“Mara, are you coming? Grady’s got the pie!” Emily’s laughing voice floated out to her from the kitchen.
Shaking off her desolation from watching Evan Sinclair sitting isolated in the family room, she smiled as she walked to the kitchen. Once there, she realized pandemonium was breaking out, everyone fighting to take possession of the pie.
“What are they doing?” Jared moved behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist as he came back inside.
“Fighting over the chocolate turtle cheesecake I brought,” she answered, amused.
“Maybe I should be in on that.” He tightened his arms around her waist and kissed her on the temple.
“No need.” She turned and wrapped her arms around his neck. Leaning closer, she whispered in his ear, “Don’t tell anybody, but I made one all for you. It’s at home in the refrigerator.”
His deep green gaze captured hers, his eyes filled with humor. “No wonder I fucking worship you.”
“For my pie?” she teased.
“Because you actually made one especially for me, and a million other reasons.” He lowered his forehead against hers. “Pie later. I think I’d rather have you for dessert. Let’s go home, unless you want to fight for dessert.”
Sweet Jesus. All she really wanted was to lick on him for an after-dinner treat. He looked so damn handsome he took her breath away. “I’m sure you’ll share.”
“Everything I have, baby,” he answered, his words almost like a vow.
“I want to lick your entire body for my dessert,” she whispered in his ear, nipping his earlobe lightly.
“Holy fuck. We’re out of here,” Jared declared, lifting her up and carrying her toward the door.
“Aren’t we going to say good-bye?”
“Later,” Jared bellowed to his family, his eyes never leaving hers.
His back to his family, Jared never noticed that all of his siblings stopped fighting for a moment to smile after their retreating figures with hope in all of their eyes.
CHAPTER 18
“So did you really build all these homes on the Amesport Peninsula just because you hoped all your family would come back here someday?” Mara was salivating to touch Jared, and she distracted herself with the question as he drove the short distance back to his house.
“I think I did,” Jared answered in a low, thoughtful voice. “After Evan sobered me up and went back to his business, I needed to feel like I was doing something useful. I told each of my siblings that I was building them a house after I went and visited Grady and saw this peninsula. It was like some kind of compulsion. None of them objected, so with their input on what they wanted, I did it. I wanted to make everything just right, maybe because I really did want them to stay.”
“Did you stay with Grady all that time?”
“No. I took up almost permanent residence at the Lighthouse Inn. They have a good breakfast,” he answered, his voice light.
Mara knew the adorable bed-and-breakfast that had been in Amesport for years. “Somehow, I can’t see you staying there.”
“Why? I liked it.”
The place was nice, but rustic. “It’s lovely, but you’re a bit too pretty for a place that rustic.” She knew she’d be in trouble for saying it, but she couldn’t resist.
“You’re in trouble, woman,” he growled ominously.
“Good. I want to be in trouble.” She unbuckled her seat belt as they pulled into Jared’s long driveway. Rising onto her knees, she leaned over the console of the vehicle and started to unbutton his shirt, delving beneath the hem with her other hand to make contact with his warm skin.
“I’m driving here,” Jared said with very little conviction.
“I’m not,” she answered mischievously, popping the top button on his jeans and lowering the zipper. “You’re hard.”
“It’s a chronic condition whenever you’re around,” he grunted. “Hell, it’s constant even when you’re not around because I’m fucking thinking about you.”
“I love you, Jared. Right now, I can’t wait any longer to touch you.” Mara’s heart was overflowing with emotion for this man, and that organ was taking control. The entire evening had been so intense, and she’d wanted to touch him, comfort him somehow.
“Fuck! You’re killing me.”
“You’ll live,” she purred, liberating his enormous cock and stroking over the shaft. The feel of him delighted her. He was like steel covered by silk, and stroking him was divine. “I have to touch you or I’ll die of longing.”
“Do you know what you do to me, Mara? Do you have any idea how good that feels, and how incredible it is to me that you’re that eager for me? That’s why it makes me crazy when you beg for me to make you come. No woman has ever wanted me that damn badly,” he said with a groan.