Shattered Heart (Z series)

by Jerri Drennen

  “I know, JT. I’ll do what you need me to. You can trust that I’ll stay at least six feet away from the widow Delaney. Clearly you’ve already taken claim to her.”

  “What the hell are you talking about?”

  “I’m not stupid. There’s a possessiveness in your eyes. I’ll keep her safe and look for this lockbox.”

  “You’re wrong. I just don’t want to see her get hurt. She’s still broken up about losing Shaun. Still wears her wedding ring. A guy would be a fool to get involved with a woman that much in love with her dead husband.” Was JT saying this for Zack’s benefit, or for his? He really wasn’t sure. An even better reason to steer clear of Charlotte.

  “All right, JT. Can you point me in this widow’s direction?” Zack’s question drew JT back to him.

  “I’ll take you over. I don’t want your rental sitting in front of her house. This is a small town—with small town mentality. We don’t want Charlotte’s neighbors talking.”

  “Okay. Whatever you say, boss.” Zack gave him a wry smile.

  Damn it all to hell. His friend could read him like a directional manual. Zack knew he cared about Charlotte, just by his concern for her reputation, and there wasn’t anything JT could do about that.

  CHAPTER SEVEN

  Charlotte stretched her arms above her head and yawned. In the air she caught a whiff of fresh-brewed coffee and rushed to get out of bed, reaching for the robe lying on the edge of the mattress. She wrapped the soft, pink terrycloth around her and padded down the hall to the kitchen.

  Zack stood leaning against the counter, a steaming mug in his hand. He smiled when she walked into the room.

  “I hope you don’t mind that I made myself at home.”

  “Not at all.” She grabbed a cup from the stand and filled it to the brim.

  “How’d you sleep?” She took a sip of her coffee.

  “Like a baby.” He smiled again, revealing straight, incredibly white teeth.

  “So, how long have you and JT known each other?” She studied the man before her, since she didn’t get a chance the night before. He was tall, lean and nicely built—every bit as handsome as JT, just in a lighter way. He had a head of blonde, sun-streaked hair that had been cropped short, his bangs coming down at a slight angle in the front. His eyes were his best asset—a striking green that held a spark of something mischievous. Instinctively, she could tell he had a sense of humor by that alone—so unlike JT, who seemed much more reserved.

  “We’ve been roomies for a couple of years now.”

  Zack’s answer pulled her from her inspection.

  Charlotte nodded.

  “How long has your agency been aware of Terran’s activities?” Why hadn’t she even thought to ask JT this question? Because... she couldn’t think clearly around him. He distracted her beyond reason.

  “Homeland security contacted us when they were unable to find anything in the shipments Terran received. JT had three months to prepare for the job he acquired.”

  “So, I take it, you weren’t sure what my husband even had on William, let alone that he was trying to woo the man’s widow?”

  Zack shook his head. “We had no idea what he was up to. JT came in to the Terran Corporation, hoping to see for himself what your husband might have found. But now, Terran clearly knows there is evidence to his crimes floating around somewhere and he wants to find it before anyone else does.”

  Charlotte sighed. To think that Shaun was keeping all this to himself for months made her love him even more. Just to make sure she’d stay safe. How hard that must have been for him, since the two had always shared everything.

  She’d bet the bank JT didn’t share anything with anyone, besides maybe the men he worked with.

  “How do you guys have any kind of home life with the type of job you do?”

  Zack laughed. “Most of us are single or divorced.”

  Charlotte swallowed hard. Did JT have an ex-wife? “Have you ever been married?” She hoped by asking Zack the question, JT’s marital status would come up.

  He shook his head. “Not even close. My other roommate just got married. They have a baby on the way.”

  “Really?”

  “They had a past together. Always-loved-each-other-type of thing.”

  “How about JT? Does he have an ex-wife somewhere?”

  Zack snorted. “Nope. I don’t ever see JT marrying. His childhood was awful. His mother wasn’t nurturing at all. Brought the wrong type of guys into his life. I’m not even sure she knew who JT’s father was. At least that’s what he alluded to, but I probably shouldn’t have told you that.”

  “I won’t say a word,” Charlotte assured him.

  “Most of the guys who end up in jobs like ours didn’t have a great life before entering the service. A lot were forced to enlist to stay out of trouble. I came from a line of servicemen. My father is retired military. His father before him. It just seemed natural to follow in their footsteps.”

  A knock on the back door had Charlotte’s heartbeat skittering.

  She walked over and looked out the window. JT.

  In a hurry, she unlocked the door, then opened it to him.

  “Morning.” He rushed past her to get inside.

  She closed the door. To keep her shaking hands busy, she readjusted her robe at the neckline.

  “Do you think it’s wise to come by?” She glanced at Zack, whose full attention was on JT.

  “William and half his crew left town early this morning. Had some kind of business in Portland, or so he said.”

  Charlotte nodded. “I knew he was going out of town.”

  “How did you know that?” JT asked.

  “He told me when he came by late yesterday afternoon.”

  His eyes widened. “What? Why didn’t you tell me?”

  She shrugged. “You were in a hurry last night when you dropped off Zack. I really didn’t have time.”

  He stared hard at her. “You didn’t think this would be something I’d want to know since the man looked as if he was about to explode the last time you two were together? You didn’t let him in the house, did you?”

  Charlotte’s anger ignited. It wasn’t like she’d invited him.“He barged inside. What did you want me to do? Tell him I know what he did and that he’s not allowed near me ever again?”

  JT narrowed his eyes. “What did he want, besides to tell you he was leaving town?”

  “He wanted to apologize for how he acted the other day and to offer me another deal.”

  “What kind of deal?”

  “A business partnership.”

  His jaw slacked. “What? Why? I don’t get it.”

  “I didn’t either, unless he wants access to the cafe. But a man like him could hire someone to break in to the place. Why bother shelling out thirty-thousand dollars to get a key?”

  JT turned to Zack. “What do you think?”

  He shrugged. “Hell if I know.”

  “Put yourself into Terran’s shoes. A break-in might draw attention he may not want. Let’s assume he needs to get inside the building. That would mean what your husband had was probably something small. Say, compact enough to fit in a lockbox. Did Shaun have a key to the restaurant?”

  “Of course.”

  “So he could have hidden something there without your knowledge?”

  She nodded. “I don’t know where.”

  “I think we need to get into the cafe and look around before you open for the day. Zack can stay here and search the house.”

  Zack nodded.

  The last thing Charlotte needed was to spend the early morning hours with JT, but she could hardly refuse. She wanted to get William as badly as he did. Saying no would be stupid and self-defeating.

  “I’ll go get ready.” She turned to leave.

  Charlotte would do what needed to be done, then she’d be free of William and JT, since the only thing keeping him here was that evidence. Once JT had what he came for, he’d be gone and she could go
back to the life she’d had before he showed up to disrupt it.

  * * *

  JT took the cup of coffee Zack offered and took a seat at the kitchen table. His friend smiled that smile that always irritated him. JT didn’t want to think it could have anything to do with Charlotte.

  “So...how was your night?” Zack plopped down into the chair across from him, his lanky legs stretched out in front of him, crossed at the ankles.

  JT studied his friend. “What are you trying to get at?”

  “What do you mean?” His friend smirked. “I’m not trying to get at anything.”

  “Bullshit, Zack. What do you want to know?”

  “I don’t need to know anything. You’re the one who seems to be struggling with something.”

  “Really? And what is that?”

  Zack burst out laughing. “You have no idea, do you?”

  “Idea about what?” JT shoved his cup aside and stood. “Get to the point. What do you see so fucking clearly that I don’t?”

  “That you have feelings for the widow Delaney.”

  “I do not.”

  “Yeah, okay. That’s what Lynch kept saying right up until the time came to say goodbye to Casey. That’s when he realized he couldn’t live any longer without her.”

  “You forget that Lynch always loved Casey. I just met Charlotte. I barely know her.”

  Zack rolled his eyes. “But the two of you have slept together.”

  “How the—”

  His friend raised a hand. “Don’t even attempt to deny it. You’d have to be blind not to see there is something going on between you two.”

  “Okay, so what? It was just sex, and she instigated it. The woman has been pinning away for her dead husband for almost two years. I guess I just happened to be handy. Right after, she went all cold and ran off. Ever since, she treats me like my mother did all the guys she discarded. Hell if I want anything to do with that.”

  “Maybe she didn’t know how to handle what happened, JT. Not every woman is like your mother. You just said, Charlotte was pining away for her dead husband. Does that in any way sound like the woman who gave birth to you?”

  JT shook his head. “I don’t want to talk about this. We need to find that evidence so I can get out of this place. It’s starting to depress me. Half the time it’s raining. The other half its gray and looks like it’s going to.”

  “So you’re saying that you wouldn’t ever want to live here, even if the lady in the other room asked you to?”

  JT hated the smug look on his friend’s face, like he knew JT better than he knew himself. Zack was wrong about everything. He didn’t give a flying flip what happened to Charlotte Delaney. As soon as they brought Terran to justice, JT would be gone. He didn’t need his friend telling him that he felt something he didn’t.

  CHAPTER EIGHT

  Charlotte’s gaze focused on JT’s behind as he leaned over to look through the shelving unit in the cafe’s pantry. The man had to have the best looking ass she’d ever seen in her life.

  With a resounding thump, she pounded away at the biscuit dough she was working, and dug her fingers in, wishing it was something else. This man was too much of a distraction for her to fully focus on anything.

  She glanced up at the clock. At least an hour to go before she could get rid of him. So she could be at peace for the work day.

  “Are you kneading that dough or killing it?” JT asked at her side, his attention on her hands squeezing the life out of the stuff.

  How had he gotten so close without her noticing?

  She released the mound and wiped her hands on the towel tucked into her apron.

  “I ah—”

  He placed his finger to her lips to shush her. “I know you don’t want me around, especially after we...well, you know. I’m sorry what happened upset you so much. I wish the experience would have been better for you.”

  Charlotte’s gaze snapped to his. How could he think what transpired between them had been unfulfilling? As if. The event was mind-blowing. That was the problem.

  “JT it wasn’t you or...” She blew out a breath. “The sex was fantastic. But— I guess I felt like I betrayed my husband. Can you understand that?”

  His eyes darkened, and he reached for her wrist, pulling her close. “I do, Charlotte. But Shaun’s been gone for almost two years. You know he wouldn’t expect you to be alone for the rest of your life. Would he?”

  She looked away, swallowing a huge lump of emotion in her throat. JT was right. Shaun wouldn’t want her to be without someone to love—to not share her life with a man who loved her.

  But JT wasn’t that guy. He’d be gone as soon as Terran was arrested. How could she allow herself to care for him when she knew that?

  His fingers clamped onto her chin and forced her to look at him. Charlotte tried to resist but found herself drawn to the man’s luscious lips, which she knew could work such magic on her.

  He inched closer, his thumb rubbing circles on the inside of her wrist, causing a ripple of excitement to shoot up her arm.

  JT’s head came down and his lips molded over hers in a heated kiss that left her defenseless, unable to move. Then, he deepened their union, his tongue dipping into her mouth, taking her breath. No kiss had ever felt like this, so overwhelmingly sensual.

  She crushed her body to his, the feel of the hard planes of his chest driving her crazy with desire.

  He turned them slightly, then backed her into the pantry to the wall not covered in shelves.

  With impatient hands, she worked his tee up, the heated, taut skin beneath exciting her beyond reason.

  His hands cupped her ass, and he ground against her, his guttural groan causing her to gasp.

  His lips left hers just long enough to remove both of their shirts, then returned, crushing her mouth, his tongue again working its way inside, tangling with hers.

  She trailed a hand down his washboard abs, to the waistband of his jeans and released the button, slowly unzipping the zipper.

  Charlotte wanted nothing more than to thoroughly explore him.

  She rubbed her hand up and down the shaft of his cock, reveling in how he bucked and grew in her grasp.

  His mouth slid away. “Jesus, Charlotte. Could we possibly get naked this time and do this on the floor?”

  She needed no encouragement. Charlotte stripped off her remaining clothes, her gaze staying focused on him, amazed at the perfection of his body.

  He smiled, then went down on his knees and placed his hands out to her. She took them in hers, then allowed him to draw her down, his hands connecting to the small of her back, drawing her close.

  As he brought them to the floor, her lips crushed his in a searing kiss. He then rolled her to his side, his hard cock pressed into her thigh, igniting a fire only he could extinguish.

  He skimmed his hand down her belly to the tangle of hair between her legs and worked a finger inside her, his thumb playing with her clit, causing a spasming inside her. Charlotte moaned against his mouth, the pleasure he evoked making it impossible to focus on anything.

  He flipped them again, his back to the floor, with her now straddling him. While his fingers still teased her, he reached for his pants, yanked out his wallet and extracted a foil packet inside. A condom. He tore it open and slid it down over his cock. “Come here,” he said, moving her to take him inside, the penetration literally sucking her breath.

  He allowed her to direct motion and speed, starting slow and easy, each movement more acute, building tension. His hands cupped under her breasts, his fingers twisting her nipples, increasing the pressure.

  Charlotte rocked on top of him, her breathing becoming erratic, her womb coiling tight until the dam let go with a force that left her completely drained.

  She dropped onto him as he tightened his hold on her ass and thrust upward, grunting with his own release.

  The two lay in each other’s arms for what seemed like forever. Charlotte refused to move, intently listening
to the thrumming of his heart against her ear. The last time they were together, she ran away. This time she planned to stay and revel in the aftermath.

  Sex had never been so fulfilling, and she wanted to enjoy the experience this time.

  His arms tightened around her, and he squeezed.

  She glanced up into his face and was surprised at his look of total contentment.

  Charlotte sighed. She loved that she saw that in JT. Especially since the man always seemed guarded.

  “When does Cara usually show up?” he asked in a husky voice that sent shivers down her spine.

  “Usually around six-thirty. What time is it?”

  He glanced at his watch. “It’s almost six.”

  Charlotte reached for her pants, but he grasped her wrist before she could.

  “I don’t want Cara to catch us like this.”

  “I’ll let you go if you promise me something.”

  She studied his face, almost afraid to ask what that was. “What?”

  “Not to feel bad about what just happened.”

  Charlotte blew out a breath. “I’ll try. Now, can I get dressed?”

  He stared at her for a moment, then nodded and released her wrist.

  She quickly threw on her clothes, then left the pantry. Watching him put on his clothes would only distract her again and she had to get biscuits in the oven for that morning’s special.

  JT drew in a breath, then released it. He needed to get out of the cafe before Cara showed up. He was disappointed that he hadn’t found the lockbox, but being in Charlotte’s arms had made his trip all worth it. He half expected her to abruptly leave like last time, but to have her rest her head on his chest made him care about her even more. Too bad that once this job was done, he’d be leaving her behind. Z was a career that left little time to have a life, let alone be conducive for a long distance relationship. They’d never see each other since they lived on opposite coasts. She had a life here in Oregon and his was in Virginia.