Stephanie Julian - By Private Invitation

“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.”