by Scott, J. S.
“Ms. Ross,” he drawled haughtily, stopping a few feet from her chair.
“Evan.” She looked up at him with a hand still shading her eyes. A long way up. One of the first things Jared had arranged for her was a new pair of glasses, but Mara wasn’t wearing them at the moment. That didn’t present a problem, as he was definitely big enough to see clearly. The only thing obscuring her vision was the blazing sun. Mara refused to call him Mr. Sinclair. There were definitely way too many Sinclair men in Amesport at the moment, and this particular male had saved her life. “Would you like to sit?” She motioned to the chair next to her. “Why are you wearing a suit on the beach?” She stifled a laugh as she noticed that he was carrying a pair of shoes that were obviously intended to match his clothing, the socks tucked inside. His pant legs were rolled up just enough to keep them from getting wet. He was quite a sight, the rest of him looking absolutely pristine and much more suited to be in a boardroom than at the beach.
Lowering his big body into the wooden chair, he answered irritably, “This happens to be my everyday attire, Ms. Ross. I work. I don’t normally go for any kind of strolls on the beach. It’s a waste of time.”
“Mara, please.” Good grief, the man was edgy, and she hoped that he was joking.
Evan nodded. “Fine. I suppose since you’re a friend of the family and in the wedding party, it’s appropriate to use first names.”
To his credit, at least Evan had been smart enough to wear a pair of dark sunglasses to shade his eyes. Mara couldn’t see his expression, but she didn’t hear a single note of humor in his tone. He was completely serious. “Are you always this uptight?” she asked curiously, staring out at the water again.
“I’m not uptight,” he disagreed adamantly. “And yes, this is my usual personality. I have responsibilities. A lot of them. That leaves me no time or inclination to be jovial.” He changed the subject. “I didn’t realize you were cohabiting with my brother now.” He sounded unhappy that there was anything he didn’t know.
Mara shrugged. “I’m not. I’m using his guest house. I don’t have much of a choice right now. My best friend is laid up with an injury, and her place is very small. I can’t intrude on her right now. I’m pretty much homeless.”
“You lived in your shop?”
“Yes.”
“And how exactly do you know Jared?” Evan asked sharply, his head turned toward her.
He was staring at her, and just imagining the icy stare behind those dark glasses made her want to squirm. She supposed that Evan was suspicious of any person that his billionaire brothers hung out with, unless they were equally as wealthy, but she was more than a little insulted. Jared was a grown man, and she didn’t need to explain her relationships to a near stranger. But because he was Jared’s brother, she answered, “We’re friends. He’s helping me start up another business, so I guess you could say we’re also business partners.” Except for the fact that Jared was absolutely adamant about getting as little as possible in profit—not a single penny if she’d allow it. But she’d take care of that. “I can’t seem to talk him out of getting the short end of the business.” She caved, hoping maybe Evan could talk some sense into his brother. He was obviously all business, and Mara doubted Evan wanted his brother to make a crappy business deal, no matter how small. Maybe he could help.
“Why?” Evan sounded puzzled.
Mara proceeded to explain her business, her plans, and exactly how Jared had discovered her products to Evan. She also admitted the terms Evan’s younger brother was insisting on.
“The whole thing is frustrating,” she admitted candidly. “I can’t take advantage of him that way.”
“Most people would,” Evan observed. “Jared might not be as good as I am at business, but he’s ruthless when he needs to be. Unfortunately, it appears he’s still merging personal relationships and business. They don’t mix.” He exhaled loudly in frustration.
“Jared runs a commercial real estate business worth billions. He might have been wealthy before he started, but he’s done that all on his own,” Mara answered fiercely. “He’s brilliant.”
“His backup plan,” Evan snapped back at her. “He never planned on doing commercial real estate. He got screwed by a so-called friend in several different ways.”
“One of the ones who died?” Mara asked quietly.
“How did you know about that?” His voice was calmer, but he sounded surprised.
“Jared told me. I know he was betrayed by a friend and his girlfriend. And I know they died. He didn’t explain completely.” No doubt Evan knew the whole truth, which Mara found interesting.
Evan released an exasperated, impatient sigh. “Jared’s a different person since that happened. He and his friend were going to start their own business after college, an architecture venture specializing in renovating old homes. My brother had the capital, of course, and was able to do it on his own, but he wanted his friend and classmate, Alan, to be his partner. Jared was already rich, and it was his passion. He wanted to share it with his best friend. He didn’t need the money, so he was free to pursue whatever dreams he had. Unfortunately, his friend wanted more than just Jared’s business.”
“He wanted Jared’s girlfriend,” Mara said flatly, her heart aching for the younger Jared, who had been betrayed.
“Selena was flighty and completely wrong for Jared,” Evan stated arrogantly.
“He blames himself for their deaths,” Mara told Evan as she turned to look at him, surprisingly unafraid of his fierce words and seemingly snobby indifference. He cared about his family, so the guy couldn’t be all bad. Fascinated, she watched Evan’s face as his jaw tensed and a muscle pulsated with frustration. “He emulates you now,” she added, suddenly seeing the similarities between the two brothers. Jared wanted to be like Evan, cut off from his emotions, making it highly unlikely that he’d ever be hurt again.
“My siblings are nothing like me,” Evan replied, his tone ornery. “And Jared didn’t cause either one of their deaths.”
“I know. He isn’t capable of it.”
There was a silence then, nothing but the sound of the waves hitting the sand. Evan was thinking, but Mara found the man confounding. She had no idea what thoughts were going through his obviously razor-sharp brain.
Finally, he spoke. “Jared went on a six-month bender after Selena and Alan died. He was never a drinker, but I found him in an alcoholic stupor that nearly killed him. I sobered him up, and he may no longer wear his heart on his sleeve, but inside he’s still the same person. So as you can tell, he’s nothing like me.” Evan’s voice was stoic.
Mara gaped at Evan, letting the information that Jared had nearly killed himself by self-neglect because two people he loved had died sink completely into her brain. “Oh, God. My sweet Jared,” she whispered huskily.
Evan shrugged. “I think you’re the only one who thinks he’s sweet anymore. He lived through it. I had hoped that he learned not to mix business with friendships anymore. He gave up doing what he wanted because he associated it with the death of his . . . friends.” He choked out the last word as though it was hard to say.
“And you think I’m going to screw him.” Mara already had a grasp on Evan’s suspicions. For a brother who supposedly didn’t give a damn about anything or anyone, he seemed awfully tenacious as to her intentions.
“Are you?” he countered insolently.
“No. We argue about the business arrangements constantly. He’s being stubborn. I planned on giving him more than half the profits.”
“Ah . . . so that makes you just as ignorant in business as my brother is pretending to be. You’re both putting emotion into business. And it doesn’t belong there.” He turned his head to look at her.
“I—I suppose,” she stammered. She knew she was thinking with her emotions right now, and giving Jared more than his share was bad business. “But I ow
e it to him for helping me.”
“Emotion again,” Evan grumbled impatiently.
“This isn’t business for him. He’s trying to help me.”
Evan shrugged. “Then let him. It’s not like he can’t afford it.”
“I can’t,” she admitted. “I can never feel good about anything I achieve if I’m not doing it fairly, whether Jared is rich or not.”
“Admirable,” he answered grudgingly, drumming his fingers on the wooden arm of the chair. “Then do it properly. You’ve run a business before. It would be a simple enough contract and incorporation.”
It would be, if Jared would just agree. Was Evan not hearing her? Jared refused, and that was no small problem. “He wants it his way, and I owe Jared for what he’s doing for me.”
Frustrating man! But there was very little point in arguing with Evan Sinclair. No doubt he’d bested many people a whole lot more knowledgeable than she was. He was toying with her, but for what purpose she didn’t know. Obviously, one of his best weapons was doing business without emotion. She glared at him and crossed her arms in front of her, even though she couldn’t see his eyes through his dark glasses.
“You owe no one if you’re making them a profit,” Evan observed calmly.
“I will make a profit,” Mara retorted with a confidence she didn’t quite feel . . . yet.
“Very well,” Evan replied briskly. “Then I’ll have the contracts drawn up, and you can make me your partner in this venture.”
Mara’s brain worked furiously as she frowned at Evan. “Are you offering this to prevent your brother from mixing business and personal emotions?”
“My reasons are my own. Yes or no?”
It could work. It would get Jared out of the picture. He was much too generous, and he was determined to let himself be taken advantage of to help her. She had no fear that Evan would do something that didn’t benefit him. “Fine. I accept.” She glowered at Evan. While she admired his business sense, she didn’t like his meddling tactics when it came to his family. Evan was no more interested in this business than Jared was, but he’d make a deal with her to keep his brother from making a business mistake. Nevertheless, he’d be doing her a favor in every way except one. “You know Jared will be hurt.” Mara hated that. It was the only downside of this deal.
“He’ll be murderous,” Evan agreed. “Perhaps it might be better if you just let Jared think you’re accepting my deal unless he takes a fair cut. I believe it will solve your dilemma.”
Mara eyed Evan suspiciously. “You were testing me?”
He turned his head and rose to his feet. “Not exactly. But if it was a test, you passed.”
She rose to her feet quickly, so fast that she forgot about her healing ankle. “Ouch!” she exclaimed loudly, forgetting all about the fact that she was going to tell him off.
“Careful.” Evan put his powerful arms around her to steady her.
Mara clutched the heavy suit jacket he was wearing. “What the hell are you doing out here in a suit anyway?” Evan smelled like fresh air and crisp, starched linen, a scent that was oddly pleasant. For a huge man, his hold was gentle.
“Grady’s idea,” Evan grumbled. “He called me an uptight asshole because I interrupted a conversation with Emily to take a business call. He suggested a very long walk on the beach as a cure. I’ve seen no medicinal value to getting my feet wet and sweating from the humid air.”
Mara smiled up at him. “It helps if you wear something more comfortable.”
He scowled down at her. “This is my most comfortable suit.”
“I meant shorts, maybe a T-shirt,” she suggested with a smirk. “Something you’d wear when you’re not working.”
“I’m always working,” he snapped back.
He doesn’t own anything but suits? Good Lord . . . Grady was probably right. Does Evan never stop working?
“You can cut across to your house by taking Jared’s driveway and crossing the road that runs down the Peninsula.”
“Excellent,” he replied, sounding relieved. Evan let her go for a second and swooped down to pick up his shoes.
To Mara’s horror, he picked her up bodily and carried her until they reached the grass. “What are you doing?” she squeaked.
“Making sure you don’t turn your ankle. You really shouldn’t be walking in soft sand when your ankle is weak. It’s rather careless considering you aren’t completely healed yet,” he informed her casually. “We seem to be making a habit of doing this carrying thing.”
Just like Jared, only his brother had carried her everywhere for several days.
“Thank you for saving my life,” she told him gratefully as he lowered her to the ground, suddenly remembering that she hadn’t said a word about the fire and his role as her rescuer. Once again, Evan had picked her up and carried her as though she weighed nothing at all, just like the night he’d saved her life. She rested her hands on his massive shoulders as she glanced up at him. Jesus, he was handsome. He might be as cold as a glacier in Greenland, but he was a breathtakingly gorgeous chunk of ice.
“A bit of advice, if I may,” Evan commented loftily. Without waiting for permission to dole out his advice, he added, “Next time you may want to actually leave a house that’s on fire.”
“Thanks so much for your profound wisdom.” She mimicked his haughty tone. Mara scrutinized his expression for a moment, watching as the side of his mouth twitched like he wanted to smile, but wouldn’t. “You’re not as big of a jerk as you want everyone to think you are. You want to manipulate things the way you want them, but I think your intentions, although somewhat misguided, are in the right place,” she told him, contemplating him as she let her hands drop from his shoulders.
“You’re wrong, Mara,” he replied coldly. “I’m exactly what you see before you . . . a total and complete asshole.” He turned on his heel and walked away, his confession still hanging in the air.
After a few steps, he hesitated, turning back to her. “Mara?”
“Yes?”
“I’d really prefer not to see Jared in the state he was in when he went on his bender ever again.”
She could feel his eyes on her even though she couldn’t see his stare. Were his words a warning, or just a statement? Mara very much doubted that Evan said anything just for the hell of it. “I don’t ever want to see that,” she answered honestly.
“Good.” He turned around without another word and went on his way.
Mara propped her hands on her hips and watched as Evan swaggered between the mansion and the guest house, disappearing as he went toward Jared’s driveway.
She shook her head as she walked toward her temporary home, still not completely certain what to make of her whole conversation with Evan Sinclair.
CHAPTER 10
“She’s off-limits,” Jared growled. He caught Evan’s arm roughly as his sibling walked to the front of his house and out of Mara’s line of vision.
I am not jealous. I am not jealous.
Jared let the mantra run through his mind as he confronted his eldest brother. He’d just taken his load of groceries to the kitchen when he caught sight of Evan and Mara on the beach. He’d gawked as Mara jumped out of her chair and Evan put his arms around his woman, holding her just a little too long for Jared’s liking. He’d seen Mara stumble because of her ankle, but that didn’t mean that Evan had needed to hold on to her as long as he had, and he certainly didn’t need to cuddle up to Mara and carry her once she was steady. Jared reminded himself that he’d carried Mara everywhere for the last several days. But that was different. Evan was a stranger to Mara, and she to him. What right did his brother have to even touch her?
“She said you were just friends,” Evan said disdainfully. “I didn’t get any indication that you’d staked some sort of claim on her. Isn’t that a little barbaric?”
Jared gr
itted his teeth and let go of Evan as his elder brother shook off his grip. “We are friends.” And we’re also lovers. Okay . . . maybe lovers only once, but I obsess about it day and night. “She’s been through a lot. The last thing she needs is a man like you.”
Evan folded his arms gracefully in front of him. “What exactly does that mean? I certainly have the funds to give her everything she needs.”
“She doesn’t need funds,” Jared ground out, trying to hold back his temper. Mara would succeed with Mara’s Kitchen, and he planned on making certain she did. Jared knew he owed Evan a lot, but he wasn’t about to sit back and watch while Mara slipped away from him.
“What does she need?”
“She needs someone to give a shit about her. After spending her whole adult life taking care of a sick mother, and then losing everything to a fire, it might be nice if somebody took care of her needs for a while.”
“And if I’m willing to do that?” Evan questioned.
“Just. Don’t.” Jared knew he was being territorial, and the last thing he and his brothers would usually fight over was a woman. But this was Mara they were talking about, and Jared would fight his own brother if necessary. “And don’t touch her again.”
Evan strolled over to a bench in front of Jared’s house and sat down to put his shoes and socks on. “You’re being irrational.”
“I don’t give a damn if I sound fucking insane. Leave her alone.”
Evan brushed off his foot before putting on his socks. “Are you claiming her then?”
Was he trying to tell Evan that he wanted Mara exclusively? His dick certainly did, the damn organ seeming to prefer only her. “We haven’t talked about it,” he admitted reluctantly.
His shoes back on his feet again and his pant legs back in place, Evan rose. “Then it isn’t agreed on,” he observed. “Actually, I like her, and I haven’t been able to say that about many women in my life. She’s smart, ethical, and she isn’t afraid of me.”
Jared clenched his fists to keep from striking his annoying, arrogant eldest brother. “She’s also warm, caring, and strong. And she belongs to me.” Goddammit! No way was he going to let Evan snatch Mara out of his grasp. He fucking needed her. And she needed somebody who really cared about her.
