PartyNaked by Mari Carr Read Free Book Online Page A

disconnecting
as he opened her car door. “Home sweet home.”
    “Gotta admit I expected an apartment or even a condo.”
    “I inherited it from my grandmother when she passed away a
few years back. I’ve spent the last three years trying to update the
inside—move the interior design out of the seventies.”
    She feigned a wince. “Oh God, don’t tell me. Shag carpet?”
    He nodded. “Wall to wall—brown and gold. But not to worry,
that’s all gone now. Ripped that shit up the first weekend I moved in.”
    He took her hand and helped her out of the car. She grabbed
her purse then engaged the locks as he led her up the porch stairs to the front
door.
    He put the key in the lock then turned to look at her. She
expected him to ask her if she was sure she wanted to come in. Instead, he
surprised her. “I’m really glad you’re here, Stephanie. Never thought I’d say
this, but I feel like crime paid today.”
    “Open the door, Jarod.”

Chapter Four
     
    Jarod stepped over the threshold with Stephanie, trying to
calm the nervous anticipation stirring inside him. He wasn’t a monk. He’d dated
lots of women and he’d held more than a few overnights in his house, but for
some reason, he was putting some sort of significance on this night. He wanted
Stephanie to like his house and he was praying they were compatible in bed. God
knew they seemed to be a perfect match out of it.
    He’d laughed when she’d asked what his flaws were. He
suspected she hadn’t meant to speak that question aloud, but he agreed with the
sentiment. For the past few hours, he’d talked to and listened to Stephanie
Harper, wondering how in the hell she was still single.
    “How old are you?”
    She didn’t seem shocked by his abrupt question.
“Twenty-nine. How old are you?”
    “Thirty-three.”
    He walked to the end table by the sofa and turned on a lamp.
    She looked around as he studied her face for a reaction to
his house. It was ridiculous to be so proud of four walls and a roof, but he’d
put a lot of blood, sweat and some serious cash into the place, and for some
strange reason, Stephanie’s opinion of it mattered.
    “I didn’t peg you for a colors guy.”
    “No?”
    She shook her head. “Saw you as off-white all the way.”
    He grinned. “I hate white. Grew up in an all-white
house—spotless walls, spotless floors, everything pristine and perfect. Sort of
made life rough for a boy with dirty hands who tracked mud wherever he went.
Always swore when I got my own place, I’d make it hard to see the dirt.”
    “All boy, huh? Now that I can see. And this place
doesn’t look that dirty. Pretty neat for a bachelor’s pad.”
    He shrugged. He’d cleaned the house top to bottom as part of
the special dinner celebration he’d planned for Cheryl—pre-breakup. Jarod
wasn’t too keen to let Stephanie know what a schmuck he’d been for trying to
impress his ex-girlfriend on the night she’d dumped him. Usually, the place
looked a lot more lived-in and, well, messy.
    “Want a tour?”
    She tilted her head and gave him a sultry smile. “Can it
start and end in the bedroom?”
    “Jesus. Anyone ever tell you you’re perfect?”
    “Horny equals perfection?”
    He reached out to grip her by the waist. Pulling her close,
he relished the nearness of her body and was reminded of her question in the
car. “I’ve been watching you for hours, Stephanie Harper, and with the
exception of your questionable parking habits, I can’t find a damn thing wrong
with you either.”
    She snorted, dismissing his compliment out of hand. “I’m
bossy, sarcastic and I tend to think I know it all. I hate spinach, cooked fruit
and I never put the cap back on the toothpaste.”
    He winced. “Gotta admit I hate that last one. Nothing worse
than toothpaste globs in the sink.”
    She put her hands on his chest, letting her fingers drift
down his shirt. “It’s still early, Jarod. Chances are pretty good this is a
fluke. Come morning, we’ll