His shoulders sagging, Jared turned and made his way back to the bedroom. As if sleepwalking, he put on some clothes. He’d check the stable, though that didn’t seem like a place she’d go to.
He stepped out the front door and looked around. Nothing. “Damn,” he muttered. He turned and raced back to the bedroom. Why hadn’t he thought about checking for her luggage earlier?
He yanked the closet doors open. “Son of a bitch!” He’d thought she had more spine than this. She’d left him. That was obvious. She hadn’t even bothered leaving a note.
- o -
Kitty popped another chocolate covered cherry in her mouth. She winced. She might as well be eating sawdust. Nothing tasted right anymore, not even her favorite depression treat.
And she didn’t need a shrink to tell her she was depressed. She’d earned it. Nearly a week had passed since she’d sneaked out of the adobe ranch house in the wee early morning hours to meet the cab she’d called after Jared had fallen asleep. No, she hadn’t sneaked off. That was too grand. She’d slunk off, as if she were the most cowardly beast on earth.
She’d panicked, pure and simple. She hadn’t been able to shake the image of love on Jared’s face for Serena, but worse, for her. That look still haunted her. But her own cowardly actions haunted her even more.
She’d never had a man look at her like that before, so maybe she should forgive herself for not at first recognizing it for what it was. Jared had fallen in love with her. That he also loved Serena didn’t trouble her at all. What troubled her was…
She popped another chocolate covered cherry in her mouth and looked frantically around her kitchen. She couldn’t get away from him. They’d made love in every room of the house. She brushed her fingers over the end of the kitchen table where she’d lain while Jared had leisurely eaten her pussy as a midnight snack.
She shook her head, trying to focus clearly. She resisted the urge to ease the tension in her throbbing pussy. She pressed her palms against the table top. What troubled her most was, she couldn’t explain her own feelings.
She missed the damn guy. She’d always been able to move on quickly to another lover. She never allowed herself to look in the rearview mirror.
She missed seeing his mustache curl as he smiled. His soft drawl when he wanted to cajole. His snapping eyes when she taunted him. His being so completely at ease when he played with Savannah. His pride for his horses. His capacity for dreaming for the future. His apparent effort to satisfy her in every way possible.
Kitty bit into another cherry and set it aside half eaten. She shivered and hugged herself. Jared had even provided her with a second cock. She licked her lips. What else would she ever want?
Even watching the men with Serena was enormously provocative and satisfying. What did Serena make of her abrupt departure? Had Serena ever experienced the kind of fear that threatened to consume?
Kitty remembered the love so evidently portrayed on Serena’s face encouraging her men to love her. A wave of jealousy swept through her. Kitty slumped at the kitchen table trying not to shake. Her efforts proved useless. She quaked and sobbed.
She pressed her forehead against the tabletop, letting her body have its way. She drifted, trying to find the next breath. Images floated behind her closed eyelids.
You don’t deserve to be loved. It was the voice of her father.
“You’re wrong, Daddy. I do deserve to be loved. And I want to love.”
She blotted out the picture of her enraged father. The image of two couples making love on Jared’s living room carpet came into focus. She grinned and sighed. More images came into view: images of hurriedly claiming each other that first time in her entryway; images of riding Jared on the western saddle; images of watching them in his bedroom mirrors as he took her ass after giving her a thorough spanking.
Kitty jerked up abruptly and dug her fists into her eyes. Could it be? As she’d replayed that scene she’d watched in the mirrors, she saw the same kind of adoration and love reflected on her face as she’d seen on his and on Serena’s.
“Holy shit,” she murmured. Her nipples strained hard against her robe.
Standing, she ignored everything but her dilemma. This was not a time to be sidetracked.
She’d blown it badly. She paced, gulping in air, wishing she could turn back the clock. Had Jared already moved on? He hadn’t reached out to her, but she’d hardly expected him to. He wouldn’t beg.
She wasn’t into groveling either, but if what she was feeling really was real, she’d better figure out some way to regain his attention. She knew far too well that opportunities for real love were rare.
Kitty felt her body hum as she switched gears from berating herself to devising a plan to make things right with Jared. She couldn’t risk simply showing up on his doorstep again. Having him slam the door in her face could be too devastating—even for her.
Kitty stopped pacing. He’d caught her attention initially by sending her roses, and then they’d gone through a gift exchange that culminated in his coming to Chicago.
She inhaled deeply. It was worth a try. She’d find a gift he couldn’t ignore.
- o -
Looking at his travel schedule for the following week, Jared tried to feel some excitement. He always enjoyed Zurich. Maybe what he needed was an understanding Swiss woman. He could always tack on an extra week and fly to Amsterdam. He grimaced. Would Maya be particularly understanding? She’d probably demand to know why he was sitting on his hands if he’d finally found the woman he wanted to spend his life with. She’d question his pride.
“Pride,” Jared grunted. This wasn’t about pride. Kitty had slithered off into the dark to escape him. That was that. He wouldn’t chase of after her—no matter what Maya thought or even what Serena thought.
He glanced toward his open office door. Serena had been staring darts at him ever since Kitty left, as if it was his fault or somehow within his power to make things right again for all of them.
He did not have a magic wand. There had been no word at all from Kitty explaining her actions, apologizing, or anything else.
Jared stood. He was so damn tired of replaying every word the two of them had ever exchanged. He needed to move on and put her behind him. Hopefully, his European trip would help. Right now the best thing to do was ignore his feelings and everyone else. He’d go saddle up his favorite mare and head out across the range. That might prove good for what ailed him.
He stepped into the outer office and quickly realized escape wasn’t going to be that easy. Serena stood at one of the file cabinets rifling through papers. Instead of wearing her usual pullover and jeans, she had on a short skirt and a blouse open nearly to her navel.
Jared glared at his personal assistant, who likely believed she knew how to cure him of his blues.
“She’s been gone over a week, Jared. Don’t you think it’s about time for you to stop moping around here like a lost puppy?” The redhead came to stand before him. She held his gaze steady as she undid the top two buttons of his shirt.
“I can help,” she murmured. “You know I can. Seth and I are both worried for you.” She reached between them to encourage his semi-hard cock.
He shook his head and took a step back. “Don’t,” he said, grasping her wrists.
“Why?”
Serena’s pain cut through him.
“Why are you rejecting me—me and Seth? We were happy before she came here. We can be happy again. Can’t we?”
Jared tried not to respond to his long-time lover, now sticking her tongue out at him. Reluctantly he pulled her into his arms and buried his nose in her hair. She hugged him tight. He grabbed her butt to keep her from grinding against his crotch.
“Don’t,” he whispered. “I’m not rejecting you and Seth. I never will. You must know that. I’m just not ready yet.” He lifted her skirt with one hand and popped her bare bottom with the other.
She jerked back in surprise.
“Now,” he said,
lifting her chin and brushing his lips across hers. “Be a patient girl. I’ll come around. Probably by the time I get back from Europe I’ll have her out of my system.”
“Maybe you should be going to Chicago instead of Europe,” Serena snapped. “I’ve never seen you like this before. Kitty marked you good.”
Serena turned back to her desk and Jared headed for the exit, but she had one more parting shot. “On second thought, I don’t want you fucking me until you’re straight with Kitty—one way or another.” She scowled. “And I doubt dashing off to Europe will resolve anything.”
Two hours later Jared stalked toward his office. His ride had cleared his mind some and he was about to straighten out his assistant who was so determined to be the guardian of his heart. He’d toyed with the idea of laying her across her desk and proving her very wrong about not wanting to fuck him, but then that might be what she wanted. Even though he’d known Serena much longer than he’d known Kitty, he didn’t think either woman was transparent when they wanted to remain mysterious.
Instead, he’d tell Serena to butt out. He knew what it’d take to put Kitty behind him. The European trip was the medicine he needed. Maybe he wouldn’t stop over in Amsterdam. The twin blondes he’d known in Brussels might be a better option. They’d be happy to see him and wouldn’t be at all interested in prying into his personal life. In that regard, they’d be much more reliable than Maya.
He slammed the office door loudly behind him. Serena didn’t flinch. She gave him a broad smile, as if she hadn’t just bitched at him a couple hours earlier, and pointed toward his open office doorway.
“Before you try chewing on me,” she said, batting an eyelash, “you may want to check out your mail. I left it on your desk.”
“Don’t go anywhere,” he groused. “I still owe you a piece of my mind.”
She shrugged. “I don’t care, though I’d rather have you chewing me out. Maybe you’ll think differently in a few minutes.”
Jared stalked past his desk and on into his office, slamming that door behind him. He’d had about enough of her—of all women, for that matter.
He scowled down at the package on his desk. Immediately he recognized the handwriting and the address.
He sighed and slouched down in his desk chair. Should he open it? Was this a parting gift? He shook his head and glanced quickly at the door. How long would Serena wait before barging in?
Cautiously, he opened the package—A Pictorial Guide to the Kama Sutra. “What the hell?”
There was no card. He opened the book cover and read the inscription.
Hi sunshine man,
Sorry for my abrupt departure, but I needed space and time. As you can see, I’ve been doing some profound reading of late. Looks like we may have unfinished business. We didn’t get around to half the possibilities described here.
Is it too late for more adventures?
KP
Jared flipped through the pages of intertwined lovers. He smiled at several pictures thinking how easily he and Kitty could have been the photographer’s subjects. He eyed others closely, realizing Kitty was right. They hadn’t nearly explored all the possibilities.
Unfinished business. He tapped his finger on the book. So Kitty was willing to take another step or two with him. He sniffed the air, trying to inhale her scent that must cling to the book. Would she really want more adventure when she discovered the stakes? This time he’d settle for no less than all of her—body and soul. He’d accept no less, because she already had his.
He started to get up to tell Serena to cancel his European trip when she entered his office without knocking. He grinned. Shouldn’t he be more annoyed with his assistant for intruding?
Serena flashed a broad smile. “Looks like you’re coming back to life. So what did she send this time?”
Jared shoved the book toward her.
Serena flipped through the pages. “This seems rather straghtforward.” She giggled and pointed at a page. “And look at this, a woman with two guys. Kitty is sending a message loud and clear.”
“Check out the next page. Two women and a guy.” Jared smirked at Serena’s scrunched features.
“I’m sure she didn’t want to deface the book by ripping out a page.” She leveled a glare at him. “So what’s next? The ball appears to be in your court.”
He shrugged, but she wasn’t having anything to do with his feigned nonchalance. “I haven’t decided yet. But when I do, everything will be on the line. I won’t settle for less than marriage.”
Serena chuckled and leaned across the desk to kiss his forehead. “That sounds more like our Jared. Do you want me to cancel your European reservations?”
He shook his head. “I’ll let you know.”
“I’ve already routed them through Chicago—just in case.”
He straightened. “I’m not flying direct?”
She withdrew slightly. “I just said I have you connecting in Chicago.”
“Great. Are all women as conniving as you and Kitty?”
“You,” she said, looking demure, “probably have experience with more women than I do.”
“Don’t try looking so innocent. It doesn’t become you.” Jared tapped his fingers on his desk. “And if I can convince her to marry me, that doesn’t mean Kitty will want a repeat performance like we had in my living room.”
“I’m not worried.” Serena drew herself up on her toes. “Maybe I know Kitty better than you do in some ways. If she agrees to marry you, it’ll probably be on the condition that she still has access to two cocks. She strikes me as a woman as fond of two cocks as I am. And,” she wet her lips, “she and I have an agreement. If I share Seth’s cock with her, I get to share my pussy with you. That’s a bargain you can count on, lover. Don’t assume otherwise. You won’t be able to keep her entirely to yourself.”
“That’s fair, I suppose, because I’ll never give you up entirely.”
Serena smirked. “I know that,” she said softly. “All kidding aside, so does Kitty. She wouldn’t be sending you that book if she thought otherwise.”
He nodded and glanced back down at the book, open to the picture of a woman sandwiched between two guys. He didn’t doubt Serena’s assessment of Kitty. Kitty had nearly said the same thing when they were together in Chicago. Wasn’t that why he’d introduced her to Seth?
He glanced back up at Serena. “Why don’t you go do something useful? I’ve got some serious thinking to do.” He scrunched his mouth. “I’ll let you know about the reservations when I’ve made up my mind.”
“Okay boss,” Serena quipped. “Just don’t take too much time. We don’t know how long Kitty will wait.”
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Two days later, Kitty stared in disbelief at the contents of the package that had arrived at her house. There was no card. The return address was Jared’s.
She tried to steady her breathing as she flipped through the real estate guide for Jared’s region in the San Diego foothills. She felt her eyes widen as she saw some of the prices. She’d thought she was quite jaded by high real estate prices, but the possible commissions on those California properties boggled her mind. No doubt that was Jared’s plan.
She set the guide aside and gingerly lifted the blue and white garter, as if it might burn. She brought it to her nose slowly and sniffed it. Jared didn’t have to enclose a card. His intentions were obvious—blue and white garters were for brides. She’d never had the chance to wear one.
Kitty fought the urge to get up and flee from her house. Where would she run? She wanted to explore more possibilities with him—and with Serena and Seth—but he wasn’t accepting that. He wanted it all. She’d thought about those next steps, but not about taking them now.
She’d have to respond, but how? She couldn’t ignore the feeling of being cornered. Should she pick up the phone and clarify what she wanted? That assumed she knew what she wanted.
Would he call her?
Should she fly to San Diego?
Was he already on a plane to Chicago?
What would she do if he rang the doorbell right now? She swallowed hard. She knew what she’d do. She’d hug him fiercely and drag him upstairs to her bed, if they could make it out of the entryway.
But she had no clue what to say to him.
The following morning, Kitty skipped breakfast and drove to the track, where Rebecca had agreed to meet her for coffee. The woman hadn’t hesitated to join her, and Kitty had surprised herself when she realized how soothing the track had become for her.
She glanced up from her coffee to see Rebecca staring at her with a twinkle and a twinge of sadness. Kitty no longer felt particularly soothed.
“So you finally found your man?” Rebecca traced the rim of the coffee mug. “I’m pleased for you. Why don’t you look more pleased?”
“I didn’t say Jared was my man,” she huffed, feeling her cheeks warm.
“You didn’t have to say it in so many words. It shows. Lawrence will be happy for you, too.”
“I didn’t say I was going to marry the guy.” Exasperated, Kitty rapped her fingers on the table and gulped her coffee. She set the cup back down and couldn’t avoid the tremble in her fingers. “You’ve been married twice.”
“And happily both times, and I still owe you for introducing me to Lawrence.”
“How did you know?” Kitty hesitated and inhaled. “How did you know you were making the right decision to marry?”
“Ah. I never thought I’d see the day that confident Kitty Paige might get cold feet.” Rebecca chuckled. “It’s perfectly normal. I did with both my husbands.”
“You did?”
“Uh, huh. Marriage is a risky business.”
“I agree with that.”
Rebecca raised her palm. “Let me finish. Marrying was a risk. I’ll never deny that. I weighed my feelings and his. I tried to imagine our lives together.” She cocked her head to the side. “It wasn’t difficult to imagine my life without marrying.”
The Best Man Page 17