Jace fell silent. That wasn’t the full reason, but he couldn’t lie and say it hadn’t crossed his mind. If some snap-happy paparazzi managed to catch sight of Carrie visiting him in the dead of night, he knew exactly what would end up on the tabloid headlines in the morning.
Instead of saying all that, though, he motioned at the body on the floor and the blood staining his checkered tile. “I didn’t know how you’d want to proceed with…this.”
“Right.” She narrowed her eyes, and he knew that she’d read between the lines. He couldn’t get anything past her. He never could, and he never would. Her mind was too razor sharp. It was how she’d risen up the ranks of her law firm so fast. “So, you and this girl, where did you go?”
“We went back to her place, which is about ten blocks south of here. I stayed for maybe half an hour before coming home.”
Carrie raised her eyebrows. “Only half an hour? You really do work fast these days.”
“There was no sex, Carrie. I decided I wasn’t interested. Not that my interest in the girl, or the lack thereof, has any bearing on the situation whatsoever.” He was glad she now knew nothing had happened, though. Why he cared, he had no idea. Things between them had ended three years prior, and there hadn’t even been the hope of a spark since. The wedding had taken care of that.
“Well, it might end up mattering,” she snapped, brushing past him to take two strides toward the glittering windows. “Did you take a cab? And did anyone see you when you got back? These are important things, Jace.”
“No, I walked home.” He followed her to the window and stood just behind her. His hand twitched in an urge to reach out and put his arms around her slim yet curvy waist. But he held steady, catching her gaze in the reflection on the glass. Her wavy hair cascaded across her delicate shoulders, and he could almost forget there was a dead body on the floor. “And I came in through the back, like always. I’m sure you of all people know how much I value my privacy.”
Her shoulders tensed, but when she spoke, her voice was soft. “Jace, don’t.”
“I’m not doing a thing.” He stood firm and steady in his pose and fought hard to keep himself from giving into his desire to touch her. A need he hadn’t felt in years rose up inside him. He wanted her close to him. His night had spiralled out of his usual measured control, and here Carrie was in the middle of it all looking more gorgeous than she ever had. For just one moment, he wanted to feel her skin on his.
She twisted to face him and looked up to meet his eyes. “You’re going to have to call this in. We can’t wait any longer. You have at least an hour of your night unaccounted for unless that girl you were with is willing to make a statement. The longer we stand here and talk about this, the worse this is going to look.”
The electricity between them fizzled into nothing as she stalked away and pulled her cell out of her pocket. Damn, he thought, watching her determined stabs on the phone’s keypad. That feisty spirit of hers had just made him want her even more.
Carrie forced herself not to pace the floor as the cops pored over the scene of the crime. So far, they had only asked Jace a few questions, and they hadn’t jumped to any immediate conclusions like she’d worried. Unfortunately, they didn’t seem keen on him leaving yet, even though their presence had the potential to disturb the evidence.
“Excuse me,” she asked the nearest cop, who didn’t seem to be doing much of anything at all. “When will Mr. Holt be able to leave?”
“What are you, his lawyer or something?” the guy asked around a mouthful of gum. Very professional.
“I’m an attorney,” she said, careful with her words. She couldn’t and wouldn’t represent Jace if the police decided to build a case against him—it was against company policy to represent family members. Someone else at the firm took care of his corporate needs, even though that was her specialty. Plus, she wasn’t a criminal defense attorney in the first place. No need to mention that at the moment though. “My firm represents Jace Holt’s interests.”
“Right.” The guy swept his eyes across her ensemble and didn’t look too impressed. She knew she should have gone with her gut and worn the skirt suit. “I’ll see what I can do.”
As the man disappeared into the swarm of cops, she trailed back over to Jace’s side. He stood next to the dark fireplace with his arms crossed, his face closed off and hard. She frowned. He would have looked more approachable if he’d kept his slightly-frazzled appearance in place, but he’d buttoned his shirt and tightened his tie. Back to the billionaire tycoon who didn’t bat an eye at a body in his kitchen. This was the Jace the world saw, but tonight, she’d caught a glimpse of something raw underneath.
“Jace.” She stopped in front of him and fought the urge to loosen his tie. “You look too stony.”
“They’re intruding on my personal space.”
“Just stop looking stony, okay?” She shook her head when his face remained as unmoving as ever. “Nevermind, forget I said anything. I asked one of the cops if we could get out of here. Remember, don’t say too much to them, not before I get you hooked up with Rick tomorrow.”
A frown tugged at his lips. “You’re the one who will be representing me.”
Great. Carrie could see this was going to be an issue with him.
“Listen, let’s not talk about this right now,” Carrie said, flicking her eyes around the room. The police still hadn’t moved the body from the floor. They were snapping photos, taking measurements, sweeping the area for any evidence they could find.
This was going to take awhile.
“Sir.” The policeman from earlier appeared before them. “You’ve been cleared to leave. We’re blocking off the area so our forensics team can complete their work.”
Jace frowned. “For how long?”
“It’s going to take awhile. I’d suggest you get some sleep somewhere else.”
“That’s fine.” Jace placed a hand at Carrie’s elbow, guiding her toward the open door. “Please give me a call when I’m able to return to my home.”
“And sir?” the policeman added before they’d left the room. “Don’t leave the city. We may need to ask you some more questions about what happened here tonight.”
In the executive suite on the floor below, Carrie watched as Jace mixed himself a drink from the liquor tray the concierge service had brought up moments before. Jace had always liked to pour his own drinks, arguing that no one else knew the perfect measures of the ingredients the way he did. He took a long, slow gulp of his gin and tonic as Carrie eased onto the black leather couch.
“Let me pour you a drink,” he said, settling his glass onto the marble coffee table and sinking beside her on the couch. “It’s been a long night for the both of us.”
“I probably shouldn’t. I have to be in work early in the morning. A big case has come up, and I—”
“You’ll have a drink with me.” He whipped out his cell and spoke in a low voice to someone on the other end of the line. Moments later, a soft knock sounded at the door, and Jace strode over to let in the concierge, who held a bottle of red.
Jace took the bottle and thanked the man before turning to Carrie. “You still enjoy Pinot Noir, I expect.”
“An entire bottle, Jace?” Carrie let out a light laugh and shook her head. She should have known that Jace wouldn’t let the evening end without roping her even further into his world. She let her eyes roam over his chiseled body. Would it be so bad to stay for one drink? It was hard to think up a reason to turn him down, not with him looking at her like that.
Jace poured the delicate wine into a glass and handed it to Carrie. While she swirled the liquid, her mind drifted over the night’s events. Through it all, there had been one nagging thought she hadn’t yet voiced, one she was certain was on Jace’s mind as well.
“I think we need to talk about what this means.” Carrie took a sip of wine and watched as Jace did the same with the glass he’d poured for himself.
“This doesn’t have to
mean anything, Carrie.” Jace smiled and brushed a strand of hair away from her eyes. “We’re just two people enjoying a glass of wine together after a trying night. I’m sure even we can do that.”
She cleared her throat as heat rushed into her cheeks. “I meant we need to talk about what the murder means. That was Anders Holland. I know you two have been battling over some real estate for awhile now and so does anyone else who pays attention to this kind of thing. Someone was clearly trying to frame you. ”
“Indeed.” Jace took another slow sip of his wine as he leaned into the couch, his arm stretched across the back so that his hand was barely skimming Carrie’s sweater. He looked so at ease in these pristine and stylized surroundings, the life of a rich bachelor fitting him just as well as his suit did. Now that he’d taken some form of control over the situation upstairs, he didn’t seem the slightest bit fazed.
“Aren’t you worried?” Carrie asked, way too aware of how close his arm was to hers. “Whoever did this isn’t joking around.”
“Carrie.” His hand cupped her elbow, and she almost shuddered from the sensation that rippled through her. Memories flooded her mind, ones she fought so hard to keep clamped up tight inside. Jace’s mouth on hers, hungry, passionate, and hot. His strong arms encircling her waist, his nose trailing down her stomach, each touch lighting a fire inside her chest.
She sucked in a sharp breath and whipped her head around so that he couldn’t see the heat in her face and the tears in her eyes. Even after all this time, she couldn’t erase their past, and a part of her wasn’t even sure she wanted to forget what they used to have. But, they were in the same family now. The mere thought of it made her eyes burn. She needed to stop this. It wasn’t right for her to have these thoughts about him anymore.
Carrie stood up and ran.
Jace wasn’t entirely sure what had happened to cause Carrie to flee from his hotel the night before. One minute, they’d been enjoying a nice relaxing glass of Pinot Noir together, and the next, she’d almost torn down the door to get away. He’d only placed a hand on her elbow, a simple gesture that wouldn’t have meant a thing in normal circumstances. It wasn’t as if he’d ripped off her clothes, though he had to admit he’d been thinking about how her nipples would taste.
But Jace knew nothing about his relationship with Carrie could be classified as normal. And for her to rush away from him like that must have meant she’d had at least some sort of reaction to his touch. He almost didn’t want to consider the implications. He’d long since accepted that there could be nothing between them, but Carrie’s actions made him wonder if her defenses might be crumbling after all this time.
He glided through the revolving doors and into the lobby of Hanson, Allen & Chase. As he waited for the elevator, he admired the gold lettering of the law firm’s sign. One day, a new name would get added to the sleek lobby wall. Hanson, Allen, Chase & Simmons. Jace was certain of it. If anyone could do it, Carrie could.
When he reached the tenth floor where Carrie and the rest of the corporate attorneys held court, he eased out of the elevator and strode purposely toward the welcoming desk. A young, perky blonde gave him a bright smile and flicked her hair back from her face.
“I’m here for Carrie Simmons.” He gave the receptionist a winning smile, an expression he knew women were particularly fond of receiving from him.
“Of course, Mr. Holt,” the girl said, reaching for the phone. “I’ll just call her now.”
Jace studied the girl. She might be young, yes, but the way she held back her shoulders and kept the nervousness from creeping into her eyes made him think she might be more put together than most of the other women he’d met recently. Unfortunately, now that he’d seen Carrie again, he couldn’t manage even the hint of interest. This girl couldn’t compare to her in any way.
“Jace,” he said, continuing to smile. “You can call me Jace.”
“Are you seriously flirting with Anna?” Carrie’s voice rang out sharp. “Leave the poor girl alone.”
Jace pivoted to find Carrie’s familiar glare, the one that made her pixie features look cute, almost like a harmless bulldog. Again, he noted her anger, a strong reaction to light and harmless flirting, something that shouldn’t have bothered her if her feelings for him were well and gone.
“It was nice to meet you, Anna.” Jace gave the pretty receptionist a nod before following Carrie down the hushed hallway toward her office. Her spine was stick straight, her shoulders tense. She was back in her skirt suit again. It was long and barely showed her calves, though they were particularly well-toned calves, and the material shifted seductively against her ass.
A part of him wondered how she’d react if he reached out and pressed his knuckles into her skin, rubbing her raw and prickly mood away. Carrie was so tense now, so uptight, she needed someone to take it all away from her. She would turn to putty in his hands, just like she’d done on a regular basis before their parents had decided to tie the knot, bringing everything between them to a grinding halt.
When they reached the small but well-decorated office with a view that offered sights of Madison Avenue below, Carrie quietly closed the clear glass door with a click. His eyes raked over the wall, her achievements to date lined up in elegant oak frames.
Carrie settled into the chair behind her desk and clasped her hands in front of her, as if he were just another client who had stopped in for a quick chat. “Why are you here, Jace? I thought you had a meeting with Rick today to go over your options if the police decide you’re a person of interest.”
Jace unbuttoned his suit jacket and eased into the leather chair across from her. “Rick is not who I want representing me.”
“Well, you’re not going to get what you want even if I wanted to give it to you.” Her cheeks flushed, and she cleared her throat. “It’s against company policy.”
“Then, let’s talk about your exit last night.”
“What about my exit?” Carrie’s face reddened even more, and Jace knew his gut instinct was right, just like it always was. She still had feelings for him, strong ones even. She might be trying to fight them away, but she wasn’t doing a very good job of it if her sparkling eyes and rosy cheeks were any indication.
“You ran out on me,” he said in a low voice. “And it wasn’t because you had to get up early for work.”
“Well, it certainly wasn’t because of anything else!” She raised her voice and fisted her hands on the towering stack of papers on her desk. “You tried…”
Jace tapped his finger on his knee. “I didn’t try a thing, Carrie. If I had, it would have been a lot more interesting than my hand on your elbow.”
Carrie’s face flamed.
“You seem to be getting flustered,” he said, a small smile lighting his lips. “Just like last night.”
“Jace Holt, I hope you’re not implying what I think you’re implying.” Carrie narrowed her eyes and flicked her gaze to the glass door. She lowered her voice and spoke the next words in a hiss. “We’re…you know.”
He thought it was interesting how she couldn’t even say the word.
“Only by marriage.” He crossed his arms. “Through parents neither of us are particularly close to. And we were already involved when they met. We should have just told them. I’m certain they would have understood.”
“It’s still not right,” she said. “You know it just as much as I do. No one would understand. No one here at work, no one you do business with, and especially no one in the family.”
Her words stung, even though it was an old argument and one he’d heard many times. He didn’t understand why things had to be this way, why fate had dealt out this particular hand of cards. It was as if the universe had to punish him somehow, and this was how it chose to ensure he’d remain forever miserable. No matter how much power he accumulated, no matter how many dollar signs were added to his bank account, he’d never have the one thing he wanted more than all of it combined.
“Carrie.”
“You can’t tell me I’m wrong.” She shook her head hard, and wavy strands of her hair fell into her wet eyes. “I’ve seen the tabloids, Jace. The slightest bit of scandal, and you show up all over the headlines.”
“I don’t care about the headlines,” he almost growled. He wished she could understand that no matter the obstacles they might encounter, none of it would matter in the end.
“Of course you don’t, Jace,” Carrie snapped, ears and nose and neck turning bright red. “Because no matter what the playboy of the year does, he still gets to rule over his kingdom. You think my bosses won’t care if one of their associates shows up all over the newspapers for doing something like that? You think clients will want to work with me then? Or is my job not as important as yours?”
The room crackled with tension, and it took all of Jace’s control not to grab her right then and there and show her what he thought of the tabloid headlines and the rest of her familiar arguments. The world be damned. He wanted to push her up against the wall, shove her skirt up to her waist, and rip off her cute little pink thong—he remembered her favorite panties very well. He wanted his mouth on her wet lips, his cock between her thighs, and her heart and body all to himself.
He wanted his girl back, and nothing stopped Jace Holt from getting exactly what he wanted.
Jace had rattled Carrie’s nerves once again. She took a few deep breaths to calm her racing heart and rid herself of the intimate memories running through her mind. Her eyes stayed firmly glued to her desk, but she knew without looking that Jace’s gaze held a heat she hadn’t seen in years.
“Jace,” she said, shakily. “I think it’s best if you go see Rick now. He’ll be waiting for you in Conference Room B.”
“I thought I made my wishes clear,” he said, his voice irritatingly calm and smooth. How could he stay so collected with the crackling tension in the air? Perhaps she was the only one who could feel it, but she found that hard to believe. “I don’t want some sub-standard lawyer when I could have you.”
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