Page 12 of One Texas Night...
“If we stick to business, I won’t be.”
“I’m having some trouble with that.”
“Then...think of Sloan. Anything.”
At the mention of her brother, Jared stepped back a fraction. “The last thing on my mind right now is your brother,” he said in a raspy voice.
As Jared stepped farther away, she also put a few feet between them. She should feel relieved. But her heartbeat still raced, and she wanted to go back to flirting with him, to kissing, to making love again.
She moved automatically, getting dishes to set the table, pouring juice for them while he scrambled eggs. She dropped bread into the toaster, but her thoughts were still on Jared, her gaze running down the length of him when his back was turned. Desire shook her, and vivid images tormented her.
She promised herself she would work as efficiently as possible to get this job wound up so she could get away from the temptation.
Finally she sat across from him, too aware of each brush of their fingers as they passed dishes back and forth until they both had plates with toast and fluffy scrambled eggs.
“I’ve been thinking about it, and what I’d like to do is take you to see my homes in Dallas and Wyoming, and then you can help me decide what to put in them. How about that?”
Surprised, she paused, lowering her orange-juice glass to the table. “Once again, I’ll say that’s out of my area of expertise.” However, she couldn’t help thinking how much more her family business would make if she did what Jared was asking.
She hedged, saying, “I think for a task like that, you need a professional decorator.”
“I don’t want a decorator. I want your opinion on these old things. You know what’s valuable and what isn’t. You’ll know where furniture and art will fit and where it won’t. And by fit, I mean look right. You have good taste, or you wouldn’t be in this business.”
“But that’s all it would be. My taste. My opinion.”
“I understand, and that’s what I want. I trust your judgment on this.”
“You don’t even know me, and you’ve never seen where I live. You don’t know my tastes.”
“Yes, I do. I know Sloan. I know your dad. I know what the house you grew up in looks like. I have great faith in you on this matter.”
“Thank you for the vote of confidence,” she remarked drily. “Let me think about it. That’s a whole different job from what I’m doing now.” It also meant being with him at least three times longer than she would be if she refused to accept the job. Could she work that closely with him that much longer?
“If it helps make up your mind, I will triple the amount I’m paying you now.”
She gazed at him in silence, still debating what to do. If she could resist Jared’s charm, the job would be a boon for their business. And it would make her father happy—as long as she didn’t get involved with Jared.
“You’re worried about us getting involved, I know. We’re adults, and we can avoid it if that’s what you want.”
She kept her voice even, though her pulse was racing again. “Avoiding an affair is definitely what I want, and that’s the stumbling block here.”
“Seems simple to me. Just keep it all business.”
“Since when have you kept anything all business with me?” she couldn’t keep from asking, biting back a laugh, which made him smile in return.
“With only minor exceptions, I think I’ve been doing a grade-A job of sticking to business. For a few minutes I can show you the difference, and then you’ll agree with me.”
“I already know the difference, so stick to business.”
“And that’s what you want?” he asked. He sat back in his chair, one foot propped on his other knee. He looked relaxed, as if pleased with the way things were going between them. For all his carefree manner, he was paying close attention to whatever she said.
“Definitely.”
“Somehow I get the feeling—”
“Definitely, Jared,” she repeated, more slowly.
She wanted an impersonal relationship, and she wanted his business. For triple her fee, she’d take the risk.
