Can't Stop the Feeling

by Maria Geraci

  “I never say anything unless I mean it.”

  She inhaled sharply. Her eyes seemed to go even bluer, as if that was possible.

  “I did tell you that my mother is staying the night with Rachel?”

  “Only four times now.” She took his hand and led him into the bedroom.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Monday slithered into Tuesday which dragged into Wednesday and despite Ben’s reassurances that Gavin was on top of things, they were still no closer to getting their hands on that video footage. On the other hand, they hadn’t been arrested for indecent exposure (the legal term in Florida for having sex in public), so things weren’t all bad.

  The past few days had been…interesting. During business hours, she continued to do her thing and Ben did his. But once Rachel was tucked away for the night, he’d slip over to her house and the two of them would go at each other like a couple of horny teenagers.

  They’d been careful not to get too personal, however. It was like an unspoken taboo. They talked about sports, travel, what she liked in bed (the usual), what he liked in bed (almost everything), and of course, the situation with the sex tape (mostly her, obsessing about it).

  They didn’t talk about his drinking problem, Tiffany McAdams, Jake or any other member of his family. And they most certainly didn’t discuss her theory on Doug Wentworth or the situation with Earl Handy’s will.

  “Where does your mother think you are right now?” Jenna had asked last night. They’d stayed up watching Jimmy Fallon on late night TV and eating popcorn.

  “She hasn’t said anything, but she’s a smart woman. I’m sure she’s figured it out.”

  Jenna had chewed on her popcorn thoughtfully. Pat was smart all right, but she also wanted to see the two of them end up together. Which, no, wasn’t going to happen. This thing between them was just for fun and temporary. He was still going back to Miami, and she was still going to stay here in Whispering Bay.

  She’d considered telling Ben about her conversation with Pat at The Bistro. The one that involved her having red-headed grandchildren. “I hope your mom doesn’t get disappointed.”

  “Why would she be disappointed?”

  She didn’t think she had to spell it out for him, but apparently she did. “I just hope she doesn’t think this is more than what it is.”

  He hadn’t responded, so she’d shrugged it off. She had her own mother to deal with. Which she was currently doing at the moment. Jenna was in her office, still waiting to hear from her friend about the audit, when her mother called.

  “Any news on the Ben the lawyer situation?” Mom asked.

  Lots. But none you’d want to hear about. “Not really. We’re just friends, Mom.”

  “Friends don’t give each other love bites.”

  True. “Mom, I’ve told you before, when, and if, there’s anything to tell you about my love life, you’ll be the first to know. I promise.”

  “Yeah, yeah, I know the drill.”

  She’d just hung up with Mom when Mimi and Pilar strolled into her office and made themselves comfortable.

  “So,” Pilar began, “I reached out to Ben Harrison about Nora’s offer and asked if we could do a twenty-five, seventy-five split.”

  “And?” Jenna asked, although she was pretty sure she already knew the answer.

  “He all but laughed in my face.”

  “Yeah.” Jenna thought about how to best bring up this next topic. Without sounding too suspicious. “Mimi, what happens to all the video from the company who does our security surveillance for the city?”

  “We Gotcha, Inc?”

  “Yeah, that’s them,” Jenna said trying to sound very nonchalant about the whole thing. “I mean, how does all that work?”

  “I don’t know. I guess someone watches it and if there’s anything suspicious going on they call the police department.”

  “That makes sense. Um, has Zeke ever mentioned anything unusual?”

  Pilar grinned. “Is this about the ghost again?”

  “What? Oh, no.” Jenna tried for a casual laugh. “I was just curious. You know, they charge a lot, but according to my records they have cameras all over the place, and Whispering Bay sure is safe from crime, so, go We Gotcha!” She ended this bit with a fist pump.

  Mimi and Pilar looked at her strangely.

  Okay, so maybe her cheerleader bit was overkill.

  Her phone pinged. She glanced at the screen. Yes! This was just the phone call to take her mind off that horrible videotape. “It’s my friend who’s doing the audit.” She put the call on speakerphone. “Hey, Daisy, FYI, I have the mayor and the city’s attorney here with me in the office and we’re all anxious to hear what you’ve found so I have you on speaker.”

  “Not a problem,” said Daisy. “I’ve gone over the spreadsheets and all the expense reports and you’ll be happy to know that every dime is accounted for. Right down to the last penny.” She laughed at her own little joke.

  “You’re kidding,” Jenna said. “Are you sure?”

  “Positive. You sound disappointed. Most people are thrilled to find out their accounts are A-okay.”

  “Hi, Daisy, this is Pilar Diaz-Rothman, so you’re saying there’s no evidence of any skimming or embezzlement or anything else?”

  “Absolutely not. Other than the funds allocated for this new rec center project which looks as if it went over budget, everything else looks good. The last city manager really did a bang-up job keeping things under control.”

  This was so not what Jenna wanted to hear.

  “Thanks, Daisy,” she said.

  “Sure! Any time. Oh, and Jenna? This audit took more time than I originally thought, so I’m afraid I’m going to have to charge for this. I’ll send the city my bill. Talk to you soon!”

  To say there was a pregnant pause was putting it mildly.

  “There goes that theory,” said Mimi once Daisy had hung up the phone.

  Pilar looked at Jenna thoughtfully. “Did you really think that Doug was stealing from the city?”

  “It was a hunch and I’m usually never wrong, but obviously in this case, I am. I’m so sorry, I mean, I really didn’t think she’d charge us. I just…was so sure something here was off.”

  “It’s all right,” Mimi said with a dejected sigh. “We had to be sure. And now we are.”

  Pilar screwed up her nose like she’d just come across something foul-smelling. “I don’t blame you for suspecting Doug. Personally, I never liked him.”

  “He totally had me fooled,” Mimi said. “Until he showed his true colors.”

  “Okay, I’ve made up my mind.” Jenna stood and picked up her handbag. “I’m going to visit Doug Wentworth in jail.”

  “What?” Pilar and Mimi both said.

  “I know this sounds a little obsessive of me, but I still think something here isn’t right and the only way I’m going to know for sure is if I look him in the eye. I’m going to tell him we’re doing a forensic audit and see what he says.”

  “So you’re going to lie to him?” Pilar said. “You’re not going to tell him that it’s come back clean? That’s so sneaky. So devious. I love it. I only wish I could be there with you.”

  Before Mimi could add her two cents’ worth, Darlene knocked on the already open door. “Sorry to interrupt, Jenna, but there’s a delivery for you. Your new desk and chair are here.”

  “Ooh, new furniture,” Mimi said.

  “Drats. I was just on my way out the door, too.”

  “You go on,” Pilar said. “We’ll take care of the delivery.”

  “What should we do with your old desk?” Darlene asked. “The movers will need to get it out of here before they put the new desk in.”

  “They can put it in the storage room in the back of the building for now,” Mimi said. “It’s city property so if anyone needs a desk, they can have that one.”

  “Wish me luck!” Jenna said on her way out the door. She hadn’t taken two steps into the parking
lot when she ran smack into Ben. Literally.

  “Oh!”

  He held her shoulders to steady her. “You all right?”

  “Fine. I’m fine.”

  He looked like he just walked off the cover of GQ magazine. Navy blue suit, white shirt, gray tie. All starched and crisp and beautiful. And as usual, he smelled divine. What cologne did he wear? It wasn’t overpowering but just enough to wake her up. In all the right places.

  “What are you doing here?” she asked him.

  “I came to talk to Pilar about her counter-offer.”

  “I’d thought you’d already turned that down.”

  “I did.” He grinned. “This is really just an excuse to come see you.” He noted her purse and the keys in her hand. “Are you done for the day?”

  “Um, yeah, actually I am.”

  “Would you like to come over to the beach house and have dinner?” When she didn’t answer right away, he put his hands up in the air like he was surrendering. “Just a friendly meal with Rachel and my mom.”

  Dinner with Ben and his family sounded wonderful. Jenna couldn’t think of anything she’d rather do, but she had to see Doug Wentworth in person. She just had to. Otherwise, she’d always have a niggling itch in the back of her mind that she hadn’t done everything to follow through with her suspicions.

  “Tempting, but I’m actually on my way somewhere.”

  “Running some errands? We can eat later if you—”

  “I’m going to the jail to see Doug Wentworth. The forensics audit came back clean, but I still think he did something shady and I want to see if I can trick it out of him. So you were right about the dog with the bone thing, too. Only I’m not going to apologize for it.” There. She’d said it. Now the fireworks would start all over again.

  “I see.” He glanced back at his car. “Then let me drive you.”

  This was not the reaction she’d expected.

  “What happened to this was the craziest idea you’d ever heard of?”

  “I’m not going to lie, I still think it’s crazy, but I’ll feel a whole lot better about it if you let me tag along.”

  She considered his offer. The county jail was almost a forty-five-minute drive. It would be nice to have company. Especially Ben’s. “Okay, but you’ll have to stay in the car. You absolutely can’t go see Doug with me. I have to take him by surprise when I tell him about the audit. That’s the only way I can gauge his true reaction.”

  “Not a problem,” he said.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Obviously, yeah, he’d lied, because this was a problem. Jenna slid into the front seat of his car and buckled herself in, tugging at her skirt until it lay down primly. She wore standard female business attire—black skirt, lavender silk dress shirt, black heels. All fairly conservative and nothing out of the ordinary.

  The problem was standard female business attire had never gotten him aroused before. She might as well have been wearing nothing. Add to the fact that while she usually wore her hair up during the day, it now lay down her back in a riot of long, sexy curls that made his fingers itch. He imagined himself behind her, grabbing onto those curls as he thrust—

  “It’s really nice of you to offer to drive,” she said completely oblivious to the fact that she was sitting less than two feet away from a raging hard-on.

  “Sure.”

  Only there was absolutely nothing nice about his motives. Driving her to the county jail was completely and one hundred percent instinctual. Born from the sole desire to protect his woman. Just the thought of Wentworth or any of the rest of those losers locked up in the jail even looking at her made him a little crazy.

  If Jenna could read his thoughts, she’d probably go feminist bat-shit bonkers on him. And he wouldn’t blame her one bit.

  The last few days had shown him what life with Jenna would be like. She was stubborn, competitive, driven. He was all those things, too. It’s what had initially attracted him to her all those years ago. But she also had a soft side that complemented his harder edge. She was kind, funny, protective, and she wasn’t afraid to give him crap when he deserved it. In other words, she was perfect for him.

  She had to know just how much he was into her. He’d shaken her hand and agreed to be friends. But he and Jenna could never just be friends. Or even just friends with benefits. There was too much of everything between them.

  A long time ago, he’d chalked up their failed relationship to bad timing.

  Thirteen years later, the timing was still bad.

  But he wanted her. And this time he had the money and resources to make it happen. So what if they lived eight hours apart? He’d buy a private plane and have his own personal pilot on standby. They could spend every weekend together. If they wanted to, they could make it work. And he wanted to.

  * * *

  Jenna had never been inside a correctional facility before. She’d put on a good show for Ben, trying to act cool about the whole thing, but the truth was she’d gotten out of the car with the sour sensation that she’d eaten too many strawberry Twizzlers. Luckily this place was nothing like she’d seen on Law and Order reruns. The man sitting across from her at the table didn’t have any scary neck tattoos or a grill in his teeth. Just the opposite. Doug Wentworth was a mildly attractive thirty-something accountant in an orange jumpsuit.

  “Thank you for seeing me,” she said.

  “I have to admit to being curious about the woman who took my place.” He smiled like he was embarrassed. “I feel like I owe you an apology. Normally before leaving a job, I’d make sure everything was in complete order. Unfortunately, I didn’t have that luxury. I hope someone at least had the decency to clear out my desk for you.”

  She hesitated, not sure if she should go with what she’d planned. He seemed so normal. Nothing like the sleazy thief she’d been expecting. But that could easily be an act. He’d stolen the festival money to make Mimi look bad because he was in cahoots with the former mayor. Plus, there was all that business at his old job. According to Pilar, there was no evidence of his embezzling, but there was more than enough suspicion to make the city of Old Explorer’s Bay give him the boot.

  In her experience, where there was smoke, there was fire. She’d never played the ditzy redhead before, but she’d do it if it meant getting to the truth.

  “Oh! Everything was left perfectly fine. I came here because I read your deposition and I was curious about a few things.”

  “If there’s anything I can clear up, then by all means, just ask.”

  Jenna tried for a sweet smile. “First, I have to say just how much I admire you for owning up to your mistakes. Your confession was very inspiring.”

  “Inspiring?”

  She nodded. “When I heard that it was Jesus who showed you the way, well, I’m just very sorry that you’re in this awful place. I hope they’re treating you all right.”

  “I can’t complain,” he said, smiling to reveal a row of perfect white teeth. They had to be caps because no one’s teeth were that perfect.

  “So old Earl really wanted to change his will back in Nora’s favor?” she asked.

  “I’m afraid so. I tried to talk him out of it, and I suppose I succeeded since he never got around to changing the will, and I do feel quite guilty about that. A father should be allowed to let his child know how much he cared for them.”

  “I’m not sure if you’re aware of this, but Nora has offered to drop her suit against the city if we compromise and split her daddy’s land. The city council is voting on it at the end of the week. And, as of now, I’m not sure which way I’m going to vote.” It wasn’t exactly a lie. She was ninety-nine point nine percent certain she was voting no, so that still left the point one in question.

  “Ah. It’s quite the dilemma you have there.”

  “Yes, quite. I have to admit, I’d be more likely to vote in favor of Nora’s offer if it wasn’t for my personal dislike of the attorney representing her.” She blinked, then widened her
eyes. “Oh! That’s not very professional of me. Please, forget I said that.”

  “No, I’ve met Ben Harrison. I know exactly what you mean.”

  She feigned relief. “So it’s not just me?”

  “The man’s an arrogant ass. Pardon my French.”

  “Agreed!” She giggled, then tried for a somber look. “I realize I don’t know you at all, but it’s clear from reading your deposition that you’re someone who cares deeply for this city. I was hoping…that is, if you were still the city manager, how would you vote?”

  He frowned, like he was mulling it over. “As much as I dislike Harrison, I’d have to set aside my opinion of him and do what was right. I’m afraid there really is no choice. For all the obvious reasons, I’d have to vote yes.”

  She nodded eagerly. “I’m so glad to hear you say that! It’s exactly what I was thinking.”

  He smiled. “It’s really too bad that we had to meet like this. But please, feel free to come back anytime you need my advice. On anything.” He lowered his voice. “I don’t have any guarantees, but my lawyer said that with my excellent record coupled with my confession, he’d be surprised if I have to do any more time.”

  “Really?”

  “I’ve been here three months. Most people would say that I’ve already paid my debt to society.”

  Thank God she wasn’t most people.

  “I’ll pray that the judge handling your case is a Christian.”

  He looked blank for a moment, then smiled. “Thank you, Jenna.”

  Yuck. She wanted to run to the nearest bathroom and wash her mouth out with soap. Time to find out what she’d come here for.

  “So, Doug, I have to say, I was a little surprised when I ran all the financials. Is the city really in such desperate shape? Or did I put the decimal in the wrong place?” she added with a self-deprecating smile.

  “I’m afraid there’s no mistake. My predecessor didn’t know the meaning of the word restraint. Plus, you had to notice that the new rec center went way over budget.”

  “Yeah.” She shook her head sadly. “Right now there’s a firm out of Chicago doing a forensics audit on all the city’s financials. Now that I’ve met you, I realize that’s a dead end. But I had to do something to appease the city council. They’re absolutely convinced that the numbers aren’t right.”