by Scott, J. S.
Jared gave her a mischievous smile. “I don’t generally sell tickets to that particular event, but you’re welcome to an exclusive showing.”
She pulled away from him regretfully. “Sounds like trouble,” she answered, trying to appear nonchalant when she was anything but aloof right at the moment.
“The best kind of trouble,” he agreed in a hopeful voice.
“You’re a wicked man, Jared Sinclair,” she admonished playfully, her hands still not completely steady as she grabbed a pot holder and took the corn bread out of the oven. Truth was, she loved his kind of trouble, and his sexy voice saying erotic things to her drove her half-crazy.
“Baby, you haven’t begun to see me misbehaving,” he drawled in a husky voice.
No? Oh, God, then I’d really like to see you completely wanton.
Her wayward core flooded with heat just at the thought of Jared abandoned and wild. Something about his raw sensuality called to a carnal side of her that she hadn’t known existed.
“Time to eat,” she squeaked, needing to change the subject.
“My thoughts exactly.” He leaned against the kitchen counter and sent her a wicked, heated grin.
Mara stirred the mixture in the pot on the stove furiously, fairly certain he wasn’t talking about lobster stew.
“These are terrible,” Mara giggled later that evening as she looked at the long string of photos that had spit out of the machine at the Amesport Arcade. “I look like a confused owl. I should have taken my glasses off.” She’d been squashed beside Jared in the picture booth, laughing at his dry jokes as the pictures were taken.
“I like them,” Jared said indignantly, snatching the strand of images from her hand.
Mara rolled her eyes as they waited in line to turn in their tickets. They’d wandered to the arcade hours ago when they’d driven into town. She’d finally convinced Jared that she was perfectly able to do the farmers’ market this week, and she wanted supplies. Reluctantly, he’d agreed, but insisted on driving her into town to carry anything she needed.
He’d spotted the small arcade along the boardwalk while he was waiting as she’d ducked into one of the shops along Main Street. She’d seen him jogging back from the bank across the street, his hands full of rolls of quarters as she’d exited the store.
After depositing her supplies in his SUV, he’d nearly dragged her down to the arcade, and they’d been there ever since. She’d learned he was an expert at Skee-Ball, and he could trounce her at almost any video game. Collecting tickets like a madman, he’d hit every game in the small arcade more than once.
Munching on a bag of popcorn he’d bought for her, she sighed. “I love it here. This place has been here as long I can remember.” The old building could use a paint job, but it was loud, colorful, and just as happy as she remembered. “This is where my mom taught me how to play Pac-Man.”
“She must have been good,” he grumbled.
“She was,” Mara answered with a smile, loving the fact that there was at least one game that she was better at than he was. “Where did you learn to play all of these old games so well?”
Jared smiled at her as he folded the photos carefully and put them in his pocket. “I have three older brothers and three male cousins. We used to spend some time with my cousins in the summer, who were raised near Salem. We snuck out of the house as often as we could to play at the arcade, sometimes every day.”
“There are more Sinclairs?”
“Yep. They scattered around the country, too, just like we did. Offspring of my father’s younger brother, but they’re close to us in age.”
“You never see them anymore?”
“I think they’re all coming to Dante’s wedding. It’s been a while since we’ve all been together. A long time,” Jared answered, his voice holding a note of regret.
“Please don’t tell me they’re wealthy and handsome, too,” Mara begged.
Jared shot her a puzzled look as he moved forward in line. “Loaded. They’re Sinclairs. I think they’re all ugly bastards, though,” he added hastily, as though he was afraid she might be interested in any of them.
Mara groaned. “Cousin rivalry. What you really mean is they’re as gorgeous and rich as you and your brothers.”
“Are you interested?” Jared asked irritably.
“No. But Elsie and Beatrice will have a field day. Can you imagine . . . all of those rich Sinclair men in Amesport!” she exclaimed. “Please tell me they’re all married with a gazillion kids.”
Jared grinned and the tenseness in his body began to relax. “Bachelors. Every one of them. Micah, Julian, and Xander have never been married. I’m sure they’d love to meet Elsie and Beatrice. ” He snickered evilly.
“Seriously? Even their names are hot,” Mara complained loudly. “Beatrice will have them matched before they even get here if she finds out.”
Jared grinned even broader. “Good. I think I’ll swing by her shop and let her know they’re coming. I want to see them all because it’s been a long time, but I’d like to see them all squirm. Beatrice can be a scary woman when she wants to be.”
“That’s terrible.” She swatted him on the arm. “You have no idea what it’s like to be matched by Beatrice. She’s persistent. I was her target several years ago, when she thought I and one of the accountants in town would be a good match.”
Jared frowned. “What happened?”
“Turns out that he’s gay, but the poor man was nagged to death by Beatrice until he finally had to tell her the truth. She swears she just read her spirit guide wrong and it was one of her few mistakes.” Mara blew out an exasperated breath.
Mara shivered with delight as Jared’s booming laughter exploded from his throat and vibrated through the air around them. He looked young, happy, and so incredibly sexy when he was like this; no longer a billionaire playboy, and more like a regular guy. Granted, he was just as panty melting, but he looked so touchable. “Go ahead and laugh. Just wait until she gets her claws into you. I’m surprised she hasn’t already.” She loved Elsie and Beatrice to death, but when one of them decided to meddle, they were relentless.
“Actually, she’s already found my match,” Jared informed her playfully.
“Who?” She tried not to sound anxious or jealous, but she was just a little of both.
He trained his deep green gaze on her, his lips turned up sensually before answering. “You.”
Mara almost dropped her popcorn, and she gawked at Jared as he stepped up to claim his prize.
After turning in his tickets, he presented her with a tiny stuffed tiger, an adorable toy that Jared probably could have bought at a discount store for five bucks. Instead, he’d probably blown through fifty dollars in quarters to win it, but it was one of the most precious things she’d ever received because he looked like a young man who was proudly handing his girlfriend a prize. He’d won it for her, and that made it special.
“Thank you.” She kissed him on the cheek, flinching as she stretched on her tiptoes. Darn ankle!
“It’s hurting?” Jared asked perceptively.
“A little. I forget about it until I move wrong.”
Jared wrapped his arm around her waist and plucked her up and into his arms, carrying her outside.
“I can walk, Jared. Put me down. I’m not exactly a lightweight. I’m surprised you haven’t thrown your back out already.” She swatted at his shoulder.
“You’re fucking perfect, sweetheart, especially when you’re like this,” he answered huskily.
Exasperated, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders to make it easier for him to carry her to his vehicle. Judging by his insistent grip on her body, he obviously wasn’t relenting, and he didn’t look the least bit strained from carrying her weight. “I’m fine,” she argued uselessly. “And please tell me you were joking about Beatrice matching us.”
He stopped at his SUV parked on Main Street and lowered her gently to her feet as he took the keys from his pocket and flipped the automated switch to unlock the doors. “No joke. And after the lunch you fed me today, I’m seriously considering begging you to marry me.”
She took his comment as the joke she knew it was. “That good, huh?”
“Hmm . . . yeah. I’m beginning to think Beatrice might be right on the money this time.” He opened the passenger door of the vehicle for her.
The light from his car illuminated his face, and Mara smiled back at him as she saw the teasing light in his eyes. “You’d marry me for my Maine wild blueberry cobbler?” she cajoled, playing along with him.
“And the lobster stew,” he reminded her. “Incredible stuff.”
“What about the corn bread?”
“Perfection.”
“And the coffee?”
“Better than Brew Magic,” he said emphatically, taking her by the waist and lifting her effortlessly into the plush leather seat.
“You’re such a food whore.” She burst out laughing.
“Guilty,” he admitted readily as he fastened her seat belt. “Not only was it the best I’ve ever had, but you made it for me.”
“Nobody’s ever cooked for you before?”
He shook his head as his gaze met hers. “We had a cook when we were young and at home, but it was her job. This is different. You did it just because you wanted to.”
No wonder he came into town to eat every night. Jared really didn’t know how to cook. That was incredibly ironic since he was definitely a man who loved his coffee, sweets, and food so much. Reaching out a hand, she palmed his cheek. “I’ll cook you anything you want.” She knew Jared Sinclair didn’t like to admit to any weakness, and she wasn’t going to tease him about not being able to cook. God knew he did everything else to perfection. It seemed to mean a lot to him that she’d done such a simple task for him, and her heart ached for all the little things that Jared had never had, things that told a person that someone cared about them. The starkness, the void of his life without tenderness squeezed at her heart. Sadly, she had a feeling he was right. None of the women in his life were interested in much except his money. Maybe he sought those kinds of women out, but it seemed so unfair that he was so willing to give and got nothing but a reluctant screw in return.
“You might regret saying that. What if I demand everything?”
“Then you’ll get it,” she told him stubbornly. “You deserve it.”
He speared his hand into her hair and lowered his mouth to give her a gentle but emotionally devastating kiss that took her breath away. He explored her mouth leisurely, thoroughly before finally releasing her. “My fierce little tiger. So willing to defend me, are you?”
“Until you don’t deserve it,” she answered, tilting her head to look at him.
A haunted look passed over his face before he asked, “Are you hungry?”
“I have plenty of food at home. And tons of leftover cobbler.”
He kissed her on the forehead before he straightened. “Then let’s go home.”
Mara sighed after Jared had closed the door and started moving around the car to the driver’s seat. There was nowhere she’d rather be as long as she was with Jared.
She kept the stuffed tiger in her grasp all the way back to the Peninsula, realizing that the smallest of things really did mean the most.
CHAPTER 12
The farmers’ market was a huge success that week for Mara. She ended up preparing three times as much product as she usually did, even with limited time, and sold out within a few hours. Jared worked along beside her, doing all of the lifting and moving required, making her sit her ass on the tailgate while he worked. Her ankle was getting stronger, nearly back to normal, but he was still insistent that she could reinjure it. She gave him instructions while he worked, and even though he let her do very little physical work, they managed to function as a team.
Orders from stores in town and from a few restaurants like Sullivan’s came rolling in. She and Jared made the deliveries after the farmers’ market, the profits considerably more than she’d ever seen before from her products. It wasn’t big money, but it was a positive start for her.
The trouble came the next day when she tried to give Jared half the profits.
“No,” he grumbled. “The profits can go back into the business. I don’t need or want the money. You need to pay yourself, and then put it back into the business to keep growing. The website will be up soon.”
Mara rolled her eyes as she pulled out the stitches at the seams of Kristin’s bridesmaid dress, working on the alterations it needed to fit her fuller body. They had picked it up at Kristin’s house on the way home from the farmers’ market, and the sly look her best friend gave her as she introduced Jared to Kristin hadn’t escaped her notice. Thank God Kristin hadn’t said anything. She’d simply winked at Mara as she handed her the dress.
“You have to take a fair deal, Jared.” It was well past time for them to discuss their business issues. They needed a contract soon, a business plan that was fair to him. She didn’t give a damn if he didn’t need the money. For her to feel like she’d accomplished something big, she needed it to be professionally done.
“I gave you my terms,” he reminded her, shooting her a stubborn look from his position in the recliner across from her.
They’d just finished dinner, and he was working on his laptop while she was altering her dress. Jared lingered more and more at the guest house, slowly moving some of his essentials into the residence and leaving them there. Not that she minded. The moment he left to go back to the mansion at night, she was lonely. She was getting used to his company, craved it when he was gone. It hadn’t escaped her notice that he was also slowly replacing all of her belongings with new items, bringing her a new computer that he just happened to have lying around. Not so coincidentally, it was brand-new in the box and top-of-the-line. He’d looked so pleased with himself every time he gave her something new that she hadn’t had the heart to refuse the items. And she did need them. But his thoughtfulness made her uncharacteristically weepy. No guy had ever wanted to do things for her, or anticipated her needs. It felt strangely . . . good.
However, the business was a whole different thing, and she was willing to play hardball if she had to. And she knew she was going to have to do it. “Your brother made me an offer.” Damn! She really didn’t want to play this particular card or play any games with Jared, but the stubborn man wasn’t giving her much of a choice.
“He what?” Jared questioned cautiously.
“He made me an offer to be my partner. Complete with a contract and controlling interest. If we can’t make a deal, I’m taking him up on it,” she said, trying not to look him in the eyes.
“You’re not doing business with Evan. He’s a damn shark. He’d eat you alive without a second thought,” Jared snarled. “It wouldn’t matter to him if the money was nothing to him. He’s a goddamn anal perfectionist. He’d be bossing you around every minute of the day, working you until you dropped.”
“But it would be a fair agreement. And I don’t mind working hard.”
“It would be in his favor. It always is.”
Mara shrugged. “A major investor gets controlling interest.”
“I don’t want him controlling you,” he bellowed, angry now.
“He wouldn’t be controlling me. He’d be in control of the business.”
“No.”
“Then draw up a fair contract,” Mara insisted, finally meeting his gaze unyieldingly. “This isn’t fair, Jared.” She had to be strong. This was a business deal.
“Life isn’t fair, Mara. Is it fair that monetarily I’ve always had everything and you had nothing? Is it fair that you lost your mother too damn young and spent most of your adult life taking care of her? I
s it fair that you’re so damn talented but can’t fund your own business? None of this shit is fair. For once in my life, I just want to help. Let me do it.” His stare was intense, his eyes dark with frustration.
Mara nearly caved in. Underneath Jared’s carefully constructed veneer of sophistication and coolness lay the heart of a generous man. However, she couldn’t give in to this. Jared talked tough, but she was fairly certain that many people had taken advantage of him in the past. She wasn’t going to be just another woman who used him. “Make the contracts or I walk. I understand that the money is peanuts to you, but it means something to me. It’s not ethical, and I can’t live with that.”
He scowled at her, silent for a moment before replying, “Fine. I’ll do the damn contracts. As long as you’re not doing business with my brother,” he rasped. “Happy?”
She dropped all pretense of working on the dress, letting it drop to her lap. “Yes. I’m excited about starting this business. The only thing bothering me was how unfair it was to you. I want us to be equal partners once the business gets going.”
“What woman worries about being fair to a billionaire?” Jared rumbled.
“I’m not dealing with the billionaire businessman right now. I’m dealing with somebody I care about,” she told him huskily. Knowing it was important that they put one more ghost to rest, she asked quietly, “Are you ever going to tell me about how your friends died?”
His expression turned dark as he closed his laptop and set it aside. “I killed them. I already told you that.”
“How?” Jared desperately needed to let go of his guilt and past pain, and Mara felt close enough to him to push now. And she’d do everything she could to release him from the prison he’d built for himself. She had no idea what had happened, but she didn’t have any doubt that he didn’t deserve to carry the blame that he’d carried for years. Evan had said Jared had changed after the deaths of his friends, and she wanted to see him find himself again. No matter what crap he spewed about being an asshole, deep inside, he wasn’t.