“I didn’t,” he grumbled. “And I wasn’t about to let you die in that fire.”
“But you could have. You would have if Evan hadn’t stopped you.” The reality of that statement hit her straight in the gut. “I hugged him. I wanted to thank him for saving me, and I wanted him to know that somebody cares. Evan is troubled. I don’t think he’s happy. I wanted to see if he’d hug me back.”
“He did. The bastard.”
“Reluctantly,” Mara mused, sliding a cup of coffee in front of Jared. “He’s not used to affection, Jared. No, I don’t have any secret longing for your older brother. I love you. I love you so much that I was temporarily insane when I thought you might have betrayed me. I’m sorry.” She put another cup in the machine and waited for her coffee to finish.
“You don’t need to be sorry. I should have told you a long time ago. I was afraid you’d hate me,” he admitted despondently.
“Don’t be upset with Evan. I don’t know why he was encouraging you to be angry, but he isn’t interested in me that way. He’s been more like a brother or a friend to me. I think you already know Evan was yanking your chain. He’d never betray you that way. None of your brothers would.” Pulling the cup from the coffeemaker, she added creamer. “I hope you can believe that, because it’s the truth.”
“I believe you.” He didn’t look at her as he took a sip of his coffee. “I think Evan was trying to get me to do something I should have done a long time ago.”
“What?” She sat down at the table beside him.
“Claim you as mine.”
“I don’t think Evan would push you to do something you don’t want—”
“I want to. I’ve always wanted you, and Evan knows it. I love the bastard, but he’s manipulative as hell.”
Mara smiled at Jared’s disgruntled look. “I think he means well.”
“He’s conniving,” he grunted. “Likes things to work out the way he wants them to be, or the way he thinks they should be.” He heaved a loud, masculine sigh. “I should have told you about the purchase of your house.”
Mara’s heart hammered as she asked hesitantly, “Did you offer me help because you felt sorry for me because I wasn’t going to have a home?”
He finally met her eyes, his deep jade glance piercing her. “No. I wanted to fuck you. It was more than that, but that was my primary goal in the beginning when I offered to help you. I won’t lie to you. I wanted you the first time I saw you. My dick knew how I felt about you immediately. It took my brain a while to catch up.”
Mara’s breath hitched as his penetrating gaze impaled her, holding her eyes captive. “Tell me why you bought the house in the first place.”
“Because I knew the house was a death trap, Mara. I’m an architect, and I know old houses. I couldn’t inspect everything, so I bought the damn house and looked at what had—or should I say hadn’t—been done to it over the years. The fire was my fucking greatest fear come to life. I wanted you out of there before it happened. I was too damn late, and it nearly killed me when that house caught fire.” He paused for a moment before continuing in a forlorn tone, “I knew you’d be upset that the house had been purchased, but at least you’d be alive,” he said huskily. “I also knew you’d probably hate me, but I couldn’t leave Amesport knowing you were living in a house that was dangerous. I couldn’t do it.”
Mara’s heart felt like a large fist was wrapping around it and holding it in a crushing grip. “So you were trying to save me?” Sweet Jesus. He’d been trying to save her life even back then. “What were you going to do with the house?”
“I had no fucking idea. I don’t need another place in Amesport. It would have had to go through costly renovation or come down.” He was silent for a moment before he added, “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. Once I fell completely in love with you, I didn’t want you to hate me. Once you said you loved me, I was terrified that you wouldn’t love me anymore.”
She felt like her heart was completely exploding, the pressure unbearable. “I’ll always love you, Jared,” she choked out. Getting up, she pushed their coffee to the center of the table and straddled him on the chair. “You love me?” Even now, Mara longed to finally hear the words.
He grasped both sides of her head so she’d look directly at him. “Jesus, woman, if you haven’t figured that out by now, I don’t know how else to show you how much I love you. When you left the reception today, I was more afraid of losing you than I’ve ever been scared of anything. I need you, Mara. I love you so damn much that I can’t fucking breathe.”
“I’m not going anywhere. I was scared, too. Loving a man this much is frightening,” she whispered as she lowered her mouth to his.
Snaking his arm behind her head, he took control of the embrace immediately, ravaging her mouth with such ferocity and desperation that Mara could do nothing except wrap her arms around his neck and hold on. He conquered. Controlled. Adored. Loved.
Wrenching his mouth away from hers, he growled, “I love you, dammit. I love you.”
“Show me,” she panted.
He stood, taking her body with him, and Mara lowered her feet to the ground. He stripped her quickly, lowering the zipper on her dress and letting it drop to the floor.
“Christ!” he cursed in a low, predatory voice. “If I would have known this was beneath this dress, I would have fucked you before we ever left home.”