Once again, Faith found herself with tears in her eyes. This was a man capable of deep love, affection, and understanding. If only he would extend those same things to himself, he, too, could be what he wanted for his mother.
Happy.
* * *
A week after his mom moved out, Jason sensed Faith’s restlessness. She wanted her brother caught and she wanted it yesterday. Jason sensed the man was merely biding his time, waiting for the right moment to strike. He probably hoped to find Faith alone, something that wouldn’t happen under Jason’s watch.
Jason, on the other hand, hoped to prolong their situation as long as possible. It wasn’t that he thought Faith desired to leave him; no, she just wanted her life and her freedom back. Sadly, they were both aware that came with the end of their relationship as it existed now. She would move out. She’d work days. He’d work his long hours day and night. And he’d have to let her go … to find what he’d heard her telling his mother she wanted. A husband and kids.
Before he could delve deeper, his phone rang and he saw it was Jack Renault. “Hey. What’s up?” Jason asked.
“We got a break,” Renault said in his always deadpan voice. “I’d sent out pictures of the necklace to other PIs and friends of mine and someone found it. They’re going to drop it off at the club, because believe it or not? The pawnshop was right around the corner. We’d checked the place once before, so we’re thinking it was pawned off more than once. Either way, it’s in our hands. And we’re tracking it backwards. Hope to have more soon.”
Jason’s heart beat harder. Faith was going to be so happy she’d have this piece of her mother back. “Thanks. That’s great news.”
“I love results,” Renault said. “And your girl is fine. I’ve got eyes on her now. So everything’s good. Check in with you later.” He disconnected the call.
Your girl.
The words stayed with him, even as he collected the necklace from Renault’s associate and headed over to return it to Faith.
* * *
Faith had just finished a batch of strawberry lemonade truffles and placed them in the front case when the bell over the front door rang and Jason walked in. Whenever she looked at him, it was like seeing him for the first time, and that ripple inside her was just as potent.
Kelsey came out from the back to see if she could help and stepped close to Faith. “You’re one lucky woman,” she whispered, eyeing Jason, then returned to the kitchen in the back.
They’d just had a busy spurt and now things at the shop had died down, so she headed out from behind the counter and strode up to him. “So what brings you by?”
“Good news.” His eyes sparkled with a happiness she hadn’t seen there before.
“What is it?”
He grasped her elbow and led her to a set of chairs, nowhere near where Renault lingered in his own corner. The man acknowledged Jason with a tip of his head and gestured toward the door. Since Jason was here, he was obviously going outside. As much as Faith appreciated the security, she was beginning to feel smothered by people constantly being in her space.
Not Jason, though. “So are you going to tell me?” she asked.
“Look what turned up.” Reaching into his pocket, he pulled something out. She noticed a flash of gold, and then he dangled a very familiar necklace in front of her.
“Oh my God!” She held out her hand and he dropped the piece into her palm. Tears welled in her eyes as she curled her hands around the cool piece of jewelry. “This means everything to me.” She looked up at him in disbelief.
“I told you I’d do everything I could to get it back to you,” he said in a gruff voice.
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close, breathing in his masculine scent as she hugged him tight. “Thank you.”
Stepping back, she asked, “Will you put it on for me?” She didn’t want to take the heart necklace off again for a long time.
“Sure.”
She lifted her hair and turned, her back facing him so he could wrap the chain around her neck and hook the clasp. His big hands fumbled a little and he grunted before finally succeeding. “Got it.”
She was about to release her hair when he leaned down and brushed his lips over the sensitive skin on the nape of her neck. She shivered, her nipples puckering and a sudden swell of desire rushing through her veins.
“Jason,” she said softly, dipping her head.
In reply, he swept his mouth over her skin and bit down gently with his teeth.
She shivered, backing against him, feeling his hard body come into contact with hers and the ridge of his erection nudging her back. She turned, cupping his face in her hands, and kissed him, sliding her tongue into his mouth. But she was aware of where they were, and having been caught once before by a customer, she kept it brief, stepping away despite wanting so much more.
She brushed her hair out of her face and glanced at him, his eyes dark with need.
“How do you expect me to go back to work now?” he asked, not so discreetly adjusting himself.
She grinned. “At least I know you’ll be thinking about me.”
“I’m always thinking about you, sweetness.”
She was more affected than she should be by that nickname he’d given her. “Thank you again for my necklace.” She touched the heart that now lay around her neck, a reminder of the mother she loved so deeply.
“You really should be thanking Renault and company. They scoured the shops,” Jason said, deferring the compliment.
She patted his cheek. “But it was your idea to hire him to look for it, so just accept my gratitude and go back to work. I need to help Kelsey in the back.”
“One more thing?” he asked.
“What’s up?”
He blew out a long breath and said, “We’ve hired the first live act for the club and they’re playing a week from Friday.”
“That’s great! Did Grey say yes?” she asked, happy for him.
His frown took her by surprise. “I wish he had. But no. His former bandmate, Lola Corbin, is going to perform instead.”
“From Tangled Royal? I love her!” Faith clapped her hands like the excited fan she was.
“She’ll be singing with Charlotte Jasper,” Jason said, shifting on his feet, his expression taut.
“She’s a big name, too, right? So what’s wrong? You seem uptight about it.” She rubbed at the throbbing in his right temple, a clear indication he was bothered by this whole conversation.
“Charlotte’s my ex,” he said, as if bracing for an argument.
Faith narrowed her gaze. “And?” She hadn’t thought he was celibate before her.
“I just don’t want you to be…” He trailed off and she could only guess at what he had been about to say.
“Jealous?”
“More like uncomfortable with the idea of her being around, I guess.” He shoved his hands into his pants pockets.
Faith was a lot of things, but a clinging female wasn’t one of them. “If she’s an ex, I don’t see the problem. Unless there’s still something between you?” At the thought, jealousy began to seep through her, and she didn’t like the feeling.
“Not for me,” Jason rushed to assure her. “It’s just that she was persistent when I ended things, and I’m worried she’s going to take the opportunity to perform as something more than a professional invitation.”
Faith tipped her head to the side, staring at Jason. She thought about the pop performer, a gorgeous raven-haired beauty who preferred red lips to Faith’s light gloss and who was much thinner than Faith with her curves. Charlotte was famous and seemed to have it all. But Jason had obviously ended their relationship, so he didn’t want the other woman. He was with Faith.
Should she be jealous? Maybe. Was she? Only to the extent that any woman would be.
She and Jason had a solid relationship for what it was. She knew better than to expect a future, but she did require fidelity. Given Robert Dare’s history an
d Jason’s reaction to his father’s behavior, Faith wasn’t worried Jason was a cheater.
She reached out and grasped his hand. “Will you be coming home to me after she performs? If so, I don’t see a problem.”
He let out a relieved breath. “I just assumed you’d have issues with my ex performing. Just like I’m assuming she’ll still want me when, in all probability, she’s moved on. It’s not like I’ve heard from her recently.”
“You see? You’re uptight for no reason.” She had a dawning realization. “I know you didn’t like it when I came to the club with your mother, but you have to know I’m not going to miss this performance.”
He closed his eyes and groaned. “I don’t want to worry about your safety while being concerned the night goes off as planned.”
She shrugged. “Then leave that worry to my bodyguard over there.” She gestured to Renault, who’d returned to his corner. “And you worry about your business.”
“I just have a bad feeling about you being in the crowded club.” He met her gaze, a plea in his expression, but she wasn’t going to give in.
“As long as I’m with you and protected, I’ll be safe.” She kissed him on the cheek, not wanting him to worry.
She worried enough for both of them, but she refused to miss his big night.
* * *
The days before Club TEN29’s big concert took a lot of time and planning and kept Jason out late every night. It reached the point where he barely saw Faith, who was sleeping when he came home and gone when he woke up in the morning. Now that he was back to working normal shifts, his hours were the complete opposite of hers. But he was determined to make this shift in the club’s vision all it could be, and if that meant sacrificing his personal life, so be it.
He hadn’t lied to Faith when he’d told her he had an uneasy feeling something was going to go down on the night of the concert. Her brother couldn’t stay hidden forever. He wouldn’t, not if he wanted his money. He was going to come after her when she was vulnerable, and where would she be more susceptible than in a club loaded with people?
But he couldn’t keep her prisoner, which meant she would be coming to the club. So he’d have to split his focus in order to make sure she was safe … and he would because, when it came down to it, she meant everything to him.
Faith had slipped behind the carefully constructed walls he’d erected and become part of his family, part of his life, and integral to his well-being. He’d never have believed it could happen and yet it had. If he lost her now, he’d hurt as badly as he had when he’d lost Levi. Now that she was in, he was never letting her go.
Levi, he thought, would want him to live his life. To honor him in all ways, not dwell on the past and never climb out of the horror they’d experienced. Although he hadn’t realized it before, he understood that now. Faith showed him he could have a future. Not one defined by Robert Dare’s mistakes or by tragic loss.
Now he just had to get Faith’s brother out of her life, and then he could tell her how he felt and hope she believed how far he’d come.
* * *
Izzy called Faith and invited her to go dress shopping with Jason’s sister, Sienna, for Club TEN29’s big concert event. It took a lot of arguing for her to get Jason to accept the fact that she could go to department stores and boutiques and be safe. She’d had to agree to have Renault trailing her every step of the way, and she felt sorry for the big man watching three women laugh their way through trying on at least fifty dresses before even hitting the shoe department in the store.
For the first time since she’d moved to New York, she was free to do what she wanted with friends, or at least with Jason’s female relatives, who felt like they could be her friends. The day brought her face-to-face with what she’d been missing in her life, and she promised herself when Colton was caught, she would build a full life for herself.
They had finished their shopping, loaded the bags into the trunk of Izzy’s SUV, and were now sitting around a table in a restaurant in Midtown.
Because Sienna was breastfeeding, she had a club soda in front of her, but Izzy and Faith had mimosas. They all ordered Oriental salads, and while waiting, they talked.
“To a successful day,” Sienna said, raising her alcohol-free glass.
“Hear, hear.” Izzy touched her glass to Sienna’s and the three of them each did the same.
“Izzy, I can’t thank you enough for letting me put my business card on the table at Noah’s party. I have been inundated with calls. Even moms whose kids’ birthdays aren’t until the summer wanted me to schedule them on my calendar.”
The pretty blonde smiled and raised her glass again. “To growing your business.”
“Thank you.”
“So,” Sienna said. “What’s really going on between you and my brother? And don’t tell me you’re just friends.” Her eyes glittered with mischief.
Faith choked on her drink. After coughing, she dabbed at her wet eyes.
“She’s blunt,” Izzy said needlessly. “And much younger, so we’ll have to forgive her.”
A twenty-three-year-old Sienna wrinkled her nose. “Hey. I have enough older brothers meddling in my life that I can do the same in theirs if I want. But I apologize if I’m being too nosey,” the pretty blonde said.
Faith smiled, feeling her cheeks burn as she answered. “Oh, there’s a lot going on,” she admitted. “But it has an expiration date. When my brother is finally caught and we get him out of my life and I move out of Jason’s apartment, we’ll go our separate ways.” Her stomach lurched, and though she wanted to blame the alcohol, she knew for a fact it was the thought of leaving Jason that upset her.
Sienna sighed. “My father’s behavior made all of us wary of relationships, but I really hoped that Jason would find the right woman and settle down.”
Faith placed her drink down on the table. “I think it’s more than just your father.” She wouldn’t betray any confidences Jason had given her about his past.
“Oh, I know. Losing Levi devastated him.” Sienna’s face crumbled, her pain for her brother clear. “All those guys were destroyed, really. But instead of shutting people out, Jason should embrace the good in life and live it to the fullest.” She clearly wanted the best for her brother, but she didn’t want to accept his choices.
Faith couldn’t help but feel protective of Jason and his feelings, even if they weren’t in Faith’s best interest. “Jason really is entitled to react his own way, and if he doesn’t want the kind of future I do, that’s okay.” She forced the words out, because in her heart, she meant them, no matter how painful the thought.
Did she want everything with the man? Hell yes. But she wouldn’t force or judge his choices. “Can we talk about something else?” She didn’t want to get more upset and cry when there was nothing she could do about the situation she found herself in.
“Let’s talk about candy,” Izzy said. “Faith is a master.”
“Sure. I’m sorry,” Sienna murmured. “So tell me about your business. I love sweets and I’m sorry I haven’t come by before, but now that I have Mom to help out, I’m going to visit you.”
“That would be lovely. How is your mom?” Faith asked.
With a sigh, Sienna sipped her club soda before answering. “She’s stronger than I knew. And she has the entire family’s support, even my half siblings. Everyone’s come around and embraced her. I’m so glad.”
“Savannah’s a sweet woman. I’m glad the family is a whole unit at last.”
The waitress walked over and placed their salads in front of them, ending conversation, leaving Faith alone with her thoughts while they ate in relative silence. Instead of dragging herself through a sad rehashing of losing Jason sometime soon, she thought about the dress she’d bought for the concert. She’d gone overboard, choosing a red garment that came to above the knee and dipped low in the front with a slit up one thigh.
She’d surpassed her budget, but she had a feeling this was her final c
hance to make a lasting impression on Jason Dare, and she decided the splurge was worth it. He might let her go in the end but she’d give him a sexy, stunning vision to remember her by.
Chapter Ten
The morning of the big event, Jason sat with his partners in the main office, a bottle of bourbon just opened for a toast before they made their way downstairs and got to work. Despite none of them being major drinkers, a toast to their success was something to be savored. And they knew Levi would approve.
“Jason, we owe this night to you.” Tanner raised a glass. “It’s your idea come to life.”
“And I owe it to Faith for planting the initial germ of an idea.” Who would have thought the night he’d seen the sexy blonde on the side of the road would have changed his life as much as it had?
Landon placed his glass on the counter and met Jason’s gaze. “Sounds like she’s special.”
“She is.” Jason took a drink of the only alcohol he’d allow himself tonight. “More than I ever thought possible.”
Tanner shifted on his feet. “More power to you, buddy. But that’s not for me.”
“Me, neither,” Landon muttered. “I can’t see anyone ever changing my way of thinking. I’m good on my own.”
Jason frowned. “You don’t know what you’re missing. But I know there’s no convincing you unless you experience the power of it for yourself.”
Tanner rolled his eyes at that. “Love is not for me. No one’s going to understand me or accept the demons inside me. Except you two.” He smirked as if it didn’t bother him.
Except Jason sensed it did. But he wasn’t going to argue with the man. Only the right woman coming along would change his way of thinking.
“Okay, so for tonight … is security tight?” Jason asked.
Tanner nodded. “Nothing to worry about on that score. I’ve got everything locked down.”
Jason blew out a breath. “And I’ve got a bodyguard on Faith. Which means I guess we’ve done all we can.”
Landon nodded. “I suggest we try to enjoy, too. The talent is downstairs. Lola and Charlotte are doing sound checks.”
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