Guilty as Sin (Sinful, Montana Book 1)

by Rosalind James

  Not a piece of paper. An envelope. He got his gloves, sat on the edge of the bed, and opened it.

  If you find this, he read, it means you know I’ve been here. How did I get in? I’m sure you’ll figure it out.

  I thought you were waiting for me. I told you last time that I was disappointed. You didn’t listen. I wonder if you’ll listen now? I wonder if you’ll listen when I have you tied to your bed the way I told you about, with a knife at your throat?

  How about if the knife is at her throat instead?

  You thought it was a story. It wasn’t a story.

  The gooseflesh had risen on his arms, and he was standing up without realizing it and looking around.

  He already knew what he’d see. The sash window beside the bed. It was closed, but its latch hadn’t been turned. Because he hadn’t intended to leave the house last night, and he’d left that window open. Rookie mistake.

  He went downstairs with Tobias padding behind, descended the steps from the front porch, walked along beside the cabin, and saw it.

  A slight disturbance in the plantings at the base of the porch, and, if you looked closely, two rectangular depressions in the wood chips. He walked around to the back of the garage and saw what he’d suspected. His metal extension ladder hanging beneath the eaves, and a broken strand of cobweb fluttering in the morning breeze.

  He swore, and Tobias sniffed at the ground, whined, and looked up at him. “Yeah, mate,” Jace said. “You’re right. What kind of stupid bugger doesn’t check the windows?” He’d need to find a better spot for the ladder, too. A locked spot.

  He’d been gone two hours. Well, a night, and then two hours. Heaps of time.

  The first thing he did was ring Lily. “Hey,” she said, sounding half-wary, half-breathless. Like her heart had leapt to see his name on her phone, but she wondered if he was going to ask too much, push her for more than she could give.

  One night, she’d said. And that’s all.

  She’d told him, and he’d done it anyway. That was on him.

  “My stalker’s back,” he said. “And I’m wondering if she could be yours as well.”

  “What?”

  He explained. There was a long pause on the other end of the line. “You think she’s jealous,” she finally said. “That that’s what Leave meant. But I got the first text before I’d done more than talk to you, and it said the same thing. Leave.”

  “Good point,” he had to concede.

  “Besides,” she said. “That thing I told you. The controlled handwriting. My person didn’t come into my shop. They didn’t throw anything truly nasty through the window. The kind of obsessed person you’re talking about? She would have. My person didn’t do the things that furious people, jealous people, do. They threw a brick, probably from a distance, maybe from a car. Distance being the operative word. They didn’t knife my goats, either. They opened the door for my chickens. I’ve got careful escalation, and nothing anybody would go to jail for. Malicious mischief at the most. You’ve got somebody breaking and entering, looking through your private possessions, wanting you to know she’s invaded your house, and talking about hurting you. And maybe most of all—doing it when you could have come home at any time. That’s a completely different mindset. She’s getting off on the risk. It’s a thrill.”

  Once again, she’d taken his breath away. The woman was seriously analytical. “She’s talking about hurting you, too.”

  “All of which is why,” she said, “you need to call the police again. This is serious. This is bad.”

  He had a hand in his hair. She was that frustrating. “I know it’s bad. And it’s why we’re getting security. Here, and on your place as well. Alarms to the police station. Cameras. You asked why they didn’t come into your shop. How about because it’s alarmed?”

  “It doesn’t have cameras, though,” she said. “Anybody could have noticed that and taken advantage of it. They certainly could have smashed the window all the way in, stolen my window displays at the very least, or even wrapped a newspaper after that brick and set fire to it. That would have taken seconds, and it would have been much more frightening even if it hadn’t worked. They didn’t do any of that.”

  “You’ve done a fair amount of thinking about this.”

  “Of course I have. I’m fixing the camera situation, but the company won’t come up until next Wednesday, and there’s nobody closer. But that isn’t what’s important here. I think you should leave your place. I think you should leave town altogether. Go visit your brother.”

  “What do you know about my brother?”

  “Jace.” She sighed. “You told me to look you up. Don’t tell me he doesn’t have security, because I won’t believe it.”

  “Right.” He was getting narky again. He couldn’t help it. “I’ll run away and leave you to your own devices, then, even though this wombat’s threatened you as well. Sounds like a plan.”

  “If you’re gone,” she said in a reasonable tone he found even more infuriating, “how would I be a threat to her?”

  “It’s not happening. Get used to it. And we’re both getting security.”

  “Next Wednesday.”

  “Tomorrow.”

  “They won’t come.”

  “They don’t have to come. I’m ordering two systems, and I’m installing them tomorrow. Cameras in your shop as well, if you like. And you don’t have to say it. I hear it.”

  “Hear what?”

  “’Do you know how?’ Yeah, I know how. Leave me some pride, woman.”

  She was laughing. Would she ever respond the way he expected her to? “Sorry,” she said. “I know it’s serious. I know you’re worried about me, and I appreciate that. It’s just that I’m not used to it.”

  “I know you’re not. And I’m doing it anyway.”

  “All right,” she said, and he wished he could see her face. “I’ll say thank you. Thank you very much. And I’ll ask you if you’re going to the gym tonight, and if you’d like my company.”

  Suddenly, he felt much better. “You asking me out, darling? That’s a first.”

  “No, it isn’t. I think your mystery girlfriend qualifies.”

  He had to laugh. “Crikey, you’re casual. Collect you at the shop when?”

  “Meeting you at the gym would be better. Six-thirty? That way, I can put the goats and chickens away and not have to rush. And, Jace—go to the cops. Please. I’m not being casual about this. Let them know. And watch out.”

  This time, he’d take care to have more than one condom with him. He might be taking this one step at a time, but when they took that next step? He was going to be ready.

  Tonight. She had a time, and she had a plan. She’d tell him after the gym, in the parking lot. Her car would be right there, and he could get as angry as she knew she deserved, could drive off and leave her and know she was safe. That would matter to him, no matter how angry he was. Which was what made it so hard for her to do.

  If she didn’t tell him then, though, she’d want to have dinner with him. And then she’d want him to go home with her. And then she’d want him to do everything else, and he’d oblige.

  Look what he’d done in a hurry at two in the morning. What would he do if she gave him all night, some light to work by, and supplies?

  No. Last night had been one thing. Last night had been pure impulse. Too much emotion, too much excitement, and way too much attraction. She should have told him the truth this morning, though, and she knew it.

  She’d wanted his sweetness. She’d wanted his smile.

  But if he were angry at her, he’d distance himself from her, and his stalker might ratchet it down. Paige had come to help Lily with her problem. Now Lily’s problem was so much worse, and Jace’s was, too. You wouldn’t have to be a cop to know he was in danger, but for a cop? It set off every alarm bell.

  Maybe Jace would still alarm Lily’s house for her, though? Since it wasn’t for Paige?

  No. Unfair to even hope. She’d
just have to be careful.

  Tonight, she thought, and called Lily’s insurance agent, then the glass company. And at ten, an excited Hailey came through the door and wanted to hear all about it.

  “I cannot believe it,” Hailey said for the fifteenth time an hour later. “Wanting you to sell is one thing. You said you’re going to the meeting tomorrow night. That’s just not right. Thank goodness Jace Blackstone was there. Who ever thought he’d be a famous writer? And a soldier. Not just a soldier. The internet says special forces. I can’t believe it. He looked like a hobo. He looks better now. I wonder what he’d look like with shorter hair?”

  Paige had tuned her out by now. Lily was definitely more tolerant than she was, because Hailey was grating on her today. “Hey,” she said, interrupting the flow and finishing up her creative project, “I thought of the perfect sign. Here. Can you take this thing, uh…” Shoot. She didn’t know where. She’d have to trust Hailey to fill in the blanks. “Take it and get it printed big, like… two or three feet across, or whatever the biggest is? We’ll staple it right to the boards.”

  Hailey read it aloud.

  Our new stock is so sexy,

  We had to hide it.

  Come in and take a look.

  And beamed. “Oh, that’s great. Maggie Churchill is going to die, though. She’s going to talk about a petition. This sounds so naughty. You were bad enough before, but now, you’re probably showing pornos in here. We’ve got sex toys for sale in the back room, maybe.”

  Paige laughed, liking Hailey a whole lot better. “Well, go get it done. Maggie’s outrage is our marketing opportunity. Why shouldn’t married ladies wear sexy underwear? Why shouldn’t married ladies’ husbands see sexy underwear? Why shouldn’t they watch pornos together, for that matter? Might liven up some marriages. And what’s it to Maggie?”

  “That’s why I work here,” Hailey said. “For the discount, I mean, not the pornos. You know why I really came to work here, though? Why I had the guts to ask, I mean?”

  “No. Why?”

  “Because you sold my size. Because you were always so sweet when I’d come in, even though I couldn’t afford to buy too much. You really believed that I got to wear sexy underwear too. It seemed like you believed that I could be sexy.” Hailey shook her head, laughing at herself. “Oh, I’m emotional today. It’s just the thought of somebody messing up our beautiful store, after you’ve worked so hard. It makes me so mad. Right. We’re fixing that. Here I go. Except…” She turned back at the door. “I’m going to play with the graphics program they’ve got down at Office Max and put some hearts around the sign. Is two-color printing OK? We need pink hearts. Pink and black. Ooh. ‘We Have a Sinful Secret?’ Like a headline? And can I make the sign really big, or just tape white paper all the way over the boards first, like we’re having a grand opening? Like it’s true?”

  “Yes,” Paige said, a little stunned by the force of Hailey’s enthusiasm. “Absolutely.”

  “And I could hang up something pretty but not too sexy beside the door, don’t you think? Something anybody would want to wear. Well, anybody but Maggie. She probably gets undressed in the dark. I’ll think what. Not too expensive, just in case somebody decides to walk off with it. People are so dishonest.”

  She was about to go off again, Paige could tell. “Go get it printed,” she urged. “And those are all great ideas.”

  “Sale,” Hailey said. “Not a big sale. Just add a few more slow sellers, and put a big sign on the sale rack. Sinful Secrets Sale. I’ll add that to the window sign, too. And buy balloons. Pink and red and white, so it’s still girly, not trashy, no matter what Maggie thinks. OK. I’m gone.”

  She hurried out, and Paige thought, Watch my smoke, Lily. Except, of course, that it wasn’t her smoke. It was mostly Hailey’s. And Lily’s, for hiring the right person. Still.

  At six-thirty, Paige was walking through the front door of the gym with Jace once more. It felt like running a gauntlet, but then, everything in this town did.

  The redhead at the front desk looked friendlier tonight. She smiled when she swiped Paige’s card, at least, and said, “I heard something happened to your store last night. That’s too bad.”

  Kelli-the-Bitchy-Trainer, who’d been nearby as always, like she had Jace-Radar, said, “Really? How?”

  Jace said, “Somebody chucked a brick through her display window.” Jennifer, the gym owner, was a few yards away as well, talking to a man in business clothes who was probably checking out a membership, and Jace raised his voice a fraction. “That’s a coward’s move, going behind somebody’s back like that.” He put a hand on Paige’s lower back. “But I know why they did. Always a mistake to go after a woman who has friends to look after her.”

  All of that was clearly going over great, from the expressions on everybody’s faces. All Paige needed was the guy from the gas station to show up and challenge Jace to some mano a mano. Dumbbells at dawn. He’d be at the meeting tomorrow, she was sure. That was shaping up to be a real fun time.

  Even Brett Hunter was here, looking like Mr. Hollywood Goes to the Gym. He was more subtle, but then, Paige didn’t think he had a mode that wasn’t. He took his time, approaching her while she was doing her strength training, and looked even more amused than usual when Jace headed over there fast. Once the parties had assembled, he told her, “I heard you had some trouble last night. I’m sorry.”

  Paige had already straightened. Now, she gave him her calmest and most level gaze and said, “Were you? That’s kind of you. I wonder if you also know that they invaded my property and killed my animals. The police are investigating, and I’m confident they’re making progress.”

  That was a lie. The police sergeant, the same one Jace had talked to, Worthington, hadn’t been what you’d call ‘jumping out of his seat at the prospect of a major criminal investigation’ over her broken window and three dead chickens. But Hunter didn’t need to know that. She told him, “I think you should save your concern for whoever did this, because they’re going to be in a world of hurt if they try it again. The law’s pretty loose in Montana when it comes to self-defense and protecting your property.”

  Sometimes it was nice not to have to be a cop. She’d let Hunter ponder the prospect of booby traps and lying in wait. What was that Jace had said? It was all about fear. Well, most of it. The other part was about surprise. If they came after her thinking she was Lily, they were going to get one hell of a surprise. There was also Jace, standing with his arms folded and looking, despite a new and more civilized haircut that her heart whispered he might have gotten for her, like a dangerous man.

  Hunter put up a hand, smiled ruefully, and said, “Peace. I have an aversion to going to prison. Also to dying. That’s why I tend to offer money and leave it there. My offer’s good until midnight Saturday. Feel free to run it by your attorney or ask for a meeting to discuss it further. I’ll be here all week. Unarmed.”

  He winked at them. Then he moved off, and Paige told Jace, “I thought you were going to jump him.”

  “So did I. Smug bastard.”

  “But not a chicken killer. He’s above all that.”

  “Probably. Pity.”

  She laughed in spite of herself. “Come on. Admit it. You wish he’d give you the excuse.”

  “I wish somebody would, yeah.” He sighed. “Unfortunately, I do have some self-restraint. Can’t hit a man for smiling at you wrong.”

  After all that excitement, she ended up on the bike beside Jace again after her workout. He said, “You’re quiet tonight. Is it the general hatred? Or is your leg hurting? Hard day, with that sale on no sleep.”

  “No. I’m used to not sleeping, my leg isn’t bad, and the sale was awesome. Even on a Tuesday.” Great. Neutral topic. She should have done her honesty bout before the workout, because it was too hard, waiting for it. “The glass is getting replaced tomorrow, but I’m keeping the boards up through the weekend, keeping the mystery going. You should have seen the place by five o’
clock. We sold underwear, mostly, little things like that, but it got a lot of ladies into the store who hadn’t been there before, who’d been scared off. All Hailey’s idea.”

  I don’t want to break up with you, she thought. And it wasn’t even that. I don’t want you to hate me. I don’t want to see the look on your face when I hurt you.

  “Is it scary?” he asked, and then, when she probably looked confused, because she’d forgotten what they’d been talking about, added, “the store, I mean? To women?”

  “Well, yeah. It’s scary to…” She broke off.

  “What?”

  “You’re interested.”

  “Human behavior interests me. You interest me.”

  What Jace had was focus. And he was looking at her like he… liked her. As much as she liked him. Her stomach twisted again, and she tried not to let his words matter. “If you admit you care,” she said, “for a woman, I mean, if you try like that, you risk looking…” She took a breath and said it. “Foolish. And imagining looking that way to a man you want more than anything… it’s tough. We compare ourselves, you see.”

  He pedaled silently for a moment, and she could almost see the wheels in his head turning as well. Finally, he said, “Do you know the sexiest thing a woman can say to a man?”

  “No. But I’d sure like to.”

  “‘I want you so much.’ There you are. Secret revealed. If she’s too shy to say it, but she shows it in the way she’s taken care to dress for him? That works, too.”

  “Even if she’s not perfect?”

  “Trust me,” he said, “she’s looking good to him. If she’s the woman you love, and she grabs that bottle of wine and a couple of glasses, walks in front of you into the bedroom with a little sway in her step, lights the candles, pulls the tie of that pretty dressing gown she only wears when you’re going to get the good stuff, and gives you that look?” He sighed. “Oh, yeah. That’s going to work.”

  It was already working for her. “Market research,” she tried to say lightly, forcing herself to envision it. Not the look in Jace’s eyes when she pulled that tie. Instead, an antique table with a pretty white nightgown draped across it, spaghetti-strapped, and not a size small. Two creamy, chunky candles, a vase of red roses, a bottle of champagne, and two flutes. And a picture above it of a beautiful plus-sized model in a gorgeous nightgown. A sign, too. Thrill him tonight. “Hailey said this thing to me today, talking about when she used to come in as a customer. ‘You really believed that I got to wear sexy underwear too. It seemed like you believed that I could be sexy.’ I’ve been thinking about that all day, how she said it. Like it was amazing. Like it was… freeing.”