by Lauren Smith
“Would you…” He paused, and she took the moment of quiet silence to enjoy the hot water and the sexy man holding her. His heartbeat thumped against her ears when she pressed her cheek to his chest, and his muscles twitched beneath her palms as she slowly explored his arms and back and dropped kisses onto his warm skin.
“Just ask.” She prodded him gently in the ribs when he didn’t immediately speak.
Jared’s low, throaty laugh warmed her insides. “I’m nervous, princess. But here goes. Would you think about coming home with me over Christmas? We’re going skiing in Colorado and staying at our house in Steamboat Springs. I want you to come with me.”
Felicity was caught between two warring factions inside her, elation and panic.
“Jared—”
He squeezed her waist gently. “Don’t answer now. Think it over.”
“I know, but the plane tickets…” Even if she wanted to go, there was no way she could afford it.
Jared pulled back and lifted her chin. “All that’s on me, princess. I know you have this whole pay-your-own-way view of the world, and I admire that, but this trip is a gift I won’t let you repay. I just want you to enjoy yourself and be with me.”
“And meet your family?” she asked. His parents…Oh, God. She was being asked to meet his family? What would they think of her? Where would she sleep? His bed, the couch, a spare room? What if they didn’t like her? What if they thought she was poor and trashy and not good enough? The questions swirled around in her head, making her a little dizzy.
“Yeah. My parents, and Tanner and Layla might be there if they don’t go to visit her family over the winter break.”
Layla would be there? That was a huge relief. She wouldn’t be completely alone with Jared’s family. She’d have her best friend as backup.
“Think on it, okay? You don’t need to answer for a week or so. I’ll be buying plane tickets and letting my parents know then.”
Felicity nibbled her lip. She’d promised to drive home to Nebraska for some part of the holiday break to see her parents, and she didn’t want to miss seeing them.
She buried her face against his neck and murmured shyly, “If I go…would you…want to visit my parents for New Year’s Eve? I promised I’d come home for part of the break.”
“Of course. I wouldn’t want you to miss seeing them. I’d love to meet your parents.” He stroked the pad of one thumb over her bottom lip. “So does this mean you’ll come to Colorado with me?” The look of hope in his eyes made her blush when she nodded.
“I’ll go. I still can’t believe were doing this. We’ve barely known each other a week…”
Jared grinned sheepishly. “I know. It’s nuts, but how I feel when I’m with you…it’s never been like that with anyone else. Ever.”
How was it possible that this man made her hungry for him all over again just by uttering those words? She wasn’t like anyone else he’d ever been with; maybe he felt the same way about her as she did him.
And then he bent his head to kiss her. It was one of those kisses a woman dreams about. One that was a blend of carnal fire and sweet tenderness. It drove out every worry and fear, replacing it with warmth and hunger for just one more minute alone with him. It was a kiss to build hopes and dreams upon. He cupped the back of her head, holding her captive for his tender kiss.
I’m lost. There’s no coming back, not after this kiss.
How could she love him after just a week? It was crazy, but she did. She loved the way he bent over his desk and kept one highlighter between his lips while he worked, and that he used an expensive ink pen to sign his letters, and the way he sang in the shower, slightly off-key, and that he knew just what movie she wanted to watch when they cuddled on the couch. And he knew just how to make her body surrender to pleasure, drugging her with potent kisses before he brought her to screaming climaxes. But it wasn’t just the mind-blowing, bed-breaking sex they had. In just seven days she’d learned so much about him as a person, and she adored him. And now she was going to blow it by telling him she loved him.
“I love you.” She whispered the words against his lips, and he froze, his dark lashes fanning up with startled surprise. She tensed.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean…” She floundered and finally went silent, shutting her eyes in mortification.
His lips touched her forehead, and he curled his arms around her.
“Felicity, look at me, princess.”
She opened her eyes, dreading what she’d see: pity, regret, annoyance. Instead, her whole world spun wildly as she saw a bright echo of her own emotions in his eyes.
“I love you, too.”
Oh. My. God.
And then he kissed her again.
20
“Are you ready?” Jared asked as he parked their rental car in front of a snowy hillside house. It was a massive house, nothing like the small, cozy cabin Jared had described on the flight from Chicago to Denver.
She fidgeted in her seat. Jared’s parents were inside that house, and she was going to meet them.
“Ready?” She swallowed thickly. She was definitely not ready to meet Jared’s parents. The last month of November and part of December had flown by. She and Jared had managed to settle into a comfortable relationship. They’d gone to art galleries, Jared’s favorite museums by the lakeshore, and had managed to fit in time together between work and school. There had been nights where she’d fallen asleep before Jared had gotten home, and mornings when she’d had to slip out of bed early to get to work at Sabine’s, but being with him had been wonderful, a dream. But now she was at Jared’s parents’ home—or one of the three homes the Redmond family had. How was she going to face them? She was a small-town girl. What would they think of her dating their son?
“I…uh…” she stammered, balking when he exited the car and came around to her side of the SUV and opened the door.
“I thought you got all your nerves out on the plane ride,” he teased.
She scowled at him. “I’d never been on a plane before. Those peanuts were impossible to open.” It hadn’t been the packaging so much as her own jitters that had made the peanuts difficult to open, but in the end she had opened them—spraying everyone within a ten-foot radius with salty, nutty missiles as the package exploded.
Jared tugged at the edge of his black wool coat and then reached for her hand.
“Come on, princess. I swear they don’t bite.”
“I wish Layla and Tanner were here,” she muttered and climbed out of the car to join him.
Unfortunately, Layla had claimed Tanner for her own family Christmas since they’d spent Thanksgiving with the Redmonds. Jared had stayed with Felicity in Chicago, since Sabine had needed her at the gallery and Jared couldn’t get off work. They hadn’t had to worry about being quiet when they made love in case Tanner was in his room. Cooking and spending time together for two days, just the two of them, had been wonderful.
“What are you thinking about?” he asked as he played with a lock of her hair.
She peeped up at him through her lashes. “Thanksgiving, when it was just the two of us.”
He chuckled. “No scary parents. I know. I promise my parents will behave. Don’t let them worry you. We have plenty of other things to worry about.” This time his smile was rueful, as though he was plagued with thoughts of just what those worries were.
“I know.” Work. Always work. Not just for him, but for her, too.
They were so close to finishing the hotel transaction and remodel job. The closing for Jared would be in the middle of January, and then she and Sabine would take over. It would be huge for both of them. She tried not to think about how that would bring her one step closer to the job in Los Angeles—a job far away from Jared. And if he made partner, he wouldn’t leave Chicago, not to start over in California with her. The thought of leaving him made her sick. She suddenly couldn’t stop the churning in her stomach.
“Jared, I don’t feel so good.” She clut
ched her stomach and rushed over to the snowbank by the car and bent over, dry-heaving.
“Felicity!” Jared gently grabbed her shoulders, as though unsure what to do. She gasped, wiped a gloved hand over her mouth, and moaned.
“Oh, my God, I’m so sorry,” she whispered.
“It’s probably the change in altitude. You’re not used to the plane and the drive over the mountains. Besides, we spent several hours in the car. Let’s just get you inside and get some water in you.” He handed her purse to her, and Felicity dug around inside for a stick of gum and thankfully found one.
“This is not how I pictured meeting your parents.”
He had the audacity to laugh. “Princess, I’m sure something will happen to me when we meet your parents in a week.”
“Jared?” A woman’s voice intruded on their conversation as they headed toward the house.
Felicity glanced up and saw a beautiful woman in her late fifties standing in the doorway. Her brown hair was cut fashionably short, and she wore jeans and a warm sweater. Her eyes were warm and bright, so like Jared’s.
“Mom!” Jared squeezed Felicity’s hand and led her up the steps.
“Hello, sweetheart.” She kissed Jared’s cheek before turning to Felicity, her warmth flooding into her. “And you must be Felicity.”
Felicity held out a hand, but Jared’s mother grasped her in a hug before she could even think to resist. It reminded her of Layla. She relaxed, letting the warm and fuzzy feeling of comfort sweep over her. Maybe she’d gotten scared over nothing.
Maybe they will like me after all.
“What took you so long, boy? I know that drive is four hours, but it took you five to get here,” a deep voice boomed from inside the house.
“Oh, Gerald, hush. Come in, kids.” Jared’s mother smiled as she released Felicity. “I’m Nancy.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Nancy.” Felicity curled her arm around Jared’s as they entered the house, and she caught a glimpse of a fit, handsome man in his early sixties standing on a ladder before a twelve-foot Christmas tree, a shiny star in one hand as he stretched to reach the top of the tree. When he was done, he climbed down the ladder and walked over to them. It shocked Felicity to see such a strong resemblance between father and son. Jared was a youthful version of his father with the clear-cut, strong masculine features. But he had his mother’s eyes.
“You must be Felicity,” Gerald greeted her, with a warm smile and a handshake. “How was your flight?”
She shot Jared a look to silence him when he opened his mouth. The last thing she needed was for him to tease her about the peanuts in front of his parents. She wanted to look poised and elegant, not like a nutcase who spilled peanuts on a dozen people because she’d never been on a plane before.
“It was fine. Thank you so much for letting me stay here over the holidays.”
Nancy beamed at her. “Of course, dear, you’re the first girlfriend Jared’s ever brought home for Christmas. We’re thrilled to meet you.”
“Mom,” Jared warned softly.
Nancy raised a brow. “What? It’s the truth. She’s the first. That’s a big deal, honey.”
Felicity bit her lip to keep from laughing at the look on Jared’s face. His cheeks turned a little ruddy. It was nice for him to be the victim of teasing for a change.
“I’m the first?” She nudged him with an elbow. His full lips twitched, and there was a mischievous glint in his eyes.
“You are.” He leaned down to kiss her cheek and then whispered in her ear softly enough that his parents couldn’t hear. “The first in my bed…the first I plan to do a lot of deliciously bad things to that will make you moan once we’re alone.” When he lifted his head away from her face, she didn’t miss the searing heat in his eyes as he promised her silently just how hungry he was to take her to bed. She wanted that too, so much, but she didn’t want his parents to think poorly of her.
“Gerald, go get the bags,” Nancy muttered. “I’ll take them upstairs so they can settle in.”
“Right,” Gerald said. “I’ll get your bags. Nancy will show you to your rooms.”
Felicity didn’t miss the shared smile between Nancy and Gerald, as though they were having a secret conversation that only people who’d been happily married for a long time could achieve. It was a language of twinkling eyes, smiles, and subtle nods.
Jared and I won’t ever have that. The sobering thought fractured her heart. She was still planning to leave for Los Angeles, and he wouldn’t be coming with her.
“Rooms?” Jared asked. “Dad, we’ll be sharing a bedroom.”
Oh God. Felicity ducked her head and tried to use sheer willpower to drive away the heat that flooded her face. He was making this so awkward. Why didn’t he just tell his parents they would be having sex tonight?
“Stop embarrassing her, Gerald,” Nancy whispered, swatting her husband’s shoulder as he passed by her to get to the door. “It’s just the one room. He was kidding.” Nancy nodded at the stairs. “Let me take you up.”
The Redmond Colorado home was stunning. Felicity was mesmerized by the dark wood timber of the mountain cabin–style architecture and the gray craggy stones of the walls. It was warm and rustic while also being open and spacious. The walls, Felicity noted, lacked art and only had the occasional family portrait on the walls. She itched to contact Sabine and find some pieces to put in the noticeable blank spaces.
“I know that look,” Jared murmured. “You’re envisioning decorating the place, aren’t you?” He raked a hand through his dark hair and glanced about as though attempting to see the home from her point of view. “We could use some art, couldn’t we?”
“What’s that, dear?” Nancy asked, turning to look at them as they reached the top of the stairs.
“Mom, we need to put some cool art on the walls of this place. It’s a bit bare.”
With a curious gaze between Felicity and Jared, Nancy nodded. “I could certainly do that, if I had someone to help me figure out what would look good. I assume you’d be willing to help me, Felicity?”
“I’d love to.” She knew she shouldn’t start chatting art, because it was so easy to get lost in talking about it, but she had to share her vision of the place.
“You need warm tones, rustic pieces. I’m seeing cowboy photography and paintings of rivers and streams. There are several great modern artists who paint nature pieces, and I think they’d be perfect. I’d be happy to get you connected with them.”
“I’d like that,” Nancy said. “Jared, I figured you’d want to stay in your usual room,” Nancy explained as they reached the door at the end of the hall at the top of the stairs. “Gerald and I are downstairs at the back of house if you need anything.”
I survived. She nearly grinned.
“Thanks, Mom.”
“You’re welcome, sweetheart. Oh, the Maxwells are in town, and your father and I are dining out with them in an hour. You have the house to yourselves for a few hours.”
“Perfect,” Jared replied with a broad grin.
His mother chuckled. “Felicity, you better make him behave.” His mother laughed, and then she left them alone.
Jared held on to Felicity’s hand, and she was strengthened by that point of connection. Meeting the parents hadn’t been that bad. They were wonderful, and any awkwardness had come from her.
“Come on. I want you to lie down and rest until dinner. You still look a little pale.” He tugged her into their shared room, and she gasped.
The bedroom was as big as her entire apartment back in Chicago. A massive sleigh bed was against one wall, with a deep-blue comforter and white pillows. A red-and-white Nordic quilt was folded over the bottom of the bed. The Redmonds had made something luxurious seem cozy. A small fireplace was opposite the bed, with gas logs. On the far side opposite the door, a balcony opened up to a view of the ski slopes.
“This is incredible,” she whispered.
“I’m glad you like it.” He had his han
ds tucked into his jeans pockets and was watching her intently, as though trying to see how she was taking it all in.
She followed Jared deeper into the room and smiled when she saw a wall of photos nearby. She couldn’t resist looking. He didn’t have a ton of pictures of his family back in his apartment, and she wanted to see what his life had been like as a boy.
There were pictures of Jared and Tanner in the pool as boys, Jared dressed as an Eagle Scout holding a pinewood box car and standing proudly next to his father. A college-age Jared stood next to his mother dressed in ski gear and facing up a steep, snowy mountain. He looked so happy, so content.
The warm press of Jared’s body behind hers put her at ease.
“You must’ve had a wonderful childhood,” she whispered.
“I did. I was blessed.” He slid his arms around her waist and rested his chin on the top of her head, holding her against him. “But I lost that happiness somewhere between leaving for college and meeting you.”
It took a moment for his words to register with her.
“You’re happy now?” she asked softly, her heart beating faster than it had seconds ago.
“I am.” He rubbed his cheek against hers, and the quiet affection of that moment captured her, weaving spells of happiness about her heart.
“Are you happy?” he asked as he turned her around in his arms so she faced him.
The answer was already on her lips. “I am. So happy.” And so afraid to lose this.
“So, dinner tonight?” He slid his hands into her back jean pockets.
“And then…maybe…” She nodded toward the king-size bed behind her.
“And then…” He waggled his eyebrows playfully, but the heat in his gaze set fire to her blood. “Make yourself comfortable. I’m going to help my dad with the bags.”
“I can help,” Felicity insisted, but he guided her to the bed and sat her down.
“You are staying right here to rest. If you don’t, neither of us will be doing anything in bed besides sleeping.” He brushed a lock of her hair behind her ear and then left her alone in the room. She waited until she heard his feet descending the stairs before she got off the bed. She walked only a few paces before nausea struck again. Covering her mouth, she bolted for the door that looked like the bathroom. She collapsed on her knees in front of the toilet and gasped, trying to keep her stomach under control. Ever since they’d boarded the plane she hadn’t felt right.
