Shattered Dreams (11 page)

“You’re pathetic.” She shook her head and let out a quick bark of a laugh. Her laughter was cut off as his lips descended over hers.

Chapter 11

Jason’s amusement over Claire’s diligence at maintaining her distance increased. In the close quarters of the sailboat, the feat was nearly impossible to achieve, made more difficult because he wasn’t about to be ignored.

The sun had long disappeared by the time they sailed into the marina. Once Jason docked the boat and secured the lines, he opened a bottle of wine. After handing a glass to Claire, he took his and started below to prepare their meal. The hors d’oeuvres had curbed starvation, but he was definitely ready for something heartier. The thought of the steaks he had marinating made his stomach growl.

As he watched her approach, his thoughts shifted. Though identical twins, the woman was as different from Crystal Grayson as night was from day. The contrast intrigued him.

“Is this part of your strategy?” Claire asked, coming to stand in front of him. “Get me drunk so I’ll fall under your spell?”

“Huh?” He slanted a glance her way and noted her teasing expression. He held her gaze while taking a drink, and then flashed a quick smile. “Uh, no. It’s an interesting suggestion, but to tell you the truth, it’s not my style.”

He resumed chopping vegetables on the small cutting board. “I’m a wine drinker and assume everyone is. Like sailing, I guess. I forget there are people who get seasick, just as I forget there are those who don’t drink.”

“So I’m safe from your ploys, then.”

“For the time being.” He brought the wineglass to his lips for another sip and snared her gaze again. “When we make love, I don’t want you drunk.”

“Isn’t that a bit presumptuous?” she said with a nervous laugh. “Saying when rather than if?”

“Is it?” He smiled inwardly at the slight flush of color stealing up her face. His groin tightened in response, and he ignored the signal.

Her eyes flashed something he didn’t recognize, but one thing he did know. Claire wasn’t immune to him any more than he was immune to her. The only detail holding him back was her situation. He wasn’t one to take advantage of emotional trauma. She had enough to deal with, without his making things worse by adding more conflict.

“I could get used to this.” She lifted her glass, not rising to his little taunt.

When she leaned against the table watching him, he tried to ignore the way her blouse pulled across her chest, accentuating her breasts.

“It’s good. What is it?”

His attention traveled from her chest to her face.

“An aged petite sirah. And for your information, that’s not just good, it’s damn good.”

“Oh?”

“Can’t you taste it?” he asked, pushing away thoughts of undoing that blouse and seeing what was underneath.

Carl Carter didn’t deserve her. But she was still married to the bastard, and from what he’d observed, still in denial. Patience—that was all he needed. He’d bide his time until the inevitable happened.

Sighing, he refocused on preparing dinner. “Most wines are consumed too young, so you don’t get the full effect.”

“What was I drinking last night? It was different, but I still enjoyed it.”

“You noticed that, did you?” When she nodded, he smiled. “You have potential. I’ll make a wine drinker out of you yet.”

She laughed. “You’re a wine connoisseur?”

“No, but I am picky. I do like wines that have the complexities of age. The wine we drank last night was an imported red table wine. Sophia and Antonio have connections with several Italian vintners.”

He opened a drawer full of silverware and nodded. “Here. Make yourself useful and go set the table. We’ll eat on deck. The steaks are ready to grill.”

• • •

Though the sky was clear, the balmy night added to the romantic atmosphere. A slight breeze blew, causing a gentle rocking of the boat—one that lulled rather than agitated.

“It’s late. I really should be getting home.”

“I guess.” Jason sighed. “I can’t remember when I’ve enjoyed an evening so much.”

He tried not to let Claire’s smile affect him. He hadn’t bothered lighting a lantern. The full moon emitted enough illumination to see her expression so clearly in the moonlight.

He never should have had that last glass of wine. The mellow effect wasn’t aiding his efforts to resist the lady sitting across from him. Thoughts of laying her down and smothering her with kisses kept roaming through his head, especially when he’d look up at some comment she made and see a spark of connection in her eyes. The feeling was surreal, but Claire was right. It was time to leave before he ended up doing something he’d regret.

“Come on.” He rose. “Help me close up the boat and I’ll get you home.”

In minutes, they were ready to leave. Both shot for the dock at the same time, bumping into each other in the confined space. She laughed, appearing nervous and unsure of herself as she backed up a step.

“I don’t scare you, do I?” He placed steadying hands on her shoulders.

“No,” she said too quickly, and glanced down.

“No?” A chuckle burst forth. “Not even a little bit?”

His playful comment drew her attention. She eyed him warily as her tongue took a journey over her lips. His eyes followed the movement with total absorption. He couldn’t look away. When she bit her bottom lip in consternation, a signal flashed to his groin, one that his mellow brain fought to ignore. Only his stirring awareness was winning, pushing common sense and all resistance aside.

“I must be doing something wrong then. Usually, I intimidate the hell out of people,” he teased.

Presenting a lopsided grin, he leaned against the railing in a deceptive manner and held out his hand expectantly. His entire body was primed and ready to strike, much like a snake, waiting for the exact moment in order to inflict the most damage.

Indecision flickered in Claire’s gaze. He watched a mental battle ensue before she moved cautiously toward him and took his offered hand.

He quickly forgot his resolve to bide his time. Her warm smile tugged at him, and he couldn’t stop himself from reacting.

The next moment, she was in his arms and his lips were melding with hers, kissing her as if he couldn’t get enough. He inhaled her essence as his tongue explored.

“God, you taste so good,” he murmured after endless minutes of sheer bliss, trailing kisses from those gorgeous lips to her ear. He took a nip before whispering, “I’ve been wondering all night what it would be like, and reality is so much nicer than conjecture.”

He went back to nibbling on her ear before working his way to her lips again, plundering further, giving her no chance to withdraw as he felt her doing. He smiled inwardly when he felt her surrender, when she opened herself to him and wrapped her hands around his neck to pull him closer.

The woman was intoxicating. He should have never touched her, because now he was fighting to stop. He wanted far more than kisses.

Finally, he pulled back, breathing heavily and fully aroused. Her stormy green eyes were filled with the same emotions that ran through his system. Desire laced with torment.

“I can’t do this.”

A twinge of regret nestled in the pit of his stomach at the soft sound of pain in her voice.

“Shhh,” he said soothingly as he kissed her cheek. “I know.”

“I’m a married woman,” she said in an anguished voice, as if she hadn’t heard him.

“He doesn’t deserve you.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Yes, I do.”

“No, you don’t.” Her turbulent expression hadn’t softened when she whispered, “If you did, you’d know this is not about him.”

He sighed and pulled her closer to kiss the side of her head. “Shush. I do understand.” In an effort to soothe her, he gently rubbed his hand up and down her back.

Again, she didn’t seem to hear him. “It’s because of me. I can’t do this because of me.”

He felt her head move and he glanced down into those beautifully shaped sad eyes.

Another wave of regret washed over him at the pain in her voice as she said, “How could I be thinking of doing something like this when I know how it feels to be on the other side?”

What could he say to that? She wasn’t over the cheating bastard, and nothing could happen between them until she was.

“I’m sorry, Claire. Come on. I’ll take you home.”

They walked to the car in silence. The headlights flashed twice after he hit the keyless entry. Claire stood without saying anything, and waited for him to open the door. When he did, she put a hand on his arm. He felt the gentle touch all the way to his soul.

“Thank you,” she whispered before standing on tiptoe to place a kiss on his cheek. Then she quickly slipped inside the Mercedes as if not trusting herself to refrain from going further, or maybe it was him she didn’t trust.

Whatever it was, her actions threw him.

Chapter 12

“Well, well, well. Look what the cat dragged in.”

Crystal Grayson heard the drawl and her back stiffened. Smoothing her features to show no emotion, she stopped her forward momentum and turned toward the voice.

“Jimbo.” She should have expected him to be lurking around the Ocean View since he was most likely still working for Jason.

Holding on to her fake smile, she acknowledged him with a slight nod and watched the tall, lanky, good-looking man saunter in her direction from the hotel lobby. She fought to ignore the feeling she got every time the guy stepped within ten feet of her. Jim O’Malley had the uncanny ability to make her feel as if he could see inside her, and Crystal had spent a lifetime working on ways to keep others from doing just that.

“Fancy meeting you here,” she purred, holding his amused brown gaze.

He would have to look like some renegade cowboy, all sexy and scruffy as if he’d just stepped off a billboard advertising men’s cologne. She pushed away the twinge of awareness that spread through her at the way his jeans hugged his rugged frame like a second skin.

“My thinking exactly, sweetheart.” His gait slowed until he stood in front of her, too close for comfort, invading her space.

The grin he flashed was quick while his eyes scanned the length of her, ending at her face. Another surge of excitement rushed through her system. Jimbo spoke in a soft, lazy drawl that rolled over her ears. The sound seduced her with its simplicity, always making her think he didn’t waste energy on unimportant things like words or voice inflection.

“How about a drink for old times’ sake?”

She started to shake her head, but the denial stuck in her throat when she caught the challenge in his expression. Instead, she threw her shoulders back and jutted out her chin.

“Sure. I’ve got a few minutes to spare for old times’ sake.”

He chuckled.

Even his laugh sounded sexy. Having a drink with him might not be such a great idea, she decided as Jimbo nodded and placed his hand on the small of her back, gently guiding her toward the hotel’s bar.

While walking next to him, she struggled to ignore the sensations his presence caused. His hand barely touched her slacks, but she felt the connection as if a current ran from fingers to waist.

In the bar, she quickly sat on the stool he pulled out and exhaled a relieved breath when he grabbed a stool across from her. The small table worked wonders for adding the distance needed to still the crazy thoughts his nearness incited. Neither the man nor his languid Southern ways would affect her now.

“I’ll have bourbon on the rocks,” she stated in a cool voice to the cocktail waitress who put paper napkins in front of her.

“Same here,” came Jimbo’s amused drawl.

“I see you’ve been busy,” he said as the waitress scurried off.

Crystal shot him a curious glance.

He gave her his lazy smile, reminding her of why she found him so sexy. His lovemaking was as lazy and unhurried as the rest of him, and she swallowed hard at the memory of the last time he’d worked those slow hands over her. Too bad the guy made her uncomfortable, because he was delicious in bed. Since sex with Jimbo wasn’t in her best interest, she pushed away thoughts of doing sheet sprints with him.

“That’s nothing new. I’m always busy.”

“True, true,” he said. “But I was referring to your sexual exploits.”

“Spying on me, Jimbo?”

“No, darlin’. Working.”

“I see.” Crystal turned down the temperature on her smile.

“I’ll bet you do. Didn’t know you had a twin.” He turned to the waitress, who was placing drinks in front of them. “Thanks.”

“I thought Claire fired Jason.” Crystal took a sip of her drink, observing him through a narrow-eyed gaze.

“Maybe. But Jason told me to keep digging, and I hit some interesting shit.”

“Oh?”

“You’re incredible.” He brought the glass to his lips and took a long swallow. “You can sit there staring me straight in the eye without flinching and say
oh
, like it’s nothing? I’m amazed.”

“Think what you want.” Ignoring his taunt, she sipped her drink without breaking eye contact. “You always have.”

“I go by evidence and what I learn from ferreting out facts.” His face contorted in disgust. “Tell me you’re not having an affair with Carl Carter.”

“I must be, if that’s what the evidence points to,” she said, goading him. “I have to hand it to you, Jimbo. You do have a knack for ferreting out facts.”

Crystal finished her drink in one swallow and slammed the glass on the table before sliding off the bar stool in an easy move.

“Thanks for the drink. This really did feel like old times.”

She strode briskly away.

Chapter 13

Adrenaline pumped through the woman’s veins as she paced the boat, back and forth and back and forth.

She couldn’t still the nervous energy surging inside her system, so she shook her hands and used them to lift her thick hair off her clammy, sticky shoulders. Airflow had all but stopped except for the slight breeze stirred by the movement of the sailboat cutting through the calm water.