The Forbidden Billionaire (The Sinclairs Book 2) (20 page)

He shrugged. “Why? I handle the business part of Mara’s Kitchen, and a new vehicle for you was in the contract. I guess I should have checked with you about giving your truck to Todd, but I didn’t think you’d mind since you have a new SUV.”

Oh, God. She hadn’t really read every line of the contract. She trusted Jared, and she’d only checked to make sure he wasn’t screwing himself. And all things considered, she wouldn’t have minded giving her truck to Todd at all. His family had so little, and if the vehicle would help him, she would have gladly turned it over to him if she got other transportation. “I should have been consulted. We’re partners, and it was my personal property.”

“You’re right. I should have. But you’ve been working yourself into the ground. I thought it was something I could take care of for you.”

Mara’s heart dropped to the ground at Jared’s contrite expression. He’d been trying to help, and it made her feel like a bitch. “We really are from two different worlds,” she mumbled irritably, unable to make Jared feel worse than he did by being upset with him. “If it concerns my personal property, I’d appreciate it if you’d ask next time.” Dammit. She was so easy. But Jared had been through so much today that she didn’t want to argue. She wanted to talk to him about how things had gone with Mrs. Olsen, and find out if he felt better, if it had helped resolve anything for him. All she really wanted right now was to touch him and for him to hold her while they talked about it.

“Okay,” he agreed gruffly. “But if I had to, I would have had someone do you a favor and steal that damn truck. It was dangerous. And you needed a new vehicle, dammit.”

Okay . . . maybe he wasn’t
all
that remorseful. Mara had a hard time biting back a smile. Jared was incorrigible and so honest that he could get himself in trouble very easily. The problem was, she could see his concern for her. He wasn’t doing this for any other reason. “You’re lucky you gave me that fabulous orgasm. I’m too sated to argue with you.”

“So that’s how I can get whatever I want? Make you come?” A slow grin formed on his lips and spread to his eyes as he looked at her hungrily.

She couldn’t help herself. She teased him back. “It certainly wouldn’t hurt, I’m sure.”

“If you want something from me, all you have to do is smile at me like you are right now. I’ll give you anything you want,” he told her bluntly, genuinely.

“You know it’s almost impossible to get angry with you for very long.” Mara moved forward and stroked his sexy, stubbled jaw. “What if I want you to stop buying things for me?” She beamed at him to make her point.

“Everything except that,” he grumbled, leaning down to kiss her tenderly. “If you’re in need of something, I want to be the one to provide it.”

“Thank you for the vehicle. It’s beautiful. But since when is a car part of a business contract?”

His grin grew broader. “Since I asked the attorney to put it in there and hoped you wouldn’t notice.”

She lifted her eyebrow at him. “So you were actually hoping I wouldn’t read the fine print?”

“Yep,” he admitted shamelessly.

Sweet Jesus. Jared was breathtakingly gorgeous even when he was being an arrogant ass. “You win. This time.”

“Is it really so hard? Letting me get you what you need? I want to know you’re safe.” His tone was hesitant and confused.

“Yes.” She sighed, knowing Jared had gone through the trauma of losing people he loved, and she
did
understand that he wanted anyone he cared about to be safe. “Every woman in your life has used you because of your money. I want you to trust that I’m
not
after your money.”

“I already do know that. You’ve had to do things yourself your whole life, Mara. Let me do some things for you. I can’t cook, so I can’t make you incredible meals just because I want to, and I can’t make sure you have an extra pie just because I know you like it. Let me do what I
can
do. Please.”

She could hardly compare the two things, but she got his point. For him, getting her what she needed was his way of showing he cared. Throwing those gifts back in his face hurt him as much as it would hurt her if he refused to eat things that she made especially for him. “I appreciate them, Jared. I’m just not sure how to accept them. In my world, men don’t give women they’re dating a new vehicle that costs more than some people’s houses.”

Jared shrugged. “In my world, women don’t waste their time making their man homemade baked goods. I’m willing to bet you spend more time cooking for me than I spent buying this vehicle.”

Mara caved, understanding what he was trying to say. If the two of them were going to be together for however long it lasted, she was going to have to accept Jared as he was or not at all.

Fact: He was a billionaire.

Fact: For him, the money he spent on her was nothing.

Fact: He wanted to do things for her, and this was his way of showing that he cared. It was no different than when she did things for him.

“Okay,” she conceded. “I’ll get used to it. Just no more giving away my personal property without asking me first.”

“Agreed. You’re right about that. I thought I was helping, but when you put it that way, I understand why you’re upset,” he answered agreeably. “So I can get you whatever I want now?” he asked hopefully.

God, she loved this man. “I don’t need anything else right now except you, Jared. Let me get used to this before you spring anything else on me, okay? I need to work into this slowly.” She held out her hand. “Can I have the keys? I want to look at my gift.”

He dug into the pocket of his jeans and held out the keys. “It’s nothing flashy. I didn’t think you’d like that. It’s practical.”

Mara smiled at him, thinking the expensive luxury vehicle was anything but practical. It was a Mercedes, for God’s sake.

Remember Jared’s status. For him it probably is practical.

She snatched the keys and ran a reverent hand over the shiny surface of the car. “I can’t believe I screwed on a new Mercedes,” she muttered.

“We didn’t exactly fuck on it,” Jared commented, sounding disappointed that they hadn’t.

She fumbled with all of the fancy buttons until the car unlocked. Nearly gasping at the plush leather interior, she inhaled, still unable to believe that the new vehicle was really hers. “Want to take a ride?” she asked Jared, her heart hammering at the thought of actually driving a car this expensive.

Jared hopped into the passenger seat like an eager teenager as she slid into the driver’s seat.

“I love the smell of leather,” Mara mused, inhaling deeply.

“Does that mean you like it?” Jared asked anxiously. “Because if you don’t, I can get you—”

Mara pressed her hand over his mouth and met his deep green stare. “Don’t go there. I love it. But not nearly as much as I love you.” Her heart swelled as she replaced her hand with her lips, savoring the sensual feel of his mouth under hers.

“Are you sure you really want to go for a ride?” Jared asked when she pulled back reluctantly to start the vehicle.

“A short one,” she agreed, her body aching for Jared’s again. “First the new car, and later I’ll ride you.”

“Would that be before or after I get my chocolate turtle cheesecake?” he asked in a sexy, husky baritone as he nibbled at her neck, his big palm running erotically up the inside of her thigh.

Mara’s core flooded with heat, and she squeaked, “Before
and
after. Definitely.” She could barely think as she put the purring vehicle in gear and started turning it around. It was going to be a very short ride.

“I love the way you think,” he said with a chuckle as his hand finally landed between her thighs.

“I’m driving here,” Mara parroted his earlier words desperately.

Jared simply laughed harder.

CHAPTER 19

Dante and Sarah had wanted an informal wedding at the Amesport Youth Center, the very place where Dante had saved Sarah’s life, and the building with the biggest ballroom in town. With Grady’s wife, Emily, running the Youth Center, Grady Sinclair had been a huge donor for the refurbishing of the entire building, and what had once served as a recreation hall was now an enormous, beautiful ballroom. It was the venue for both the wedding and the reception.

It was a Sunday, and the Youth Center was closed. Guests had poured in early for the noon wedding, all of them eager to see their new felony detective for the Amesport Police Department get hitched to one of their own local physicians.

Dante’s three handsome and very eligible cousins had arrived, and as Mara peeked out of the area behind the stage and saw all of the Amesport Sinclair brothers and Jason Sutherland speaking with the Sinclair cousins, Micah, Julian, and Xander, her breath caught and refused to move smoothly in and out of her lungs. “Sweet Jesus,” she murmured.

“What is it?” Randi asked quietly from behind her.

“The Sinclair men and Jason Sutherland,” Mara replied, moving aside so Randi could look. Although her eyes had automatically gravitated to Jared, the eight men together were breathtakingly beautiful. Dante, Jared, Grady and Evan were in black tuxedos, and Jason, Micah, Julian, and Xander were in custom-tailored suits.

“Holy hotness,” Randi whispered loudly. “They make this event look like a hot male model convention instead of a wedding.”

“How can eight men, seven of them Sinclairs, be that perfect?” Emily asked as she shoved her way in to look.

“Excellent gene pool,” Sarah whispered, not bothering to look since she’d met the cousins earlier. “It’s almost impossible that at least one of them isn’t a hottie. But the Sinclairs defy conventional wisdom.” She sighed as she adjusted the small wreath of red roses on her head, a trail of fine lace hanging down in the back. Sarah hadn’t wanted a typical bridal veil, telling all of the women with a laugh that she didn’t want her face covered. She’d wanted to see Dante in a tux as clearly as possible for as long as possible.

Sarah was a beautiful bride, and Mara couldn’t wait until Dante got an eyeful of his wife-to-be. Her makeup perfect and her beautiful blonde hair swept up on top of her head in an elegant style, Sarah looked sophisticated and beautiful in her strapless white gown, the skirt covered entirely in pearls and lace. “You look amazing,” Mara told Sarah reverently.

“Thanks. I feel so nervous. There are so many people here.”

Sarah was a genius, but she had shared that she’d always been socially awkward and not particularly good with crowds.

“You won’t notice any of them once you see Dante,” Emily said soothingly. “Weddings go by in a blur. You’ll be married before you know it.”

Sarah moved to smooth down wrinkles in her skirt that were nonexistent. “I wish we would have eloped. Dante and I talked about it, but I think he wanted a reason to have his family here.”

“I think they all miss each other,” Mara contemplated, turning away from her peeping spot to finger the string of pearls around her neck, a bridesmaid gift from Sarah. Thinking about Jared’s admission that he’d built all of the houses on the Peninsula in the hope that his family would all be together again sometime in the future made her eyes tear up.

Don’t cry. Your makeup will run and you’ll look like a raccoon.

Mara had wanted to look as nice as possible for Sarah’s wedding pictures, and she’d let Randi do her makeup much heavier than she would have done herself.

“Stop ogling my male relatives. It’s nauseating.” Hope spoke from the other side of the small room. She was sitting in a chair waiting until the ceremony was about to begin before taking her place, nibbling saltine crackers because her morning sickness hadn’t quite ceased for the day yet.

Mara thought Hope looked a little better than she had an hour or so ago, when she’d been positively green. “Are you okay, Hope? Jason is still out there talking to your brothers. I can go get him for you.”

“Don’t you dare!” Hope shot her a warning glance. “I love him dearly, but if he hauls me back to bed one more time because he thinks I’m sick, I’m going to kill him.” She nibbled a little more on a cracker and put a hand to her belly. “It’s subsiding now. If I thought Jason would take me to bed for any other reason, I’d have you getting him for me immediately. He acts like I’m as fragile as blown glass because I’m pregnant.”

Mara smiled at Hope’s disgruntled expression. “He’s an amazing guy.”

“Yep. Now
he’s
completely drool-worthy. I still can’t believe he’s mine.” She paused before asking quietly, “So will I be coming back to Amesport for Jared’s wedding soon?”

“Jared?”

“You and Jared,” Hope clarified. “Are you guys going to bring me back here again before I move permanently? I really wouldn’t mind. I don’t think my morning sickness will last that much longer.” Hope’s voice was hopeful as she spoke about the possibility of coming to Jared’s wedding.

Mara’s heart skittered. “No. It’s not like that. Jared and I are just . . .” What the hell
were
they doing? “Seeing each other,” she concluded. “Jared said he doesn’t really believe in love.”

Hope snorted, nearly choking on her cracker. Sarah, Kristin, Randi, and Emily chortled along with her. “Uh-huh. He so completely looked like he wasn’t in love when he hightailed it out of Grady’s house last night carrying you like he was afraid you wouldn’t go with him if he didn’t.”

“He hasn’t had the best of luck with women.”

“His college girlfriend?” Hope asked curiously. “Evan answered more of our questions after you two left last night. Jared did have it rough, but I don’t think he’s really given up on love. It’s not that easy, although he’d like to think it is. To tell you the truth, he was always the most sensitive of all of my brothers. I wish I would have known. I hate that he was hurting and none of us knew except Evan. I love my oldest brother, but he isn’t the most compassionate man in a situation like that.”

“I think it helped that Selena’s mother finally took the blame off Jared’s shoulders. And I think Evan helped a lot in his own way.” Mara wasn’t going to reveal any information about how low Jared had sunk, and she didn’t think Evan would reveal those secrets, either.

“I’m worried about Evan,” Hope confessed. “He just seems so . . . alone.”

Mara thought Evan was probably the loneliest man alive, even though he was surrounded by people most of the time. “He doesn’t date?”

Hope’s face scrunched up in a look of concentration. “Honestly, I can’t remember him even dating one woman in his past. And he’s never been seen with anyone for as long as I can remember, unlike Jared. Evan goes everywhere alone.”

“Maybe there are just some men who are happier alone,” Kristin said soberly from her seat beside Hope, her ankle propped on a chair.

Randi nodded. “I’m happier alone. I know that for a fact.”

Mara watched as Sarah, Hope, and Emily shook their heads slowly. Hope finally spoke. “I don’t think he’s happy being alone. I think he lives his life that way for some reason.”

“I think you’re right,” Mara whispered under her breath, hoping that Evan Sinclair found the right woman to break the heavy layers of ice that surrounded him. It was going to take an extraordinary female to accomplish that task.

“He’ll find somebody someday,” Hope declared optimistically.

Mara hoped that Evan’s sister was right as the wedding planner entered the room to hurry them all out to take their places to walk up the aisle.

The wedding was beautiful, and Mara knew her mascara was smudged after the ceremony. Just watching Dante and Sarah face each other, the look of love so clearly on both of their faces as they spoke their vows, made Mara start to weep.

She’d felt Jared’s eyes on her several times during the ceremony, no doubt checking out the plunging neckline on the beautiful black tea-length dress each of the bridesmaids had worn for the ceremony. It wasn’t like he hadn’t seen her before she’d left the house, and even though he’d made it very clear how beautiful he thought she looked, he hadn’t been crazy about the daring neckline.

Mara smiled at herself in the bathroom mirror as she gently wiped the dark smudges from under her eyes. Jared had been perfectly fine with her wearing the dress for
him
, but he had told her he’d be distracted during the whole ceremony and reception, declaring himself her personal wardrobe watcher to make sure her breasts didn’t pop out of her dress.

Tossing the damp tissue into the trash, she tugged on the scraps of material that covered her cleavage. She hadn’t popped out. Not once. Granted, the top portion
was
a little bit narrow. Running short on time, she’d concentrated on making certain the waist fit properly and hadn’t bothered with the neckline. Kristin was slightly smaller busted than she was, but not
that
much.

She smoothed on a little more lipstick and put the container back in the tiny black clutch purse she was carrying. At some point during the ceremony, she must have been chewing on her bottom lip, because most of the color was gone.

Probably while I was drooling over Jared in a tux.

It had been hard not to look at Jared when he’d been standing directly across from her in black formal wear as casually as he did wearing a pair of jeans, not looking the least bit uncomfortable.

He’s a billionaire.

No doubt he dressed that way often. But damn, he could rock a tuxedo . . . or anything else he chose to wear. She guessed that’s the way it was when he’d been brought up wearing fine clothes, attending social occasions of the very wealthy.

Taking one last look at herself, Mara sighed. She’d pretty much given up wondering
if
Jared wanted her, but she hadn’t quite stopped wondering
why
. She wasn’t ugly, but she wasn’t a bombshell, either.

Enjoy it. Who cares why? He’s not faking his interest or his desire. Let him keep making you feel like a goddess. It feels good. You’ve been lost and lonely since your mom died. Jared makes you feel loved, even if he hasn’t said the words.

Jared Sinclair had changed her life in ways she never could have imagined. Her loneliness was gone, and being a part of Sarah’s wedding and the Sinclair family was amazing. She missed having family, somebody she could talk to when everything in the world seemed bleak.

You have Jared now.

Mara knew how much Jared had altered her life, and she tried not to contemplate where she would have been right now had he not appeared to help her, to be her confidant and her lover.

She
felt
different.

She
was
different.

And feeling this way
was
damn fabulous.

She refused to sabotage herself with negative emotions. So what if Jared didn’t believe in love? He cared about her. What did it matter what he called those emotions? People said the words all the time and didn’t mean them. Jared’s actions, the way he treated her was the most important thing.

I want to stop needing to hear the words.

Turning away from the mirror, she decided she was just going to be grateful to have Jared in her life and stop questioning the way he felt about her. She wasn’t sure where everything was going between them, but she had a fantastic start to her business. Her life was changing in positive ways. And she had a man who was supportive of her dreams, and who wanted her desperately. Mara wanted to enjoy her good fortune instead of analyzing it to death.

After leaving the restroom, she looked around the crowded ballroom, her eyes automatically seeking out Jared. She saw him almost immediately even though the big room was crowded, his back to her, sitting at a table with his brothers and Jason Sutherland while they waited for the sumptuous buffet to open.

Dodging bodies to make her way across the room, she was stopped when a hand curled around her upper arm, ceasing her forward progress.

“Your aura is almost fixed, honey.” Dressed smartly in a purple dress and matching shoes, Beatrice smiled at Mara.