“And the lobster stew,” he reminded her. “Incredible stuff.”
“What about the corn bread?”
“Perfection.”
“And the coffee?”
“Better than Brew Magic,” he said emphatically, taking her by the waist and lifting her effortlessly into the plush leather seat.
“You’re such a food whore.” She burst out laughing.
“Guilty,” he admitted readily as he fastened her seat belt. “Not only was it the best I’ve ever had, but you made it for me.”
“Nobody’s ever cooked for you before?”
He shook his head as his gaze met hers. “We had a cook when we were young and at home, but it was her job. This is different. You did it just because you wanted to.”
No wonder he came into town to eat every night. Jared really didn’t know how to cook. That was incredibly ironic since he was definitely a man who loved his coffee, sweets, and food so much. Reaching out a hand, she palmed his cheek. “I’ll cook you anything you want.” She knew Jared Sinclair didn’t like to admit to any weakness, and she wasn’t going to tease him about not being able to cook. God knew he did everything else to perfection. It seemed to mean a lot to him that she’d done such a simple task for him, and her heart ached for all the little things that Jared had never had, things that told a person that someone cared about them. The starkness, the void of his life without tenderness squeezed at her heart. Sadly, she had a feeling he was right. None of the women in his life were interested in much except his money. Maybe he sought those kinds of women out, but it seemed so unfair that he was so willing to give and got nothing but a reluctant screw in return.
“You might regret saying that. What if I demand everything?”
“Then you’ll get it,” she told him stubbornly. “You deserve it.”
He speared his hand into her hair and lowered his mouth to give her a gentle but emotionally devastating kiss that took her breath away. He explored her mouth leisurely, thoroughly before finally releasing her. “My fierce little tiger. So willing to defend me, are you?”
“Until you don’t deserve it,” she answered, tilting her head to look at him.
A haunted look passed over his face before he asked, “Are you hungry?”
“I have plenty of food at home. And tons of leftover cobbler.”
He kissed her on the forehead before he straightened. “Then let’s go home.”
Mara sighed after Jared had closed the door and started moving around the car to the driver’s seat. There was nowhere she’d rather be as long as she was with Jared.
She kept the stuffed tiger in her grasp all the way back to the Peninsula, realizing that the smallest of things really did mean the most.
CHAPTER 12
The farmers’ market was a huge success that week for Mara. She ended up preparing three times as much product as she usually did, even with limited time, and sold out within a few hours. Jared worked along beside her, doing all of the lifting and moving required, making her sit her ass on the tailgate while he worked. Her ankle was getting stronger, nearly back to normal, but he was still insistent that she could reinjure it. She gave him instructions while he worked, and even though he let her do very little physical work, they managed to function as a team.
Orders from stores in town and from a few restaurants like Sullivan’s came rolling in. She and Jared made the deliveries after the farmers’ market, the profits considerably more than she’d ever seen before from her products. It wasn’t big money, but it was a positive start for her.
The trouble came the next day when she tried to give Jared half the profits.
“No,” he grumbled. “The profits can go back into the business. I don’t need or want the money. You need to pay yourself, and then put it back into the business to keep growing. The website will be up soon.”
Mara rolled her eyes as she pulled out the stitches at the seams of Kristin’s bridesmaid dress, working on the alterations it needed to fit her fuller body. They had picked it up at Kristin’s house on the way home from the farmers’ market, and the sly look her best friend gave her as she introduced Jared to Kristin hadn’t escaped her notice. Thank God Kristin hadn’t said anything. She’d simply winked at Mara as she handed her the dress.
“You have to take a fair deal, Jared.” It was well past time for them to discuss their business issues. They needed a contract soon, a business plan that was fair to him. She didn’t give a damn if he didn’t need the money. For her to feel like she’d accomplished something big, she needed it to be professionally done.
“I gave you my terms,” he reminded her, shooting her a stubborn look from his position in the recliner across from her.
They’d just finished dinner, and he was working on his laptop while she was altering her dress. Jared lingered more and more at the guest house, slowly moving some of his essentials into the residence and leaving them there. Not that she minded. The moment he left to go back to the mansion at night, she was lonely. She was getting used to his company, craved it when he was gone. It hadn’t escaped her notice that he was also slowly replacing all of her belongings with new items, bringing her a new computer that he just happened to have lying around. Not so coincidentally, it was brand-new in the box and top-of-the-line. He’d looked so pleased with himself every time he gave her something new that she hadn’t had the heart to refuse the items. And she did need them. But his thoughtfulness made her uncharacteristically weepy. No guy had ever wanted to do things for her, or anticipated her needs. It felt strangely . . . good.