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He bent to capture her lips for a brief second before going back in for seconds. “Good morning.”

As he pulled back, he saw her lips curl up at the corners. “Morning. What are you thinking about?”

He figured he might as well just get it out in the open. “Did you have a good time last night?”

His cock hardened as her cheeks blushed a very pretty pink but she didn’t lower her gaze. “Yes, I did.” She paused. “Where’s Dane?”

“The spare room.”

Her expression held no shame, only curiosity. And heat. “Is it always you and Dane?”

“Yes.”

“Will Dane always be here with us?”

“No.” He wondered if the flicker of reaction in her eyes was relief. Or disappointment. “He has to go back to Philly today. He has his own business to run.”

“So…he’s a fuck buddy?”

His eyes narrowed at the crude term but he could see Belle was trying to figure out the new parameters of their relationship.

And he wondered if he’d screwed up by bringing Dane here.

“Think of him more like a friend with benefits.”

Her gaze grew sharper. “So what does that make you?”

Yours.

That one word hung in his brain, tantalizing him with possibilities. And confusing the hell out of him. Something had changed, something he didn’t want to examine too closely right now because if he did…

“The man who would like you to accompany him to the Arts and Artists benefit ball next Saturday, if you’re free. My mother chairs the committee every year and Tyler and I are required to make command performances.”

He saw surprise in the lift of her eyebrows before a bemused smile curved her lips. “I’ve heard of it. I understand the organization funds some great programs for children and adults in the city.”

“Yes, and it’s been my mother’s pet project for years so there’s no getting out of it for me. Afterward, we could stay the night at the hotel, unless…Do you have someone who can cover the store for you?”

She shook her head then paused, as if considering her options. Finally, she said, “But I can close early that day.”

He refused to examine the urge to beat his chest. “I would appreciate that.”

Christ, why did that feel like one hell of an understatement?

She tilted her head to the side, looking as if she wanted to ask him something. He waited, wondering what was putting that look on her face.

“So I’m going to meet your parents, as your date?”

The utter seriousness of her question made him pause before answering. Did she not want to meet his parents? He couldn’t blame her but he didn’t think she knew how much of a dick his father was. “Yes, as my date.”

“And you’re okay with that?”

He smoothed out a frown. “I wouldn’t have asked if I didn’t want you there, Annabelle.”

She paused. “So…we’re dating?”

Well, when she put it that way, with that hesitant tone of voice…“Maybe you’d like to tell me how I should answer that question because I’m really not sure what you’re asking.”

He wanted to grab for her when she moved to sit up, pulling the sheets around her upper body. “I thought we had a business arrangement. Dating and business don’t usually mix. I mean, sex is great but it’s still not dating. I’m not certain I—we’re ready to cross that line.”

Jared tried to hide his shock at her reasoning. Not because he disagreed but because he’d used this same argument in the past with other women.

Wow, when had he become the clingy one?

A reluctant grin curved his lips. “You’re absolutely right. But that doesn’t change the fact that I’d like you to come. I enjoy spending time with you, Belle. Think of the event as a necessary evil before a night at Haven. Besides, my grandmother would like to meet you.”

And now he was using his grandmother as a way to get Belle to spend time with him.

What the fuck was going on with him?

Belle hesitated and he forced himself to breathe while waiting for her answer.

Finally, she nodded. “Okay. Sure, I’d love to go.”

Sixteen

“Jared, I don’t know about this. This is more of a family thing. I feel like I’m intruding.”

As Jared pulled the car to a stop at the curb, Annabelle tried not to fidget and possibly crush the beading on her dress. She looked like a million bucks but that didn’t calm the butterflies in her stomach.

“This is definitely not a family thing.” Jared turned to smile at her, that devastating grin that always made her want to run the other way, but only so he’d chase her.

The butterflies had started last Saturday morning. After he’d asked her to accompany him here. After that amazing night with Dane.

Just thinking about it still had the power to make her thighs clench.

And even though it hadn’t happened again—Dane had returned to the city last Saturday—Annabelle wondered if maybe, tonight…Jared told her they’d be staying at Haven tonight. Would the Salon be open?

Jesus, where the hell had her common sense gone? Had it been blasted away by the great sex?

Or had she fallen for the man who’d introduced her to the best sex of her life?

“You’re not intruding,” Jared continued. “You look beautiful. But here’s the deal. Don’t let Nana get you alone for too long. She’ll monopolize you because she’s good at it. Ignore my father at all costs. My mom will be too busy to interrogate you, but she’ll be too curious not to give you a few rounds. And you’re only allowed one dance with my brother. He’s almost as bad as my nana when he gets going.”

She opened her mouth to speak, but he leaned over to whisper in her ear. “Don’t make me kiss you to shut you up, Belle. I’ll mess up your makeup. Besides, I’ve had a hard-on all week because all I could do was think about you. So if you don’t get your pretty ass out of my car, we won’t make it to the ball. We’ll go straight to Haven.”

When he drew back, she could barely breathe.

As she stared into his beautiful blue eyes, she couldn’t believe how much she’d missed him this past week. He’d left last Sunday to return to Haven. He hadn’t seemed happy about it but she understood he had responsibilities. He owned a hotel, for heaven’s sake. Of course, he had business to take care of.

Besides, it’s not like they had pledged themselves to each other. They had a business arrangement. With benefits. Really freaking good benefits.

And how much better would it be if it was all pleasure and no business?

When he finally released her gaze and got out of the car, she used the few seconds before her door opened to pull herself together. She flipped down the visor to check her makeup, satisfied that her lipstick wasn’t smudged and her mascara hadn’t run.

When her door opened and Jared stuck out his hand to help her out of the car, she gave her dress a shake to make sure everything was in place. Kate really had outdone herself with this one.

It was a good thing Kate used her as a model for her designs. It meant Kate had a workshop full of dresses for Annabelle to choose from. She’d promised to never again complain about standing for hours while being stuck by pins.

The beaded scarlet dress made the most of her fair complexion and, with her hair piled on her head in a seemingly random mass of curls, Annabelle knew she looked damn good.

Good enough to be seen with Jared Golden, who looked like he just stepped off the cover of GQ in a perfectly fitted tuxedo.