Victoria House (Haunted Hearts Series Book 2)

by Denise Moncrief

  “Chill out. I’ll look for them. I must have dropped them on the way up the hill.”

  She made an exasperated noise. “What did you do that for?”

  “I didn’t lose them on purpose.” He was hollering now, trying to be heard over the roar of wind and thunder.

  The fury of the rain mirrored the fury in his heart. Something inside him was crashing. He felt the impact when it landed with a hard thud and a smack to his psyche.

  She pressed her fingertips into the tear ducts in the corners of her eyes. Were tears mixing with the rain that streamed down her face? It was hard to tell.

  “Aw now, don’t cry.” His words carried on the wind.

  “Why not? Why shouldn’t I cry?” She pushed him hard and shouted in his face. “You wanna know why I’m so mad? You disappointed me. If you’ll lie for me, you’ll lie to me, and I don’t think I could stand it if you weren’t being real with me. If that’s nuts, then I’m certifiably crazy.”

  He heard that, every word of it. She couldn’t have been plainer. She was disappointed in him. The blow hit him just as hard as if she’d punched him in the face and then stomped on his heart. She stared up at him, her expression open and vulnerable. The ache of wanting her and the need to be... He had to admit it. The need to be loved by a woman like her... No, to be loved by her... The pain of losing her before he even had her was too much to bear.

  Why was he such an idiot?

  Then the enormity of all the lies he’d told and all the awful things he’d covered up crashed into his consciousness. Because of the secrets he’d kept close for so long, he’d lost everyone that had ever been important to him. Josh. Ashley. Caroline. Himself.

  He couldn’t do it any longer. He needed someone he could be real with. If that’s what she wanted, then that’s what he needed.

  “You’re right.”

  She blinked at him. “What?” The single word stuttered out of her mouth.

  “I said you’re right. You deserve someone to be straight with you. I shouldn’t have lied for you.” Please, please don’t be disappointed in me. “I shouldn’t have called you nuts. I don’t think you’re crazy. I promise.” He stepped toward her, hoping she wouldn’t punch him in the nose. “If you’ll give me another chance, I promise it’ll never happen again. I don’t want to risk losing...”

  She seemed startled by what he had almost said. It couldn’t have been that hard a sentence to complete. Tori was no dummy.

  The dam broke and all resistance he had to concealing his growing feelings for her vanished. Pulling her to him, his mouth closed on hers, and she shivered when their lips connected. Tentative at first, then growing in intensity, the lingering kiss filled him with fire. His mouth explored hers until he found just the right fit. The shock of how hungrily she returned his kiss left him immobile for a brief moment as her arms wrapped around him, drawing him closer until their bodies molded together.

  He loosened her ponytail without any coherent instruction from his brain. Instinct guiding every part of him. Her hair fell about her shoulders, long and luxurious, still mostly dry from being bunched in the elastic. He ran his fingers through its length, and she moaned as if the action was the most sensual thing she’d ever experienced.

  When he could no longer remain conscious without taking another breath, he pulled back and stared into her eyes, hoping to see the depth of his emotion reflected in hers. The moment seemed to last an eternity, but in her eyes, he found what he was looking for. Perhaps what he had always been looking for. She didn’t flinch or look away. Her direct stare turned his insides to lava.

  “I don’t know what just happened here.” His husky voice sounded weird to him, deeper and filled with unmistakable longing, as he made a lame attempt to explain his actions.

  A smile trembled on her lips. “Me either, but I want it to happen again.”

  The second kiss came quickly, fast and furious, as if they couldn’t get enough of each other. Her hands slid up his back until her arms crossed behind his neck. His hands explored the curve of her waist, the arch of her back. As the kiss lengthened, it turned into something soft and sweet that left him breathless when it finally ended.

  The storm was settling in him and around him. She pushed him away and backed up, pulling in deep, ragged breaths. He was suddenly very afraid of her reaction. What had possessed him to do this thing? To start them down a path that might have no return. What if this took them where he wasn’t yet ready to go?

  “Your keys are in your jacket pocket.”

  He patted his pockets and grinned when he found that she was right.

  Rain streamed down her chin, had finally soaked her hair until it fell about her face in clumps with tendrils sticking to her cheeks and forehead. He pulled a long chestnut strand from her cheek and tucked it behind her ear. Her eyes sparkled with excitement. “I think you’re right about getting the truck towed. We can’t do anything in this deluge.”

  He cleared his throat. “I should take you home so you can change into some dry clothes.”

  “I’ll make us some coffee.”

  He nodded his head. That was clearly an invitation to stay with her. Words wouldn’t croak past the lump in his throat. He unlocked the car door and motioned her toward it. She got in without looking at him. He glanced at her through the window as she stared through the front windshield.

  Tori was no longer crying.

  He watched her for a moment, wondering what he’d just started. Her face glowed with a soft expression that turned him into a complete mush pot. Then he decided he wanted it, this thing that was happening between them, whatever it was.

  He finally went around to the driver’s side and slid into the seat, sitting for a moment, trying desperately to reorient himself with the real world. Both hands gripped the steering wheel as if it were the only solid, immovable object in his life. He turned and stared at her, his heart beating in an irregular rhythm. She was still staring through the front windshield.

  She seemed stunned. What had he done? Had he made a horrible mistake? But... Hadn’t she returned his kiss with as much passion as he’d offered it? Why wasn’t she saying anything? But then he was speechless as well.

  She reached over and took his hand in hers. “It’s all right, Gray. We don’t have to figure this out right this minute. Don’t agonize over it.”

  “Agonize? What makes you think I’m agonizing?”

  “I’m not sure what it means either…or if it even means anything.”

  He sucked in a deep breath before he sealed his fate. “I am.”

  She finally turned to face him. “You are?”

  He nodded.

  “Okay, then. Let’s see where this goes.”

  That’s all he needed to hear. He reached over the steering column to start the engine with his left hand, an awkward maneuver, and started down the driveway. Not another word was spoken on the trip back to Fairview, but Tori never let go of his hand.

  ****

  As soon as Tori emerged from the bathroom, Gray wrapped a blanket around her and rubbed her arms through the thick wool. He’d stopped by her motel room once they arrived back in Fairview, only to discover that the storm had knocked out power in that part of town, so she packed a few things like her brush, clothes, and hair dryer and agreed to go to his house to shower and change.

  “Better now?”

  His eyes glowed with the warmth of a blazing fire, two pools of azure blue, deep and endless. He engulfed her. Like burning with fire while drowning in water. She wanted to jump into the depths and immerse herself in the man. Never come up for air. Burn like a supernova.

  She smiled and wrapped her arms around him. “Yeah, I’m feeling better.”

  She still shivered occasionally, but she was heating up quickly from the inside out.

  He nodded toward the bathroom she’d just left. “I’m going to go clean up.” Despite his words, he slid his arms around her waist. “In a moment.” He shuddered once.

  With
only one bathroom in a cold house, he’d gallantly insisted she take the first shower.

  She shrugged off the blanket, pulled it across his shoulders, and then slid her arms around his waist beneath the material. “Thanks for letting me go first.”

  “Well, I was just using my manners. Ladies first.”

  She laughed. “I thought you said your momma raised you to be a perfect jerk.”

  He smiled down at her, his lips within centimeters of hers. “I overcame it.”

  One quick kiss. Not long. Not passionate. Just sweet with the promise of more to come. He loosened his grip on her, reluctantly it seemed, and disappeared into the bathroom.

  She twirled on her heel, happiness bubbling up from deep inside her. When was the last time she’d been this giddy? She didn’t want the wonderful feeling to end. Yet she knew there were still some heavy topics they needed to discuss. Like... Her story about what happened in Little Rock. His story about the mysterious Caroline.

  His kitchen was small and neat. She made herself at home and brewed some coffee. Was he singing in the shower? She tilted her head toward the bathroom. Yeah, he was. She tiptoed over to the door and leaned her ear against the wood.

  Whatever he was singing, he rendered the melody in a high falsetto. The man was a natural bass so the resulting rendition was a little on the screechy side. She pressed her ear harder against the door, and then slapped a hand over her mouth to keep from busting out laughing. Was the man really singing Diana Ross and the Supremes? She could have sworn he was wailing Baby Love. What kind of thirty year old man knew the words to Baby Love?

  Gray was no ordinary man.

  The splash of water ceased. She rushed away from the bathroom door, grabbed a coffee mug, poured a cup, and deposited her butt into a chair just as he entered the kitchen wearing nothing but a pair of athletic shorts and towel around his neck. His wet hair stuck out in a zillion directions, pushed away from his forehead, leaving his scar fully exposed. Once again, she wondered how he’d acquired it. Nothing could have made him appear sexier. Not to her anyway.

  His eyes were focused on his cell phone, his fingers tapping out a text. He didn’t notice her noticing him. She bit her lip. The man obviously worked out. With her arms around him earlier, she’d felt the strength in his abdominals. She craved sliding her arms around him again. He looked so delicious.

  He glanced up from the text to catch her licking her lips. Instead of turning her head, she stared him in the eye. If he was going to show off his manly physique, she was going to partake of the visual delight.

  He smiled. “Guess I should have thrown on a t-shirt if you’re going to drool.”

  “I wasn’t... Oh, who am I kidding? Of course, I was looking.” She returned his smile with a grin. “If you’re going to go around without a shirt on, I’m going to drool.” She sniffed. “Get used to it.”

  He seemed to be suppressing laughter. Probably at her expense. He moved closer and leaned forward, inches from her face. One hand on each arm of her chair. “You are so cute when you blush.”

  “Me? Cute? I’m never cute.”

  His mouth moved closer to hers. “If you say so.” His breath smelled of mint toothpaste. “But I think you’re cute when you’re trying not to be cute.”

  She punched him on his muscled bicep.

  “Ouch.” He cringed, but she clearly hadn’t come anywhere near hurting him.

  He tried to back up, but she grabbed the towel around his neck. “Are you gonna kiss me or not?”

  His lips met hers and he pulled her up from the chair. Arms twined and tangled as they wrapped around each other. When he finally broke the kiss, she stepped back and rubbed her hands up his torso, through his thick chest hair. Nice. She’d never cared much for smooth-chested men. She twisted out of his arms and turned toward the kitchen counter.

  “Hey! Where are you going?”

  “Just pouring the coffee I promised you.”

  She found another mug and poured him a cup.

  He pulled a chair out from the table and lowered his six-foot frame into it. She refilled her cup and retook her seat across from him, wrapping her hands around her warm mug.

  “The truck is in the impound garage now. Chuck McClanahan is watching it for us to make sure no one tampers with it. Have you met Chuck?”

  He had to have called McClanahan away from home to come into the garage, because it was still dark-thirty outside. The sun had not yet made an appearance for the day. Another poor soul was being denied a good night’s sleep.

  “No. I haven’t met him yet.”

  “You’ll like him.” He blew on the steam drifting up from his brew. “As soon as we finish our coffee, we should go and process the truck.”

  She walked her fingers across the table and slid her hand over his. “I’d rather stay here.”

  He smiled. “Me too. I can think of lots of things I rather do with you than process Jared Crenshaw’s truck.”

  Her core heated. He grinned as if he’d just taken her temperature.

  “Um...I can only imagine.”

  He laughed, and she suddenly realized how much she loved the sound of his laughter.

  “You’re blushing again.” He removed his hand from beneath hers and picked up his cell phone where he’d placed it on the table. “Just got a text from Ashley. She says Josh will live.” He dropped the phone back onto the tabletop. “After we process the truck, I need to go see him.”

  “You want me to go with you?”

  Appreciation seemed to light his expression. “Yeah. I think I could use your...”

  She smiled. “Stabilizing influence?”

  He smiled back. “Yeah, that.”

  She could stand the distance no longer. She rose from her seat and moved around the table. “Scoot back.”

  He shoved his chair away from the table, and she crawled into his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck.

  “Are you sure we have to—”

  “We have to.”

  “If you say so.” She stared into his blue eyes, traced the scar into his hairline. “How’d you get the scar?”

  She expected him to tell her of a car accident or falling out of a swing when he was a toddler.

  He sucked in a deep breath. Had she made a mistake asking? Maybe he wasn’t quite ready to divulge all his deepest darkest secrets yet.

  “Caroline threw a picture frame at me. The glass shattered when it hit my hard head.” He was obviously trying to make light of the incident, but a hint of how significant it was underscored his tone.

  Tori waited for him to say something else, unsure how to respond or if she should ignore the fact that he’d just mentioned the woman who came back from New Mexico.

  He held her gaze. Uncertainty flashed in his eyes, but he kept his focus on her. “Go ahead. Ask your questions. If we’re going to be together, you should know who you’re getting involved with.”

  She pressed her lips together. Was she ready for the truth? “Who is Caroline?”

  He sighed. “My wife.”

  Not what she expected. Not at all. A jolt of disappointment raced through her. She was about to bolt and run. Twisting to get out of his arms only made him hold her tighter.

  “Before you run away, please give me a chance to me explain.”

  She stopped struggling, but only because he was much stronger than she was. He could make her sit in his lap whether she wanted to or not, but he couldn’t make her listen.

  “I can file for divorce in three months, ten days, and fourteen hours.”

  Okay, maybe his explanation was worth listening to.

  “That’s pretty precise.”

  “That will be exactly eighteen months after the last time I saw her. Legally, I’m still married, but in reality, we haven’t been together for a very long time.”

  His mind seemed to wander for a moment, and then he came back to the discussion. “We’d only been married a few months when...”

  She leaned her head on his shoul
der. Looking into his eyes while he told his story might be difficult, but she needed to hear it. “So she went to New Mexico?”

  “She told me she wanted to go to California. She didn’t want to be my wife anymore because she knew I didn’t love her. No. She wanted to be an actress.” He snorted. “Like that was gonna happen. She only got as far as New Mexico. She’s waiting tables at a truck stop in Tucumcari. At least she was a few months ago.”

  “That’s kind of sad.”

  “Oh now, don’t feel too sorry for Caroline. She told me often enough she didn’t love me. It’s not like I broke her heart or anything. I’m not sure why she married me. She was a mystery.”

  “People have been talking, Gray.”

  He stroked her back. Why was he comforting her? She should be comforting him, but it didn’t seem he was too broken up about Caroline’s abandonment.

  “There have always been rumors about her. Why she disappeared. How she disappeared. Who helped her disappear. None of it’s true.” He paused and it seemed the break in his narrative was significant. “Since the day she left, there have been rumors she was murdered, just like everyone believed Jeremy Haskins had been murdered. No one ever found his body either.”

  “But Caroline isn’t dead?”

  “No. I asked a friend of mine with the FBI to find her after all the rumors got started. I wanted to know she was alive. That she’d left of her own free will.” Another significant pause. “Josh put her on the bus.”

  “Is that why—”

  He shook his head. “No. That’s not why Josh and I aren’t friends anymore.”

  “Then why?”

  “Caroline left because... I’ve spent a lot of my life keeping other people’s secrets. A man can’t get close to his wife if he’s hiding things from her and she knows it. She didn’t believe she could trust me because she didn’t believe I trusted her, but I couldn’t tell her what I knew. They aren’t my secrets to tell. It came between us, so she turned to Josh.”

  Well, he did say he thought Josh had some sort of savior complex.