Blazing Love: A Hot, Romantic Suspense Series, Book 2 (The Carlisle Sisters) (2 page)

“Can you imagine owning one of these vessels?”  Tracy asked.

“Oh, it would be a dream,” Beth said.

“Well, come to think of it, if Grey can own a private plane, don’t be surprised if he pulls one of these puppies out of his back pocket,” Tracy smiled.

“I would be speechless,” Beth laughed.  “But, you’re right, I probably wouldn’t be surprised!”

They traveled along the walkway and made purchases of beautiful costume jewelry and sun hats.  They came out of the last shop and saw that the sun had set and that the street vendors were packing up.

“I’m a little tired, Beth.  Let’s go back,” Tracy suggested.

“I’m
a lot
tired and that wonderful bed is calling me,” Beth smiled wanly.

Tracy chuckled and they retraced their steps back to the villa.  They were just a few yards from their temporary residence when a woman stepped out in front of them.  They smiled and were about to move around her when she grasped Beth’s arm.  Beth tried to pull her arm away but the woman grip was ironclad.

“Let go of me,” Beth demanded.

Tracy brought her fist down hard on the woman’s wrist to break her grip on Beth’s arm.  The woman’s hand fell away.

“Please, mademoiselle.  I must speak with you,” the woman said.

Beth massaged her arm as she stared at the woman.  She was a petite, slender older woman with thick grey hair that was piled atop her head.  She was short in height and seemed delicate.  But, if her grip was any indicator, she was far from fragile.

“Speak to me about what?  I don’t even know you,” Beth said brusquely.

“I will explain.  Please, come inside,” the woman invited.

The woman gestured to the cottage behind her.  The interior was dark and appeared ominous.  Neither Beth nor Tracy wanted to venture inside.

“No.  We’d rather not,” Beth said.

“Please, it—”

“Look, madam.  I don’t know who you are or what you want.  And I don’t care to know,” Beth said.  “Now, if you will move aside, we will be on our way.”

The woman could see from the looks on their faces that she would not be able to persuade them to talk to her; at least not that night.  But there would be another time; a time when they would want to hear what she had to say.

She nodded and stepped aside.  Beth and Tracy hurried past her and continued on their way.  The woman watched them until they passed through the gate of their villa and disappeared behind the tall wall.  Then she slowly moved back into her cottage and closed the door.

*****

Grey sat in his office and stared blankly at the computer screen.  He was supposed to be reviewing the quarterly revenue reports but he couldn’t concentrate.  That phone call from several days ago continued to bother him.  It had to be a prank.  But why now and who was behind it?

Grey pushed away from his desk and went to stand at the window.  He stared out at the resort in the distance.  He could see the impressive structure of the hotel standing bold and elegant as well as the roller coaster in the amusement park behind it. 

There must have been at least thirty more buildings in and around the hotel and park that made the resort an awesome paradise for vacationers.  But at that moment he could only focus on that cryptic call.  It didn’t sit well with him.  His instincts told him trouble could be brewing and he wanted to head it off.

He took out his phone and called Blaze.  He wanted to get to the bottom of it and who better to do that than his favorite spy?  He had just dialed his friend’s number when he saw Jennifer heading toward the cabin.

“Hey, Grey!  What’s up?’  Blaze answered cheerfully.

Jen entered the outer office.

“I’m sorry, Blaze.  I’ll call you right back,” Grey said abruptly.

Jen walked into Grey’s office without knocking.  He turned to face her.

“Grey,” Jennifer whined, “I’m bored to tears.  Take me to lunch.”

She positioned herself on the corner of his desk.  Her white mini dress rode up her thighs as she crossed her shapely legs and swung them idly.  She tried to appear innocent but Grey knew better.

Her movements had been contrived, deliberate and inviting.  Jen had turned into a conniving piece of baggage since her debacle with Jarod.  It seemed her self-worth had taken a such a hit that she was willing to try anything to get it back; even if it meant trying to steal her little sister’s man.

This was not the first time she had flirted with Grey and he was sure it wouldn’t be the last.  Of course, he hadn’t told Beth about it; he wanted to avoid the fireworks that were sure to go off once she learned the truth.  And he still had hope that it was a phase Jen would tire of before it went that far.

“Not today, Jen.  I’ve got way too much work to do,” he said politely.

“You weren’t working when I came in; and I’m a much better distraction than what you were looking at,” she smiled slyly.

“I was just taking a break.  But I’ve got to hit those accounts again if I want to keep this place running smoothly,” he smiled wanly, nodding toward his computer screen.

She pushed off of the desk and moved to stand mere inches in front of him.

“Give me a chance, Grey.  I’m much more interesting than those boring accounts,” she said as her fingers walked down his chest.  “I promise you won’t be disappointed.”

“No can do, Jen.  I’m just busy.  Perhaps another day,” he said firmly.  He moved to sit behind his desk.  “Why didn’t you go with your sisters?  This is a huge break for Tracy.  I’m sure she would have appreciated your support.”

“Beth is with her.  I was not needed or wanted,” Jen said sorely.

Grey looked at her.

“I doubt they would see it that way.  Tracy loves you, Jen.  Of course she would want you there,” he said mildly.

She shrugged and moved back toward his desk to toy with the model airplane that was sitting on it.

“I have my doubts about that; and I
know
that Beth is not missing me,” she said flippantly.

“Beth harbors no ill will toward you,” he said.

Jen scoffed.

“Has she told you that?  She really should stop lying; it will give her wrinkles,” Jen mocked.

“She wasn’t lying, Jen.  She meant it.  In fact, I thought the two of you were getting along better,” Grey said.  “Has something happened?”

“Beth and I barely talk.  She moved out of the hotel because she couldn’t stand living with me,” she muttered.  “That alone was telling and to the point.  Trust me, Beth does not want me in Saint-Tropez.”

Grey shook his head.

“You’ve got it all wrong, Jen.  But I’m not the one to convince you of it.  That is something you will have to discover on your own,” he advised.

“Beth and I are old news and there’s no sense in rehashing it,” she said as she leaned over his desk.  The low-cut top she wore gaped away from her chest giving him an unobstructed view of her full, round breasts. “There are so many other interesting things we can do.”

Jen looked into his clear, grey eyes and knew she could lose herself in them.  She wanted to run her hands through his thick, dirty blond hair and feel its silky texture.  She couldn’t imagine Beth being able to satisfy him, she was too much of a prude. What he needed was a real woman who knew how to make him explode in her arms.  And she was just the woman for the job.

“Let’s get out of here and go have some fun,” she purred.  “You won’t regret it.”

“I have work to do, Jen.”  He said stiffly.

She moved around his desk and before he could react she was sitting in his lap, her arms looped around his neck

“Nonsense.  All work and no play….well you know the adage.  And I know you are
not
a dull boy; far from it,” she chuckled in his ear then lightly bit it.

He twisted his chair around and stood up; depositing her onto the floor.

“Ooh!  How rude!”  she exclaimed. 

“You left me no other choice,” he said harshly.

“I’ve never been treated so boorishly, you asshole.  Help me up!”  she snapped.  Jen extended her hand to him.

He didn’t trust her not to use more underhanded tactics to get into his arms.  He looked at her disdainfully.

“Help yourself up,” he replied tersely then walked out of the cabin, pulling his cell phone out of his pocket and dialing Blaze once again.

Jen fumed as she watched him leave.

Chapter 2

T
racy and Beth walked through the grand doors of the splendid Annonciade Museum.  Tracy’s paintings had arrived from the United States and she wanted to place them in the space that Director Phillippe Beaupre had provided for her.  The ladies looked around the room in awe.

“Tracy, this room is
gorgeous
,” Beth exclaimed.  “Your paintings will look stunning in here!”

“I quite agree,” someone said from behind them.

They spun around to see a tall, slender man approaching them.  He was quite handsome with a debonair flair to his personage.

“Monsieur Phillippe Beaupre?”  Tracy asked.

“Indeed, it is I.  And you are Mademoiselle Tracy Carlisle,” he said graciously as he took her hand and kissed it.  “It is a great honor to finally meet you.”

“Oh, I am the one who is honored.  Just being here is one of the greatest privileges I could imagine,” Tracy smiled.  “Thank you so much for inviting me to show my collection.  I am beyond thrilled.”

“The privilege is mine.  You do not realize what an impact you have made in the community of fine art,” Phillippe said.  “Your name is on the lips of many art connoisseurs and private collectors.  I am confident that your work will sell out at the showing.”

“Sell out?” Tracy breathed in disbelief.  “Are you serious?”

“Mais bien sûr, of course,” Phillippe said gushingly.  “And I will be the one to have brought you to France.  It will be as Americans say:  a feather in my cap.”  He smiled broadly.

The sisters laughed.

“The feather will be in
my
cap, Monsieur Phillippe,” Tracy said delightedly.  “This is all too wonderful to describe and I am sincerely grateful.  Merci!  Thank you so very much for this opportunity.”

“Vous êtes donc bienvenue.  You are welcome.  And please, call me Phillippe.  And I will call you Tracy, yes?”

“Yes,” Tracy grinned.

“Do you like the space?”  Phillippe asked.

“Absolutely.  It’s beautiful.  A perfect backdrop for the collection,” Tracy said.

“It couldn’t be lovelier,” Beth sighed.

“And you must be Mademoiselle’s sister, yes?”  Phillippe questioned.

“Oh!  I’m so sorry.  I should have made introductions.  Yes.  This is my sister, Bethany Carlisle; soon to be Bethany Merrick,” Tracy smiled.

“Ah!  The lady is to be married.  It is no surprise as your beauty is breathtaking.  It is a pleasure to meet you,” Phillippe said profusely.

“The pleasure is mine.  And thank you for the lovely compliment,” Beth smiled.

“But, of course,” Phillippe bowed.  “I will leave you now and you may continue placing your paintings.  I will see you both tomorrow evening at the showing.”

“We will see you then,” Tracy confirmed.

He nodded then walked away.  Tracy and Beth looked at each other.

“A sellout, Beth?”  Tracy asked incredulously.  “Is he
kidding
?”

Then they caught one another’s hands and jumped up and down in sheer glee.

*****

Grey arrived home at Beth’s cabin and went inside.  He turned on the lights and took a deep breath.  He was glad to be home.

Home.  He began thinking of the cabin as home the second he’d moved into it.  Moving in with Beth had not been a conscious act; it had just evolved organically. 

He’d been spending almost every night at the cabin since the arrest of Jarod.  And it seemed natural for him to live there with Beth.  It was where he was supposed to be.

He went into the bedroom and kicked off his black Italian leather loafers.  He then exchanged his shirt, tie and dress slacks for sweat pants and a sleeveless T-shirt.  It had been a busy day, as usual, and he’d been running since dawn.  What he wanted most was to relax with a Scotch and Beth.  Sadly, only one of those was available; and not the one he wanted most.

He moved to the bar and poured his drink.  As he took a swallow and thought about Jennifer.  He hadn’t seen her since their unfortunate encounter two days earlier and he wondered what she had been up to. 

Whatever the case, it was just as well that she had kept her distance.  He wasn’t sure how she would behave after he’d embarrassed her and he didn’t want to find out.  He hoped that whatever had come over her had run its course as he knew nothing good could come out of it.

He began walking toward the porch when there was a knock on the door.  He looked out the bay window and caught a glimpse of a tall, dark haired man.  He smiled as he opened the door.

“Blaze!”  he greeted.  “This is even sooner than I expected you!”

“Hey man, I come when you call,” Blaze grinned.

The two men embraced then parted.

“I was about to drink my Scotch out on the porch.  Will you join me?”  Grey asked.

“Nothing could possibly sound better than that offer,” Blaze quipped, following Grey inside.

Grey chuckled then moved to the bar and held up a bottle of Delamain Voyage cognac.

“Except maybe for this,” Grey corrected him.

The two men carried their glasses outside and sat side by side in two large, wooden rocking chairs.

“I can understand why you and Beth spend your evenings out here.  It’s so peaceful,” Blaze said.

“It’s our special time of the day,” Grey said.  “Believe me, nothing recharges your batteries like sitting out here with a good drink, a better lady and these beautiful surroundings.”

“No question,”  Blaze agreed.  “Too bad you’re stuck with me tonight.”

“You’re a close second,”  Grey laughed.  “But you’re nowhere near as pretty as Beth is.”

Blaze chuckled.

“You did good, buddy,” Blaze smiled.  “I really like her.  And this time I actually
mean
it!”

“Thanks, man.  I love her.  She’s brought real love into my life.  And that’s something I never thought I would find.  I’m so lucky to be marrying her,” Grey said quietly.