White and strapless, the designer evening gown clung to her every curve. The sweetheart neckline enhanced her cleavage, so much so that as Jenny stared at herself in the full-length mirror, she had a moment of trepidation. And that was before she saw how much the long, single slit in the back revealed. The shoes her mother chose were also perfection: white, with a touch of sparkle.
There was no denying the fact that she was nervous. Last year, she had attended the event on Steven’s arm. This year, she was alone. Or almost alone.
She could hear Jared now, in the bathroom, getting ready. When her mother had told Jenny she’d invited him, Jenny had silently fumed. Of course her mother would invite him. Why not? She didn’t know the havoc he was wreaking on Jenny’s life, because Jenny had never told her. As far as her mother was concerned, Jared was a business partner, and that was it.
Jenny only wished that were true. Even as angry as he made her, she still found herself drawn to him more than she cared to admit.
Later, as she made her way down the stairs and with her mind still on Jared, she nearly missed the last two steps and would have fallen if Jared hadn’t reached out and grabbed her. His arms encircled her waist, and she felt the heat from his palms seep through her, warming her in places that had long grown cold.
“Sorry.” It was the first word she’d spoken to him in over a week. “It’s just—” It’s just that the sight of him in a tuxedo sucked all the air from her lungs and made her forget about something as insignificant as walking down the stairs. Jared in Levi’s and a T-shirt was dangerous; Jared in a tux was deadly.
“Just what?”
She backed out of his arms, and he seemed reluctant to drop his hands from her waist. “I didn’t see you.”
He smiled like he knew she was lying. Then he took a small step back and ran his gaze from her upswept hair down to her high-heeled shoes. Slowly. As if he had all the time in the world. His gaze paused on her cleavage, and desire flared in his dark blue eyes. “I see you,” he said simply.
“My parents will be here soon to pick me up. I think I’ll wait out on the porch.” Anywhere but right next to him, where the air all but sizzled between them.
“Your parents aren’t coming. I told them I’d drive you.” Panic hit her. Being in the same room with him was one thing. Being in the same car, another. She couldn’t stop herself from remembering their ride in Zeke’s pickup. “I think we should take separate vehicles.”
“Not a chance.”
She made a sweeping gesture down the length of her dress. “Forget it. I’m not riding on your bike.”
“I’m not expecting you to.”
“Then I don’t see—”
“Truce.”
His voice was soft and low, and when she tipped her head up and looked in his eyes, it was like drowning in the bluest of waters. Or flying high in the bluest of skies. “What?”
“A truce. Just for tonight, if that’s all you want.”
“Why?”
“Because I know tonight means a lot to your family, and I don’t want our . . . differences to ruin that for you. For any of you.”
She dropped her gaze until it landed on the black studs on his white shirt. In that instant she realized she wanted it, too. Desperately. A night where they weren’t at odds. She was nervous enough about her first big outing in almost a year. Raising her gaze back up to his, she smiled. “I’d like that very much.”
He closed the distance between them, wrapped his arms around her waist, then slipped them up her side until they were cupping the bottom of her breasts. Before she could utter a sound, he pulled her up onto her toes and next to his chest, then his mouth came down on hers. Not soft or slow, but hard and hot. The kiss was as brief as it was intense, and if Jared hadn’t been holding her, Jenny was sure she would have collapsed in a white puddle right there at the bottom of his feet.
“A kiss to seal the deal.”
She fought to regain her breath. “I thought you sealed a deal with a handshake.”
“Not us, Cotton Tail.”
Her legs still wobbly, they walked out to the Corvette. Jenny was surprised when Jared didn’t head straight to the driver’s door. “No, please.” She handed him the keys. “You drive.” She lifted her dress and showed off her stilettos. “Have you ever tried driving in these?”
“Lots of times.”
This Jared she didn’t know. The Jared who charmed and smiled and kissed her like she was the only thing in this whole world he wanted.
As they drove through Hidden Lake, Jenny pointed out landmarks. The really important ones, she jokingly told Jared. Like where she’d taken her first ballet lesson and driver’s ed class. Her favorite pizza place and the tiny movie theater that only ran vintage films. She knew she was rambling to fill the silence, to cover her awkwardness. But the weird thing was, the more she talked, the less awkward she felt. And Jared was the reason why. Instead of just nodding and pretending to listen to her silly stories, he was completely absorbed in everything she had to say. It was as if he wanted to know every single detail about her. And he didn’t just listen. He asked all kinds of questions. About everything. His curiosity about her was endless.
“Okay,” Jenny said with a soft laugh as they neared Seattle. “Now it’s my turn.”
He glanced over at her, his face illuminated by the dashboard lights. “My life has been dull compared to yours.”
She laughed again. “I don’t believe that for a minute.”
With a little prodding, he told her about all the places he’d traveled and the things he’d seen. She was mesmerized by him, captivated by his voice and the stories he wove around her.
They talked about nothing and everything, and when the Space Needle came into view, Jenny felt a stab of disappointment. Instead of attending the fund-raiser, she wanted to stay right where she was, continuing to talk to Jared.
Parking was crowded, but Jared found a spot close by. As they got out of the car, a slight breeze blew the bottom of his jacket open, and she caught herself staring at him. In the weeks he’d been here, his hair had grown, and she found herself wanting to reach out and run her hands through the back of his head, where it brushed against his collar.
Jared had her through the doors and into the thick of the party before she realized it. Waiters, dressed in black pants and formal white jackets, moved effortlessly through the crowd, balancing silver trays on their hands. Jared snagged two glasses of champagne and handed one to her. He clinked his glass against hers. “To a perfect night.”
She smiled and took a sip, knowing that even if the evening ended right now it had already been perfect.
On a dais at the far end of the museum, a dozen or so members of the Seattle Symphony provided the music for the night. Even in this large a room and with this many people, she could still hear the beautiful strains of their music.
“Jenny.” Wearing a sapphire gown that perfectly matched her teardrop earrings, her mother was ravishing. She gave Jenny a hug and a kiss on her cheek. “You look lovely,” she said before turning to Jared. “I’m so glad you could make it. Now come, mingle.”
She steered them toward the crowd. For over an hour, Jenny met new friends and reacquainted herself with old ones. As they talked, she found herself relaxing and reconnecting. Jared was the perfect companion. Once, when she was talking with some very old and very dear friends, he’d tried to move away, to give them some privacy. She’d caught his hand, and when he looked at her, all she said was, “Stay. Please.” And he did. She couldn’t explain it. All she knew was that she found a strength in his nearness, a comfort from his arm when it settled gently around her waist. She’d been so worried about tonight; worried about coming face-to-face with people she’d pushed away after Steven’s death. But now she saw how wrong she’d been.
“Jenny.” She turned at the sound of her brother’s voice.
“My, don’t you look dapper.” It was the same thing she said each time she saw him in a tux. And each time, he smiled and crushed her in a bear hug.
“And you clean up pretty well yourself, Jelly Belly.” He gave her a peck on the cheek. “Worth.” Paul stuck out his hand, and the two men shook. “Enjoying the party?”
Jared’s gaze went right to Jenny and stayed there. “Immensely.”
An awkward silence fell as the two men sized each other up. Trying to smooth over the moment, Jenny hastily asked, “Have you seen Anna?”
Reluctantly, Paul returned his attention to her. “I don’t think she’s arrived yet. How about a dance, little sister?”
“Only if you promise not to step on my feet.”
He laughed as he took her arm and tried to guide her onto the dance floor, but Jared’s arm was still around her waist. Jenny was caught between the two men. She looked from one to the other, confused. Then, with a sigh only she could hear, Jared’s arm dropped away. Paul lifted the champagne flute out of her hand (the champagne flute Jared had made sure was never empty) and shoved it at Jared.
“You were rude,” Jenny said to her brother as they danced.
“I’m beginning to not like that man.”
“Oh, really? I didn’t know you liked him at all.”
“I’m not sure I did.”
“Play nice,” she half-jokingly admonished. “No big brother Neanderthalness. I’m here to have a good time tonight, and nothing is going to ruin my fun.”
That drew a reluctant smile from Paul.
When that song ended, a son of a family friend asked her for the next dance. As he whirled her around, she learned that he’d gotten divorced, had a son, and wanted to know if she was interested in going out sometime.
So caught off guard by being asked out on a date, she missed a step and stumbled. “Let me think about it. Okay, Ryan?”
“Sure.”
From then on she had a blur of partners. Her feet were beginning to hurt from being stepped on, and her head was feeling a little fuzzy from all the champagne. When the next song ended, she felt herself being swept out onto the floor with a flourish. Looking up, she smiled. “Kenny. I didn’t think you were going to make it.”
“And miss my dance with the belle of the ball?”
She laughed. “Hardly that.”
He stared at her, his voice turning serious. “You really don’t get it.”
“Get what?”
“Jesus, he’s a lucky man.”
Confusion furrowed her brow. But before Jenny could say anything, a deep voice sounded from behind her. “Hart.” Her heart leapt at the sound of the achingly familiar voice.
Kenny twirled her around until they faced Jared.
“I’m cutting in.”
“Later,” Kenny said.
“Now.” Jared didn’t wait for a reply but scooped Jenny into his strong arms.
“Hello,” she said, slightly giddy from champagne. “I was wondering where you were.”
“Watching.”
“Who?”
“You.”
Her whole body flushed at the look of raw desire in his gaze. “You should have been dancing.”
His stare was direct and held a wealth of meaning and a promise that made her shiver, but not from cold. “There’s only one partner I wanted.”
“And who would that be?” she asked, knowing it wasn’t only the champagne that was causing her to be so bold.
He pulled her close, pressed their bodies together, until she could feel every hard inch of him. “I think you know.”
She did. They’d been dancing around this attraction for weeks. She wanted him. And now she knew without a doubt that he wanted her. She was done denying it.
Stretching up on her tiptoes, she wound her hands around his neck and brushed her fingers through the back of his hair like her hands had ached to do outside. Unlike her other partners, Jared danced with a slow, languid confidence. “Thank you.”
He leaned down until his warm breath brushed across her. Even in a tux he smelled of the outdoors, of fresh air and sunshine and aged whiskey. “For what?”
For everything
.
For that kiss I can’t forget
. “For fixing the kitchen faucet.”
He smiled. “How do you know it was me? Maybe Cody fixed it.”
It was her turn to laugh. “Somehow I don’t think so.”
“And here I thought you thought he was a great assistant.”
She blushed, remembering how she’d sent her nephew out to work with Jared in the hangar. “I plead the Fifth.”
His voice lowered a fraction. “I can think of a lot better things to plead for.”
Her heart slammed against her chest and heat spread through her, pooling low in the pit of her stomach. “Name one.”
He pulled back until there was just enough room for a shaft of light to fit between them. “Come out onto the deck with me, and I’ll show you.”
She didn’t resist as he led them through the crowd and onto the patio. Soft light spilled out from the double set of open French doors. In the warm night, the air was heady with the fragrance of the flowers that overflowed from the huge containers bordering the patio’s perimeter.
Jared didn’t say a word as he pulled her into a corner. His large body blocked her from anyone’s view as he leaned into her. She met him halfway, pressed herself against him. His hand caressed the side of her face, his callused thumb rubbing her cheek. His hand slipped lower, down her neck, across her shoulder, until both his hands were on her bare back, the heat from his touch burning her, fueling her desire. He crushed her against him. Instead of the fiery hot kiss of before, he lowered his head slowly, trailed kisses along her forehead, down the side of her face until finally,
finally
, settling on her mouth. She gripped his strong shoulders, not knowing if it was for support or to make sure he didn’t pull away. A hot ache started deep in her belly and spread outward. There were so many reasons why she shouldn’t do this, but right now none of them mattered. He wove his hands through the back of her hair, and she felt the warmth of his fingers against her scalp. He worked the pins free, and her hair fell around her shoulders in a thick collection of disorganized curls. He ran his hands through the tangled mass and sighed with pleasure as if he’d been waiting forever to do just that.