Don’t forget that he’s a womanizer.
Jared Sinclair’s reputation with women was well-known, and it was said that he was never seen with the same woman more than once. Mara knew that, but she somehow had a difficult time imagining Jared as completely wicked. She sensed he was restless, and he almost seemed . . . well, for lack of a better word, lonely. It was pretty much a ridiculous notion since Jared had four siblings, and apparently plenty of women to keep him company. But Mara couldn’t shake off the notion that he was somehow . . . haunted. The bleakness she could see in his eyes even when he was outwardly smiling had made her wonder if there wasn’t way more to Jared than people could see on the surface. Strangely, the only women she’d seen him with since he’d arrived in Amesport had been Elsie and Beatrice. The other times she’d happened to spot him around town, he’d either been alone or with one of his brothers.
Oh, hell, maybe she was just seeing what she wanted to see because Jared Sinclair was hot enough to melt almost any woman into a puddle at his feet—her included. His usual impeccable, sophisticated appearance had been blown away yesterday, his expensive shoes ruined by the sand and rain, his auburn-streaked hair mussed and damp instead of tamed into its usual sleek style. His shirt had been rumpled and dark with moisture, so green it had actually matched his eyes. For once, he had seemed so human, almost . . . touchable.
Sighing inwardly, Mara tried to concentrate on the female conversation going on around her and stop fantasizing about Jared Sinclair. A guy like him was definitely not for her. Granted, she wasn’t exactly ugly. She saw her own face in the mirror every day. But she wasn’t particularly attractive, either, and his words had been just that: words. Jared Sinclair had been born rich, and had made himself even richer by owning one of the biggest commercial real estate companies in the world. Obviously he knew how to be charming when he needed to, even though he denied it, and equally as ruthless when it was warranted for his business.
“Nobody knows why Jared has hung around Amesport for so long. Dante thinks some woman here has caught his attention.”
Mara’s heart skipped a beat at Sarah’s offhand comment, wondering if Dante’s fiancée was correct and Jared had stuck around for a female conquest. “Do you think that’s true?” Mara asked breathlessly, cursing herself for sounding so interested. She wasn’t dying to know, dammit. She wasn’t. Who Jared Sinclair had sex with was absolutely none of her business.
“I’m not sure,” Sarah answered, looking curiously at Mara. “If he’s interested in somebody, he’s hiding it well. I haven’t seen him talking to anybody in town except Elsie and Beatrice, and I’m pretty doubtful he has his eye on either one of them romantically.”
Mara let out a startled cough, and it turned into a delighted laugh before she answered, “They both adore him, but I don’t think either one has realized he’s a grown man. They refer to him as a sweet boy.”
“That’s truly mind-boggling since we all know he’s anything but sweet,” Randi said thoughtfully.
“He’s always been nice to me,” Mara replied, for some reason feeling she needed to defend Jared. After all, he had sat with her in the rain and listened to her problems. He’d even offered to help solve them, an act of kindness she hadn’t expected. Of course, it was an offer she couldn’t accept. Jared was almost a stranger, and she needed to make some major changes in her life. Still, just the fact that he had offered had been thoughtful and amazingly . . . sweet.
She squirmed as four sets of curious, feminine eyes focused on her.
“How nice has he been, exactly?” Sarah asked, smirking as she crossed her arms in front of her, pinning Mara with a questioning gaze.
“No. Oh, no. Jared isn’t interested in me in that kind of way,” Mara told the women hastily, knowing exactly what they were thinking from their expressions. “He just asked for some information on the history of the Sinclairs in Amesport.”
You’re exactly the type of woman a man wants beneath him naked.
Mara had to suppress a shudder as Jared’s words from yesterday drifted through her mind. Really, he hadn’t meant a word of it. She was fairly certain that it was a line he used without really thinking about it. Just the thought of Jared Sinclair really finding her fuckable was ridiculous. They were from two different worlds, and the type of woman he usually took to his bed was no doubt beautiful, privileged, and pampered.
Nothing like me.
Unfortunately, her face had flushed a bright pink just from thinking about Jared, which, unfortunately, made the women scrutinize her expression even more carefully.
“Um . . . I have to run. I have a million things to do.” She grabbed her purse hastily and hightailed it out of Kristin’s apartment as quickly as she could, giving Sarah her e-mail and phone number on the way out so she could contact her about the wedding events.
Mara took a shaky breath as she stepped outside Kristin’s apartment building, hoping nobody had noticed how awkwardly she had handled the Jared discussion.
They noticed. I know they did.
Taking another deep breath, she trotted down the steps of the building quickly. She headed back to her home and shop, hoping no one ever figured just how uneasy Jared Sinclair could make her when he focused those hungry, liquid green eyes on her like he had for a few moments the day before.
Don’t think about him. Don’t think about him at all. You have a lot bigger issues to think about at the moment.
Mara sighed as she quickened her pace, anxious to get back to her house. She had a ton of work to do before she attended the Amesport Farmers’ Market early in the morning. It was imperative that she make as much money as she possibly could. Very shortly, she’d be homeless, and she needed to gather the funds to find another place to live.