Claimed for Destiny

by Brenda Jackson

  Thorn shrugged, smiling smugly. “So? All it took was a couple of seconds for Tara to knock me off my feet.”

  Better than her knocking the hell out of you. Chase shook his head, reminiscing. He could vividly recall the night Tara and Thorn had met. Tara had been so mad at Thorn he was lucky she hadn’t whacked him. “No one is knocking me off my feet,” he finally said.

  “If you say so.”

  Chase inhaled deeply. Sometimes he wished he’d been born an only child.

  “Dare thinks there’s something suspicious about her,” Thorn added.

  Chase raised his eyes heavenward. “Dare’s a cop. He thinks there’s something suspicious about everyone.”

  Thorn chuckled. “That’s true. I don’t think he was too happy that she was so close-mouthed about herself and her family.”

  Chase leaned against a table, remembering what Jessica had shared with him the other night. It wasn’t exactly something he’d want to share with the whole world if it had happened to him. He’d felt touched that she had told him as much as she had. “She’s a private person, Thorn. Let it go.”

  Thorn smiled. “Hey, it doesn’t bother me if your woman has secrets.”

  “She’s not my woman.”

  “Who isn’t your woman?” their sister Delaney came up and asked.

  “The chocolate chip lady,” Thorn said grinning. “She makes the best damn chocolate chip cookies.”

  Chase narrowed his eyes. “She made them for the guys on the team, but I couldn’t help noticing that you, Stone and Dare grabbed a few.”

  Thorn shrugged. “They looked too tasty to pass up and they reminded me of the cookies Grampa’s cook used to bake before they went their separate ways years ago. And as far as your team goes, all that sugar in a teenager’s mouth isn’t good. Think of all the cavities. We did their parents a favor.”

  Chase was about to say something when he noticed Jessica’s car pulling into the parking lot.

  “Looks like your woman is back,” Thorn said as a smile tilted a corner of his mouth.

  Chase shrugged nonchalantly. “So? What of it?”

  Thorn rubbed his chin. “That’s what I’m wondering myself,” he said as he walked out of the room.

  It was close to five o’clock by the time Chase had tidied up his restaurant and taken out the last of the trash. His brothers had hung around to help, but he was glad when they’d finally left. They had ribbed him enough for one weekend.

  He locked the door to his restaurant and glanced over at Jessica’s place wondering what she was doing. She’d said she would spend the weekend relaxing and he didn’t want to bother her, but a part of him had to see her.

  What he had told Thorn was true. He and Jessica had known each other for only a few days. But he had to admit that in such a short length of time he had learned more about her than he had about some women he’d dated for a full month. He’d learned about all the unhappiness she’d had in her life and how much she enjoyed baking. He liked talking to her and felt comfortable telling her about the injury that had kept him from going to the pros. But he hadn’t mentioned anything to her about Iris and the broken heart she had dealt him during that time.

  He smiled when he thought of the hit Jessica had been with the kids on his team and their parents. Everyone had appreciated her thoughtfulness in wanting to reward the team with goodies. There hadn’t been a shy bone in her body while interacting with everyone, including his family. He liked the way she smiled when she found something amusing, but he also thought her frown was absolutely adorable. During the short time they had known each other, he had told her more about himself than he had shared with any woman before.

  But how could he trust her, or any woman? After the episode with Iris, trust wasn’t something that came easily with him, especially when it involved a woman. He was a private person, reluctant to talk about his personal business and he pretty much kept things to himself. He did share a close bond with his brothers and cousins, and once in a while he would talk to them about things that were important to him but never about women. No woman had ever gotten close enough to him again to cause that type of grief. They came into his life and they went out of his life. That’s the way he wanted it and that’s the way he intended to keep it.

  So why was he becoming obsessed with Jessica Claiborne?

  He strolled over to his car to leave, and just as he was about to unlock the door he paused. Inhaling deeply he turned and began walking toward Jessica’s shop. With every step he took he tried to convince himself that he was just being neighborly by checking in on her. He didn’t have to go inside. He would just say hello and leave.

  But moments later, when she opened the door, all thoughts of leaving suddenly left his mind. It was obvious that she had recently showered. And that she wasn’t wearing a bra under her tank top. He blinked, not wanting to stare. She had great-looking breasts. They looked full, firm and lush pressed against the soft fabric of her top. Damn, he shouldn’t be looking at her breasts. He wished he could do more than just look at them. Tasting them wasn’t such a bad idea right about now.

  He tore his gaze away from her chest and his eyes moved downward. She was wearing shorts that showed off her gorgeous legs and he suddenly felt his attraction for her get sharper, more intense.

  He should be avoiding Jessica like the plague. Their relationship was not what his brothers assumed. But still, he was man enough to admit that there was a flicker of forbidden desire that clenched his guts whenever he saw her, came this close to her. Why was he putting himself through such madness? He sucked in a deep breath and smelled her scent—like cinnamon, spice, everything sensual and everything nice.

  “Chase?”

  He heard his name and then remembered he was standing there and hadn’t said anything. “May I come in?” he finally asked.

  Her legs somewhat shaky, Jessica met Chase’s stare. Getting rid of him would be easy enough. All she had to do was refuse his request to come in. But for some reason she didn’t want to. She tried to tell herself that this intense attraction between them had gone on long enough and it was time to take drastic action. Telling him that she was Carlton Graham’s granddaughter would guarantee that he would walk away for sure, but she wasn’t ready for that to happen. She couldn’t tell him who she was until she could also prove her grandfather’s innocence.

  She sighed deeply and took a step back. When he was inside with the door closed behind him, she saw the heated look of desire in his eyes. Her first instinct was to run, head up the stairs, but she had a feeling he would only come after her. So she might as well stay put and get something they both wanted. For someone who didn’t like kissing, she was becoming obsessed with doing it. Her mouth had practically been branded Chase’s Place.

  Jessica made a move toward Chase, as if drawn by a magnet. At the same time, Chase moved closer to her. “This is crazy,” she said in a breathless whisper as she walked into his arms.

  “Yeah, totally insane,” he said huskily, pulling her closer to him.

  She tilted her face up, and he did what was becoming as natural as breathing; he captured her mouth with his, blazing the heat already sizzling between them, satisfying their need to taste each other.

  Kissing him got better each time. He had that special technique of letting his tongue sweep the corners of her lips, first sipping her gently like fine wine before deepening the kiss and sucking her tongue into complete submission, mating wildly with it and driving her insane. Only with Chase could she allow herself to open fully and take part in such an intimate exchange. He had the ability to arouse feelings that she wanted to explore. She wasn’t able to do anything but stand there, hold on and shudder in his arms.

  Moments later, he pulled back, reached out, palmed her face in his hand and brushed a kiss over her forehead. “I wanted to check on you to make sure you were okay.” Then, knowing that was really a lame excuse, he added, “And more than anything, I wanted to taste you again.”

  Givi
ng into this uncontrollable desire, he leaned closer and kissed her mouth again, wishing he could kiss her forever. He finally lifted his head and their gazes met. And he knew what they had agreed on earlier was true. This was crazy. But that didn’t stop him from kissing her again before he finally left.

  She never was good at counting sheep, Jessica thought a few hours later as she lay in her bed gazing up at the ceiling. Who could think of sheep when thoughts of Chase Westmoreland filled her mind?

  The taste of him was still fresh in her mouth, and she didn’t want to think about the feel of him. Her breath was coming out in short gasps just thinking about the size of the erection that had been cradled between her thighs as he had continued to kiss her deeper and deeper.

  She’d known she could have pulled back to stop him at any time but she hadn’t wanted him to stop. So he hadn’t, until it became obvious that if they continued she would have found herself on the floor with her shorts off, legs spread, and Chase naked between them. After kissing her into sweet oblivion, he had told her that he hoped she slept well tonight then left.

  Jessica wasn’t sleeping at all. She snapped her eyes shut. Instead of a flock of sheep flooding her mind, she saw Chase as she had seen him earlier that night, just moments before he’d left. He had been standing in her shop, gazing at her with so much desire in his eyes.

  She almost jumped when she heard the phone ring and quickly reached over to pick it up while glancing over at the clock. She smiled and sat upright in bed. How could she have forgotten the call she got around this time every Sunday night?

  “Hello.”

  “Hello, Jess, how did things go?”

  Jessica’s smile widened upon hearing Jennifer’s voice. “The grand opening was wonderful.”

  “Sorry I missed it.”

  “Trust me, I understand.” And she did. Jennifer Claiborne had been appointed school superintendent in Philadelphia, and since the school year had only started a month ago, she hadn’t been able to get away.

  “Have you heard anything from Savannah lately?” Jessica asked about her sister who was a year older and worked mostly out of the country as a photographer.

  “Yes, she called today and said she had tried contacting you, but you weren’t home. And she couldn’t reach you on your cell phone. Of course she didn’t leave a message. You know how she hates talking into those answering machines. I also talked to Rico today and he said to let you know he’ll be in your area next week and plans to stop by.”

  Jessica grinned. “And I’m going to look forward to his visit,” she said. Rico was four years older, a private investigator and she simply adored him.

  She and Jennifer talked for over an hour. She told her about the information she had gathered to prove her grandfather’s innocence.

  “And you’re sure Chase Westmoreland doesn’t have a clue who you are?” Jennifer asked for the second time.

  “Yes, I’m sure. He knows me as Claiborne so there’s no way he could make the connection.” That was the way she wanted things until she was able to tell him everything.

  “Well, I hope you’re not making a mistake by not telling him the truth up front.”

  Jessica shook her head. “He’s a Westmoreland. He wouldn’t trust me. Like his grandfather didn’t trust my grandfather.”

  “It also seems to me from what you’ve told me about him that he’s a nice guy. Possibly someone you could become interested in.”

  Too easily, Jessica thought, remembering the intense attraction she and Chase shared. “You know how I feel about having a serious relationship, Jennifer.”

  “Yes, and like you I have reasons to feel that way, but there’s a need within all of us to be loved by someone.”

  Jessica sighed. Until she had met Chase she would have denied that such a need existed, but now…

  “I’d better let you go. I’m sure you have a big week ahead of you.”

  After hanging up the phone, Jessica shifted to a more comfortable position in bed. She couldn’t dismiss another type of need trying to take over her mind and body. It was a need she had never experienced before, but one she always encountered whenever she and Chase kissed. It was the need to take things further and enter into a scorching affair with him, based on need, not love, something she had never done before. She wasn’t sure if she could handle it. And if she couldn’t stand the heat, she should probably just stay out of the kitchen altogether.

  Six

  “So you remember the two waitresses who used to work for Chase’s grandfather?” Jessica asked Mrs. Stewart while restocking the display case with fudge.

  “Paula Meyers and Darcy Evans? I sure do,” Mrs. Stewart said smiling. “Paula still lives in College Park but Darcy moved to Macon a few years ago to be closer to her family.”

  “And what about Theodore Henry? Mr. Schuster’s former cook?”

  “Yes, I knew him, too. He was a single man, nice-looking, soft-spoken, pretty much kept to himself. He rarely went to church, but he didn’t bother anybody. He did what he had to do at Schuster’s and minded his own business.”

  Jessica nodded. She intended to speak to Mr. Henry and Paula Meyers by the end of the week. Getting together with Darcy Evans might take longer since she would have to drive to Macon to do so.

  She preferred speaking to everyone in person. From her days as an attorney she learned that face-to-face communication was much more effective than discussing anything over the telephone.

  Hours later, after Mrs. Stewart left for the day, Jessica found herself alone in her shop as she tried to decide what would be tomorrow’s craving of the day. But the only craving she could think about was the one she had for Chase. She couldn’t erase from her mind the enjoyment she got kissing him. It didn’t take much for her to remember the gentle yet thorough sweep of his tongue inside her mouth, assailing her senses with every stroke, and how he would feast on her lips. He had the ability to dismantle each and every wall she erected around herself.

  And that wasn’t good.

  She glanced at the clock. She had an hour left before closing time. When Donna, the waitress from Chase’s restaurant, had dropped in earlier to buy some brownies, she had casually mentioned that Chase had to leave town unexpectedly for Knoxville, something about a screwup in one of his deliveries, and that he wouldn’t be back until Wednesday.

  Jessica had accepted Donna’s statement with a small shrug, which she hoped indicated her indifference. But the truth of the matter was she wasn’t indifferent. How could she be when the thought that she wouldn’t be seeing Chase again until Wednesday made her miss him already?

  They were supposed to have dinner at his restaurant—after hours—to celebrate a week of knowing each other. He wasn’t interested in anything other than enjoying a good wholesome time with a woman, based on friendship and nothing else. Okay, so they did throw a lot of kissing into the mix, she thought. But still their relationship was based on friendship, although that might crumble when he found out her true identity.

  She sighed when she heard the phone ring and reached to pick it up. “Delicious Cravings.”

  “Yes, I’m returning a call to Jessica Graham. This is Paula Meyers.”

  Jessica smiled. “Yes, Ms. Meyers. Thanks for returning my call.”

  “Are you sure there won’t be anything else, Chase?”

  Chase glanced up from looking at the invoice. He was eager to leave Knoxville and head home but it seemed that Sam Nesbitt’s daughter was on the prowl again. Storm had dated Cyndi once and now, with Storm happily married, it was obvious that she had shifted her attention to his single brother. “I’m positive. Looks like everything is in order.”

  “I would definitely agree,” she said, giving him a thorough once-over while licking her lips.

  Seeing her lick her lips did absolutely nothing for him. If it had been Jessica’s lips, there’d be no way he would have been able to downplay the thrill and excitement that would have rushed through him.

  “I’m about
to close shop, Chase. I know a place where we can go and…get it on.”

  Chase lifted a brow. Storm had warned him that Cyndi Nesbitt didn’t mince words or waste time. She spoke her mind and told you exactly what she wanted, and most of the time she could get pretty damn graphic. As he gazed at her, he knew she could probably deliver on her offer of recreational sex. But the fact of the matter was he wasn’t interested. The only woman he wanted was back in Atlanta.

  Placing a polite smile on his face, he said, “Thanks for the offer but I have a few more stops to make before returning to Atlanta sometime tomorrow. Tell your father that I’m sorry I missed him.”

  A disappointed pout curved her lips. “Yeah, I’ll be sure to tell him.”

  Later that evening Chase was back at his hotel. After taking a shower he lay on the bed and found his mind filled with thoughts of Jessica. Inexplicable warmth flowed through his bloodstream. He had never met anyone quite like her. He shifted his body and rubbed the back of his neck. Okay, he knew he shouldn’t be thinking about her so much, but the blind truth was that he couldn’t help himself. It was nothing more than a sexual attraction fueled by six months of him doing with out, but still, there was something about Jessica that drew him, made it impossible for him to want any other woman but her.

  He leaned forward and picked up the business card he had placed on the nightstand earlier, the card Jessica had given him on Saturday for Delicious Cravings. Sighing deeply, he picked up the phone and began dialing. When it began to ring he glanced at his watch. It was close to eight o’clock and he hoped he wouldn’t be disturbing her.

  “Hello?”

  At the sound of her sweet voice he released a long, deep breath. The warmth flowing through his bloodstream increased as he settled back against a huge fluffy pillow. “Hi, Jessica. It’s Chase.”

  Jessica curled her body as she lay on the bed and a heated sensation flowed through her stomach. She took a deep breath. The sound of Chase’s voice was doing things to her. “Chase, how are you?”