conniving she-devil made her skin crawl. Maybe she could find a way to make Jared see what Veronica was truly like.
“I’ll keep an eye on things.” Madison shifted her weight.
“Yes. And I’ll try to talk some reason into him. Why he invited her to the wedding is beyond me.” She glanced out at the dark backyard. “I’d better go. Zachary is waiting for me.” She patted Madison’s arm before leaving the room.
It was late, and the long day had worn on her. She would appreciate slipping under the covers. Madison sprinted up the stairs. When she entered the guest bedroom, Jared rounded on her. “What was that all about?”
“What?”
He glowered at her and folded his arms across his chest. “Tights? Really? What did I do to deserve that?”
She dug her fingernails into her palm to keep from laughing. “Oh, that.” She bit her lip. If Veronica was really as bad as Patricia made out, maybe it wasn’t his fault. Maybe she was coming on to him. She suddenly felt bad for him. “Sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” Frustration rolled off him, and he began to pace the room like a caged panther. “Now I have to write a poem for my wedding vows. Oh, but not just any poem. A friggen haiku, for heaven’s sake.”
A giggle escaped and she clamped her hand over her mouth.
“Yeah, real funny. You know, I can’t figure you out. Just when I think we’re getting along, you pull something like this.”
“I’m sorry. I got a little upset at you.”
“Saying I sing you to sleep would be a little upset. Putting me in tights and writing poetry? That’s serious.” Jared’s hooded gaze traveled over her. “Spill it. What did I do?”
“I, uh…guess I felt bad you were sneaking off to see Veronica.” She paused to gauge his expression. Surprise flitted across his face. She rushed on. “I mean, I know we’re not really getting married. But we should keep up appearances, right? What if someone saw you and her together?”
Jared stepped forward and wrapped his large hand around her arm. “I’m going to say this once, and only once.”
The way he was so serious took her aback, and she simply nodded.
“There is nothing between Veronica and me. Nothing.”
His intense gaze and close proximity played havoc with her heart, causing it to beat erratically. “But I thought—”
He put his finger on her lips. “You don’t have to worry about Veronica. I know how she is. And it’s not her I’m fake-marrying.” He brushed her hair behind her shoulder, and tilted her chin up with his knuckle. “It’s you.”
Before she had the chance to think, his lips were on hers. It was a hungry kiss full of passion and urgency. Her hands entwined in his hair, and he pulled her close. His lips roamed to her jaw, then her earlobe. A fire burned in her, and she closed her eyes. The world began to spin.
His kiss came back to her lips, more demanding and more passionate. Her concerns about Veronica melted away, and all that was left was Jared. His kiss created a whirlwind of emotion in her, and she couldn’t get enough of him.
He pressed closer until she had to take several steps back. Her legs hit the bed. He began to lower her down, and the realization of what he was doing crashed through her. She jerked away from him. “Wait.”
“What?” Desire filled his eyes.
“What are you doing?”
His mouth quirked in a half-smile. “I’m kissing my soon-to-be wife.”
“Fake-wife. This isn’t real, Jared.”
His thumb caressed her back. “What I’m feeling right now is real.”
She was backed up against the bed and couldn’t step away from him, so she pushed against his chest, which was kind of like pushing against the Great Wall of China. He didn’t budge. “What you’re feeling right now won’t last. You’re not in love with me. If we do this, where will we be tomorrow?”
A wicked look crossed his face. “Tomorrow we’ll wake up right here. In this bed.”
She hopped up on the mattress and backed away
“I’ll keep an eye on things.” Madison shifted her weight.
“Yes. And I’ll try to talk some reason into him. Why he invited her to the wedding is beyond me.” She glanced out at the dark backyard. “I’d better go. Zachary is waiting for me.” She patted Madison’s arm before leaving the room.
It was late, and the long day had worn on her. She would appreciate slipping under the covers. Madison sprinted up the stairs. When she entered the guest bedroom, Jared rounded on her. “What was that all about?”
“What?”
He glowered at her and folded his arms across his chest. “Tights? Really? What did I do to deserve that?”
She dug her fingernails into her palm to keep from laughing. “Oh, that.” She bit her lip. If Veronica was really as bad as Patricia made out, maybe it wasn’t his fault. Maybe she was coming on to him. She suddenly felt bad for him. “Sorry.”
“You’re sorry?” Frustration rolled off him, and he began to pace the room like a caged panther. “Now I have to write a poem for my wedding vows. Oh, but not just any poem. A friggen haiku, for heaven’s sake.”
A giggle escaped and she clamped her hand over her mouth.
“Yeah, real funny. You know, I can’t figure you out. Just when I think we’re getting along, you pull something like this.”
“I’m sorry. I got a little upset at you.”
“Saying I sing you to sleep would be a little upset. Putting me in tights and writing poetry? That’s serious.” Jared’s hooded gaze traveled over her. “Spill it. What did I do?”
“I, uh…guess I felt bad you were sneaking off to see Veronica.” She paused to gauge his expression. Surprise flitted across his face. She rushed on. “I mean, I know we’re not really getting married. But we should keep up appearances, right? What if someone saw you and her together?”
Jared stepped forward and wrapped his large hand around her arm. “I’m going to say this once, and only once.”
The way he was so serious took her aback, and she simply nodded.
“There is nothing between Veronica and me. Nothing.”
His intense gaze and close proximity played havoc with her heart, causing it to beat erratically. “But I thought—”
He put his finger on her lips. “You don’t have to worry about Veronica. I know how she is. And it’s not her I’m fake-marrying.” He brushed her hair behind her shoulder, and tilted her chin up with his knuckle. “It’s you.”
Before she had the chance to think, his lips were on hers. It was a hungry kiss full of passion and urgency. Her hands entwined in his hair, and he pulled her close. His lips roamed to her jaw, then her earlobe. A fire burned in her, and she closed her eyes. The world began to spin.
His kiss came back to her lips, more demanding and more passionate. Her concerns about Veronica melted away, and all that was left was Jared. His kiss created a whirlwind of emotion in her, and she couldn’t get enough of him.
He pressed closer until she had to take several steps back. Her legs hit the bed. He began to lower her down, and the realization of what he was doing crashed through her. She jerked away from him. “Wait.”
“What?” Desire filled his eyes.
“What are you doing?”
His mouth quirked in a half-smile. “I’m kissing my soon-to-be wife.”
“Fake-wife. This isn’t real, Jared.”
His thumb caressed her back. “What I’m feeling right now is real.”
She was backed up against the bed and couldn’t step away from him, so she pushed against his chest, which was kind of like pushing against the Great Wall of China. He didn’t budge. “What you’re feeling right now won’t last. You’re not in love with me. If we do this, where will we be tomorrow?”
A wicked look crossed his face. “Tomorrow we’ll wake up right here. In this bed.”
She hopped up on the mattress and backed away
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