Southern Romantic-Suspense Boxed Set (Southern Romantic-Suspense Novel Book 0)

by Carmen DeSousa

  She tossed the key in the air and he missed it … even though it was directly in front of him. She wasn’t the best athlete, but she could catch something thrown to her. How pathetic. She managed to keep the smirk off her face. It certainly wouldn’t help matters for this goon to get upset at her now.

  He left the room, banging the door closed behind him. Obviously, she hadn’t managed as well as she’d thought.

  Chapter Twenty-One

  (Caycee)

  Caycee awoke to the screaming egg again, but this time, Jordan reached across her and shut it off.

  He hadn’t moved his arm from over top of her, and his face was pressed against her shoulder. Guilt from the previous evening’s activities washed through her.

  “Jordan,” she said, struggling under his weight; man, he was heavy. He was almost pure muscle. Flashbacks of last night flooded her senses. His back, his biceps, and his chest, he was solid as a rock. She’d never seen a forty-five-year-old man in the shape he was. He didn’t have the stiff form of a body builder; he had solid lines of muscle she could feel with every move of his body.

  “Yes?” he asked, his warm breath tickling her bare skin. “Can I do something for ya?” He kissed her shoulder, nibbling gently.

  “I have to get up.”

  He drew her against his chest. “No, you don’t. Johanna will get up. She just waits for you, but if you don’t go in there before her second alarm goes off, she’ll get up with it.”

  “Is that what you do when I’m gone?”

  He pushed her hair away from her neck. “Mmm … yes. You baby us too much. She’s twelve. She’s quite capable of getting up on her own. So we have almost an hour before Jeremy and Jacob need to be up; they still need a shove.”

  She sighed. She hadn’t believed Jaynee when she’d said three to four times a week, but clearly, she hadn’t been joking. This was the man who hadn’t touched her when he was twenty-seven, in his prime. But here he was forty-five and he couldn’t keep his hands off his wife, even after eighteen years.

  “Was that a sigh of acquiesce or an ‘I’m still feeling awful’ sigh. You didn’t seem to feel too bad last night,” he purred in her ear.

  She wasn’t able to give him a truthful answer. If she said acquiesce, he’d most certainly take it as an invitation. If she said she still felt awful, he’d be upset again, wondering why and then end up rushing her to the doctor’s office, as he’d insisted last night. So, her best option was to sit still and shut up. Either he’d attack her again, or he’d let her be.

  He moved his arm from around her, maneuvering her to her back, his eyes gazing into hers. “I really want to know, Jaynee. I certainly don’t want you to do something you don’t want to do. But you know … by you holding out on me, you only make me want you more, so it’s kind of your fault.”

  She laughed. She’d decided tonight was her last night. If she didn’t hear from Jaynee, she would get on a plane tomorrow morning and find her. Jaynee was brainless. Why in the world she’d ever let her come here was beyond her, but it didn’t matter. Jordan was not cheating on his wife … He wanted to make love to his wife, and she was in all ways the same person as Jaynee.

  Maybe she was Jaynee. Maybe she’d invented this alternate Caycee in New York. As troubling as that thought was, it wasn’t as horrible as the thought that Jordan wasn’t hers. So her decision was easy. She might be crazy, but she loved her husband. Tomorrow, she would find out if Caycee Jayne really existed, but right now, she was Caycee Jaynee, the girl who’d married Jordan Monroe, not the woman who’d run off to Hollywood to be a star.

  She reached up and pulled him on top of her. Obviously, she couldn’t really pull him, but he responded, as she knew he would. His body reacted instantaneously, no questions, no doubt. He started right where they were last night only today was different because she could see his body now, not just feel it. The first rays of the morning streaked through the pinholes in the wood blinds, casting a golden hue over the room.

  Jordan cupped her face and held her gaze for several seconds. “Forty, fifty, or sixty, it doesn’t matter, you’re the most beautiful woman in the world, and I love you. And more than anything, I just want you to be happy.”

  She closed her eyes and tucked her head into the space between his chin and chest, reveling in the warmth that washed over her body. “I love you too, Jordan.” She felt loved and wanted, if only for a while.

  Jordan had just collapsed beside her when his alarm went off. He afforded her one more kiss under her jaw and then hopped out of bed. She lay there watching him walk off; God he was gorgeous. She would have to force herself to get on that plane, and then when she found Jaynee, she would have to tell her everything. If she were real, she would hate her and never talk to her again, but what else was new? She was always ticking off someone.

  She yanked on her sweatpants and tank top and bounded downstairs. Johanna had already made it downstairs and had prepared herself a bowl of cereal. So Jordan had been correct.

  “Mom,” Johanna bemoaned softly, peeking up the stairs. “Dad refuses to let me ask you about classes, but I don’t understand; you said it was all right. Why can’t we call and make arrangements?”

  “We’ll call today, honey, right after school. Your father is just worried that I’m under too much stress. I’ll talk to him.”

  She couldn’t believe how easily she’d slipped into the role of mother and wife. It was as though she’d belonged here all along.

  Jordan glided down the stairs, smiling from ear to ear, tousling Johanna’s hair as he walked past her.

  “Ugh, Dad …” she groaned.

  No wonder Jaynee kept him satisfied. He was a much happier guy when he was well fed. Not that he wasn’t always great … but the light in his eyes couldn’t be mistaken; he was wickedly happy.

  He moved up beside her, nuzzling his face into her neck.

  “Oh, please …” Johanna groaned. “You guys are the mushiest couple I know. No one else’s parents are nearly as huggy-kissy as you two.”

  “Well, that’s too bad for them now, isn’t it?” Jordan teased her. “Eighteen years, baby girl, trust me if you want to keep a happy marriage, follow your mother’s footsteps.”

  Johanna rolled her eyes.

  Jordan opened the freezer. “I’ll take the kids today, Jaynee. I don’t have any early appointments.”

  She whipped around. “Are you sure? I really don’t mind.” She’d been looking forward to the ride this morning. If Jaynee called, it might be the last time she saw them. Jaynee could never introduce her as an aunt now. Before Jordan had made love to her, maybe, but not now, he would know he’d been duped. She wanted to argue, but it wouldn’t make sense. She was certain he was offering her something that, under normal circumstances, she would feel quite pleased.

  “Of course, I’m sure. Call me when you find out the time of your appointment. I want to be there.”

  She leaned back against the sink, sighing deeply. “Jordan, I feel fine.”

  “What’s wrong, Mom?” her daughter asked with authentic distress. All of her bravado gone; she was genuinely concerned in a childlike way.

  “Nothing, honey,” she said, glaring at Jordan. “Really, I feel fine.”

  Jordan glared back. Not with as intense of a glower as hers had been, but his eyes held a trace of anxiety. He really was worried. Well, she would make the appointment, and Jaynee would have to go.

  Caycee kissed and hugged all the kids as they marched out the door, then turned her gaze to Jordan. “I’ll miss you,” she said honestly, attempting to keep her eyes dry.

  Jordan shook his head, confusion clear on his face. “Jaynee, you’re so hard to understand lately. You act as if you’re never gonna see me again. Please make that appointment with Dr. Muir. He can refer you if he has to, but I want him to run tests and see if he has any clue what’s going on in that beautiful mind of yours.”

  Under any other circumstance, the current conversation would have offended her,
but knowing that Jordan wasn’t that far off base, she gave him a pass.

  “I will, Jordan.”

  Muir, she repeated silently to herself. That was something she’d needed to know, but wasn’t sure how to go about asking. Certainly, Jaynee had information in her desk if not in her phone.

  Jordan kissed her goodbye, then headed toward the truck, but looked over his shoulder as though he were afraid to leave her alone. Maybe he thought she was suicidal as well as forgetful and all around loony.

  The first thing she did was call Ben. Again, she blocked her ID, but she was certain many of his calls must come in with their number blocked.

  It rang four times, and then his voice came on the line. She couldn’t leave a message. What would she say … Could you come and check on me please? And if he did check on her, and Jaynee was there, just refusing to answer her phone, what then?

  She tried Jaynee again on her cell and then on the home phone, nothing.

  “Well, Jaynee, I don’t know what you’re doing, but I hope you’re having fun.” Maybe she would let her stay there. Maybe she decided she liked that life better after all.

  Caycee had no desire to go back to New York; she could stay here and be happy forever if that’s what Jaynee wanted. Jordan wouldn’t even worry about her, because she would never have a reason to turn him down. She wouldn’t make any gaffes either, because she would inundate herself in her life here.

  She moved to her daily tasks. She cleaned up the kid’s dishes and then sat down to drink her coffee.

  Her phone rang and she jumped up, scrambling to answer it before it stopped ringing. No ID, so it must be Jaynee. “Finally,” she said, relieved, but disappointed at the same time, “where have you been?”

  “What? How’d you know it was me?” the high-pitched voice on the other end asked.

  “Oh, sorry … who is this?”

  “Crystal, babe, how come you haven’t called? You were supposed to have the second half of that draft to me by yesterday.”

  “Oh!” She plopped back down on the barstool, then hopped back up, not sure what to do or say. “Crystal … Oh, God! Umm … I’ve been crazy busy. I’m sorry.” She bit her hand, resisting a scream.

  “Well, get a move on, girl. I need that draft. I already promised I’d have that second installment.”

  “I will. I’m sorry, Crystal! I have to go.”

  “Okay, bye, see ya.”

  Caycee dropped the phone on the counter. Something had happened. Jaynee had mentioned her deadline several times and how she’d have plenty of time to send Crystal the draft. Jaynee would not have forgotten to send her work. She obviously hadn’t been able to finish it, and it wasn’t because she was having a good time. Jaynee was sensible and dependable. No matter what she wanted to fill her mind with, Jaynee was not the type of person to abandon her life and marriage.

  She paced back and forth across the tile floor, chewing on her fingernail. She couldn’t come up with any plan of action. She’d have to wait for Jordan to come home. After the kids finished eating and went upstairs, she’d have to explain to him. Maybe she could convince him to come to New York without telling him what they’d done.

  The day rushed by, and before she knew it, it was time to get the kids. Well, at least she got to see them again. But if Jordan thought she’d been a basket case yesterday, wait until he saw her tonight.

  She scheduled the appointment with Dr. Muir. Thankfully, they couldn’t see her until next week; she’d dodged that bullet anyway. She was hoping they wouldn’t say, Sure, come on in, and luckily they hadn’t.

  Johanna wasted no time in her request to set a time to start classes at the modeling studio. Caycee asked her to get the number for her, and she’d do it now.

  Johanna rolled her eyes. “Mom, you stored it in your phone, like you do with every number.”

  Now she needed to know the name of the studio. It was going to be a long night. “What’s the name again?” she asked.

  “Here, let me have your phone,” Johanna said, grabbing the phone from her.

  Caycee stood by. After a few seconds, Johanna asked for the gentleman by name, then waited while they transferred her. Once connected, she shoved the phone back at her. Caycee accepted and went about scheduling classes to begin next week. Jaynee would be busy when she returned.

  “Thanks, Mom,” she announced, loping off to do her homework.

  Caycee stared at the pantry and fridge for something to prepare for dinner. After minimal deliberation, she decided on spaghetti. Other than pizza, it was the save-all of American dinners.

  Jordan whisked through the door at the identical time he had the previous evening, early again. He inhaled a deep breath as he walked into the kitchen. “Yum!” he said, giving her a quick kiss, then walked over and picked up the remote. He turned on Fox news, but when the first commercial came on, he flipped over to the nightly news on CBS.

  Caycee continued to prepare dinner as she listened to one story after another, mostly politics and the ongoing mess in the Middle East. “Police still have no leads on the apparent disappearance of Caycee Jayne. An anonymous tip was called in yesterday evening that she’d been abducted, but there are no signs of foul play at this time according to the police.”

  Caycee dropped the colander she was holding and froze as Jordan stood up and walked toward the TV. One of her pictures from her touring days appeared on the screen.

  Pressing pause on the remote, he turned and glared at Caycee. She swallowed the lump in her throat, standing stock-still as he rounded the sofa and approached her. His hand immediately went to her bangs, pulling them off her forehead. Tears streamed down her face as his look of shock transformed to anger before her eyes.

  Grabbing her arm, he hauled her out the back door. He obviously didn’t want the children to hear. As soon as they were standing on the deck, he turned on her, unmistakable hatred in his eyes.

  “Who are you? Where’s Jaynee?” he demanded, voice seething. She’d never seen this side of him. She wouldn’t have thought it possible. She was speechless. “I’m going to ask you again, and then I’m going to drag you to the police station. Who are you?”

  She gulped, and the tears poured heavily down her cheeks. She wiped them away. “I’ll tell you, Jordan, but you won’t believe me.”

  His face was beet red. He grabbed her by the shoulders, sending a shockwave through her body. “Believe you? Why would I believe you? You’ve done nothing but lie to me.” His face transformed into something of sheer panic as he realized she hadn’t disputed the fact that she wasn’t Jaynee, knowing he was holding the wrong woman. “How long has she been gone?” he pushed out, his voice cracking.

  “Since New York; we switched in New York.”

  His eyes narrowed in disbelief. “You’re telling me Jaynee knows about this?”

  “Jordan, can we sit, please?” He released his grip and fell into a wrought-iron patio chair, his hands running through his hair. She sat in the one next to him. “I’m worried. I’ve been trying to reach Jaynee for days, and she hasn’t answered.”

  She could see he was trying to maintain his composure. “You’re her twin? I didn’t know Jaynee had a sister, and why would you take her name?”

  “I’m not her twin, and I know you won’t believe my explanation. But if you allow me, I can prove it. Then we can go find out what happened to her. This is the first I’ve heard about this, and I’d rather not waste any time.”

  He held his words as he stared at her. “You have her eyes. You couldn’t duplicate her eyes with contacts.” She could see his eyes starting to glaze over.

  She inhaled a deep breath and started with her unbelievable story. “Jordan, my name is Caycee Jaynee Evans. I grew up in South Florida and moved to Pinellas County to live with my grandmother after my father committed suicide. I dated a few real idiots, one of which you already met, according to Jaynee. I guess you are friends, which amazes me.” He stared at her dumbfounded, incredulous, as if he would believe
such a story. “I met you at the steakhouse I was working in Clearwater. You were my first customer of the day; you asked me why I called myself C.J. You asked me to coffee, I turned you down, you sat at the bar all night, and then waited for me,” she blubbered before he could interrupt. “We went for coffee and talked for hours. You walked me to my car, told me I smelled like vanilla, but didn’t kiss me. The next evening we went for ice cream and I cried on the back of your truck … something like I did last night, because of the way you treated me. You asked to come back to my place. You stayed the night and still never touched me. The next day we spent in Tarpon Springs. Then, you came to pick me up after work; you got there just in time to save me from an attack. You took me back to your hotel in Oldsmar and again refused to sleep with me until I gave you all of me heart and soul. The next morning I told you everything, and to my surprise, you still wanted me. You knelt right there in that hotel room and proposed to me and that is where we split.” She held up her hand to stop him as he started to speak again. “For some reason that Jaynee and I can’t figure out … she said yes, and I said, Let me think about it. You dropped me off at my house. I packed a bag, jumped in a taxi, and headed off to the airport with a one-way ticket to Los Angeles.” She dropped her head, waiting for the onslaught of disbelief and for him to drag her to the police station.

  “That is the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.” Jordan jumped up, clearly not sure where he was going.

  Caycee grabbed his hand, but then retracted quickly when it shocked her again. As ridiculous as the story sounded, even to her, he was starting to tick her off. She was still a woman who looked exactly like his wife.

  “Okay, you explain then. I am clearly not your Jaynee. I don’t have the scar from the gunshot wound, but I am her everywhere else.” His eyes narrowed in confusion or anger again; she decided to go with confusion. “Yes, I know that’s what you were looking for; she showed me. But every mole and scar up until a week before our twenty-second birthday … every memory is here.” She tapped her head. “We are the same. Jaynee didn’t believe it either. I had to show her my scar on my leg.” Caycee proceeded to raise her jeans to show Jordan. “I’m sure you knew we rode a motorcycle in high school that our father had given us; this we got from his bike though.”