By Private Invitation

by Stephanie Julian

  Yes, they’d been over this same material a hundred times already.

  Kate had called her boss earlier and told him she wouldn’t be back for the rest of the day. Surprisingly, he hadn’t given her a hard time. They’d spent the time digging through Annabelle’s closet for a suitable outfit for tonight. The activity had kept her mind off what had happened this morning while giving her something else to obsess over. She wanted Jared to take one look at her and have his tongue fall out.

  And when she opened the door precisely at seven, she knew she’d achieved her goal.

  While his mouth didn’t hang open, she saw heat flare in his eyes, making her burn from her toes to the top of her head. And everywhere in between.

  Jared recovered first but not before a telltale nerve in his cheek began to tick. “Hello again, Belle.”

  His gaze held hers for several seconds before he deliberately let it rake over the rest of her.

  And she couldn’t resist checking him out as well. Dressed in black pants, a tight cream sweater, and a black leather jacket, he looked devastatingly handsome. She didn’t think she’d be able to eat a bite of dinner without wanting to have him for dessert.

  And when he smiled, her mouth watered.

  “You look beautiful.” Jared glanced over her shoulder and his smile dialed down just the slightest bit to friendly warmth. “Kate, how are you?”

  “Fine thanks. It’s nice to see you again, Jared.”

  “And you. By the way, Tyler says hello.”

  Annabelle caught the blush that suffused Kate’s face when she turned to take the coat Kate held. “Ah, that’s, um, nice. Thanks.” Kate turned an almost frantic look her way. “I’ll lock up when I leave, Annabelle. Have a good time.”

  Poor Kate. Just the mention of Tyler’s name—

  “Are you ready to go, Belle?”

  Of course, the sound of Jared’s voice made her shiver.

  She forced herself to meet his gaze and smile, just enough heat in her eyes to make him wonder.

  Pulling on her coat, she stepped through the door. No need to tempt fate by inviting him in, even for a minute.

  Then he took her arm and heat sizzled at the contact, even through the layers of clothes. As he led her to the BWM sedan sitting at the curb, she forced herself to speak.

  “I made reservations at The Boxcar. It’s only a couple of minutes away. I’m sure it’s not up to the standards you’re used to, but they have good food and it’s a nice place.”

  He handed her into the car and shut the door, then walked around and settled into the driver’s seat. “I’m sure anywhere you choose is fine, since I’m not familiar with the area.”

  After giving him directions, she leaned back in the plush leather seat and tried to keep from ogling him. The inside of the car felt toasty compared to the twenty-degree weather outside, but she couldn’t be sure if that was due to his proximity or the car’s climate control.

  “Kate looks good,” Jared said after she’d told him how to get to the restaurant. “Tyler asked about her when I called earlier. They seemed to hit it off at the party.”

  “Your brother seems like a nice guy.”

  Jared laughed at her slight emphasis. “You’re going to make me work for everything, aren’t you, Belle?”

  She gave him wide eyes. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “Of course you don’t. I don’t mind. But there is something I’d like to talk to you about tonight.”

  Annabelle stiffened at the serious tone of his voice. What did he know? What had he found out?

  “I’ve got a proposition I’d like to run by you.”

  Oh, God. Her heart pounded like she’d just run a five-minute mile but she forced a cool smile. “A proposition, huh?”

  “Yeah.” He grinned again, making her insides twist into knots. “I’ve been searching for a new location, somewhere for a spa. One out in the country, where there are no sirens, no cars. Somewhere isolated.”

  It was so not what she’d been expecting him to say that she sat in silence for at least half a minute before she said, “A spa? Out here?”

  Those perfect eyebrows arched. “You sound doubtful.”

  “It’s just not—When did you come up with the idea to build out here?”

  “This morning, actually. It’s close to the regional airport and minutes from the turnpike. The antiques trade in the area will be a draw and I’ll hire you to furnish it. I’m thinking high-end English charm, Victorian without the clutter. Maybe a little Middle Eastern luxury mixed in. A sensualist’s dream.”

  She opened her mouth to tell him no, but her imagination turned traitor. Images of huge canopied beds, ornate furniture, and rich jewel-toned fabrics flashed in her mind.

  Now her stomach tightened with anticipation. Damn the man. It wasn’t fair how he could tie her in knots like this.

  Still, she couldn’t accept it. That would require spending way too much time with him. And the more time she spent with him, the more chance there was for him to discover her secret.

  But, oh, the offer was tempting. The man, even more so.

  “Budget wouldn’t be an issue,” Jared continued.

  Of course it wouldn’t. The man didn’t play fair.

  “And Tyler would agree with this?”

  “We’ve been kicking the idea around for at least a year. We need something new to focus our energies on. A new challenge.”

  Had he glanced at her when he’d said that? Did he consider her a challenge? Someone to conquer before moving on?

  “Sounds like you’re bored, Jared.”

  He shrugged, drawing her gaze to his broad shoulders. “Maybe a little. Nothing a new project won’t fix.”

  “And how long does a ‘new project’ usually keep you busy?”

  His mouth curled up in one of his devastating grins. “As long as it takes to make sure everyone’s satisfied.”

  Now she no longer needed the heater to keep her warm.

  Luckily, he pulled into the restaurant parking lot and stopped the car. Call her a coward but she opened her door and got out before he could do something chivalrous like open it for her. She didn’t need any help liking this man.

  He caught up to her before she’d taken more than two steps away from the car and put his hand on her back. She barely felt his fingers through the layers but she knew they were there.

  She straightened her back so she didn’t sink into him like she wanted.

  Jared stopped just before they entered. “Are they authentic?”

  Turning, she found him staring at the structure with a contemplative look on his face. She couldn’t help but smile at his expression. “Yes. They used to be dining cars on the line from Reading to Philadelphia sixty or so years ago. The owners bought the cars and opened the restaurant about twenty years ago. They’ve expanded the seating areas over the years but the cars are still intact. They have great food.”

  “Then I’m ready to eat. I seem to have worked up an appetite.”

  Oh, she was so not going to respond to that one.

  As they stepped through the doors into the first car, Annabelle was reminded once again of just how small a town she lived in. Everyone in the restaurant turned to watch them and she recognized people at no less than four of the eight tables in this car.

  Several actually stared, their mouths hanging open in surprise. Most of those were men.

  The women gave her a once-over before their gazes locked on Jared.

  And really, she couldn’t blame them. The man would make a dead woman smile.

  Of course, he didn’t appear to notice.

  Instead, he smiled at the approaching hostess, a sixty-five-year-old grandmother of three who ran this restaurant like a boot camp instructor. A former army nurse who’d served in Vietnam, Ginny Donaldson’s eyes widened as she shook Jared’s hand, barely glancing Annabelle’s way as she led them to their table.

  They passed through the first car, and people turned to watch
them as they walked by. Annabelle stared straight ahead, trying to feign a composure she was fast losing.

  Because she’d just remembered it was Monday.

  And Monday night, Gary had a standing date at The Boxcar for dinner.

  She froze just inside the door to the next car, causing Jared to almost bump into her. He placed a hand on her back and all thoughts of Gary fled at the heat of his body so close to hers. Images from this morning flashed through her head, making her draw in a sharp breath.

  “Annabelle? Are you okay?”

  Turning her head, she glanced up into Jared’s eyes. Heat burned there, banked but visible. For her.

  This gorgeous man wanted her.

  She smiled, letting all the desire she felt for him shine in her own eyes. “Yes, I’m fine.”

  “Here you go, sweetie.” Ginny waved them to the first table on the left, the one farthest from Gary, who sat at his usual table at the far end of the car, where he could check out everyone who entered.

  His comically stunned expression made Annabelle swallow her own laughter. And when the bimbo secretary she’d found him messing around with only a few short weeks ago stuck her head out of the side of the booth to see what Gary was looking at, Annabelle slid into their booth so she wouldn’t be tempted to stick out her tongue in sheer childish glee.

  “Sorry, I didn’t have a table in the other car.” Ginny’s lowered voice barely carried over the quiet conversations of the other diners, most of whom she didn’t recognize. “We’re a little busier than normal for a Monday.”

  “No problem, Ginny.” Annabelle flashed the woman grin, suddenly feeling much better than she had all day. “This is just fine.”

  Jared’s gaze narrowed on hers as he took his seat across from her.

  The high, curved backs of the booths effectively hid them from the other diners and cocooned them in their own little space. She could no longer see Gary and, with hardly any effort, she put him out of her mind, focusing instead on Jared.

  Who only had eyes for her. “So, what’s good here, Belle?”

  God, that voice. It made her shiver. And the intensity in his eyes filled her with heat. And fire.

  “Depends on what you’re hungry for.” She allowed a small smile to kick up the sides of her mouth. “The menu’s varied and the food’s delicious.”

  Jared’s eyes narrowed at her over the menu, as if he’d noticed her slight change in attitude. “What are you having?”

  Kate’s suggestion that she make the rules for their relationship and have Jared dance to her tune flitted through her mind.

  He wanted her. And with Jared, she knew what she was getting. Great sex and no ties. She’d tried the relationship route. It hadn’t agreed with her.

  Kate was right about her history. Granddad had made sure no one could discover her secrets. And she’d taken the precaution of storing the rest of her dad’s paintings, those hanging in her bedroom, in the temperature-controlled storage room in the shop.

  Just in case Jared made it back to her bedroom.

  Just in case.

  “I haven’t made up my mind yet,” she said. “I’m still…debating.”

  He closed the menu, set it on the table, and stared straight at her. “I have the feeling you’re talking about more than food.”

  Her mouth dried and images from New Year’s Eve rushed through her mind. The things she’d allowed him to do. What she’d allowed another man to do…

  Her cheeks heated and her lungs struggled to draw in air. His gaze burned hotter.

  “We rushed things New Year’s Eve, Jared—”

  “Annabelle. You look…well tonight.”

  Gary’s voice threw her for a moment, and she looked up to find her ex standing at the entrance to their booth.

  His brown hair was perfectly combed to hide his receding hairline. He covered his thickening middle with well-cut clothes but he stood stiff and straight, as if he had a stick shoved up his ass.

  The mental image made her glance back at Jared and smile.

  Jared returned that smile for a brief second before he slid out of the booth and stood, holding out his hand. He towered over Gary, making Annabelle’s smile widen.

  Jared diminished Gary’s presence.

  “Jared Golden. And you are?”

  Gary’s expression vacillated between speculation and petty jealousy. Annabelle couldn’t tell if he was jealous that another man was dating his ex-girlfriend or just of Jared in general. And Gary certainly had a lot to be jealous of. Jared was ten times the man he was.

  “Gary Jarzakrak.” Her ex looked between her and Jared and back again. Then his mouth kicked up in a faint sneer. “I see you’ve bounced back, Annabelle.”

  Jared’s brows curved upward as he looked back at her. She knew Jared had picked up on the undercurrents between her and Gary, and Jared’s smile turned deceptively bland.

  “Were you sick, honey?” Jared’s tone was all concerned innocence.

  Gary snorted and her blood began a slow boil. “Didn’t she tell you? We had a falling out a few weeks ago.”

  Jared stared into Gary’s eyes and shrugged, his broad shoulders moving with an elegance Gary would kill for. “Sorry, she never mentioned you. No idea why that would be.”

  Gary’s mouth opened and closed but no sound emerged.

  And Annabelle was so ready to be done with the dramatics.

  She reached for Jared’s hand and laced her fingers through his before turning back to Gary. “I’m sure your date is wondering where you are. Don’t let us keep you.”

  “No offense, Gary”—Jared’s tone held a hard edge now—“but I don’t want to waste my time with Belle shooting the breeze with you. Nice to meet you, though.”

  Jared dismissed the man without another look as he slid back into the booth. He looked into her eyes, the hint of a smile in his. “Have you decided?”

  Heat lit through her, starting in her stomach and radiating out. Her smile softened and she only marginally noted as Gary slunk away.

  “You’re very sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

  His intense expression left her with no doubt about what he wanted. “About you, yes.”

  Sighing, she shook her head. “Why did you come here, Jared? You could have very easily FedExed the pin.”

  Leaning back into the booth, he let his head rest against the tufted seat as his gaze slid down, ostensibly to the pin. “I don’t think I can make it any more obvious. I want to spend time with you.”

  Yes, but how much time? Was he looking for a relationship or just sex?

  Well, the answer to that should be clear. Sex. A man like Jared could pick and choose his partners and for some reason he’d chosen her.

  How long it lasted shouldn’t even be a question. She wasn’t looking for long-term. But short and hot certainly wouldn’t hurt.

  “Then let’s enjoy dinner.”

  After they placed their order, Jared began to ask questions—about the area, traffic, construction, development, other businesses. He kept her occupied and entertained, his nimble mind always onto the next subject before an awkward silence could form.

  Dinner was over before she realized she’d eaten her meal. Over coffee and crème brûlée she couldn’t resist; she knew she was going to ask Jared to come home with her for a drink.

  Maybe stay the night.

  She went wet just thinking about it.

  Their waitress laid the check on their table at that moment, and Jared turned to smile up at the woman, who couldn’t help but look a little dazed.

  Annabelle knew the feeling. “So, I guess you need to be going.”

  Jared’s smile spread into a grin. “Trying to get rid of me?”

  Her gaze dipped, unsure if she wanted him to know just how much she wanted him to stay. “No, I just figured you wouldn’t want to drive back to Philly so late—”

  “No worries there. I took a room at the Horse-and-Carriage for the next week, at least.”

  Jared watche
d Annabelle’s gorgeous green eyes widen in surprise. He’d expected that. What he hadn’t expected was the rush of other emotions that crossed her expression.

  Desire. Hope. Heat.

  She dropped her gaze, staring at the table for a few seconds before meeting his again. “I haven’t had many relationships. They’re time-consuming and most men don’t appreciate the long hours I put into my work. When Granddad and I opened the shop, it was with the intention that I would take over and make it my own. I’m not about to give that up for a man.”

  Damn, he really liked this woman. She knew what she wanted and wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. “I would never ask anyone to do that. Most of my life is consumed by the hotel. I want you, Belle. You’re a beautiful, interesting woman.”

  Her chin jutted out and her gaze met his again. “I’m not looking for long-term, Jared.”

  He didn’t know what she wanted him to say to that one. The phrase “long-term” wasn’t even in his vocabulary.

  She took a deep breath when he didn’t speak.

  “So…yes, to your offer. I’ll help you look for a site for your spa but if either of us decides the situation’s not working, we agree to let the other walk, no questions asked.”

  He dismantled his grin before it could start. “Agreed.”

  It was her turn to look surprised. “That was fast.”

  “I know a good deal when I hear it. Now, are you ready to leave?”

  She stared at him for several seconds, contemplating. Then her lips curved in a sweet smile. “Would you like to come back to my place for a drink?”

  Triumph had his own grin bursting out. “Absolutely.”

  Jared rose before she could change her mind and reached for her hand to help her from the booth. Her fingers curled around his, reminding him of how they’d curled around his cock earlier today.

  He wanted her. And hopefully by the end of the night, he’d have her.

  Ten

  “So I thought you might want to consider featuring local products in your spa.”

  He took a sip of the wine she’d handed him and liked the idea almost as much as the wine.