Jared's Counterfeit Fiancee - Brenda Jackson [30]
Not wanting to think about the problems that had plagued her that day any longer, she switched her thoughts to the lunch she’d shared with Jared’s mother yesterday. Afterward she felt a special bond toward the woman that she shouldn’t feel and didn’t deserve. She wondered what his family would think when they ended their engagement, which just might be two weeks from now if his mother’s test indicated her lump was benign.
She glanced up from her book when she heard the sound of the doorbell. It was barely six o’clock and she wasn’t expecting anyone. Cybil and Ben had decided to take the week off to visit his brother in Tennessee.
The moment she glanced out of the peephole, her heart stopped. It was Jared. She hadn’t expected him back until late Friday. Taking a deep breath she slowly opened the door. “Jared, you’re back.”
He leaned in the doorway, and they stared at each other for a moment before he said, “Yes, I finished up earlier than expected but I haven’t made it home yet. I thought I would drop by here first.”
Dana was curious why he would come by her place before going home. The only thing she could think of was that maybe he’d heard about her having lunch with his mother and wanted an update. But then he could have called her to get that information. She cocked her head and looked at him. He stood in front of her door with such a strong, manly presence, she barely found her voice to say, “Come on in.”
Jared sighed deeply as soon as he walked into Dana’s home and the door closed behind him. Her expression had indicated that she was surprised that he had come straight from the airport. Hell, he was surprised himself. He had missed her like crazy and the only thing he could think of was that when the plane landed he had to see her.
He looked at her, thinking that the late-afternoon sun that shone through the living-room window seemed to make Dana all aglow. He could only stand there and stare at her, thinking just how beautiful she looked while wearing a pair of shorts and a T-shirt that said I’m Yours. Boy did he wish. Every fiber in his body stirred at the thought.
Being alone with her was causing his brain to short-circuit and he felt heat slowly move around in his belly. He breathed in her womanly scent and watched all the questions that were forming in the depths of her dark eyes.
“Did you miss me?” he finally asked. Needing to know. Wanting to know. Hoping like hell that she did and at the same time not understanding why he cared if she had or hadn’t.
Dana tried shoving aside the shiver that raced up her body. Yes, she had missed him. Damn him for asking. It didn’t take much to recall what happened the last time they were together, in this very same room—the heated kiss that had had her tasting him for days afterward. She could lie to him and say that she hadn’t missed him or she could tell the truth.
But first, before she would admit to anything, she had a question of her own. “Did you miss me?”
Slow amusement lit the depths of Jared’s dark eyes at the way Dana had turned the tables so he would be answering her question instead of her answering his. He smiled. She was about to get an answer he doubted she was ready for. But she had asked.
“Oh, yeah, I missed you. I thought about you every day, although I didn’t want to. I also dreamed about you every night, and in those dreams I did all those things that you aren’t ready for me to do. I made you realize how wonderful it can be when two people—the right two people—make love.”
He crossed his arms over his chest and after a short moment of silence he said, “Okay, I’ve answered your question so how about answering mine. Did you miss me?”
They stood facing each other, both intently aware that something had shifted between them. They were doing more than wavering on the edge; they were hanging on for dear life. The chemistry between them was more powerful than ever, explosive,