She could hear Jared now, in the bathroom, getting ready. When her mother had told Jenny she’d invited him, Jenny had silently fumed. Of course her mother would invite him. Why not? She didn’t know the havoc he was wreaking on Jenny’s life, because Jenny had never told her. As far as her mother was concerned, Jared was a business partner, and that was it.
Jenny only wished that were true. Even as angry as he made her, she still found herself drawn to him more than she cared to admit.
Later, as she made her way down the stairs and with her mind still on Jared, she nearly missed the last two steps and would have fallen if Jared hadn’t reached out and grabbed her. His arms encircled her waist, and she felt the heat from his palms seep through her, warming her in places that had long grown cold.
“Sorry.” It was the first word she’d spoken to him in over a week. “It’s just—” It’s just that the sight of him in a tuxedo sucked all the air from her lungs and made her forget about something as insignificant as walking down the stairs. Jared in Levi’s and a T-shirt was dangerous; Jared in a tux was deadly.
“Just what?”
She backed out of his arms, and he seemed reluctant to drop his hands from her waist. “I didn’t see you.”
He smiled like he knew she was lying. Then he took a small step back and ran his gaze from her upswept hair down to her high-heeled shoes. Slowly. As if he had all the time in the world. His gaze paused on her cleavage, and desire flared in his dark blue eyes. “I see you,” he said simply.
“My parents will be here soon to pick me up. I think I’ll wait out on the porch.” Anywhere but right next to him, where the air all but sizzled between them.
“Your parents aren’t coming. I told them I’d drive you.” Panic hit her. Being in the same room with him was one thing. Being in the same car, another. She couldn’t stop herself from remembering their ride in Zeke’s pickup. “I think we should take separate vehicles.”
“Not a chance.”
She made a sweeping gesture down the length of her dress. “Forget it. I’m not riding on your bike.”
“I’m not expecting you to.”
“Then I don’t see—”
“Truce.”
His voice was soft and low, and when she tipped her head up and looked in his eyes, it was like drowning in the bluest of waters. Or flying high in the bluest of skies. “What?”
“A truce. Just for tonight, if that’s all you want.”
“Why?”
“Because I know tonight means a lot to your family, and I don’t want our . . . differences to ruin that for you. For any of you.”
She dropped her gaze until it landed on the black studs on his white shirt. In that instant she realized she wanted it, too. Desperately. A night where they weren’t at odds. She was nervous enough about her first big outing in almost a year. Raising her gaze back up to his, she smiled. “I’d like that very much.”
He closed the distance between them, wrapped his arms around her waist, then slipped them up her side until they were cupping the bottom of her breasts. Before she could utter a sound, he pulled her up onto her toes and next to his chest, then his mouth came down on hers. Not soft or slow, but hard and hot. The kiss was as brief as it was intense, and if Jared hadn’t been holding her, Jenny was sure she would have collapsed in a white puddle right there at the bottom of his feet.
“A kiss to seal the deal.”
She fought to regain her breath. “I thought you sealed a deal with a handshake.”
“Not us, Cotton Tail.”
Her legs still wobbly, they walked out to the Corvette. Jenny was surprised when Jared didn’t head straight to the driver’s door. “No, please.” She handed him the keys. “You drive.” She lifted her dress and showed off her stilettos. “Have you ever tried driving in these?”
“Lots of times.”
This Jared she didn’t know. The Jared who charmed and smiled and kissed her like she was the only thing in this whole world he wanted.
As they drove through Hidden Lake, Jenny pointed out landmarks. The really important ones, she jokingly told Jared. Like where she’d taken her first ballet lesson and driver’s ed class. Her favorite pizza place and