years between?” he asked again as they strolled down a wide hall filled with statues and oil paintings in ornate frames. The mansion was beautiful, but silent and empty of life, reminding her of a museum.
“I graduated from college, did an internship at a museum and then was hired by a different museum. After a year I went to work with Dad, and last year he had a heart attack. He was told to sell the business, something he didn’t want to do in spite of your offer. So I took over the fieldwork and let Dad stay in the office.”
“Sorry to hear all that. Your dad is good at what he does. I liked working with him.”
“It’s mutual. And so far, it’s working out well,” she said, aware of Jared close beside her as they descended the wide front stairs to the main hall. “What have you done in the intervening years?”
“More of the same—what I was doing when we met. I have Weston Energy that I took over after my dad died and a few other smaller businesses that I’ve bought. Plus I follow my interests.”
“Sorry about you losing your dad. He would be very proud of you now, because Weston Energy has become a lot larger since you took over,” she said, knowing the company had been small all the years his dad had ran it, but when Jared had stepped in at his father’s death, it had grown swiftly into a huge conglomerate. “With your dad gone, that leaves you alone, doesn’t it?”
“I have three aunts. Mom died two years before Dad. She had a heart problem. Otherwise I’m it now.”
“So you inherited this mansion from the Delaney family.”
“Yes. My father and Argus Delaney started out together as roughnecks in the oil patch. Both were successful. Dad died before Argus, but Argus already had him in his will. He was always grateful to my dad. I heard Mr. Delaney tell the story a dozen times about how my father saved his life in a well fire. This mansion was to go to my dad, but since he is deceased, it’s mine now.”
“The whole place is filled with beautiful things, very old, I imagine some very rare,” she said, following the conversation but still more conscious of him beside her, close enough she could detect a hint of his aftershave. The work would be easy once he departed, but being near him was even more disturbing than she had thought it would be.
“I don’t want them all. Some I like and will keep. As for the others—I don’t know which are valuable and which are merely nice, but of little lasting worth. That’s partially why you’re here,” he said.
“Dad and I will inventory the contents. I’m taking pictures of everything for the catalog that will show what you want to sell. You’ll see it first, of course, and you can let me know what you want to keep.”
“I have a better idea,” he said, leading her to a terrace where he motioned her to an outdoor kitchen and dining area. “I’ll go around the place with you and we can talk about what I like, what’s extremely old and valuable, that sort of thing.”
“That may make this inventory process take longer,” she said, contemplating the hazards of working constantly with him.
One dark eyebrow arched. “You can’t do that?”
“Of course I can. I’m just telling you,” she said, trying to sound matter-of-fact despite her alarming pulse rate. The thought of having him beside her constantly for the next two weeks or more was way too appealing.
His gaze became intense. “You don’t want to work with me?”
“We can work together. I’m just telling you the job may take a little longer that way.”
“That’s all right. If I’m here to tell you what I like, we won’t have misunderstandings. Now we’ve got that settled, what would you like? Iced tea? Coffee? Soda pop?”
“Tea is fine,” she said, perching on a bar stool to watch him get two tall glasses of iced tea. “I can see why you wouldn’t want to keep this palatial mansion. Do the Delaney heirs mind that you inherited it?”
“I’m closest with Ryan Delaney, and he’s assured me that they don’t at all. They inherited enough themselves that they’re happy, and Ryan said none of them ever spent time at this place, so it holds no sentimental value for them. His dad got this mansion in a business deal. The previous owners settled a debt by deeding him this place. I’m the fortunate one,” he said, his thickly lashed green eyes making it difficult to pay attention to what he was telling her.
“There are some things I like, and some I’m uncertain about. I’ll show you pictures of my two houses, and you tell me what you think will fit in and look nice. Otherwise I want to sell the mansion and everything inside it. I’ve told the Delaneys to come get what they want first, but they’ve all indicated they’ll pass.”
“Then they really don’t want any of this,” she said.
“No, Ryan said they don’t. I plan to sell the furnishings and art separately from the mansion because I think you and your dad can get me a better deal.”
“I’m glad you made that decision,” she said lightly.
“I like some of the old furniture, like the beds in your room and mine.”
“I haven’t seen yours, but the one in my suite is solid oak and so well preserved. I’m guessing eighteenth-century France,” she said. “I’ve done most of the bedrooms, but I still have four to go.”
“I’ll show you mine anytime you want to see it,” he said with a faint smile.
“That’s an offer I’ll keep in mind,” she couldn’t resist answering, remembering what fun it was to flirt with him. “I’ll work downstairs for now,” she added, trying to get back to a professional level.
“Anytime. I’m always available.”
“I can imagine.” She suspected he did remember that night when she had been eighteen.
“Shall we?” He motioned toward an adjoining sunroom that overlooked the lit veranda and pool area. As she sat, he pulled his chair close to hers to sit beside her, getting out his phone. “Here is my Dallas home,” he said, leaning closer so she could view the picture on his cell phone with him.
“Your Dallas mansion looks as large as this place, if not larger,” she said, aware again of their shoulders and arms touching. She looked up to meet his gaze as he flipped to another picture.
“Might be. It’s what I like, so I don’t view it as huge. It’s more appealing to me than this place. This one has a cold, remote look to it.” He switched to the next picture. “Here are the rooms.”
She agreed about the cold appearance of the gray mansion, but she didn’t mention it. They went through some pictures of rooms in his Dallas home, and then he switched to pictures of a lavish ranch home in Wyoming.
“I think the best I can do for you is get everything inventoried and perhaps make some suggestions. I’m not an interior decorator, but I can try at least. I’ll need pictures of these rooms to study more thoroughly.”
“Sure. Now I’d like to go through the house with you and tell you which things I like and what I want to keep. Actually, what I’d really like to do—”
Smiling, she bent forward quickly to place her forefinger lightly on his lips to silence him. The instant she touched him, she removed her finger as a current sizzled to her toes. It had been a mistake to touch his mouth, but she couldn’t take it back.
“So would I, but it would be unprofessional and not the smart thing to do. Let’s stick to business,” she said breathlessly, lost again while looking into his eyes and besieged by memories.
Looking amused, he nodded. “Maybe I don’t have on my mind what you think I do,” he said.
“Maybe not, but just in case you do, prevention is better.”
He grinned. “We can have fun.”
“Stick to business,” she said, wishing she could sound positive and forceful.
“You’re all grown up. No flirty college girl now.”
“I’m trying not to be,” she answered, thinking that was the last thing she needed, if she was to work with him the next several days. “So we’ll stick to getting items you want to sell separated from the ones you want to keep and get all the contents cataloged. We can start as soon as you want.”
“Start which?” he asked with a twinkle in his eyes.
“C’mon, Jared. Let’s stick to business.”
“All right. I guess that’s the wisest course for both of us, but it’s definitely not the most exciting or the most fun.”
She couldn’t help feeling a bit disappointed that he had stopped flirting with her. She wondered whether they would be together constantly. The whole prospect of this job had changed, turning everything topsy-turvy, with work becoming a secondary consideration.
“Perhaps we should start now,” she said, smiling at him and taking a long drink of tea. She set down the glass and stood. “I’ll work downstairs this afternoon,” she said, wanting to avoid the bedrooms anytime he was around.
“Sure.” He rose to walk with her. One of the front rooms was a library, where he stopped in front of the painting nearest the door. “Here’s something I want. I think this can go in the Wyoming ranch house.”
She looked at the oil painting of a mountain stream with horses nearby. “You’re not a contemporary fan. You like the traditional. That’s a marvelous painting,” she said, making more notes. While she placed a small sticker on the back of the painting, Jared strolled slowly around the room.
“I like that table,” he stated, pointing to a Queen Anne–style mahogany table.
“Again a good choice in my opinion, but I love the sort of art and furniture here,” she stated, making her notes and tagging the underside of the table.
He rolled back his sleeves, and they worked together. She took pictures and narrated descriptions, which Jared typed into her iPad. As they moved around, Jared told her what he wanted. When they finished the library, they moved to a study.
She lost consciousness of time, but never of him. She was too aware of his proximity, too filled with vivid memories that tormented her. He picked up a porcelain figurine of a hunter and dog. Turning it in his hand, he looked at it for seconds and then held it out to her. “Is this piece old? Valuable?” Her fingers brushed his as she accepted it, feeling the warmth of his hand yet the cool, smooth touch of the porcelain. The physical contact with him, while slight, stirred a shower of sparks. She remembered his hands, their texture, the calluses, their magic touches as they moved over her.
Jared worked through the rest of the afternoon with her, finding treasures, discarding things he didn’t care for. He kept everything as professional as possible, just the way she had asked.
Finally he glanced at his watch. “Enough for today. Let’s take a break, meet in thirty minutes in the family room for a drink and then we’ll have dinner.”
She was startled to see it was already six o’clock. “That’s fine.”
“I told my housekeeper to take you to your suite of rooms, and I hope you had a chance to get a little settled in.”
“Mrs. Tarkington did show me my rooms. I can settle in after dinner.”
He smiled. “I can help if you’d like.”
“Thanks. I’ll manage on my own.”
“Maybe after dinner we’ll sit and talk a little.”
“Perhaps,” she said, aware that socializing with him would be difficult to avoid.
“I’ll go change now, too. And show you where I’m staying.” He took her arm, another light touch that caused a deep reaction. Would these volatile reactions fade or grow more intense the longer they were together? She suspected the latter.
“Have you already sent the information you gathered today to your dad?”
“Yes, most of the information and pictures. Not all. I’ll go over the rest tonight after dinner.”
“You have a small desk in your suite, and you have Wi-Fi and a laptop if you should need one.”
“Thank you. I have my own,” she said, climbing the steep, straight staircase beside him. When she reached the suite she had been given, she turned and looked into his green eyes that continued to keep her pulse racing. His thick lashes made his eyes irresistibly seductive.
“My suite is next to yours, so I’ll be close should you need anything.”
“I’ll be fine,” she said, turning to enter her suite.
“Meet you on the veranda,” he said before she closed the door.
Were they going to eat together often? For some reason she remembered him saying he wasn’t engaged. Or even verging on it. “It doesn’t matter,” she whispered to herself. He still had the wild lifestyle he always had. She had heard her brother talk about the reckless things Jared liked to do—mountain climbing, skydiving, hang gliding. Unfortunately Jared made her heart pound and her breath catch, and no other man ever had.
She needed to finalize this inventory and get back home. Too much time with Jared was a temptation to danger.
Just seeing him brought back memories of their night together. A night that still stirred her desire and made him far too appealing. A night that remained vivid and held too many scalding memories. Jared was as sexy as ever. He didn’t flirt as much and neither did she, but she could feel the heat, the attraction, and she suspected he could, too.
Could she get through the next few days with him without a kiss? That might have to be her goal as much as cataloging the inventory. She wanted to get this job completed and return to her quiet world where there was no Jared Weston to tempt her. No matter how appealing and exciting Jared was, Allison didn’t want to get so deeply involved with him that she cared. With a man like Jared, life would be a continual roller coaster.
Hurrying to dress for dinner, she wore a short green cotton skirt, a matching cotton blouse and flat sandals. She twisted and braided her hair, fastening it on her head, hoping to look cool and remote, and to keep things that way between them through dinner.
When she stepped outside, Jared turned to greet her. Dressed casually now in chinos and a black knit shirt, he still took her breath away. The evening presented a challenge the minute she saw him.
As she approached him by the pool, he walked toward her, his look of approval warm while he smiled at her. “You look great.” When his gaze lingered on her mouth, her pulse drummed.
“Thank you. I brought my iPad and thought we might get one more room done after dinner tonight.”
His smile broadened. “Sure, if you’d like,” he said, taking the iPad from her to place it on a table. “In a hurry to get through and get away?” he asked, walking closer to her. “Scared of me? Or taking your brother’s warnings seriously now? Or something else?” he added, studying her.
“I’m trying to stick to business,” she answered, her heart racing beneath his piercing gaze. His green eyes ignited memories of his mouth on hers, his tongue, his taste. The hot need for more then, as now, became a temptation to reach for him. She was fighting memories of his kisses that still could make her tingle merely thinking about them.
“Ever hear of stopping work for the evening?”
“I think sticking to business is a far safer course to follow.”
“Safer than being with me? I’m dangerous?” he asked, his dark eyebrows raising slightly. “How am I a threat? Boyfriend at home? What about Phillip? Your brother said you’re almost engaged. Is your brother wringing his hands until you’re away from me? What is it?” Jared asked.
“No boyfriend,” she said, barely able to recognize her own voice that had become breathless. “Phillip and I are old and close friends, that’s all. And I don’t have to answer to Sloan. He’s got his family, and I’m an adult now.”
“So what does that leave?” Jared prompted, his voice becoming deeper and his gaze intensifying, making her breathing difficult.
“That you’re an incredibly sexy, appealing man who might be a bit of a threat to my quiet life. You’re definitely not ready to settle down, whereas I have reached the point in my life where I’m more interested in long-term, serious relationships or none at all. Does that answer your question?” she asked, gazing up at him. Her heartbeat raced as she watched him. Her words should put up a wall between them, make him stop and think before he flirted or touched her.
“After that description, if you expect me to back off and become all business and purely professional—” He paused to shake his head and move still closer, resting one hand lightly on her shoulder, his fingers playing back and forth slowly on her nape, a sensitive, erotic part of her. “It isn’t going to happen,” he finished. She heard his words while his touch immobilized her. “Incredibly sexy,” he repeated in a hushed tone, leaning toward her. “I’m not going away when you tell me that’s how you see me.”
She placed her hand on his chest to stop him from coming any closer. Her heart pounded while she looked up at him and the tension between them heightened. As his gaze lowered to her mouth, it was impossible to draw in enough air to breathe. The urge to lean toward him strengthened, creating another inner battle.
“You may not be going away, but I’m not coming any closer in spite of my description. I’m here to do a job. I intend to do it and then go home and forget all about you again.”
A faint smile tugged up one corner of his mouth as he stepped close and slipped an arm around her waist. “I don’t think you’ve ever forgotten. Right now I think you recall that night as clearly as I do. I remember how soft you are,” he said in a voice that dropped and grew thicker. “I remember how passionate you can be—”
Her heart pounded while desire consumed her even as she placed her fingers on his mouth to stop him from talking. He kissed her fingers, his tongue touching them, and she yanked her hand away and wriggled out of his embrace.
“We get back on an impersonal basis, or I eat dinner elsewhere,” she threatened.
“We can do whatever you want,” he said, stepping away. “But sometime soon we’ll do what I want. We could make a wager on that one. A wager I would win.” He turned to walk toward the bar. “What would you like to drink tonight?” he asked, stepping behind the bar to face her. “We have everything. Fully stocked. What’s your pleasure?”
His transformation had been far swifter than hers. She still burned with desire and struggled to think of business and to get Jared out of her thoughts. She wanted to return to a purely business relationship, wanted to maintain an impersonal one tonight. “I’ll have a piña colada,” she said, naming the first drink that came to mind.
She climbed onto a bar stool to watch him mix drinks. His well-shaped hands moved with efficiency, stirring her memories of his hands on her body, her legs, moving over her, creating magic. Inhaling a shaky breath, she shifted her attention to the swimming pool with a waterfall and three fountains. All except the pool were dry, turned off since the mansion was no longer lived in, she assumed.
“Are you busy with jobs like this one all the time?” he asked.
“Not at all. We have sales. There’s always inventory to keep track of, billing, office stuff. If I have a chance, which is rare, I spend time studying antiques, their history, the different styles of furniture, art history. I’m amazed by how much my dad knows. This is a fascinating field,” she said, thinking the most fascinating thing in her life at the moment was the tall, dark-haired man she faced.
“So you like what you do,” Jared said, coming around the bar to hand her a drink while he held his. “Let’s go sit where it’s a little more comfortable,” he suggested before she could answer him.
“Yes, I love this work. Sloan will never go into this line of work, but I want to help my dad and help grow the business,” she replied as Jared directed her toward a grouping of outdoor furniture. When she sat, he pulled his chair close, turning slightly to face her.
He raised his drink. “Here’s to success,” he said.
She had to smile. “I’ll drink to that,” she said, raising her glass and taking a sip. “Even though you didn’t specify what endeavor you had in mind with this toast.”
“Care to try to guess what’s on my mind?”
She laughed. “I don’t think so. I’ve told you what I want. What do you want in your future?”
“Made you laugh. That’s good,” he said. “What do I want in the future?” he repeated. “In the near future—tomorrow night—I want to take you to dinner.”
“Thank you, that would be nice,” she said, deciding not to fight him at every turn.
“‘Nice’ sounds a little dull.”
“‘Nice’ sounds absolutely perfect to me. A simple dinner out.”
“Good. Half past six. We’ll go early because I’m anxious.”
She had to smile again. “I doubt if you’ve been ‘anxious’ over a woman since you were ten years old.”
“You may have the wrong impression, which hopefully I’ll change.”
“I don’t believe you need to give one second to that endeavor. It’s unnecessary,” she said. Wanting to change the subject, she steered their talk back to their work. “As far as the furnishings are concerned, so far, the oldest piece I’ve found in this house is a sixteenth-century chest.” He evidently caught on to her intention, because he couldn’t hide a smile.
“Let’s forget the inventory and business for the evening,” he said. “In a way, we know each other intimately. In another way, we barely know each other at all. I know your family. Your brother is my best friend, and your dad has worked with me on two projects. But you are a mystery. Besides the business, what do you want in life? You’ve told me that you like the business and want to see it grow, so I assume you’ll stay in it as long as it’s successful.”
“That’s right. At least that’s what I plan now, and Dad needs my help,” she replied, aware Jared gave her his full attention. “I want to marry, have a family, lead the same kind of life I had growing up. Isn’t that what you want?”
“I like life’s challenges. My dad did, and maybe that’s where I got that need. I watched him spend a lifetime putting off the risky things because he was a husband, a dad, a businessman with a growing company. Then when he could retire and do the things he had dreamed of all his life, his health was gone and he couldn’t do any of the adventures he had postponed. It was sad. He was filled with bitterness and regret,” Jared said, his gaze shuttered as if looking back into the past. “I lost Mom two years before Dad. I don’t know if she had things she wanted to do that she’d never done. She never said.”
For the first time Allison didn’t think she had any of his attention. She wanted no part of the lifestyle he craved, but she could understand a little better his reasons for choosing it.
“My brother never felt that way, yet he used to do some of the things you do.”
“Sloan has a zest for life. He did things and satisfied himself about them, and now he doesn’t live that way. He’s settled. His choice. That’s better than the way my dad lived, filled with regret. I don’t want that to happen to me. I want to do all those things while I’m young.”
“Even though it means you’ll stay all alone in life?” she asked. “You might be missing out on the best parts of life and will have as many regrets later as your dad, just different regrets.”
“I don’t intend to be alone all my life. As for a family for me? I see that sometime in the distant future. I have things I want to do, and it’s better to be single to do them. At least that’s what I think. Climb Mount Everest, for one. Look how Sloan’s life has changed since his marriage. Your brother has dropped out of the rodeo circuit. At one time he wanted to climb Everest with me. He’s out of that now. Your brother is a family guy, which is good for him. I’m just not there yet.”
“That’s an honest answer,” she replied.
“And I’d like to do more with salvaging. I’ve already explored two sunken ships and brought up artifacts that are in museums, and some treasures that are in my own collection. I’m sure you know that’s when I worked with your dad. Salvaging is my most fascinating pursuit, and I’d like to spend more time doing it.” He sipped his drink.
“And I’m still riding the rodeo. In fact, I’m riding in one in Ft. Worth soon.” He put his drink down and leaned toward her. “Go to the rodeo with me. You used to go with your family to watch your brother.”
She moved back impulsively. “Thank you, but I’ll be in Dallas and back in my world by then. When I leave here, we won’t see each other again. It’ll be like the past six years. We each have our own lives.”
“It’s just a rodeo, Allison. You weren’t this skittish with me before,” he observed.
“Life’s different now. Before we were at a party. I wasn’t on a job. I worry about my dad and don’t want to be away long periods of time or cause him any worry.”
“Your dad isn’t going to worry because you’re watching me in a rodeo.”
“He might worry because I’m out with you.”
Her words seemed to have no effect on him. He persisted, “I doubt if Sloan has painted such a dark picture of me to your dad.”
“I know he hasn’t, or Dad would have never sent me on this job. My dad thinks you’re a fine person. Sloan keeps those warnings about you for me—only since he found out I’m taking this job.”
“I’ve worked with your dad, too, remember? We got along great.”
“I’m sure you did.”
“Your dad has always been nice to me.” He sat back, his drink in his hand again. “You think about the rodeo. For now, tell me about all the furniture. What happens after you’ve tagged it?”
She went over the process once again, describing their work in detail, all the while conscious of his total focus.
They talked through dinner, through watching the sunset and finally they moved inside to talk more about various topics.
She had relaxed at last, finding him fun to be with, and she could see why her brother was close friends with him.
It was one o’clock in the morning when she finally told him that she had to turn in. He walked her to her suite, pausing outside her door.
“Good night, Jared,” she stated. “Dinner was great, and it’s been a nice evening. You know, I could work in the evenings, too, and get finished sooner.”
“No, no, you should have some time off. There’s no big rush on this. You’ll get it done.” He smiled at her. “I enjoyed tonight, too. I’m looking forward to tomorrow night,” he said in a deeper voice.
Her heart beat faster. He stood close, his gaze drifting slowly over her. She wanted to look at his mouth, to lean closer and press her lips to his. She could all but taste his kiss. “Tonight was enjoyable. I’m sure I’ll see you in the morning,” she said, turning, expecting his hand to touch her any minute. Instead he merely stood there while she entered her suite and closed the door.
Disappointment enveloped her despite knowing it was best they did not kiss. Her lips tingled. Her skin was hot, prickly with wanting him. She should be relieved they were sticking to business. If only her body would get that message.
Three
Sleep was long in coming. And when it did, it was filled with so many dreams of Jared, Allison felt relieved to wake and see the room filled with the gray light of dawn.
She showered, dressed in pale yellow slacks and a matching shirt and went down to breakfast. Before she reached the bottom of the stairs, Jared appeared. He had been swimming. Bare chested, wearing black-and-white swim trunks with a towel over his shoulder, he paused to look up at her and her breath left her; her heart thudded against her ribs.
Instantly memories bombarded her—his broad shoulders, his sculpted chest, his body of hard planes and muscles. Recalling her mouth drifting over him, her hands exploring, touching, his body against hers... The visions came like tormenting ghosts. Her mouth went dry, and she forced in a deep breath.
She was afraid he could hear her heart pounding. “Morning swim?” she asked, her words little more than a whisper.
“Yes. I swim every morning that I can. Even though the fountains and waterfall are turned off, I’ve kept the pool heated, cleaned and treated. Hereafter you can join me. I didn’t think to tell you last night.”
“Thanks, but I’m not a morning swimmer. It has to be very hot weather to drive me to swimming.”
“Then you’ve changed. I seem to remember you in the pool every time Sloan and I would swim at your house.”
“It just seemed that way because in your eyes I was a nuisance back then,” she said, making an effort to keep her gaze on his face and not look at his naked chest again.
He grinned. “I don’t ever recall saying you were a nuisance.”
“Actually, you just paid no attention to me. I might as well have not existed.”
“And now look at you—not a kid anymore and not the least bit a nuisance,” he said, his gaze drifting slowly over her and making her warm from head to toe.
“I’m going to get breakfast. I’ll see you later,” she said, and then dragged her eyes away as she strode past him.
He placed his hand lightly on her arm and she looked up sharply. His faint touch triggered more scalding memories. In her peripheral vision she was fully aware of how close he stood, how little he wore. “I’ll be there as soon as I shower and dress,” he said. His words were harmless; his deep tone was not.
The pounding of her heart was loud in her ears. Nodding to Jared, she went down the stairs. At the foot of the steps, against good judgment, she glanced back. Standing at the top, he looked down at her. He turned, giving her a glance at his smooth back that tapered to a narrow waist, his firm butt and long muscled legs. Every inch of him embedded itself in her memory.
She couldn’t help but want this job to be over quickly so she could return to her quiet life. But just a glance at Jared in all his half-naked glory had her hot, riddled with desire. She could have an affair with Jared, couldn’t she? But that was all it would be. An affair. An affair that would, ultimately, break her heart. He would never be serious—about her or any woman. He’d said as much just last night when he had listed all the wild, adventurous things he wanted to do. She told herself that even one night with him was a risk she didn’t want to take. But then she remembered his kisses—and she realized Jared Weston was temptation personified.
She shook her head as if to dislodge the threatening thoughts and walked into the kitchen.
The ultramodern kitchen boasted dark granite countertops, stainless-steel appliances, a polished hardwood floor, dark cabinets and crown molding. Someone, she noticed, had already made coffee, and a pitcher of cold orange juice was on the counter.
She busied herself washing blueberries, washing and cutting strawberries. She turned to find Jared standing in the doorway.
“You have a way of quietly appearing,” she said, trying to ignore the buzz her system experienced at the sight of him.
“Just watching you work,” he said, coming into the kitchen. Her mouth became dry as he crossed the room to take the knife from her hands and place it on the counter. His tight jeans and navy knit shirt stretched against his sculpted muscles, giving him a more sensual appearance. As she looked up, she was barely aware of what he was doing because she was lost in his green eyes.
“Go sit and I’ll do this,” he said, without making a move to do anything. He stood too close to her, and their locked gazes made her pulse drum.
“I can help with breakfast,” she said, her voice sliding to a whisper. She looked at his mouth and remembered his kisses. “Jared,” she said as she realized she was moving slightly toward him and—
She caught herself just in time before she did something she’d regret. She moved away quickly. “You go right ahead,” she said, turning to sit at the oval oak table. When she faced him, she was surprised to find him standing where she had left him, still watching her.
Even as he stood there without moving or talking, his dynamic presence seemed to fill the room. Desire was tangible, electric.
Finally he broke the moment. With a flick of his eyes, he turned to wash his hands.
His back to her, she looked freely. Her gaze ran over the length of him, remembering how he had looked only a short time earlier when he had worn just swim trunks.
“This is ridiculous for me to sit and watch. Let me help you.” She got up and went back, this time careful to keep a safe distance between them.
She poured two cups of coffee and placed them on the table. She returned to get glasses for juice. Before she realized it, he had hemmed her in, placing his hands around her on the counter. “Go sit and relax. I’ll get breakfast.”
“You’ve got to stop doing this,” she said.
“What? Fixing breakfast?” he asked, his gaze moving to her mouth. She could barely breathe.
“You know what you’re doing right now,” she whispered. “We can’t get close to each other without—”
“Without steam rising,” he finished, meeting her gaze again.
“We weren’t going to get personal. I can’t. I’m on a job, and I don’t want to go home and send my dad here, because he’s not physically able to do this any longer. Jared, cooperate. Keep in mind I want marriage in my future. That ought to cool whatever you’re feeling.”
She gazed into inscrutable eyes that held hers captive.
“I don’t want you unhappy,” he said.
“If we stick to business, I won’t be.”
“I’m having some trouble with that.”
“Then...think of Sloan. Anything.”
At the mention of her brother, Jared stepped back a fraction. “The last thing on my mind right now is your brother,” he said in a raspy voice.
As Jared stepped farther away, she also put a few feet between them. She should feel relieved. But her heartbeat still raced, and she wanted to go back to flirting with him, to kissing, to making love again.
She moved automatically, getting dishes to set the table, pouring juice for them while he scrambled eggs. She dropped bread into the toaster, but her thoughts were still on Jared, her gaze running down the length of him when his back was turned. Desire shook her, and vivid images tormented her.
She promised herself she would work as efficiently as possible to get this job wound up so she could get away from the temptation.
Finally she sat across from him, too aware of each brush of their fingers as they passed dishes back and forth until they both had plates with toast and fluffy scrambled eggs.
“I’ve been thinking about it, and what I’d like to do is take you to see my homes in Dallas and Wyoming, and then you can help me decide what to put in them. How about that?”
Surprised, she paused, lowering her orange-juice glass to the table. “Once again, I’ll say that’s out of my area of expertise.” However, she couldn’t help thinking how much more her family business would make if she did what Jared was asking.
She hedged, saying, “I think for a task like that, you need a professional decorator.”
“I don’t want a decorator. I want your opinion on these old things. You know what’s valuable and what isn’t. You’ll know where furniture and art will fit and where it won’t. And by fit, I mean look right. You have good taste, or you wouldn’t be in this business.”
“But that’s all it would be. My taste. My opinion.”
“I understand, and that’s what I want. I trust your judgment on this.”
“You don’t even know me, and you’ve never seen where I live. You don’t know my tastes.”
“Yes, I do. I know Sloan. I know your dad. I know what the house you grew up in looks like. I have great faith in you on this matter.”
“Thank you for the vote of confidence,” she remarked drily. “Let me think about it. That’s a whole different job from what I’m doing now.” It also meant being with him at least three times longer than she would be if she refused to accept the job. Could she work that closely with him that much longer?
“If it helps make up your mind, I will triple the amount I’m paying you now.”
She gazed at him in silence, still debating what to do. If she could resist Jared’s charm, the job would be a boon for their business. And it would make her father happy—as long as she didn’t get involved with Jared.

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