Naughty Stranger

by Stacey Kennedy

  Yeah, he should. He’d always been close to Kinsley. He supposed that’s what happened when your mother left your father to have a new—better—family in California when Boone was five and Kinsley was three. Even though Boone had been protective over Kinsley, his baby sister had gigantic steel balls and a huge mouth. Knowing she would never leave unless he moved this along, he opened both eyes now and he met her hard gaze. “If you want to say something, Kinsley, say it.”

  Her glare deepened, hands coming to her hips. “You’d better know what you’re doing.”

  He frowned. “When do I not know what I’m doing?”

  His sister completely ignored him and said, “In case you haven’t realized, Peyton has heartbreak written all over her face. So, again, you’d better know what you’re doing. Because I like her. Like, really, really like her. Do not hurt her, Boone.”

  Kinsley’s fierce loyalty had always made him proud. “It’s Peyton’s playing field,” he reassured, understanding why Kinsley defended Peyton. He’d defend her too. “I’m just along for the ride. All I want to do is make her happy.” He leaned up, resting his weight on one arm. “That’s not so terrible, is it?”

  Kinsley stared at him. Hard. For what felt like a full minute. “Okay, I believe you, just wanted to make sure you had your head on straight. I love you.”

  Boone shook his head. Women. “Where is Peyton, anyway?”

  Kinsley tucked her hands into the front pockets of her jeans and nodded toward the door. “In the kitchen. I guess Rhett called her early this morning and said they cleared her shop to reopen. Peyton texted me asking if I’d go with her. I think she’s a little uneasy about it all.”

  “I’ve got no doubt she is,” he said, knowing that same message was likely on his cell too. He gestured down at the sheet. “Unless you want to see me naked, get out so I can get dressed.”

  “Ew. Gross.” She gave a full-body shudder, then marched out of the room, probably like she had marched into it.

  Boone dropped his head back onto the pillow, shutting his eyes. Christ, he was still reeling that last night even happened.

  Outside the bedroom door, Kinsley said, “Okay, I’ll meet you by the Jeep,” before he heard soft rustling in the room. He opened his eyes, finding Peyton entering the bedroom with a coffee mug in her hand, wearing a long flowing skirt and a black blouse, her hair down, framing her face.

  She froze when she caught sight of him. A beat later, she scanned his body, making him believe she liked seeing him naked in her bed. Then she moved closer to him and handed him the mug. “I’m sorry she woke you.”

  He peeked inside the mug. Black. He liked that she cared enough to ask Kinsley how he took his coffee, maybe more than he should, considering what he was up against. And the lack of personal items in her room indicated that she was not only not over her past, but she was running from it. That he could understand; he’d done the same thing after his divorce. “You wouldn’t have been able to stop her if you tried. Thanks for the coffee.”

  “I’m sorry to leave like this,” she said.

  He tucked a finger into the front of her blouse. “You’re wearing far too much clothing, considering I’m not wearing any.”

  “Sounds interesting,” she said, standing and moving away. “But the shop is ready to be reopened, so I really gotta go.”

  “All right,” he said with a grin. “But come over here and kiss me first.”

  She gave him a very thorough once-over. “Oh, hell no. I kiss you and I end up back in that bed.”

  He chuckled, leaning up on one arm and arching an eyebrow at her, knowing full well she seemed to like that movement. “Would that really be so bad?”

  Heat rose to her cheeks, and hell yeah, he spotted the need in her gaze. She rolled her eyes, glancing away. “You can stop that too, you know.”

  Playing dumb, he asked, “Stop what?”

  “That sexy eyebrow arch thing. Seriously, where did you learn that? Is there some hot-guy playbook out there that I don’t know about?”

  He chuckled. Her mind was sexy. Her body was sexy. Every single inch of Peyton Kerr was sexy. “What if I say that I’ll use everything in my arsenal to make sure you get back into this bed with me?” He pushed off the sheet and slid out of bed. She watched him move closer in all his naked and hard glory, and he loved that her mouth fell open.

  When he closed in on her, she tilted her head back, her voice raspy. “You don’t play fair.”

  He dragged his fingers across her cheek. “Ah, but I would wager a bet that you like that about me, Peyton.”

  She leaned into his touch, her eyes fluttering.

  He made his move then, and as he was about to press his lips to hers, she took a full step back.

  “Nice try,” she said with a laugh. “Now get dressed, drink up that coffee, then let’s hit the road. I’m sure you gotta go home to shower, and if you don’t hurry, you’ll be late for work.”

  “You’re not wrong.” The power had come on last night and Peyton had reset the clock that now read 7:52. He needed to be at work at eight thirty. He gave her a long look and sighed, wanting nothing more than to toss her on the bed, settle himself between her thighs, and make her forget about leaving altogether. But knowing she was a widow changed the game now. Gently. He wouldn’t push too hard, too fast, but he wanted her again. That was undeniable. He grabbed his boxers and slid into them before reaching for his jeans. “While I don’t think you’re in any danger, I also think it’s always wise to err on the side of caution. Is there somewhere else you can stay until we get this murder solved?”

  She nibbled her bottom lip, her gaze tracing his abs, then drifting lower to his hands doing up the button on his jeans. “I’ll stay with Kinsley until the case is wrapped up.”

  Boone couldn’t fight the side of his mouth arching. Sure, he would’ve loved to have her in his bed, but if gentle meant more time with her, then so be it. “Perfect.” Keeping his eyes on the woman still watching his every move with lust burning in her eyes, he threw on his shirt and closed the distance. “Don’t think too much here.”

  Her eyes searched his. “What do you mean?”

  “I may not have gone through what you have, but I understand heartbreak and pain. I know what you’re going through can’t be easy.” He slid his fingers over the strands of hair by her face, then gave them a gentle tug. “Feel what you feel. Want what you want. I’m here, not going anywhere, and not expecting anything more from you than you can give me. All right?”

  She gave him a tender smile. “You really are a good guy, aren’t you?”

  “Sometimes.” He leaned in and, swept away in the moment, he quickly pressed his lips against hers to prove his next point. “Other times, I live to break the rules.”

  “A dangerous combination.” She smiled, not seeming bothered by the kiss.

  He placed his hand on her lower back, guiding her out of the bedroom ahead of him. “The best kind.”

  * * *

  The drive into downtown was peaceful until Peyton drove past the national park. Cars lined the road, even early in the morning. The tourists wanted to enjoy the mountain views extending all the way out to the Atlantic Ocean. Kinsley drove ahead of her, and Peyton watched as she parked near the Flaming Pie to grab coffees. The rest of Main Street was quiet and the shops weren’t open yet for the day. Such a contrast to her days in Seattle, where the city never slept, and people seemed to work more than they relaxed.

  Peyton took the next left and pulled in behind her shop, parking in the single parking spot next to the shed that housed the garbage cans. She yawned, needing coffee in a big, bad way. Not that she was complaining. Sex was a damn fine reason to be exhausted. Not just any sex. Incredible sex. Mindboggling sex. The kind of sex that leaves you sweaty, boneless, and mindless, and with a big-ass smile for hours after.

  God, Boone was a dream come true. But even last night, as she lay next to him, Adam came to mind. She wanted Boone’s touch, but she also felt bad abou
t it. Sure, her feelings must be normal, some part of the grieving process. Still, no one ever explained that after the deep sense of loss eased, then came the yearning for physical touch and intimacy, equaled by the heavy guilt for wanting someone else.

  “Don’t overthink this.”

  She realized she was doing exactly what Boone must have thought she’d been doing. Which of course probably made sense, considering he was a cop. He probably had a very good understanding of the inner workings of grief.

  Getting her mind on the day ahead of her, she exited her car, greeted by a gorgeous day. Birds chirped a pretty song. A slight breeze rustled the trees’ leaves on the edge of the sidewalk. She locked her car’s door, then moved through the alleyway toward Main Street, where she stopped in front of her shop. Uptown Girl’s metal sign swung with the wind above the front door. She inhaled the moist, salty air coming off the ocean and hesitated, nerves fluttering in her belly.

  “Scared to go in?”

  Peyton smiled and glanced sideways at Remy Brennan, a bartender at Whiskey Blues, and Kinsley’s best childhood friend. Which, in turn, in Kinsley-and-Remy-land, meant they were all now best friends. “Totally freaked out,” she admitted.

  Remy smiled back, creases appearing in the corners of her stunning light green eyes. She was a mix of sweet and sassy and, in the nicest way ever, a little bit on the unusual side. Remy flipped her long, pale blond hair and slid her thin arm into Peyton’s. “Don’t worry about a thing. You’ve got backup today.”

  Peyton wondered what Remy and Kinsley could possibly do to ease her worries unless they brought a big bottle of wine with them. But the thought was soon thwarted as Kinsley approached with three coffees.

  “I could kiss you,” Peyton said, grabbing one of the coffees. She drew in another deep breath, staring at the two women who took her under their wings pretty much her first night. When Peyton showed Kinsley her new lake house, Remy came over not that long after. They threw down pillows and blankets that Remy had brought over and ate too much food, drank too much wine, and slept right there on her empty living room floor. She’d never known friends like this. Sure, she had friends growing up, even in nursing school, but not close like this. “Thanks for being here,” she told them. “Seriously, I don’t think I could’ve gone in there alone.”

  Kinsley handed Remy her paper cup before she tossed the tray in the garbage. “We’ve got your back when there’s a murder, babe, don’t forget it.”

  Remy elbowed Kinsley. Hard. “That’s not funny.”

  “Ouch,” Kinsley groaned, rubbing her rib cage. “Damn, girl, file that elbow down. It’s pointy.”

  Peyton laughed before turning back to her shop and sighing. No less than twenty-four hours ago, there had been a dead body. One that took her and Kinsley a good full minute to process before they ran out of the store screaming for help. “I can’t believe this is my life,” she finally admitted aloud. Her life in Seattle was so different. Fancy parties, summers on Mercer Island, extravagance. Not small-town murders.

  “Oh, it’s a good life,” Kinsley objected. “Stoney Creek keeps things exciting.”

  Peyton laughed dryly. “I think that might be the understatement of the year.” She opened the shop’s door with her key. Once inside, she surveyed the damage done by the crime technicians. All the tables holding the panties had been moved around, but for the most part, everything looked relativity normal. Except for the smell. She grabbed the front of her shirt and placed it over her nose.

  “What is that?” Remy asked, plugging her nose with her fingers.

  Kinsley scrunched her nose. “The cleaning stuff…to, you know…clean stuff.”

  Peyton shuddered, staring down at the spot where the body had been. “This is creepy as hell.”

  “Agreed,” said Remy, placing her purse on the panty table. She grabbed dried herbs from inside.

  “Planning on cooking?” Kinsley asked, eyeing the herbs suspiciously.

  Remy grabbed a lighter, then lit the ends of the herbs on fire until smoke billowed up. “It’s sage. It wards off evil spirts.”

  Apparently, Remy and Kinsley weren’t the backup, sage was.

  Kinsley rolled her eyes.

  Peyton laughed quietly. She knew people back in Seattle who believed in ghosts and magic. But Remy was a true believer. She made decisions based on what the tarot cards told her to do. For the past two years, she’d been saving up every penny she had from working at Kinsley’s bar to open up her own New Age shop, Black Cat’s Cauldron. In reality, it would be a tea, candle, and herbal remedies shop, but in Remy’s mind, the world was full of magic. Sometimes Peyton envied that about her. “Honestly, if the sage works,” Peyton said, “I don’t much care what you do.” Truth was, she’d hoped ghosts were real and that Adam could check in on her once in a while, but that was only wishful thinking on her part.

  The longer Peyton looked around her shop, the more breathing became easier. By all appearances, nothing happened there. The cleaning crew did an amazing job, and there wasn’t a speck of blood on the floor. From what she’d learned last night from a conversation with Boone between orgasms, insurance would cover the money lost in the robbery. This was a blip in time. A strange blip, albeit, but still just a blip, and she was determined to move on from…again.

  The truth was, even with the murder that had happened there, Peyton didn’t want to give up her shop. Over the last month, helping women pick out bright, flirty outfits had brought out the bright, flirty side of herself again. Back in Seattle, nursing had been dark at times, and with Adam’s passing, she’d become more buttoned up. She felt a lot more like herself again, rediscovering all the things that made her feel beautiful and sexy, and there wasn’t a chance in hell she’d give that up.

  Kinsley hopped onto the counter, her legs dangling. “Did Boone say what they think happened here?”

  “Robbery gone wrong,” Peyton replied, moving the first panty table back into its rightful position. “Which is just awful, considering I barely keep any money here in the safe. That poor woman.” She paused, admitting a truth that kept getting bigger and bigger in her mind. “And yet, all I keep thinking about is that it could have been me.”

  “I think anyone’s mind would go there,” Kinsley said.

  “I got this.” Remy moved in next to Kinsley and grabbed her tarot cards out from a box in her purse. She removed them from the silk and began shuffling. A moment later, she spread them out and then went still. “Ah, well, let’s not worry about this.” She quickly placed them back in the silk before glancing at Peyton with a totally fake smile.

  Peyton frowned. “Did they say something awful?”

  “No. No,” Remy said, tucking the box back into her purse, avoiding Peyton’s gaze. “Just some heavy stuff going on.” She gave Peyton a quick look and a slight shrug. “Besides, you don’t believe in all this anyway.”

  Before Peyton could decide if she wanted to change her mind, since Remy seemed to know something, Kinsley rolled her eyes, then said, “In this world, you’ve also got Boone now. He won’t let anything happen to you.”

  Remy nodded, leaning her elbows back against the counter. “He’s good at protecting the people he cares about.”

  Peyton sighed, wishing Kinsley had listened and met her at the shop like Peyton had asked on the phone, instead of showing up at her house. She didn’t want confusion. Once she settled the next table into place, she faced Kinsley. “Listen, I don’t want this to be weird or anything. I know Boone stayed at my house last night, but this thing with us, like we talked about, is casual, you know?”

  Kinsley barked a laugh. “Okay, okay, I know, but it wouldn’t be the worst thing in the world if you ended up my sister-in-law.”

  Peyton glanced at Remy.

  She shrugged, waving the sage around, especially in the corners for whatever reason. “I’m with Kinsley on this one. It wouldn’t be terrible. You guys are cute together.”

  Peyton wisely kept her mouth shut this time.r />
  Obviously aware of Peyton’s dodge, Kinsley pressed on. “So what is it? Asshole ex-boyfriend? Messy break-up? I mean, why are you so hung up on not having a boyfriend and trying to pretend that you aren’t totally falling for my big bro?”

  “It’s none of those things, and I’m totally not falling for anyone,” Peyton answered as honestly as she could. “I just…” She sighed heavily. She wanted to tell them the truth, she did, but damn it felt so good not having anyone look like she was that poor widow. “I want to focus on me for a while. That’s all.”

  “Don’t let her ruffle your feathers, Peyton,” Remy said with a smile. “You’re not the only one ignoring that she’s falling hard for someone.”

  “First, I’m not falling for anyone,” Peyton repeated. “And second, huh?”

  “I second that second thought.” Kinsley snorted, examining her fingernails. “Because, surely, you can’t possibly be talking about me. I hate men. All of them. Well, except the ones that I use instead of a vibrator when a girl just needs some.”

  Peyton chuckled. “Have there been many of those men lately?”

  Kinsley hesitated, then gave a little shrug. “There’s this guy Jake, who’s in the military. He comes home for a while, then gets deployed again. We have fun when he’s here.”

  “But that’s not the military guy our girl has a hard-on for, though,” Remy stated, continuing to move the sage around the room.

  Kinsley finally huffed. “Fine, I guess you may as well know. I might have a small thing for Rhett.”

  Remy froze, glanced over her shoulder, and gave an are-you-kidding-me look. “A small thing?”

  “Fine,” Kinsley said, rolling her eyes. “I have a pretty big thing, but it’s because he’s terrible for me. What can I say? I’m always going to want the bad boys. You know the ones you should never date, and yet, those are the ones that get my motor running.”

  “Has anything ever happened between you?” Peyton asked, honestly curious, and so damn glad the conversation was off her.

  “Lord, no,” Kinsley said with wide eyes. “Boone would skin him alive. And I mean that literally.”