She forced her focus back to class. Several hours later, their Yule logs were complete. It was basically a thin chocolate cake rolled like a jelly roll, but instead of jelly, they made a sweet cream filling. They frosted the whole thing with milk chocolate icing, using the tines of the fork to make it resemble a log, and then decorated it with icing holly and berries. Hers and Jared’s was a mess and lopsided, mostly because Jared kept fooling around, making it difficult to focus. Angel and Julia’s turned out perfect. Josh had worked with Maggie, and theirs was also perfect, though it had way too much whipped cream swirled on top because Maggie was really into whipped cream. She kept hinting at all of its other uses, which made Josh laugh and the rest of them fidget uncomfortably at the idea of senior-citizen nooky.
Class finished, and Jared fetched her coat and helped her on with it. She was surprised at his gentlemanly manners until she realized with a heated flush that he was pretty big on manners. She wondered if he’d ask if she wanted to be driven home or go back to his place. After the way he kept touching her and smiling at her all through class, and the fact that she was still a little freaked out about her teddy bear gift, she was leaning toward his place.
~ ~ ~
Jared glanced over at Angel, who was glaring at Josh, who was openly flirting with a blushing Julia as they all got ready to leave cooking class.
“Give me a minute,” he told Emily.
He was a little worried Angel would get into it with Josh. Angel had that murderous look he got just before he swung a fist. It took a lot to get his stepbrother to that level of rage, but once he was there, it was tough to pull him back.
He snagged Angel by the sleeve of his leather jacket and pulled him away. “Hey, how’s it going?”
“What?” Angel snapped.
“How’s it going? Things good?”
Angel blew out a breath. “I wasn’t going to touch him.”
Jared socked him on the arm. “Good.”
Angel socked him back. Hard. “Yeah, good.” His attention strayed back to Julia, who was saying something in a low voice to Josh and shaking her head. Angel started toward her, but Jared held him back, one hand on his shoulder. Angel shook him off and was about to stalk over there when Josh inclined his head at Julia with a smile, turned, and left.
“She handled it,” Jared said in a low voice.
Angel nodded once. “Guy’s a jerk.”
“He’s just being a guy. Can’t blame him for trying.” He could say that easily now that he was the one hooking up with Emily.
Angel scowled. “How’s it going with Emily?”
He couldn’t help but smile. “Great.” He glanced over to where Emily was now chatting with Maggie. Emily was smiling and it made him happy to see her happy. He’d really been worried about the downturn she’d taken after Chris ended up in PICU. It was like she burrowed into a ball wrapped in despair. Somehow when he’d kissed her in the elevator, it had pulled her out of that. And straight into his bed. He still wasn’t sure how that had happened so fast. He hadn’t meant for that to happen. He wasn’t so good at relationship stuff.
“So you talked things out?” Angel asked.
Jared turned back to him. “Huh? Oh. More or less.”
“Did you talk at all?”
Jared really didn’t appreciate the superior attitude coming from the guy who couldn’t close the deal, so to speak. “How’s it going with Julia?”
“Shut up.” Angel stalked over to Julia, said something to her, and she nodded and started out with him.
Emily crossed to him, and the four of them headed for the exit.
“Emily,” Angel said, “I heard about your ex on the news with that weird proposal. What happened?”
“Augh,” Emily said. “He proposed at my apartment complex. I had to get rid of him and the press.”
Jared halted. “What? You didn’t tell me that.”
“I handled it,” Emily said.
Jared ground his teeth. “When did all this happen?”
“Right after I got home from Garner’s. That night we went out for drinks.”
“Three weeks ago!” he barked.
Angel and Julia exchanged an uneasy look.
“Yeah,” Emily said. “I guess it was three weeks ago.”
Jared worked hard to rein in his temper. “And you never thought to mention it?”
Dammit. Emily could’ve been in real danger. She hadn’t told him her ex was harassing her. He had no idea the guy was showing up at her place multiple times.
“You never asked,” Emily said calmly.
“How would I even know what to ask?” Jared snapped. Their lack of communication was laughable. That was on him. This was exactly why he sucked at relationships. He just couldn’t get the hang of all the feelings talk. “You need to file a restraining order,” he added.
“I was thinking about it,” Emily said. “But I don’t think he’d hurt me.”
“You should get one,” Angel said. “Just to be safe. Don’t take that lightly. He seems a little off.”
“Honestly I don’t think he’ll do anything like that again,” Emily replied with a glance at Jared. “After the last time, I told him I met someone.”
“Why didn’t you tell me any of this?” Jared barked. This was all news to him, and he wouldn’t have known any of it without Angel and his feelings questions.
“You never asked!” Emily fired back.
“We’ll see you later,” Angel said before guiding Julia out the door.
“I asked if you were okay,” Jared said, figuring he should at least get points for that.
“And I was.”
“Why didn’t you tell me he kept showing up at your place?”
“Because I handled it. Seriously. Just drop it.”
He ground his teeth, mad at her, but also mad at himself for being so caught up in sex that he couldn’t have a rational conversation with her the way Angel could. “Sorry I’m not Mr. Feelings Talker like some people.”
She gave him a wary look. “Not that again.”
“I’m not good at feelings stuff,” he said defensively.
“That’s okay. I just want you for your body.” She sailed out the door.
He followed, feeling like he’d just taken a punch to the gut. That was exactly what he’d suspected, and the truth hurt.
He walked with her back to his truck, silent and sullen. After they were inside, he turned the truck on and blasted the heat. Then he just sat there, struggling for the words that would tell her how much more he wanted than that.
Her gloved hand stroked his hair. “Hey. I was just joking about wanting you for your body. I really like you. Don’t be mad.”
He turned to look at her. “You like me.”
“Sure. You’re a lot of fun. I guess I do need fun in my life.”
“So it is just for my body.”
“Come on. It was a joke!” She gave him a playful punch to the shoulder.
He harrumphed. “Sometimes jokes have a kernel of truth in them.”
She waggled her finger at him. “I know what you’re doing.”
He grabbed her waggling finger. “What am I doing?”
“You’re fishing for compliments.”
“I—”
“Okay, I’ll play. Your eyes are a gorgeous green.” She went nose to nose with him and gazed into his eyes.
“Em,” he said, the blood rapidly draining from his big head to his little head.
“You taste like spicy sweetness,” she said, running her tongue over his bottom lip and then slipping it into his mouth to taste some more. He groaned and cupped the back of her head, kissing her long and deep, unable to stop himself. And then he pulled her on top of his lap, making her straddle him. She rocked her pelvis against him and the rest was a hot blur.
He didn’t care that they were in a parking lot.
He didn’t care about feelings talk.
He only cared about burying himself deep inside her.
�
�Em,” he managed, that one word both demand and entreaty.
“Yes,” she said, quickly undoing his jeans and freeing him. He pushed up her skirt and realized she still had more clothes on under it. “Rip the pantyhose,” she said against his mouth.
It was easy to do, with the way she was stretched across him. He slid the panties to the side with one quick move and sank into heaven.
Chapter Twelve
Emily wasn’t quite sure how she ended up spending the whole weekend at Jared’s place, but somehow she couldn’t seem to stop hooking up with him. After the truck hookup—she’d never done anything like that before—he’d driven her straight back to his place, where they’d had some of their Yule log from class. And then Jared got creative with painting her with the cream and licking it off and took her right there on the kitchen table, saying she was his feast. She probably should’ve left after that, but she’d been tired, and he’d carried her upstairs to bed, his arms warm and strong around her. He’d lulled her into a sated contentment.
Now it was morning, and she knew she really had to go. They’d screwed each other’s brains out, and now it was back to reality. She suddenly remembered that weird teddy bear gift and had a moment’s hesitation about going home, unsure what might be waiting on her doorstep. It was just a teddy bear, she told herself. Harmless. Probably some neighbor with a crush. Only her gut instinct didn’t agree with her brain’s rationalization. She pressed her fingers to her temple. What was she supposed to do, move in with Jared out of fear? She wasn’t ready for a serious relationship, and she knew very well that wasn’t what he was about. He’d told her right up front he had commitment issues, and his rep with the ladies had taken on mythical proportions. Well deserved, but still. She’d be a fool to think he was serious about her.
She glanced over, saw his eyes were closed, and rolled out of bed.
His hand snaked out and grabbed her wrist. “Not so fast.”
“Ah!” she yelped.
He pulled her on top of him. They were both still naked from their middle-of-the-night hookup. “I want you,” he said, gazing into her eyes.
“I know.”
He palmed her ass and squeezed. “A lot.”
“I know. I have to go, though.”
He rocked her against his hardness. “Every night. I want you in my bed every night.”
“You can’t have me every night.”
He slid his warm hand into her hair and kissed her; she melted against him. Her body overrode her brain whenever he kissed her.
He broke the kiss. “I won’t cheat on you,” he said out of nowhere.
“Jared, we don’t have an exclusive—”
“Yes, exclusive. That’s what I want. We should be exclusive.”
“I don’t even quite know how this weekend happened.”
He kissed her again and gazed into her eyes. “It’s like…I told you about Jen—”
“Stop!” She tried to roll away, but he pulled her back. “I don’t want to hear about your other women,” she said through her teeth.
“I’m not talking about sex!”
She throbbed at the word “sex” coming out of his mouth. It was ridiculous how much she wanted him, and she didn’t want to talk about Jen or any other women in his past.
He groaned. “Em…you make it so tough to focus on talking.”
“What’d I do?” He must’ve read the desire in her eyes. The need overrode everything else. She kissed his neck and breathed him in, like soap and apple pie and everything good about the world. “We’ll talk after.”
He rolled on top of her and thrust inside. She moaned loudly and hooked her ankles around his waist. She was already aroused, as he well knew.
He met her eyes. “This weekend happened because…” He pulled nearly all the way out and thrust deep, making her gasp. “You can’t resist me.”
“I-I…” She couldn’t speak as he pumped into her hard and fast and deep. She could feel herself climbing that peak again. “Please.”
He pulled nearly all the way out. “Just let me in.” His thrust matched his words in a crazy way.
She cried out. “You are in.”
He thrust fiercely, and she dug her nails into his back. “More in.”
“Oh-oh-oh.” He pulled out again, and she grabbed his shoulders to get him back. He slammed back into her, and her breath caught. “You can’t go any further in.”
He thrust again, and she lifted her hips to take him deeper. They both groaned. “I’m talking about feelings,” he said hoarsely when he was buried deep.
“Just fuck me!” She squeezed him with her internal muscles.
He kept going, and she hit a monster peak that shook her to her core and went on and on as he thrust for his own release.
When he finally pulled out, she tried to make her escape, but he was all over her, his hands and mouth immediately dominating all of her hot spots, and she caved again.
He didn’t let her go until he was actually sore from too much screwing. She didn’t even know that could happen. She could barely walk.
“That is a beautiful thing,” he said with a huge ear-to-ear grin after watching her hobble around the room, gathering her clothes and putting them on.
She turned and glared at him. “It’s not funny.” She was sore in muscles she didn’t even know she had.
Jared bounded across the room to where she stood, gave her a quick kiss, and then hauled her back to bed, where he promptly pushed her facedown on the mattress.
“I thought you couldn’t screw anymore,” she said. Besides, she was fully dressed in her sweater and skirt (sans ripped pantyhose) from the night before.
“The doctor is in,” he said before beginning a delicious massage. His large warm hands both relaxed and aroused her as he worked from her neck to her shoulders and back. He moved to her hips, massaging over her skirt, and then around to her bottom. His hands left her for a moment, and she was about to protest that she wanted more when he hiked her skirt up past her hips and moved to more intimate territory. She let him do whatever he wanted because everything he did felt wonderful.
He worked his magic all the way down her legs to her toes and then sent her on her way. She left on a strange high, both euphoric and exhausted from being well used and well handled. She was afraid she was getting addicted to that feeling. Addicted to him.
She knew better than to get attached. He wasn’t serious about her. That wasn’t his way. Was it? He had said something about feelings in the middle of all that hazy sexy time. But that was just bedroom talk. Right?
She stepped outside and headed to the driveway, where Jared had parked her car, a very safe Volvo sedan. He’d retrieved it from the hospital parking lot late last night, another gesture of good manners, so she was able to drive straight home. Her mind was a confused muddle with all that had happened over the last week—hooking up with Jared for an entire second weekend, Chris fighting for his life in PICU, and the strange gift. She was too overwhelmed and exhausted to make sense of any of it.
When she got home, she stopped short at her door, her hand flying to her mouth. A bouquet of cheerful yellow tulips lay across her welcome mat. They were her favorite flower, but they weren’t what Michael usually sent. He always sent roses. Her heart raced as she picked up the bouquet and read the small card with the tiny all caps printed letters: YOU ARE VERY PRETTY. I WANT TO SEE YOU MORE. The phrasing was odd to her ears. Unfamiliar. Maybe a teenager in the apartment complex who liked to watch her? She shuddered.
She darted a quick look around, saw no one, and rushed inside. She called Jared. “Did you send me flowers?”
“Em? You okay?”
“Yes. No. Did you send me flowers?”
“No. Was there a card?”
“Yes! I know to look for a card!”
“Okay, calm down. Tell me what it said.”
She told him, and then she told him about the teddy bear.
“I don’t like this,” he said, an edge to his voice.
She felt marginally better it wasn’t just her freaking out for no good reason.
She dropped the flowers in the garbage, stopped, and retrieved the card for evidence in case her admirer turned out to be a murderer. Yup, she was that freaked out. “Maybe I have a secret admirer around the apartment complex. Maybe it’s a teenager with a crush.”
“You should call the cops just to get it on record. You want me to come over?”
“No, I’m fine,” she said even though she was shaken up. She didn’t want to depend on Jared too much. He wasn’t going to stick around. She knew that.
“I’m coming over,” he said and hung up.
~ ~ ~
Monday morning Emily said goodbye to Jared as he left for a meeting at the hospital. They had only slept last night in bed and, strange as it was, she actually slept better than she had in a really long time. Something about his calm demeanor, his easygoing joking manner, made her relax even with all the stress in her life. Last night he’d gone with her to the police station, where they showed the odd gifts to Chief O’Hare. The officer had filed a report, but warned them there was nothing the police could do unless the person took action against her. At least there was a record of it. Jared offered to stay at her place (or vice versa) for as long as she wanted, until she felt safe again, but she knew that would be a mistake. Too serious, too soon for both of them.
An hour later, she left for work, turning to make sure the door was securely locked behind her, and froze. A note taped to the door read—in a red, angry scrawl—SLUT.
She sucked in air, the ugly word terrifying her. Someone knew Jared had spent the night with her. It was the first time he’d spent the night. That meant it was either someone who lived in the apartment complex or someone was camped out nearby watching her. Would Michael really go that far? Try to scare her and then swoop in to reassure her? Was it someone she knew or some wacked-out stranger?
She grabbed the paper and drove straight to the Clover Park police station with this latest bit of evidence and handed it over to the officer on duty. Her day just got worse from there. When she got to work, she was met with the news that Chris was on a ventilator, the machine breathing for him, and had slipped into a coma. Some part of him had already left this world. It seemed death was not far off.
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