Nosy Jared surely read it as well. I didn’t care if he did or didn’t. Replying to his message, I quickly responded that I’d call himtomorrow.
“He’s quite persistent,isn’the?”
Wyatt…damn. If I kept going this way, Blair wouldn’t be amused. I had to make a decision soon because if Blair heard it from another person, she’d be none too pleased. “He makes me laugh. It’s so easy to be with him. He knows me so well I don’t have to hide anything from him, but I don’t know…I haven’t made up my mind yet.” My honesty shocked me. Jared had no designs where I was concerned; maybe it made it easier to state such truthful thingstohim.
“I saw the possessive way he looked at you. He won’t stop untilyou’rehis.”
“That’s nothing new. He’s always had a thing for me.” Much more so now seeing I was actually considering him after years of ignoring his advancestowardsme.
“What’sstoppingyou?”
You. It was always you. Sadly, this pathetic excuse didn’t satisfy any longer. I had vowed to move on, and I intend to, whether my heart agreed to let go of Jaredornot.
“Nothing’s stopping me, Jared. I don’t see anything wrong with taking my time after Jack. Wyatt knows that.” Well, I hoped Wyatt knew it. I had revealedasmuch.
“And Dexter Berg?”There was a strange quality to hisvoice.
Was it disapproval? Worry? Disgust? I couldn’t be sure. Maybe it was because Dexter was David Berg’s spawn. It had to be. Even though David Berg remained in the company after a major falling out with my father, David had continuously tried to undermine my father’s decisions. And I supposed, David’s negativity would now be channeled to the new CEO of the company. Jared could handle him. Jared seemed considerate where I was concerned, but everyone knew the man made a terrifying adversary. Jared wasn’t my father, and I doubted he had Peter Weber’s patience, either. David betterwatchout.
“Dexter? I don’t think he sees me that way. He’s always been über friendly, but he never really askedmeout.”
“I saw you give yournumber.”
He caught everything; it was unnerving. “He asked for it. I saw no reason not togiveit.”
“You were flirting with him…at your father’s funeral at that,” he uttereddisapprovingly.
Flirting? That was beyond absurd. “Don’t beridiculous!”
“Youlikehim.”
“I’ve always thought him cute, but now…I haven’t seen him for two years, and he looks great.” Well before Jared came into the picture, Dexter Berg was my crush. Our fathers used to be really close, so we hung out almost every weekend. “Does he meet yourapproval?”
“No. Not by alongshot.”
“Whynot?”
“His father’s David Berg. The man’s been undermining my authority, much more so now that Peter’s gone. Second, Dexter doesn’t deserve you. You’re too good for the likesofhim.”
“You’re entitled to your opinion, of course. But if it comes to it, if David does show interest, it won’t stop me from seeing him,” I said. I wasn’t to conform to his beliefs. He wasn’t his father. David had done nothing wrong. And I wasn’t going to ignore him because his father was a spitefulidiot.
“Be careful…That’s allIask.”
Jared sure took this “you’re my responsibility” to a new level. He was more protective than my father. Imagine that. If he was like this towards me, I couldn’t fathom how he’d be to his wife and children. “You’re going to be a nightmare to whoever marries you someday…with you being a bona fide stalker and all. I’ll make sure to prayforher.”
“Oh, yeah?” he playfully pinched my hip. “Says the woman who married me!" He pompously declared before his teeth sank intomyneck.
A sudden burst of wetness seeped out between my thighs, making me whimper with need. “Jared—stop, stop! I don’t want to get aroused. Sopleasestop.”
In a quick haste, the man shifted my body so he was facing me instead of my back. The soft glow of the candle gently bounced across his chiseled features. It made his eyes a hundred times more magnetizing than they had the right to be. He gazed down on me, noting my face so close to his own. “You already arearoused.”
I’ll alwayswantyou.
“It’s hard not to be. You’ve been naughty.” I saw no needtolie.
“You are so responsive…” his heated eyes slid lower, admiring the rapid rise of my chest as I heavily panted against his intense scrutiny. My nipples blatantly protruded over the sheer cotton slip. “Sometimes I wonder what it’d be like totasteyou…”
“We’ve been there, done that. I don’t want to fight with you.” The last fight we had was a tumultuous one. He abhorred the idea of wanting me; he declared as much. So why was he giving in to his baserinstincts?