“I know you didn't come in here to talk about how beautiful my ranch is, or to thank me for helping Grace from time to time, or to ask me about the four employees that run the ranch in my absence. You've been in a funny mood ever since we got back from the ride. Something wrong?” Jared reached beside him and threaded his fingers through hers. “I'm your friend. Talk to me. You know I'll help, if I can."

She leaned her head back and looked up at the high wooden beams. Her eyes burned. Today had been so perfect. The way a family should be. The way hers never could be. She felt like bawling, but knew it wouldn't solve anything. “When we had lunch on the patio, you told a dumb knock-knock joke and Matt doubled over with laughter-"

Jared's voice sounded angry as he interrupted her. “If you expect me to stop telling them, I won't. Matt enjoys my dumb jokes. Let him be a giggling, silly five-year-old, Katherine. I never had much of a childhood, but I know it's important for Matt to have a happy one. By the way, he still wants a puppy."

Katherine cleared her throat and glanced at Jared. “I wanted to thank you,” she whispered. A single tear slipped from the corner of her eyes, remembering Paul kept telling Matt to stop being a baby and grow up.

His jaw dropped. “Oh.” He released her hand, pulled one knee up on the couch and angled himself to face her. With his finger, he caught the tear that fell onto her cheek. “I hope this isn't because of my big mouth."

She shook her head, extended her hand and held onto his arm. “Why didn't you have much of a childhood?"

The muscles in his jaw tightened. He took a deep breath and the pattern on his shirt seemed to expand in width. “It was a long time ago. It doesn't matter now."

It mattered and she knew it. “I'd like to know,” she coaxed.

He released a quick sigh. “My father dumped me and my mother for another woman when I was eight.” His gaze searched her face. “I suppose Matt's going through the same feelings of rejection. I thought if my father had come back things would be better for us, but seeing Paul with Matt reminds me that was a lie.

She took a shaky breath. “I know."

He looked tenderly at her. “You don't plan on returning to Paul?"

“No,” she said, gnawing her lower lip. “Once Christmas is over, I don't plan on ever seeing him again."

“How do I know you won't change your mind?"

Smiling faintly, she squeezed his arm and released it. “Trust me.” She studied his face and saw doubt cloud his eyes. “Is that what happened to your fiancée? She went back to her ex?"

He nodded.

She slumped deeper into the couch. “I kept thinking if I pushed Matt and Paul together, let him really get to know his son, he'd change the way he felt about Matt.” She swallowed hard. “Paul never wanted children.” Her face heated. “I always wanted at least four, but I didn't purposely get pregnant. It just happened. Matt's my life and Paul wants to ship Matt off to a boarding school when he turns six in January."

The muscles in Jared's arm tightened.

She averted her eyes. “I've been thinking about how I treated you at the party. I do owe you an apology. You had a right to get mad and feel I'd used you."

He placed his finger under her chin and brought her attention back to him. He shook his head. “I don't feel that way anymore."

“You don't?"

He stroked her lips with his thumb. “No. Want to know why?"

She nodded as he slid closer. His blue eyes flickered with desire. A slow smile spread across his face as he reached up and smoothed her hair around her shoulders. “We can't help ourselves. Remember?” he whispered, his fragrant breath warming her cheek and causing chills to lick along her spine.

'We can't help ourselves,’ her body coaxed, overriding any logical objection as the tip of his tongue fired a trail down her neck. When he reached the hollow at the base of her throat, his teeth nipped. His tongue licked at her skin. She shivered and moaned softly.

His mouth skimmed her arched neck to her lips and sipped hers until she wanted more of him. “Open for me,” he said huskily, tugging her chin gently with his thumb. He moved back, staring into her eyes. Her heart pounded when his mouth captured hers. His tongue slid past her teeth, sank into the warmth of her mouth, and stroked the roof.

He pressed her back against the couch. “You taste so good,” he whispered, his mouth and tongue exploring hers again and again, delving deeper each time. He tasted like heaven.

“What ya doing?” Matt asked.

Her heart pumped double-time as her eyes popped open and she stared into Matt's curious gaze.

“Jeez!” Jared shot away from her, breathing heavily, and he started laughing. He held his hand over his heart. “I was trying to convince your mom to go to a formal office party with me this Saturday night."

Matt plopped down on the couch, turned and grinned at her. “You going on a date with Mr. Randall?"

Her face flamed and she wanted to hide behind her hands. Two pairs of eyes awaited her reply.

Did she really want to go on a date with Jared? Or should she throw cold water on the forest fire he had ignited on this couch and decline? Logic argued with her emotions. A tenderness and excitement filled her as she stared into his warm blue eyes. She felt a longing for his touch that pierced all her resistance and reached to the very depth of her womb.

“Yes,” she croaked. Inside, she couldn't help but admire the way he asked her for a date.


* * * *

Jared's heart soared.

He wasn't sure if Katherine had agreed to go to the dance with him tonight because he'd asked her in Matt's presence, or not, but he wasn't about to say no to the gift he'd received. And Katherine was a precious gift.

Glancing down at the wrist corsage, he rang Grace's doorbell and stared at the closed door. He felt like a kid on his first prom. He smiled as the handle moved and the door cracked ever so slightly.

“Wipe that smile off,” Paul snarled. He gulped down the drink he held in his hand. “Katherine's not ready."

He started to shut the door in Jared's face, but Jared's hand shot out and shoved it open. He strode into the entryway. “I'll wait inside."

Slamming his glass on the table, Paul walked toward him. “I'm warning you to stay away from my wife."

Jared stared down at him. “There's an ‘ex’ in front of that word. It's been there for two years, but you have a habit of forgetting that."

Paul's face retracted into a sneer. “You'd do anything to get her in your bed, wouldn't you? I'm offering her marriage.” He laughed. “What are you offering?"

Jared could smell liquor on Paul's breath. Sighing, he glanced up the stairs. “Where's Matt?"

“You can't see him. He's upstairs with Grace waiting for me to play computer games. Stay away from my family.” Paul fisted his hands.

Jared walked away, nonchalantly, ignoring Paul's fury. He suggested Paul follow him into the adjacent library. Jared laid the florist's box on the desk, shut the French doors and turned toward Paul. “You tell Katherine about Ann Young, or I'll do it for you."

Paul's skin paled. “I don't know any Ann Young. You're making this up to come between Katherine and me."

“There is no Katherine and you. For someone you don't know, you took Ann Young three times last night. You really shouldn't be so noisy with those thin hotel walls."

He stared at Jared and finally comprehension dawned. “You had me followed.” He raked his hands through his hair.

Jared took two steps closer to Paul and glared down at him. “You're a low-life, disgusting, two-timing bastard who brought your mistress into Katherine's home while you were still married to her."

Paul slumped into a chair, his skin paled again. Hatred poured out at Jared from Paul's bloodshot eyes, but his face wore a beaten down expression. “I'll tell her tomorrow,” he whispered between clenched teeth.

Jared stared at the shadow of a man. He would have a copy of the photographs Carl had taken ready in case Paul needed more persuasion. “You do it, or I will."


* * * *

Jared caressed Katherine's back, kneading her muscles gently as they slow danced to the last song of the party, “Help Me Make It Through The Night". Other than the brief time when they had stopped dancing to eat, he'd held Katherine like this all night. He closed his eyes and felt her body shiver. His fingers moved across her velvet metallic lace dress. It played havoc with his imagination as he pictured the sweet body beneath the fabric.

No one else existed for him as they moved across the dance floor. Several of his employees gave Katherine an appreciative eye during the long night, but they could eat their hearts out. Tonight, he wasn't sharing her with anyone.

“I think the music stopped,” she whispered, slowing and moving out of his arms.

He turned to find people putting on their coats and smiling at them. “Oh.” “Help Me Make It Through The Night", still ghosted through his mind.

He and Katherine retrieved their coats. They weaved through his staff members and business associates with ease, dropping farewells and Christmas wishes to everyone along the way. They walked arm-in-arm to the underground parking. He settled Katherine in his Lexus and got behind the wheel. Once he started the car, he popped in a romantic CD before exiting the garage.

With a deafening sound, a torrential downpour pounded the roof. He turned his windshield wipers on and they beat full-force against the Texas size raindrops that hammered them from every direction. Rivulets of water streamed across the glass, preventing a clear view of the road and traffic lights.

After traveling two miles through the haze, Jared pulled off the main road and parked under a grove of tall oak trees. He cut the motor.