No. What they needed to do was to get out of there before he did something completely crazy, like give in to his desire to kiss her at least once.
Hayley reached for her wineglass, draining the last of it as the waiter set pie and coffee on the table.
Bram didn’t like feeling so intrigued by this slip of a woman, yet when she peered at him over the rim of her glass, his body wasn’t interested in hearing from his common sense. Hayley was getting to him whether he liked it or not.
He’d been feeling muzzy and out of focus much of the day. He’d put it down to the unusually hot June sun, but now he realized it had begun shortly after he’d made the mistake of going over to talk to her this afternoon. Oh, yeah, she was definitely getting to him.
The pink in her cheeks deepened as if she was reading his thoughts. If he didn’t do something, the attraction sizzling between them would turn the room incandescent. She was wealthy and young, but not so young she didn’t know what she was doing, despite that beguiling hint of innocence about her.
“Why were you and Eden arguing earlier?” Hayley asked, twisting the stem of her empty glass.
Startled by the question when he’d been thinking about how she would look stretched out naked beneath him, he had to work at shifting mental gears.
“How did you know about that?”
“I saw the two of you at the bottom of the stairs. It was right after…” she looked around quickly and lowered her voice “…what happened in my bedroom this afternoon.”
That reminder was just the dose of reality he’d needed to regroup and pull his mind from where it had no business going.
He swept the nearby tables with a quick glance to see if anyone was listening. No one appeared to be paying them any attention.
“Someone left a note on the windshield of my truck that said I was wanted at the house. When I got there, Eden pointed out that as the hired help, I should remember my place and keep away from you.”
Hayley expelled an outraged breath. “She actually said that?”
She’d also warned him to forget any aspirations he might be harboring toward marrying a potential heiress, but Bram decided it might be more prudent not to mention that part—or the fact that Eden had apparently lined up her son, Jacob, for that role.
Oddly enough, that last bit had bothered him far more than the warning. The truth was, Bram didn’t like Jacob. It had been a gut reaction the moment they’d met.
“Look at it from her perspective, Hayley,” he said mildly. “I know you don’t like her, but as your stepmother, Eden is probably trying to act in your best interests. I am the hired help, and a stranger to boot.”
“My best interests?” Hayley’s glass clunked against the tabletop. Her blue eyes glittered in anger. “Eden doesn’t care a thing about my best interests and never will. Not unless there is something in it for her.” Her fingernails tapped absently against the tablecloth. “But I wonder…”
“Wonder what?”
“If she was the person going through my bag. How long was she down there in the hall with you?”
Bram shook his head. Hayley wasn’t going to like what he had to say next. “While you were getting ready tonight, I lay down on your bed and tried to see a reflection of the room in that glass covering your poster.”
Her fingers stilled. Hayley straightened in her chair. “Tried?”
Her affronted tone made him wince. “Maybe I wasn’t in the right spot, or maybe the sun needed to be coming in from a different angle, but—”
“Or maybe poor Hayley was hallucinating?” she asked with poisonous insincerity.
“Don’t put words in my mouth.”
“Why not? I took them straight from your thoughts.”
Bram swore softly.
She leaned toward him, and the vee of her neckline dipped recklessly low. Far lower than she realized. Or did she know exactly what she was doing? Bram ripped his gaze back up to her face. Her blue eyes sparkled more intensely than her crystal earrings.
“You’ve already decided Jacob was right, haven’t you? Poor little Hayley must have dreamed the whole thing.”
“I didn’t say that.” But it was exactly what he had concluded.
“Yes. You did,” she said angrily. “Just not out loud.” She dropped her napkin beside her untouched dessert. “I’ll wait for you outside.”
He grabbed her wrist before she could rise, exerting enough pressure to hold her in place. “If you want to make a scene, Hayley, let’s make it a good one. I don’t go for half measures.”
Her eyes widened.
“I’ve got years more experience at shocking people than you do. I know exactly how to give all your friends and neighbors a scene they’ll talk about for years. Is that what you want?”
“You’re hurting me.”
“No, I’m not.” But he released her wrist and signaled for the check, far more ready than she was to get them out of there and away from prying eyes. Despite his harsh words, the last thing he wanted was a scene here in Stony Ridge with yet another member of a socially prominent family.
Hayley sat perfectly still. Bram cursed under his breath as he counted out money and added a tip.
“I’m sorry,” she said, surprising him.
“No problem.”
Her fingers closed over his hand. “Yes, it is a problem. I’ve got a temper. Leigh’s the calm one. It’s just that I wanted you to believe me. I know the whole thing sounds crazy. It is crazy. And after the panicky way I behaved last night—”
“I’ll be right back with your change, sir,” the waiter interrupted.
Hayley’s hand fell away.
“I don’t need any change,” he told the man. “Are you ready, Hayley?”
She nodded and immediately rose to her feet. He had to hand it to her. Not a trace of emotion from the past few minutes showed on her face as she moved through the busy dining room with all the grace and poise of a queen. She had more facets than a diamond, with twice the allure. Bram had to remind himself that even if she’d been older, there were more than a million reasons not to let her get to him—and most of those reasons were in her bank account. He wasn’t falling into that trap ever again.
As they stepped outside, they were both surprised to find low scudding clouds had turned the evening prematurely dark.
“I didn’t realize it was supposed to storm tonight,” Hayley said.
“It wasn’t. I had the radio on earlier. They never mentioned a storm.”
“Too bad they don’t look out a window once in a while.”
His lips quirked. “Come on.”
They’d used her car rather than his messy truck, and she’d surprised him by handing him the keys and asking him to drive. Now, as he opened the passenger door and waited, Hayley turned to face him instead of getting inside. He expected her to ask for her keys back.
“Thank you for dinner.”
So prim. So proper. So incredibly lovely.
“You’re welcome.”
She didn’t move.
“Did you want to drive?” he asked.
“No.”
“Then we should go before it starts raining,” he prompted.
“Do you think I dreamed the whole thing?”
Bram sighed. “Get in the car, Hayley.”
She still didn’t move. The woman had a real stubborn streak. Resigned, he faced her. “You said there was nothing of value in your case.”
“There wasn’t.”
He shook his head. “Why would anyone sneak back into your room and repack?”
“I don’t know! Maybe they had a neat streak. Or maybe they wanted everyone to think exactly what you’re thinking right now. I know it doesn’t make sense, but I didn’t dream that shirt in my face!”
The force behind her words was troubling. She believed what she was saying. Could she be using drugs? Bram searched for a way to ask without riling that temper of hers even more. She climbed into the car, angrily tugging at her skirt, but not befo
re he got a good eyeful of a shapely thigh and leg. Darn it, she was making him nuts. He’d be howling at the moon at this rate.
Whether she’d seen someone or not, he knew she was scared. There was something going on at Heartskeep. He’d sensed the dark undercurrents even before she’d arrived. It was no good telling himself not to get involved here. He’d been involved from the moment he saw her watching him with such rapt attention last night. The question was, could he keep from getting any more involved in the situation?
Hayley drew several deep breaths while she watched Bram walk around the car. What did it matter what he thought? She wasn’t crazy. She knew what she had seen.
But—it did matter. She didn’t want Bram to think she was crazy like Marcus. The truth was, she was feeling more than a little scared and alone. Bram felt like the only safe anchor in her world at the moment. He was right. None of what had happened made any sense.
Hayley was so frustrated she wanted to scream. Tonight, for the first time since she’d arrived home, she was feeling almost normal instead of loggy and exhausted. Bram had been right about that, too. She’d needed to eat. But even with food in her stomach, she knew she hadn’t been dreaming. If only he believed her.
He slid behind the wheel, a brooding, intense man whose strength and competence were openly conveyed in the quiet, self-assured way he carried himself. Hayley had been powerfully drawn to him from the start, yet she still didn’t know a thing about him—like why he had such a strong aversion to marriage, and why, although he was attracted to her, he’d made it plain he had no intention of acting on that attraction.
Inserting the key, he started the engine and drove out of the parking lot without looking at her. “I think you should head back to your apartment in Boston tonight,” he said quietly.
Startled, she snapped her jaw closed to keep from gaping at him. “Do I disturb you that much?”
He flashed a hooded look in her direction. “Your situation worries me that much,” he said firmly.
“I thought you didn’t believe me.”
He hesitated, as if searching for the right words. “You’re too alone in that house.”
“It’s full of people.”
“People filled with antagonism. You need an ally.”
“You’re forgetting Jacob.” She sensed his instant dismissal. “And yourself.”
His fingers tightened on the steering wheel. “I realize you’re attracted to me—”
“Good. I realize the same thing about you.”
“I’m too old for you,” he said flatly.
“Really? I didn’t know you were sixty-five.”
He didn’t smile and his voice held no inflection to tell her what he was thinking when he asked, “Is that your cutoff point for eligible men?”
“Depends on what I want them eligible for.”
Hayley was gratified to see his control slip a notch.
“I’m almost thirty-five, Hayley.”
“As old as that, huh? Do your bones creak when you walk?”
He set his jaw. “I’ve got more than ten years on you.”
She tossed back her hair and sniffed loudly in an imitation of Eden. “That would be physical years,” she told him breezily. “In case you hadn’t heard, women mature mentally much earlier than men. I figure that should make you almost the right age for me.”
“Cut it out. Do you want me to put it in plain English? I’m not interested in you.”
“Liar.” She tossed her head haughtily, but the words hurt, as he’d intended.
“You’re playing with fire, you know,” he said softly.
“You play with fire all the time. I don’t mind a little heat. Why do I scare you?”
“You don’t scare me. Are you always this forward?”
Hayley tried not to flinch. “If by forward you mean do I always go after what I want, the answer is yes.”
“And you’ve decided you want me. Is that it?”
His bitter tone caught her off guard. Someone had hurt him. “There goes that ego of yours again,” she said lightly. “I’d like a chance to get to know you better. Is there something wrong with that?”
Rain began to fall. The large drops looked like tears on the windshield. Bram reached out and turned on the wipers. It took Hayley several minutes to realize he had no intention of answering her question. They rode the rest of the way in silence.
He drove through the open gate, down the long drive to Heartskeep. Instead of going around to the back, he pulled her car into the turnaround in front of the house. The structure towered above them, eerily forbidding in the rain-shrouded night, just like his mood.
“Go home, Hayley.”
His unexpected words flayed her heart. Pride kept her voice steady. “This is my home.”
“You know what I mean.” Turning off the engine, he faced her. “Let your lawyer handle this ownership battle before you get hurt.”
Her jaw clenched. “Thanks for the advice. I’ll take my keys now.” Thrusting out her hand, she was proud that there wasn’t even a tremor.
“I’m thinking of your safety, Hayley,” he said, dropping them on her palm. He was careful not to touch her. That she could affect him so strongly should have been some solace, but it wasn’t.
“Don’t lose any sleep over me. I can take care of myself.” She opened her door and stepped out.
Bram swore as he climbed from the car. She couldn’t look at him, not with this hurt gnawing on her insides.
“Good night, Mr. Myers. Thanks for dinner.” She sprinted for the porch, half expecting him to follow.
He didn’t.
Foolish tears thickened her throat. Inside the vast hall, she was thankful no one was nearby. The last thing she wanted was a run-in with Eden, Marcus or Jacob right now. She flew up the stairs and down the hall to her bedroom. Not until she reached it did she remember that her room wasn’t necessarily a safe haven, either.
The memory was enough to stop the threat of tears as well as her headlong flight. Standing in her bedroom doorway, she reached for her light switch and was relieved when it worked. She let her gaze comb every surface before stepping inside. The room looked exactly as she had left it.
Except for a piece of paper sitting on her nightstand.
Fear knotted her stomach. Then she remembered Bram placing something on the table right before they left. She’d been preoccupied at the time. Now, she walked over and saw that it was a photograph.
Lifting the picture, she was shocked to see her own features looking up at her. The background was out of focus, but the building didn’t look familiar.
Confused, she bit her lip. She didn’t remember anyone taking a candid shot of her like this one. It was probably her twin. A younger Leigh, sixteen or seventeen at a guess. Except neither of them had ever worn their hair that short. Had they? Hayley couldn’t remember.
Where had Bram found this picture? Why had he set it here without saying anything?
Puzzled, she tapped it against her hand. The photo slipped from her fingers and fluttered to the floor. Bending down to retrieve it, she saw something jutting out from under the bedskirt. She’d forgotten about the unopened bottle of water she’d dropped earlier.
Recovering both items, she set the picture on the nightstand and opened the bottle. The water was warm, but she let it trickle down her dry throat, anyhow. She had to stop feeling so jumpy. She never used to be this way. If she wasn’t careful, she’d turn into squirrel fodder.
Somewhere nearby, a door slammed.
Hayley gave a start, spilling some of the water down the front of her. No door had ever slammed in this house that she could remember. Holding her breath, she listened tensely, but the house had returned to its former ominous quiet.
It hadn’t come from Leigh’s room, next door, but the sound had definitely come from one of the doors in this wing. That left the empty bedroom near the front of the house, Eden’s room or the attic. Since the guest room was unoccupied and no one ever went u
p into the locked attic, logic said it must have been Eden’s door.
Setting down the bottle of water, Hayley eased open her door and peered into the hall. Someone had switched off the overhead lights there. Her bedside lamp barely penetrated the gloom. And where were the night-lights that her mother had always kept at each end of the hallway?
Hayley felt a sudden chill. Either someone had deliberately turned off the lights or a circuit breaker had tripped for some reason. The light switches were on the wall at either end. The closest one to her was next to the attic door near Eden’s room.
Eden again.
The woman never had liked her. Did she think slamming doors and turning off lights was going to frighten Hayley?
Okay, it had for a moment, but Hayley had lived in this house since she was a baby. She could walk the place blindfolded if she had to. To prove it, she ignored her leaping pulse and stepped into the hall.
As she headed toward the switch, she told herself there was nothing to fear. No one stood in the darkness watching her. Leigh was supposed to be the imaginative twin. This was a heck of a time for Hayley to start developing a vivid imagination.
Still, her breathing was ridiculously fast and shallow by the time her groping fingers found the switch. She turned it on, but nothing happened.
Okay, so a circuit had tripped. That explained the absence of the night-lights as well. Nothing to panic over. She’d go back to her room, grab a flashlight and go downstairs and check the panel.
She always kept a flashlight in her nightstand. Power loss this far from town had been a relatively frequent problem over the years. One that had never bothered her before, because there had always been someone else nearby. Someone she could call to and joke with. Not someone lurking in the blackness, watching her.
Stop it! What was the matter with her? There was no one standing in the darkness watching her!
Still, a surge of relief swept through her once she stepped back inside her lighted bedroom. Her flashlight was right where it should have been. Lifting it, she turned around as someone stepped into her doorway.
Chapter Six
“Hey, Hayley, I didn’t know you were back already,” Jacob said. “I just saw your light on. Everything okay?”
The Firstborn Page 9
