*
Arriving at the inn, Mitch hustled to the front door, hesitating just enough for Jillian to open it before he knocked. Giving her a quick hug, he glanced around, noting Tori was not in sight. “How is she?” he asked, worry lacing his voice.
Jillian tossed her blonde ponytail over her shoulder as she sighed. “She’s trying to be positive, but as the day wore on, she had three cancellations.”
“What the hell?”
“It seems one of the guest that left this morning works for a radio station in Virginia Beach and they ran a news piece about the suspicious death at the Sea Glass Inn,” she groused, using her fingers as quotation marks as she recited the title. “Plus, Sam told her that as long as the inn was a crime scene she shouldn’t have guests anyway.”
His hands on his hips, Mitch gazed at his boots for a moment. Looking back up when his cousin placed her hand on his arm, he offered a tight smile. “Where is she?”
“She’s resting in her room right now. I’ll leave and let you take care of her.” Receiving his nod, she grabbed her purse off the table by the front door before smiling up at Mitch. “Tori and you have been destined to be together since she was six years old. Don’t let this screw things up, Mitch. Just ride it out and sweet things’ll come.”
Locking the front door behind her, he walked up the main stairs and through the door leading to her room. Ascending to the third floor, he entered her suite, seeing her lying on her bed, eyes closed.
As he approached, she opened them and turned toward him. The fading sunlight from the lace-curtained French doors cast a glow on her pale face. Moving quickly he sat on the bed, gathering her into his arms.
Adrift in a sea of swirling emotions, Tori wrapped her arms around his neck tightly as she held on to her lifesaver. Neither spoke for several minutes, just pressing their bodies as close together as possible. He stroked her long hair, slightly rocking her body.
Finally, she leaned back and gazed into his eyes. “How are you?” she asked.
“I should be asking you that,” he admonished.
“You’re the one who’s been up all night and working all day. I’ve just been lying around in my big inn, unable to do anything. I can’t even clean the rooms.”
“Babe, the processing should be done. I’ll confirm with Grant tomorrow. Then you can get back to what you need to do. And don’t worry about me. This is nothing compared to my former jobs, so I’m good.”
Snorting, she said, “Why clean the rooms when there’s no one coming to the Inn. I’ve had three cancellations already.”
Placing his hands on either side of her face, he brought her gaze directly to his. “Listen to me and listen well. We will get through this. I promise.”
Feeling his assurance seep into her very core, she nodded slowly. “Okay. You’re right. It’ll be fine.” Taking a deep, cleansing breath, she said, “Are you hungry? I know there’s not a lot probably left, but I could fix you a sandwich. Um…well, I don’t know if there was any food left after it was all taken actually. I made some chicken salad yesterday and didn’t even get to eat any before your office had to take it for sampling. I could fix—”
“Nah,” he said, “I grabbed a sandwich at the diner earlier. Looking around, he said, “I probably should go and let you get some rest since you were up all night as well.”
Tori hesitated, hating to feel clingy, but still shook up over the events. “Mitch,” she began, sucking in her lips, her sky-blue eyes turned up to his.
“Yeah?” he said, holding her gaze.
“Would you consider staying with me…just to sleep, but I…I really want you near me.”
Fuck keeping a professional distance! “Babe, I can’t think of any place I’d rather be.” Seeing her shy smile, he added, “Why don’t you go on and get ready. I’ll check to make sure the inn is secure.”
Moving with a purpose for the first time all day, Tori grabbed her sleep shorts and camisole to take into the bathroom. Hurrying through her nighttime routine she washed her face, moisturized, and brushed her teeth. Exiting, she saw Mitch was just walking back into the room.
The expression on his face as he perused her from the top of her head to her pink-painted toenails warmed her to the core. Sucking in her lips, she wanted to jump up and down, wave her arms, and scream, ‘Mitch Evans likes me!’, but managed to smile instead. Unsure what to do, she stood in the middle of the room, fingering the bottom of her shorts.
Noting her uncertainty, he walked over, wrapping her in his strong embrace. Kissing the top of her head, he said, “I want you to be comfortable, Tori. Nothin’s gonna happen tonight. We’re both exhausted and, when we finally get together, I want no shadows between us.”
She grinned into his chest before leaning her head back and gifting him with her smile.
“You with me, sweetheart?”
Still beaming, she simply nodded.
Bending, he touched his lips to hers and gave her a little squeeze. “Go on and get in bed. I’ll be there soon.”
A few minutes later, after finishing in the bathroom, he walked out having shucked his shirt and jeans. Turning off the light, he moved toward the bed.
Tori wasn’t sure if she would ever get the image of Mitch stalking toward her in only boxers out of her mind. And I hope I don’t! The view of his bare chest with a smattering of hair, leading down to ripped abs and into his narrow waist made her mouth water. His muscular arms encircled her, pulling her tightly into his hard body. I will never be able to fall asleep with him holding me this close. This is my teenage dream come true.
Mitch slid one arm under her head while the other circled around her waist, feeling her breasts resting on his arm. Closing his eyes, he willed his dick to behave. Jesus, holding her like this will keep me awake all night trying to keep from having an erection press into her delectable ass.
The exhaustion overtook them and without another thought, they both fell asleep.
Chapter 13
The sun cast patterns across the bed as it beamed through the lace curtains. Tori, always an early riser, opened her eyes to a sight she never thought she would see—Mitch Evans asleep in her bed. He lay on his back, one arm thrown behind his head and the other curled round her neck. As her gaze drifted downward, she admired the muscular chest and defined abs rising and falling with each breath. She yearned to reach out and trace her fingertips along each ridge, but did not want to wake him up.
Trying to even her breathing, she still let out a deep sigh at the sight of him relaxed in slumber. For a moment, she cast her mind back to the summer she was fifteen years old and he was seventeen, ready to start his senior year.
Calling out to grandma that I’d see her for supper, I ran two blocks over to Jillian’s house. Katelyn was already there and the three of us hopped in Katelyn’s dad’s golf cart. I loved being able to travel about Baytown in a golf cart, but grandma had never gotten used to driving anything except her old Chevrolet.
We laughed and giggled as we headed to the ball field on the other side of the train track bridge. Jillian was sweet on Grant and Katelyn always had her eye on Phillip, but for me there would never be anyone like Mitch Evans, the town’s golden boy. His blond hair had darkened with maturity…and that wasn’t the only change I noticed.
Parking, we ran to the bleachers and watched as the Baytown Boys easily defeated the North Heron team. And then my favorite part of the whole game…Mitch and the others would pull off their shirts and splash water over their tanned skin to cool off. They were all teenage gods, but Mitch…I noticed how much more defined and ripped he was this year than last.
A group of girls to the side of us began to giggle and preen…I hated them all, but didn’t need to worry. Phillip’s eyes were on Katelyn, but the big flirt hopped the fence and gabbed with some of the other girls. Grant, flexing his muscles, did the same. I could never understand why they didn’t go straight to Jillian and Katelyn without having to flirt right in front of them. By the time they ma
de it over to my friends, Jillian and Katelyn pretended not to notice them. And so the flirting game continued.
But for me…Mitch simply came straight over. He would lean his body on his forearms, propped on the short fence and stared right at me. Throwing his legs over the fence, he’d then take the bleachers two at a time until he was towering over me. I know he preened also, but the view was great. I looked up expectantly…hoping against hope he would lean down and kiss me. But he would just smile and—
“Good morning.”
The words startled Tori out of her walk down memory lane. Jerking, she focused on the blue eyes staring back at her.
A grin played around his mouth as he pulled his arm from the pillow behind him and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “What were you thinking about?” he asked. “You were staring at me, but your expression was far away.”
Blushing ten shades of red, she admitted, “I was thinking about the summers when we were teenagers and the girls and I would watch you play ball.”
“Anything in particular you remembered?” he asked with a grin.
Hesitating for only a second, she replied, “I liked how you would come straight to me and bypass the other girls. I always thought Phillip and Grant were mean for flirting in front of Katelyn and Jillian, even though I knew they liked them.”
“Why would I want anyone else when I had the prettiest girl coming into town each holiday and summer? The one who had eyes for me?” He cupped her face in his large hand, the feel of her soft skin against his palm.
Leaning into his warmth, she closed her eyes and asked the question she had always wanted to ask but was too afraid of the answer. “I always wanted you to kiss me, Mitch. Why didn’t you?”
“Look at me, Tori,” his gentle voice ordered.
Obeying, she opened her eyes and saw his staring back into hers, a touch of regret filling them.
Rubbing his thumb over her cheek, he said, “I always wanted to. I wanted to so much to kiss you every time I saw you sitting in the stands, cheering me on. I wanted to hop the fence, race up the bleachers, and claim you for myself.”
She cocked her head to the side, waiting for him to continue.
“We’d been friends since you were six years old and I found you one day playing on the beach with my cousin. Your visits with your grandmother was what I looked forward to most each summer.” Sighing, he rolled over so that his body was aligned with hers, now closer than ever. “By the time I was fifteen years old and you were a teen also, I used to get a hard-on every time you were near.”
Eyes wide, a small laugh erupted from Tori’s lips. “Seriously?”
“Hell, yeah.”
“So why didn’t you kiss me?”
“At first, I thought you were too young. I also wasn’t sure I would be able to stop at just a simple kiss.”
“And here I thought Mitch Evans had such control,” she teased.
“By the time you were sixteen, I was eighteen and my dad had the big talk about how I had to be careful. I was an adult and he warned me of not taking advantage of a younger girl.”
“All I wanted was a kiss, Mitch,” she pouted.
Chuckling, he said, “I know, but you were special, Tori. I dated some girls in high school here, but that’s all they were…just dates. I think you had hold of me with your red hair and little freckles.”
“Ugh, I hated them! Even though I didn’t have many, I thought they were ugly.”
He leaned forward and kissed the tip of her nose. “I loved every one. And you were…and are, the prettiest girl around.
“The next spring, I planned on making my move, but that spring break when you visited changed everything.” His face took on a serious expression as he admitted, “I wish I’d known what Vanessa said to you. I hate that you thought I was that kind of guy.”
“I’m sorry, Mitch. I was young and insecure, I guess.”
“I left right after graduation and life took me a lot of places. I never forgot the little red-headed girl from long ago though. And I’m so glad we’re both back to stay.”
With that, he kissed her lips, soft and slow. Pulling her body into his, he felt every curve against his. He knew his erection pressed into her belly, but was unable to stop his mouth from devouring hers.
She answered back with her body as well, moving her hips against his, sliding one leg over his so that her warm core was settled on his thigh.
A vibrating sound from the nightstand caused them to jerk apart. Blushing, she tried to move back, but he kept her in place with one arm while the other snagged the phone off the table.
“Evans,” he answered, his voice still rough with a mixture of sleep and desire. A pause. “Got it. I’ll be in. Give me twenty.”
Disconnecting, his lust-filled eyes were now filled with regret.
“You have to go,” she whispered, hating to lose the moment but accepting it was already lost.
“Yeah.”
“You can take a shower in there. There’s no food in the kitchen right now, but I can make some coffee for you to take with you,” she offered, moving to slide out of bed. His arms stilled her and she looked toward him again.
“Tori, I told you why I waited when we were teenagers. When I left home, I never thought I’d see you again and convinced myself you were just a childhood crush. But now that we’re together here in Baytown…I plan on you and me becoming an us. If you’ll have me,” he added.
Smiling, she leaned over, touching her lips to his. “I think you’ve held my heart for twenty-three years, so I’ll definitely have you.” Sobering, she said, “But I know the investigation takes precedence right now…so go do your cop thing and hopefully I can get my business back on track and weather this storm.”
Another quick kiss and she was out of bed on one side, moving toward the stairs as he headed toward the shower, her kiss still warm on his lips.
*
That afternoon Mitch walked into Finn’s, hauling himself up onto a bar stool, shooting a nod toward Brogan. A minute later, he was joined by Aiden, Zac, Callan, and Grant as Brogan set a beer on the bar.
“How’s it going?” Callan asked.
“Waiting on lab evidence to come back is always a pain in the ass,” Mitch replied, “but this time it’s pure torture. Tori’s had almost no guests this week and she’s terrified of what’ll happen with the Inn.”
“Got any leads?” Aiden inquired.
Brogan cuffed his brother on the back of the head. “He can’t talk about an open case.”
Mitch and Grant nodded, but neither could hold back a grin at the antics of the two MacFarlane brothers.
Zac, usually jovial, had a serious expression on his face as he rubbed his hands over the water droplets on his beer.
Mitch, observing his friend, asked, “You got something on your mind?”
“I’ve been thinking about the American Legion and had an idea, but it’s just dawned on me that it might help Tori out for a bit also.”
Mitch’s attention was snagged, as were the others’.
Zac explained, “I’ve got a couple of buddies that had been in the Navy with me, but had no family to return to and no hometown to welcome them. I’ve already been in contact with one and told him about Baytown. I think I’ve got him interested in moving here and maybe he could stay at the inn for a couple of weeks until he gets a place.” He looked at Mitch and said, “She’d have to be willing to give him a special rate, but it’d be some income.”
Mitch nodded, appreciating the thought. “I’ll talk to her and see what she says. I know she’s had some cancellations, so she’d probably be glad for the guest.”
“Where are we with the American Legion?” Aiden asked.
“I’ve started the processing and have put an ad in the Baytown News, as well as the North Heron newspaper, about a meeting.”
“Next Thursday night?” Grant confirmed, pulling out his phone.
“Yep,” Mitch answered.
“What does your fri
end do?” Brogan asked Zac.
Chuckling, Zac admitted, “Well, he’s kind of a Jack-of-all-trades, but he’s a tattoo artist.” Observing Mitch raise his eyebrow, he hurried to say, “He’s a good guy.”
“Hey, no problem here,” Mitch said, “but I was wondering if he’d have enough business to make a living.”
“He’s also an ace mechanic,” Zac said, capturing everyone’s attention.
“Thank God! Ever since old man Zucker died and the auto shop along with him, Baytown’s been desperate for a mechanic.”
“He’s interested in the property and says he’d like to have a tattoo shop as well.”
Callan added, “I’ve got someone who worked on engines in the Coast Guard and they also work on cars. Sounds like a similar situation…got out, no family…no real home.”
Brogan eyed Mitch, watching the wheels turning in his friend’s head. “You thinking this is a good thing?”
Nodding, Mitch replied, “We get an active American Legion that offers programs, not only for Vets, but for Vets to participate in to help others, we could bring some new blood into Baytown.”
*
The next week crawled as Tori tried to go about her normal routine. She was pleased to be given the go-ahead to clean the inn so she spent two days doing all the laundry, scrubbing the guest bathrooms, vacuuming, dusting, and cleaning out her refrigerator. There was little food left that hadn’t been sent to the lab even though she told Sam that this was her private stock and the guests did not eat from it. On the third day, grocery shopping and visiting Katelyn and Jillian helped pass the time. Finally, on the fourth day, two couples checked in and she breathed a sigh of relief. And, more importantly, there had been no sign of Thomas or Vanessa. Maybe, just maybe, things will get back to normal.
In opposition to her hope that life was getting better, Mitch grew increasingly irritated waiting on the toxicology reports to come in. Sitting in his office he picked up the phone once more to call the forensic lab when Mildred came running in.
“Got the initial results,” she said. “They came in to the fax and said that if you’d verify your email and secure login with them, they’ll send the rest directly to you.”
Coming Home: Baytown Boys Series Page 11
