for Ron Stevens. On many occasions Jared had thought how fortunate it was that his father didn’t have more children by his many wives. When Jared left Otter Crest at the age of eighteen to go to college, Terry and Kimbra were ten-year-olds in elementary school. That had been twenty years ago.
Terry’s opinion of Kimbra had not been very flattering, but Jared didn’t put much stock in Terry’s opinions. They hadn’t been very close before their father’s death five years ago, and Terry had been an ongoing problem for him ever since he had inherited the task of keeping an irresponsible Terry out of trouble.
Along with responsibility for Terry, he had also inherited the presidency of Stevens Enterprises. It had been a sobering dash of cold water thrown on his flamboyant social life, yet at the same time a stimulating challenge for someone who had been drifting through life without much purpose.
Jared drove down the street lined with older homes, checking the addresses until he found the house where Paul Donaldson had lived for almost forty years. He pulled into the driveway of the small house, turned off the engine and sat staring at the front door. An uneasiness settled in the pit of his stomach, and a strange feeling of apprehension welled inside him.
He had never dealt with any woman who had the gumption and assertiveness to rip up a demand for payment and throw it in an attorney’s face. All the women he knew were decorative, fun-loving and always ready for a good time. And he had known plenty of them—women who were happy to embrace his philosophy of no strings attached and definitely no commitment.
He saw the curtain at the front window move a little bit. Someone was watching him. Jared took a calming breath. He couldn’t put off the confrontation any longer. He needed to get the business resolved so he could be on his way to San Francisco and his female companion of the evening. He opened the car door, mindful that his every move was being scrutinized.
As he climbed out of the car, Kim Donaldson continued to watch him from behind the edge of the curtain. She had heard the car pull into the driveway but didn’t recognize the silver Porsche. Then the door opened and the occupant climbed out. A hard lump formed in her throat followed by a sinking feeling of dread. Jared Stevens in person. She had allowed her anger to get away from her earlier and said a couple of things she shouldn’t have. Honestly, Kim, when are you ever going to learn to think before speaking and keep your big mouth shut? She had no idea that her outburst with the attorney would produce such a quick, decisive and definitely unwanted response.
She swallowed the lump, took a deep breath and slowly exhaled. She had never met Jared Stevens, but she had seen him on a few occasions over the years when he had returned to Otter Crest during the summer. One such occasion had burned into her memory. She had been in high school. She had stopped to watch a softball game in the park and had immediately spotted one of the players dressed in cutoff jeans and a tank top. The physical attraction had been like a bolt of lightning.
Kim had fallen instantly in lust with the ruggedly handsome young man in his early twenties without even knowing who he was. The image had remained burned into her consciousness…the long legs, broad shoulders, strong arms and golden tan. Later she found out the man of her dreams was none other than Jared Stevens, Terry’s older brother—the one the residents of Otter Crest always referred to as a womanizing playboy. She had immediately dismissed any interest in Jared Stevens. Their families had been feuding for generations, and there was no reason to assume he was any different than his brother, who she knew for a fact was an insufferable jerk, but the enticing image had remained with her all these years.
She watched as Jared leaned across the car seat and grabbed his attaché case. His jeans, T-shirt and running shoes belied his position as head of a multimillion-dollar corporation. A wave of anxiety swept through her. Should she pretend no one was home? No, that wouldn’t serve any purpose. She had to face him if for no other reason than to reinforce her comments to his attorney. She had no intention of paying him one penny of a debt her father had long claimed didn’t exist. Besides, there was no way she could raise twenty thousand dollars even if she wanted to.
The ringing doorbell sent a nervous anxiety rippling through her body. She took another calming breath, but it didn’t help. She opened the door to her uninvited visitor.
“Kimbra Donaldson?”
His voice sent little shivers through her. It sounded every bit as smooth and sexy as he looked. The years since that day when she had watched him playing softball had only enhanced his appeal. What were then youthful good looks had matured into incredibly handsome features combined with a magnetic appeal that reached out and grabbed her on the most primal level. And his eyes…she’d had no idea they were such an intense green. They were the type of eyes that could delve into the very core of a person’s existence and uncover the innermost secrets hidden there. A sudden shortness of breath caught her by surprise. It was easy to see why so many women fell all over themselves in an attempt to get close to him. She shook away the unwanted thoughts and tried her best to rein in her rush of sensual excitement.
“Yes, I’m Kim Donaldson.” Calm down, breathe slowly. Her self-directed instructions were wasted when she saw his gaze travel from her face down her body to her feet, then slowly climb her bare legs to her face again. There was no mistaking the lustful look that darted across his face, a look that said he liked what he saw. It was the type of look that made her feel naked and vulnerable while at the same time promising untold pleasures.
If only she had known he was headed her way she could have changed from the blue T-shirt and white tennis shorts she was wearing and would have stuck her bare feet into a pair of shoes. If she had been able to change clothes perhaps she wouldn’t feel as if he was studying every curve of her body. A surprising jolt of excitement hit her—a sensation as disturbing as it was undeniably sensual.
“You prefer Kim rather than Kimbra?”
She nodded, words refusing to materialize.
“I’m Jared Stevens.”
She finally found her voice but couldn’t find a way of keeping her displeasure out of it. “I know who you are.”
A flicker of surprise darted across his face, then quickly disappeared. “You were rather rude to my attorney this morning. In fact, Grant said it was the first time anyone had ripped up a letter and thrown it at him. I’m afraid your actions have forced me to take matters into my own hands.” He stared at her for a long moment, then smiled…a devastatingly sexy smile that showed perfect white teeth in sharp contrast to the golden tan of his face. “I believe we have some pressing business to discuss.”
A quick intake of breath was her immediate response to his smile, his nearness and the overwhelming power of his masculinity. It took all her inner resolve to maintain a semblance of composure while responding to his words. “We have nothing to discuss.”
“We most certainly do, Ms. Donaldson.” He made another obvious visual survey of her physical attributes before regaining eye contact with her. “We have lots to discuss.”
The sparkle in his eyes intimidated her as much as it excited her. Her composure slipped away faster than she could keep hold of it. The last thing she wanted to do was appear in any way hesitant or unsure in front of Jared Stevens.
“May I come in?”
“Uh…” She tried to force some words, but nothing happened. She stepped aside and motioned him in, all the while berating herself for acting like some silly awestruck teenager. He was the enemy, not someone whose presence should render her tongue-tied.
She raked her fingers through her short blond hair, shoving it away from her face as she nervously cleared her throat. She
