“Sounds like an old book to me.” Nicole teased, surprised at herself, having never been the kind of person who flirted.
Jared looked at her, not sure how to take her friendly teasing, so different than her usual hostility. “Well, I guess it is old.” Was the best he could do, tongue tied with a woman for the first time since he’d been in high school. But he finally managed to add, “Seth wants me to read it.”
Seth’s name reminded her why she’d been heading this way, “Oh, Jared, I’m sorry I have to go. I’m supposed to be meeting with Seth right now.” She said, grabbing the stack of papers up off the floor.
“I should go take a shower.” Jared said, not moving.
“Well, I’ll see you later then.” Nicole said, then stepped around Jared and headed for Seth’s office, her heart pounding in her chest, her palms sweaty, and her legs a little bit shaky.
When she got to Seth’s office he was sitting behind his desk, but what she didn’t know was that he’d witnessed her encounter with Jared, had in fact started to go down the hall to help. But when Jared had dropped to his knees almost immediately he’d stopped, shocked to see his brother behave that way. He’d been even more surprised when Jared had apologized, something he’d never heard his brother do before, so he’d stood and watched, thinking that his brother might really be changing.
After Nicole had given him an update on their trip, he asked, “What do you think of my brother?”
Nicole was so surprised by the question she didn’t know what to say at first, but then she decided the best thing to do was to be honest. “At first I didn’t like him at all. He was terrible the first few days we were out, but now I’m not so sure.”
“What’s changed?” Seth asked, wanting to know more about what had happened to suddenly make Jared so concerned with the mine.
Nicole sighed, Seth wasn’t exactly the person she wanted to talk to about Jared, her personal feelings were running much too close to the surface, especially after their encounter in the hallway just a few minutes ago. But she really had no choice, technically Seth was her boss and he had a right to know what had happened on the trail, so she began with the day by the stream leaving out all the rude things Jared had done before that.
“He looked green when he came out of the mine and didn’t say more than two words for the rest of the day. I think that maybe seeing the real thing might have woken him up, I don’t know, he’s just been different since then.” Nicole finished, hoping that her personal feelings weren’t affecting her judgement.
“I saw it too, but I wanted to get an outsiders perspective. My brother can be deceptive when he wants to, but I don’t think that was an act.” Seth said, more to himself than to Nicole.
Gina had been searching for Jared everywhere, finally realizing that he was with Seth. She headed that way hoping that with him in tow the old witch who ran the house would feed her. It was becoming a bit of a problem to steal food and sneak it up to her room, and now that the house was full again, it would be even harder. But Jared would set the woman straight, of that she was sure, he certainly wouldn’t be doing any dishes, and that meant neither would she.
She stepped into the hallway just in time to see Nicole push past Jared, and to see him turn to watch her until she disappeared into Seth’s office. When he turned back, he didn’t even see her, and she was practically standing right in front of him, and he had a faraway look in his eyes that she didn’t like at all. Alarm bells went off in her head and she knew that fat or not, that woman had somehow captured Jared’s attention.
Sliding up to him, she tried to ignore the fact that he still hadn’t showered and rubbed her breasts against his arm. “There you are, I’ve been looking for you everywhere.”
“I had to talk to Seth and now I need to take a shower.” Jared said, wishing Gina would go away. He had a lot to think about and she was nothing but an annoyance.
“I’ll go back to the room with you and wait.” She said, linking her arm with his.
Jared took a deep breath and accepted the fact that he wasn’t going to get rid of Gina right then, but didn’t care, he just wanted to take a shower. But when he opened the door of his room, he was greeted by the biggest mess he’d ever seen. There were clothes strewn everywhere, dirty dishes, some still full of food, and the bed looked like it hadn’t been made in days.
“What the hell happened in here?” He demanded, sickened by the state of his room.
Nicole looked around the room and shrugged her shoulders, “There’s no one to come in tidy up, I guess it let it get away from me.”
Jared could barely control his temper, “And you’ve been eating in here.”
“Well, that woman who runs the house said I couldn’t eat with everyone.” She wined, “It was just awful, I’ve been sneaking food. I would have starved if I hadn’t.”
Jared knew that there was more to the story, but he was so angry at Gina just then that he wanted to hit her, so he simply turned around and headed for the bathroom in the hallway. When he got to the door, he stopped and looked back at Gina who had followed him as far as the bedroom door.
“Get this filth cleaned up and find someplace else to make your messes.” He barked at her, then walked into the bathroom and slammed the door.
Chapter 7
When Jared came out of the shower, he was forced to walk down the hall with only a towel wrapped around him. Just as he got to his bedroom door, Nicole walked out of her room, which he hadn’t realized was down the hall from his. She couldn’t help but gasp when she saw him, the sight of his naked chest bringing a blush to her cheeks. Jared was used to women reacting to him this way, but Nicole’s reaction affected him differently, sending a wave of desire straight to his gut.
“Umm, excuse me.” She said, and rushed past him.
Jared opened his mouth to say something, but just then Gina opened the bedroom door and distracted him for just long enough that when he looked back down the hall, Nicole was gone. He stepped into the room and looked around, Gina had made a little effort to clean it up, but there were still piles of clothes and dirty dishes scattered around. Giving her a dirty look, he went to the closet and grabbed some clothes, took them to the bathroom and slammed the door.
“You and your stuff need to be gone before I come out of here.” He said, getting out his razor and shaving cream.
He could hear her scrambling around the room, drawers slammed, and dishes rattled, but when he came out of the bathroom the room was clean. Gina was standing in the center of the room, looking proud of herself and he wanted to slap her, but he held his temper. The last thing needed he was a big scene, it would be easier to put up with her for a few days, rather than pushing her to the point that she had one of her fits. He’d seen what that looked like when he dropped her off, and he just didn’t have the energy to deal with it.
She walked up to him and put her arms around him and asked sweetly, “Can I please stay? I’ve missed you so much.” Then batted her eyes at him and tried to kiss him.
Jared avoided the kiss, thinking that Gina was the last woman he wanted to kiss. Just thinking of kissing brought Nicole to his mind, her lips were plump and looked soft, and her mouth was shaped perfectly, and he realized with a shock that she was the one he wanted to kiss.
“You can stay, but you have to keep this room clean and work it out with Martha, she has a name you know. I’ve met her, and she seems perfectly nice. How about we go to the kitchen and figure this out.” Jared said, his mind still on Nicole’s mouth.
“Yeah, it’s about time.” Gina said, thinking that Jared was going to set the woman straight.
When they got to the kitchen, Martha wasn’t there, but she’d left dinner for everyone. Gina was disappointed, she’d been looking forward to seeing the vile woman put in her place, now she’d have to wait for that satisfaction. But her displeasure disappeared the moment she put the first bite of food in her mouth, it was the first time in almost two weeks that she’d had a hot meal.
“This is so good, you have no idea how long it’s been since I had a good meal.” Gina said, shoving another huge bite of food in her mouth, then mumbling through the bite, “She may be a bitch, but she can cook.”
Jared was just about to take a bite, but he stopped, fork half-way to his mouth, to stare at Gina. He’d only been home for a few hours but in that small space of time, Gina had shown him exactly the kind of person she was. More than anything he wished that he hadn’t brought her into his plans, that he’d sent her home, but he’d been so intent on getting even with Seth that he hadn’t thought it through.
Now not only did he want to be rid of Gina, he wasn’t even sure that he wanted to get even with Seth. It was all so muddled in his mind, the realization that his father had sugar coated just how much damage had been done to the land, had failed to tell him that the land wasn’t really theirs, and his attraction to Nicole had his mind in knots. Knots that only some time would fix, time alone without Gina and her poor manners annoying him.
Gina was so into her dinner that she didn’t notice Jared’s displeasure and was content to eat in silence. After they were finished eating, Jared got up from the table, picked up his dishes and started toward the kitchen without a word. Gina jumped up from the table and followed him.
“Where are you going?” She asked.
“I’m going to do my dishes.” Jared said, looking back at her in surprise, then realized why she was asking. After so many days on the trail taking care of himself, it had just come naturally to do it here. “Maybe you should go get yours too.”
Gina stood stunned, “My dishes? But… I mean…” When Jared gave her a look that said that he hadn’t been giving her a suggestion, she turned around and went back into the dining room and got her dishes.
When she got back into the kitchen, Martha was there with Jared and they were having a quiet discussion at the sink. But when Martha saw Gina with her dishes she said, “Now that’s something I thought I’d never see. Are you going to carry all those dishes from your bedroom down here too?”
Gina wanted to slap the woman, but she could tell from the look on Jared’s face that Martha had somehow gotten him on her side. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but Jared stopped her. “Don’t say anything Gina, I don’t want to hear it.”
That one sentence let Gina know that she was in trouble, that her dreams of financial security and status were slowly being drained away. She’d worked so hard to get where she was and now a housekeeper was ruining her chances, but there was nothing she could do about that now. Maybe it had been a mistake not to try to fit in better with the people here, but how was she to know that Jared would suddenly think it was important to keep them happy.
Then she knew what she had to do, she had to remind Jared of why he was here, of their plan to take Seth and his project down. When Martha left the kitchen and they were alone, she brought it up. “So, did you find out anything important while you were gone?”
Jared hesitated, not sure he wanted to tell Gina anything. “I might have, we’ll just have to see.” He finally said, thinking it was a broad enough answer to satisfy her without telling her anything specific.
“Oh, good. Tell me all about it.” Gina was feeling in control again.
“Not tonight. I want some time alone.” Jared said, watching as Gina put her plate in the dishwasher, still covered in food.
Gina was disappointed, she’d had images of them falling into bed together, a reunion of sorts. “But you’ve been gone for so long.” She protested which was the wrong thing to do.
“Can you just give me some space please?” Jared asked, thinking that if she didn’t get the point soon, he was going to have to spell it out for her.
Even as much as she wanted to land Jared, Gina couldn’t let that pass. “Fine if you want space, I’ll give you space.” She said, then stomped out of the kitchen.
“Don’t forget all the dirty dishes in my room.” Jared called after her, just to make sure she remembered.
Nicole had been sitting in her room watching television all night, but felt the need to get some fresh air. After weeks of living outdoors the room had begun to feel cramped and stuffy after only a few hours, so she slid on her shoes and headed for the deck with a view of the ocean. From the moment they’d walked into the house she’d been drawn to the deck and the ocean, its rolling waves and rocky shore beautiful in a way she’d never imagined possible.
The moon was full that night, dimming the stars but creating interesting shadows that seemed to dance. She walked out onto the deck and headed for her favorite bench, sheltered from the wind and nearly invisible from the house, no one would bother her there. But when she came around the corner where the bench sat, Jared was sitting there so deep in thought he didn’t even hear her.
Not wanting to scare him, she coughed quietly, then sat down. “I’m surprised to find you out here, I thought you hated the outdoors.” She said with a mischievous grin, hoping that he’d understand that she was teasing him.
Jared had been sitting alone brooding and avoiding Gina, but was happy to see Nicole, and even happier that she was flirting with him. “Would you believe that it’s beginning to grow on me?” He asked, shrugging his shoulders.
“It has a way of doing that, but when you have something as beautiful as this it’s going to happen.” Nicole said, not realizing that she’d also just described how Jared was beginning to feel about her.
Jared looked at her for so long that Nicole’s heart began to beat faster, and her blood began to warm. She thought he was going to kiss her when he leaned in toward her, but at the last moment, he seemed to change his mind and pulled back.
“I grew up in this house and I can only think of a few times that I sat on this deck and just looked at the ocean.” He finally said, looking back out to the ocean.
Nicole was sorry that he hadn’t kissed her, sorry enough that she knew she might be in trouble. But before her thoughts could go any farther, Jared interrupted them. “Have you ever discovered that something you believed for all of your life wasn’t true, that the reality was so far removed from what you were led to believe that you should have seen it?”
Nicole was momentarily speechless, Jared had for some reason chosen to confide in her, the last thing she would have expected. “I’m sorry I haven’t, but I can understand that it might be very difficult.”
“Maybe I should have known, I mean I knew how he did business, but I wanted what I wanted and chose not to look any deeper than I had to.”
Nicole was sure that Jared was talking about his father, but also sensed that what he needed now was someone to listen, so she stayed silent. “I’m just not sure what to do now. I mean I had everything all planned out, knew what I believed and how I was going to live my life. I was so convinced that I was right, I didn’t want to listen to anyone else and now I’m going to have to start over, I have no choice.”
“That I can understand, I’ve had to start my life over too.” Nicole said, then added, “The only thing you can do is live one day at a time until one day you suddenly realize that you’ve built a new life, one you can live with.” Nicole said, hoping that Jared would understand.
Jared looked at Nicole, thinking that her words were right on the mark for someone as young as she was. She’d said that she had to start her life over, but he didn’t really understand what she meant, after all she couldn’t be more than 22 or 23 years old, she hadn’t lived long enough for that. But she looked so sincere, so understanding that he wanted to know what had happened to her.
“You’re too young to have had to start your life over, you’re just getting started.” He said, coming out of his funk for the first time since they’d come off the trail.
Nicole snorted, “Jared don’t take this the wrong way, but you’ve lived a very sheltered and privileged life.” Then she told him about how she’d ended up with Sam and Julie.
When she’d finished, Jared was silent for a long time absorbi
ng what she’d told him. She wanted to laugh when he finally asked, “What was it like to get shot?”
“I tell you all that and all you want to know is what it was like to get shot? It hurt a lot. It’s not something I would recommend. It’s only been in the last year that I’ve been able talk about it without having flashbacks of that night, of that moment when I thought I was going to die.”
“I guess finding out that my dad was a major crook, polluter, and possibly even a murderer doesn’t come close to what you’ve been through.” Jared said, unable to help himself from scooting closer to her, suddenly feeling like he needed to protect her, even though the danger was long past.
“That wasn’t what I was trying to make you understand, I’m trying to tell you that no matter what you’re facing it’s possible to come out stronger and smarter in the end. You just have to look inside yourself and find the strength to face the new reality of your life.”
“I hope I have the strength to do that.” Jared said, getting to his feet and walking over to the rail, suddenly uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was going.
Nicole followed him, “You’re a strong man Jared, you’re just going to have to use that strength in a different way.” She said, putting her hand on his arm.
As simple as Nicole’s words were, they resonated with Jared, in fact he realized that he’d needed to hear them. “Thank you, Nicole. I’m sorry I’ve been so difficult, but that’s over now, you’ve been kinder to me than I was to you and I appreciate that.” He said, then followed his instinct and hugged her.
The minute Nicole was in Jared’s arms, it was like the rest of the world ceased to exist. She wrapped her arms around him and took a deep breath, smelling the scent of something exotic she couldn’t name, then looked up at him embarrassed by her reaction to a simple hug. But what she saw in Jared’s eyes told her that the hug had done something to him as well, and when his mouth came down on hers, she didn’t stop him.
Have My Twins : BWWM Romance (Brothers From Money Book 16) Page 7
