Passionate Heat

by Rachel Kenley

  “Jilly, I’m sorry. That came out all wrong. It’s been stressful these past few weeks, and I’ve missed you.”

  “I understand, Rob. I really do, but the truth is, I haven’t missed you at all. If you don’t leave, I will call someone to have you removed.”

  “You wouldn’t dare,” he said. She stared at him without saying a word. “Fine, I’ll go, but you’ll regret this.”

  “I doubt it. Goodbye,” she said and slammed the door.

  She sat down heavily on her couch and tried to get her hands to stop shaking. She may have appeared calm to Rob, but she hardly felt that way. It took a few minutes but she was calmer when another knock came. She checked through the peephole to see who was there, and this time she happily opened the door.

  “Oh my goodness, Jillian, you look stunning.”

  “You like?” she said and couldn’t resist doing a quick twirl.

  “You take my breath away,” Miles said and caught her up in a kiss as he stepped further inside. “Was that Rob I saw pulling away when I came into the parking lot?”

  Her smile disappeared.

  Miles didn’t know what had happened between Jillian and Rob, but if the look on her face was any indication, it seemed the man should have been grateful to leave without a black eye.

  “Yes, he came by for his weekly appeal, to remind me of how much I need him and to tell me that the only reason he was seeing Tanya was because he missed me.”

  He could tell she was seething, and he knew he had to diffuse her feelings or their dinner would be unfairly ruined. Rob may have spoiled other things in her life, but that was at an end. “Sounds enticing.”

  “Not exactly. Do you want a drink before we go?” She walked over to the refrigerator, opened it and peered in.

  “No, and I don’t think you do either.”

  Standing there with the door still opened, she said, “Great, just what I need, another man telling what I want.”

  “Jillian, you know me better than that.”

  “I suppose,” she said with no enthusiasm.

  “I admit I’ve changed in some ways, but I never tried – or wanted – to control you. I don’t like having it done to me, and I don’t do it to others. That will never change.”

  She shut the door with a slam. “I hate him.”

  “I can tell.”

  “The only reason I let him in when he came by was that I thought it was you at the door.”

  “Should I be flattered?”

  “Who knows?” She walked out of the kitchen and sat heavily in an oversized chair. Opening a decorative box resting on the table next to her, she took out a piece of chocolate.

  “See, some things don’t change,” he said. “You still keep a secret candy stash. In fact, I’ll be there’s another one not too far away.”

  She stuck a chocolaty tongue out at him. His body tightened involuntarily. Images of what he wanted to do with that part of her flashed though his mind. “Don’t tease.”

  “My house. I get to do what I want.”

  Aching to find out what could happen if he pushed her, he crossed to the chair, put his hands on the armrests and leaned over her. “And what, pretty lady, do you want?”

  “What I want,” she said reaching out to touch his lips with her fingertip, “is to see if you can find my other candy stash.” Before he could nip at it, she slid off the seat and onto the floor. Moving quickly, she made herself comfortable on the couch. He had forgotten how flexible and quick she could be.

  “Minx,” he said and grabbed at her. At least her mood had improved. He gave her a quick kiss and asked, “What do I get when I find it?”

  “If you find it, it’s locator’s choice.”

  “You’re on.” He walked around the room, trying to decide where the most logical place was. He thought about what her routines might be and that’s when he knew. “Where’s your answering machine?”

  “Oh no, you don’t,” she said jumping up from the couch. “That’s not fair. How could you figure me out so fast?”

  “I was thinking about the things which would stress you out, and the first thing which came to mind was your father and Rob. Then I tried to come up with where you might have to talk to them, and I thought of your phone.”

  “That’s it. No more playing sleuthing games with an investigator. So,” she sighed dramatically, “what do you want as your boon?”

  He was on her in three steps and pulled her close for a deep kiss. The chocolate on her tongue wasn’t as sweet as having her in his arms.

  When he moved from her mouth to kiss her neck ,she said, “We’re going to be late for our reservation.”

  “Yes, we are.”

  They were only a few minutes late.

  * * * *

  Fortunately, Jillian wasn’t one of those women who needed or wanted to spend hours getting ready, so fixing her makeup didn’t take long. La Neige was a new French-American restaurant in town. Charlie had taken Paula there for their last anniversary and since they had both enjoyed it, they suggested it to Miles when he asked them for a place to take Jillian for dinner. As soon as they arrived, Miles knew their recommendation was perfect. Soft lighting showed a décor of woods and leather, accented with golds and reds in the linens. It was romantic without being fussy.

  “Miles, it’s lovely.”

  “Not as lovely as you,” he said, and meant it. Jillian looked exquisite, and he was so happy to be with her, he almost wished there were more people dining. He would have enjoyed showing her off.

  They were escorted to their table, handed menus and the wine list and, after placing their drink orders, left alone. Miles moved his chair so that instead of sitting across from her, they were at right angles and closer.

  “Now what do we do?” she said.

  “What do you mean?”

  “As wonderful as this is, it also seems a little strange. We’ve never done something like this before.”

  “We’ve had dinner together.”

  “Sure, at the diner or a burger place, but this is so…grown up,” she said with a smile.

  “It does feel unusual, but it’s worth it to sit across from you and look at that dress and think about running my hands between your breasts.”

  “Miles,” she said in an embarrassed whisper.

  “What? There have to be some advantages to not being teenagers.”

  She laughed as their drinks arrived.

  “A toast,” he said.

  “To?”

  “Second chances and first times.”

  “I’ll drink to that,” she said.

  The next few minutes were taken up deciding what to order, followed by talk of the investigation. “Tanya’s place is a total loss,” he said. “Harlow led us to evidence of turpentine poured in various areas of the house. Unfortunately, because most people around here don’t lock their doors, and since her house was set back from the road, anyone could have gotten in and out while she was at work.”

  “But you still suspect my dad or Rob.”

  “They are still the top of my list and, of course, we know Rob has a connection to Tanya.”

  “He wasn’t too pleased tonight when I told him I knew about their relationship, and clearly my friendship with her wasn’t very significant.”

  He nodded. “There are other possible suspects, of course, such as rival developers or Tanya’s ex-husband who no one’s seen recently, but I keep coming back to my gut feeling that your building was the main target and now the arsonist is setting fires for the sheer pleasure of it.”

  “Which brings us back to the original two possible culprits.”

  “Have either of them said anything to you that seemed out of character or made you suspicious?”

  “Not a thing, but I’ll try to be more aware if I talk to them over the next few days.”

  When their dinner arrived, they agreed not to talk about the fires. Instead, she shared more with him about her plans for her business and he told her about living in a
city and his time with Prometheus Consulting.

  “You really do travel a lot,” Jillian commented.

  “Not as much as some of my peers, but that’s because of Harlow.”

  “She doesn’t like it when you’re away?”

  He laughed, “Well, there is that, but mostly it’s because it’s hard to take her to sites which require me to fly to get there. She and I have been working together for several years, so they tend to send me – us – to places we can get to by driving.”

  “You two seem like a good team.”

  “We are. Her job is mainly to detect accelerants. It’s what she’s trained to do, which helps us learn how the fires we’re investigating are started, but as you can see from the way she found your bracelet, she’s able to do much more than that.”

  Jillian played with the bracelet she had not taken off since Miles put it back on her. She was planning to go into town to a local jeweler to have someone attach the charm Miles had given her. “I’m certainly grateful for her talents.”

  He took her hand in his. “Did I tell you how wonderful you look tonight and how happy I am to be here with you?”

  “You may have, but you can tell me again.”

  “I am so happy and…” He was interrupted by the vibrating of his phone. “You know, there was a time when we couldn’t be reached every moment of every day.”

  “Are you going to answer it?’

  “No,” he said, waiting for it to stop buzzing. “Now, where was I?”

  “Telling me how wonderful I look.”

  “How about I show you?” He leaned over, took her face in her hands and kissed her softly. She couldn’t stop the sigh and put her hand on his shoulder to pull him closer. The phone started buzzing again.

  “The thing is worse then a chaperone,” she said.

  He sat back in his seat mumbling, “Lousy timing.”

  “I’m assuming you are going to continue to ignore it?”

  “Absolutely.”

  “You know, I don’t think I’ve ever been kissed while in a restaurant before. Rob didn’t believe in public displays of affection.”

  “In case you haven’t noticed, he and I don’t have a lot in common.”

  “Which is one of the many things I like about you.” The phone stopped buzzing as the waiter came over to ask if they wanted dessert.

  “Clearly they don’t know you here,” he said. “She always orders dessert. What do you have that’s chocolate and decadent?”

  “I know just the thing to bring you, and it’s meant for two,” said the waiter. “Would you like coffee?”

  “Decaf,” they said simultaneously, and laughed.

  “It odd to feel such a connection with you, yet have to accept you’re still a mystery to me,” she said.

  “You really see me as a mystery?”

  “Sometimes. Like watching you take charge during the fire the other night. It’s a side of you that’s new, but at the same time it’s familiar because I always saw your strength. Now I see you using it effortlessly. It’s as I’m seeing you fast-forwarded. The last time I saw you, you were all potential and drive. Today you’re living it.”

  He didn’t say anything for a moment. “Thank you. I think that may be the nicest, most supportive and encouraging thing anyone has ever said to me. It’s hard for me to know…” The vibration of his phone again interrupted whatever he was about to say.

  “You should answer it.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  “I think you’ve made it very clear by ignoring it the first three times, but it must be important if this person keeps calling. Answer it or I will,” she said, playfully reaching under the table to find the phone.

  He swatted her away, grabbing the phone and holding it out of her reach. “You just want to put your hands in my pocket.”

  “That could be. Now answer it.”

  “Next time,” he said putting it on the table between them. “If they call one more time, I’ll take it.”

  “Fair enough.”

  * * * *

  Their dessert and coffee arrived and as they dug into the largest piece of chocolate lava cake Jillian had ever seen, the phone buzzed again. Before he could answer it, however, she had picked it up and pressed talk.

  Lowering her voice, she said, “Miles Anderson’s line. How may I help you?” There was no answer, although clearly someone was there. “Hello?” she asked.

  “This is Brian,” a hesitatant voice said. “Is Miles there?”

  “One moment, please.” She held the phone to her chest. “Someone named Brian. Do you want it?”

  “Lord, not really, but I’ll take it anyway,” he said and took the phone from her. “Hey, Brian, what’s up?” She listened to his side of the conversation. “No, I didn’t get a secretary. That’s a friend of mine. I’ll tell her, now you tell me. Why the urgent calls? When did it start? Okay, that’s not as bad as it could be. Who have you sent out there? Yes, I approve. Those are absolutely the men you want for this. Yeah, I figured you were about to ask. Did Nigel tell you I’m working off the books on a case for an old friend? No, don’t worry, you did the right thing getting in touch with me, and I’ll be there as soon as I can get a flight out of here. I’ll call you when I know my arrival time. Talk to you soon. Bye.”

  He looked at the half-empty dessert plate. “I love a woman who goes for what she wants and doesn’t wait.”

  “Sometimes I wait, but not when chocolate is involved. So where are you going?”

  “Kentucky. An unsolved case from over a year ago just had a new blaze. They’ve sent a few men to investigate, but I was one of the leads on it and the only one not assigned to a company case at this time. My work for Charlie is on my own.”

  “So I gathered. What did Brian say that you were going to tell me?”

  “He said you had a sexy voice and should record my outgoing message.”

  She laughed. “I think I shocked the heck out of him when I answered. He didn’t say anything for a bit.”

  “You definitely took him by surprise, and if you ever meet him, you’ll quickly see it’s not an easy thing to do.”

  “Do you want me to drive you to the airport?”

  “No, I’d rather manage that myself, but if you wouldn’t mind, could you stay at my place and keep an eye on Harlow?”

  “Will she let me, if you’re not there?”

  “Absolutely. You two have been introduced and seen each other on a couple of occasions.”

  “We’ve even slept together.”

  He laughed. “Very true. God, the thought of you in my bed without me there is going to drive me crazy.”

  “Then perhaps it will encourage you to come back faster.”

  “Absolutely.”

  They finished the cake, paid the bill and left. He dropped Jillian at her condo so she could change, grab some things she would need and get her car. She took only the essentials and headed out to his place. He was almost completely packed by the time she arrived.

  “You’re efficient,” she said, as he zipped up a piece of carry-on luggage.

  “I’ve had plenty of practice. Usually, I have a ready bag in my truck at all times. Inspections are scheduled and planned, but cases like ours here and the one I’m going to, those happen without warning and I have to be prepared to go at a moment’s notice.”

  She had the impression he was telling her this not to explain what he was doing or why, but to give her a better insight into his life. If he decided to stay, and if they were to be together, his having to leave at unscheduled times would be part of their relationship. There were still a lot of ifs to work through, but she appreciated knowing about this. He had left once before and didn’t come back. She was going to have to trust that this time would be different.

  A bark from the other room and the entrance of Harlow reminded her that no matter what else was happening or going to happen, he was coming back this time. Harlow gave Jillian’s hand a nuzzle before padding over to M
iles for a scratch between the ears. She put her paw on his luggage as if to say, Going somewhere?

  “I have to finish a gig in Kentucky, girl.” Harlow woofed. “Yeah, you were with me on that one when we started it, but I want you to stay here and help keep Jillian safe. Besides, I’m flying out commercial for this one and you know you don’t want to be a part of that.” That got a bark.

  “Do you think she understands?”

  “Don’t you?”

  Jillian had to nod. “It certainly seems as if she does, and I suppose treating her that way doesn’t do any harm.”

  “Harlow, you’ll be a good girl for Jillian, right? You’ll tell her what you need and keep her company?”

  Harlow barked her answer and walked over to Jillian, who kneeled down to give the dog a hug. “Oh, you’re just an oversized puppy, aren’t you?”

  “That she is. Damn, is she going to get all the affection before I go?”

  “Of course not,” Jillian said. She crossed to Miles put her arms around him, and scratched behind his ears.

  “So not what I meant,” he said with a laugh and pulled her close for a kiss, making her instantly breathless. Coffee, chocolate and a taste that was uniquely his own. She did all she could in the moment to memorize it all for the days he would be gone. She breathed in his scent, ran her hands down his chest and pressed herself against him so no light could pass between them. “Damn, you make it hard to leave, woman. I had been looking forward to taking your dress off of you. Or maybe taking you while you still wore it.”

  “Does this mean I shouldn’t tell you about the stockings I was wearing underneath it?”

  “Oh, Lord, that’s not fair.”

  “Then I hope that means I make it easy for you to want to come back quicker.”

  She saw something flash in his eyes, but it was gone in a moment. “One more kiss, and then I have to go.”

  But it was still another ten minutes before his car pulled away.

  * * * *

  Miles didn’t feel like reading, hated the in-flight movie, and was too distracted to listen to music. This was the first time since agreeing to help Charlie find the fire bug that he had a chance to think about what it was like to have returned to his old haunts, and he was surprised to realize it wasn’t nearly as bad as he had feared.