Reluctantly in Love

by Niecey Roy

  When I was able to breathe again, I straightened and dabbed the tears from my eyes. The napkin was stained with mascara and eye liner. Chase looked as if he wasn’t sure whether to rub my back or leave me there until I pulled myself together.

  “That wasn’t very nice.” I dug out a powder compact from my purse.

  “So I guess you getting all choked up means you haven’t been serial kissing strangers?”

  It was hard to hold back the smile. He got a glimpse of it before I turned to gaze into the compact mirror.

  “I’ll have you know, I only kissed you because I worried I might die.” And because you are hot. My eyes were a mess. I ran the napkin below my eyelids. “No one should die without a last kiss.”

  Makeup fixed, I turned around.

  He gave a serious nod—only the crinkles at the corners of his eyes were proof of his amusement. “I agree.”

  During my choking session, I had thrust out my champagne flute for him to take. He handed it back to me.

  “Thank you.”

  “For making you choke?”

  I smiled. “No. For not telling Matt about . . . you know. The kiss.”

  “Ah, the kiss,” he said with raised brows. He rocked back on his heels. “We don’t really talk about those things.”

  I quirked my brows. “Really? Guys don’t talk about those kinds of things? I thought sharing sexual exploits was key to a bro-mance.”

  He laughed. “We passed that stage in our friendship a couple of years ago, so you got lucky.”

  I couldn’t tell if he was kidding or not. The wicked glint in his eyes told me maybe.

  “Well, I’m glad you didn’t say anything. He would have told Gen, who would have gotten all sorts of ideas about double dates and matching T-shirts for a couples’ vacation.”

  Chase’s eyes softened and he reached out to brush the hair off my forehead. “I have to admit, Roxanna Leigh Moss, I haven’t stopped thinking about you since that kiss.” The tip of his finger grazed the skin above the healing stitches. The tingles made a slow patter up my spine.

  “You haven’t?” It was the cleverest thing that came to mind—he had this effect on me.

  “Even if you like to taser people for fun, which sounds painful and dangerous. I admit, Bruiser, I’m terrified to be in the same room with you, given our history.”

  I laughed, the smile on my face so wide, my cheeks would ache if I kept this up. I elbowed him in the side. He let out an oomph and made a show of rubbing his ribs through his suit jacket.

  “Jeez, see what I mean?” he said.

  “Jerk,” I said, and turned in my heels to round the display wall. I needed to get a grip. Whatever this was between us, the attraction was hard to deny, and even harder to control. I wanted these feelings. My body thrived on the electricity of being near him. It made me nervous . . . but not so nervous that I wanted to put an end to it.

  I pretended interest in a portrait of a street musician. The painting was wonderful, but the image wasn’t connecting, not with Chase’s presence so heavy behind me. I turned to him—it was as if some kind of magnet pulled me in.

  “I was thinking, since you’ve already thrown yourself at me—” I opened my mouth to object, but he placed his finger on my lips to shush me. The contact made me suck in a breath, and shivers rolled down my back. “We should at least go for coffee. Maybe enjoy a pastry, while I dodge your attempts on my life—”

  “Nice,” I said against his finger.

  “And then we can tell Gen and Matt there’s no chemistry between us at all.” He dropped his hand and I missed his finger against my lips. “And then you and I can hang out without the pressure.”

  “No chemistry at all,” I repeated. Saying so would be a lie. A big fat lie. He stood so near, my body thrummed with his energy. “Right. Your plan is genius.”

  It was an excuse to see him again. For some reason, I felt like I needed an excuse.

  He flicked an imaginary speck of dust off his shoulder. “I know. I amaze myself.”

  I rolled my eyes, pressing my lips together wasn’t enough to stifle the grin.

  “All right, smarty pants.” I stepped back just enough so I could offer my hand between us. He raised his brows, but closed his hand around mine. I fought the urge to shiver at the contact. “It’s a deal.”

  “Good, because you promised me a rain check.” His hand still clutched mine in a gentle grip.

  “I didn’t forget.” How could I? It’s all I’d been thinking about—he was all I’d been thinking about.

  “That’s it,” he said with a nod. “And if it makes you feel better, we can pretend you didn’t jump me in my examination room. You know, in case you’re embarrassed that you’re unable to control yourself around me.”

  I smacked him lightly over the pocket of his jacket, and he laughed. He was solid steel underneath his clothes. I took my hand back, because it was dangerously close to feeling him up.

  He had no idea how right he was. Or maybe he does . . .

  “It would be easier to forget if you didn’t bring it up so much,” I scolded him.

  “It’s not something I’ll likely forget any time soon.”

  The sudden heat in his gaze made my chest thrum with anticipation. I was thinking of kisses. Hot, sexy, intense kisses. Because I’d already had a taste of Chase, they were easy to imagine.

  I yanked my gaze from his mouth and focused my attention on the painting. This one was another of Gen’s. The vivid colors swirled together in an Impressionistic style to create a scene straight out of a dream—a fairy tale garden where a cursed frog might hide in waiting for his princess, maybe.

  “She’s very talented,” Chase said.

  “She really is.” The painting was breathtaking. “There are so many paintings here I’d love to have on my walls, but she’d never let me buy one.”

  “Why is that?” he asked.

  “If she knows I want one, she’ll insist I take it. And she’d throw a fit about me paying for it.”

  “That does sound like Gen.” He chuckled and shoved his hands into his pants pockets, parting the front of his jacket. The shirt underneath was exposed, pulled taut over his chest. “But she’ll have to get over wanting to give them away, now that she’s opened the gallery.”

  “I think Matt will keep her in line. He’s single-handedly turned Gen into a money saving machine. Man’s got mad skills—that girl couldn’t save a penny before.”

  “Gen?” Chase chuckled. “Then she has changed. Any time I’ve been out with them she’s strict on staying under budget with dinner and drinks.”

  I smiled, remembering back to a time when she’d scrounged up change to buy her art supplies. “He’s good for her. Perfect, really. But if he hurts her feelers—”

  “Her feelers?” He chuckled.

  “Yes, her feelers. If he hurts them, I’ll strangle him.”

  Chase raised his hands with a laugh. “Hey, now.”

  I returned his smile. “I clued Matt in on Day One, but I figured sending the same message through his best friend is just being thorough.”

  “I’ll pass the message on.” The corners of his lips flirted with a smile.

  “Don’t leave out the strangulation,” I teased.

  “For you, I suppose I can threaten his life.”

  I batted my eyelashes. “You’re so charming.”

  I turned and gestured at another of Gen’s paintings displayed on the other side of us. “You know, I’ve been trying to talk Gen into displaying her art in a gallery for years. She always said it wasn’t time. Until Matt. He changed something in her.”

  “Love will do that to you.”

  “I guess.” I shrugged with indifference. “I wouldn’t know.”

  “You’ve never been in love before?” He cocked his head a little as he studied me.

  “Not really. It’s not that important.”

  “Love isn’t important?” He seemed intrigued by my comment.

  “Of course
it’s important—for some people.” I lifted my champagne glass in emphasis and glanced to where Matt and Gen stood together. “I’m just not hung up on it.”

  “Love, ew.” He crinkled up his nose. “Boys have cooties.”

  I rolled my eyes with a laugh. “Some do, yes.”

  “I promise I don’t have cooties.” His fingers brushed against mine as he gently tugged the champagne flute from my hand. He exchanged it for a full flute from a passing server’s tray.

  He was a big boy. He definitely didn’t have cooties. What he had was a pair of the most gorgeous lips, and that coy smile of his taunted me. It was as if he knew exactly what I was thinking, and how much I wanted to take his kisses for another test drive.

  While he handed me the champagne flute, I licked my lips, plotting how to get him alone.

  “Hey, you made it.”

  We looked up to Matt approaching. He’d left Gen with Lexie; they stood beside a beautiful hand-blown vase in a kaleidoscope of colors.

  “Wouldn’t dream of missing Gen’s big day.” Chase smiled at me, his gaze lingering. “I’m glad I came.”

  “I think I’ll go snag Gen for a few minutes and congratulate her,” I said, taking a step backward. Chase’s smile softened as our gazes connected again. “It was nice to see you, Chase.”

  I turned to leave. Do not look back. Such a simple thing—but it was harder than it should have been. I felt his eyes on me, and the attention made me warm all over.

  Holy wow! Whatever was going on between Chase and me, we didn’t lack chemistry. It’s all over the freakin’ place.

  Gen waved me over to them and I did my best to push Chase out of my mind for the evening. I was here for my best friend’s gallery opening, not to ogle some sexy-as-sin doctor.

  I was soaking wet and shivering, my dress plastered to my skin from my earlier dash across the parking lot by the time I arrived home. The rain pelted my car roof as I turned into my driveway, but it wasn’t loud enough to drown out the thunder crashing above. I threw the car door open and ran through the downpour to the front porch.

  I jiggled the key in the front door, mumbling, “I need a new lock on this damn thing.”

  “You left without saying goodbye.”

  Startled, I jumped. My keys fell to the ground. I spun around, my heart in my throat.

  “What the hell, Chase?” Before I could stop myself, I whacked him in the chest. Hard. “You scared the hell out of me!”

  “I’m sorry.” He let out a soft chuckle. Rain dribbled from his temple. He wiped it away then ran his hand through his hair. “I would have called first, but you left your phone and purse at the gallery.” He held up the hand clutching my purse. “Gen asked me to bring them to you.”

  “You’re lucky I didn’t have my purse on me. I might have pepper-sprayed you.”

  “Thank God you didn’t have it, then.” His smile was breathtaking.

  “But thank you.” I swooped to pick up my keys in the dim glow of the porch light. “It was nice of you to come in this weather.”

  As if on cue, thunder boomed, sounding too close.

  “I think we should skip the coffee and do dinner instead.” He stepped closer, and I gravitated toward him.

  “Dinner. Yes.” Dinner sounded much better. Dinner would mean a goodnight kiss. I wanted that kiss!

  “You do eat, don’t you, Roxanna?”

  My name rolled off his tongue like honey.

  What was it about Chase that got to me like this? I wanted to know—needed to know. Maybe it was purely sexual attraction. That has to be it.

  “I happen to love eating,” I said in one breath, my eyes riveted on his.

  “Good, because I would love feeding you.” His diabolical grin made my knees weak.

  An image of him feeding me something sexy, like chocolate strawberries, made me breathless. I licked my lips.

  He was so close, I thought he would kiss me. But he didn’t. He reached for my hand and took my keys with a gentle tug.

  I stepped aside so he could open the door.

  Taking a step backward would have been appropriate, but I didn’t. I stayed right where I was, so close that the scent of him surrounded me. The rain had slowed to a sprinkle and the wind chimes pinged in the breeze.

  “There’s something about you...” He brushed his fingers through my hair and his thumb caressed my cheek. His body heat was like a warm blanket, his mouth so close, but so far. If I rose to my tiptoes, our lips would meet. The memory of our last kiss had me shivering with anticipation.

  “Oh?” I said on a breath.

  “Yes.” He closed the distance between us. “I’ll call you.”

  Then he pressed his lips against mine in a warm, soft kiss. His tongue flicked against the tip of mine for a moment—too soon the kiss was over. I’d forgotten to breathe. The kiss was more sensual than any I’d ever had before.

  “See you soon.” He brushed his thumb against my cheek once more.

  See you soon? No way in hell was I waiting for a soon.

  I reached for his hand and tugged him back to me. He turned, surprised, but the moment his cobalt orbs connected with mine, his gaze turned intensely hot. Chase’s lips crushed over mine, and my fingers twined into his hair, soft and wet. He gripped my butt in both hands, lifting me. My lips parted in a gasp and his tongue slipped inside. His erection rubbed against the center of my thighs where the flesh pulsated. I moaned and dropped my head back while he kissed my collar bone, then the sensitive flesh below my ear.

  One of his hands slipped the skirt of my dress up and my thighs were bared to the humid night breeze. The moment his hand slipped under my panties to cup my butt, my breath stuttered and halted. My heart hammered in my chest as he leaned me back against the front door. One of his hands balanced me, and the other shifted, the pad of his thumb sliding against my lower belly, against the crease of my inner thigh, until it slid against the slick flesh between my legs.

  I melted away.

  I expelled a breath of hot anticipation, of mind-blowing pleasure while he rubbed circles against the throbbing nub. My eyes fell shut and I moaned, letting him know that the last thing I wanted him to do was stop. His mouth took mine in a deep, sensual kiss that made my toes curl, and as suddenly as the white hot pleasure pooled between my legs, it exploded, wracking my body with undulating waves of intense heat that left me breathless and weak in his arms.

  He kissed my neck and I wrapped my arms loosely around his neck. Only his hands held me up, because my legs were jelly. Still, even as I clung to him, I felt unsatisfied. I wanted more. I wanted all of him.

  Before I could say anything, he gently set me on the ground. I opened my eyes, looking up at him with unspoken question. He placed a soft kiss to my lips and my hands slid down the front of his jacket to press against his chest.

  “I can’t wait until next time.” His voice was gruff, and I knew he was as turned on as I was. “Think of me.”

  He was down the steps and around the corner before my tongue untied.

  Inside, I shut the front door and leaned against the carved wood panel. I could barely hear my thoughts between my thrumming heart and the rain falling on the house.

  “What the hell was that?” I whispered in the silence.

  And you just let him walk away.

  I showered, and imagined the warm water streaming down my body was Chase’s fingers, his hands exploring every inch of me. While I toweled off, my skin tingled with the memory of his lips on my neck while I panted in his arms. My pulse raced so fast, I took deep breaths to calm it. My body was on fire again already.

  I wouldn’t have been able to sleep if I tried. Instead, I sat in bed with my laptop, writing into the wee hours of the morning. I was at the mercy of my muse and the emotions coursing through me.

  Chapter Seventeen

  In the week that followed, I threw myself into writing and work. I’m an impatient person, and waiting for Leo’s forensics expert to fit my shoeprint into his sched
ule was agonizing.

  I followed up on Matthew Garrett as a suspect, though the possibility of his involvement in this catnapping seemed slim. I was torn regarding his motivation. The idea of him taking fifty years to act on his dislike for his stepmother seemed ludicrous. But with a short list of subjects I couldn’t rule him out, and so I followed him around town, waiting for him to do something incriminating.

  I still kept a close eye on Meredith Jensen, too. I had Linda on the task of ascertaining the woman’s shoe size so I could make a comparison once the forensics were in on the shoe print. Even though she for some reason decided to make an enemy of Beverly, I couldn’t picture her stealing the woman’s cat. But I didn’t know her, and I couldn’t be certain what she was capable of. I’d read about a doting grandmother who poisoned her grandkids’ rabbits because she thought they were dirty animals to have in the house. I mean, people were nothing if not unpredictable. Maybe she really, really liked Peter Wood and the idea of losing him to Beverly had driven her to madness.

  I was nowhere closer to finding Pretzels, and my frustration made me twitchy. There’d been accepting sadness in Beverly’s eyes the last time I saw her. As if she knew she’d never see Pretzels again. I had to solve this case.

  I’d been leaving messages for Matthew Garrett for two days now, but he hadn’t returned my calls. Well, he hadn’t returned Cammie Ritter’s phone calls. Sometimes going undercover was necessary—people were apt to disclose more when they didn’t realize they were a suspect.

  Cammie Ritter didn’t actually exist. Cammie was a fabricated reporter for the college newspaper, writing a fabricated article on the heart-wrenching story of an old woman offering a huge reward for her missing cat. I’d planned to have Cammie charm Matthew with compliments, feigned admiration, and eyelash batting in hopes of finagling incriminating information out of him.

  Maybe he’d been busy. Maybe he had something to hide. Or maybe it was as simple as he really didn’t care that someone had stolen his stepmom’s cat. Whatever his reasons were for not returning Cammie Ritter the Journalist’s phone calls, I planned to find out.