by Debbie Mason
He gave a startled laugh and placed his hand over hers. “You were just shot. So no matter how much I—”
“I was shot at, not shot. A scratch doesn’t count.”
He turned to face her, the heavy weight of his leg trapping hers between his as he gently drew her closer. “You’re a very demanding, beautiful, sexy woman, but I won’t risk hurting you. So for now, you’ll have to be satisfied with a kiss.” He touched those firm, perfect lips to her eyelids, the tip of her nose, then her mouth.
She groaned when he lifted his head. “It’s not fair to tease a wounded woman.”
“I thought it was just a scratch?” His laugh was low and strained.
“You know, there’s studies that show sex after a near-death experience is very life affirming.”
“How did we go from kissing and second base to a home run? Are you sure you took your pain meds four hours ago?”
Okay, this was getting embarrassing. She was practically begging him to make love to her. Maybe she’d misread his feelings for her. “You’re right. I should probably get some sleep.” She tried to move her leg and gave him a light push when he didn’t release her. “Grayson, I—”
“I was taught never to argue with a woman. Especially a beautiful woman who I’ve wanted in my bed since the day she jumped me.”
She laughed, the tension in her chest releasing. “That was the first day we met.”
“I’m a guy, and you’re hot. But now I want more from you than just sex.” He gave her a slow and mind-blowing kiss. “And seeing that I do, it’s probably a good idea to find out if we have chemistry sooner rather than later.”
“Yes, I… ah,” she moaned as he pressed his lips to the sensitive spot beneath her ear, his hand sliding underneath her pajama top.
He nipped her earlobe. “One whimper, one pained grimace, and we stop.”
“If you stop, I guarantee there’ll be some whimpering and grimacing.”
“Cat, I’m not kidding—”
She tugged on his head, drawing his mouth to hers. “Shut it and kiss me.”
Chapter Nineteen
Cat never thought she’d enjoy spooning, but Grayson had changed her mind. He’d changed her mind about a lot of things. And right now she was enjoying being woken up by the slow, warm kisses he pressed to the back of her neck while he wrapped his big, hard body around her. She shivered as his hand swept over her, teasing and caressing with a maddening expertise. In only a few hours, he knew better than she did how to make her body hum.
He moved his mouth to her shoulder and kissed it. “I think we can put any worries about our chemistry to rest, don’t you, love?”
Her laugh turned into a moan when he… “Darling, are you all right?” her mother called through the locked door. Cat turned her head into the pillow and groaned while behind her Grayson released a low laugh.
She lifted her head, nudging him with her elbow. “I’m good, Mom. I’ll be up in a minute.”
“No, you need your rest. Open the door, I have your breakfast.”
“Um, breakfast in bed sounds good,” Grayson murmured against the shoulder he continued to kiss.
“Since that’s my mother out there, and we’re keeping this between us, no breakfast in bed for you. If I can’t get rid of her, you’re sneaking out the window,” she whispered, then reached for her cell phone. “Mom, it’s only seven. I think I’ll try to sleep for another hour.”
“Two,” he murmured, nipping her shoulder.
“You can go back to sleep after you eat. Paul has to leave for the hospital, and he wants to check you over before he goes.” The doorknob rattled. “You don’t even have to get out of bed. I know there’s a key somewhere. I’ll be right back.” They heard her retreating footsteps.
“Out, out,” Cat said, turning to push at Grayson’s muscled chest.
He stared at her. “You can’t be serious?”
“As a heart attack.”
“All right, all right,” he grumbled, rolling out of bed. “I’ll hide in the closet.”
At the sight of his naked body in the light of day, she swallowed, then forced herself to say, “No, you don’t know my mother. You’ll have to go out the window and sneak back in through my mother’s. Just make sure Paul’s not in there before you do.”
“Eyes to mine, love. You’re making it hard to concentrate.”
Yes, he was hard, very hard. Which made it difficult to stay focused. She dragged her gaze up his sculpted body to meet his amused eyes. “Get dressed. She’ll be back any minute,” Cat warned and got out of bed, scooping her pajamas off the floor. She straightened, glancing over her shoulder to see him staring at her while he pulled on his pants. She made a frustrated sound in her throat for several reasons; not the least of which they were going to get caught. She grabbed her phone and texted Ty, telling him to distract her mother.
“Cat, I don’t have shoes.” Grayson’s unbuttoned pants hung loosely at his hips as he pulled on his shirt, her gaze stuck on his sun-kissed abs and the dark line of hair disappearing under the waistband of his black boxers. Her mother’s timing sucked.
“You can borrow my slippers,” she said, stepping into her pajama bottoms. Her cell phone pinged with Ty’s response: Aha! I knew it! You have James Bond in your bed! Got your back but I want DETAILS.
She groaned, tossing her phone on the bed. Sharing details with Ty would almost be as embarrassing as getting caught by her mother.
Grayson moved toward her with a frown, taking her pajama top from her. “Did you hurt yourself?” he asked, gently guiding her arms into the sleeves.
“No, I…” She trailed off when his warm fingers brushed against her bare skin as he slowly did up the buttons of her top. “You have to go,” she said, her voice breathy. “Ty will only be able to stall her for so long.”
He leaned in, kissing the underside of her jaw. “You don’t really want me to go, do you?”
“No.” She arched her neck to give him better access, then heard her mother’s and Ty’s voices coming down the hall. “Yes, yes, I do.” She stepped away from him, grabbing his jacket from the end of the bed. She shoved it at his chest, pushing him toward the window. Her arm twinged, and she swallowed a pained gasp.
“Stop pushing me. You’ll hurt yourself.” He framed her face with his hands and gave her a hard kiss. “You owe me for this,” he said, turning to the window. As he opened it, a gust of cold mountain air blew into the room, and snow swirled across the field outside her window.
She took in his black-stockinged feet and grimaced. “Hang on.” She ran to her bed, grabbing her cat slippers from beneath it.
He looked from the slippers to her. “You can’t be serious.”
“It’s better than nothing.” Not much, she realized when he put them on. Half his foot hung over the end. He gave his head a slight shake, lifting his long leg over the ledge.
Unlike Ty, Grayson had a talent for climbing out windows. But like with Ty, at the sound of the doorknob rattling, Cat panicked and pushed him the rest of the way out. Lying on the ground beneath her window, Grayson lifted his snow-covered face to look back at her. “Really?”
“Sorry,” she whispered. Then slammed the window shut, pressing her back against it as her mother entered with a white breakfast tray in her hands and a suspicious look on her face.
* * *
Despite Paul declaring her good to go, her mother had insisted Cat stay in bed for the day. Cat wasn’t the type to lie around. Now if Grayson was in her bed, that would have been a different story. But they had a case to solve.
Twenty minutes after her mother and Paul left for town, Cat stood at the stove, making omelets for her sister, Ty, and Easton. She felt Chloe’s eyes drilling into her back. Her sister’s suspicions wouldn’t be as easy to alleviate as her mother’s. It’s why Cat had refused Easton’s and Ty’s offers to make breakfast. It made it easier to avoid Chloe.
Cat’s cell pinged on the counter. She and Ty had been communicating via te
xts since she’d come into the kitchen. She glanced at his message. She’s on to you. Stop humming Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.
“Ty, are you sure those aren’t my pajamas? I have a pair just like them,” Chloe said.
Easton, who’d been on his computer the entire time Cat had been in the kitchen, snorted.
Cat texted back. Looks like she’s on to you :)
“No, Pussy bought them for me. Well, look who finally graced us with his presence. Ouch, what happened to your face?”
Cat glanced over her shoulder. Grayson walked into the kitchen wearing a V-neck sweater that matched his eyes and a pair of well-worn jeans. Looking as tall, dark, and delicious as Ty proclaimed him to be. He also had a scratch on his cheek.
Grayson raised his eyebrows at Cat. She winced. He must have scraped his cheek on the rosebush beneath her window. “Nicked myself shaving,” he said, returning Chloe’s good morning. Easton’s knowing gaze slid from Grayson to Cat.
Ty texted her. You’re not supposed to leave your marks where everyone can see them.
“I didn’t hear you come home last night, Grayson. Where did you sleep?” Chloe asked with a suspicious edge in her voice.
Afraid she’d give them away, Cat whipped her head around and loaded shredded cheddar cheese on the omelets. She hoped Grayson had a good answer for her sister.
“He slept with me on the couch,” Ty said. Cat had just released a sigh of relief at his plausible excuse when he added, “Not that I got much shut-eye. He moans in his sleep, talks, too. But he’s an incredible spooner, and he does this—”
Cat’s cheeks heated and she briefly closed her eyes, then texted Ty. Shut it.
But Chloe had cut him off with a fake giggle. “You didn’t have to sleep with Ty, Grayson. I have a queen-size bed.”
“I don’t think he would have been comfortable in your room, Chloe. All that lace and…” Ty trailed off. Cat could practically hear the oops in his voice. “You know, I probably should get dressed.”
“How do you know—”
Cat interrupted her sister. “Okay, omelets are almost ready. Who wants toast?”
Grayson moved in behind her, reaching over her for a mug. He stood close enough that she could feel him against her back. “Incredible spooner?” he said under his breath, then bent over her. “Smells delicious, Cat.” He nipped her earlobe, whispering, “And so do you.” Straightening, he took the spatula from her. “Go sit and rest your arm. I’ll take care of breakfast.”
“It’s okay, I—”
He gave her a look. “Sit.”
“Thanks,” Cat murmured and took a seat at the island, avoiding meeting her sister’s eyes. “Anything new?” Cat asked Easton.
He looked up from the screen. “Redding dumped the snowmobile and stole a pickup at a truck stop ten miles out of town.”
“It’s terrifying knowing he’s still on the loose.” Chloe plucked at her pink robe, blinking her false eyelashes. Of course her hair and makeup were perfect. Easton and Grayson were here.
Cat self-consciously finger-combed her hair. “You’re in less danger now than you were before, Chloe. He’s on the run. We just have to figure out who hired him.”
“Cat, I appreciate you trying to make me feel better. But I’d rather hear what Grayson thinks. He is the expert after all.”
“I agree with your sister.” Grayson put a platter with the omelets and one with toast in the middle of the island. “Dig in.” He pulled out a stool beside Cat, placing her cell phone by her arm. She could tell by the twitch of his lips that he’d read the texts between her and Ty. Her cheeks flushed, and he chuckled.
Her sister’s eyes narrowed. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing,” Cat said quickly. She didn’t entirely trust Grayson not to spill the beans. She knew he didn’t fully agree that they keep their relationship on the down-low. But that was only because he didn’t know her sister like she did. Cat cleared her throat and thought of something that would put the smile back on Chloe’s face and hopefully distract her. “Grayson, since you and your grandmother will be with Chloe today, Easton and I will do another search of the lodge.”
Great, from the look on her face, that didn’t make Chloe any happier.
But Cat didn’t have time to ponder the reason for her sister’s disgruntled expression because Easton said, “I’m going to dig deeper into Molly’s, George’s, and Sam’s financials.” Grayson had okayed a standard search of their financials, so he wouldn’t be pleased Easton meant to cross the line, but she and Easton had discussed it last night. They had nothing, and they needed something.
Grayson lowered a piece of toast from his mouth. Before he could shut them down, she said, “Don’t ask. That way you have plausible deniability.”
He chewed his toast, mulling it over, then nodded. “Okay. Do what you need to do. Did you ask Chloe about Lord Darby?”
Chloe bent over her plate, forking a piece of omelet into her mouth.
“No, I didn’t. Chloe?” Her sister raised her gaze, looking like a deer caught in the headlights. “Oh, come on, you promised me you wouldn’t see him.”
“It wasn’t my fault. I didn’t seek him out. He… he’s backing the movie I auditioned for. I honestly didn’t know, Kit Kat.” Her chin quivered. “The teenager who got the part is his new girlfriend.”
“I’m sorry, Chloe. But you should have told me.” Her sister had honestly believed she was in love with Darby. It didn’t escape Cat that Chloe also thought she was in love with Grayson. “You haven’t had any contact with his wife, have you?”
“No, why?”
“Because she’s back in LA, and she threatened you last year. We have to rule her out as a suspect.”
Beside Cat, Easton studied Chloe, and for a split second he looked sympathetic. But then his scruff-darkened jaw hardened when her sister gave Grayson a little-girl-lost look. “I don’t understand why anyone would want to kill me.”
Estelle swanned into the kitchen with Fluffy in her arms. She was as perfectly made-up as Chloe and dressed in a bronze silk pantsuit. She’d obviously overheard Chloe and moved to her side, patting her arm. “Don’t worry, my dear. You have Grayson to protect you. As long as you’re in danger, he’ll be on the case.”
“But you said he had only a few days left of his vacation time.”
Something told Cat this was a setup. It seemed rehearsed.
“I put in for more time this morning. I’m off until after the holidays.” He glanced at Cat, his eyes warm and full of promise.
Her sister clapped. Cat wanted to do the same, until Estelle said, “You see, my dear, I told you Grayson wouldn’t leave you unprotected. Now you better get dressed. You two have a very important scene today.”
The two women shared a look. Chloe patted Estelle’s hand. “You’re right, we do.”
“Where are you filming today?” Easton asked. “I’ll go check out the locations.”
“Santa’s Village,” her sister said. “I’m going to tell Santa my Christmas wish.” She glanced under her lashes at Grayson. “And if I’ve been a very good girl, my present will be unwrapped and lying in my bed at the lodge.”
“Maybe you didn’t hear me. I asked where you’re filming today, not what you’re doing,” Easton clipped out.
Chloe sighed. “Santa’s Village and the lodge.”
“What about tomorrow?”
“Oh.” Chloe plucked at her robe. “There’s been a change in plans. Today’s the last day of filming. But there’s a wrap-up party at the Penalty Box tomorrow.”
Grayson frowned. “I didn’t hear anything about this. When did Phil decide to—”
“It was a last-minute decision. Phil and I came to an…” Chloe trailed off, then waved her hand. “It’s nothing to worry about.”
“Nothing at all, my boy. It’ll be just like Miracle on 34th Street.” Estelle sighed, rubbing her cheek on Fluffy’s head. Cat didn’t like the smug look on Estelle’s face or on Fluffy’s.
* * *
Grayson rubbed his jaw as he ended his call with Turner. As frustrated now as he had been after Googling Miracle on 34th Street. His grandmother and Chloe were up to something, and he couldn’t get a handle on it. He couldn’t get a handle on Turner, either. Other than the man was a wanker.
Since the shooting in Christmas had made the news, Turner had called Grayson for an update on the case. He’d had no choice but to tell him the gun was Cat’s. He’d find out anyway. No matter what Grayson said, Turner believed that Cat was somehow involved with the shooting.
Something didn’t sit right with Grayson. It was as if Turner had a personal vendetta against Cat. Grayson sent Easton a text, asking him to look into Turner and see if Cat and the agent had any history they were unaware of. He could ask Cat, but he didn’t want to worry her. Then he remembered her brother had been an ADA in Denver a few years back and sent Easton another text, telling him to look over any cases Ethan O’Connor had persecuted that involved Turner.
Leaning against the white picket fence outside the red chalet-style house in Santa’s Village, Grayson shoved his cell phone in his pocket. Chloe was inside, sitting on Santa’s knee, telling him her Christmas wish with Phil and a cameraman present. Another cameraman and several of the crew stood down the way filming the extras meandering through Santa’s Village, his grandmother among them. She walked Fluffy—on a diamond-studded leash, wearing red booties and a red, fur-trimmed cape—along with Estelle’s constant companions, Ted and Fred. George and Molly stood off a snow-covered path beside a giant plastic candy cane. They looked as uneasy as Grayson felt.
Phil was playing the last scene close to the vest. If it went down the way Grayson expected it to, he was going to be the guy lying in the bed at the lodge. Which meant Tessa Hart had chosen Rand Livingstone, and where that left Byron Hart was anyone’s guess. But if Grayson was a betting man, he’d wager Byron Hart had a fatal accident in his future and George would be out of work. And with Rand choosing Tessa, Molly’s future as Paula was at risk as well.
