Captivation

Captivation Part 23

"So the editor lied?" Jared folded his arms and asked coolly. She sounded pretty certain about her father's position. And in reality it matched with Jared's initial reaction. Her father would not want to hook up his youngest daughter with a man with Jared's reputation. But if it wasn't her father, who could it be? "Why would the editor do that?"

Jared was wearing just a t-shirt and dark chinos, and while the cool night air did not appear to affect him, it did appear to be affecting her, for she was rubbing her arms in an attempt to keep warm. He had a sudden urge to help warm her up. That was quickly followed by a silent reprimand that reminded him not to do anything rash! Hugging her was definitely rash. So he took a step back, leaned against the door and tipped his head to one side as he studied her.

Caitlin scowled at him. She didn't care so much about why the editor would put in that notice, as much as she cared about her father reading that notice! "For all I know you have just made the whole thing up." Caitlin grumbled not keen to be the specimen under the microscope. Why was he looking at her like that?

"What?" He came off the door and took two steps closer to her. "Why the bloody hell would I make that up?" He hadn't expected her to blame him for the notice.

Caitlin thought about his question. If there were indeed a public notice about her engagement, her phone would have been ringing red hot. But it hadn't. Or at least she hadn't checked it since she had left earlier that day to make the drive with Nigel and Candy. "Are you sure you haven't just made this up?"

"What the fuck for?"

"Another one of your strategies." Caitlin stated a touch more hesitantly. He did not look pleased in the slightest. Good, she thought. Now he knew how she felt about being accused of something neither she nor her father had done. Caitlin huffed loudly. "One of your pathetic strategies!" She mumbled. She took a couple of steps around him, so that she was now closer to the door. At least this way she was getting some heat from the air escaping from the building into the night.

"I'm not stupid." He snapped at her retreating back. She turned and quirked a brow at him. He nearly growled. "Putting in a fake announcement would be tantamount to giving your father the opportunity he wants." Jared pointed out in sheer exasperation.

"A!" She snapped belligerently. "My dad wants me to be happy, and that isn't going to happen by hitching me up to an arrogant, asinine moron like you! And B! Don't you think that kissing me in public gives people the wrong idea?" She demanded coolly. "I'm not engaged to you!" Countered Caitlin. She was far from cowed. This man had had way too many opportunities to humiliate her, she was not going to give him any more. Inventing some fake engagement was not something she was going to tolerate.

"Then perhaps you should have told your dad that before he put the notice in." Jared came and stood in front of her. He planted a hand on the doorjamb and leaned in. "So tell him to bloody retract it!" He ordered. This close to her he once again found himself making mental notes. She really was rather pretty. No make up, no mascara, lipstick, eyeliner, foundation, nothing, and he was still tempted to kiss her. Everything about her shouted class. Everything about her shouted way out of your league, everything suggested not a hope in hell, but still he found himself attracted.

"Dad didn't put any bloody notice in. So he can't bloody well retract it, now can he?" Her eyes glinted at him as she shoved at his shoulders and pushed. Honestly when was this man going to understand that he was not every woman's dream! And the fact he was her fantasy come to life was neither here nor there right at the moment. She was a sensible woman. She knew when to steer clear of men who purported to find her and her family too much to handle!