Authors: Susan Mallery
He turned to her and raised his eyebrows. “Cold?”
“Terrified.”
“New business jitters?”
“Mostly. I’ve been telling myself that I don’t get to be scared. I mean, in the grand scheme of life, what’s opening a business? Look at what my mom has to deal with every day with her MS. I should be able to handle this with grace and dignity, right?”
He moved toward her. “It’s okay to be scared. It’s natural, considering what you’re doing.”
His dark blue eyes seemed to suck her in. She felt herself losing all her will, not to mention her sense of self-preservation. Asking his opinion was one thing, but longing for some serious naughty time was just plain stupid.
“This is a big change,” she admitted, knowing that confession was much safer than telling him about the voice in her head. The one screaming, “Take me now!”
She cleared her throat. “I’ve read the articles. I know what percentage of new businesses fail.”
“You’re not going to be one of them. You have a great product in an excellent location. You’ll be local and get the support that goes with it.” He put his hands on her upper arms. “You’re going to be fine.”
“That’s what I keep telling myself.” She found herself wanting to lean into him, which wasn’t a good thing. Distraction, she thought. She needed a distraction.
“Hey, you’ll be doing all this and killing people,” she said, her voice perky. “That’s some stress, too.”
He gave her that damned slow, sexy smile. “We don’t plan to kill people in class.”
“Just after. If they’re late or mouthy?”
“It’s one way to deal with problems.” He dropped his hands to his sides. “So, what’s the next step?”
“Plumber, electrician and the contractor all fight for space.” She led the way to the main counter. “See the big squares? Those are the espresso machines. They have to be plumbed for water and hardwired into the electrical system. The cold and display cases are already on their way. The espresso machines will arrive on Monday.”
The details were both a distraction from being so close to Justice and a direct route to a twirly tummy. She pressed her hand against her midsection.
“All the professional work will be done within two weeks. Then comes the fun stuff. Painting, cleaning, setting up. We’ll do a work party for that. Then another week to pull it all together, train whatever staff we hire, and then we open.”
He faced her. “A work party?”
“Sure. We put out the word that we need help and people will show up and do whatever needs doing.” Patience tilted her head. “I’ve been to tons of them but have never asked for help. It feels weird, but I can’t take care of everything myself, and paying the contractor for the simple stuff chews up too much of the budget.”
“Another small-town benefit?” he asked.
She smiled. “We could come help you, if you’d like. Stock the shelves with lethal darts and pens that use invisible ink.”
“I think we’ll be fine.”
“If you’re sure.”
“I am.” He studied her. “You never wanted to live anywhere else?”
“This is home. Do you think there’s somewhere better?”
“Not for you. You belong here.”
She wasn’t sure if his words were a good thing or a bad thing. Maybe they just were and she should go with it.
She opened her mouth to say something else, then happened to catch sight of his watch. “Is that the time?”
He held out his arm so she could see more clearly. “It’s accurate.”
“I have highlights in ten minutes.”
He pushed her toward the door. “Go. I’ll lock up and drop off the key.”
“Really? Thanks.”
She bolted out the door.
She almost wished he wouldn’t be so nice, she thought as she hurried toward the salon. Justice was enough of a temptation without being thoughtful and sweet, too. With everything going on, she found herself feeling more vulnerable than usual.
Yes or no, she thought. Yes to Justice and possible disaster, but such a thrill ride. Or no. Which really meant yes to being sensible.
She wanted it all, she realized. The man who made her tingle and laugh, who was also dangerous and mysterious. She wanted uncertainty
and
a sure thing. An impossible combination.
* * *
J
USTICE
DID
AS
he promised. He locked up the store, then returned the key to Patience. She was busy painting some mixture onto thin strips of hair, then wrapping them in what looked a lot like aluminum foil.
The mysteries of being a woman, he thought as he ducked out of the salon before he was noticed. But he was happy to help her. Being around Patience relaxed him. He felt better when she was in the room. The sexual attraction was a problem he hadn’t solved. Giving in was the easiest solution, but then what? How did that help her? Excluding all the ways he planned to please her, of course.
He’d never been the kind of man who settled into relationships. Between his work and his past, he knew he wasn’t a good bet. So far, resisting the call of settling down had been easy, but lately...
He shook off the thought and headed down the street. As he reached the corner, he saw a man walking in front of him. The guy was tall, with dark hair. There was something familiar about him. Something that put Justice on alert. He knew the other man wouldn’t start the fight, but he would end it.
By the time Justice had closed the gap, the information was in place. So when the guy turned, Justice was able to put the name with the face and know there wasn’t any danger. Not yet, at least.
“Gideon Boylan,” he said.
The dark-haired man didn’t look surprised. “Garrett.”
Gideon looked like a dozen other guys Justice knew. Scarred, tattooed and dangerous. He had a scar by his eyebrow, but Justice was sure there were others. In their line of work, it wasn’t a matter of
if
you were injured but rather
when.
“Funny seeing you here,” Justice said.
“I heard you were in town. It was just a matter of time until we ran into each other.”
“You live here?”
Gideon nodded. “Moved here last year.” He glanced around at the quiet street and tidy storefronts. “Hell of a place.” He returned his attention back to Justice. “Ford told me about it. One day I had nowhere else to go, so I thought I’d swing by. Decided to stay.”
Justice knew there was a whole lot more to the story. Gideon had worked black ops. The kind that took a man so deep he often couldn’t find his way back. From what Justice had been told, Gideon had been captured. The nature of his mission meant he wasn’t sanctioned and therefore couldn’t be missing. And if you weren’t missing, no one came looking.
From what Justice had pieced together, nearly two years had passed before Ford Hendrix and Angel Whittaker had found Gideon. After that much torture and captivity, he’d been more dead than alive.
Obviously he’d recovered. At least on the outside. There was no way to know about the internal scars. People thought the real danger of what soldiers did was physical. The truth was the worst damage was often in the heart and in the mind. How you were changed by everything you saw during war. That’s what couldn’t always be fixed.
“What do you do here?” Justice asked.
“I bought a couple of radio stations. I’m the night DJ. Oldies mostly. Some talk. Hell, I don’t know if anyone’s listening, but so far I haven’t been run out of town.” He offered a brief smile that didn’t reach his eyes.
The smile faded. “I wouldn’t have thought Fool’s Gold was your kind of place.”
“I spent a year or so here when I was a kid,” Justice said. “Ford kept reminding me about it, and one day I decided to come back.” He pulled a business card out of his shirt pocket and passed it over.
Gideon took it. “CDS. Cerberus Defense Sector.” The smile returned. “The three-headed dog that guards hell? Talk about delusions of grandeur.”
Justice chuckled. “It seemed appropriate. It’s me, Ford and Angel.”
“Angel’s moving here, too? Seriously? Do you think he’ll fit in?”
“I think Fool’s Gold can handle him.”
“We’ll see.” Gideon started to return the card.
“Keep it,” Justice told him. “Maybe you want to join us.”
“I have my gig.”
“You could teach a couple of classes. Keep your hand in, so to speak.”
Gideon shoved the card into his jeans pocket. “I don’t think so. Keep my hand in for what? Have you seen this place? We’re all pretty safe here.”
That might be true, but Justice knew the danger never went away. That for the rest of his life, Gideon would be on guard against the dark, if nothing else.
“You might change your mind,” Justice said. “If you do, call me. We could use a guy like you.”
Gideon held up both hands. “I’m a civilian now. Just doing my thing.”
“Married?” Justice asked.
Gideon dropped his arms to his sides. “No. I haven’t settled in that much.”
Which might be a problem, Justice thought.
Gideon’s gaze sharpened. “I saw that,” he said. “Why do you care if I’m—” He swore. “No way. She’s coming here?”
They both knew who the “she” was. Felicia.
“She is and you’ll stay away from her.”
Gideon’s posture tensed. “You’re going to make me?”
“She’s important to me. Like a sister.”
Gideon winced. “That makes it worse.”
“Yes, it does. It means I’ll always care about her. She’s family, Gideon, and if you hurt her, I’ll kill you.”
They both knew Justice meant what he said. They also both knew that Gideon wouldn’t go easily. Which left them at an impasse.
“I’m sure she’s forgotten about me,” Gideon said. “It was a long time ago.”
“I’m sure, too.”
But as the two men walked away from each other, Justice found himself wondering if both of them were lying or only him. Because Felicia
was
family to him, which meant he knew she’d never forgotten anything. Not about Gideon or their night together. And when she found out he was in town, there was no telling what was going to happen.
CHAPTER EIGHT
P
ATIENCE
SAT
ON
the sofa in her living room and ignored the folder Justice had set in front of her. “Are you sure?”
“You sound disappointed.”
“I was hoping you’d tell me that Lillie’s grandfather is a known felon, wanted in fifteen states. That would make my decision easier.”
“Sorry. He has no criminal record. A couple of traffic tickets over the years. He doesn’t seem to be very successful with his personal relationships, but other than that, he’s paid his taxes on time and runs a fairly successful business. He sold that a year ago, put the proceeds into safe investments and moved here about four months ago.”
Patience grimaced. “He’s really close?”
“Renting a house on the outskirts of town.” Justice sat on the sofa and faced her. “I can’t speak for his character, but for the rest of it, he’s a regular guy.”
“Which means I have no real reason to keep him from Lillie.”
“Not the answer you wanted.”
She shrugged. “I know that makes me sound like a terrible person, but I’m willing to live with the judgment.”
“You’re trying to keep your daughter safe.”
Patience wished she could accept the compliment, but she wasn’t being completely truthful. “I might have other motives. I’ll admit there’s a part of me that doesn’t want my relationship with my daughter to change. I don’t want to share her with Steve. I’m also scared that if he gets involved, Ned might find out and have a spiritual awakening or something.”
Justice shifted a little closer and took her hand in his.
She let him, liking the physical contact and sign of support. He had big hands, she thought idly, then had to clear her throat when the slutty part of her mind whispered that old wives’ tale about men and the size of their hands.
Foolishness, she told herself. And not the point.
“I checked out Ned, too,” he told her. “He’s a jerk. For what it’s worth, I don’t think you have to worry about him suddenly having a guilty conscience. From what I can tell, he doesn’t have much of a conscience to begin with.”
“Which makes me really stupid for getting involved with him.” She held up her free hand. “I’m being scattered. The point is Steve isn’t a bad guy and I should probably give him a chance.”
“What does your mom say about him?”
“She’s on his side, which surprises me. I would have thought she would be more concerned about him. But she’s all in favor of Lillie getting to know her grandfather.” Patience bit her lower lip. “That worries me, too. Her agreeing. She’s been odd lately. Getting calls and taking them in private. Not saying what they’re about. I don’t expect her to share every detail of her life, but there’s something going on.”
Justice’s gaze was steady. “Do you think it’s about her health?”
He’d voiced her greatest fear. “I hope not, but I do worry. What if she’s sicker than she’s letting on? She could be eager for Lillie to have more family because she’s not going to be around as long as she would like.”
Pressure built up in the back of her throat and her eyes began to burn. Patience blinked and swallowed, not wanting to break into hysterical sobs just now.
Justice grabbed her other hand. “Hey, look at me.”
She did as he requested.
“Your mom isn’t dying. You’ve seen her around here. She’s moving great. She’s doing as much as she used to and she’s completely involved with Brew-haha. Right?”
“Yes.”
“So whatever she has going on, it’s unlikely to be her health. But if you’re still concerned, ask her.”
“That’s so sensible.”
“Not your thing?”
“Not on purpose.”
He laced his fingers with hers. “Ask her.”
“I will. After the opening. I don’t want her to feel I’m spying on her, and we’re both stressed right now.”
Plus, his observations about how Ava was dealing with her activities were right. There hadn’t been any changes, except for the mysterious phone calls. Ava was still going out with her friends and working regular hours.
She drew in a breath. “I guess I have to call Steve and let him know he can see Lillie.”
“Want me to be there for the first visit?”
She leaned toward him. “You wouldn’t mind? It would help so much.” She managed a smile. “I know you can step in if things get difficult.”
Justice would also be a nice distraction for her daughter. And hey, if the professional bodyguard made Steve a little nervous, all the better. Patience acknowledged that her plan of keeping Justice and her daughter apart had just gone down the toilet. But right now Steve was the bigger threat.
“I wouldn’t have offered if I hadn’t meant it,” he told her. “Lillie’s a great kid. I’m happy to make sure nothing bad happens.”
“Thank you. You have your secret bodyguard trip coming up. I’ll schedule the visit before that.” She laughed. “It’s some rock star, right? Like a band, and you’re embarrassed, so that’s why you’re pretending it’s dangerous.”
His blue eyes flashed with an emotion she couldn’t read. “You’ve caught me.”
“I knew it.”
“You’re pretty smart...for a girl.”
She straightened. “Seriously? You did not say that to me.”
“I like that you’re a girl.”
“Don’t try to be all nice now. I’m insulted.”
She started to stand, but he grabbed her around the waist and pulled her against him. She wasn’t really trying to stop him, but even if she had been, she was suddenly not in control of the situation. He shifted and twisted and there she was, sitting on his lap, his face inches from hers.
His thighs were rock hard beneath her butt. His arms came around her and both supported her and held her captive. She could inhale the scent of him—clean soap and something slightly more sensuous and masculine.
“Are you taking control of this situation?” she asked softly.
“I am.”
She knew there were concerns. That who he was and who he had been weren’t the same. She was assuming the boy she’d known had grown into the same kind of man. Her gut said to trust him, but it wasn’t her gut she was worried about. It wasn’t even her body. It was her heart.
Justice was a blue-eyed knight riding to her rescue. After years of taking care of herself, that was tough to resist. But she had her questions. At the risk of sounding like a father in an eighteenth-century novel, what were his intentions? This was not a good time to get her heart broken.
But when he leaned in and kissed her, she couldn’t find it in herself to resist. The man was hot, and she had been without any hotness for what felt like a lifetime.
She welcomed the heat and pressure of his mouth on hers and parted her lips instantly. He slipped his tongue inside and she got lost in the erotic dance as shivers rippled through her. Her arms settled around his neck and she leaned in to feel his body against hers.
Closer, she thought, tilting her head and kissing him deeply. She needed to get closer.
Fortunately mind reading seemed to be one of his skills. He shifted his hands, then shifted all of her so she was straddling him. They were close enough to do a lot of intriguing things.
She opened her eyes and stared at his face. Slowly, not wanting to rush the moment, she touched his cheek, then traced the line of his jaw.
“Tough guy,” she murmured.
One corner of his mouth turned up. “That’s me. Tough.”
She supposed
lethal
was a better word, but not for her purposes. She rested her fingertips on his broad shoulders and let herself get lost in his gaze.
“You sure about this?” she asked.
“About moving back to Fool’s Gold, opening the business or being here with you?”
“All of them, I guess.”
“You think I’m better than I am.”
Talk about not answering the question. “Shouldn’t that make you happy?”
He put his hands on her waist. “I don’t want to disappoint you.”
“Is that possible?”
“In life if not in bed.”
“Oh, please. That is so like a guy.”
“Guilty. And I still want you,” he said quietly. “Kiss me, Patience.”
She leaned in to comply with his request. As her mouth touched his, she felt his hands settle on her breasts. He cupped her curves in his palms. Long fingers brushed against her nipples and sent jolts of desire all through her. She sank into him, wanting that and more.
She pushed her tongue against his. They circled and stroked even as he rubbed her nipples a little harder and a little faster. She found it more and more difficult to breathe. When his hands dropped to her hips, she nearly whimpered, then realized he was pulling her closer. Settling her on his erection.
He was hard and thick and she pulsed against him, wishing there weren’t layers of clothing between them. She was starving for what he offered, desperate with need.
His hands slipped under her T-shirt with the dancing rhinos. With an easy flick of two fingers her bra was undone; then he was touching her breasts, skin on skin, and she straightened to give him more room.
She rubbed herself against him, even as he pulled up her shirt, removed her bra and settled his mouth on her breast.
The soft, wet contact made her gasp. He licked her nipple before closing his lips around her and sucking gently. She slipped her hands through his hair and strained toward him, wanting all he had to offer.
He moved to her other breast and repeated his action. When he drew back, his eyes were dark, his pupils dilated, and they were both breathing hard.
“We should—”
Go upstairs. Do it now. Get naked.
Patience wasn’t sure what she was going to say next, although she had an idea of the context. But instead of finishing her sentence, she heard a familiar laugh from outside.
Lillie.
“Crap,” she shrieked, scrambling off Justice’s lap and reaching for her bra. “We’re in my living room in the middle of the afternoon. We can’t do this here.”
He glanced toward the door, then stood and walked over to the wing chair by the couch. It took her a second to realize he was positioning himself behind it so his
condition
wouldn’t be obvious.
“You’re right,” he said. “This isn’t the place.” His mouth twitched. “I can apologize if you’d like, although technically I’m not sorry.”
She hooked her bra back together and pulled down her shirt. After making sure everything was in place, she glanced at him and smiled.
“I’m not sorry, either. But the last time I made out on the sofa, I was still in high school.”
His gaze locked with hers. He didn’t speak, but she would swear she heard the words.
It should have been me.
In that second, she agreed. It should have been him. Her first kiss, her first time. Because whatever she’d felt for Justice before had stayed with her all this time. It wasn’t love and it probably wasn’t smart, but it was still there. A sense of connection. Which meant walking away was impossible to imagine.
* * *
J
USTICE
HADN
’
T
BEEN
sure what to expect from the work party at Brew-haha. Even so the crush of forty or so volunteers was still a surprise. Over the past two weeks Patience had put together a list of what needed to be done and collected supplies. He’d seen her a few times, but never alone or in a setting where he could take advantage of them being alone.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d spent so much time wanting what he couldn’t have. Even as a teenager, he’d been more focused on dealing with the situation with his father than getting the girl. He’d had feelings for Patience, but she’d been so young and he’d known he didn’t have the right.
Over the years, he’d learned to lose himself in his work. When he wanted or needed a woman, there were always plenty to be found. But wanting and not having was new to him.
On this bright, warm, spring morning, he stood on the fringes of the crowd and listened to Patience explain her plan.
“There’s a master list posted by the door,” she said, pointing to the brightly colored paper with a long list of projects. “Supplies are in the center of the room, on the tarp. Once a project is finished, please cross it out so everyone else will know it’s finished.”
She’d pulled her long, wavy hair back into a ponytail. Her T-shirt was red with a cartoon cat on the front. She looked about seventeen. All fresh-scrubbed and pretty.
He knew that Lillie was spending the day with friends and that Ava had been having trouble lately. She would be using a wheelchair. He knew the color of paint in the cans and what was on the list, but he was still separate from what was going on. Watching rather than participating.
It was how he preferred things. Only with Patience he was in deeper than was comfortable for him. Still, pulling back didn’t seem to be an option.