“It’s emotional,” she confessed. “I love him, but he’s never told me that he loves me.”
Evan rose gracefully to his feet for a man his size and held his hand out to her. “After he risked his life for you, don’t you think you owe him a chance to explain and an opportunity for him to let you know he returns your affections?” He lifted a lofty eyebrow at her.
Mara was still reeling with the knowledge that Jared had almost died because he thought she was still in her home when he arrived during the fire. “He would have died for me. He would have died on the off chance that I was still in the house. He didn’t even check.” She put her trembling hand in Evan’s and let him pull her to her feet.
“Emotion does strange things to people,” Evan replied drily.
“You came into the fire,” Mara reminded him.
Evan shrugged. “I knew you were in there, and I was fairly certain that I had enough time to get you out.”
Mara examined Evan’s detached demeanor. “But it was still a risk.”
“A calculated risk,” he countered aloofly. “It happens in business all the time.”
Mara took a calculated risk of her own and wrapped her arms around Evan’s neck and hugged him. “You still saved me. Thank you.”
She laid her head on his chest and hugged him tightly, waiting, breathing a sigh of relief as his arms came around her awkwardly, returning the embrace.
“No need for all this,” Evan said in an uncomfortable, husky voice.
“There’s every need,” Mara argued. Evan Sinclair needed somebody to care about him, show him some kind of affection. And although he was an easy man to dislike, Mara felt just the opposite. She adored his manipulative ways because they were proof of how much he cared, even though he couldn’t show it.
“I swear to God, I’m going to kill you,” Jared’s furious voice bellowed from behind them.
Mara let go of Evan slowly and turned to face Jared, the pure wrath on his face jolting her into motion.
“I told you to claim her before someone else did,” Evan cajoled, calmly wiping soot from his tux as he turned and started walking away.
“Goddammit, get your ass back here. I’m going to kick it until you can’t walk,” Jared vowed through gritted teeth.
Mara flung herself at Jared as he lunged toward his brother. “Don’t, Jared. Please don’t. You’ll regret it. He was trying to help me.” Wrapping her arms around his neck, she lifted her legs around his waist so he had to bear her weight. He’d either drop her or stop going after his brother.
Calculated risk.
He halted and propped his hands under her ass to hold her up. “I’ll find him.”
“No, you won’t,” Mara told him soothingly, running a hand over his jaw. “What you saw was completely innocent. I need you to believe me.”
The tension in his body started to relax. “I’ve always believed in you,” Jared growled.
“Then take me home,” she begged. “Please.”
He hesitated for a fraction of a second, his expression still raw and enraged. Mara hugged him tighter and put her head on his shoulder, trusting him completely to make the right choice. The last thing she wanted was to put a void between Jared and Evan. She had no idea why Evan had chosen to tweak a tiger by its tail in provoking Jared that way, but after he saved her life and cared about her as a person in his own peculiar way, she didn’t want Evan to get hurt. And she knew that once Jared threw a punch, it would wound Evan greatly, and not just physically. It would kill Jared to have taken a shot at his brother in anger. It just couldn’t happen.
“Fine. You’re going home with me, and then you can explain why my brother had his hands on you and you were in his arms. Again,” he demanded in a graveled voice.
“I’ll explain.”
Without another word, Jared carried her out of the house and into his car. As he put her gently in the seat, he said fiercely, “You. Belong. With. Me.”
His touch and the ferociousness of his words soothed her soul. She didn’t know what the truth was about why Jared had bought her house, but she already knew it wasn’t for nefarious reasons. She trusted him, and she vowed right then and there she’d never doubt him again. He’d given her his faith by not going after his brother, and he’d been willing to die for her. If he never wanted to give her the real reason behind his purchase of her house, she didn’t care. She loved him, and she finally knew with absolute certainty that he loved her back.
Jared was silent as he led her into his house instead of the guest house, taking her by the hand as though he was afraid she’d disappear.
“Explain,” he said irritably. “What the hell did Evan mean by his comment? Are you two attracted to each other? Is he really what you want? Does he want you?”
Mara busied herself making coffee. “Sit,” she requested as she watched him pace.
He sat at the kitchen table, his glare never leaving her.
“Evan knew I was upset by what I’d heard about you buying my home.” She lifted her hand as he started to speak, signaling him to let her explain. “He found me first. I guess all I wanted was to go home, but that’s not my home anymore. All he tried to do was make me understand that I wasn’t giving you a chance to explain, and I should. He was right. He also told me that you foolishly ran into my burning house to try to save me.” She slammed a cup into the coffeemaker with more force than she needed to. “You could have died, Jared.”