And then there was the painting. Although I’d been familiar with his inimitable style, the arresting sexuality of Jared’s art, I hadn’t been prepared for seeing myself through his artist’s eye.
Raw, intimate, real. He captured me physically, erotically, but he also seemed to peer into the depths of my soul, into the place where I can’t conceal my feelings for him. Somehow the man I didn’t want to like in the beginning has become the one I don’t want to imagine living without.
If he could see all that when he painted me, I wonder if he can see it now, too, as he glances at me while the private plane taxis in from the short runway. Smiling, his eyes are tender on me as he lifts our joined hands to his lips and kisses the backs of my fingers.
“Next time, we should plan to stay overnight,” he says, his deep voice full of sensual promise.
He looks calm and relaxed in his seat beside me, his muscled thighs spread and his thick mane of hair still damp, like mine, from the shower we took together before leaving the beach house. He’s so irresistibly masculine and sexy, it’s all I can do not to unbuckle my seatbelt and climb on top of him.
And, yes, I believe he can see through to my heart even now. The look he gives me is pure fire, banked but still smoldering in his whisky-dark eyes. “How soon do you think you could get away for a weekend?”
The thought of filling three days—and the nights—with more of what we did today speeds my pulse and makes me squirm in the leather seat. “If Mom continues doing well these next few days, I could probably sneak away at the end of this week.”
“Good. If you’d feel better having twenty-four-hour care for her, I can make the arrangements and have the staff in place as soon as tomorrow.”
I arch my brows at him. “Haven’t we discussed this? You’ve already done enough.”
He grins. “Ah, but my motives are purely selfish now. It’s going to be hell waiting for the next time I can get you naked.”
I can’t hold back my smile. I can’t hold back the soaring elation that’s battering inside my ribs like a caged bird, either. Dear Lord, I’m falling fast.
No, it’s worse than that.
I’m already there. My heart belongs to this man.
And in some hopeful corner of my soul, I think he might be at least a little bit in love with me, too.
His phone chimes with an incoming text. He scans it, his expression contemplative. “It’s from Dominic Baine. He must’ve sent it just as we were taking off.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Yeah. He and Avery are at the Chelsea rec center. A shipment of new equipment for the art classroom arrived today. They’re asking if I’d like to weigh in on the installation.”
“Right now?”
He nods. “It’s okay, I don’t need to be there. By the time I drop you at home, it’ll be too late to get to Chelsea before they’re gone.”
“No. You should go, Jared.” I squeeze his hand. “It’s your project, too. They wouldn’t have asked you if they didn’t think it was important for you to be there. I can catch the subway home from here.”
He balks, scowling. “Out of the question.”
“Then I’ll call an Uber or take a taxi. It’s really not a big deal.”
He shakes his head in refusal. Then he hesitates, searching my gaze. “Would you like to come with me?”
“I’d love to.”
~ ~ ~
The youth recreation center is an impressive community campus situated on a residential block in the heart of Chelsea.
Although it’s clear the beautifully designed complex is relatively new construction, the grounds are bursting with mature shade trees, lush green spaces, and plantings abloom with a rainbow of summery flowers. A group of boys are playing basketball on one of the outdoor courts. In another area of the sun-filled yard, a Tai Chi instructor leads a class of young people through a series of fluid, meditative moves.
“What an amazing place,” I remark as Jared parks the Aston Martin in the side lot of the large, inviting brick-and-glass building at the heart of the property.
He nods. “Wait until you see the inside.”
With his hand resting warmly at the small of my back, he walks me to the building’s entrance. Beneath our feet in the spacious lobby, gleaming tilework is inlaid with an inspiring quote about overcoming adversity. Above our heads in the soaring rafters, colorful kites give the impression of open sails carrying us somewhere exciting and full of promise. A cheerful, welcoming children’s mural knits the entire room together with hand-painted, random vignettes of nature, friendship, and community, obviously created by an army of small hands.
I glance at Jared and find him watching me. “Is this something that came out of your art project?”
“No. That’s all Nick. He had a vision for what he wanted this center to be. True to form, he exceeded it.”
I nod in agreement. “It’s magical.”
The sound of an opening door to our right draws our attention. A stunning blond in slim-fitting beige jeans, flats, and a crisp white blouse steps into the lobby, her smile as bright as a ray of sunshine.
“Jared, there you are!” Her megawatt smile grows even warmer as she approaches us. “I wasn’t sure you were going to come.”
“I didn’t get your text until we’d touched down after a day out at Sagg.”
“You were out at the studio?” At his nod, her curious gaze flicks toward me for an instant. “Well, I’m glad you came. Both of you.”
Emerging right behind her is an arrestingly handsome man in dark suit pants and rolled-up shirtsleeves. He’s tall and broad-shouldered, a dark-haired force of nature with eyes the color of tropical
