THE CRITIC (15 page)

“Any member in good standing with a completed manuscript.”

His eyes strayed again toward Toreas.  He was wondering if he could convince her to enter the contest.  Her manuscript wasn’t finished and to tell the truth, he didn’t think it was good enough for her to win. But he wanted to give her some encouragement, as she had done for him.  Her time of financial support from her parents was drawing to a close and he believed she was closer than ever to releasing her passion and allowing it to flow freely onto the paper.

If Jared could help Toreas gather her courage to enter something like that, he wouldn’t mind her wrath when she found out that he was working.  It was decided.  He would remain quiet until he helped her.

Jared returned his attention to the women at his own table and listened patiently as they told him about the Bard, the award given for published authors. 

He watched the women’s faces as they talked about different conventions, from nationals to the many local ones held throughout the country.  He listened with interest as they told him of an upcoming convention they were all planning to attend.

He wondered if Toreas had ever gone to one of the conventions.  These women were talking with such passion that he was convinced Toreas had never gone. Jared wanted to give this to her.  He would pester Toreas to finish her manuscript and to go the convention.  He could put off telling her he was back at the station for awhile.

He would tell her tonight that he’d found another job in television, just so she’d stop worrying about him and making him feel guilty.  He would just not tell her where.  Just a little white lie.  Who would it hurt?  None of the women watched his program anyway.

Chapter Thirteen

“Toreas, why don’t you enter The Purple Plum?” Jared stared at her over the rim of the coffee mug. She was watching him, her brown eyes giving him the once-over.

“How did you find out about that?”

“Tonight at the critique.  Liz is going to enter.  I was thinking maybe you should.”  He smiled at her.

Instead of smiling back, she got up, removing their coffee cups in the process.  Her subtle hint that he’d stayed long enough.

“Liz’s a fantastic writer.”

Jared noticed the awe in her voice. It made him want to wrap his arms around her. Not giving himself time to think, he walked behind her and put his hand tentatively around her shoulder.

He felt the pace of her breathing change.  “I found a job,” Jared said softly and felt her tense. “There’s no need for me to come over every night…unless you want me to.”

Toreas was feeling flushed. This close to Jared she was again wanting things she’d denied wanting.

“That’s good. I knew you wouldn’t be without a job too long.”  What the heck was she talking about?  She was already feeling his loss.

She did want him to find a job, didn’t she?  She couldn’t answer that one.  It had been so much fun cooking for him, eating with him, writing with him, and pretending.  Toreas didn’t want it to end.

“Tell me about your job. Is it still in television or is it something else?”

“It’s doing pretty much what I was doing before.”

“Trashing romances writers?”

Jared hesitated a second, knowing that that was indeed what Derrick was hoping he’d do. “Toreas, I’ll make you a promise. I have no plans on going back to trashing what you and the other romance writers do. I know what you do is important to you.”

“So what are you going to be doing?”

“I’m not sure yet,” Jared answered, trying not to squirm. He could see from the way Toreas was watching him that she still didn’t quite trust him not to hurt her or her romance group. He’d also noticed that she’d conveniently not answered about his continuing to have dinner with. He was disappointed but it wasn’t altogether unexpected. If he continued to come for dinner he could just imagine the guilt that would entail for her. Right now she could salve her conscience with the thought that she was helping him out. It was time to change the subject of his job.

“Let’s forget about the job. It’s just something to do for right now.” He smiled. “Tell me, are you going to enter the contest for The Purple Plum?”

“Are you thinking about entering, Jared?” Toreas asked. She was stalling to avoid answering whether she wanted him to come over.  How could she be sure he still wanted to come?

She turned to face him. His eyes were again filled with desire and he was watching her intently in the oddest way.

She closed her eyes and waited for the intrusion of voices but they didn’t come. She stopped breathing, wondering if she looked like an idiot standing there with her eyes closed in expectancy.

Then his lips came down over hers, softly, and his arms closed about her. 

The kiss was hard for her to explain.  It was brief and so different from the other two they’d shared.  There was an intense hunger on both parts but they were both keeping it in check.

“How did you know I needed something for the scene I’m working on?” Toreas asked.

“You’re using what just happened for a scene?”

Jared arched his eyebrows and his eyes clouded over.  Toreas wanted to push him away from her but she couldn’t move.  She was stuck where she was.

She shivered as he ran one hand down the side of her cheek. “Am I still just a research project to you?”

She wasn’t going to get caught like that. “What am I to you, Jared?  Am I just an unfinished story?”

“You don’t trust me, do you?”

His lips came down to cover hers, then stopped but a kiss away.  She was sharing his breath, the need to cling to him overcoming her good sense.  His muscles rippled beneath the fabric of his shirt.

Toreas could feel the evidence of his desire as he lowered his lips the last fraction of an inch and kissed her, melting away her doubts, replacing them with a hunger that frightened her.

“Trust me, Toreas,” he moaned into her ear. “I could fall in love with you very easily if I’m given the slightest bit of encouragement.”

God, how she wanted to believe him. She smiled up at him, resisting the pull of lust in his eyes.  She had to try to inject some humor, anything to get them away from discussing their feelings.

“You’re a reporter.  A critic.”  She tried her feet; they could move now. She walked away from him and back to the safety of her overstuffed chair.

She had expected him to follow and tease her but he didn’t.  He stood his ground, staring after her, a half frown on his face.  His look was making her nervous.

“I haven’t said a demeaning word about romance writers in weeks.  Still you don’t trust me.”

She saw he was serious.  “Jared, you haven’t had a job in weeks.  You haven’t had an opportunity to attack us.”  She was half joking with him but he wasn’t smiling. Instead, his frown deepened.

She realized her remark could be construed as insensitive. “Jared, I was only joking. I’m sorry.”

Only then did he make a step toward her. “Do you believe that’s the only reason I’ve stopped my attacks?  I thought things had changed between us.”

She didn’t like the way he was gazing at her.  He was making her believe in magic, in love.  She couldn’t hold out that hope. The kiss in the kitchen was an ending because of the month they’d shared.  She couldn’t think it meant anything more than that to him.

Toreas wanted light, she wanted to chase away the sudden thickness of the charged air.  He was descending on her, his eyes all over her at once.

She looked away from him to think.  “Well, something has changed, Jared.  You don’t call my clothes ugly anymore.”

He stopped and laughed.  She breathed easier, knowing she had accomplished what she wanted.

“But they still are atrocious,” he answered her. “Why do you bu
y things that look like this?”

He was standing in front of her, his hand touching the well worn fabric of the heavy cotton shirt she had on.  This shirt she thought was pretty.  There were flowers and beads covering it in different patterns.

“Are you trying to hide from the world so no one sees you?”

She felt the warmth crawling over her body. “I buy things I can afford, Jared.”

“But why do they have to be so big and look so awful?  If I didn’t know better I would think all of your clothes came from a thrift shop.”

Toreas laughed and touched her shirt.  “I thought this was nice.”  She laughed even harder as the shock of truth hit Jared.

“I don’t believe it.  Why?  And don’t tell me again you do this to save money.”

“Being wasteful is a sin,” she scolded.

“Even if the clothes are three sizes too large and look like this?”

He was pointing at her, sputtering, unable to say what he really thought and she knew he was trying hard not to be mean.

She didn’t care.  Jared Stone talking about her wardrobe she could take.  Him looking at her with his eyes turning smoky with desire she couldn’t handle.

He sat in the chair opposite her, scratching the tip of his nose with his left index finger.  “You do that very well.”

“What?”

“Distract me.  We started out with me asking you to enter The Purple Plum. Now we’re talking fashion.”

“I didn’t know that I was doing that.”

“Of course you knew it.”

Toreas laughed. “Okay. Guilty.”

Something happened then and they both felt it. Jared stood with a question in his eyes, watching as Toreas licked her lips, her eyes never leaving his face, giving him silent permission. Her breath was coming out in little pants. A look of total lust filled her eyes before fear obliterated it. He was losing her. He had to think of something fast.

“Toreas, I think it’s time for another lesson. I know you have the kiss down pat but there’s more.” He stood in front of her. “Are you ready to learn?”

Before she could answer, Jared dipped his head down and captured her trembling lips in his own. He heard her moan and swallowed it. “To…re…as,” he said, intentionally caressing her name. “Are you ready?” Moving closer, he nipped her ear, allowing his hands to roam over her body. She wasn’t talking, just breathing hard.

Jared could feel his flesh swell and harden. His erection was pushing against her and she attempted to move away but he held her in place playing with her behind. He twirled his tongue into her ear, licked the perspiration from her neck, the scent of her becoming a part of him. He groaned and bent to lift her into his arms.

“Jared?”

“We’re just going to take it to the next level, Toreas. Anytime you want me to stop all you have to do is say so. I promise I will stop.”

God, if she said the word
stop
, he didn’t know what he would do, because stopping wasn’t in his plans. Jared wanted to make love to Toreas. The thought of being buried deep in her wetness made the flesh in his pants jerk.

He had to be careful, she was skittish, that much he knew. Her head was buried in his neck and he could feel her body heat. But the heat from her face was different. He didn’t have to look at her to know she was embarrassed as hell. He walked toward what he was praying was her bedroom and knew immediately that it was when her hand went out to the door jamb to block his entry.

“Jared,” Toreas moaned, “I don’t think we should.”

“We haven’t done anything yet. Come on, I have something I want you to experience. You told me you’d never had your eyes to roll back in your head. Have you ever had an orgasm?” Jared tightened his arms to keep her from jumping out of them. “Toreas,” he said softly, “I don’t have to do the deed to make you come.”

“Jared?”

“Jared what,” he teased. “You think I’m too vulgar?”

“A little.”

“Then I guess I shouldn’t tell you that right about now I want to lick you all over and have you scream out my name. I’ll tell you what, I’ll get your pad and paper and you can write down your sensations. What do you think?” He stopped a step away from entering the bedroom, dropped his head down to hers and kissed the top of her head before exploring her ear with his tongue again. “Do you want me to take you back to get your pad?” he whispered hoarsely.

“No, I think I can remember.”

“If you can’t I can always do it again.” This time he was barely able to get the words out. He was choking, barely able to breathe over the delicious delicacy he held in his arms. God, he could come right there just from holding her, but he had to do this right. He had to give her time to adjust. He had to make her believe that he was falling in love with her.

Damn. Jared took a step toward her bed and another. Her eyes opened finally and her head raised to look at him. Her brown eyes held his and the look slayed him. “I’m not going to hurt you, Toreas.”

“Jared, I feel so…turn out the light.”

“I want to look at you, Toreas, you need me to. How are you going to write about the lust you see in my eyes if you don’t see it?”

He laid her gently on the bed, afraid that once he did she would kick him from the bedroom but she didn’t. She did, however, try to scoot as far away from him as she could get.

Jared grinned. He loved a challenge. He blinked. The miles and miles of clothing she had on would indeed prove to be a challenge. At least it was only the oversized shirt that he had to worry about.

“What are you going to do, Jared?”

“I’m going to show you the proper way to write a love scene.”

“I thought you said it was trash?”

“Trash done right is glorious.” He grinned again at her.

“Do I have to participate?”

Now that stumped him. Jared narrowed his eyes and took a good look at her. Surely she had to be joking. But she wasn’t.
Do I want her to participate
? His eyes closed as he imagined her hands on him, touching him, caressing him, her fingers running up and down over his too hot flesh…

“Jared?”

He blinked as he opened his eyes. Another beautiful image shot to hell and back. He wanted to laugh but more than anything he wanted to fall on his knees and thank God that this woman he was falling in love was so inexperienced. He’d have to amend how many times he wanted her. It was beginning to feel like he’d want her for a lifetime.

“Jared, have you changed your mind?”

“God,” he groaned, and made his way toward her on his knees.
Kisses
, he decided. He’d start with kisses. Toreas  needed to relax and Jared needed to taste her. He slid upward, lay beside her and stretched his legs out in front of him, knowing she was watching. He adjusted his head on her pillow and sighed, reaching for her hand. “Let’s talk, Toreas. You said you’re not a virgin, right?”

“Right, I’m not.”

“Have you ever actually touched a man?”

“Of course.”