“Why didn’t you say something to me?” Jace asked, genuine curiosity lacing his tone. “I would have—”
“Given me one night before you went off to boot camp?” Shae slowly edged his shirt higher over his chest until he helped her free him of the material. She dropped it to the floor with acceptance, her gaze absorbing what she’d only ever imagined. “All I’ve done is prolong this moment for twelve years, and it will be me who leaves our hometown behind this time.”
Shae wasn’t sure why she expected Jace to reply, but he remained silent as she slowly ran both her hands up his chest. Whatever the Corps had him doing certainly benefited his health. She traced the contour of his shoulders, his pecs, and eventually his abdomen.
How could he be more impeccable than the man in her dreams?
“Doc?” Her nickname falling off his lips had her meeting his gaze. A small smile met his eyes as he gently took hold of her hands to stop their motion. “The time for words has passed. Let’s both take what we can offer each other without regret.”
Shae greedily managed another kiss before leaning back far enough to begin undressing, pushing one button after another through their openings. He continued to stare at her fingers with each degree of success. She was finally able to draw either side of her shirt apart, but it was with his help that the soft material brushed over her shoulders.
“Amazingly beautiful,” Jace whispered hoarsely, using the pad of his index finger to trace the outer edge of her bra that covered the swell of her breast. Her nipple hardened underneath the fabric, practically begging for his touch. “Tell me what it is you imagined doing on that couch, Doc.”
“How about I show you instead,” Shae replied, but not before she was able to unfasten the button on his jeans. “Follow my lead, Marine.”
Shae deliberately took her time standing before leisurely removing her clothing, relishing the mounting electricity that practically sparked from his darkening blue eyes. Standing in front of him in the nude was absolutely a heady experience. There wasn’t a part of her body that his gaze didn’t touch in their observation.
She raised an eyebrow in encouragement, waiting for him to remove the rest of his clothing. It was a nice surprise to see him pull a condom from his wallet before letting the leather billfold drop to the floor on top of his jeans. She would have taken the foiled package from his fingers had he not yanked it away at the last minute with a chuckle.
“Not so fast, Doc.” Jace wrapped an arm around her waist and spun her around so that it was she sitting on the couch instead of him. This hadn’t been part of her fantasy, but she didn’t care when he knelt before her. This was so much better. “I have a few delicious fantasies of my own that I’d like to act out.”
Shae wasn’t about to argue, especially when he lifted her right leg and began to show her exactly what he meant by delicious. She really did try to watch as he made his way from the inside of her ankle to the sensitive area of her thigh, but the stimulating tingles and shivers became too much. He rested her calves on his back as he began to love her in ways that her imagination couldn’t possibly begin to visualize.
And when he gradually slid his fingers inside her folds? She didn’t even bother to smother the moan that escape her throat nor care that she had a tight hold of his short hair. There was no leverage enough to help her through the escalating arousal.
Jace tongue was circling her clitoris with just enough pressure that the pleasure was immense, but not enough to push her over the edge. She was hanging on by a thread, but nothing she did made him cut her loose.
“Jace…”
“What a perfect angle,” Jace whispered in praise, shifting so that her ankles remained leveraged on his shoulders while he positioned himself at her entrance. He’d somehow managed to put on the condom and was ready to take her. This position offered him full access. “Hold on to the cushion behind you, Doc.”
Shae gripped the leather, but it didn’t give her nearly enough influence over the extreme pleasure that seized her as he began to slowly enter her, not stopping until he was seated within her core…fully. The backs of her legs were resting against his chest as he continued to gradually thrust into her, nowhere near relieving the slight sting of her sheath stretching to accommodate his width. If anything, the light spasms he initiated only became that much stronger.
“It’s not enough.” Shae cried out when his lips settled around her right nipple, intensifying the mind-blowing awakening of senses. She arched her back the best she could, which only managed to have his shaft slide more effectively over her sweet spot. “Jace!”
Shae couldn’t have stopped the tidal wave of her release if she tried, which had never been her intention. The vulnerable manner in which she was open to him gave her no choice but to embrace the orgasm and ride the endless waves of the beautiful deluge as he began to increase the pace of his rhythm.
By the time he joined her over the precipice, she was floating in an ecstasy that could never have been provided by a simple fantasy. Real life undermined imagination every time.
They had both promised each other there would be no regret, but that didn’t mean there wouldn’t be repercussions come morning.
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
“What do you mean, there is an access point from the roof?” Jace asked Mitch, unsuccessfully wiping away the exhaustion from last night. He and Shae had finally managed to move to the bedroom, where they’d made love until the sun began to rise over the horizon. The way the rays colored her porcelain skin to a beautiful golden shade had him rethinking curtains on the upstairs windows. “Don’t answer that quite yet. Give me a second.”
Jace shoved the filter with the grounds into the slot so that the hot water could brew the sustenance needed to get him through this conversation. He’d already turned on the tea kettle so that the water for Shae’s tea would begin to boil.
“Okay,” Jace said, able to hold the phone against his ear without fear of dropping it to the floor. He leaned against the counter and pressed his thumb and index finger tightly against his eyes. “Start from the beginning.”
“Kendrick and I spent most of last night going over the footage from the bar. No one attempted to take the stairs to the apartment with the exception of Shae, Brynn, and you. That leaves someone breaking in from the outside, but the security camera pointed toward the back of the building picked up nothing.” Mitch mentioned at the beginning of the call that he was at the station. The sudden burst of noise over the line indicated that someone had entered his office. “Kendrick and I went over to the Cavern first thing this morning to check for other possible entry points.”
“Let me guess,” Jace said wryly, pushing off the counter so that he could reach into the cupboard for two cups. “There’s a way inside that studio apartment from the roof above.”
“In a manner of speaking.” Mitch must have put his hand over the desk phone he was using, for the exchange was slightly muffled. Not enough so that Jace didn’t recognize Patty’s voice. It wasn’t long before his brother was back on the line. “Kendrick already had a suspicion that was the point of entry. Forensics processed every access to the upper level, but nothing has come back so far.”
Jace recalled there was a small jewelry store of some sort next to the Cavern, but he’d never had reason to go inside before.
“Doesn’t Dad do business with that shop making custom jewelry boxes?” Jace pulled out the carafe, having one of those coffee makers that stopped brewing when the pot was taken off the burner. He poured himself a cup before topping it off with an ounce of fresh water to make it drinkable. “Who owns it now?”
“It was passed down to Stella Fields from her grandmother. Kendrick already subpoenaed for the footage from her security system, but it turns out it’s useless due to her not wanting to pay the monthly charge for storage of the video data files.”
“So how does this help us?”
“It doesn’t. But it does open up the suspect pool once more.” Mitch made
his point, but it couldn’t have been the reason he called at zero eight hundred. Jace took a fortifying drink of his coffee so that he could be somewhat prepared for the bomb Mitch was about to drop on what should have been a beautiful morning after. “Would it be possible to have Shae at the station in a couple of hours?”
“What for?” Jace asked cautiously, setting his cup down when the contents failed to do its job. “And spell it out for me, Mitch.”
“The profiler who has been helping Kendrick believes she’s found a connection between the victims. I need Shae to confirm a few things, and I’d rather it be officially on the record.” Mitch was a stickler for the rules, so it wasn’t surprising to Jace that his older brother would want all the paperwork in order on a case this size. “Look, this is the last thing I expected to do with my life immediately after getting out CID. I understand why Dad believed he needed to rush me into this, but I truly thought I’d have a few months before making such a monumental decision to take on the responsibility of an entire town. This…this place is a clusterfuck. Patty was able to maintain some semblance of order, but this entire office needs an overhaul in the worst way.”
“You can’t say that you’re not perfect for the role.” Jace recalled them as children playing cops and robbers. Mitch was always the sheriff, whereas Lance was the one who always got thrown in jail—which happened to be the treehouse in their backyard. Times were much simpler back then. “Listen, I’ll make sure Shae is at the station and—”
“Is everything okay?” Shae asked, though the words were a bit raspy with sleep. She was standing in the middle of the open doorway, using the heel of her hand to rub the sleep out of her eye. She’d somehow acquired one of his t-shirts. It hung well below her waist, but damn if she didn’t look sexy as hell. Her gradual smile when she finally focused on him literally took his breath away. “Good morning.”
“Morning, Doc,” Jace replied softly, eternally grateful for such an ideal greeting. This exchange could have gone a thousand different ways, but this was damn close to perfect. “I made you—”
The high-pitched whistle of the tea kettle finished his sentence.
“I’ll get it.” Shae shuffled over to the stove in her bare feet, gesturing toward the phone in his hand. Damn it, but he forgot all about Mitch. “You finish up.”
“Mitch? Sorry about that.” Jace moved a couple steps over so that Shae had room to reach the stove. “Like I said, Shae and I will be at the station in a couple of hours.”
“Super Ace, is there something you want to tell me?”
The old nickname practically slammed into Jace’s ear.
His first heartbreak had been in the first grade by a pigtailed blonde who had made fun of the poem he’d given her at recess. While Noah and Lance had joked about it on the walk home from school that fateful day, Mitch had played the older brother card just right. He’d laid a hand on Jace’s shoulder and explained that love could be cruel and that even Superman had to pretend to be someone else to get the girl.
“Are you saying I should be Superman?”
“No, Jace. Super Ace is what got you into this mess to begin with, because you thought a poem would get Wendy to like you.”
“So I should have just given her the candy I got from the basket at Mr. Arlo’s store?”
“Exactly.”
Jace’s current situation wasn’t anything like it was now, therefore the nickname didn’t apply. He appreciated Mitch’s concern, though.
“Nothing to tell,” Jace hedged, knowing full well he and Shae had established ground rules last night. This thing between them was temporary. “That doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate the warning, Mitch. We’ll see you in a bit.”
Shae faced him while holding her cup of tea with both hands, already blowing gently on the hot beverage. The sheer bliss that crossed her features on her first sip reminded him of last night. He hardened at the memory, already calculating the time down to the second of when they needed to leave the house.
“Why are we seeing Mitch in a couple of hours?” Shae asked, refreshed by just the taste of her tea. She leaned back against the counter, using her foot to scratch her other knee. The innocent gesture had him wishing he didn’t have to answer her question. “Personal or business?”
Jace didn’t like the way tension settled in her shoulders as reality began to intrude on their morning. Unfortunately, he couldn’t make the start of the day better.
“First,” Jace said, not willing to forgo, “a morning kiss.”
Jace took his time and savored the sweet flavor of her lips, expressing to her just how much he enjoyed last night.
“Hmmm,” Shae replied, resting her forehead against his when they both came up for air. She scrunched her nose in rebuttal. “You’re about to ruin my good mood, aren’t you?”
“Kendrick is apparently using a profiler on this case, and the woman might have found a connection between the victims.” Jace figured he might as well put everything on the table. “Mitch wants us to come into the station to ask you some questions.”
Shae surprised him by setting her cup on the counter and wrapping her arms around his waist. He did the same, holding her close and letting her soak up whatever strength she needed to get her through this horrible situation. If he had the ability to take away all her pain, he would have done so in a heartbeat.
“Thank you.” Maybe three minutes had passed before she uttered those words. Shae sighed in acceptance, which set him on edge. He prepared himself for the regret she promised they would forgo. “I’m going to take a shower and get dressed.”
“Shae, we don’t have to—”
“I’d rather get this over with.” Shae reached for her cup before she stepped around him to exit the kitchen. “Jace?”
“Yes?”
The hammer was about to be swung.
“Would you like to join me?”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Shae didn’t regret a single touch or kiss from last night, and so far, there hadn’t been any lasting ramifications. She’d like to keep it that way.
Would he understand?
Honestly, making love with Jace had been the most intimate encounter she’d ever experienced. Her sensitive skin still tingled from the memory, and there was no denying she wanted more time with him.
“You’re awfully quiet, Doc.” Jace flipped his turn signal up to indicate that he was taking one of the two available visitor parking spots in front of the police station. They could have used the parking lot around back, but neither one of them expected this to take too long. “Something on your mind?”
Shae still wasn’t sure how to word her request without him taking offense, but wasn’t she always spouting honesty to her patients?
“I don’t think we should publicize our…” Shae waved her hand to encompass whatever they’d started between them, not having a name for something so temporary. “I don’t want you to take that the wrong way. I just don’t want your family getting the wrong idea.”
Jace remained silent as he finished parking his Range Rover, even waiting to speak until he’d shifted the gear into park and shut off the engine. Her stomach clenched that he would twist her request into something it wasn’t.
“I completely understand. No sense in raising their expectations.” Jace palmed his keys, but made no move to open his door. He was watching the front door of the station, his expression causing her to believe he was placating her. “And we can absolutely try it your way. But I’m warning you now, no one knows me better than my family.”
Shae would have said that she’d known Emma better than anyone else, too, but she had a sinking feeling that Mitch was about to destroy her illusion. She swallowed the acid back that had taken up residence in her throat ever since they’d gotten inside Jace’s vehicle. She’d come home seeking answers, fully believing she was ready to uncover the buried secrets of Emma’s past. Now? She wasn’t even remotely sure she could handle what was about to be thrown her way.
“As well they should,” Shae said, more for her benefit than his. Here she was sermonizing honesty to herself, and she was all but asking him to lie to his family. Returning to Blyth Lake was messing with her mind. She covered her face with her hands to give herself a moment. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have asked you to—”
“Hey,” Jace interrupted, but in a soothing manner that made her wish they’d stayed in bed for the remainder of the day. He wrapped his fingers around her wrist and pulled her arm down to garner her attention. “There is nothing that’s going to be said inside that building that you can’t handle. Time to saddle up.”
Shae inhaled and exhaled deeply, just as she asked her patients to do when confronting something that frightened them. She could do this for her parents. They’d already been through enough, and now it was her turn to shield them from the ugliness.
“No one is saying we have to act one way or another. As for everyone else, we’re old friends. I’m giving you a safe place to stay while you’re in town.” Jace squeezed her hand in reassurance. “So let’s get this over with so you can call and give your mom and dad some answers.”
Shae didn’t bother to share with him that they weren’t expecting answers. They’d long ago resigned themselves to the fact that they would never know what happened the night Emma disappeared. Shae couldn’t give up, because doing so would be letting Emma down.
“You didn’t tell them about the boots left for you to find, did you?”
“Nope.” Shae wasn’t in the least apologetic about withholding information from her parents, either. It was in her professional opinion that they’d suffered enough without having to worry about their other daughter. That shot of anger she’d experienced the other night at what this psychopath thought he could get away with returned tenfold. It was time to end his reign of terror, and she’d be glad to offer her help. “I’m ready.”
Unlocking Lies Page 13
