Mara ignited as Jared took the tiny bundle of nerves between his thumb and index finger, putting pressure on it while he stroked. She came screaming his name, her sheath tightening against his cock.
He threaded a large lock of her hair through his fingers and tugged her head back, nipping at her neck with a love bite that sent her reeling, tumbling end over end. The only thing keeping her grounded was Jared’s tight, possessive hold.
Pumping into her several more times, he spilled his warm release inside her with a feral groan of satisfaction. Lowering his body over hers, he turned her head with her hair, capturing her lips in a raw meeting of mouths that left her chest heaving as he rested against her back, his breath ragged and uneven as he buried his face in her hair. “Christ. Did I hurt you?” he asked in a low, anguished voice.
Mara let out a strangled laugh. “No. I’m starting to think I need it a little rough. Did that orgasm seem like I was in pain?” she teased.
Jared straightened and turned her body, lifting her ass onto the hood of the car and wrapping his arms around her protectively. “I just don’t ever want to hurt you.”
“You won’t,” she assured him, hugging him until their bodies were skin to skin and wrapping her legs around his waist to bring him closer.
“It was a nice way to initiate your new car,” Jared said with laughter in his voice. “I’ll never look at this vehicle again without getting a boner.”
Puzzled by his words, Mara asked, “What new car?”
“The one your beautiful ass is sitting on.” He pulled back and grinned at her.
Oh, God, what did he do?
Turning her head, she finally noticed that the vehicle they’d been using as makeshift furniture was not Jared’s SUV, but parked right next to it. This particular shiny new vehicle was very similar, but as she looked closer, she realized that the color was a deep metallic red. She hopped off it with a squeal of distress, Jared catching her as she moved. Mara lowered her feet to the ground and gawked at the car parked right next to Jared’s. “You bought another Mercedes SUV?”
“A work vehicle for you. Mara, you can’t keep driving your old truck. Everything on it needed to be fixed. The business is growing. You need a new vehicle.”
She looked at Jared as he tucked himself back into his jeans and zipped them, leaving his shirt open. Her mouth went dry as she eyed the beautiful vehicle. “I can’t keep this. It’s too expensive. I know I need a newer car, but this is too much.” She looked around her. “What happened to my truck?”
“Todd said he’d take it. He’s mechanical and can fix everything on it with the money he’s earning. Then his family will have a vehicle. He’s seventeen. He wants wheels.”
“You just gave it to him?” she asked indignantly, reaching for her clothing. She pulled her bra and T-shirt back on, then tugged on her panties and jeans awkwardly, well aware that Jared was watching her.
“You’ll have to sign it off to him. But he wanted to get to work on it. He’s really excited.”
“Dammit. You knew I’d never take back a vehicle that was promised to Todd.” She folded her arms in front of her and glared at Jared. She loved him with every fiber of her being, but his actions were way too high-handed, even for Jared.
“Why in the hell would you want to take it back? If you don’t like this one, I’ll get you something else.” He looked at her like he was really confused.
Mara tapped her foot against the concrete, trying to keep her temper. “Because it was my truck, and I can’t take a gift this expensive. Jared, you’ve already helped me out enormously, and I don’t know what I would have done without you. But this is too much.” Honestly, she really didn’t know what she would have done had Jared not come into her life. He’d been her rock, the person who had saved her from homelessness. And for him, the things he was doing for her weren’t big things. “Why didn’t you ask me first?”
He shrugged. “Why? I handle the business part of Mara’s Kitchen, and a new vehicle for you was in the contract. I guess I should have checked with you about giving your truck to Todd, but I didn’t think you’d mind since you have a new SUV.”
Oh, God. She hadn’t really read every line of the contract. She trusted Jared, and she’d only checked to make sure he wasn’t screwing himself. And all things considered, she wouldn’t have minded giving her truck to Todd at all. His family had so little, and if the vehicle would help him, she would have gladly turned it over to him if she got other transportation. “I should have been consulted. We’re partners, and it was my personal property.”
“You’re right. I should have. But you’ve been working yourself into the ground. I thought it was something I could take care of for you.”
Mara’s heart dropped to the ground at Jared’s contrite expression. He’d been trying to help, and it made her feel like a bitch. “We really are from two different worlds,” she mumbled irritably, unable to make Jared feel worse than he did by being upset with him. “If it concerns my personal property, I’d appreciate it if you’d ask next time.” Dammit. She was so easy. But Jared had been through so much today that she didn’t want to argue. She wanted to talk to him about how things had gone with Mrs. Olsen, and find out if he felt better, if it had helped resolve anything for him. All she really wanted right now was to touch him and for him to hold her while they talked about it.