She stuck her hand out for a shake, the consummate professional. “We have a deal, Mr. Weston. As long as you fully understand that I haven’t done this before and am out of my area of expertise.”
“I’m certain you’ll do a great job.” He shook her hand to seal the deal. “You want to go through everything here and then see my homes, or do you want to see the homes first?”
“Let’s work here today, maybe tomorrow and then go to Dallas.”
“Fine. I’ll schedule the plane on Sunday for the flight to Dallas. Now we can enjoy the morning and each other’s company while we have breakfast.”
“Just keep it cool between us, Jared,” she said lightly and he smiled in return. “One more thing. In Dallas, I’ll stay at my home.”
“But my house is in far north Dallas. After Dad died, I sold the family home,” he explained. “I didn’t want to live there.”
“I can drive back and forth for the short time we’re there.”
He shook his head. “You’ll waste about four hours per day and slow this down. Just stay at my place.”
“Very well, but when we first get there, I want to stay with Dad so I can talk to him. He gets lonesome, and I want to see how he’s doing.”
“Sure. Come when you’re ready to go to work.”
After breakfast, Jared left on business in Austin, saying something had come up and he couldn’t make it back until five, so he would see her for dinner. Relief filled her that he would not be beside her all through the day.
What was it that he had said? It would be a lot more exciting staying with him in Dallas? She scoffed. With Jared, more excitement was exactly what she didn’t need.
* * *
Jared wanted to keep Allison happy. He wanted her to finish the job because the Tylers had one of the best companies in antiques appraisals and sales. Also, the chemistry was still there between them, and he wanted to make love to her again. And she was responsive enough that he thought it would happen. Sparks flew every time they were together.
As he worked through the day, anticipation built for the evening with Allison. She surely couldn’t expect to hold him to their all-business arrangement during the evening. Seduction might send her packing before the job was over, but a few kisses should be harmless. Besides, kisses were something they both wanted.
When he arrived at the mansion after five, he didn’t see Allison, and the door to her suite was closed, so he assumed she was dressing for their evening out.
Jared showered and dressed in charcoal slacks, a gray sport coat and left the neck of his white shirt open at the throat. By ten minutes to six, he was waiting in the library where he had told her that he would be. He was early, but he wanted every possible minute of the evening with her.
He heard the click of her heels and looked up, coming to his feet while his heart lurched in his chest.
Her sleeveless red dress clung in all the right places, some soft material that on her took his breath away. Her blond hair was caught up on both sides of her head to fall loosely in back. The red high-heeled sandals emphasized her shapely legs.
“You’re stunning, Allison. I liked working with your dad, but I have to tell you, this is a perk of dealing with Tyler Antiques and Appraisals that kills your competition.”
She smiled at him. “Somewhere in there I think is a compliment that I need to say ‘thank you’ for. If my brother even had an inkling—”
“We will totally forget your brother for tonight. Sloan never has known and doesn’t need to know now,” Jared said. “Tonight doesn’t count in our business agreement to keep things professional. You’re a big girl now, and you can make your own decisions,” he said. “Shall we go?” he asked, linking her arm in his and catching a scent of her perfume, perhaps bergamot and jasmine. She was total temptation. The air all but crackled between them when they were together in a room. Inside that staid, businesslike professional was still the flirty girl he had seduced. Hot, passionate, fascinating to him, she was a continual pull on his senses.
“For a few hours tonight I’m going to see to it that you forget your brother and all the others in your life. The only person who will be in your thoughts is me,” he said, so sure he could do what he said.
“Sloan can take care of himself,” she said as she walked beside Jared. “I’m worried about guarding my heart against the daredevil playboy friend of my brother. I know your past history too well.”
“You weren’t scared before.”
“I was younger and not as wise. Besides, you were sort of ready to run when you found out who I was. That made you even more tempting.”
“So you have an ornery streak,” he said, remembering that encounter.
“I just didn’t want my brother running my life. Not then, not now. But he doesn’t interfere badly now. He has too much going on in his own life to bother with mine. I’m just looking out for me.”
“You don’t need to have a guard up with me.”
“We shouldn’t even be going out together, and you know it.”
