Chapter 14

Jared felt like singing. He wanted to belt out songs in the shower, but he wisely resisted the urge. Felicity was still asleep in his bed, and it might wake her up. He didn't want that. The pleasure of waking her up was something he wanted to do himself. As he got out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, he whistled softly.

It was an irresistible temptation to go to his bed, climb in, and curl his body around hers. The passion simmering inside him demanded action, preferably through breathless kisses and slow, teasing caresses. Last night with her had been mind-blowing. Jared had had sex before, lots of sex, with a fair amount of women, but nothing compared to what he'd done with Felicity last night. He hadn't even gotten off, and it hadn't mattered. Only her pleasure had.

He'd held her for an hour on the couch, making sure she was deeply asleep when he finally lifted her in his arms and carried her to his bed. The promise to stay on the couch had seemed irrelevant by then, and he'd just gotten in bed beside her, pulling her back into his arms. Her body was fast becoming an addiction, a craving he didn't understand, only knew he wanted and had to have.

Opening his bathroom door with a wicked grin, he said, "Good morning" His words died on his lips as he took in the sight of the empty bed, the empty room.

"Felicity?" Why he said her name he didn't know. She wasn't there.

A small slip of paper lay on top of his pillow. The sight of it made his muscles tense. He crossed the room and snatched it up. A scrawling, delicate hand filled the paper.

Jared,

Thank you for the wonderful day yesterday. It meant so much to me.

Felicity

For a long second he didn't move. His breathing became harsh through his nose and mouth as his heart beat rapidly. Her words felt like a goodbye, but why? She wanted to walk away from what they'd shared. Logically he knew it was for the best, but damn it, he wasn't ready to let go of her. It was too late, though. She'd walked away, and he hadn't been there to stop her. Rage and pain exploded inside him, so powerful and shocking, but he swallowed it down and crumpled the note in his fist. She was just a kid, someone he'd met only twenty-four hours ago. Her being gone shouldn't mean anything to him, didn't mean anything to him.

What was the phrase? Ships passing in the night? He had to view it that waythere wasn't any other option.

Still­ He tossed the note in the trash bin by his desk and glared at it for a long second before he bent, retrieved the crumpled paper, and smoothed it flat again. With a heavy sigh, he tucked the paper in the top drawer of his dresser. It was then he noticed the carefully folded shirt and boxers. The ones she'd worn. He picked them up and grimaced. They still held a lingering sweet vanilla scent. Hers. How could he come to miss that scent, to feel the loss of its owner so deeply in so short a time? Felicity had turned him sentimental.

He dressed hastily, not that he had any reason to. There was nowhere to go, nothing to do. No art exhibits to view with her. He had to stop thinking about Felicity or he'd go crazy.

His phone buzzed in his pocket, and he pulled it out. Thad's name flashed across the screen.

"Yeah?"

"You busy today?" Thad sounded amused, and for some reason that pissed Jared off.

"Maybe I am," he snapped, then regretted it. "Why?"

"I'm meeting with the interior designer for the new hotel we're buying. I want you to look over the contracts before we sign them. It'd only take a couple of hours," Thad said.

A couple of hours. Not like he was going to do anything today anyway. He might as well work. Especially since this deal could make his career. Thad's father had promised Jared that if the hotel deal went well, they'd start using Pimms & Associates for their legal work. Jared would be a partner by Christmas. Six years of hard work would finally pay off.

"Fine, but I'm charging double my hourly fee." He knew Thad would pay without question. His friend was exploding with money and never had an issue paying extra for weekend work.

Thad chuckled. "I'm happy to pay that. Besides, it's worth it. There is the hottest girl at this little gallery. She's­interesting. I'm planning on taking her out tonight. You ought to see her. It might inspire you to get back into the game."

Jared scoffed. "Game? You don't play, Thad. You sleep with women for a night and move on. That's not even a game." He slid his jacket on and headed for the door.

"I might make an exception. This girl is­well, you'll see when you get here. It's been a long time since I've gone after a sweet, innocent little thing. I bet she's a firecracker in bed." Thad was laughing. "I need a good challenge. This will be it."

With a shake of his head, Jared rubbed his eyes with his thumb and forefinger. "Whoever she is, leave her alone. Find more willing prey."

"Not on your life." Thad hung up.

Great. Now he had to go and intervene before Thad broke some innocent girl's heart. With a low growl he stalked out into the main room and looked about for Tanner, but his brother was nowhere to be seen. Either he had a class or he'd gotten back into bed with Layla.

Half an hour later he was in front of the address Thad had texted him. A chic looking little gallery faced him. He opened the glass door and followed the sound of voices. Thad, his father, and a beautiful olive-skinned woman were seated around a conference table poring over sketches and design books. Thad glanced up, saw him, and winked.

What the

Someone bumped into him from behind, and he stumbled forward.

"Oh, sorry!" A feminine gasp came from somewhere in the hallway just a foot behind him.

"It's fine." He spun and caught the woman from behind him, and his heart stopped.

Felicity. She's here. In my arms. The sheer rush of joy and excitement short-circuited his brain for a full five seconds.

Startled gray eyes met his, and her lips, those luscious lips he'd loved tasting last night, parted in surprise in a little O shape. His fingers curled around her upper arms, and in that moment all he could think was how much he wanted to kiss her.

"Ahem." Thad's cough broke through the haze of his desire, and just like that, he remembered the empty bed, the note she'd left. An invisible layer of ice washed over him, and he dropped his hands from her body and stepped back.

"Ah, Jared, you've met Felicity. She's Sabine's young prot¨¦g¨¦." Thad joined him by the door and turned his attention to the olive-skinned woman poring over the books. "This is Sabine."

Sabine raised stunning turquoise eyes to meet his. Beautiful, of course, but they lacked the heat and passion that a certain pair of silvery eyes had. Sabine's lips twitched, and she nodded in silent greeting before returning to her work and speaking to Mr. Worthington. He turned back to Thad and Felicity, seeking her face instantly.

Felicity continued to stare at him with a deer-in-the-headlights look that made him feel strangely satisfied. What was the right thing to do? Pretend they'd never met? No, he couldn't do that.

"We­uh, have met. She's a friend of Tanner's," Jared finally said.

"You have?" Thad somehow worked his way between them, one shoulder blocking her from Jared's direct view. The possessive and somewhat protective move made him want to growl.

"Yeah, at one of Tanner's parties," Jared added. It took all of his power to focus on his friend. "You mentioned contracts? I'm ready to review whatever you have."

"Good." Thad pointed to the table and glanced over at Felicity, who was still gaping at Jared.

It was a wicked thought, but he was glad she was still stunned. After her disappearing act, he was happy she was the one off balance and not him. Clenching his jaw, he slid into a seat at the table next to Mr. Worthington, and after a quick greeting to the older man, he took the contract paperwork and glared at the first page.

He didn't read a single word.