Momentary Marriage(16)

Of course, limos have phones in them. He could always call the driver from her place. Have the car come pick him up in the morning—if he intended to try and spend the night.

Kelsey wasn’t quite sure of her feelings on the subject of his staying over. Certainly, he drew her, but just as certainly Jared ran deeper than the in which waters she usually swam.

They rode up this elevator in silence, not touching. Kelsey felt her heart beating against her breast bone.

The elevator opened at her floor and Jared walked with her down the hall. She fished her keys out of her purse and unlocked the locks.

Turning back to face him, Kelsey held her breath.

Jared stood close, his dark gaze serious on her face. “Thank you…for a lovely evening.”

She swallowed, fighting against the urge to wet her lips.

Jared lifted his hand, the tips of his fingers grazing a line along her jaw. “Good night, Kelsey.”

To her shock, he turned and walked away.

She stood, amazed and stunned, watching him. Feeling cheated and bewildered. Twice now, he’d done this to her, brought her to the brink of a kiss, curiosity and desire running high. Twice now, he’d walked away.

She should feel grateful, she knew, but all Kelsey wanted to do was kick something. Preferably Jared Barrett.





CHAPTER FOUR

Kelsey knew she had a big problem. She stared blearily at the ceiling, her radio alarm going off for the sixth time. Resisting the urge to slap the snooze button again, she still couldn’t make herself get up.

She’d tossed and turned most of the night after Jared had left, her fragmented wakeful periods filled with a jumble of thoughts. The banquet, Jared’s body close to hers as they danced in the elevator. How his hand had locked on hers as he’d towed her out of that uncomfortable moment with Doug at the end of the banquet.

Amy’s tears. The situation with her and Doug was a puzzle that had disturbed Kelsey’s sleep the most.

“Good morning, Greater New York area, if you’re due at work by eight o’clock and you haven’t left yet, give it up! Traffic is hell. You might as well stay in bed all day and listen to us!”

Kelsey groaned, muttering curses on the too-chipper deejay as she rolled out of bed. Heading to the bathroom, she washed her face and stared at herself morosely in the mirror.

What on earth did Doug see in her to get so worked up about? Yes, she had decent skin, except for those few days of the month. When combed, her dark hair framed her face nicely and contrasted pleasantly enough with her blue eyes.

Big deal.

There were thousands of fairly attractive women in the city, shoals of which would jump to go out with a nice guy. Amy was proof of that. So why had Doug gotten so stuck on her, Kelsey? If she were bluntly honest with herself, she had to admit that she hadn’t even been a very good friend to him. Or a good sister to Amy. It just hadn’t dawned on her that Doug thought he was actually in love with her or that he held hope of her someday returning his feelings.

She was a clueless excuse for a woman.

Doug had always been a shoulder to cry on, a phone number she could call to complain. Why hadn’t she seen the big picture?

No one could ever call Doug a lightweight. Clearly, he wasn’t a man to be easily dissuaded from a goal. But his goal in this instance was sadly wrong. She was way wrong for him.

Men were so pathetic sometimes. Put a nice pair of legs and a decent body in front of them and they lost the ability to act rationally.

Kelsey turned away from the mirror, tossing the wash cloth over the towel rod.

Amy was a saint to put up with all this, Kelsey thought, thinking back over his behavior last evening. She must really love Doug. How could this fact have escaped her loving sister? Of course, she’d always known Amy enjoyed Doug, but love?

Schlepping into her minuscule kitchen, Kelsey made coffee and searched fruitlessly for a pastry. Returning to the bedroom, she scrounged around, trying to put together an outfit.

Catching a glimpse at the clock, she yelped. The forest green dress and brown belt would have to do. She was going to be late if she didn’t shift into overdrive.

Diving under the shower, she scrubbed her hair. Maybe all this mess with Doug could have been avoided if she’d married Michael when he asked several years ago.

Or Kevin. He’d had a great job.

Even Corbin. She’d been crazy about him for a while. But she’d never been inspired to get married, though Corbin had asked her twice in one week.

If only she’d recognized then how Doug was fixated on her. Realized how much he meant to her sister. Somehow, she suspected her being married would have cured Doug’s infatuation. If he believed she loved a man enough to commit to him legally, then he’d have known there was no hope for the two of them. He had told her more than once that she had a commitment problem that would only be solved when she fell deeply in love.