Jared's Counterfeit Fiancee - Brenda Jackson [16]
Several tense minutes passed before Dana answered. She knew she might be asking for trouble, considering how attracted she was to him. But under the circumstances, there was no way she could turn him down. “Yes.”
A relieved smile touched Jared’s lips. He crossed the room and taking her hand he pulled her from her seat. “Thanks, Dana. Now I’m the one who’s in your debt.”
Having Jared in her debt stirred strange sensations in Dana’s belly. She licked her dry lips, tried to smile and said teasingly, “That’s okay. I won’t demand anything that I don’t think you’ll be able to deliver.” As far as she was concerned that left the options pretty wide-open.
Jared’s gaze was drawn to Dana’s lips; lips that were still moist from the recent sweep of her tongue. They stood so close that all he had to do was lean down and capture what he wanted most in his mouth and feast on it.
“So what’s first?”
Her question made him lift a dark brow. He was about to say that a tongue-sucking kiss wouldn’t be so bad, but changed his mind. “What’s first?”
She smiled and he wondered if she knew what he’d been thinking, since his gaze was still glued to her lips. “Will your family need to see us together again anytime soon?”
He inhaled slowly. It’s a good thing she’d asked. He had almost forgotten. “Yes. My brothers are remaining in town until Sunday, except for Quade. He had to get back to D.C. and flew out this morning. The folks are planning a cookout on Saturday evening.”
Dana nodded. After spending time with Jared’s family she knew his brother Quade worked for the Secret Service; Durango was a park ranger who lived in Montana; Ian was a ship’s captain whose luxurious riverboat cruised the Mississippi River and whose home was in Memphis, and Spencer was a financial advisor, who lived in the quaint and quiet community of Sausalito, California. Jared and his youngest brother, Reggie, were the only ones living in the Atlanta area.
“Do they know what’s going on with your mother’s health?” she asked.
Jared shook his head. “No, and knowing Mom she’ll tell us as little as possible and only what she thinks we need to know. It’s her way of protecting us. But I’m going to tell them what I do know. We’re meeting for dinner at Chase’s Place in an hour, and I’ll call Quade with details later tonight.”
“Will you tell them the truth about us?”
Jared shook his head. “No. The less people who know the better. I won’t take a chance on one of them letting something slip. I don’t want to give my mother any reason not to think our engagement isn’t the real thing.”
Dana nodded. Suddenly, she remembered something. “The ring!”
Jared frowned. “What about it?” His gaze went to her left hand. He had noticed earlier that she wasn’t wearing it.
“I don’t have it anymore. I took it to a jeweler during my lunch hour. I needed the money to pay off some bills.”
Jared rubbed the back of his neck. Although he hadn’t much cared for seeing Cord’s ring back on her finger, that ring symbolized their engagement. “Where did you take it?”
“Garbella Jewelers. Do you think they still have it?”
Jared inhaled as he checked his watch. Garbella was a well-known jeweler that was frequented by a lot of high-profile individuals. “Even if they do, chances are the shop is closed now. I’ll check with them first thing tomorrow. If they still have it, I’ll get it back.”
“And if they don’t?”
Jared inhaled again. “Then I’ll get you another one.”
“B-but your family saw that ring. They will think it’s odd for me to start wearing a different one.”
Jared nodded, knowing that was true. “Then I’ll have to think of a good reason to tell them why I changed it.”
Dana nodded. Whatever reason he came up with would have to be good. “All right.”
He checked his watch again. “I need to leave if I’m going to be on time to meet my brothers for dinner.”
Dana focused on putting one foot in front of the other as she walked him to the door. Concentrating on him was too