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.”
Her mouth dropped open. “A proposition? What the hell are you talking about?”
He turned to reach for her refrigerator. “You look a little uncomfortable in that suit, hon. Why don’t you go get changed, then we’ll talk.”