At the Tycoon's Command by Shawna Delacourt

never be receptive to a casual affair based on nothing more than physical desire, and there certainly was no way he would ever be interested in anything that hinted at a commitment. He would never allow his emotions to be involved, at least not any emotions beyond lust. She was just the type who could trap a less resourceful and savvy man into some sort of commitment that would end up ruining the rest of his life. That was not for him. The example of his father’s many marriages and affairs had shown him that a committed relationship wasn’t worth the trouble to try and make it work. So why did he still want to pursue her? He gave her hand a little squeeze, then brought it to his lips and kissed the inside of her wrist.
    The uncomfortable tension based on an adversarial conflict had been broken. It was as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders when she heard his simple and heartfelt statement about wanting to put the feud behind them.
    He held up his wineglass and looked questioningly at her. “To the end of the feud?”
    She clinked the rim of her glass against his. “To the end of the feud.” They each took a drink to seal the pledge.
    For the rest of the evening they settled into conversation about personal likes and dislikes…travel, movies, books, television. Jared turned on the stereo so the music would filter to the deck from the house. He stood, took her hand in his and coaxed her out of her chair. Then he pulled her into his arms and moved to the soft strains of the music. The previous tension and stress melted away as they became more comfortable with each other—except for the sexual tension that jumped into high gear, sizzling through the air and crackling like electrical lines on a foggy night.
    It was Kim who reluctantly made the move to put an endto the evening. “It’s getting late. I should be going home. Thank you for dinner. It was very nice.”
    Jared took her hand as they walked into the house and continued to the front door. “It was my pleasure. Thank you for sharing it with me. I enjoyed the opportunity to be able to talk without guarding every word.”
    They lingered at the front door, a soft feeling of sensual warmth permeating the air. He pulled her into his arms and brushed a soft kiss against her lips, then fully claimed her mouth. He may have intended it to be a simple kiss, but a second later the full force of his passion took control of his actions. Everything about her excited him. He wanted more of her…he wanted all of her.
    His kiss deepened. He brushed his tongue against hers, the texture and sensation adding to his already heated desires. He held her tighter, her body pressing against his. The rise and fall of her breasts matched his labored breathing. She was everything a man could want.
    His breath tickled her ear as he whispered the soft words, “Stay the night with me.”
    Myriad thoughts and feelings swept through her mind, not the least of which was her repeated fantasy of making love with Jared Stevens. Did she dare surrender to his invitation? Was there any way she could be anything more to him than just another sexual conquest? Somewhere in the back of her mind she latched on to the conscious realization that her concerns told her how much she had already allowed herself to become emotionally involved with him. She had to put a stop to it before she started falling in love with him…if it wasn’t already too late.
    â€œNo…I don’t think that’s a good idea. I should…I need to go home. I’ll see you in the morning.” A somewhat shaken Kim Donaldson hurried out the front door.
    Jared watched as she drove down the driveway. It wasthe second night in a row he had stood at his front door watching her drive away. This time, however, they had parted without anger. Far from it. His breathing might have slowed to normal, but his body still surged with unfulfilled desires.
    He closed and