by Dyanne Davis
Silence.
“Toreas, give me a chance here.” Nothing. He knew what she wanted. “When I went home the first day I had dinner with you, I found a message from Derrick. I called and got my old job back.”
“Why didn’t you just tell me the truth?” She smacked her hand lightly against the side of her head. “Truth, I’m sorry, I forgot you don’t know the meaning of that word.”
He’d promised himself he wasn’t going to get angry, but she had a way of making him do things he would never have conceived of doing before she entered his life.
In one swift movement he had a firm grasp of her right hand in his own and pulled her to him. Before she had a chance to protest he was kissing her, tasting what had been denied him.
He felt her attempting to pull away at first. Then she stopped struggling and he felt her arms tightening around his middle.
He had won. Then and there he knew all he had to say was that he wanted her and she’d be in his hotel room before he finished the sentence. Damn her anyway. Why couldn’t she just admit that she wanted him as much as he wanted her, that she was as in love with him as he was with her? But she wasn’t going to say it and Jared was damned if he would say the words only to have her throw them back in his face. Two could play Toreas’s game. He could be just as stubborn as she could. It would serve her right. But it’s punishing me, he thought as he felt the quick jerk of his flesh in his pants. Still, it was time he took control of this situation.
It actually surprised Jared that instead of wooing Toreas he was scolding her when the kiss ended. “Truth. Toreas Rose, it seems as if I’m not the only one who doesn’t know the meaning of the word. Why can’t you admit that you care? Your kiss just now told me that you care. Why don’t you just tell me how you feel about me? You’re a little hypocrite who wants to beat me over the head with everything I say to you, dissecting it to see if it’s true.”
“What makes you think I care?” Toreas was glancing over his shoulder. She spotted Liz and Wendy watching her and knew they’d seen the kiss.
“I kiss men all the time, Jared. This kiss was nothing special.” She walked away from him, grateful to run into one of the highest paid male cover models, John Cain, who was also a friend.
Toreas squealed as John picked her up and squeezed her in a bear hug. Usually when he would attempt to pick her up Toreas would stop him with a stern look and a finger or two wagged in his face.
Now with Jared watching she allowed John to hold her close to his body. His lips were all over her neck and face. When she felt the blush of embarrassment creeping up on her, Toreas ducked her head into John’s massive chest, trying to prevent Jared from seeing she was uncomfortable.
***
Jared closed his eyes trying, to remember how to swallow. For a moment he flashed back and it was Gina he saw in the arms of a hunky male model. He tried to walk away but his legs refused to follow the commands of his brain.
He was face to face with the man, breathing in the strong scent of garlic emanating from his mouth. How could Toreas stay in his arms?
“Put her down. Now.” He waited two seconds for him to comply, then forcibly removed Toreas from his arms and placed her on the floor behind him. “The lady is with me,” Jared growled, blocking Toreas’s body with his own, waiting for the man to complain.
When the cover model looked at him and grinned, Jared frowned and flexed his muscles. “Do you have any problems with me?” Jared flexed his muscles again and rolled his neck forward preparing to defend what was his. Whether she knew it or not, Toreas was his.
When the man smiled a crooked smile in his direction and walked off, Jared stared after him for a second. The guy probably didn’t want to mess up his pretty face. With fierce possessiveness, Jared continued watching the man until he’d turned the corner of the lobby and was no longer visible.
Then Jared turned his attention to Toreas who wasn’t looking in the least bit intimated. “What the hell was that all about?” he asked.
“You mean John? He’s a friend, same as you.” She attempted to walk away but Jared’s strong hand held her in place.
“Toreas, I’m too old to play these juvenile games. I want you.” Jared looked at her knowing what she wanted to hear, but he was still too angry with her to give it. “I’m attracted to you. There, now are you satisfied?”
“Sure, Jared. What woman wouldn’t be with a compliment like that? How could I not be flattered?”
She was smiling at him. One of those smug smiles that made him want to kiss her senseless. She was patronizing him, baiting him, and he could feel the blood rushing through him, filling him with desire.
“Let’s get through this conference. Then we need to do some serious talking. If we’re going to be in a relationship then we need to set some ground rules. No more lying and no more of you allowing guys to paw all over you in public place.
“Should I allow them to do it in private?”
“Not unless it’s me. Look, I want to be in a relationship with you. We can figure out later if it will work. If not, we cut our losses and run. At least we would have tried. Anyway, when this damn conference is over the two of us are going to finish what we started months ago. Make no mistake about that.”
“Exactly what are you talking about?” Toreas asked sternly.
“Stop that nonsense, Toreas, and stop glaring at me. You can’t frighten me away. When this is over I’m going to make love to you until we both are so tired that we can do nothing but sleep.”
“And if I don’t want to?”
“Liar,” he said softly. “Would you like for me to show you how much you don’t want to?” He glanced at her lips, then allowed his eyes to travel over her body until the telltale blush of red showed through her brown skin and obliterated the pigments. “Admit it, Toreas, you’re a liar. You still want me to make your eyes roll back in your head. And I still want to taste you to find out if everything about you tastes like strawberries. I plan to make sure that you have several orgasms our first time out.” She was blushing but not telling him to stop. He had his answer. And darn it he was even going to give her the answers that she’d demanded. He was leaving nothing to chance. When he made love to her, she would be ready completely. No silly barriers or unanswered questions would keep them apart this time. He’d taken care of everything. It was time for Toreas Rose to know that she belonged to him and no other, just as he belonged to her.
“Jared, you sound like some small time pimp. You can’t give me orders and have me obey them. Are you crazy? Look, this isn’t a romance story. This is my life, my real life. And I don’t take orders from anyone, especially a man. Get that straight.”
Jared lifted her chin with his finger and looked into her eyes. “Would you like for me to pick you up right now in this hotel lobby and carry you away to my room?”
Toreas was flushed. Of course she did, that was exactly what she wanted. Her eyes closed as she attempted to get her rapidly beating heart back under control. “Go away, Jared.”
“Forever?” he asked quietly.
“No, definitely not forever.” Toreas stared at him. “But for long enough to allow me to regain some self-control.” She glanced at him, her eyes falling downward to the massive budge. “It seems like I’m not the only one affected by our kisses.”
“Did I ever say our kisses didn’t affect me?”
“I believe you did, Mr. Stone.”
“Then I stand corrected, Ms. Rose. It appears we’re both liars. I’ll admit your kisses have the power to drive me insane. In fact I think they have because I’ve never done anything so crazy in my entire life. Everything I’ve done since I’ve met you is so out of character for me. You’re a witch but a witch I want in my bed.” This time he kissed her lightly on the lips. “You’d better join your friends, they’re standing there in shock watching us. I’d say you no longer have to worry about telling anyone about us. I’d say the secret is out.”
“Jared, you’re behaving as if I
have no choice in this.”
“You do have a choice, To…re…as. I can make love to you here this weekend in my room where your friends will see you disappear behind my door and never see you again until this damn conference is over, or we could be a little more discreet and wait until the conference is over for me to ravage you. Then I will come to your home and make love to you until…,” he grinned, “until I can no longer perform. Which do you prefer?”
“Privacy,” she almost whispered.
“Good. Then go to your friends.”
He waved at Liz and Wendy, not caring that they’d witnessed the little scene. “Your friends are waiting for you.”
When Toreas attempted to brush past him, Jared put his hand out and stopped her. “No more stunts.”
He stood watching her walk toward her friends. Every cell in his body was humming. He couldn’t believe what he’d done. Not the challenging part, but the reason.
No woman had ever before meant enough to Jared to make him put forth even the most minute effort to keep her.
He continued gazing at Toreas’s bulky body in amazement, wondering how this tackily dressed woman was changing him from a rational adult male into a hormone-driven moron. There was still time to back away, to call a halt, but he knew he didn’t want to. He wanted her in the worst way possible. And if he didn’t stop looking at her and imagining what he would do to her later at her home he would embarrass himself.
He didn’t have to look down for the evidence. He could feel it. Boy, could he feel it. For a moment his mind wandered to Gina. He’d never thought of fighting to keep her. He had been angry that she’d chosen someone else over him, but truth be told, he’d not been so terribly angry with her until his mom’s death and the guilt over his unfulfilled promise to her. With Toreas it was different. Even now the thought of John’s lips on her made him angry. There was no way he intended for anyone to ever touch her again but himself. Yep, roped and hogtied and that was just fine by him.
Chapter Seventeen
Toreas walked away from Jared, forcing herself not to look back at him. She was grateful to him for rescuing her from John.
One more second of having to endure the smell of garlic and the hair she’d spent an hour hot combing would have curled from the fumes.
Toreas could tell Liz was nearly busting a gut trying not to laugh and Toreas wanted to think of some smart comment to make to wipe the look off her face but could think of none.
“So there’s nothing going on with you and Jared, huh?”
“No, there isn’t.”
“Try telling him that. He’s just standing there watching you. Besides, we saw the kiss and we saw what happened with John.”
Toreas decided to just ignore Liz. Why deny something the women had seen with their own eyes? “Let’s go upstairs and see who’s here.”
“Aren’t you going to look at him?”
“No. Why?”
She walked up the stairs with her friends, resisting the urge to turn around until she touched the top step. Toreas turned her head slowly, to see if Jared was still there.
He was and he was looking at her, the look in his eyes smoky with desire. She gave him a half smile before closing her eyes. If she continued looking at him she would be running down the steps to fling herself in his arms.
She’d made enough of a spectacle of herself for one night. She knew the story would spread until at least twenty different authors would have it written in their next book. If she was lucky, they would make the woman something other than a romance writer. That would be too hokey. Toreas was glad of one other thing, that this was real life. If she’d ever written that scene she would have been attacked by every romance reader south of the North Pole. They would have derided her, saying her heroine was weak and shouldn’t allow a man to order her around as Jared had just done.
Toreas took another peek in Jared’s direction. Yes, but romance novels were fictional. This was real and it was her life. And she wanted Jared like she’d never wanted anything before. She wanted all the things he’d promised to do to her. And yes, God help her, she loved his caveman routine. The memory of him taking charge like that made her horny. She wanted him and she didn’t care who thought she was being silly or weak. All she knew was that when all was said and done she’d have the satisfaction of having made love to Jared. And the ones who thought she was weak would never know the feelings she was having. She didn’t believe another man could be capable of producing in another woman the exact same feelings which Jared produced in her. If it were possible, then all women would be acting as goofy as she was. Toreas laughed out loud and shook her head. He’d made her float and now he was making her skip.
Her skin was on fire. She was wishing she had booked a room. Right now she needed a cold shower. A real cold one. At least since she didn’t have a room she wouldn’t have to get stuck inviting Jared to her room.
Then it hit her. In both of their conditions she very much doubted they would wait until the conference was over. Toreas wanted it to be special, not more fodder for her friends to include in their stories. As much as she wanted Jared she wanted her time with him to remain private even more. She didn’t want to be the object of gossip no matter how it was played. No, she’d much rather enjoy Jared without the snickers, real or imagined, that would come from her friends.
She was glad Jared had warned her he had a room. She should have thought of that. And she would have if she’d known before Wednesday that he was coming to the conference. She hadn’t bothered getting a room because she lived five minutes away in Woodridge. Frankly, that knowledge alone had made her not want to splurge on yet another unnecessary expense. It seemed way too decadent.
A shiver of desire claimed her as she thought of the look in Jared’s eyes when he’d offered to take her to his room and make love to her. Naturally Jared had a room. His finances weren’t as bad as hers. She shivered again as she thought of him and her and his room, and what they could do there. At the moment she lacked the will power to fight him. She closed her eyes and ran her tongue across her lips, tasting Jared on them.
“Liz.” Her voice was hoarse and low. Liz hadn’t heard her. “Liz,” she screamed, not realizing she had done so until several women turned to stare at her.
Liz was looking at her as if she thought she had lost her mind and Toreas couldn’t blame her. They would deal with that later. For now she needed help.
“What’s wrong with you? Why are you screeching at me at the top of your lungs?”
“Jared.”
“Jared. What about Jared?”
“He’s staying here. I need your help.” Toreas was aware she wasn’t making any sense. “Don’t leave me alone with him.”
“What are you talking about? Jared’s downstairs.”
“I mean later tonight, and for the rest of the weekend. I can’t be alone with him, especially in his room.”
“Then go home.”
Liz was beginning to annoy her with her practicality. She sighed loudly, puffing out both cheeks, then expelling the air a number of times before she spoke again.
“I don’t want to go home.”
“You don’t have a room.”
“I know.” She turned pleading eyes on her friend. “Let me bunk with you. I’ll share the cost of the room.”
“Kelle’s sharing my room.”
“I’ll sleep on the floor.”
“What is wrong with you? You don’t want to be around Jared but you don’t want to leave.”
Toreas could feel the blush coming up her neck and working its way to her face. “I can’t leave…” She looked away, then back at Liz. I don’t want to leave Jared here…without me. Not with…all these women.” There, she’d said it.
She watched the look of satisfaction slide across her friend’s face. Liz thought she knew her so well. Disgust was slowly replacing her blush. She wished to God she didn’t blush so easily.
“So there is something going on between you and Jared?�
��
“I think there might be, but right now I’m not sure what.”
“Then why don’t you share the room with him?”
Okay, now she was truly irritated. Her friend was being thick-headed. She looked sharply at Liz knowing Liz was going to force her to explain the entire situation to her.
She knew Liz was enjoying this and doing it deliberately, probably because she’d lied to her about being attracted to Jared.
“Liz, I can’t stay in Jared’s room. Number one, he didn’t ask me. Number two, it’s too soon. Besides, Liz, what if he’s pretending? What if he’s only pursuing me to make a fool out of me, to air the entire thing?”
She had known that would elicit sympathy, but it annoyed her just how fast it did, as if Liz was already thinking that Jared must be crazy to want her.
“Okay, you can stay if it’s all right with Kelle. And you don’t have to sleep on the floor. You can bunk on the couch.”
Then Liz frowned at her, scrutinizing her clothes. “What are you going to do for clothes? You didn’t bring anything.”
“I’ll go home and pack a few things.”
“You’ve got it bad, don’t you?”
“Don’t tell anyone.”
“I won’t have to. I wasn’t the only one standing in the lobby when he kissed you. There must have been thirty people walking around.
“Then when he took you out of John’s arms everyone stopped. The security guards were on their way over there. We all thought Jared was going to deck him.”
“Are you serious?”
“Didn’t you see his face?”
Toreas smiled at Liz. Her body was tingling and she felt warm. “I was afraid to look. Nothing like this has ever happened to me before.”
“I’ll tell you my opinion. From what happened, I don’t think he’s after a story.”
“Maybe not, but I don’t want to be a one night stand for him either.”
“That’s what you wanted a few months ago, remember?”
It’s just like Liz to bring that up, Toreas thought testily. Well, she was now her host, so she’d keep her mouth shut. At least she’d do her best not to blow up.