By Private Invitation (14 page)

As their harsh breathing resounded through the room, she let her head drop onto his
shoulder. He let her rest, enjoying the feel of her surrounding him, the warmth of
her.

When she sighed, her body growing heavier on him, he moved just enough to let her
know it wasn’t over.

She moaned, and he thrust harder, but the position started to take its toll on his
back.

In one fluid movement, he swung his legs to the side, still imbedded within her, then
rolled until she was on her back on the chaise.

Raising her legs to clasp him around the waist, she opened herself wider, letting
him ease deeper. Sweat broke out on his forehead as he fought back his own orgasm.
He felt it gathering in his balls, boiling in his blood, and he forced it back, shoved
it down.

Too soon. Not yet.

He froze, fingers digging into her hips. When he finally had himself under enough
control to open his eyes, he found Annabelle smiling at him.

Then she moved. More like wriggled.

Jared groaned, his head dropping into the curve of her shoulder and neck. He put his
mouth over the delicate spot where they met and bit down just enough to make her gasp.
She tightened her sheath around his cock.

She turned her head, her lips brushing against his earlobe, raising gooseflesh over
his entire body.

“Come on, Jared,” she whispered. “Move. I want you to. I dare you to. You know you
want to. I want to feel you moving inside me.”

His body took up the challenge his mind tried to ignore. He moved. And then he couldn’t
stop. The need for her, the feel of her, swamped him in a rush of pleasure so sharp,
it took his breath away.

His hips pistoned against hers, his cock shuttling in and out, the friction with each
thrust heightening the sensation.

Until he felt his balls tighten to the point of pain and he came, his body and mind
exploding in a pure adrenaline rush of sensation.

Still trying to catch her breath, Annabelle clung to Jared’s naked shoulders.

In the back of her mind, she heard a little voice screaming, “You idiot! What the
hell were you thinking?”

Well, that was pretty obvious, wasn’t it? She hadn’t been thinking.
Or she never would have let him fuck her senseless.

No, that wasn’t right. She hadn’t “let” him. She’d wholeheartedly participated in
their mind-blowing sex.

In her
shop
. Right before the interview that could push her career to the next level.

She felt a groan building in her chest, cushioned against Jared’s.

Jesus, I’m crazy. Crazy about him. No. Absolutely not.

She refused to believe that. Sure, he was great in bed…or on a chaise, as the case
may be.

But that didn’t explain why she’d practically devoured the guy.

Holy hell, the sex had been explosive. Amazing.

She still felt him lodged inside her, and she tightened around him just thinking about
it.

Above her, Jared groaned and nuzzled his nose against her shoulder.

She had to get up. She had to get him out of here before Carmen Moran showed up.

“Jared.”

Sprawled on top of her, the man gave no indication he heard her. His warm breath blew
against her neck, raising goose bumps. The heat of his body along hers made her want
to close her eyes and drift in a post-coital haze.

But she couldn’t. She gave his shoulders a shake, trying not to admire the sleek,
hard muscles under all that silky skin.

“Jared, we need to get up.”

His arms tightened around her, as if he knew she was going to try to get away.

“No, we don’t.” His voice rumbled out of his chest, fresh arousal zinging through
her veins.

God, she had to get the man out of here before she lost what few brain cells she had
left and boffed him again.

God, was she deliberately trying to sabotage her meeting?

That made her pause before she mentally shook her head. No, that wasn’t true.

“Yes, we do.” She pushed against his shoulders and this time he moved, barely enough
so he could see her.

His eyes were slits of sky blue as he stared down at her.

“Hey, babe. You okay?”

No, she wasn’t okay. She was so screwed. “What time is it?”

He frowned but grabbed his pants to look at his phone.

“Quarter of ten. You have somewhere you have to be?”

She sighed in relief. She still had fifteen minutes—

The bell over the front door rang.

Her mind blanked and a terrifying darkness yawned at the edges of her consciousness.

“Hello, Annabelle,” Teddy Walters called, his voice strangely deeper than normal.
“There’s someone here to see you.”

Oh, my God.

“Oh, my God.”

With a shove, she pushed Jared off her and scrambled to her feet. Jared hit the floor
with a loud thump, and she scowled down at him as she looked for her clothes.

“Be quiet,” she said. “They’ll hear you.”

Jared lifted an eyebrow at her as he stood, brushing off that perfectly formed, naked
ass. “Just let me pull on my pants and I’ll get rid of—”

“Oh, my God,
no
.” Her heart skipped a beat as she pulled on her underwear. She wanted to yell at
him but she had to keep her voice to a whisper. She heard Teddy and a voice that could
only be female talking in the main shop area. “Don’t even think about it, Jared. Just
stay here.”

Where the hell was her skirt and shirt? She spied her bra under the chaise and dragged
it on as hysterical laughter wanted to erupt along with an impending sense of doom.

“Belle, what—”

“Damn it, Jared.”

“Just be quiet.”

She shot him a glare meant to shut him up, but her addled brain got caught on the
sheer animal magnetism of his body. Could the man be any sexier than he looked right
now, standing naked among her erotic collection? He resembled a piece of art himself,
even with his cock spent and his watch the only thing on his body.

“Annabelle?” Teddy called again. “Are you here?”

She gasped and grabbed the first thing within reach—Jared’s jeans. She tossed them
at him, uncaring when they caught him in the face.

Her blouse. Her coat. She needed to find them. Right now.

Her skirt was within reach and she pulled that on. Her coat was by the door.
Screw it.

Doom sounded with every approaching footstep.

Behind her, she heard clothing rustle, the metallic snick of a zipper, then Jared
slipped her blouse up her arms.

His warm hands caught her shoulders and turned her so he could button the placket
of her shirt.

“You were expecting someone?”

With her brain still numb, she merely nodded as she shoved her top into her skirt
and fumbled for her shoes. She couldn’t do anything about her hair but finger-comb
it and hope to hell it didn’t look too bad.

Now, if she could just get Jared to stay hidden.

She nearly squealed in shock as he moved toward the door to the front room but caught
herself before any sound emerged.

Oh, my God, she was going to kill—

“Jared?” A female voice she didn’t recognize called out as Jared disappeared from
her sight and into full view of Teddy and whoever he’d brought into the shop. “What
are you doing here?”

“Carmen! Hey, nice to see you. How have you been?”

“Fine, I’ve been fine. How are your parents?”

Her mouth dropped open as realization shot through her when they carried on a short
conversation.

Jared knew Carmen Moran.

Well, of course he did. He collected art. It wasn’t much of a stretch to believe he’d
dealt with Carmen Moran at some point.

“I take it you’re here to see Annabelle?”

Jared’s question jolted her into action.

Shit, she needed to get out there now.

Stopping in front of the display case, she checked her reflection as best she could
before scooping her jacket off the floor and quickly buttoning it.

With one last finger-comb through her hair, Annabelle pasted on a smile, stuck out
her chin, and headed out into the fray.

Two hours later, Annabelle’s temples throbbed and she swore her face was going to
permanently freeze into this smile.

“Thank you again for taking the time to come out here, Ms. Moran. I appreciate it.”

The other woman smiled as she pulled on her overcoat and grabbed her Coach tote, holding
Annabelle’s carefully crafted resume. “I very much enjoyed meeting you and I’ll be
in touch soon.”

Probably with a “Thank you, but no thanks.”

As Annabelle closed the door behind the woman, she smiled pleasantly and waved until
Carmen started her car and drove away.

Then she released a long, pent-up sigh and wilted back against the door.

Cold air seeped into her back, making her shiver in reaction.

“Well, that sucked.”

Carmen Moran probably thought she was an idiot. She’d sounded like an idiot.

All that preparation blown to hell.

And nothing she could do about it now.

Pushing away from the door, she headed for the counter and realized the pin was no
longer there.

Drawing in a quick breath, she hurried behind the counter, thinking maybe it had dropped
behind.

“Looking for this?”

Annabelle shot straight up, gasping when she saw Jared standing in front of the door.
He must have let himself in just a second ago.

In his outstretched hand, he held the pin. “I didn’t think you’d want it lying unprotected
on the counter so I picked it up. How’d your interview go?”

Her mouth firmed and her cheeks heated with anger. “I need you to go, Jared. Tell
your grandmother I want her to have the pin and just go.”

“No. We have unfinished business.” Crossing his arms over his chest, he leaned back
against a display case, his face a cool mask.

“No, we don’t.” She spoke carefully, as if she was afraid she’d let her anger get
the better of her. “You need to go.”

Jared wasn’t going anywhere. God, she was gorgeous when she was angry, even with her
beautiful mouth pursed in a straight line. But he saw tears in her eyes and that made
his stomach churn.

Damn it, one of these days he’d put a smile on this woman’s face that would stick.

He shook his head, knowing it would anger her even more, but there was no way he was
leaving.

Walking over to her, he set the pin on the counter between them. “Why don’t we go
somewhere and talk? Do you live upstairs or is there somewhere else we can go? We
need to talk, Annabelle.”

She shook her head again and pointed at the front door. “You need to leave.”

“Sorry, not happening.” Letting his gaze roam the shop, he looked for the stairs to
the second floor. He knew she lived above the shop and she wasn’t going to get rid
of him so easily.

“Jared, what— Oh, no. Don’t you
dare
go up those steps.”

As he blatantly ignored her, he heard Annabelle huff and the sound of her angry stomps
on the stairs behind him.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

“You need a drink. Got any alcohol in this place?”

He reached the top and found himself in her living room. The décor had the look and
feel of a romantic country inn with lots of floral fabrics, chunky wood tables, and
overstuffed furniture. It felt comfortable. Like home.

Well, not his home, but it certainly fit Annabelle.

A little eclectic, a little traditional, the red velvet accent pillows on the couch
added a hint of sensuality.

Beyond the living room, he spied the kitchen through an open door and headed for it.

Behind him, he heard Annabelle reach the top of the stairs.

“I do not want a drink.” The strength was returning to her voice. “It’s barely noon,
for heaven’s sake. I want you to leave. If you don’t, I’m calling the cops.”

He reached the kitchen, which didn’t have any windows big enough for her to push him
through, so he stopped in the doorway and smiled at her. “Honey, you don’t really
want to do that. Besides, I’ve got a proposition for you.”