In Shelter Cove (21 page)

“I’m trying,” he said.

“Try harder.”

“Sorry I ruined your chili,” Charlotte told Joe as he stuck the pot in the trunk of his car. “You must have distracted me.”

“
At least we didn’t poison anyone. That wouldn’t have sat well with your mother.”

She laughed. “True, but she’d blame it on me, not you. She has a weakness for good-looking men who stand up for truth and justice.”

“I need to get to know your mother a little better. You have me intrigued.”

“She’d be perfectly lovely to you. It’s just me she doesn’t get along with. We’re very different, and we’ve never understood each other. I don’t think we ever will. Are you going back inside?”

“No. My mouth is still burning.”

“Mine, too. We could go for ice cream.” She saw the hesitation in his eyes and realized she’d overstepped. “But I should probably stay here and help tabulate the votes.”

“It’s just that it’s a small town, Charlotte.”

“I know. It was a dumb idea.” She drew in a breath. “I think I’ll take a little walk before I go back inside. I’ve always loved the church grounds at night. I used to climb out my bedroom window after my parents went to sleep and come over here.”

“To fool around with Andrew?”

She smiled. “On a few occasions, but mostly I just wandered. I could be myself in the dark shadows. I was out from under my mother’s watchful eye, so I was free.”

“Show me where you used to go,” he suggested.

If going out for ice cream in a public place was a bad idea, then wandering around the church grounds in the dark was even worse. But she nodded and led
the way through the trees. They walked in silence. Joe wasn’t much of a talker unless he had something to say, and she kind of liked that.

She paused under a tree with sprawling branches that provided a thick, protective canopy over the grass. “This was my favorite tree for climbing. I was quite the tomboy. I once made it all the way to the top.”

“You like high places, don’t you? That’s why I always see you running or biking up the hills around town.”

“I guess I do.” She was a little surprised that he’d noticed that about her. “There’s something about a view that opens up the world to me. Another favorite spot of mine is the bell tower. Want to see?”

“Sure.”

She headed back toward the empty church, taking him in through the side door, then led him up a narrow, winding staircase to the top of the tower. The old bell had been removed years ago, but the open windows provided a great view.

“In the daytime, you can see the ocean and the ships coming in and out of the harbor,” she said. “At night, this place is great for stargazing.”

As Joe moved next to her, her breath caught in her chest. She’d forgotten about the cozy, intimate nature of the tower.

“Did you come up here with Andrew?” he asked.

“You’re very curious about what Andrew and I did together. Should I start asking you about your old girlfriends?”

“There aren’t any. I began dating Rachel when I was fifteen. We had a couple of brief breakups during college, but I never went out with anyone else on a long-term basis.”

She was surprised that he hadn’t had more relationships, but his words also reminded her that Rachel had always been the one for him and probably always would be.

“What about you, Charlotte? Any other guys besides Andrew?”

“Dozens,” she said lightly.

“I’m talking serious boyfriends.”

“I don’t do serious.” Even in the shadows, she could see his curious look and regretted her impulsive choice of words. “I’ve been busy with college, medical school, internship, residency, then moving back here. When would I have had the time?”

“I don’t think it’s just about time. What happened to make you not want to do serious? Broken heart?”

“Oh, please, everyone’s heart breaks in high school. Some on a weekly basis.”

“I told you one of my secrets,” he reminded her. “You still owe me. Tell me why you left Angel’s Bay.”

“I wanted to be a doctor.”

“Always?”

She sighed at his persistence. No wonder everyone in town thought he was a good interrogator. “Well, not always,” she conceded.

“Why medicine?”

No one had ever asked her why she’d become
a doctor. And in the quiet of the dark night, she found herself wanting to tell him. “I had a miscarriage a long time ago. I didn’t get medical care when I should have, and the baby died. I wanted to find a way to make up for it, to save someone else’s child. Since I was good at science, I went into medicine.”

“I’m sorry, Charlotte.”

His quiet words brought an unexpected tear to her eyes.

“You don’t have to be. I’m fine.”

Joe held out his arms, and after a moment, she moved into his embrace. She rested her head against his chest, listening to the steady beat of his heart. When she’d lost her baby, she’d desperately wanted someone to comfort her, but she’d had to go through it alone. Her mother had made sure of that.

She reluctantly pulled away, knowing that she couldn’t use the old tragedy to create more trouble. “Thanks, Joe.”

He tilted his head, gazing down at her. “Does Andrew know?”

“I never said he was the father.”

“You haven’t said he wasn’t.”

“The only person who knew I was pregnant was my mother, and, believe me, she didn’t tell anyone. I was a disgrace. I had shamed the family.”

“She didn’t tell your father?”

“Oh, no. She thought my mistake would reflect poorly on her.”

“What would she have done if you hadn’t miscarried?”

“
She was planning to send me away, to create some fake trip to the other end of the country. I probably would have gone, too, because I was confused and scared, and she was very formidable.”

“Now I understand why there’s so much anger between you. If one of my sisters had gotten pregnant in high school, my mother would have been there rocking her in her arms. She wouldn’t have considered sending her away. ”

Charlotte fought back tears at the image. “Your mom sounds very kind. Now I know where you get it from. We should go, Joe. It’s getting late.” And she was starting to like him way too much.

“All right. But just so you know, Charlotte, your secret is safe with me.”

She smiled softly. “I wouldn’t have told you if I didn’t know that.”

“Won’t Jason be mad if I don’t go kite flying with him?” Lucas asked worriedly as they waited in the living room for Rick to arrive late Saturday morning.

“I’m sure he won’t be,” Brianna replied, sitting next to him on the couch. Rick had called the night before to set up the kite-flying expedition. He’d made it clear that kite flying was a family tradition he wanted to share with his grandson, and she’d agreed, hoping to smooth the waters.

“But Jason is going to come and see me fly in the contest tomorrow, isn’t he?” Lucas persisted

“I’m not sure,” she said.

Lucas’s face fell. “He doesn’t like me anymore, does he?”

She was shocked by the question. “Of course he does. Why would you say that?”

“Daddy got mad at me and didn’t want me to see him. I heard you telling Grandma on the phone.”

“No, no, honey,” she said, pulling him onto her
lap. “Your daddy loved you very much. He didn’t want you to visit him because he wanted you to have more time to play with your friends. He wasn’t mad at all.” She kissed away the tears on his cheeks. “Your father adored you. Don’t ever think that he didn’t.”

“How come he couldn’t live with us?”

“He just couldn’t,” she said, knowing he was too young to understand.

“What if
you
do something wrong, and they make you go live in the big ugly house?”

She wished she could erase the fear from his eyes—with time, she hoped he’d stop worrying that she might leave him, too. “That won’t ever happen. We are always going to be together. There’s no splitting us up.”

Lucas smiled. “I love you, Mommy.”

“I love you, too.” The doorbell rang. “There’s Grandpa. Go get your jacket,” she said as she got up.

Rick had on jeans and a windbreaker, and excitement lit his brown eyes. “Is my boy ready to go?”

“Yes, he is,” she said as Lucas struggled into his jacket. “He’s really excited about this.”

“Me, too. It’s been a while since I flew a kite.”

She turned to Lucas. “Be good for Grandpa, okay? Stay with him, and listen to whatever he says.”

“I will, Mommy. I promise.”

“He’s always good with me,” Rick told her.

“I’m glad. Thanks for taking him out. He loves spending time with you.”

Rick gave a small nod, his lips tightening with emotion. “We love him, too. We thank God every
day we have him in our lives.” He paused. “Nancy was sorry she missed you yesterday. But we’ll see you tonight at the picnic in the park, right?”

“You bet.” Brianna walked them out to the porch, watching as they got into Rick’s car and drove down the street. Jason’s Jeep was in the next driveway. She hadn’t seen him since the night Nancy had interrupted their dinner.

And she wasn’t going to see him now, she told herself firmly as she headed back inside.

She shut the door and turned the dead bolt for good measure. She needed to concentrate on unpacking, to think about Derek. But it was Jason’s image that had been playing in her mind lately, and she couldn’t seem to get it out.

The doorbell rang again, and her heart leaped. She knew it was him even before she opened the door.

Jason wore faded blue jeans and a T-shirt that clung to his broad shoulders. His brown hair was curling and damp, either from the ocean surf or from a recent shower. His face was cleanly shaven, his mouth so . . . so sexy. She really needed to see him in his cop’s uniform again. She wanted that ruthless, unyielding guy in her head, not this one.

Clearing her throat, she realized he was checking her out, too. She was casually dressed in jeans and a knit top. She hadn’t done much with her hair or makeup, thinking she’d be spending most of the day unpacking the last few boxes in the garage. Now she wished she’d thrown on a little lip gloss.

The silence lengthened between them, crackling
with tension. She wanted to invite him in but was afraid to do so. There was something burning in his eyes, something that looked like anger . . . or was it hunger? A shiver ran down her spine.

“Nancy came up to me at the cook-off last night,” he said, breaking the silence. “She told me to stay the hell away from you.”

Rick had said nothing about a confrontation between them. “So why are you here?” she asked warily.

“Because I
can’t
stay away from you.” He stepped into her living room, kicked the door shut behind him, and hauled her into his arms.

His mouth on hers was hard and demanding, forcing her lips open so he could sweep the inside of her mouth with his tongue. He groaned with pleasure, sending the spark between them into a raging flame. Any thought she had of pushing him away went up in smoke. It was crazy, it was reckless, it was probably wrong, but God, it felt right. She didn’t want to fight him, didn’t want to fight herself. She leaned into his kiss, sliding her hand under his shirt, feeling the heat of his skin warm her from the outside in. She’d been cold for so long, and Jason was deliciously hot.

He lifted his head, his eyes dark and filled with promise. “I want you.”

“Then have me,” she said, giving in to the inevitable.

They stumbled into the bedroom, stopping every now and then to shed an article of clothing. Jason’s body was beautiful, tan from the sun, his muscles
honed, his arms and hands strong and rough and passionate for her. She hadn’t felt so desired in a long time.

He backed her up against the edge of the bed, then reached around behind her and unhooked her bra straps, peeling away the lacy cups. She felt vulnerable under his eyes yet so very feminine. He kissed her lips, then his mouth slid down to her collarbone, the valley between her breasts, his tongue finally swirling around her nipples, sending liquid fire to her core.

When his hands pulled her hips to his, she could feel his erection through his boxers. They tumbled onto the bed together. He stripped off her thong. She pushed his shorts down to his knees, and he kicked them off.

He cupped the back of her head with one hand as she fell against the pillows. His other hand slid between her thighs, touching, teasing, slipping inside her. She moved her legs restlessly, wanting more than his wicked fingers. But Jason was tormenting her with his mouth and his hands, creating a deep, driving need for release.

“It’s not enough.” She gasped. “I want all of you.”

That was all the encouragement he needed. He straddled her body, parted her thighs, and slid inside, filling the emptiness in her soul, chasing every thought out of her head, making her feel as if she was a part of him and he was a part of her and she’d never be alone again. It was exhilarating and terrifying, and she never wanted it to end.

* * *

Jason’s heart took a long time to slow down. He didn’t want to slide out of Brianna, didn’t want to break the connection between them. He’d never felt so completely in sync with a woman—not just physically but emotionally.

Shit!
What the hell was he thinking? He sounded like a woman.

He rolled over onto his back, taking long, deep breaths, then pulled Brianna into his arms. She laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arm around his waist. He closed his eyes, enjoying her sweet scent, the brush of her hair against his chest. Making love to her had been more than he’d ever imagined. There was so much passion between them, so much heat. She’d wanted him as badly as he’d wanted her.

Or maybe she was just lonely . . .

The thought drove the smile from his lips.

Maybe she was just trying to find a way to stop feeling so numb . . .

Tension crept into his limbs, and his eyes flew open. Maybe this wasn’t the beginning of something but just the surrender to a reckless impulse, a basic physical need . . .

Brianna sat up, her eyes unsure as she pulled the sheet up over her breasts.

“A little late,” he drawled. “I’ve already seen everything.”