Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 99960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 99960 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 500(@200wpm)___ 400(@250wpm)___ 333(@300wpm)
“Allegra.” Michelle was suddenly upon us, amusement and disappointment mingling in her eyes. “Your possessive hubby might have to stay home at the next showing.”
I flushed with pleasure at the words. “It’s not Jared’s fault. Gunner suggested I should have sex with him in return for all the money he was spending tonight.”
Her face fell. “Oh. Oh dear. Oh, that’s terribly disappointing. He’d picked out five pieces. Including the Shetland piece.”
I shuddered at the thought of an asshole like him owning that particular work. “Well, no one is getting that piece.”
“Is this your doing?” Michelle teased Jared. “Are you encouraging her to keep her art to herself?”
Jared slid his arm around my waist, pulling me tight into his side. “I’m encouraging her to keep the things that make her happy.”
My breath caught.
Oh, Jared, please don’t tempt me … because I’m kind of scared one of those things just might be you.
We were both tired by the time we returned to the farmhouse, but a tension zipped between us. A tension we’d both been able to ignore thus far. Until that moment with Gunner where real feelings might have popped up to the surface.
“I’m sorry again about losing you the sales,” Jared apologized, even though he really didn’t have to.
We’d stopped at the top of the stairs before each of our bedrooms. I patted his shoulder in reassurance. “Don’t be. Seriously. The thought of that asshole having my work displayed in his house makes me kind of sick, so you did me a huge favor.”
“Okay. Good.” He shifted a little awkwardly on his feet. “I, uh, it’s late and I’m up early so …”
“Jared.” I stopped him as he moved to walk past. “Thank you. For coming tonight.”
Despite the experience with Gunner, it had been a successful evening. A few people at the show had been a little pretentious, and I knew Jared was bored by some of the conversation. But he stood by my side all night.
Out of the twenty pieces on display, we sold ten, which was unbelievable. Michelle would put the remaining pieces up in her gallery and online.
“Of course.” Jared bent his head to brush a feather-soft kiss against my cheek and this time I couldn’t suppress my shiver.
His breath caught and he lingered a second in my personal space before seeming to jerk back as if I’d bitten him.
“Night,” he said gruffly without looking at me.
Then he strode into his room.
I hurried into mine, pressing against the door, willing my pulse to slow and my skin to cool.
A few seconds later, I heard his bedroom door open again and I froze like a statue.
Please knock on my door, please knock on my door.
The floor creaked beyond my bedroom as if Jared had stopped right outside it. I held my breath, knowing if he did knock, my self-control would shatter. I’d welcome him into my room and into my body in a heartbeat.
Crushing disappointment filled me at the sound of him walking downstairs instead. Frustrated, I pulled off the sparkly flapper-style dress I’d donned for my show. As I readied for bed, I heard Jared returning to his room. Determinedly, I attempted to put him from my mind.
Ready for bed, makeup off, skin care regimen done, I crossed the room as quietly as possible, intending to head downstairs for a glass of water.
Uncontrollably drawn to my husband, however, I couldn’t help but glance at his doorway as I stepped out of mine.
To my surprise, his door was slightly ajar, the lights still on. I tiptoed toward it, intending to shut it for him when I heard the shower running in his en suite.
Jared was in the shower.
Naked.
It was easy at that moment to fantasize walking into his room, pulling off the thin nightie I wore because of the hot summer night, and then stepping into his bathroom naked. To imagine that Jared would take one look at me through the steamy glass of his shower door, slide it open, and haul me inside.
How he’d press me up against the damp tiles and take my nipple in his—
The sound of a door closing wrenched me from my fantasy, and I realized in mortification that Jared’s shower had stopped. That he was walking into view.
Naked.
Totally, absolutely, phenomenally naked.
My lips parted as heat pooled in my belly at the sight of him.
He rubbed his wet hair with a towel as he wandered over to his bed, checking his phone absentmindedly. Completely unaware he was being ogled.
There was a lot to ogle.
Rivulets of water trailed down between his hard pecs, following a light fur of hair that disappeared to reveal smooth, sculpted abdominal muscles. He wasn’t crazy defined like Taka, who worked out constantly because he was usually half-naked at some point in one of his TV shows, but Jared was naturally muscular and hard from constant physical work.