THE CRITIC (12 page)

Not attracted to her, he’d told her.  Man, what a lie.  Since meeting her everything about his life had revolved around her and the writers he professed to hate.

Now instead of avoiding them, he joined them.  Jared smiled at the women.  He was beginning to believe the women really did possess magical powers.  He couldn’t wait to find out what happened next.

Jared gave into his urges and smiled at Toreas. Not attracted to her, his behind.  This woman was making him break all his rules. She was too tiny. She was a bossy little loudmouth. She was a prude, and the worst thing of all, she was a romance writer.

And he wanted her.  God help him, he wanted her.

Chapter
Ten

Toreas woke with one of the worst headaches she could ever remember having.  She looked at her alarm clock and groaned.  How had she managed to sleep until ten?

Jared Stone.  That’s how.  After invading the meeting and becoming a member, he’d had the audacity to follow them to the restaurant they went to after each meeting.

Of course nothing would do but for him to sit right next to her, holding court.  All the women had started listening to him, liking his ideas for their books.

Toreas didn’t know if his ideas were any good or not.  She’d been unable to pay attention.  His hand had kept brushing her thigh.  He kept saying sorry, but somehow Toreas didn’t think it was a mistake.

She felt humiliated.  He’d told her to her face he didn’t want her, yet she found herself hoping he’d touch her again.

She’d been unable to eat her mozzarella sticks. The hard breading had caught in her throat and she’d coughed. Jared had smiled at her and held out her glass of water.

When she could take it no longer, she got up abruptly, scraping her chair against the hardwood floor in her haste.  Jared stood and she looked at him.

Before she had a chance to say a word he gave not only a reasonable but plausible explanation.

“Toreas, it’s late and even though Kelle has taught you how to defend yourself, you shouldn’t leave alone.  I’ll walk you to your car.”

What could she say?  It made sense and besides, Becca was frowning at her.  If allowing Jared to walk her to her car would get her back in their good graces then she’d go along with it.

Toreas swung her legs over the side of the bed.  “Liar,” she said to the wall.  She couldn’t deny enjoying the feel of Jared’s hand on her arm as they’d left together.

He’d stood as her sentry while she unlocked the car door.  When she turned to get in, brushing against him, he was staring down at her as if he wanted to kiss her as much as she wanted him to.

It must have had something to do with the full moon that had been shining down on them.  He wasn’t attracted to her.  He’d said so.  And she wasn’t attracted to him.  She only wanted him for research.

Still, she couldn’t deny the quickening of her pulse when he looked into her eyes.  She’d barely mumbled a thank you, wondering how she would actually get into her car without touching him again. He was standing that close.

At the last instant Jared moved slightly, just enough so that she could enter the vehicle. “Good night, Toreas.  I’ll see you soon.”  He’d managed to make it seem like they’d had a date.  Darn him for making her want him.  If only she hadn’t come up with that crazy proposal.

She got in her car and was about to say goodnight when she stopped. Jared was cocking his head sideways, observing her with a critical eye.

“That’s a really ugly outfit you have on.”  He’d smiled then and walked back into the restaurant.

And that’s why Toreas had woken with a headache. Jared was right.  What was she supposed to do now?  She would be seeing him often.  All her clothes looked the same.  Would this be what she had to look forward to at every meeting, not only a critique of her work but a critique of her clothes?

She needed some coffee. She’d put it on, then go brush her teeth and take a shower.  Then maybe she could cope with the morning and her memories of last night.

Just as she finished filling the pot with water, there was a knock on her door. It had to be one of her neighbors. Her building was secure and no one could get in without first being buzzed in. She went to the door intending to open it just a crack.

Toreas reached for the doorknob and stopped, checking the peephole instead.  It couldn’t be.  Jared Stone.  What was he doing at her house and how the heck did he know where she lived?  How did he get in?

Her thoughts were coming in a jumble. She hadn’t even brushed her teeth, she couldn’t let him in.

“Good morning, Toreas, is that your eye I see peeping out at me?”

She turned from the door and fell against it. “Why are you here?”

“I need your help with my book.”

“Your book?  When did you start a book?”

“Last night when I went home.”  He was touching the door, peeping back at her.  “Can’t we talk about this inside?  I feel rather silly talking to you through this door.”

He was right.  She was feeling a bit silly herself.  She opened the door and stepped way back into the room, backing as far from Jared as she could get.

“Listen, I haven’t showered. I just got out of bed a few minutes ago.”

He arched an eyebrow in her direction.  “Are you naked under there?”  He watched as she blushed.  “After our discussion on sleeping together, I don’t think my comment inappropriate.  Do you?”

He had the nerve to be smiling at her in that sexy way he had about him.  His brown eyes, if she didn’t know better, were tinged with desire, but that couldn’t be.  He didn’t want her.  Toreas decided to ignore his comment.

“I’ll be out in ten minutes.”

“Take your time,” Jared answered.  “Mind if I have a cup of coffee?”

“Why didn’t you have your coffee before you came here?” Toreas mumbled over her shoulder as she headed for her bedroom and the shower. Her answer was anything but polite. She almost stopped in her tracks in disbelief at her actions. She who’d been raised to always show Southern hospitality.  Even after she moved to Chicago she’d held on to those Southern traditions. She stopped in her tracks before turning to face Jared. She hunched her shoulder and tried for a smile. “I’m sorry, Jared. I tend to be evil before I’ve had my morning coffee. Sure, as soon as it’s ready, feel free to help yourself.”

There were a dozen questions Toreas wanted to ask Jared, but he had her at an extreme disadvantage. He’d shown up on her doorstep clean and sexy and, she, why she looked worst than usual.

Toreas brushed her teeth while adjusting the shower. Her body and hair were squeaky clean in under five minutes. Her head was crowded now with not only the voices of God and her father but the entire congregation and the hallelujah choir to boot. And for what?  Letting Jared in?

Toreas hastily pushed the clothes aside in her closet.  Jared’s comment from the night before was still stinging. She looked over her clothes and groaned. She didn’t own anything pretty.

Since her parents and her meager savings were financing her two years to give her as yet unsuccessful writing career a try, she had been extremely frugal with money.

Toreas looked at the torn and faded jeans at the very back of her closet.  She used those for working around the house.  Another glance at her clothes and the torn jeans looked better.  She didn’t want Jared to tell her again her clothes were ugly.  She was already aware of what he thought of her.

Toreas walked back into her kitchen feeling uncomfortable in her own apartment as she noticed Jared had made himself quite at home.  He was drinking coffee and had several pieces of paper spread out in front of him.

She planted herself in front of him.  “Why are you here, Jared?”

He looked her over, noticing her still wet hair.  There were ebony ringlets curling around her ears and forehead.  He liked knowing that she’d not bothered to use a dryer.  He liked the way the droplets of water sparkled on hair that had grown at least two inches in the month since he’d first met her.

“I already told you.”  He pointed down at the papers on the table.  “I started my romance novel last night.  I want you to read it.”

He saw her eyes straying toward the table despite the frown on her face. He knew she was curious. “Becca said you would help. Remember?”

“Listen, Jared, Becca’s not the one you’ve been constantly lying to and humiliating on your show.  You said you weren’t taping our conversation.”  Her frown deepened as she looked at the clock.

“Shouldn’t you be at work?  Or is that the reason?  You’re here to spy on me for your show?”

He looked at her hard, his eyes narrowing, and she thought she saw a tiny spark of anger in them and wondered why.

He took another sip of his coffee, then raised his body to reach the pot for a refill.  “I no longer have a job.”

Toreas found herself staring at him. “Why?”  She didn’t dare hope that it had anything to do with her.  She closed her palm and waited.

“I didn’t lie to you about taping our conversation.  And I wasn’t the one who aired it.”

“You said you were on your cell phone.”  She was not going to believe him this easily.  “How could they tape a cell phone?”

“I don’t know.  Josh once asked to use my phone. I don’t know if he inserted a bug. I don’t know how it was done. I just want you to know this time I kept my promise to you.”

Jared brought his eyes up to meet hers.  He could feel his heart pounding.  Why was it important that she think well of him?  He watched the emotions flashing across her face and knew she still didn’t trust him, not fully.

“You can search me.”  He stood and moved toward her, his arms raised in the air in a gesture of surrender. “I have nothing to hide.  You’ve won, Toreas Rose.  You beat me.”

He was only inches from her face.  Her lips were trembling. He could see that easily and she must have put something that smelled amazingly like wildflowers in her hair. 

At least she uses scented shampoo,
he thought, resisting the urge to kiss her, wanting to focus on something trivial.

“I don’t want to search you, Jared,” Toreas whispered softly. She wanted to, and she wanted to back away from him at the same time.  He was making her crazy. “Why are you saying I won?”

“You wanted me gone from the station.  I slugged my boss and walked out.”

His eyes were holding hers and this time there was desire hidden beneath the smoke. “You did this because of me?” Toreas asked.

“I did this because of me.” Jared tilted his head and smiled at her. “And because of my promise to you. I don’t give promises easily. When I do I try to the best of my ability to keep them.”  He smiled again. 

“Had I known about your proposition in advance I might not have been so hasty.  Our ratings would have shot through the roof.”

He backed away from her.  If he didn’t, he would ravish her then and there without her permission and definitely without her silly questionnaire.  No, they were both safer if he moved.

Jared saw Toreas smiling, and he could tell she was trying not to.  But for once he had done something to please her.  An unexpected jolt of pure joy hit him in the chest.

He went back to his seat at the table.  He only wanted to bed the woman once, maybe twice. Okay, make it three or four times, no more.

Jared groaned inwardly as he stared at Toreas. Why was she becoming his obsession? When he’d imagined himself in love with Gina he’d never felt this tremendous lightness that he felt just being in Toreas’s presence.  He didn’t know what it was with this obnoxious, annoying little woman, but she was sure managing to keep him hotter than hell.

He watched her as she sat and gingerly picked up one of the papers with his handwritten scrawl and began to read.

Last night
I met the most annoying woman with dark brown eyes that shoot fire. She was nothing to look at, well, at least at first glance, with the exception of her eyes and her soft, luscious lips. And she was rude as hell, but for some unfathomable reason I’ve become irretrievably intrigued by her.

Toreas put down the paper, trying not to blush, not knowing if Jared meant the words on the paper for her or if he was merely teasing, not knowing if the words were an insult or a compliment.

“So how is it?” Jared asked. “Do you think I show promise as a writer?”

Toreas couldn’t help smiling back at Jared. He was smiling at her in such a seductive manner that he was making her breathless with wanting.  She glanced again at his paper.

If he were talking about her, he had again insulted her.  He didn’t want her, he’d told her so himself. He thought her clothes were ugly and now he thought she was nothing to look at.  Why on God’s green earth would she want him?

“It’s fine, Jared.  You’ve got a good beginning, but you need more than a paragraph to make a book.”  She smiled at him again.  “Writing bad reviews and trashing a writer’s work in public is one thing. There are thousands of critics who think they can do any book better than the author who wrote it. I believe you’re going to find it’s a lot harder to write an entire novel than you think. I’m glad you’re going to try. At least if it does nothing else, you’ll soon find out this isn’t an easy job.”

He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he sat watching her. “Can I read one of your love scenes?” She was about to say no and he sensed it. “Won’t you show me how it’s done?”

Toreas sighed loudly, getting up from the table. Her mind was on a love scene all right, but not the one she’d written.  Darn Becca anyway. And darn
ARW for not believing in violence.

She snatched the last page from her printer bed knowing it contained her most erotic scene to date.  She slid into the chair and handed the paper over.

The pads of his fingers touched the back of her hand and she drew away feeling that delicious shiver she’d longed for. And now she was afraid of what would come next.
She’d given up on the idea of seducing him. Or rather, he’d rejected it out of hand
.