By Private Invitation (4 page)

Amazingly, Mom had behaved herself so far. Smiling into her pale green eyes, he noted
their clarity.

And breathed a silent sigh of relief.

“No, no one you know. So, how’s the Arts and Artists benefit ball coming along?” That
should distract her for a while. Helena loved to talk about her projects, especially
the yearly ball she helped chair for one of the local colleges.

Unfortunately, her sons held the top spots on her list of projects.

“Very well, actually.” She smiled, and guilt hit him in the gut at the thought that
he could make his mom so happy with a simple question. “We’ve got the guest list worked
out and we only need confirmation on the date from the college.”

Jared relaxed even more as his mother talked about her favorite charity. He didn’t
want to discuss Belle. He was still trying to figure out what had happened between
them.

They’d made an instant connection and she’d returned to her table looking somewhat
dazed. That was good. However, the minute she’d sat down, some guy in a penguin suit—not
a tuxedo, but an actual penguin outfit with flippers—started hitting on her.

His reaction had been immediate and completely unlike him. He’d been jealous.

Jared had a very long fuse. Only his father ever managed to infuriate him with his
lies and overbearing arrogance. But right now, he would have gladly tossed the penguin
out on his ridiculous flipper.

“So, I told the chaplain…”

As his mother continued, he nodded at all the appropriate places, trying to decide
his next move with the lovely Belle. He didn’t want to wait until twelve thirty. He
wanted to monopolize her entire evening.

But that wasn’t his style. He didn’t do exclusive. He refused to give any woman the
false impression that he’d pledge his undying love for her. Or even commit to more
than another date.

Tyler was right, though Jared would never admit it. Jared was a lot like his father.
Neither of them had the gene that allowed them to love. Jared, at least, was honest.
He’d never lied to a woman the way his father lied to his mother. Jared would never
put a woman through what his father had put his mother through.

He tuned back in to Helena, still talking about her charity ball. She lived to volunteer,
found the appreciation she craved there, which she never got enough of from her husband.
Helena and Glen Golden were the only offspring of two very wealthy families. Their
marriage had cemented their place in Philadelphia society. But Jared knew his mother
would trade it all for her husband’s love, which he was incapable of.

Jared couldn’t understand why she allowed herself to be hurt like that.

When the song ended, he escorted her back to her table and exchanged civilities with
his father, whose subdued responses were so unlike him Jared wondered if he’d gotten
caught in one of his affairs again.

Old anger flared, but he submerged it under thoughts of one beautiful redhead and
made his way back to Tyler at the entrance, flipping again through the guest book
on the computer.

“I’ve held up my end, big brother.” Jared sent a brotherly elbow into Tyler’s side.
Tyler didn’t flinch. “It’s your turn.”

“I already did my part.” Tyler tapped the screen. “I asked and got rejected.”

Rolling his eyes, Jared sighed. He should have known his brother would find a way
out of his end of the bargain. The man had graduated top of his class at the Wharton
School of Business. He hadn’t wanted to dance, so he’d found the one woman in the
room who’d say no.

“You’re a coward.” Jared leveled the only truthfully disparaging remark he could at
his brother.

One corner of Tyler’s mouth curled up. “Nah, I’m just smarter than you.”

In some ways, Jared agreed. Though he’d never admit it. “Who’d you ask?”

Tyler stiffened for a moment. “The blue fairy.”

Jared snorted. Yeah, that was what he’d figured. She hadn’t danced with a man all
night, though several had asked. She’d only gotten on the floor with Belle for a few
faster numbers.

Tyler shot him a hard look, his fingers stilling on the screen. “What was that for?”

“You
are
a coward,” he repeated. “I’m going to orphan that little blue fairy again. If you
don’t want her to be hit on by another ten guys, why don’t you go keep her company?
On second thought, don’t bother. She promised me a dance. I think I’ll go collect.”

His brother’s gaze narrowed on him. “It’s not gonna work, Jared.”

“No idea what you’re talking about.” Jared countered with a
grin as he headed back to Belle’s table. It only took two strides for Tyler to catch
up. Jared didn’t comment. He’d made his point.

The women’s conversation halted when they arrived. They both looked up at the same
time and Jared caught his breath. Belle had finally removed her mask. He had an almost
uncontrollable urge to take if from her so she couldn’t put it on again.

While she wasn’t conventionally beautiful—her features were a little too broad for
that—she was pretty. The phrase “girl next door” fit her perfectly. Not at all his
usual type.

Pale freckles splashed across her short, upturned nose, while high cheekbones defined
her oval face. The costume fit perfectly. She looked like an Irish fairy just back
from dancing under a full moon. Her cat-green eyes sparkled and her wide smile rocked
him back on his heels.

He returned her smile and winked, introducing Tyler only by first name. Then he held
out his hand to Belle.

“Will you dance with me again?”

She flashed a quick glance at her friend, who nodded before turning back to Jared.

“I’d love to.”

Jared didn’t know whether to thank Kate or his brother. He was pretty sure if Belle
would’ve had to leave Kate alone again, she would have said no. The women were true
friends, a foreign concept to most of the females in his circle who saw other women
as rivals, first and foremost.

“I hope Kate’s enjoying herself.” Jared brought her tight against his body, heat rising
at the feel of her breasts, soft and curved, pressing into his chest. His cock twitched,
already half hard. She’d be able to feel his erection soon. “She seems…shy.”

Belle smiled, but there was a hint of sadness in it. “Not really. I think she’s just
overwhelmed. There’ve been a lot of guys hitting
on us tonight, and it’s a little disconcerting. If I thought she really loved her
fiancé, I’d think she missed him. He left on a business trip yesterday. It looks like
she and Tyler hit it off, though.”

He glanced at the table, surprised to see Kate and Tyler engaged in conversation.
And, amazing but true, Tyler was smiling. Too bad she was engaged.

“What makes you think she doesn’t love her fiancé?”

Belle shrugged. “When Kate decided it was time to get married, she settled for the
first man who asked her. Big mistake, if you ask me. The woman’s a fabulous seamstress.
She made our costumes. She could have her own business but she settled for working
at a dry cleaner while she waits for her wedding day. It’s a shame.”

“That she’s getting married?” Jared nodded. “I’d have to agree with that. There’s
not enough time to tie yourself to one person. Life’s too short.”

It was his standard response whenever anyone talked about marriage, but he realized
the words sounded trite and kind of cold when he spoke them to Belle. He watched her
expression, but his comments hadn’t seemed to make any impression on her at all.

Good. That was good, right?

“No, not that she’s getting married.” Belle shook her head. “But she’s settling for
less than she should. I refuse to compromise. If I ever get married, it’ll be after
I’ve secured my career.”

Ah, a woman with a life beyond landing an eligible bachelor. This one
was
special.

“And how do you plan to do that?” His hand inched down her back, closer to the rounded
curve of her hip. Because of her wings, he had to be careful to keep his hand low
on her waist. She didn’t even feel like the women he typically dated. She felt soft
and curved, instead of hard and angular.

“By having the best goods on the market and letting everyone know it.” Her lips curled
at an enchanting angle, and she batted her eyes at him, flashing green fire from beneath
full brown lashes. “You have to be sharp in the antiques business. Fakes and reproductions
can ruin your reputation.”

“Sounds like you know your stuff.”

“I do. I had the best teacher.”

She shook her hair over her shoulders, drawing his attention to her pale skin. Jared
wanted to lay his mouth on the few freckles he could see dotting her shoulders. He
wanted to play connect the dots with his tongue.

“My turn to ask a question,” she said. “I’m getting a lot of, shall we say, negative
vibes from many of the women in this room. Have you dated all of them?”

Firming his jaw before it dropped open in amazement, Jared managed to breathe before
laughter consumed him. This woman amazed him.

He bent low to whisper in her ear, “If I let you in on a secret, will you promise
not to ruin my reputation?”

Annabelle shivered as Jared’s heated breath caressed the sensitive skin beneath her
ear. She hadn’t meant to be so outspoken or rude, but once again her mouth had gotten
away from her. This gorgeous man hadn’t taken offense, though. In fact, he seemed
amused.

“I’ve had relationships with less than five percent of the women here. And none of
them intrigue me the way you do.”

As he spoke, the hand on her back swept a caress down the curve of her hip and pressed
her even closer. She drew in a breath.
Oh boy
.

“So, there’s no one in your life right now?”

He gazed into her eyes and her heart stuttered. “No one.”

Jared’s smile faded, his expression more serious than she’d seen him all night. Swallowing,
she dropped her gaze and rested her cheek against his shoulder as they continued to
dance.

Nerves made her lungs draw in a sharp breath unexpectedly.

Yes, she wanted him. Her nipples tightened and her stomach clenched as she brushed
against the erection he didn’t try to hide when she was in his arms. Her thong was
already damp and if he asked to go to her room, she’d say yes.

This was why she’d come here tonight. To meet a man and have fun. Reduce her stress
through a little sexual indulgence. Why not?

Jared seemed like the perfect candidate. He knew women, seemed to know what they liked,
what they wanted.

Could she go through with this? Did she have the guts?

To hell with doubt.

She concentrated on the feel of Jared’s hands on her waist, on the way his broad shoulder
shifted beneath her cheek. On the rigid erection pressing into her hip.

He wanted her and she wanted him. Wanted him to ask her to leave with him. Better
yet, she should ask him to her room.

Sex with this man would be the best end to this evening.

One ballad segued into another as they continued to dance. How many songs passed?
She didn’t know or care but Kate must be bored out of her head. She chanced a look
at the table to see Kate and Tyler, their dark heads closer than they had been before.

She hadn’t told Jared yet, but one of the men she’d danced with earlier had spilled
the beans about his identity and his relationship to Tyler and the hotel. The brothers
looked nothing alike, she realized. Jared’s wavy hair and classic features made him
look like one of her grandfather’s prized Italian sculptures. But his smile was warm,
and those eyes…

She wondered what he saw when he looked at her. Did he see a confident, sexy woman?
Had she inherited any of her mother’s genes other than her hair color?

Jared stopped abruptly and, with a start, she realized Kate stood beside them, Tyler
at her side.

“I hope you don’t mind,” Kate said with an apologetic smile, “but I’m going to go
up to my room.”

“Is something wrong?” Annabelle asked, immediately worried.

Kate’s lips curled ruefully. “No. It’s just that it’s late and I’m tired.”

Excusing herself, Annabelle pulled her friend away from the men to talk quietly.

“Is everything okay?” Annabelle asked. “It’s not even midnight.”

Kate shook her head. “There’s nothing wrong and this is just another night of the
year for me. I’m not really into all this New Year’s stuff. I did have a good time,
though.” Kate leaned forward for a hug and Annabelle obliged, but they ended up giggling
like schoolgirls when they entangled their hands in their wings. Funny, Jared had
managed to avoid them all night.

Annabelle gave her friend a rueful smile. “I’m sorry I was such awful company—”

“Actually, I enjoyed talking to Tyler.” Kate sliced a quick glance at the other man.
“It was…enlightening.”

Annabelle took a close look at her friend, only now noticing the flush on her cheeks
and the sparkle in her eyes. She raised her eyebrows in question.

“Oh, don’t get the wrong idea,” Kate rushed on. “I’m an engaged woman. I just think
it’s time for me to head up. Annabelle…have fun.”

Annabelle’s smile was slow to form but it
was
there. “I plan
to. I’m so glad you came with me. Tomorrow we’ll hit the King of Prussia mall and
do a little damage to our credit cards.”

Kate nodded then turned and said good night to the men. Tyler walked her to the door
but stopped there. Annabelle watched Kate shake hands with Tyler then disappear down
the hall as he stared after her.

Annabelle raised her gaze to Jared’s. Holding his hand out to her, he waited until
she reached for him, her warm hand clasping his.

“Would you like to see the garden, Belle?”