After dinner, Kim dressed Chloe in her pajamas. She took the little girl’s hand, and they walked to the kitchen where Jared was putting away the last of the dishes from the dishwasher.
She indicated the toddler. “I think we’re ready for bed now.”
She picked up Chloe and gave the little girl a kiss on the cheek. “Do you want to say good-night to your uncle Jared before you go to bed?”
Jared flashed his sexy smile at Kim. “It looks to me like only one of you is ready for bed.”
She chose to ignore his pointed comment, twinkling eyes and killer smile, although it wasn’t an easy task. “Do you want to say good-night to Chloe before I put her to bed?”
Jared took the little girl from Kim’s arms and started talking to her as he carried her toward the stairs. Lurch trailed behind them, pausing every few steps to look back as if to make sure Kim was following them.
They reached the guest room, and Kim watched as Jared put the little girl in her crib. The contrast between the man whose face had been clearly etched with panic when she arrived after his frantic call and this man who took great care to tuck Chloe safely in her bed was startling. He seemed to take naturally to fatherhood. Could he adjust as easily to a committed relationship?
She walked to the edge of the crib and stood next to Jared, watching as the toddler yawned and fought to stay awake. It had been a busy day for her, filled with new people and new surroundings.
Jared put his arm around Kim’s shoulder and drew her closer to him. “She isn’t any trouble at all. Are all children this easy to care for?” He turned to face Kim, the expression on his face saying his question was sincere rather than facetious.
She could not stop her spontaneous laugh in response to his question. “Not even close. You’ve apparently forgotten your panicked phone call to me in the middle of the night when she wouldn’t stop crying. I’ll admit she seems to be a very happy child, but this isn’t what I’d call the normal way things go with a toddler. This has been an exceptionally trouble-free day.”
Chloe finally closed her eyes after a valiant attempt to stay awake. When it was obvious that she was asleep, Jared and Kim left the bedroom, taking Lurch with them.
“Well, I’d better get home. It’s getting late.”
Jared pulled her into his arms, and a moment later his lips were on hers. His kiss deepened, promising all the passion and excitement she had experienced in his bed. He broke the kiss just long enough to gasp out a few words.
“Come on…we’ll have a glass of wine and then—”
“No, I really have to go home.” She backed away from his embrace, thankful he had provided an opening that allowed her to recover her resolve. “I’ll see you in the morning. I’ll be here early so I can help with Chloe’s breakfast.”
With that Kim hurried out the door, got in her car and drove away. She tried to put the sexual magnetism of Jared Stevens out of her mind, but without much success. She attempted to concentrate on other things. She turned at the end of the block rather than continuing toward her father’s house. As she approached downtown Otter Crest, she scanned the area for any new construction. She drove up and down several blocks until she came to the site of the new community center.
She took out a pad and pencil and copied all the information posted on the various signs…name of the construction company, name of the project under construction and name of the organization financing the community center. To her surprise it wasn’t a bank. What she didn’t find was the name Jared Stevens or Stevens Enterprises. She would check it out and see if she could find any connection between this building and Jared.
She had her eyes opened to a Jared Stevens she never would have believed existed, the type of person she had never associated with the Stevens family. He had taken her side against Terry’s verbal abuse. He had apologized to her for Terry’s rudeness. She had heard him say he believed some of his father’s business dealings had been unethical and that those suspicions had left him uneasy. He also told her he had confidence in her ability to plan the charity event. And then, to top it all off, he had accepted full responsibility without reservation or hesitation for the care and safety of an eighteen-month-old girl he had never seen before…a responsibility that he took very seriously.
That was the Jared Stevens she had fallen in love with, but was it the same Jared Stevens she would be seeing in the morning? The future was becoming more and more confusing. She emitted a little sigh of trepidation as she arrived home. She went straight to her bedroom, dropped her clothes in the middle of her bedroom floor, collapsed into bed and quickly dropped into an exhausted sleep.
Jared woke early. Somehow he had managed to sleep through the night while still keeping one ear attuned to any sounds from Chloe’s room. He took a quick shower, dressed, then immediately checked on the little girl. She was still sleeping, her teddy bear clutched tightly in her arms.
He allowed his thoughts to drift over the previous few days, starting with the intensity and passion of the lovemaking he and Kim had shared. She was everything he wanted and everything he needed. She had given him a glimpse of what a real family could be like. It was an eye-opening revelation that belied his assumptions about relationships and family but didn’t do anything to ease his deeply ingrained fears where commitment was concerned.
He went to the kitchen and made coffee. Kim said she would be at his house early to help with breakfast. He glanced at his watch and wondered how she defined early.
He didn’t have to wonder for long. The doorbell rang, signaling her arrival. He opened the door and was immediately assailed by the warmth and sensuality of her presence.
“Good morning. I’m glad to see you.”
An immediate look of concern flashed across her face. “Is something wrong? Is there a problem with Chloe? Why didn’t you call me?” Without waiting for an answer Kim rushed toward the guest room with Jared right behind her.
“Wait…nothing’s wrong. She’s still asleep.”
Kim came to a halt and eyed him questioningly. “Then why were you so glad to see me? I thought something was wrong.”
He grasped her hand. “Does there have to be a problem? Can’t I just be glad to see you?”
Confusion gripped her thoughts again. They had made love with an intensity that far exceeded anything she had ever before experienced. Then the next morning a definite tension materialized between them, a tension caused by Jared. She didn’t understand why he had behaved the way he had, especially in light of his subsequent attentive behavior toward her.
A wave of irritation rippled through her. What kind of game was he playing? She took a couple of steps away from him as she eased her hand out of his, desperately needing to break the physical contact before she totally succumbed to his all-too-tempting touch.
“I don’t know what’s going on here, Jared, what you’re trying to pull, but you’re not going to sucker me into your web a second time. You know that old saying, ‘fool me once, shame on you—fool me twice, shame on me.”’ As soon as the words were out of her mouth she regretted them. She did not want to confront him about how she had been hurt by his casual dismissal of her from his bedroom as if she were a paid escort. She loved him, yet he had pulled back from her, and it hurt.
A look of total shock spread across his features, followed by bewilderment. “What are you talking about?”
She clenched her jaw as she turned away from him. “Never mind. It’s nothing.”
Jared grabbed her arm and whirled her around until she faced him. Flecks of anger sparked in his green eyes. “No, you don’t. I’m not going to let you get away with that. I hate it when women pull that it’s nothing, never mind routine. I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
She glared at him. “Well, you should know.”
He continued to hold her arm in his strong grip, his gaze locking with hers in a battle of wills. “But I don’t know and I won’t unless you tell me.”
Her confidence melted away quicker than she could stop it. She glanced at the floor, unable to maintain eye contact with him. When am I ever going to learn to keep my mouth shut? Now he has me on the spot. She had to share her thoughts, feelings and hurt with him or exacerbate the situation by telling him it was none of his business after she had already let him know it was something he had done.
His voice softened a little. “Come on, Kim. Talk to me. I don’t like playing games.”
Her head snapped up, her gaze once again locking with his in a brief battle of wills. “You don’t like playing games? What do you call that little number you pulled on me Saturday morning?” Her anger returned full force, combined with the hurt she couldn’t keep out of her voice. “You handed me my clothes and as much as said I was dismissed. You practically shoved me out of your bed as if you couldn’t get rid of me fast enough.”
A sharp stab of guilt shot through him. Her words were the last thing he had expected to hear. He knew he hadn’t behaved in a very good manner, but he certainly hadn’t intended it to be like that. He had been so confused that morning, unsure exactly where things stood and what was happening. He had felt trapped, as if the walls were closing in on him. But playing a game? That had definitely not been his intention. The very last thing he wanted was to have her think he was toying with her.
He pulled her into his arms and brushed a tender kiss against her lips. His voice was soft, containing the emotion that coursed through his veins. “I wasn’t playing a game with you. I didn’t mean for anything I said or did to make you feel that way. It’s just that…”
He turned her loose, rubbed his hand across the back of his neck and nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other. He didn’t know what to say without exposing his true inner turmoil and the vulnerability he had tried so hard to keep hidden. But he knew he had to say something, offer some kind of explanation.
He placed his hands on her shoulders. “Kim…” He saw the uncertainty in her eyes and felt the tension in her muscles. He had to find the right words to ease her hurt without exposing his carefully guarded fears. He pulled her into his embrace, cradled her head against his shoulder and stroked her hair. If only he wasn’t so afraid to say what was in his heart.
“I’m sorry, Kim. It was thoughtless on my part. It didn’t occur to me that you would interpret bringing your clothes to the bedroom as my desire for you to leave. Quite the contrary. My only thought was that you might be uncomfortable without a robe or something to put on. I should have found something in my closet for you to wear.”
He placed a gentle kiss against her forehead and continued to hold her in his arms. Had he said enough to soothe her concerns and allay her fears? He didn’t know.
Kim wasn’t sure how to reply to what he had said, but knew she had to say something. “Well…it was very upsetting for me.”
“I’m sorry. If you’d mentioned it to me at the time, then we could have straightened out the misunderstanding right away instead of having it grow into this. Next time you have a problem with something I’ve said or done, promise me you’ll let me know before it gets blown all out of proportion like this did…okay?”
He sounded so sincere, so honest. Did she dare trust that he really meant it? That the entire incident had been nothing more than a miscommunication? Possibly her anxiety and fears affecting her thoughts?
Her words came out barely above a whisper. “Okay, I’ll mention it.” As long as she remained in the warmth of his embrace she was like putty in his hands, ready to be molded into whatever he wanted. She had something else on her mind, too, and this would be a good time to mention it, to get it out into the open.
“I drove by the downtown construction site on my way home last night. The sign says it’s going to be a community center. There’s no mention of Stevens Enterprises, yet Fred Kemper is involved with it somehow. Is there a connection between you and the nonprofit organization listed on the sign?”
Jared paused as he gathered his thoughts. Her question had come out of left field, and he wasn’t sure what to say. He didn’t like to talk about the things he did through his nonprofit organization. He carefully measured his words.
“That organization is a part of Stevens Enterprises. It was something I started after taking over the company from my father. I use it for community projects where I see a need and for charity projects when I want the origin of the help to remain anonymous.”
She didn’t know what she had expected him to say, but that hadn’t been it. She turned his words over in her mind before saying anything else. “Why didn’t you tell me instead of avoiding the issue when I asked about Fred going to a construction site?”
“I didn’t know it was an issue.” A shiver of uncertainty made its way through his body. Jared had never been as on edge in his entire life as he had since he and Kim made love. It told him what he didn’t want to know, what he had feared. It told him he might be in love with her. He mentally shook his head. There was no might about it. He was in love with her. And he had done everything wrong from the moment he had realized it.
He pulled her into his embrace. He didn’t want to dwell on troubling matters. His words were tentative, and he wasn’t sure exactly where he was going with them. “This is a very large house with five guest rooms. There’s lots of space for you here.” He shoved away the quick rush of anxiety. “I’m sure Chloe will be glad to have you around.” He brushed a tender kiss against her lips. His voice dropped to a soft, intimate whisper. “And so will I.”
As much as his words about her temporarily moving into his house excited her, he hadn’t mentioned a word about commitment or love. Things were becoming very confused. She felt torn apart, her desires pulling her one way and reality tugging her in a different direction. Kim stepped back from the enticing warmth of his embrace. She had to keep her emotions out of this.
“I have something else I’d like to know, something that’s on my mind—something else I hope you can clear up for me.”
A ripple of anxiety assailed his senses. “What is it?”
“I want to know what you’re looking for, Jared. A summer fling? A mistress of the month? A short-term affair? What is it you want from me? I’m tired of trying to guess.” She looked into the depths of his green eyes. She didn’t see any deception, but she didn’t see any answers, either.
“I want to put the sins of the past behind us. I want to put this stupid family feud to rest once and for all.” He paused as he tried to put his thoughts into words, but he couldn’t seem to get them to jell into anything cohesive. He pulled her into his arms. “I want to enjoy the company of a beautiful and very desirable woman I think a great deal of and am so glad I had the opportunity to meet.”
The fear had once again claimed him. He had stopped short of telling her how he felt, telling her of his love—telling her he wanted them to have a future together that would last a lifetime. No matter how much he wanted to share those feelings with her, each time he tried to say the words they choked off in his throat.
A wave of disappointment crashed through Kim. She had asked for a commitment, some mention of his feelings toward her, and all she had received was pretty words. Could she live with the situation the way it was? An affair without a commitment? She wasn’t sure how to respond to what he had said, so she said nothing.
She remained enfolded in his arms. If this was all there ever would be, could she afford to let it slip through her fingers because she wanted more? Would it serve any purpose to dwell on the fact that she couldn’t have it all when she already had so much? She turned the thought over in her mind, but a moment later her entire reality was consumed by the heat of Jared’s mouth on hers.
All Kim’s worries and concerns vanished in a burst of heated desire. Jared Stevens was everything she wanted. She returned his kiss, reveling in the texture of his tongue against hers. Tremors of delight rippled across her skin in response to his touch. Being in his embrace felt so right. She wrapped her arms around his neck and totally gave herself up to his tender ministrations.
Jared scooped her up in his arms and carried her toward the stairs. She closed her eyes and allowed the anticipation to sweep over her senses, the sweet anticipation of what she knew would be the same intense lovemaking they had shared before—a combining of body and soul that told her how much she loved him.
As he passed the guest room door across from his bedroom, he suddenly came to a halt. One breathless whisper escaped his throat before he put Kim down.
“Chloe…”
Jared walked quietly into the guest room and peered into the crib. The little girl was sound asleep, her teddy bear clutched in her arm. She looked so peaceful, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. A moment later Kim stood at his side. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close.
The feeling of family closeness assailed his consciousness again, the same warm feeling he had experienced other times when he was with Kim and Chloe. It was a feeling of settled contentment, something that had never been part of his life before meeting Kim. He liked the way it felt.
He kissed Kim on the cheek before pulling her fully into his arms. “She looks like she’s sound asleep. What do you think?” He nuzzled her neck and kissed the tender spot behind her ear.
Her words came out in a husky whisper. “She looks like she’s sound asleep to me, too.”
He took Kim’s hand and together they walked into his bedroom. It took only a minute for them to divest themselves of their clothes and snuggle into the softness of the king-size bed.
The excitement raced through her veins. All her doubts and concerns about where her relationship with Jared Stevens was going vanished from her mind the moment his mouth came down on hers. The heated sparks of a few minutes earlier ignited with a passion that consumed everything in its path.
The sensation of their bare skin touching along the length of their torsos pushed her fervor to a new plane. Every nerve ending tingled with the ardor coursing through her body. She reached for his hardened manhood at the same time as his mouth found her tautly puckered nipple. She felt the shudder of his quick intake of breath when her fingers wrapped around his rigidity. A tangle of arms and legs, a meshing of bodies and the sounds of ragged breathing eclipsed anything and everything else.
Jared’s fingers slid seductively up her inner thigh until he found her moist heat. Her moan of pleasure was swallowed up when his mouth again captured hers with a demanding intensity. He rolled her body on top of him as his fingers danced across the curve of her bottom. He wrapped his arms around her, holding her tightly against his body. His words came out in a breathless whisper. “Kim…Kim…you are so…I…”
He managed to stop his words just in time by burying his face in her hair, nuzzling her neck, then exploring the dark recesses of her mouth with his tongue. He had come so close to saying he loved her before his total fear of that final step overshadowed his innermost desires. He reached for the drawer of the nightstand and removed the packet.
Kim felt his labored breathing beneath her, the ragged rise and fall of his chest. She straddled his hips. His strong hands lifted, then lowered her onto his hardened manhood. A potent rush of sensual delight charged through her body, electrifying every sense receptor.
They moved in harmonic unity, so totally attuned to each other’s needs that it was as if they had been making love together for years.
Kim arched her back and gasped as the waves of euphoria crashed through her body. She fell forward against his heaving chest, sated by the pleasure of the most dynamic man she had ever known.
Her mouth found his. He hungrily devoured her taste as he wrapped her securely in his embrace. He gave one final hard upward thrust followed by a deep growl of orgasmic rapture. He held her hips pressed tightly against his as he savored each spasm of release. No one set his soul on fire the way she did, and no one else would ever touch his heart with the love he felt for her. If only he could find a way to get past his fears so he could tell her of that love. He brushed a loose tendril of her hair away from her damp cheek, placed a tender kiss on her lips, then caressed her shoulders. He didn’t want to ever let go of her.
Jared’s breathing slowly returned to normal, as did Kim’s. He nestled her head against his shoulder and stroked her hair. Neither of them spoke, each content to bask in the warm afterglow of their lovemaking.
Several thoughts ran through his mind—thoughts of love, of family and of the future. He wanted them to be together. He wanted to share his life with her. He had also been giving some thought to the charity fund-raiser Kim was helping him plan. He didn’t know why it hadn’t occurred to him earlier. He wanted her to do more than help him plan the event.
He kissed her tenderly on the lips savoring the taste that he found so addictive. “I have something to ask you.”
“Okay.” Her heart pounded wildly. She didn’t know what to expect. Was he about to say what she wanted to hear?
“It’s about the fund-raiser…” He placed another kiss on her lips as he tried to gather the proper words.
She furrowed her brow in a moment’s confusion accompanied by a hint of disappointment. “The charity event? Is there a problem of some sort?”
“Not at all. I was wondering if you’d, uh, if you’d act as my hostess for the event. I know school will be in session then and you’ll be teaching, but the fund-raiser will be in San Francisco, and I think we should plan it for a Saturday night.”
His question came as a complete surprise. It was not at all what she had anticipated. Had she heard him correctly? “You mean you want me to attend the event? To be your date?”
“More than just a date. I want you to help me greet the guests, socialize with them and in general help me make sure everyone has a good time. I want you to be my partner in hosting the event, to be intricately involved in everything that’s going on. I want you to be much more involved and visible than someone behind the scenes planning what others will enjoy. I want you to be able to take credit for your contribution to its success.”
The words rang in her ears—be my partner…take credit for your contribution. It was a very gracious gesture, one that showed his willingness to allow other people to share the spotlight rather than needing to be the center of attention himself. It was the same way he used his nonprofit organization to do good things where he didn’t want his name detracting from the meaning of the project.
“I would be honored.” Her spirits soared on the wings of his words, and delight filled her heart. He hadn’t told her he loved her or offered her any commitment, but perhaps this was the most he was capable of. It was enough for her to know he cared for her very much even if he didn’t say the words she wanted to hear. She basked in the glow of what he had said and the implications of the words he had uttered with such sincerity.
It was several minutes before Kim finally made an effort to disengage herself from his embrace. “Chloe should be awake by now. She’ll need to get up.”
He held her tighter, stopping her from getting out of bed. “Hmm…I know you’re right, but this feels so good that I hate to move.”
“I need to check on Chloe.”
“I don’t hear any noise coming from her room. If she’s awake she’s apparently content where she is.” He cupped her breast, caressing the gentle curve and teasing her nipple. “And I know I’m certainly content with where I am. Are you sure I can’t tempt you to stay here for a little bit longer?”
“Well…” She succumbed to his touch and the excitement it created, melting into his arms once again.
“Doggy…doggy?” The little voice came from the guest room, putting a stop to the enticing seduction he had initiated.
Kim sat upright, her gaze darting toward the bedroom door. “We’d better check on her.”
Jared heaved a sigh of resignation. “You’re right.” He finally turned her loose, climbed out of bed and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. “Stay here. I’ll be right back.” He went straight to his dresser. A moment later he returned to the bed with a large football jersey and a bathrobe. He held them both toward her. “Are you sure there isn’t enough time to take a shower first?” The twinkle in his eyes matched his mischievous grin. “You could soap my back and I’d soap your front and then we could…” His voice trailed off, but there was no mistaking his intention.
“That’s a very tempting offer, but I don’t think now is the right time to pursue it.”
“Unfortunately, you’re right. Instead, I’ll give you a choice of what you’d like to throw on before venturing across the hall.”
She looked at the two proffered garments, then at Jared. She couldn’t stop the grin that tugged at the corners of her mouth.
He sat next to her. “Never let it be said that I don’t learn from my mistakes.”
She grabbed the football jersey and slipped it over her head. When she stood, the hem came halfway to her knees. She leaned forward and placed a quick kiss on his lips. “This will do for the moment.”
She hurried across the hall. Chloe was trying to climb out of the crib. Kim lifted the little girl out of the bed, kissed her on the cheek and gave her a big smile. “Good morning, Chloe. It looks like I got here just in time to keep you from hurting yourself.”
She quickly tended to the toddler’s needs, then they went to the kitchen where Jared had just finished making coffee after pulling on a pair of sweatpants. He took a couple of mugs from the cupboard and set them on the counter. He turned his attention to Chloe, picking up the little girl and giving her a hug and kiss on the cheek.
“Good morning, Chloe. Are you ready for breakfast?”
The toddler squirmed in his arms and she looked around the kitchen. “Doggy? Doggy?”
Jared chuckled as he put her on the floor. He glanced at Kim. “She and Lurch have formed quite an attachment for each other.”
“That’s good. Lurch will be good protection for her if…” How strange fate was. She had forgotten that Chloe was only a temporary resident in Jared’s house, that his attorney was searching for her mother. For a moment it had seemed as if they were a family. She had liked the feeling, liked it very much. But was it more than was possible for her to have?
“I’ll fix breakfast if you want to grab a shower and get dressed. And I’m not suggesting in any way that you should leave. It’s just that we’re obviously not going to be able to finish what we started…” He gave her a brief, loving kiss. “At least not right now.”
He cocked his head and looked at her questioningly. His green eyes sparkled with seduction and passion. “Perhaps we could retire for a little nap at the same time as Chloe and pick up where we left off?”