by Sara Orwig
Allison merely nodded.
“What did your dad think about the items in the mansion?”
“He’s extremely pleased,” she replied, relieved to get back to business. “He thinks you’ve inherited beautiful and valuable antiques, and we’ll be able to have a successful sale.”
“Good to hear.”
“Dad has a partial draft of the catalog done with the pieces I’ve already inventoried.” She pulled it out of her briefcase, and Jared moved closer to look, holding one side of the brochure when she opened it. They carefully went through it, commenting on the pictures and the descriptions.
“This is excellent, Allison,” he said, and she looked up at him. Only inches separated them. He focused on her, and as she gazed into his clear green eyes that had always fascinated her, she forgot the business at hand. Her heartbeat quickened and she fought the urge to look at his mouth. Wanting to lean closer, she knotted her fists and tried to look away, to escape the mesmerizing draw of this potent man.
“I don’t want to do this,” she whispered, still frozen in his gaze.
“Yes, you do. As much as I do,” he said softly, drawing closer. She couldn’t get her breath. She wanted to reach for him, to wrap her arms around his neck and hold him while she kissed him, and he kissed her back.
When his gaze shifted to her mouth, her lips tingled. His head lowered before his lips brushed hers in a feathery touch that she should have barely felt. Her toes curled, her breath escaped her and her resistance crumbled. She closed her eyes while his mouth covered hers and his tongue slipped over hers.
As she shuddered, he caressed her nape. She wasn’t capable of stopping him. She kissed him back with fervor. She knew one kiss would never be enough.
She couldn’t get her breath when she finally pulled back. “I don’t want to feel this with you,” she said, as much to herself as to him. “We’re not right for each other.”
“I think we’re as right as can be. Stop fighting it. Can’t you feel it, Allison? Everything in you responds to me just as I respond to you. Darlin’, we’ve got something special between us. You can’t deny it,” he whispered, staring intently at her.
She couldn’t. She wanted to deny it, to fling the words in his face, but in all honesty, she couldn’t say them, because they both knew there was no way to deny the attraction.
“You spin magic between us, weaving a spell around me,” she said. “I need to finish this job and go home, before I’m hopelessly ensnared and in love, something you won’t be.”
“You’ll never be ‘hopelessly ensnared,’” he said. “You’re far too independent. Besides, we’re not even having an affair.” He reclined back in his seat and stretched out his long legs.
“And we’ll keep it that way,” she added.
* * *
To her relief, when they reached the Houston mansion and she went directly to work, Jared remained remote, professional and totally focused on the task until half past five in the afternoon. Even so, she could not keep from noticing the flex of muscles in his arms if he lifted any of the furniture. His cotton sleeves were rolled up. When he knelt to look under furniture, his jeans pulled taut, molding to his muscled thighs. Everything he did drew her attention. Even though he might go half an hour without saying a word, having him beside her constantly was almost as much torment as when they flirted.
Finally he set the iPad on a table and placed his hand lightly on her arm.
“We should stop now for dinner. No working day and night. We’ve gotten a lot done today.”
“But I want to get this job done,” she said, facing him, looking into his searching gaze.
“Are you in a hurry now because of Dawn?”
“No. I believe what you said.” She set down her pencil and paper and focused on him. “Jared, we have to face the facts. You’re not the marrying kind, and I am. We’re just not right for each other. All this going out at night, flirting, dancing, kissing—that all leads one direction, to an affair.” When he was about to object, she stilled him with a hand. “You have a well-stocked kitchen. Let’s eat here.” The cook hadn’t returned with them to Houston, but Allison figured they could find something to prepare. “I’ll keep working. You can do what you want.”
“We’ll eat here, and I’ll work with you,” he said. “You can pause for a drink, can’t you?”
His capitulation to her wishes made her happy, and she smiled at him. “Yes, I can. I’m quite ready for a break.”
He touched the corner of her mouth lightly with his finger—a feathery touch that melted another bit of her resistance. “There—it’s good to see you smile. C’mon. It’s a pretty spring day. We can sit outside and have a drink. We can even go for a swim if you want. It is a heated pool.”
“No, thanks, Mr. Tough Man,” she said quickly as she joined him, and they headed down the hall toward the kitchen. “It may be a heated pool and a sunny day, but it’s way too cool for me to swim. And it isn’t officially spring yet, by the way.”
“I’ll keep you warm,” he offered.
She laughed. “I’m sure you would. Thanks, but as enticing as your offer is, I’ll pass. I do not swim before the traditional Memorial Day weekend at the earliest. In cooler climes, I do not swim until the Fourth of July. I’m not trying to live life on the edge or prove anything. You can meet life’s challenges, but not me, thank you.”
“I’m dealing with one of life’s biggest challenges right now,” he said, holding the back door for her and following her outside to the patio. He motioned in the direction of the outdoor kitchen and bar. “I’m trying to figure out how to get you to knock off working tonight, as well as a few bigger challenges you’ve thrown my way today.”
“I definitely am not trying to challenge you,” she said. “Far from it. Just ignore me and go on with your life.”
“That, Allison, is a complete turnaround from the night we met. And I’m not accustomed to getting that reaction from a woman, particularly one I really like.”
His words were heat and enticement. She fought her attraction to him, the constant pull on her to relax, flirt and do what he wanted.
“Before you know it, I’ll be gone out of your life.”
“The more you tell me things like that, the more I want to get past the wall you’re throwing up between us. I know the warm, passionate woman behind the barrier.”
“Jared, that’s exactly what I’m struggling to avoid.”
“Sit while I get us some light snacks and pour drinks. What will you have?”
She sat at the bar. “I’d prefer a margarita.”
He became busy behind the bar and in minutes placed a bowl of roasted almonds in front of her, along with another bowl of green olives and a platter of chips and fresh salsa.
“I’ll take this to the table,” she said as he put them on a green tray. She set them on a nearby table, and he joined her to hand her a margarita with a salty rim and a lime slice.
Pulling his chair away from the table, he sat facing her, his long legs stretched out alongside her chair. He held up his glass. “Here’s to a successful sale.”
“To a very successful sale,” she said, raising her glass to touch his lightly. He watched her intently as he sipped.
“To the most beautiful antiques dealer in the U.S.A.”
She smiled and raised her glass again. “Whoever she is.”
“You know exactly.”
“Thank you, but you exaggerate. Besides, you can’t have seen them all. You don’t know who’s out there.”
“No, but I know who’s here beside me,” he said, leaning forward so he was close to her. His gaze roamed over her features, and she could barely get her breath.
“Don’t make me regret coming out here,” she whispered, thinking she should move, talk, do something or in seconds they
would kiss.
“I miss the flirty college girl I knew six years ago.”
“She’s gone forever, Jared,” she replied. “You can’t get back time. It marches forward. In a blink of an eye, I’ll be home and this job will be finished.” She sat back and crossed her legs. “I made arrangements with Sloan that he’ll bring his children over to stay the night with me when I get back. They are really adorable. I suppose that’s one reason I’ve starting thinking about marriage so much,” she said, changing their topic of conversation. She hoped to cool Jared’s flirting and attention, and homed in on the best way she could think to do so. “They’re such fun, even the baby, who is twelve months and not walking yet but crawling everywhere.”
Jared sipped his drink and looked mildly amused, as if he had figured out her purpose in talking about her nieces and nephew.
“Don’t you love little kids, Jared?”
“I’m not around them. But I’ve looked at pictures of Sloan’s kids, and they’re cute.”
“Sloan is the happiest he has ever been. That’s another reason marriage appeals to me. I used to think my brother would never get married. Now that he did, he is so in love and so happy with his family.”
“It’s a trade-off. He gives up certain things and gains certain things.”
“True, but what he gained is for a lifetime and too good to measure. What he gave up is fleeting and easily forgotten.”
Jared nodded. “Well, the real trick is to find that absolutely one right person. But you’re still tied down in a lot of ways.”
“Tied down to love,” she said, exasperated with his view of life and his determination to give up love and family for a few thrills and big risks. He sipped his cold beer and gazed beyond her, and her exasperation grew with his attitude.
There was only one way she could think of to prove her point to him.
Clamping her jaw closed, she got up swiftly and stepped over him so she sat astride him. At the same time she yanked off her shirt, pulling it over her head and dropping it. At once, his eyes widened and he looked startled.
Leaning forward, she kissed him on the mouth—a deep, passionate kiss.
His brief shock vanished as he embraced her and kissed her in return. She ran her fingers through his thick hair and along his nape while she leaned away to slip her other hand beneath his shirt and caress his chest.
He was warm, rock hard with muscles.
He filled his hands with her breasts, unfastening and pushing away her bra. Desire pooled within her, hot, spreading. Her hand slid down over his rough jeans, over his arousal that pressed tightly against the denim.
As abruptly as she had moved over him, she stopped and moved away, gasping for breath and stepping off his lap. Yanking her shirt back over her head, she sat again in her chair, turning it slightly to face him.
“That’s the physical part of a good marriage,” she explained. “Sex when you want it, hot, built on a bedrock of love, getting better with time, I’m sure. That’s only one facet. How does that compare with climbing an icy glacier and coming home alone?” she asked. “You take your life and your preferences, and I’ll keep mine, but they really don’t mix.”
He turned his chair closer with his legs touching hers and reached out to slide his arm around her waist. She wriggled back and smiled. “That was just to prove a point. No more kisses,” she said, trying to ignore her pounding heart and control the longing to go back into his embrace.
He inhaled deeply, and she wondered whether she had started something she would regret. If he set his mind on seduction, she wasn’t certain how long she could hold out.
Picking up her drink, she raised her glass. “Here’s to happy adventures for you and a solid marriage for me.”
His green eyes looked filled with speculation. He raised his bottle. “Solid? That’s what you want? Not a love-filled marriage?”
“A love-filled marriage is solid,” she replied before taking a sip. Frankly, she needed a moment to gather herself. His kiss had left her breathless, aching for more.
He moved closer. “You may have just started fires that can’t be extinguished easily.”
“I was just proving a point with you. Or at least giving you my view of marriage and family versus your lifestyle. To each his own.”
He smiled, studying her, and she wondered what ran through his thoughts. “You’ll miss a lot, Allison. And you weren’t so ready to settle down when I met you.”
“Of course not. I was in college and six years younger. Life changes a person. Now my dad isn’t well, and the clock is ticking. I don’t think I’ll miss anything. Actually, I feel you’re the one missing out on life.”
“So we’re at an impasse on our views of each other. When we kiss, though, the differences never seem to matter. You can’t deny that. That missing out on love and family is a siren song that has ensnared many a man who never got to fulfill his dreams.”
“You pursue your dreams, Jared, and I’ll pursue mine. May we both find happiness.” She stood up abruptly. “Now let’s get back to business. My father is making arrangements to move the pieces from here to a Dallas auction site. He’s aiming for early June. Before that he will have a presale where select buyers have first chance at the inventory. Phillip has selected three pieces that he’d like to buy, and I have my eye on buying a couple of things then, if you don’t take them now. Don’t ask which ones, because I want you to choose whatever you like.”
“If you’d tell me now, you might ensure getting them,” he said, looking more intently at her.
She shook her head. “No. You and I have the same tastes in furniture and decor. I wouldn’t think of taking something you really like and want.”
“Your choice. Just remember my offer. Speaking of offers—how about dinner?”
Before she could answer, his cell rang. He held it up to take the call, then stood and walked away from her to talk. She turned her attention to the view, enjoying the day, thinking about all he had said, remembering his kisses. He was gone longer than she had expected, and when he returned she watched him sit next to her again.
“Sorry. I may have to get back to Dallas on business soon. I think it would be best to go on to Wyoming tomorrow if you want.”
“That’s fine,” she replied.
“I’ll make the arrangements. It’ll be cooler there. If you need a coat, because I’m sure you didn’t bring one to Houston, we can get one for you on the way to the airport.”
“Actually, I did bring a coat because I knew we would go to Wyoming,” she said.
“The lady thinks ahead. Very good. Speaking of looking ahead, I’ll go rummage in the kitchen freezer and see what I can find. Marline usually leaves casseroles for me at home, so there may be one or two here.”
“I’ll help,” she said, walking beside him. She still fought the consequences of her wild kiss, which she couldn’t take back, and she would have to battle her lusty urges all evening.
He found a pasta casserole that he placed in the oven, and she began to make a tossed green salad. “You have everything here. This place is as well stocked as a grocery.”
“Speaking of well stacked...” He came up behind her to slide his arms around her waist and nuzzle her neck.
She smiled and turned in his arms to grip his forearms and stop him. “I did not say one word about well stacked and you know it. And we weren’t going there, remember?” she said, too aware of the breathlessness of her voice. He was too close, still holding her, his green eyes melting her resolve.
“You started this outside.”
“I was proving a point,” she said while she fought to maintain space between them. Her gaze lowered to his mouth.
“I didn’t get it. Show me again,” he said in a husky voice.
She slipped away from him. “You got it totally. Now get
back to fixing dinner.”
Shaking his head, he reached for glasses for ice water.
They worked companionably for a few moments, him setting the table and her tossing the salad. When he spoke, she was surprised to find his mind on business.
“Your brother has some property that will come on the market. He said he would call me when it’s available and I can take a look at it.”
“Are you expanding your office?”
“No. I’d fix up the building so that I can lease it to another business. Sloan’s good to call me when he gets those opportunities. If he doesn’t want them himself.”
“Sloan’s done well in investments. He has a mind for math and figures. He did Dad’s income tax for him until I graduated and could take up doing it.” She tilted her head to study him with curiosity in her expression. “Buying a building to lease doesn’t have much to do with your energy company.”
“I’m diversifying,” he said with a smile. “So you have that family math ability, too? I know Sloan has it. So does your dad. That’s good.”
“It comes in handy on the bookkeeping side of this business. Otherwise I’m far more interested in history and furniture and other things we deal with.”
Soon she had the salad ready, and they sat at the kitchen table to start on that while they waited for the casserole to heat.
They continued to talk, all through dinner and beyond. Before she knew it, the hall clock chimed ten o’clock. She had promised herself she’d leave him then, but minutes turned into hours and it was two in the morning before she noticed the time again.
“Jared, I have to get to bed,” she said. “I was going to go hours ago.”
“But you were having far too good a time to leave,” he drawled with amusement in his expression.
She smiled in return. “I suppose I’ll have to admit I was.”
