He captured her gaze and held it. The air sizzled with the sexual energy between them. He tentatively reached out and touched her cheek, then quickly withdrew his hand. He didn’t want to take a chance on things getting out of hand as they had the previous night. He didn’t want to do something he knew he had no business doing. What was there about Kim Donaldson that made him want to throw out all the rules and shove his common sense aside? The question left him uneasy, but not as uneasy as he feared the answer would.
At that moment he truly regretted suggesting she work off her father’s debt. Then an equally disturbing thought flashed through his mind. Could his decision to let the letter of agreement stand be due to his desire to keep Kim Donaldson close to him? A hint of panic told him how awkward and uncomfortable he found that possibility. It was not like he lacked feminine companionship, even though his dating habits had been greatly curtailed since he took over as president of Stevens Enterprises.
“I, uh…” He nervously shifted his weight from one foot to the other. “Well, I was wondering if…”
He didn’t like the hesitancy in his voice or the feeling of not being sure of his words or actions. He took a calming breath and regained his composure. “I have lots of work to do, and you have your list. We both have enough to keep us busy for the rest of the day.”
Jared quickly returned to his office. He had almost asked her if she would help him plan the charity fund-raiser for his client. It was something he had been thinking about that morning. It would mean they would be working together on a project. It would entail long hours spent in each other’s company and would assure them working together past the specified term in the letter of agreement. It certainly held the possibility of developing an intimate closeness…but it also held the possibility of disaster.
He walked through the open French door to the patio. It was a beautiful day—sunny, bright and warm. The type of day to be spent outside enjoying what nature had to offer. Terry’s sailboat fiasco had started him thinking. It had been quite a while since he’d been out on the water. He allowed his mind to drift to the days when he had lots of free time to indulge his passions, one of which was sailing.
Jared had been surprised when he took over the company. Until that time, underhanded dealings and unethical decisions on his father’s part had only been vague suspicions. He had been able to convince himself they had nothing to do with him. But the moment he took over they became reality. He knew he couldn’t allow the corporation to operate along those lines, and he had thrown himself into the thick of the day-to-day operations in an attempt to make major changes, including replacing several key people who hadn’t taken kindly to his management style. He was left with a constantly busy schedule and very little time for himself. His working summers at the family compound were very important for his peace of mind and sanity.
After filling his lungs with the clean ocean air, he exhaled with an audible sigh. Fred was right. He had to start delegating the workload. He knew he couldn’t continue to carry the brunt of it without burning out. He returned to his office, settled into his chair and grabbed the project file he had been working on when Terry arrived. A few minutes later he heard the outer door open and close when Kim left to continue with the work items on her list.
A bit of a grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. It was obvious she resented the menial tasks, but it really was a great help to him to have someone to take care of those details. Normally Fred would do that type of errand, but Jared had the caretaker busy with a very time-consuming project. Fred was only at the estate for a few hours early each morning.
He had Fred overseeing a special project for him through the nonprofit organization he had formed after taking over Stevens Enterprises. He was having a new community center built on a piece of land he owned in downtown Otter Crest. It would be a place where senior citizens could gather, civic groups could hold meetings and youth groups could participate in activities. On several occasions different groups had proposed a community center funded by private money, but each group had put personal restrictions on its use. Jared wanted it to be a place everyone could use without anyone’s personal bias interfering. When it was completed, he would hire a managing director to run the facility through his nonprofit organization.
It was one of those things Jared tried to keep quiet. He didn’t like sharing his philanthropic activities with outsiders. An odd thought struck him. Kim was an outsider but she didn’t feel like one. It was a disturbing thought.
Kim carried three memos into Jared’s office and placed them on his desk. “That’s the last of it.” She glanced at her watch. “It’s six o’clock. I’m going home now.”
Jared looked up from his work. “It’s six o’clock already?” He stood and stretched in an obvious attempt to work out the kinks from sitting too long. “I haven’t even had lunch yet.”
“You haven’t?” His admission surprised her. He had been so dedicated to his work schedule that he hadn’t taken time to eat—certainly not the action of an irresponsible playboy who was nothing more than a corporate front man.
Jared cocked his head and stared at her for a moment. “It didn’t work out last night, but I’m willing to try again. Would you stay and have some dinner with me tonight?”
“I, uh…” His question had caught her off guard.
“You’re not going to try and tell me that you’ve suddenly remembered a previous commitment, are you?”
“I…no, I wasn’t going to say that.” She couldn’t think of any reason to turn down his invitation. To tell him she didn’t want to have dinner with him would be a lie of monumental proportions, but the prospect made her uneasy, especially in light of what had happened the previous night. That uneasiness, however, did not stop her curiosity about him.
Then a wave of panic hit her. He was too sexy, too desirable…way too tempting. If he made a pass at her again, would she have the emotional strength to turn him down a second time?
Jared’s words cut into her thoughts, his voice edged with hesitation. “Am I correct in interpreting your silence as an acceptance of my dinner invitation?”
“Well…I suppose it wouldn’t hurt—”
“Good.” He flashed a pleased grin as he indicated the hallway to the main part of the house. “I have a bottle of wine I’ve been saving for a special occasion. I’d like for you to share it with me. I’ll get it from the wine cellar and start the charcoal while you feed Lurch.”
A quick shove of irritation tried to grab her, then she shook her head in resignation as it was immediately replaced by the amusement she could not suppress. He had done it to her again…dangled the attractive treat in front of her and then when she reached for it he had added something less appetizing to the mix. Although his words about sharing a special bottle of wine continued to circulate through her mind, she wasn’t sure what to make of them.
She turned toward the dog, who had been sitting patiently by her desk. “Come on, Lurch. Let’s go get dinner.”
At the sound of his name, the Saint Bernard jumped to attention and followed.
While Jared was in the wine cellar, Kim took out the large bag of dog food, filled Lurch’s food dish and checked his water bowl. The dog immediately attacked his dinner as if he hadn’t eaten in days. Kim watched him for a minute, then glanced toward the open door to the wine cellar. Her curiosity prompted her to descend the stairs. She had never been in a real wine cellar. She had seen basements where people stored wine in racks, but never the genuine thing.
At the bottom of the stairs she was disappointed to see that it was just a typical basement with storage shelves, the central heating system and the water heater. Then she noticed the room to her left, with a light on. She peered through the partially open door into the paneled room, where she saw hundreds of bottles of wine stored in wooden racks with many more bottles in temperature-controlled cabinets. She glanced around the room, then tentatively stepped inside.
“How do you like it?”
“I’m sorry…I didn’t mean to intrude. It’s…well, I’ve never been in a real wine cellar before, and I wanted to see what one looked like. I hope you don’t mind.”
He crossed the room as he spoke. “Not at all. I’m always happy to show off my wine cellar. I had it built two years ago.”
“It’s very nice. How many bottles of wine do you have here?”
He reached her side as he continued to speak. “Several hundred. Actually, more than I really need to have. Each time I come across a new wine I like I end up buying several cases of it. That’s definitely overkill for one person, but I do hold numerous business functions and dinners here at various times of the year, and a lot of the wine is used for that.”
A tremor ran through Kim’s body. His nearness was more intoxicating than all the bottles of wine in the room. It was a temptation that was almost too strong to resist. As much as she wanted to move away from him, she also wanted physical contact with him. Once again the thought popped into her mind about Jared holding her in his arms, kissing her until every inch of her body tingled with excitement…making passionate love to her.
Her decidedly erotic thoughts burst into a flame of desire when she felt his hand on her arm. His fingertips trailed softly across her cheek before twining in her hair. He lowered his face to hers, then brushed his lips softly against her mouth. She tried to summon some inner strength, at least enough to stop what was beginning to feel like a very successful seduction. As much as she wanted it to continue, she didn’t dare allow it to happen. The last thing she needed was to be a willing participant in another of his toe-curling kisses.
He moved closer to her. She closed her eyes in an effort to shut out the image of this all too tempting man. But she might as well have been trying to hold back the ocean’s tides for all the good it did.
Five
Jared felt the tension in Kim’s body as he stroked her cheek. Her skin felt as smooth and creamy as it looked. Her hair was the quality of the finest golden silk. What was there about this woman that inflamed his desires beyond the point of reason? He wanted to make love to her—to taste her skin, touch every place that excited her, intimately know every inch of her body and then get to know it all over again. He slid his hand around to her nape and gently drew her head toward him as he brushed his lips against hers.
A moment later her body stiffened, her eyes popped open and she took two quick steps backward, putting herself out of his immediate reach. He saw the uncertainty in her eyes and the apprehension that covered her features. A wave of disappointment washed through him. As much as he wanted to pursue what he had started, he didn’t want to create an awkward ongoing situation.
He reached out, lightly touched her cheek for a brief moment, then withdrew his hand. He searched the depths of her eyes, took a calming breath and shifted his gaze from her beautiful features and far too tempting mouth.
He responded to her unspoken words. “You’re right, we need to pay attention to dinner.” He pulled the bottle of wine from the rack and gestured toward the stairs.
After a few uncomfortable minutes they settled into the preparation of dinner. Jared opened the bottle of wine, then put the steaks on the grill while Kim made a salad. Initial conversation was polite but strained. When everything had been dished up and they were about to sit down, he caught her hand and pulled her toward him. His voice was soft, his words caressing her cheek.
“I really enjoy these long summer days where daylight lingers into the evening. It looks like it’s going to be a beautiful sunset. Let’s take dinner out onto the deck.”
Jared placed both plates on a tray along with two glasses and the bottle of wine. They went from the informal dining room through the sliding glass doors to the deck. He placed everything on the table, then indicated a chair for Kim. He poured them each a glass of wine.
Jared held up his glass. “Here’s to a productive summer.” He paused, his glass raised, as he cocked his head and gave her a questioning look. “And to an educational one?”
Kim wrinkled her brow. “An educational one?”
“An opportunity to learn something about each other…and maybe put aside some of the old issues of a family feud that have no relationship to us or apply to our generation?”
He clinked his glass against hers, then took a drink of his wine. The glow of the setting sun highlighted her golden hair and made her blue eyes sparkle. He had never seen anyone more beautiful than she was at that moment. He watched as she hesitated as if unsure what to do, then followed his lead and took a sip of wine.
Kim set her glass on the table. It would have served no purpose to take exception to his statement about trying to put aside some of the issues of the long-standing feud between their families. In fact, it would have been petty on her part to do so. But her skepticism made her suspicious of his motives. What was he really after? Was it just another ploy by a Stevens to take advantage of a Donaldson? Lull her into a sense of security, then play out his underhanded scheme? She hoped not, but experience, history and her father’s constant harangues told her she could not dismiss the possibility.
Kim’s gaze drifted to the horizon. It was, indeed, going to be a beautiful sunset. Streaks of red and gold filled the sky, enhanced by the sound of crashing waves on the sand. The city lights had started to come on, ringing the edge of the bay like sparkling diamonds. Dozens of small lights twinkled along the edge of the deck railing. The underwater lights in the pool sent a shimmering flow across the water’s surface. She leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes and took in a deep breath.
Everything about Jared had her confused. Nothing had gone as she had anticipated it would. He hadn’t actually lied to her, but he had most certainly manipulated her with half truths and veiled deceptions. And a man like that couldn’t be trusted no matter how handsome and sexy he was…no matter how much he made her pulse race and her heart pound with excitement.
She opened her eyes and nervously cleared her throat. “What’s on your agenda for me to do tomorrow?” She quickly took another sip of wine. She had come within a breath of asking what tedious little errands he had in mind for her, but quickly realized that it would not be an appropriate question under the circumstances. He had opened the forum of the feud, of setting aside some of the long-held beliefs. If it had been an olive branch of sorts, she would be out of line in not responding to it.
“I haven’t put together a list yet. Why don’t we postpone any business discussions until the morning? For this evening, I’d rather talk about you.”
“Me? There’s nothing interesting about me.” She nibbled at her salad as she tried to cover the embarrassment his statement caused.
Jared took a couple of bites of his steak as he studied her. “I wouldn’t say that. For instance, why did you decide on teaching as a career? There are certainly lots of career paths that would be far more financially lucrative than teaching.”
She stiffened in her chair, her indignation rising to the occasion. “I don’t believe that money is the all-important factor in life. There are other things to consider when seeking a fulfilling occupation.”
“You’re right.” He ignored her tone, maintaining an upbeat attitude. “Money is not the be-all and end-all of life. But that doesn’t answer my question.”
His quick agreement to her statement took her by surprise. It was totally out of character for the person she had painted him to be. She tried to provide an answer that would convey her true feelings.
“I find teaching very satisfying. I like the challenge it provides and the emotional fulfillment when I can see a student conquer something that has been a problem for him or achieve recognition for hard work. And I enjoy it. I like to think that I can make a difference in their lives, help them to achieve their potential.”
He regarded her thoughtfully over the rim of his wine
glass as he took a drink. Even in the rapidly fading daylight he could see her nervousness, but he also saw the glow of contentment in her eyes as she talked about teaching. It was obviously important to her, something she found gratifying.
He reached across and put his hand on top of hers. “I admire your dedication and purpose. How fortunate you are to have been able to find your place in life as early as you did and to be so certain about it.”
As the last remnants of daylight disappeared, some of the outside lights came on, casting a soft glow across the table. She was very aware of his hand on hers but did not pull away from his touch. Something about his tone and the expression on his face touched her emotions more than she wanted it to. She cocked her head as she stared at him. “That’s a rather sad statement. Does it mean that you don’t find any of this—” she gestured with her free hand, indicating the lavish surrounding “—fulfilling for you? That you don’t enjoy having all this at your disposal?”
Was this yet another glimpse behind the facade of a man she was finding more complex with each passing hour? Perhaps an insight into a character that truly baffled her? She wasn’t sure. Was she letting her physical attraction to him offset what she thought she knew to be true of his character? She was becoming less sure about what she thought she knew.
“Sure, I enjoy the money and what it can buy. But it’s not what life should be about.”
“Then perhaps—” she withdrew her hand from his as her voice took on a sharp edge “—you should do something with your money beside indulging yourself.”
He showed no reaction to her pointed barb other than a slight narrowing of his eyes, but she immediately berated herself. It was a stupid thing to have said and totally uncalled for. She wasn’t even sure why she said it. She wasn’t jealous, but could it be she resented him for what he had? What should have been her grandfather’s and her father’s?
She missed the warmth of his touch even though she was the one who pulled away. “I…I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for that to sound the way it did. It’s certainly none of my business what you do with your money.”
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