by Wolfe, Lacey
Jace sighed. “I wish I had some sort of idea, but I don’t. Whoever did this kept their mouth shut. This town is small. It shocks me to not have an idea.”
* * *
Claire unlocked the door to the cabin. She wasn’t tired. Not. One. Bit. Her body was on fire after that walk with Jace. Touching him and being so close. It had taken everything in her not to kiss him when they’d gotten back to his car. When she’d first said his name, she was certain she would. But something stopped her. Oh right, she’d chickened out.
She glanced at the couch. The place he’d be sleeping. She’d be in her room, wishing she was out here with him. She eyed him as removed his jacket. His hair was a mess from the slight wind tonight. But damn, he was sexy. She wanted to run her fingers through it as she explored him.
“You really don’t have to stay here,” she said.
“You’re not getting rid of me. I’m staying.” Jace sat down on the couch. “The only way I’ll leave is if you come back to my place.”
“Oh yeah. I don’t feel much like sleeping on a couch.”
“You wouldn’t. You’d be in my bed.”
“Would you be in it too?” Crap! Did I just say that out load?
Jace stood and walked toward her. His eyes were dark with passion and she knew at that moment he was feeling the same desires she was. Only he’d been honest all night about how he felt. The feelings she had for him scared the shit out of her.
She backed up, but he kept getting closer. Finally she bumped into the wall behind her. She stared into his eyes.
“Do you want to be in my bed with me?” he asked.
Her breathing was heavy. She willed her mouth to tell him no, but her head betrayed her as it began to nod.
Jace smiled and leaned closer, placing his hands on either side of her head. She could smell his aftershave and goodness, it was the best scent.
“We can’t keep playing these games,” he whispered, sending a chill down her spine. “I told you how I felt at dinner.”
“You did. And I told you how I felt.”
“That you did.”
Jace growled and pushed away from the wall. He headed back in the direction of the couch.
Claire took in a deep breath and missed having him so close. Why did this have to be so hard? Or was it? She could give in and admit to herself she’d love to see where things could go with Jace.
“Jace,” she called.
He spun back around, but didn’t say anything.
“I want you to be that man.”
“What man?”
“The man who’s going to give me more than just fun.”
It took him no time to make his way back to her. She gripped his shoulders and wrapped her legs around his waist. He carried her toward her bedroom and softly laid her on the bed.
“You’re not just saying that to get me in bed, are you?” Jace asked.
Claire giggled. “No, I meant what I said.”
Jace claimed her lips and the fireworks went off behind her eyelids. She knotted her fingers in his hair the way she’d wanted to earlier. He explored her body, sending every nerve in her on end. Being with Jace was going to be magical and she couldn’t wait to go to those heights with him.
Needing more, she started to tug at his shirt, pulling it over his head before tossing it across her room. She caressed his chest, amazed at the definition he had. Slowly, she started a trail down to his belly button with her fingers, and as she dipped lower, his hand grabbed hers.
“Not so fast. I’m trying to get myself under control. One touch and this will all be over.”
“Hell, no.” She grinned. “We’re just getting started.”
Claire reached down and tugged her shirt off. Jace stared at her breasts, moaned, and began to let his tongue explore. She wrapped her legs around him again, bringing his still-clothed bottom half right to her center. His erection pressed into her and she knew at that moment taking this slow wasn’t going to happen. The sooner she got him inside her, the better.
“Let’s not play,” she whispered. “Take me right now, anyway you want.”
Jace pulled back, staring down at her. “Where have you been all my life?”
“Right here.”
It took no time to get naked. Jace tugged Claire to the end of the bed and grabbed her ankles, laying them on his shoulders. As soon as he sunk deep within, she closed her eyes, knowing there would never be another man for her in her life.
Chapter Seven
Jace wished like hell when he woke the next morning that it was Saturday. He wanted to stay in this warm bed with Claire all morning, and perhaps have a repeat of the night before. But it wasn’t Saturday and after being in court the day before, he had things that he had to get done.
Rolling over, he stared down at Claire. Her blond hair fell in her face. He pushed it away so he could get a glimpse of her sleeping. She began to stir before opening her eyes and gazing at him.
“Good morning,” she quietly said.
“A good morning it is.” He kissed her cheek. “It would be even better if I didn’t need to get into the office.”
“Can’t you take the day off?”
“I was just trying to figure that out in my head. Unfortunately, I didn’t come up with anything.”
“I can make coffee while you shower.”
“I really should head back home. We didn’t think this through. I don’t have clean clothes.”
“You look much better out of them anyway.” She kissed his chin.
Jace groaned and told himself he needed to get up. But his body had other ideas. Pushing Claire onto her back, he nudged her thighs open and gave her a proper wake-up.
* * *
Claire sat at her small kitchen table, sipping coffee and playing on her laptop. Jace told her to come in late if she wanted, and she was taking advantage of having a lazy morning. Setting her mug down, she stared at the screen, not really sure what she was looking at.
This morning she had waves of emotions going through her. Being in the same room with Jace made her feel at ease, and when they’d connected, it actually felt like they’d become one. Even thinking that felt a bit cliché, but there was no other way to describe it. Claire had never been a saint and made men wait long to hop in the sack. She enjoyed sex and wasn’t ashamed of it. In her mind, the sooner they slept together, the sooner they knew how compatible they were. And her and Jace, well, they were made for one another.
The way he looked at her got her every time. Her stomach fluttered and her heart went pit-pat. Her usually catty banter often turned into her with a loss of words. This was new for her. No man had ever made her lose a train of thought—until Jace.
Leaving the kitchen, she went into her room. From under her bed, she dug out her high school yearbook and found a year they both would’ve been in school. He remembered her, but she had trouble recalling who he was. The town wasn’t big and the classes were small. There was no reason she shouldn’t know him.
Scrolling through the pictures of the senior class, her finger stopped. It was him. Only a different name. Jackson Brown. She stared at the photo, realizing Jace must be a nickname. But as she studied him, she remembered who he was and couldn’t believe she hadn’t put it together.
The girls in her class all had a crush on him. He was smart and quiet. He didn’t run with the in crowd. But had an unforgettable face. And he’d played baseball. Man, could he wear those gray pants better than any other man. Much like the way he wore a suit. Hot.
She skimmed a few more pages of the senior class. He didn’t appear in too many of the photos, but she wasn’t surprised. At least in the time she went to school, you had to be somebody for the yearbook committee to fill the pages with your face.
She closed the book and decided to begin getting ready for the day. With Tonya gone, she wasn’t sure what her new hours were going to be. Hopefully Seth would have news soon, and she could put all her time and effort into Honeycreek.
An h
our later, she was dressed and ready to go. As she gathered her things, she heard someone knock on her cabin door. She peeked through the peephole and saw Seth.
Opening the door, she greeted him, “Hey.”
“Got a minute?”
“For you, anytime.”
He grinned and came inside. “Coffee?”
“I think there is a cup or two left. Just turned it off because I was heading out.”
He poured himself a cup and then took a big gulp before leaning against the counter. “I’ve got a pretty good idea at the moment.”
“You do? Is it Mr. Jenkins?”
“That would be simple. The tax assessor. No.”
“Who?”
“When you went down there, you said you weren’t treated with the best service, correct?”
“God, no. That Mrs. Moore was not the nicest lady. In fact, I’m beginning to wonder if she even passed my message on. Mr. Jenkins never called me, unless of course he couldn’t because of this mess.”
“He could’ve called you, but you’re on to something,” Seth said.
“Mrs. Moore?”
Seth nodded. “We’ve been asking around and it turns out, she approached your parents a few years ago about buying Honeycreek. About the time they started to close for the winter. Of course, your parents told her no. And it wasn’t long after that, that it appeared they’d stopped paying their taxes. Though the case was never sent over to Jace until after they passed away.”
Claire sat down at the kitchen table and rubbed her temple. “Where has the money I’ve been paying gone? It came out of the bank account and the checks were made out to the tax office.”
“She cashed them since she worked there, we assume.”
Claire almost couldn’t believe it. “Has she been arrested?”
“People get funny when they know they’ve done wrong.” She didn’t like the tone in his voice. “Seems she’s gone missing. Taken a vacation of sorts suddenly.”
“You’re kidding. Is there anyone who might know where she is?”
“I’ve got two officers questioning her granddaughter right now. And I’ve got a feeling the granddaughter is who trashed your place. Her fingerprints were everywhere.”
“Who is the granddaughter?”
“Tonya Wilkins.”
Did he just say Tonya? “Tonya…the same Tonya?”
“Yup. It’s a small town.”
“You’re not kidding about that.” She sighed. “What can I do to help?”
“I’d like for you to let us keep a police officer on the property. Tonya could come back.”
“I can handle her. I did once.”
“So far there haven’t been any homicides since I became sheriff. I’d like to keep it that way,” Seth said.
“You’re being silly.” Tonya and her grandmother might want her land, but they weren’t going to kill her for it. “Jace stayed here last night. He probably wouldn’t mind the couch again tonight.”
Seth raised an eyebrow at her and then in the direction of the couch. Crap. She was certain the pillow and blanket she’d given Jace still sat there, neatly folded. “So, uh, you two together?”
She grinned. Seth was like a brother to her. They’d always been close, but never anything more. Claire had been an only child and Seth’s family had treated her as their own. Heck, she fought with him and his sister Kimberly like they were siblings.
“You really want the details?”
“I didn’t ask for details. Just want to know if you’re seeing him. Last I heard, you disliked the man.”
Claire shrugged. “I no longer dislike him.”
“Might this be someone you’ll finally settle down with?”
“Thought you didn’t want the details?”
Seth chuckled. “I like Jace, always have since school. He wears his heart on his sleeve though, and I don’t want you doing a number on him.”
“Don’t worry. I’m not going to break his heart. I think there might be a future for us.”
Seth nodded. “I’m gonna head out and check with Cody to see if he had any luck tracking Tonya down. If you see her, let me know. I have a feeling she’s going to play the disappearing act as well.”
After Seth was gone, Claire made sure all her windows were locked. She didn’t think anyone would break in again, but she couldn’t be certain. At least Seth and his guys were on the right track.
Once she was in the main area of Brookfield, she parked her car and headed over to The Roasted Cup to get her usual coffee order for the day. She was sure Jace needed a caffeine pick-up.
As she waited on her coffee, she noticed a man sitting off to the side. The back of his shirt had the Country Furniture logo. She didn’t recognize him, but figured he might be the one Seth had been telling her about.
“Excuse me, are you Mark Thomas?” she asked.
“I am.” He looked up at her and she saw a very attractive man.
“I’m Claire Stevens. I own Honeycreek. I’m going to be doing some remodels and Seth Hampton recommended I get in contact with you. He says your work is great.”
“That’s nice of him. What are you looking to have done?”
She pointed at the vacant seat and he nodded. She sat down. “I really want to redo the beds in the inn to be made from old trees. Right now they are metal frames, but I want it to have that woodsy feel. Do you know what I’m talking about?”
He nodded. He wasn’t the most talkative man, but Claire could look past that.
“Is it something you’d be interested in?”
“Yeah. I can do that. What’s your timeframe?”
“The rooms are all fine the way they are now, but one by one, I want to redo them. So really, it’s about money and your time.”
Mark smiled. “I hear you. Why don’t I get some estimates on price and get back with you?”
“That’s great. Do you have a business card, or where are you staying?”
Mark reached behind his back and returned with his wallet in hand. He then placed a business card in front of her. “When you’re ready, give me a call.”
“Claire Stevens,” a woman behind the counter called.
“Oh, that’s me. Thank you again! It was nice to meet you, Mark.” She pushed the chair back and then went to get her coffee.
With the tray of coffee in her hand, she left The Roasted Cup and crossed the street to Jace’s law office. She pushed the glass door open and was greeted by Jace right away. He wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing his mouth to hers. She held the tray to her side, trying to not spill it.
When Jace ended the kiss, he took the tray from her. “I missed you.”
“It hasn’t been that long since we saw each other.”
“It was long enough.”
“I suppose you’re right, Jackson.”
Jace handed a coffee to her. “Ah, you must’ve looked me up.”
“Oh yeah, and just so you know, I thought you were hot.”
“Oh yeah. I doubt you even knew who I was.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I did. And I had a crush on you. You were the smart guy and you wore those gray baseball pants as though they were a second skin on you.”
Jace placed a hand on her waist again. “You drive me insane, Claire. I’m ready to take you again.”
She pressed herself against him, not caring this time if she dropped her coffee. “We could always lock the door and go into your office.”
“I like you’re thinking.” Jace pulled away.
Claire set her coffee down and as she turned back toward Jace, she saw Tonya on the other side of the glass door.
“Lock the door,” she said.
Before he could, Tonya opened it with a jerk. “Don’t you two look rather cozy.”
“I thought you quit,” Jace said.
Claire picked the phone up off her desk and dialed 9-1-1. Into the phone she said, “Send Seth Hampton to Brown’s Law Agency. His suspect is here.”
“Suspec
t?” Jace stared at her.
“Yes, she’s the one who broke into my house. She’s also Mrs. Moore’s granddaughter. Mrs. Moore is behind this property scandal.”
Chapter Eight
“Let me explain,” Tonya said.
“What could you possibly have to explain?” Claire placed her hands on her hips. “You broke into my place. Your prints were everywhere. Don’t tell me you’re trying to deny it now.”
“I’m not, it’s just—”
“Save it for the sheriff.” Claire held her hand up.
Tonya slumped against the wall. “I don’t have to stay here. I can walk out this door.”
“Go ahead. I’m not going to stop you.”
Jace took Claire’s hand. “You’re welcome to go.”
Tonya huffed and then stood straight. She turned quickly and began to push the door open, but several officers stood on the other side. “Crap.”
Claire smiled, not being able to help it. A few seconds later, the police were inside and Tonya started to cry. In some ways, Claire felt bad for the girl. She was young and she wondered if she really knew what she’d done, or if the grandmother had put her up to it. In all honestly, she might have suspected the girl to trash her house out of jealousy, but chances were Tonya could care less about Honeycreek.
The officers were talking to her and Tonya kept telling them she didn’t know where Mrs. Moore was. Seth walked over to Claire and Jace.
“We’re going to go ahead and take Tonya into the station. I assume you still want to press charges?”
Claire nodded. “Of course.”
“As soon as I have information, I’ll call.”
“Sounds good,” Claire said, relieved that this was all finally starting to piece together.
After the police left, Jace wrapped his arms around Claire. She placed her cheek across his chest and savored the smell of his musky aftershave.
“Now that this is all over, guess I need to start the hiring process again.”
Claire pulled back and stared up at him. “It was only temporary. You already knew that.”
Jace took her hands in his. “I can handle you working here being temporary, as long as you and I aren’t.”