THE CRITIC (20 page)

For the first time in two weeks Jared felt like smiling. “Don’t worry, I’m not out to hurt her.”  When he saw that doubt remained on in Liz’s eyes, he shook his head and gave her the peace sign.  “I promise.”

“Then why are you so angry with her?  What did she do?”

She didn’t trust me
.  He smiled at Liz, wishing he could tell her what he was thinking but it wouldn’t be fair to Toreas.  “I’m not angry with her, Liz, and I’m not going to hurt her. I just want to know if she’s going to the conference.”

“Yes, she’s going and you’d better keep your word.  Why are you always lying to her?  Why did you tell her you quit your job?  Are you still working on using our group for a story?”

He smiled, then laughed out loud.  “That’s an awfully lot of questions.”  He glanced at his watch.  “I’ll only answer one, the last one,” he said pointedly.  “I’m not using the group for a story.”

He walked away then before Liz could have a chance to question him further. Now he knew why he wasn’t married. Women could talk you to death.

So why did he want Toreas Rose?  He must be crazy. Perhaps he should volunteer for a complete lobotomy while it was still his choice.

The rest of the week before the conference seemed to crawl by. Jared attempted to talk himself out of going to the conference; the excuse that Lisle was almost an hour from
Chicago was flimsy at best. Besides, he knew he wanted to go if for nothing more than to see Toreas. By the Friday night of the conference Jared felt as if he were dancing on hot coals.  He was determined that this weekend, things would get settled between him and Toreas, regardless of the outcome.

He stood in the Lisle Hyatt at the bottom of the stairs near the table where the attendees checked in.  He spotted her immediately because of the bulky coat.

Jared felt his heart skip a beat.  The coat made her seem small and defenseless.  He had the feeling she was trying to hide from the world. The second week of November and she was outfitted for a trek through the Andes.  She flipped the scarf from her hair and it was once again straight. He’d have to tell her how he thought she looked even more beautiful when she washed her hair and allowed it to dry into an afro.

His eyes slid down her body, noting she had returned to the bulky thrift store look.  Brown cords two sizes too large topped by a man’s tan sweater.  This one, the both of them could have worn and easily fit in an extra person.

When she turned toward him, their eyes connected and nothing else mattered.  He wanted her.  His body was tingling strangely. Jared looked steadily at Toreas. She was the reason for his tingling.

“Hi, Toreas.”

“Hello, Jared.”

Her voice was stiff and polite.  He smiled at her, hoping to prompt her into smiling in return.  Nothing.

Toreas bit her lip and counted silently to ten.  She had known he was coming.  Liz had called on Wednesday to warn her.  Too bad she’d been unable to warn her how she would feel seeing him.

“Can we talk?”

“Sure.”  She looked over his head.  “We’re friends, remember?”

Jared ignored her sarcastic comment as he slid his hand under her right elbow and turned her toward a quieter corner.

“I didn’t lie to you.”  Her eyes bored into him, causing him to amend his statement.  “I did quit, but Derrick asked me to come back.  I was going to tell you.”

“When did you get your job back?”

He hesitated, not wanting to say it out loud.  “Will you promise to hear me out?”

Silence.

“Toreas, give me a chance here.”  Nothing.  He knew what she wanted. “When I went home the first day I had dinner with you, I found a message from Derrick. I called and got my old job back.”

“Why didn’t you just tell me the truth?”  She smacked her hand lightly against the side of her head. “Truth, I’m sorry, I forgot you don’t know the meaning of that word.”

He’d promised himself he wasn’t going to get angry, but she had a way of making him do things he would never have conceived of doing before she entered his life.

In one swift movement he had a firm grasp of her right hand in his own and pulled her to him.  Before she had a chance to protest he was kissing her, tasting what had been denied him.

He felt her attempting to pull away at first. Then she stopped struggling and he felt her arms tightening around his middle.

He had won.  Then and there he knew all he had to say was that he wanted her and she’d be in his hotel room before he finished the sentence. Damn her anyway. Why couldn’t she just admit that she wanted him as much as he wanted her, that she was as in love with him as he was with her? But she wasn’t going to say it and Jared was damned if he would say the words only to have her throw them back in his face. Two could play Toreas’s game. He could be just as stubborn as she could. It would serve her right.
But it’s punishing me,
he thought as he felt the quick jerk of his flesh in his pants. Still, it was time he took control of this situation.

It actually surprised Jared that instead of wooing Toreas he was scolding her when the kiss ended. “Truth. Toreas Rose, it seems as if I’m not the only one who doesn’t know the meaning of the word.  Why can’t you admit that you care? Your kiss just now told me that you care. Why don’t you just tell me how you feel about me? You’re a little hypocrite who wants to beat me over the head with everything I say to you, dissecting it to see if it’s true.”

“What makes you think I care?” Toreas was glancing over his shoulder.  She spotted Liz and Wendy watching her and knew they’d seen the kiss.

“I kiss men all the time, Jared. This kiss was nothing special.” She walked away from him, grateful to run into one of the highest paid male cover models, John Cain, who was also a friend.

Toreas squealed as John picked her up and squeezed her in a bear hug. Usually when he would attempt to pick her up Toreas would stop him with a stern look and a finger or two wagged in his face.

Now with Jared watching she allowed John to hold her close to his body.  His lips were all over her neck and face. When she felt the blush of embarrassment creeping up on her, Toreas ducked her head into John’s massive chest, trying to prevent Jared from seeing she was uncomfortable.

***

Jared closed his eyes trying, to remember how to swallow.  For a moment he flashed back and it was Gina he saw in the arms of a hunky male model.  He tried to walk away but his legs refused to follow the commands of his brain.

He was face to face with the man, breathing in the strong scent of garlic emanating from his mouth.  How could Toreas stay in his arms?

“Put her down. Now.”
He waited two seconds for him to comply, then forcibly removed Toreas from his arms and placed her on the floor behind him. “The lady is with me,” Jared growled, blocking Toreas’s body with his own, waiting for the man to complain.

When the cover model looked at him and grinned, Jared frowned and flexed his muscles. “Do you have any problems with me?” Jared flexed his muscles again and rolled his neck forward preparing to defend what was his.  Whether she knew it or not, Toreas was his.

When the man smiled a crooked smile in his direction and walked off, Jared stared after him for a second.  The guy probably didn’t want to mess up his pretty face. With fierce possessiveness, Jared continued watching the man until he’d turned the corner of the lobby and was no longer visible.

Then Jared turned his attention to Toreas who wasn’t looking in the least bit intimated.  “What the hell was that all about?” he asked.

“You mean John?  He’s a friend, same as you.”  She attempted to walk away but Jared’s strong hand held her in place.

“Toreas, I’m too old to play these juvenile games.  I want you.”  Jared looked at her knowing what she wanted to hear, but he was still too angry with her to give it. “I’m attracted to you.  There, now are you satisfied?”

“Sure, Jared.  What woman wouldn’t be with a compliment like that?  How could I not be flattered?”

She was smiling at him.  One of those smug smiles that made him want to kiss her senseless.  She was patronizing him, baiting him, and he could feel the blood rushing through him, filling him with desire.

“Let’s get through this conference.  Then we need to do some serious talking. If we’re going to be in a relationship then we need to set some ground rules. No more lying and no more of you allowing guys to paw all over you in public place.

“Should I allow them to do it in private?”

“Not unless it’s me. Look, I want to be in a relationship with you. We can figure out later if it will work. If not, we cut our losses and run. At least we would have tried. Anyway, when this damn conference is over the two of us are going to finish what we started months ago. Make no mistake about that.”

“Exactly what are you talking about?” Toreas asked sternly.

“Stop that nonsense, Toreas, and stop glaring at me.  You can’t frighten me away. When this is over I’m going to make love to you until we both are so tired that we can do nothing but sleep.”

“And if I don’t want to?”

“Liar,” he said softly. “Would you like for me to show you how much you don’t want to?” He glanced at her lips, then allowed his eyes to travel over her body until the telltale blush of red showed through her brown skin and obliterated the pigments. “Admit it, Toreas, you’re a liar. You still want me to make your eyes roll back in your head. And I still want to taste you to find out if everything about you tastes like strawberries. I plan to make sure that you have several orgasms our first time out.” She was blushing but not telling him to stop. He had his answer. And darn it he was even going to give her the answers that she’d demanded. He was leaving nothing to chance. When he made love to her, she would be ready completely. No silly barriers or unanswered questions would keep them apart this time. He’d taken care of everything. It was time for Toreas Rose to know that she belonged to him and no other, just as he belonged to her.

“Jared, you sound like some small time pimp. You can’t give me orders and have me obey them. Are you crazy? Look, this isn’t a romance story. This is my life, my real life. And I don’t take orders from anyone, especially a man. Get that straight.”

Jared lifted her chin with his finger and looked into her eyes. “Would you like for me to pick you up right now in this hotel lobby and carry you away to my room?”

Toreas was flushed.
Of course she did, that was exactly what she wanted.
Her eyes closed as she attempted to get her rapidly beating heart back under control. “Go away, Jared.”

“Forever?” he asked quietly.

“No, definitely not forever.” Toreas stared at him. “But for long enough to allow me to regain some self-control.” She glanced at him, her eyes falling downward to the massive budge. “It seems like I’m not the only one affected by our kisses.”

“Did I ever say our kisses didn’t affect me?”

“I believe you did, Mr. Stone.”

“Then I stand corrected, Ms. Rose. It appears we’re both liars. I’ll admit your kisses have the power to drive me insane. In fact I think they have because I’ve never done anything so crazy in my entire life. Everything I’ve done since I’ve met you is so out of character for me. You’re a witch but a witch I want in my bed.” This time he kissed her lightly on the lips. “You’d better join your friends, they’re standing there in shock watching us. I’d say you no longer have to worry about telling anyone about us. I’d say the secret is out.”

“Jared, you’re behaving as if I have no choice in this.”

“You do have a choice, To…re…as. I can make love to you here this weekend in my room where your friends will see you disappear behind my door and never see you again until this damn conference is over, or we could be a little more discreet and wait until the conference is over for me to ravage you. Then I will come to your home and make love to you until…,” he grinned, “until I can no longer perform. Which do you prefer?”

“Privacy,” she almost whispered.

“Good. Then go to your friends.”

He waved at Liz and Wendy, not caring that they’d witnessed the little scene. “Your friends are waiting for you.”

When Toreas attempted to brush past him, Jared put his hand out and stopped her.  “No more stunts.”

He stood watching her walk toward her friends.  Every cell in his body was humming.  He couldn’t believe what he’d done.  Not the challenging part, but the reason.

No woman had ever before meant enough to Jared to make him put forth even the most minute effort to keep her.

He continued gazing at Toreas’s bulky body in amazement, wondering how this tackily dressed woman was changing him from a rational adult male into a hormone-driven moron. There was still time to back away, to call a halt, but he knew he didn’t want to.  He wanted her in the worst way possible. And if he didn’t stop looking at her and imagining what he would do to her later at her home he would embarrass himself.

He didn’t have to look down for the evidence.  He could feel it.  Boy, could he feel it.  For a moment his mind wandered to Gina.  He’d never thought of fighting to keep her. He had been angry that she’d chosen someone else over him, but truth be told, he’d not been so terribly angry with her until his mom’s death and the guilt over his unfulfilled promise to her. With Toreas it was different. Even now the thought of John’s lips on her made him angry. There was no way he intended for anyone to ever touch her again but himself. Yep, roped and hogtied and that was just fine by him.