She opened her mouth to tell him no, but her imagination turned traitor. Images of huge canopied beds, ornate furniture, and rich jewel-toned fabrics flashed in her mind.
Now her stomach tightened with anticipation. Damn the man. It wasn’t fair how he could tie her in knots like this.
Still, she couldn’t accept it. That would require spending way too much time with him. And the more time she spent with him, the more chance there was for him to discover her secret.
But, oh, the offer was tempting. The man, even more so.
“Budget wouldn’t be an issue,” Jared continued.
Of course it wouldn’t. The man didn’t play fair.
“And Tyler would agree with this?”
“We’ve been kicking the idea around for at least a year. We need something new to focus our energies on. A new challenge.”
Had he glanced at her when he’d said that? Did he consider her a challenge? Someone to conquer before moving on?
“Sounds like you’re bored, Jared.”
He shrugged, drawing her gaze to his broad shoulders. “Maybe a little. Nothing a new project won’t fix.”
“And how long does a ‘new project’ usually keep you busy?”
His mouth curled up in one of his devastating grins. “As long as it takes to make sure everyone’s satisfied.”
Now she no longer needed the heater to keep her warm.
Luckily, he pulled into the restaurant parking lot and stopped the car. Call her a coward but she opened her door and got out before he could do something chivalrous like open it for her. She didn’t need any help liking this man.
He caught up to her before she’d taken more than two steps away from the car and put his hand on her back. She barely felt his fingers through the layers but she knew they were there.
She straightened her back so she didn’t sink into him like she wanted.
Jared stopped just before they entered. “Are they authentic?”
Turning, she found him staring at the structure with a contemplative look on his face. She couldn’t help but smile at his expression. “Yes. They used to be dining cars on the line from Reading to Philadelphia sixty or so years ago. The owners bought the cars and opened the restaurant about twenty years ago. They’ve expanded the seating areas over the years but the cars are still intact. They have great food.”
“Then I’m ready to eat. I seem to have worked up an appetite.”
Oh, she was so not going to respond to that one.
As they stepped through the doors into the first car, Annabelle was reminded once again of just how small a town she lived in. Everyone in the restaurant turned to watch them and she recognized people at no less than four of the eight tables in this car.
Several actually stared, their mouths hanging open in surprise. Most of those were men.
The women gave her a once-over before their gazes locked on Jared.
And really, she couldn’t blame them. The man would make a dead woman smile.
Of course, he didn’t appear to notice.
Instead, he smiled at the approaching hostess, a sixty-five-year-old grandmother of three who ran this restaurant like a boot camp instructor. A former army nurse who’d served in Vietnam, Ginny Donaldson’s eyes widened as she shook Jared’s hand, barely glancing Annabelle’s way as she led them to their table.
They passed through the first car, and people turned to watch them as they walked by. Annabelle stared straight ahead, trying to feign a composure she was fast losing.
Because she’d just remembered it was Monday.
And Monday night, Gary had a standing date at The Boxcar for dinner.
She froze just inside the door to the next car, causing Jared to almost bump into her. He placed a hand on her back and all thoughts of Gary fled at the heat of his body so close to hers. Images from this morning flashed through her head, making her draw in a sharp breath.
“Annabelle? Are you okay?”
Turning her head, she glanced up into Jared’s eyes. Heat burned there, banked but visible. For her.
This gorgeous man wanted her.
She smiled, letting all the desire she felt for him shine in her own eyes. “Yes, I’m fine.”
“Here you go, sweetie.” Ginny waved them to the first table on the left, the one farthest from Gary, who sat at his usual table at the far end of the car, where he could check out everyone who entered.
His comically stunned expression made Annabelle swallow her own laughter. And when the bimbo secretary she’d found him messing around with only a few short weeks ago stuck her head out of the side of the booth to see what Gary was looking at, Annabelle slid into their booth so she wouldn’t be tempted to stick out her tongue in sheer childish glee.
“Sorry, I didn’t have a table in the other car.” Ginny’s lowered voice barely carried over the quiet conversations of the other diners, most of whom she didn’t recognize. “We’re a little busier than normal for a Monday.”
“No problem, Ginny.” Annabelle flashed the woman grin, suddenly feeling much better than she had all day. “This is just fine.”
Jared’s gaze narrowed on hers as he took his seat across from her.
The high, curved backs of the booths effectively hid them from the other diners and cocooned them in their own little space. She could no longer see Gary and, with hardly any effort, she put him out of her mind, focusing instead on Jared.
Who only had eyes for her. “So, what’s good here, Belle?”
God, that voice. It made her shiver. And the intensity in his eyes filled her with heat. And fire.
“Depends on what you’re hungry for.” She allowed a small smile to kick up the sides of her mouth. “The menu’s varied and the food’s delicious.”
Jared’s eyes narrowed at her over the menu, as if he’d noticed her slight change in attitude. “What are you having?”
Kate’s suggestion that she make the rules for their relationship and have Jared dance to her tune flitted through her mind.
He wanted her. And with Jared, she knew what she was getting. Great sex and no ties. She’d tried the relationship route. It hadn’t agreed with her.
Kate was right about her history. Granddad had made sure no one could discover her secrets. And she’d taken the precaution of storing the rest of her dad’s paintings, those hanging in her bedroom, in the temperature-controlled storage room in the shop.
Just in case Jared made it back to her bedroom.
Just in case.
“I haven’t made up my mind yet,” she said. “I’m still…debating.”
He closed the menu, set it on the table, and stared straight at her. “I have the feeling you’re talking about more than food.”
Her mouth dried and images from New Year’s Eve rushed through her mind. The things she’d allowed him to do. What she’d allowed another man to do…
Her cheeks heated and her lungs struggled to draw in air. His gaze burned hotter.
“We rushed things New Year’s Eve, Jared—”
“Annabelle. You look…well tonight.”
Gary’s voice threw her for a moment, and she looked up to find her ex standing at the entrance to their booth.
His brown hair was perfectly combed to hide his receding hairline. He covered his thickening middle with well-cut clothes but he stood stiff and straight, as if he had a stick shoved up his ass.
The mental image made her glance back at Jared and smile.
Jared returned that smile for a brief second before he slid out of the booth and stood, holding out his hand. He towered over Gary, making Annabelle’s smile widen.
Jared diminished Gary’s presence.
“Jared Golden. And you are?”
Gary’s expression vacillated between speculation and petty jealousy. Annabelle couldn’t tell if he was jealous that another man was dating his ex-girlfriend or just of Jared in general. And Gary certainly had a lot to be jealous of. Jared was ten times the man he was.