Six Times a Charm

by Deanna Chase

  Unashamed, I said, “Pyper asked me to.”

  She nodded thoughtfully. “Me too.”

  My eyes widened. “You didn’t, I mean, uh, you don’t work here for the benefits…?” Shit. I’d probably just offended her. Convinced my head would burst into flames from embarrassment, I stared at the file in my hand.

  There was silence for a few beats. When I glanced in Charlie’s direction she threw her head back and laughed until the tears streamed down her face. Gasping for breath, she said, “Christ.”

  I raised my head and let out the breath I’d been holding. “I’m glad you find me so humorous.”

  Finally pulling herself together, Charlie wiped her eyes with a tissue I handed her from my purse. Still smiling, she reached out and grabbed my hand. “I’m so glad Pyper found you.” Her touch was light and friendly. “And no, I didn’t take the job for the benefits,” she dragged out the word “benefits” for emphasis. “But it’s a nice perk.” A cat-like grin took over her face as her pale green eyes sparkled.

  I sent her a tentative smile and squeezed her hand before letting go. “I’m sorry. Sometimes I can be a little bit blunt.”

  “A little bit? That’s an understatement if I ever heard one. Don’t worry,” she added, seeing my frown. “When you spend your whole life surrounded by women, a little directness is a great thing.”

  “Uh, thanks.” We fell silent as we shuffled through the piles in front of us. Then I remembered. “You were telling me how Kane came to own this place?”

  “That’s right, you distracted me.” She set the papers in her hand to one side. “But I have got to get something to drink first. You want anything?”

  Nodding, I gave her my standard chai tea order and grabbed the next box as she strode out the door. I spent ten minutes going through more employee files. I knew everyone in the stack except the last one. It read: Charlene Keller; Lead Server.

  “Huh, I wonder who that is. Charlene, Charlene.” I pictured all four cocktail servers standing up against the bar. My mind locked in on Charlie leaning against the back counter, giving them instructions, and I started to laugh. Feeling slightly dense but amused, I put the file aside and spotted one more box a few feet away.

  I stood, dusted off my rear and sat in Charlie’s chair. Out of nowhere, agitation coursed through my veins. Where was this coming from? Gritting my teeth, I tried fruitlessly to build my defenses back up. The poison completely took over, burning a trail as it filled my soul with gut-wrenching hate. I doubled over and slid out of the chair. As I lay on the floor shaking, the venomous emotions began to fade.

  Mentally bruised, I forced myself to my feet, glanced at the last remaining box and ran. The storage door slammed behind me. I propped myself against the hallway wall and took deep calming breaths to collect myself. Whoa. That was creepy. I’d never come across a piece of furniture as emotionally charged as that one. It made me want to sage smudge myself. With a shudder, I headed to the café in search of some more uplifting emotional energy.

  Charlie was standing at the counter, talking to Pyper when I entered The Grind. Charlie handed me my chai and after a long sip, I let out a loud, “Ahh.”

  “Oops. I must have been longer than I thought,” Charlie said.

  “No, not that long. I just needed a break.” I turned to Pyper. “How about you? I could help out here if you need me to.”

  Her smile didn’t reach her dark, tired eyes. “No, you’ve worked enough today. I have it covered.”

  “Isn’t Holly here?” I asked, craning my head to look in the back.

  “Sure.” Pyper glanced toward the tables in the front. “She’s interviewing someone.”

  I spotted her sitting with a pretty brunette.

  “College girl?”

  Charlie nodded and turned her head toward them. “Fresh potential.” Her term for possible lesbians.

  Pyper laughed, and I rolled my eyes.

  “Come on, Charlene.” I tugged her arm. “You were helping me with a project, if I recall.”

  Pyper snickered as Charlie’s eyes widened in surprise.

  “You shouldn’t have left me alone with the files for so long if you didn’t want me to find out your real name,” I said.

  “Shit. Don’t ever breathe a word of this.” She fell into step beside me.

  I laughed then nodded toward Pyper as we walked back into the club. “I thought she was sleeping.”

  “Me too. I told her we’d take care of the café and she should go back up, but she said she couldn’t sleep, so she figured she should be useful.” Charlie raised her hands, palms up. “I don’t know what else to do, but she sure looks like she needs some rest. If I didn’t know better I’d say she was on speed. But that isn’t her style.”

  “If I was Pyper, I’d have to take speed to keep up with what she does. I don’t know how she handles it all without having a psychotic episode.”

  “Me either.”

  “I’m done looking at those files for now,” I told Charlie as I dropped into the folding chair in front of the desk.

  “Did you find anything useful?” She picked up the phone.

  I shook my head and waited for her to retrieve the messages. After she hung up I said, “But I still want the scoop. How exactly did Kane end up owning this place?”

  “More than just idle curiosity?” She eyed me with her eyebrows raised.

  I gave a noncommittal head shake.

  “You could do worse.”

  “I don’t have anything going with Kane.”

  “Not yet,” she said.

  When I didn’t respond, she shrugged and told me the story. The police had shown up at Kane’s door with questions. He cooperated, and the DA decided it was frivolous and not worth his time to pursue the charges. Roy filed a civil suit and then promptly told Kane he would be willing to settle out of court and let the whole thing go, as long as the price was right. Considering there were more than a handful of witnesses who saw Kane pull the first punch, a civil suit wasn’t looking so good in Kane’s favor. No one saw Roy threaten and hit Pyper—that happened in the office. It was after Kane saw Pyper and the bruises that he went after him. So Kane offered to settle, apparently a very generous amount. The only stipulation on Kane’s part was Roy had to sell the place to him as part of the deal.

  “Had Kane been trying to buy the place prior to that?” I asked.

  Charlie shook her head. “I don’t think so. At the time he was still working for some financial company. He just turned all the reins over to Pyper. It’s the best thing that ever happened around here. She’s a great boss.”

  I nodded.

  “But then a few months later she opened The Grind. I didn’t know it at the time, but the building next door was part of the deal.”

  I’d been focused on the bit of information pertaining to Kane and him not being the strip club lord I had imagined. I felt as if a weight had lifted off my heart, and I smiled.

  “What?” Charlie asked

  “Nothing. I’m just glad things worked out.”

  ***

  The imprint of Kane’s kisses lingered on my swollen tender lips. I stretched, enjoying the ache of well-used muscles. What the hell? Talk about realistic. I must have acted out a majority of the dream in my sleep. My temperature spiked as a few memorable scenes reeled through my brain. Thank goodness I didn’t have a roommate. At least, not a live one.

  I scanned the room for any intruding ghosts. All was quiet and apparition-free.

  Lying back, I ran my hands the length of my naked body, still tingling with tiny aftershocks from the wicked ways it felt like Kane had touched me. Yep. Definitely the best, most realistic dream ever.

  As intense as dreaming of Kane had become, what I found more surprising was how I felt at the beginning of my dreams when I was with Mr. Sexy. I felt safe, loved even. I knew it should have been creepy, considering the ghost factor, but it wasn’t. It was…comforting, until he vanished and Kane took over. Dreams of Kane were anythin
g but comforting. Intense. Hot. Naughty. The mental image of Kane, bare in only his skin, sent new heat to all the right places.

  There was only one thing to do. Take another cold shower. The thought had me shivering, and I opted for coffee instead.

  As I sipped my java and checked email, my phone rang. No one called me this early. Ever. Not even Gwen when she could somehow tell I was awake. Crap, this could only be bad news.

  “Hello,” I said cautiously after recognizing the number to The Grind.

  “Thank God. Jade, it’s Pyper. Holly just got sick, and I had to send her home. Is there any way you can come work with me through the lunch shift?”

  Bad news, definitely. If I worked today that would be six days in a row at the café.

  “Jade? You there?” Pyper asked.

  “Yeah.” I sighed. “I’ll be down as soon as I can.”

  The morning flew by in a blur, with long lines of caffeine-deprived tourists and locals alike. Pyper and I worked straight through the morning, and when she finally told me to take a break I almost kissed her with relief.

  With my calves screaming from standing in front of the espresso machine, I made a quick getaway to the back room. Unfortunately the one office chair was piled high with files and invoices. I groaned and opted to sit on the much less cluttered countertop. Pyper really needed to hire a professional organizer.

  I dug into my daily muffin, washed it down with an iced latte and leaned against the cupboards with my eyes closed. My back ached. I made a mental date with my tub.

  The swinging door to the front of the café creaked. “Just a few more minutes, I promise,” I said.

  “Take as long as you need,” a deep, husky voice replied.

  My eyes flew open, spotting Kane moving toward me. Where had he come from? I jolted up out of my slouch, preparing to leap off the counter, but Kane blocked me, making it impossible. His eyes roamed over my body, as if taking inventory. My stomach fluttered, and I said a silent thanks I was sitting when my knees turned to jelly. Damn.

  “Can I help you?” I asked in a stiff, formal voice.

  “Sure, any time.” He moved in close.

  “Uh, I mean, do you need something? Now?”

  “Yes, I do.” He leaned in with his right arm holding his weight on the shelf over my head.

  I tried to form the word what, but as his face came closer I lost all rational thought. Wanting to taste him, to feel his lips on mine, I closed the distance between us and was rewarded with the slightest brush of a kiss. Kane’s warm lips lingered on mine while his free hand caressed my neck, sending a shiver down my spine. The kiss swiftly turned heated as our lips parted with urgency. He tasted faintly of mocha and cinnamon. I pressed closer, anxious for more.

  My mind stopped working altogether, and I let myself get lost in the delicious intensity of his expert mouth. Unaware of how it happened, my arms and legs somehow wrapped themselves around his waist. He pressed his hips closer, pushing me up against the cupboards.

  His excitement became apparent in more than the bulge pressing against my jeans. Intense need, exactly as I dreamt the night before, took over my senses. My blood boiled, and I ached to feel him, all of him. Desperate to regain control, I pulled away.

  He took a step back, smiling a devilish grin. “That wasn’t exactly what I meant, but thanks all the same.” He held a sleeve of coffee cups in his right hand. “I stopped in for a second, and Pyper asked me to get these.”

  I tilted my head and spotted the inventory of extra cups.

  Shit.

  Stunned by my recent actions, I sat silent as he gazed at me.

  “Kane! What are you doing back there?” Pyper called from out front.

  He looked toward the door and then back at me. “We’ll finish this later.”

  My breath caught as I started to tremble. That’s what I was afraid of.

  ***

  “Ouch! Son of a bitch,” I yelped.

  “Jade, are you all right?” Casey, the studio manager, called from my door.

  “Fine. Just burned my arm. Wasn’t paying attention.” I’d been replaying that kiss in my mind. Again.

  Sighing, I tossed the glass piece I’d been working on in a bowl of water and reached for the aloe plant. I hissed as I dabbed it on.

  “Careful,” Casey said then went back out front.

  I stared at the three mandrels in my water bucket. Resigned, I turned the kiln off. I wasn’t getting anywhere. I’d planned on spending most of the afternoon in the studio working on a few orders. Plus, beadmaking usually was a great distraction. Not today, though. I just couldn’t get Kane, that kiss and the dreams out of my mind.

  Giving up, I decided to run errands instead and headed for the market.

  An hour later I set the grocery bags on my counter. My pants started to sing, causing me to jump. While shoving perishables in the fridge, I grabbed my phone and immediately dumped a bag of oranges on the floor. “Hello?”

  “Hey there, stranger,” a masculine voice said as I scrambled to gather the rolling fruit.

  “Ian?”

  “Yep. Ready for tonight?”

  Cradling the oranges in my shirt, I stood and eyed the calendar pinned to the wall. I hadn’t noted any plans. “Tonight?”

  “Dinner? The ghost readings report?” He prompted.

  “Of course!” Idiot! How could I forget? Thoughts of Kane, his lips, and that hard body, had rattled my brain.

  “Great.” He sounded relieved. “I just called to find out if seven is okay?”

  “Sure, sounds good. See you then.”

  Chapter 9

  After a shower, reapplication of my makeup and a thorough blow dry, I smiled in satisfaction. My strawberry-blonde hair had just the right amount of wave, making it appear sophisticated, instead of my usual messy-casual look. It had been a long time since I’d been out on an actual date.

  I checked my watch. Still a half hour until Ian arrived. With time to kill, I settled in at my desk and went to work listing new beads in my Etsy store.

  I’d gotten two new items uploaded when the knocking started. “Come in, it’s open.” The door creaked. “Is it seven already?”

  “No. What happens at seven?”

  Startled, I whipped around, knocking my elbow on the edge of my bead tray and sending all my glass creations scattering to the floor. “Damn it!” As they rolled across the hardwood I dropped to my knees, gathering as many as I could before they disappeared under the couch.

  “Sorry, didn’t mean to startle you.” Kane crouched, his face now eye level as he helped me. A faint trace of stubble shadowed his jaw.

  I fisted one hand, resisting the sudden urge to caress the roughness. “What are you doing here?” I stood and dumped the beads back in the tray.

  “What’s happening at seven?”

  “Huh?” An image of our last encounter at The Grind made my brain short circuit.

  “You were expecting someone at seven?” He rose and handed me the last of the runaway beads.

  Right. “Ian’s coming with results.” I walked to my fridge, searching for something to do. “Do you want something to drink?”

  “Sure. Guinness?” He sat, making himself comfortable. “You weren’t going to call me?”

  “Why?” I passed him the beer, grabbed one for myself and took the other end of the sofa.

  He glanced at my high-heeled feet then looked at the ceiling. “To meet with Ian.”

  I shrugged. “I didn’t realize you wanted in on the meeting.”

  “It is my building.”

  “Okay, okay. You’re here now. Stick around, and you can get the results. By the way, why are you here?”

  “Just being neighborly,” he said with a wry smile.

  “Oh?” I wiped my sweaty hand on the old fabric of the arm rest. “Are you my neighbor this evening?”

  He nodded, his smile transforming into a grin. “Looks like it.”

  My heart sped up as I imagined him shirtless in bed. Las
t night’s dream flashed in my mind. I swallowed and studied my beer.

  “I stay over a few nights a week, when I work late.” His gaze dropped to my lips. Longing and anticipation swirled around me in a dense fog, pulling me toward him as if I’d been lassoed.

  My throat went dry. “I know, you told me.”

  A light film of sweat broke out on my neck as he licked his lips, leaned in and whispered, “Jade.”

  A rapid knock on the door broke my gaze. Jumping up, I took four steps and opened the door. Ian stood leaning against the door jam, holding a pink, long-stemmed rose. He held it out. “Good evening.”

  “Uh, hi, Ian. Thanks.” I took the rose and stepped back, revealing my house guest. Biting my lip, I waved him in. “You know Kane.”

  Ian nodded. “Hello.”

  Eyeing the rose, Kane raised one eyebrow and leaned back on the couch. “Someone let you in the building?”

  A good question, since my buzzer didn’t go off.

  “I ran into Pyper out front,” Ian said.

  “Kane just stopped by,” I explained as I rooted around for a vase. Coming up empty, I poured out my beer and used the bottle instead. I set the rose next to my computer and buried my nose in the blossom, inhaling its sweet aroma. “Thank you, it’s beautiful.”

  He smiled. “You’re welcome.”

  Kane stood, staring at me for a long moment. Then he walked to the door. “Sorry, didn’t mean to intrude.” He was gone before I could reply.

  “What was that about?” Ian asked.

  I shrugged. “No idea.” Other than Kane realizing Ian and I had a date. I suppressed a sigh.

  “So,” Ian paused. “Anything new to report about your ghost?”

  “No.”

  He studied me and raised his brow in question. “No new dreams?”

  “More dreams—same content.” I’d already told him they were of the sexual nature. He didn’t need anything else. “The dreams are harmless anyway, so I guess it isn’t too important.” Except it was creepy to think of him invading my dreams, especially since while I was having them, I wasn’t creeped out at all. The whole thing was twisted.

  “They might be an important clue as to why he’s here. Would it be too awkward to tell me about them?”