h.
Damn Jessie and her over-attention to details. I loved that my sister was so immersed in creating characters for her work, but it had really bitten me in the ass this time.
Tara needed to know the truth about me, but I had to reveal it carefully, so she could figure it out in a natural way. She had to understand how much I cared about her, and that the mixup wasn’t my fault, or the least bit intentional.
The answer finally came to me Sunday afternoon in the middle of my workout. Since I spent so much time sitting still while operating a crane every day, I had to overwork my muscles on the weekends to keep fit.
Showering quickly, I raced to Tara’s apartment. Maybe it was rude to drop in without texting first, but I wanted to surprise her.
Her door opened seconds after my knuckles tapped against the wood. “Jared? What are you doing here?”
Sweeping her backward, I barged right in while pulling her into my arms. Kissing her rough and deep, I walked her back until she was laid across her bed. Her lips parted, letting me devour her completely as I hovered over her. My shaft was hard in a blink, and I had to shift my hips to keep from pressing against her.
Tara’s soft moan against my lips made me crazy, but I couldn’t be with her again until she knew the truth. Even if it nearly killed me.
“I missed you,” I said, sweeping back her hair at the side of her neck to trail my lips along her sensitive skin. “I can only stay for a minute, but I need to ask you something important.”
Jumping back, I pulled Tara up so she was sitting, blinking in surprise. “Okay. What?”
“That event I told you about. It’s Wednesday night. Will you be able to join me as my date?” Her beaming smile made me want to tear her clothes off and worship her body immediately, but patience was going to pay off.
“Yes.”
“Can I pick you up at your store at six?”
“Yes.”
Giving her one more quick kiss, I turned to leave.
“Wait!” She reached out for me frantically, gripping my hand. “How fancy is it? What should I wear?”
“It’s casual,” I said. Her eyes remained latched on mine, as if begging for more information. “Whatever you normally wear to work will be fine,” I said, as I leaned into nuzzle her ear. “But I think you look angelic in light colors like white and this baby pink.”
My fingers trailed around the neckline of her little t-shirt, slipping down to wander across the very top of her breasts. Her breath was uneven as those lovely eyes stared up at me.
“See you Wednesday, beautiful,” I said, hurrying out the door.
The next two days were going to be extended shifts at work, and I’d probably be barely able to keep my eyes open. Although I’d make a point to call and text her over the next few days, leaving her breathless and wanting more. I had to keep her thinking about me.
Finally showing her what I actually did for a living, and who I really was, would be a relief.
11
_____
Tara
The past few days had gone by in a blur, and by six o’clock Wednesday evening I felt like I had just shot three espressos. I couldn’t wait to see Jared.
Over the past two evenings we’d been sending endless cute little texts. He had been asking me all about my preferences in books, music, and movies, remarking on how much we had in common.
I wasn’t used to anyone having the same slightly quirky media choices that I did. Either we really did have a lot in common, or Jared was going out of his way to let me know how much he cared about me.
For the first time ever, I felt like a man was absolutely infatuated with me. He listened carefully to every word I said, and seemed to think I was smart and funny. It was strange, feeling this desired. I absolutely loved it.
I’d been telling Jared about my ideas to create a website skewed more toward busy parents, and he was so encouraging that I spent an hour studying how to pitch new business ideas. In my particular case, I didn’t need anything formal since my company was so open, but it helped me organize my thoughts.
When my boss, Lynne, happened to come into the shop Wednesday morning, I showed her what I’d been working on.