Spring River Valley: The Winter Collection (Boxed Set) (26 page)

That thought bowed her spirits a bit. Was that really how the ad men operated? Did they think flattery would get them a contract just because she was a woman?

* * * *

Jared returned to the hotel room exhausted and hoping Emerson would be there. He was disappointed to find the place empty. Housekeeping had folded up the cot and pushed it into the corner of the room, so it wasn’t as crowded as this morning, but he
’d sort of liked it that way. He looked forward to watching his pretty roommate crawl across his bed to get to hers.

He loosened his tie and hung up his jacket, stowed his laptop case and his wallet, and filed all of the business cards and brochures he’d collected from the potential clients and vendors he’d met with throughout the day. Later he’d sort everything and make up a report recommending certain companies DenMar could use for producing commercials and print media, and he’d set up call files for some of the companies that were looking for advertising guidance. He couldn’t concentrate on work now, though. All he could think about was Emerson.

He considered taking another shower, but the phone interrupted his plans. He scooped up the receiver. “Hello?”

“I’m sorry, I’m looking for Emerson Bartoli. The front desk must have given me the wrong room number.”

“No, sir. This… is her room. She’s not here right now.” Jared’s thoughts spun. He hoped he wasn’t talking to her father or anyone else who might be appalled to find a man in her room. “Can I take a message?”

“Ah…well, this is Frank Eckert, I’m Ms. Bartoli’s manager.”

Jared winced.

“Please have her call the office when she returns. I’ve tried her cell phone, but I suppose at the Convention Center she may not get good reception.”

“I will have her call you.”

“Thank you…and your name is?”

Jared thought about lying, but he decided that might only cause more problems later. “Jared Barton, I’m— Oh, here she is.”

Emerson had just let herself into the room. Her eyes widened when Jared held the phone out to her. “It’s your boss,” he mouthed.

Her jaw dropped, and she grabbed the phone. “Frank? Hi. What’s up?” She covered her face with her hand as she listened to her boss.

Jared sank into the chair, feeling like scum. He hoped she wouldn’t get into some kind of trouble for sharing a room.

“Yes, DenMar, Metro Ads, and DeRossi. You should know, The Lyon Agency didn’t show up, so we can take them out of the running.”

Jared held his breath. Would her boss ask what he was doing in “her” room?

“Yes, I will. Thanks, Frank. I’ll see you Monday.” She hung up and collapsed on the bed. “How did that happen?”

Jared shrugged. “The phone rang, I picked it up. He asked who I was. You’re not in trouble, are you?”

“I don’t think so. He just wanted an update. This is getting complicated.”

“What do you mean?”

“I’m supposed to recommend the best ad campaign, and right now, that’s yours.”

Jared was thrilled. After the months of work he’d put into building TCL
’s new corporate image, his presentation had to be the best. He mirrored her expression, though. “And that’s bad.”

“How do I know I like the campaign best and not you?”

He shrugged. “Take me out of the equation and make a list of pros and cons.”

“I did that, and DenMar comes out ahead, but still…”

He rose and offered her his hand. “Then don’t think about it right now. It’s been a long day. Let’s go get something to eat and relax. No business talk.”

She looked at him oddly for a moment, then took his hands and rose from the bed. They stood close, face-to-face for a second, and Jared wanted nothing more in the world than to kiss her. He leaned in just slightly, but she ducked away.

“Dibs on the bathroom. Give me ten minutes to get ready.”

“Ten whole minutes? I thought you were the champion of fast outfit changes.”

“I am. Any other woman would take at least an hour. Put on the TV and relax.”

Jared sighed and sank back into the chair. He wanted to suggest they stay in, but things were already a bit close in the room. He didn’t want to overwhelm her, but one more night with Emerson might just kill him if he didn’t get to take her in his arms and taste her. 

Despite her exhaustion after a day at the Expo, the night out with Jared did wonders for Emmy’s mood. She guiltily compared Jared to Dan Archer all evening, though, noting how Jared’s movements and manner seemed so casual and real compared to the other man’s. They laughed, ate, and even danced at a nearby club, and by the time they got back to the hotel room, she’d stopped worrying about impropriety.

She was good at her job, and her boss knew that. That was why Frank had sent her to the Expo to meet with the ad agencies vying for TCL’s business. He trusted her judgment and respected that she had a talent for finding what appealed to customers. The fact that she was wildly attracted to Jared had nothing to do with his campaign or her ability to decide what would be best for TCL.

“I can’t believe I’m still on my feet after all that,” Emmy said breathlessly as she flung her purse into the chair and kicked off her shoes. She twirled a glowing plastic necklace from the dance club around her arm then tossed it across the room to land on the bed. Jared sent his matching necklace to land next to hers
, then he tucked his shoes into the closet and placed his wallet in the drawer.

She eyed him from under lowered brows. “This could be a problem.”

“What?”

“I hate to tell you this, but I’m a bit on the messy side
.”

“Oh, I’ve noticed.” He rolled his eyes.

“Oh, you have?”

“Don’t look so shocked, Miss Prim. Good lord, the bathroom? You used every towel. There’s makeup all over the vanity, a pile of clothes in the corner. Trust me, I noticed you’re messy.”

She pouted and plopped onto the bed. “And you’re a bit uptight, aren’t you, Mr. I-Have-to-Line-Everything-Up-Just-So? The shampoo bottles were exactly half an inch apart. Your sets of shoes are half an inch apart. Do you carry a ruler around with you?”

He crossed his arms over his chest, one brow arched. “I’m just precise.”

“You need to loosen up.”

“Maybe
you
need to tighten up.”

She eyed him for a second then raced for the bathroom where she proceeded to move the shampoo bottles to random spots and unfold towels. Jared chased her. “What are you doing?”

“Loosening you up. Deal with an unfolded towel!” She dangled one terry cloth rectangle in front of him before dropping it on the floor.

He clutched his chest. “Oh! No…please
, not that!”

She knocked over the small plastic bottle of mouthwash and moved the soap, which he’d positioned carefully in the holder.

“You’re killing me.” He grinned while she made a mess then caught her as she tried to skip out of the bathroom to attack the closet. “Oh, no. You’re not going to mess up my suits.”

“Break free, Jared.”

“I’m free, really. You’re the one who needs to break free. All this clutter just gets in the way of things you want to do.”

“Like what?”

He caught her around the waist and pulled her to him. “Like this.” His lips met hers in an explosion of sensations. Warm and smooth, tangy and sweet from the last drink he’d had at the club, hungry and just demanding enough to turn her on, his kiss was exciting as it was unexpected.

Emmy wrapped her arms around Jared and matched his passion with a kiss of her own. She drew his tongue into her mouth and tangled her fingers in his hair. She’d been waiting for this all day, wanting it all evening. Her body came to life under his roaming hands, and before their lips parted she was helping him shed his jacket and hers, and unbuttoning their shirts.

Emmy offered her shoulder for kissing, her neck for nibbling, and finally brought Jared’s skillful lips to her breast. He slid his fingers to the clasp of her bra, and the intruding garment slid to the floor between them. He took her in his hands and molded the mounds of flesh, thumbing her hardening nipples. “God, these freckles—I’m going to kiss every one of them.”

“There’s a lot more where these came from,” she said and turned in his arms to show him her back. From her shoulders down her spine, she was covered with the tiny sun kisses. Growing up they’d been the bane of her existence, and she’d been teased about them unmercifully. As he placed a kiss on each and every one of them, Emmy’s body tingled, and her thoughts faded away.

“So sexy…” He lowered her panties just an inch and kissed the newly revealed skin. She moaned when he squeezed her ass and pulled her hips against his, providing very hard evidence of his arousal. “I’m on the pill,” she whispered, “But—”

“I’ve got condoms in my luggage, hang on.”

Emmy fell onto the bed and watched him move efficiently around the room. He returned with a familiar foil packet, several in fact, and placed them on the nightstand. “I was a Scout. I’m always prepared.”

“Did you earn merit badges for having condoms?”

He tore open one of the packets. “I’ll show you my badges some day. You’d be surprised by the skills I have.”

Emerson squirmed in anticipation as Jared stripped off his pants and briefs and put on the condom. She reached for him. “Which skills are you going to show me tonight?”

He lowered his body over hers and pressed hot kisses to her chest, her nipples and her stomach. “I thought I’d start with trailblazing. How’s this?”

She shuddered as he licked a burning line from her cleavage down to her navel. Her panties disappeared a second later, leaving her completely open to his ministrations. “That’s good…lots of merit there.”

“Then I figured I could start a fire.” He found her center and began to massage the tight bud of nerves. Emmy was sure she saw flames. She caught her breath as the heat rose inside her.

“You’ve definitely got a spark going.”

He worked his way down her writhing body and gently blew warm air across her navel. She arched her back. “You have to fan the flames and let them breathe.”

Emmy nodded. She could hardly breathe herself, but the flames were doing just fine.

“Exploring new territories,” he said, his fingers going places no one had been in a quite a while. Emmy gasped as he entered her and sighed when he found the perfect rhythm to set her body rocking on a gentle wave. “You have to advance slowly, never rush in.”

“Oh, rush, you can rush if you want to…” Emmy was wild with desire. She wanted Jared in every way, but he was teasing her, making her wait while he took his sweet time exploring her with his fingers, warming her with his body.

He smiled wickedly and rose up to nibble her lower lip. “I don’t want to rush anything.” He traced circles on her skin, raising gooseflesh. “I want to learn every inch of you, every curve.”

“Do that later. I want you now!” She pulled him toward her, settled under him, and showed him exactly what she wanted.

“Patience…” He groaned, but she could see he was losing the battle. His determination to take things slow faltered when she bucked her hips up to meet him. “It’s not one of your virtues, is it?”

“Not at all.”

“We’ll work on merit badges later, then.”

“Later, lots of later, right now…” Her words were lost in a kiss and a joining that had them both moaning incoherently. He took her as she asked him to, fast and hard, and they tumbled over the edge together.

* * * *

Jared woke to brilliant sunlight streaming through the partially open drapes. They hadn’t bothered to pull the heavy curtains closed last night and now, sunrise in the city burst through the windows with a vengeance. Emerson lay next to him, her hair a mass of
unruly curls across her bare shoulders.

He stretched and blew a puff of air at her nape to get her attention. She stirred, mumbling something he couldn’t make out. He blew again, and this time she tried to brush the intrusion away. After a third try she groaned and rolled over to face him. “Don’t you have anything better to do with your lips?”

He slid his arms around her and nuzzled her neck. “I do have lots of better things to do, but I had to get your attention somehow.”

She shifted her gorgeous legs and twined them with his. “You’ve got it now. Show me your stuff.”

He accepted the challenge and drew the light sheet over their heads, creating a glowing tent over them, under which he demonstrated some acrobatics that ended up with her nestled beneath him. She giggled and attempted to squirm away. “I hope you’ve got a condom left…”

“I have three, and I intend to use them all before we check out.”

“You’re insatiable.”

“Thank you.” He kissed her neck, her shoulders, and landed at her navel which he lavished some attention on while she moaned and made circles with her fingers in his hair. Together they retrieved a foil packet, and she helped him place the condom over his morning erection. She gasped as he entered her and locked eyes with him, clinging to him as he began to move.