“Thanks for being here, Dana.”
Dana gave Jared an assuring smile when he reached out and took her hand in his and tightened his fingers around it as they sat side by side in the hospital’s waiting room. His features were solemn and she knew he was worried about the out come of his mother’s surgery. “You don’t have to thank me, Jared. I wanted to be here.”
She glanced at the clock on the wall. The doctors had indicated it wouldn’t be a long procedure and that some one would be out to talk to the family when it was over. Jared’s youngest brother, Reggie, had accompanied Mr. Westmoreland down stairs to the coffee shop, and every so of ten Jared’s cell phone would ring when one of his other brothers called for an up date on their mother’s condition. His aunt and uncle were here and so were several of his cousins and their wives. One thing she had learned about the Westmorelands was that they were a close-knit family who bonded in a crisis. She admired that about them.
Dana glanced up at Jared. “Can I get you anything?”
He gave her a reassuring smile. “No, thanks, I’m fine.” He then leaned closer and whispered softly, privately, “What I really want is something I can’t have right now, but there’s al ways later.”
Dana felt heat flare into her cheeks and hoped no one noticed the blush that came into her features. After returning from Jekyll Island they had be gun spending more and more time together. They had dined at his place and gone out to eat a couple of times this week, had taken in several movies and had also joined his cousins last night at Chase’s Place to celebrate Thorn’s birthday.
And each time they made love it was better than the last. On the nights that he stayed over, she enjoyed waking up in his arms. There were never any regrets, only complete fulfillment. She could not resist Jared any more than she could stop breathing. The intimacy they shared was tangible, special and so profound, that more than once it brought tears to her eyes.
Tonight she was having dinner again at his place and was looking for ward to it. She hoped they had reason to celebrate, and remained positive about his mother’s condition.
For the next few minutes she tried engaging Jared in small talk since she knew that he, like everyone else, was watching the clock. His father had returned and was now nervously pacing the room.
Everyone looked up when the doctor walked into the waiting room with an unreadable expression on his face. Mr. Westmoreland, with Jared and Reggie on his heels, quickly walked over to meet the doctor.
“How is she?” James Westmoreland asked in a somewhat shaky voice.
Dr. Miller smiled and he reached out and touched the older man’s shoulder. “She’s doing fine and test results confirm the lump was nothing but fatty tissue. Sarah is fine and once the anesthesia wears off, she’ll be able to leave. Of course I want to see her for a follow-up visit next week.”
James sighed deeply and Dana could see relief and happiness in everyone’s eyes. “Thanks, Dr. Miller.”
“You’re welcome.” Dr. Miller glanced over at Jared and Reggie. “Which one of you is engaged to be married?”
Jared lifted a brow. “I am. Why?”
The doctor chuckled. “Because that’s all your mother talked about from the time they wheeled her into the operating room to right before the anesthetic kicked in. She’s really happy about it and is anxious to start planning a wedding. Congratulations.” He then turned and walked out of the waiting room.
Jared turned his head and met Dana’s gaze. Her fingers tightened on the straps on her purse. It was an unconscious gesture that only he noticed. She had agreed to play out this charade for an additional two weeks, but he under stood how everything was placing a toll on her. It was placing a hell of a toll on him as well.
He studied her face, knowing that even after their “engagement” ended, memories would re main that wouldn’t leave him alone, that were bound to creep into his thoughts at any place and at any time.
He sighed deeply as he crossed the room to where Dana was standing, needing the con tact, the closeness. “Mom’s fine,” he said.
Her smile was soft. “I heard and I’m glad,” she said so quietly that he barely heard her.
Elated with the news that his mother was okay, and because he was dying to taste Dana’s lips, Jared bent his head and brushed his lips across hers.
“If you two keep this up, your Mom’s prediction is bound to be true,” James said, grinning, coming to stand be side his oldest son.
Another deep sigh escaped Jared’s lips. He had an idea but knew he was expected to ask, so he did. “And what prediction is that?”
Mr. Westmoreland looked at Dana then back at his son and chuckled. “That there will be another Westmoreland wedding before the end of summer.”
Dana had fall en in love with Jared’s home the first time she had walked through the double doors a week ago. The two-story structure, located in one of North Atlanta’s most exclusive and affluent communities, was huge and spacious.
When Jared had given her a tour she’d seen that each and every room was breath taking and expensively decorated, and that included the state-of-the-art theater room she had heard so much about, and a beautifully de signed swimming pool. He had five bedrooms, six bathrooms, a huge country kitchen, a living room and dining room as well as a breakfast room, a library and game room. He even had a four-car garage and she had been surprised to discover that he owned a motorcycle. He had explained that because of Thorn, all the male Westmorelands owned a Thorn-Byrd, the brand of bikes that his cousin built.
The house, Dana thought, was very much like the man who owned it, fascinating, interesting and compelling. With all the vaulted ceilings, rich thick carpeting, costly paintings that lined the walls and the expensive antique furnishings, it signified wealth but wasn’t overdone. There was nothing ostentatious about the house or the man. It was obvious that Jared liked nice things, but she definitely wouldn’t consider his likes eccentric or outlandish.
“Make your self comfortable,” Jared said as he glanced over at her. It was early evening. They had spent the majority of the day at his parents’ home after his mother had gotten re leased from the hospital. He had made all the necessary calls to his brothers, assuring them that things were fine and their mother was okay.
“Do you need my help?” Dana asked as she sat at the breakfast bar and watched how efficiently he moved around in the kitchen.
“No. We’re having something light and simple.”
Dana chuckled. “Umm, let me guess, hot dogs and lemonade?”
Jared smiled. “No, it’s something a lot more filling than that. In fact it’s one of the few Westmoreland family secret recipes that Chase will share—a chicken-and-rice casserole. I pre pared it this morning before leaving for the hospital, so all I have to do is warm it up. I’m also making a salad to go along with it and thought a glass of wine would be nice, as well.”
She watched as he pulled a casserole dish from the refrigerator and proceeded to place it in the microwave. He then pulled out all the items he needed for the salad.
“And you’re sure there’s nothing I can do to help?” The last time she had shared a dinner with him here, he’d had everything catered.
He glanced up at her and smiled. “I’m positive. You’ve done enough al read y. I meant what I said about me appreciating you taking off work to be at the hospital today. It meant a lot to me and I know it meant a lot to my family, especially Mom. I’m so thankful that the test results were good. In a way I had pre pared my self for the worse.”
Dana heard the catch in his voice and immediately got out of her seat and came around to stand in front of him. She reached out and placed a hand on his arm. “But like you said, Jared, the results were good and that’s what’s important. She’s okay.”
Jared nodded and thought that Dana’s touch felt hot on his arm. A seductive silence hung over the room as he held her gaze. Desire swirled around in his belly and he hung tenuously on to his control. He wanted her. Always wanted her.
Constantly wanted her. And was al ways amazed at the depth of that wanting.
He recalled vividly and in living color every aspect of making love to her last night. They had returned to her place from the movies, and as soon as the door closed shut behind them, desire, the likes of which he’d never en countered before, had taken hold of him, racked his mind, rammed through his body. He had hauled her to him, picked her up into his arms and had taken her into the bedroom where he had stripped her of her clothes, and then quickly re moved his own, barely taking time to protect them both before covering her body with his and making love to her.
The same way he wanted to make love to her now.
He made a move to reach out for her the exact moment the alarm on the microwave sounded. Inhaling deeply, a faint smile formed on his lips. “I guess it’s time to eat.”
She smiled in return. “Yes, I guess it is.”
“Will you go swimming with me?” Jared asked later when they had finished dinner, cleared the table and loaded the dishes in the dishwasher. The last time she’d been over, the lining of the pool was being re done.
She slanted him a teasing grin. “What makes you think I can swim?”
He regarded her with an interest that had her toes curling and the most intimate part of her aching. “I just figured you could, and if you can’t then I’ll teach you.”
Her eyes squinted with amusement. “You’re an expert swimmer?”
“I don’t do so bad.”
Dana thought that if he could swim with the same degree of expertise that he made love then he was definitely an ace. “I can swim,” she said, deciding to come clean. “My parents made sure I knew how before my fourth birthday. Living on the East Coast and so close to the ocean meant that I had to learn.”
She tipped her head back and looked at him. “But there is one slight problem.”
“What?”
“I didn’t bring a bathing suit.”
“That’s no problem. I’m sure there’s an extra one around here that should fit you.”
He watched her face and saw the exact moment her eyes darkened with disappointment. “Don’t bother.”
He quickly realized what had bothered her. Reaching out he gently squeezed her shoulders and said, “It’s a bathing suit that Delaney left behind, Dana. She used to keep several of them here in case she ever wanted to visit and go swimming.” He pulled her to him, needing to hold her. “I’ve never gone swimming with a woman in this house before,” he whispered. He never felt the need to explain his personal life to any woman, but for some reason he wanted to explain things to her.
Dana pulled back, ticked at herself for caring. Besides, he didn’t owe her an explanation about anything. It wasn’t as if they were really engaged. “Sorry, I don’t have a right to come across like that, Jared. What you do is none of my business.”
He studied her face for a long time then said, “There’s no need to apologize.” His breath was warm against her face when he leaned to ward her and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. He deepened it then pulled back slowly, not read y to languish her lips yet as he placed tiny kisses around it. “I can say the hell with a bathing suit and let’s go skinny-dipping.”
Breathless, she smiled against his lips. “Yes, you can say that but then that poses another problem.”
He watched as she moistened her lips with a stroke of her tongue, and was tempted to lean down and take that tongue into his mouth and feast on it some more. “What other problem?” he asked, barely able to get the words out.
“I’ve never swum in the nude.”
The thought of her swimming naked ran fluidly through his mind, forming images that made him want to strip her bare, then and there. “You know what they say, Miss Rollins. There’s a first time for everything.” He leaned down and whispered in her ear, “Come on, let’s go for a swim.”
When they began walking, Jared slung an arm around her shoulders as he led her to the area where the pool was located. Dana tried not to let the seductive sensations that Jared generated with in her, take possession of her mind.
The potent smell of chlorine teased Dana’s nostrils as they entered a passageway. He reached out and flipped a switch, bringing light into a huge area filled with lush greenery. To say the pool was impressive would be an understatement. Secured in the privacy of brick walls and a vaulted ceiling made of solid glass, this private place was definitely a swimmer’s haven. Dana smiled when they stopped walking and she looked up and saw how the moon light and the stars reflected through, slanting light against the pool’s blue-tinted waters.
“So, do you want a bathing suit or do you prefer going with out?” Jared asked as he placed his hands on her hips.
She grinned. “I think I’d feel more comfortable with a bathing suit.”
He watched her thoughtfully, wondering if this was the same woman who had played a very enticing game of hide-and-seek with him that weekend. It had been one passionate pursuit and now it seemed that she was trying to go all shy on him. However he was sure a few sizzling kisses would rid her of any degree of bashfulness.
“I may as well warn you that I plan to take the suit off of you the first chance I get,” he whispered, leaning down and capturing her ear lobe in his mouth and sucking gently.
A breath less sigh escaped Dana’s lips and she closed her eyes. It was a good thing he was still holding her by the waist or she would have melted and slid right into the pool. “I kind of figured you’d be trying something like that.”
He took her hand in his and drew her away from the pool to an area surrounded by a bevy of palm trees. “At least I gave you fair warning.”
He led her to a room off from the pool area that appeared to be a large dressing room. “You can change in here,” Jared said, giving her an easy smile. “Towels are in that closet and there’s a bathing suit that should fit you in that drawer over there.”
She looked up at him. “What about you?”
He gave her that same grin that had endeared him to her the first time she’d seen it. “I don’t have a problem swimming in the nude, Dana.”
And with that he turned and left her alone in the room.
Dana nervously fumbled with the buttons on her blouse as she re moved it while glancing around the huge room. She saw that all the walls and the ceiling were mirrored and she felt slightly funny as she watched herself undress. She studied the day bed that sat on one side of the room and didn’t want to imagine Jared and some woman in it as they watched themselves make love. He had said no woman had ever gone swimming with him in this house but who was to say that no woman had ever made out with him in this room?
Letting out a long breath, she tugged her skirt down over her hips, not wanting the picture of Jared and any other woman to form in her mind. As she’d told him, what he did was his business. But still, the part of her that loved him so much that it hurt, felt pain at the thought of him with some one else.
She tried turning her thoughts and attention elsewhere. Dinner had been delicious and the wine he’d selected had been perfect.
She could tell a huge load had been lifted off his shoulders now that he knew his mother was okay. He seemed more relaxed. Being around him made her feel things, want things and each and every time he had smiled at her, touched her—innocently or other wise—she found herself hard pressed to keep her emotions under control.
Whenever she looked into his eyes his keen sense of intelligence startled her. He was his parents’ firstborn, but had not been the heir apparent. Anything and everything Jared possessed was the result of hard work. He deserved all he had achieved and was a man like no other she’d ever known. There was a fierceness about him, yet at the same time an innate gentleness that she found sweet and endearing.
Jared Westmoreland was the man she would love until the day she died.
Dana sighed, as she tied her hair back, trying to re main clear headed. She couldn’t and wouldn’t have regrets, no matter what. And she wouldn’t dwell on the imposs
ibilities of a future with Jared.
Moments later she glanced at herself in the mirror. Jared had said nothing about the bathing suit being a bikini. It appeared to be brand-new and was a perfect fit, al though it showed more skin than she was used to exposing. Jared had seen her naked several times since their weekend together, but for some reason she felt shy around him tonight.
Maybe it was because every time she held his gaze for any period of time she saw desire in his eyes that was so thick it could be cut with a knife. And what he’d said earlier about her not keeping the bathing suit on for long sent passionate chills down her body. He’d said it and she had no reason to doubt it. Grabbing a tow el she wrapped it securely around her waist and took a deep breath before walking out of the room.
The first thing she noticed was that Jared had dimmed the lights. The second thing was that he was al read y in the water, standing in the shallow end, leaning back against the pool’s wall. All the way across the room she could feel the strength of him. Knowing he was completely naked only filled her with heated passion and desire. He was built and had the kind of muscles women drooled about. Each and every time she came into con tact with his body, she burned.
“Get rid of the tow el, Dana.”
His words as well as the look in his eyes pulled her to him. She slowly walked to the edge of the pool and met his heated gaze. “And if I don’t?”
A smile touched the corners of his lips. “Then I’ll be tempted to get out of the pool and re move it for you, and while I’m removing the tow el I’ll also re move every thing else.”
Dana tilted her head, picturing both things in her mind. “Mmm, that sounds like quite a seductive threat, Counselor.”
She watched as he moved swiftly and agilely through the water and ended up at the side of the pool, with in less than a few feet from where she stood. “No threat, Dana. It’s a promise.”
She took a step back when he eased his naked body out of the pool. She noticed he had on a condom, making it blatantly clear what he had in mind. Dripping wet he stood in front of her. He leaned over and kissed her tenderly while at the same time used his fingertip to loosen the knot of the tow el. She felt it fall to the floor, but his mouth kept her too occupied to care. At the moment she was con tent to let him carry out any threats he’d made.
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