One-Click Buy: June 2009 Harlequin Blaze

by Tori Carrington

  So far, so good. She took another breath and started toward the dresser on the other side of Jordan’s bed. She raised her arms again, but by the time she was halfway there, she no longer felt the need to use them for balance. Thank heavens the learning curve for navigating around in the shoes was going to be short.

  On the surface of Jordan’s dresser lay a silver-plated brush and comb, a small box of hairpins and a jewelry box. Raising her eyes, Maddie regarded her image in the mirror and frowned. The hair was definitely wrong for the outfit.

  In her mind’s eye she pictured Jordan’s sophisticated, layered cut. Much better. There had to be something she could do. Quickly, she unraveled the braid and ran her fingers through it. Then using the hairbrush, she pulled it smoothly back from her face into a ponytail. Finally, she twisted the ponytail into a bun and secured it to the back of her head with pins.

  Better. But were the earrings okay? With a critical eye, she studied the tiny silver horseshoes that dangled from each of her ears. The sky-blue of the turquoise was fine in terms of color. But her hand was already reaching to open Jordan’s jewelry box. What she saw inside took her breath away.

  Of course, she’d seen Eva’s jewelry in magazines and on the store’s Web site, but nothing had captured the delicacy of the designs. In comparison, her horseshoes looked almost gaudy. She was reaching for a froth of lacy gold in a teardrop shape when she suddenly became aware that she wasn’t alone in the room.

  Turning, she saw Jase standing in the open doorway. How long had he been watching her? The way he was looking at her, the heat in his eyes, had her throat going desert-dry. Quickly she dropped her gaze from his. Not that it helped. He’d changed into a dark blue T-shirt and blazer which only emphasized his broad shoulders. And he wore jeans that fit snugly at the hips and hugged his legs like a second skin.

  And, in spite of everything she’d said to him, she wanted him again. For a moment, as the silence stretched between them, she became very aware of the fact that they were separated only by Jordan’s bed. If she moved toward it, would he? A wave of longing struck her, so intense that for a second, she nearly lost her balance.

  It wasn’t the shoes this time.

  It was the man.

  And she could have him right now. She could tell by the expression in his eyes. An image filled her mind of the two of them on the bed, naked, their limbs entwined, their bodies moving as one.

  No! Maddie fisted her hands at her sides. She had to get a grip on the way he was affecting her. Everything she’d said to him was true. She didn’t have time to indulge in…this…this…craziness. She had to learn to walk around in Jordan’s shoes. Literally as well as figuratively. She had to get to Eva Ware Designs.

  Dragging her eyes back to his face, she forced her mind back to the problem that had consumed her before Jase had entered the room—what she was wearing. She raised her hands and dropped them. “What do you think?”

  FOR A MOMENT Jase didn’t respond. How could he when he simply wasn’t thinking at all? His thoughts had scattered the moment he’d caught sight of her on the other side of the bed. He’d stopped in the doorway because he hadn’t trusted himself to go farther into the room.

  Or perhaps it was because desire had struck him with the force of a Mack truck. When she’d loosened her braid and run her fingers through it, he’d nearly lost it. He’d grabbed the doorjamb with one hand and held on tight as his mind emptied and filled with sensations—of how that long, loose hair would feel between his fingers, on his skin.

  He didn’t even know how long he’d been standing there staring at her. Long enough for him to weave a nice little fantasy about getting her out of that suit and touching her. Really touching her. He’d pictured them on that bed—this time in the daylight when they were both awake. And he knew exactly how that skin would feel—soft as rainwater, smooth as the petal of an exotic flower one might come across in the steamy jungle he’d just left.

  “Well?”

  Jase gathered enough of himself to note that her hands had fisted on her hips and one foot was tapping. And still he couldn’t get a word out. For the first time, something like fear moved through him.

  No woman had ever tied his tongue in knots before.

  “If this outfit is that bad, you’d better come right out and say it. I’m used to wearing jeans and slacks, so I don’t have much fashion sense when it comes to fancy clothes. I went for the color. But Jordan has lots of other clothes.”

  Jase pulled himself together. And finally found his voice. “It’s fine.”

  She studied him as she moved toward him, giving the bed a wide berth. He appreciated the strategy and took some satisfaction that he wasn’t the only one thinking about tumbling her into it.

  “You’re not just saying that? You’re sure?”

  “Yeah,” he lied. The only thing he was really sure of was that she wasn’t going to be wearing the outfit much longer if they didn’t get out of Jordan’s bedroom. And until he found out exactly who might have run down Eva Ware, he needed to be able to think clearly. Still, he couldn’t prevent his gaze from raking her one more time. “Are you going to be able to walk in those shoes?”

  She glanced down at them. “Yeah, I’ve got that under control, I think.”

  Control. That was the key word, Jase reminded himself. He released his grip on the doorjamb, flexed his fingers to assure himself that they were still there. Last but not least, he dragged his gaze away from the bed and led the way out of the room.

  TRUE TO FORM, New York City traffic was crawling along at less than a snail’s pace. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see that Maddie was staring wide-eyed out the open window of the taxi, craning her neck to take in the buildings, the people, and breathing in the mix of scents—hot pavement, rotting garbage, exhaust fumes—that he took for granted.

  He glanced at his watch and saw that it was nearly ten. Even though it was only a twenty-block walk to Eva Ware Designs, he’d decided in deference to her shoes to hail a cab. But what should have been a five-minute cab ride was stretching into thirty. Even in the ankle-breakers she was wearing, they could have easily arrived at the jewelry store by now.

  Brakes squealed as the car in front of them came to an abrupt stop. Someone stepped out of the passenger door and hurried into a small store that specialized in fresh produce. Their cabbie leaned on his horn and shouted something out the window in a language Jase wasn’t familiar with. Glancing out the rear window, Jase could see that their taxi was neatly boxed in.

  He looked at Maddie and saw that she was staring at a policeman astride a horse. They hadn’t said much to each other since they’d left the building. She’d been intent on drinking in the sights, and he’d welcomed the reprieve of just being away from the apartment. They’d have to go back there eventually and good idea or not, he was sure that they were going to end up in bed together again.

  He’d never met a woman who pulled at him the way she did. Even now his hand was fisted on the seat because he wanted to reach out and touch her. Just to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear or to run a finger down her throat.

  But that wouldn’t be enough. He’d need more. And he’d have more. It might be the biggest mistake of his life, but one way or another, he did intend to make love with Maddie Farrell again.

  Right now, he had to put that aside and switch gears. She still had her eyes on the mounted policeman, and he reminded himself that she had just switched places with her sister and was feeling her way through a strange, new world. Maybe he could help with that.

  “In the file she gave you, did Jordan mention that she keeps a horse on a farm just a little north of the city?”

  “No.”

  For the first time since they’d entered the taxi, she turned to face him. He read both surprise and interest on her face. “It’s a stallion. She bought him when she moved to the city to work for your mother. She named him Julius Caesar because he was born on the Ides of March.”

  Maddie stared at
him. “My horse is Brutus. What are the chances?”

  “Jordan has always loved horses. She started riding lessons when she was six, and she was a natural. She began competing two years after that and didn’t give it up until she started college.”

  A small frown creased Maddie’s forehead. He’d seen the same expression before when she was carefully considering something.

  “A penny for your thoughts,” he said.

  “It’s just…odd. No, ironic is a better word.”

  “For what?”

  The frown on her forehead deepened. “I love riding, and I enjoy living on a ranch, but I’ve discovered that my real passion is designing jewelry. And Jordan seems to have a passion for horses and riding the way my father did. From what I saw on her bookshelf, they even share a passion for westerns.”

  “You’re thinking they picked the wrong daughters when they made their choices.”

  She nodded.

  Even though he knew it was a mistake, he took her hand in his. “I doubt that either your father or your mother would feel that way.”

  HE UNDERSTOOD. Something tightened in Maddie’s throat. Even though her hand was clasped lightly in his, she was aware of the pressure of each one of his fingers. But it wasn’t a sizzle of passion that moved through her blood. This time it was something warmer and much sweeter. He leaned toward her and brushed the merest hint of a kiss over her lips.

  Without thinking, she raised her free hand to his face—to push him away? To keep him there?

  Before she could decide, he drew back and said, “Do you think you can manage three blocks on foot?”

  Maddie frowned at her feet. “No promises, but I’m game to try. After all, I’m supposed to be walking around in Jordan’s shoes.”

  He grinned at her. “She always wore her sneakers when she walked to work and carried the ankle-breakers in her bag.”

  Maddie glared at him. “You might have told me that before we left the apartment.”

  “It’s only a couple more blocks.” Jase passed the taxi driver two bills. Then he grabbed Maddie’s hand again and pulled her with him to the sidewalk. As they blended into the flow of pedestrians headed uptown, a cacophony of noise enveloped them—horns blaring, engines thrumming, one-sided snatches of conversations as passersby chatted into their cell phones.

  Jase raised his voice. “How are the shoes?”

  “Glorious to look at—but agony to wear.” She shot him a determined look. “It’s going to be worth every bit of discomfort when I walk into that store not looking like the country bumpkin they’re probably expecting.”

  “You’ll be fine. Just remember the roles we’re assuming.”

  “I’ll be playing myself—the other daughter.”

  Taking her hand, he raised it to his lips and kissed her fingers. “And I’ll be playing your lover.”

  Heat shot through her and Maddie was sure that if there had been room in the shoes, her toes would have curled. In spite of the role Jase was playing, she intended to keep her focus.

  Suddenly, she stopped short and a startled pedestrian jostled her as he passed.

  Gripping her shoulders, Jase pulled her out of the flow of traffic into a doorway. “What is it?”

  “I forgot the earrings.”

  “No, you didn’t. You’re wearing them.”

  She shook her head. “I was going to take these off and put on one of Eva’s designs. My style is so…different. Next to hers, my earrings look…” She paused, searching for the right word.

  “Beautiful.” He reached up and ran his finger down one of the horseshoes.

  Her thoughts scattered. He was going to kiss her again. She could see the desire in his eyes, feel her own response rip through her. The noises that had surrounded them since they’d left the cab faded to a dim buzz. Her mind constricted like a spotlight on a stage until there was only Jase.

  He slid his hands from her upper arms over her shoulders, then framed her face. It seemed as if it had been forever since he’d touched her. Had it only been a matter of hours?

  Using his thumbs, he tilted her chin up. “I want to kiss you. I thought I could wait until later when we got back to the apartment. Back to my bed. But I can’t.”

  He lowered his mouth slowly until it was nearly touching hers. Then he paused.

  She should push him away, Maddie thought dimly. She’d always prided herself on having a logical, practical turn of mind. But she’d never experienced this kind of desire before. Each time he touched her or even looked at her, she wanted. It was just that elemental.

  “I can’t wait either.” The words tumbled out of her on a ragged breath as she slipped her arms beneath his jacket and rose on her tiptoes. Finally, finally, their mouths were touching, tasting, exploring as hunger deepened into a fierce need.

  The kiss was so much more than she remembered. What had happened between them during the night seemed more like a dream. This was reality. Each sensation was so intense—the hard planes and angles of body pressing her into the unyielding glass of the display window, the scrape of his teeth on her bottom lip, the heat of his hand as he slipped it beneath her jacket and ran it possessively from her waist to the side of her breast. Then he changed the angle of the kiss and she sampled again the flavor of his need. Irresistible.

  Jase ran his hand down to her waist and then back up again. It seemed that he’d been waiting forever to touch her. She was driving him crazy. That had to be why he was acting this way. It wasn’t that he hadn’t lived dangerously or taken risks before. He’d made his living so far doing both. But he’d always been in control. Maddie Farrell was draining that away.

  The taste of her surrender poured into him. He drew her closer until every curve of her body was molded against his. The thin material of her blouse was tempting, maddening. He wanted her out of it. Desperately.

  They were standing in the middle of a busy Manhattan street. In some dim corner of his mind that hadn’t yet shut down, Jase reminded himself of that. But it was almost impossible to keep a grip on reality when the concrete sidewalk beneath his feet seemed to shift as easily as sand on a beach. He struggled to keep his balance. Shocked, he tried to strengthen the slim grip he had on his control. He should be damning himself for acting like a hormone-driven teenager. He should be damning her for driving him to this. But all he wanted was more of her.

  When it finally struck him that he might not be able to stop himself from taking more, a sharp stab of fear gave him the strength to draw back. Releasing her, he took a step away. Even then he struggled, his mind battling against his emotions, and he very nearly dragged her back and kissed her again. He might have if a woman hadn’t chosen that moment to walk by them and enter the store.

  Jase backed up another step. The first completely coherent thought that slipped into his mind was that he wasn’t capable of controlling this. The realization stunned him.

  Maddie spoke first. “This is ridiculous.”

  Jase studied her closely. There was a vulnerability in her that he hadn’t noticed before. And because he wanted badly to reach out to her, he slid his fingers into the pockets of his jeans. “That’s not exactly the word I’d choose.”

  “I don’t understand what’s happening between us.”

  “It’s a puzzler all right.”

  “We’re on a crowded street and all I could think of was that I wanted to kiss you.”

  “The feeling was mutual.”

  She frowned at him then. “That only increases the problem. What we need is a solution. What are we going to do about this?”

  Jase dropped his gaze to her mouth, then met her eyes again. “I think we both know the answer to that.”

  She frowned at him. “I don’t like it. It’s going to interfere with everything. I have enough on my plate.”

  “Me too.” The fact that the frustration in her tone was such a perfect match to his own eased what he was feeling. He managed a smile. “I guess we’ll just have to compartmentalize and work around
it. And speaking of work, Eva Ware Designs has been open for a good fifteen minutes. I suggest we resume this discussion later.”

  Maddie lifted her chin. “Fine. Good. We’ll keep our focus on our investigation.”

  Together, they threaded their way back into the stream of pedestrians.

  “I meant to tell you in the car that I have an idea about what we should do when we get to Eva Ware Designs.”

  Jase glanced at her. “Don’t keep me in the dark.”

  “We seem to have two goals. You’re primarily interested in figuring out who on the inside might have robbed the store. Of course, I’m interested in that too. I want to learn as much as I can about Eva, but I also want to find if there’s someone there Eva confided in.”

  “Someone who might have known about you?”

  Maddie nodded. “The more I think about it, the more I believe she must have confided in someone. And that someone may be able to shed some light on why Jordan and I were separated.”

  Jase held his tongue. His impression of Eva Ware was that she was a very self-contained woman. He’d had some time to think in the shower earlier. As he’d turned it over in his mind, he’d become convinced that she’d had some idea of who had broken into her store from the very beginning, yet she confided in no one. Not in Jordan. Not in him. She was a private woman and she knew how to keep a secret. She’d kept a very important one for twenty-six years.

  “And I want to see Eva’s appointment calendar. It might be better when we get there to separate and gather our information separately.”

  It wasn’t a bad idea, Jake thought. “As long as I don’t have to let you out of my sight.”

  “I have a question,” she said.

  “Ask away.”

  “Do you have any thoughts on why my mother asked Jordan and me to change places?”

  Jase thought for a moment. “I think Jordan’s theory that she wanted the two of you to experience the life she and your father had separated you from is a strong possibility. Did the fact that you’re a talented jewelry designer play into it? Perhaps. But I also think she may have been experiencing some regret.”