Last Tailored Suit

by Pierce, Nicolette

  He had expected Jenna to run out of the bathroom in her adorably disgruntled way. He’d seen what was in the pink bag and knew she wouldn’t wear any of it, especially with him in the room. But a guy could hope.

  Leave it to Mya to pick out something she’d wear for David.

  Oh, God!

  Now his mind was contaminated with David and Mya. He did not want to know what his sister-in-law wore or didn’t wear to bed. Greyson scrubbed his hand over his face, attempting to erase all thoughts.

  When he heard the door open, his eyes flashed over to find Jenna peeking her head around the door.

  “Don’t look,” she said.

  “Are you wearing . . .” He coughed. Dear lord, she couldn’t wear that see-through stuff. He’d never get to sleep with her practically naked only a few yards away. He wanted her to wear it, but not now. Not yet. Blood pounded through his veins just thinking of it.

  “I’m decent,” she said, her cheeks glowing. “But I’d rather if you didn’t look.”

  “Why?”

  “Because I said so,” she huffed.

  “Fine,” he reluctantly agreed and closed his eyes. He heard movement and could no longer keep his eyes shut no matter how hard he tried, which, if he admitted, wasn’t very hard at all. He opened them to find Jenna climbing into bed in a red silk nightie, which clung to her curves and fell high on her leg, shifting even higher as she slid under the covers.

  He shouldn’t have opened his eyes, he scolded himself. He was going to regret that decision the entire night.

  Did she just smile?

  “Good night, Greyson,” Jenna said, the smile tinting her voice. “Pleasant dreams.”

  Greyson smothered the pillow over his head and groaned.

  A small defeat.

  She knew exactly what she was doing when she told him not to look. She knew he would. He smiled under the pillow.

  The next move was his.

  * * *

  Jenna woke early to find Greyson sprawled on the couch. His legs were hanging off the side and his arms were tucked under his head where the pillow should’ve been. It, however, was on top of his face.

  Odd.

  She gently lifted the corner of the pillow to see if he was breathing. The rise and fall of his chest suggested as much, but she checked anyway. The movement disturbed him. He stirred, tossing out his arm as he turned, brushing against Jenna. She let go of the pillow and stepped back.

  To her surprise, he had taken the bait the night before. She thought he might do something that would indicate his desire, but instead he said a hollow goodnight and proceeded to fall asleep. Maybe that was his indication.

  Well, whatever it was, she had work to do. She promised to get the bed and breakfast operational, and she wanted to search the web for anything that might lead to her brother.

  One clue was all she needed.

  Jenna showered and changed into a tight, button-down shirt and a skirt. The skirt was so short it’d have been more useful as a rubber band. She could have worn the pretty new suit, but she wanted to save that for when the business was open and she had to look her best.

  Jenna located the laptop and brought it down to the kitchen. She set it on the counter while she made coffee and toast, checking occasionally to see if she had any messages. She was happy to find that some of her paperwork previously submitted was processed. The bed and breakfast was off to a good start, even with the missed days.

  It was time to start a marketing campaign. There was no point in opening if there were no guests.

  Then, she’d tackle recruiting staff. It’d take a few weeks to hire the right people and then a couple of weeks more to get them trained.

  When her coffee and toast were made, she took everything to the table and sat down. First, she’d investigate. There was no way she’d get anything accomplished if she was constantly thinking of Adam.

  It felt as if she was opening Pandora’s box when she typed his name into the search field, pausing at the enter key. She didn’t think it’d produce any information that she didn’t already know, but she was afraid to stumble across something that she couldn’t undo. What if he was really dead?

  She had to find out one way or the other. It was time to stop hiding in her shell.

  Jenna pressed enter and closed her eyes.

  “Hey, I thought I’d find someone here,” a voice said at the doorway.

  Jenna clutched her failing heart in mid-scream, and her eyes flew open.

  “You scared the hell out of me!”

  “I heard,” David said, touching his ear.

  “Jenna!” Greyson’s booming voice filled the house. “Jenna!”

  “In the kitchen!” David shouted.

  Moments later, Greyson skidded into the kitchen, frantic and disheveled. “Are you okay?”

  “I’m fine,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting to see David, and I screamed.”

  Greyson let out a long breath and collapsed against the counter. “I think you scared ten years off my life.” Before Jenna could put his mind at rest, Greyson grew rigid as if suddenly remembering something terrible, his face strained. “Why didn’t you wake me? We’re supposed to stick together! You could have been killed before I even made it here.”

  “Killed? By David?” she asked.

  “You know what I mean!”

  “Yes, but I forgot. I was just making coffee and thought I’d start work. You were sound asleep. I didn’t want to wake you.”

  “Wake me next time! What’s the point of sleeping in my bed if you wander off by yourself later?”

  David looked between the pair. “Did I miss something?”

  Greyson glared at him. “Get your head out of the gutter. She slept in my bed so I could be sure she was safe.”

  David’s brow arched.

  “I didn’t sleep with her. I slept on the couch!”

  Jenna thought he was a bit too adamant about not sleeping with her, like it’d be heinous that David would even think such a thing. It chafed a bit, but Greyson was yanked out of a sound sleep and looked terrible. His hair stuck every which way, and his eyes were dark-rimmed.

  “I think you need coffee,” she said, scooting from the table. She tugged her skirt down since it had risen when she sat. How anyone could stand an entire day of wrestling with a little skirt was beyond her.

  Both men’s eyes widened.

  “What?” she asked, walking to the cupboard.

  David glanced over at Greyson, who blinked several times before tearing his eyes away.

  “Mya,” Greyson muttered to David, grimacing.

  “Ah,” David said with a knowing nod and a growing smile.

  “You need to control your wife,” Greyson said, which only earned laughter from David as he backed out of the door. “Where are you going?”

  “I just remembered I have somewhere I need to be.”

  “Where?” Greyson asked.

  “Don’t you want coffee?” Jenna asked. “I made plenty.”

  “I’ll take a rain check.”

  “But then why did you come over?” she asked.

  “Just to let you know that the men are on the move. Remy is tracking them right now. I’ll be in touch.”

  “So they left my car? Is it safe to get my clothes?” Jenna asked, hopeful.

  “No, not yet,” he said seriously, but a smirk was aimed at Greyson. “I’ll let you know when it’s safe.”

  “Thank you,” Greyson gritted.

  “Anytime,” David said, his smirk turning into a wide grin. “I’ll call you later. It’s best if you just hang tight here. Together.”

  “Get out,” Greyson ordered.

  David laughed and waved good-bye.

  “That was odd,” Jenna said.

  “Not in the least.” He took the empty mug from Jenna.

  “Oh! I meant to fill that.”

  “I can do it. I have two capable hands,” he said, trying for a smile that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

  “Yo
u’re still tired,” Jenna said. “Go back to sleep. I’m perfectly safe in the kitchen.”

  He looked up from his cup. “If you’d like to join me in the bedroom, then I’ll go back to bed. Otherwise, I’ll be here with you.”

  “Then it looks like you’re staying,” she said. “Don’t you want to take a shower? It’ll wake you.”

  His only answer was a smile. This time, it did reach his eyes, and it was wicked. “We are supposed to stick together,” he drawled.

  Jenna bit her bottom lip to keep her jaw from swinging open. “I draw the line at sleeping in the same room. You’re as dense as a potato if you think I’m going to hop in the shower with you.”

  “I was hoping for more than hopping,” he said, sipping his coffee.

  “Greyson!”

  He shrugged and walked out of the kitchen. “Please manage to stay put until I return.”

  She scowled at the empty space he had filled. Greyson confused her to no end. Half of the time he seemed annoyed with her and argued out of spite. And the other half he seemed like he might actually want her.

  It made her rethink her plans. If he confused her this much on a daily basis, how could she even attempt something more. And more of what? A relationship? A casual fling? A one-time thing? Nothing?

  Most likely nothing.

  She didn’t know what to think. He somehow infiltrated her thoughts continuously. There was a little piece of her that wasn’t going to rest until she figured him out. And until that happened, all she could do was wait for a sign. And not a join-me-in-the-shower-because-we-have-to-stick-together sign.

  Jenna sat back down at the table. She had better things to do than moon after the moody man.

  She looked at the laptop to find the top hits on her search before David had interrupted. Sadness swept over her as she looked through the list. Adam’s website and social media pages were still active. There were no new posts, but they were still there, like a ghost of his life.

  She skimmed through, not finding anything new or helpful.

  Jenna clicked on his website, just to poke around and remember. It was mainly a tribute to bands that he enjoyed. Adam did have some music of his own that he uploaded for people to listen to. Jenna clicked the play button, thankful the website was still there so she could hear his voice again.

  The music sounded tinny in her small laptop speakers, but her memories were strong enough to fill in the smooth tone of Adam’s voice as he sang a ballad he wrote for a past girlfriend.

  Tania.

  That was her name.

  Jenna opened a new browser and searched Adam’s social pages to see if Tania was still around. She also hoped to find a last name. It was a long shot, but maybe she’d know something. The police had questioned her, but what if they missed something?

  Jenna should have been persistent at the beginning. When Adam first disappeared, she went to the police, hoping they’d help. But they hadn’t been able to track him down. Then the men began threatening her and she’d been on the run ever since, praying that Adam would find her and take care of everything. It quickly became apparent that he wasn’t coming back and that nothing would ever be the same again.

  Not anymore.

  She was tired of hiding, tired of flinching at every noise. She was going to find Adam — alive, please — and then come up with a plan to get the men off her back . . . except for the man who was currently taking a shower.

  She wasn’t ready to shake him off yet.

  Idiot that she was.

  * * *

  Greyson stood in the shower, hot water beating down on him. He had tossed and turned on the couch for hours before finally falling asleep. When Jenna’s scream woke him, he flew out the door, jamming his toe on the coffee table and ramming his shoulder into the doorframe as he scrambled to find her in his groggy state.

  And then he found her with barely anything on, and his brother laughing at his predicament.

  Jackass.

  Thankfully, Jenna was okay. He didn’t think he could have offered much protection in his current condition.

  He grimaced, remembering Jenna’s expression as he basically invited her to take a shower with him. She was not interested.

  It wasn’t as though he’d never been rejected before, but it was rare. And it wasn’t as if the offer was real . . . but it could’ve been if she had said yes.

  So much for his plans. She’d basically shot him down with one horrified look.

  Greyson shut off the water and grabbed a towel. He’d back off for now. The last thing he wanted was to repel Jenna with unwanted offers. He hated receiving them from women he wasn’t interested in, and they never knew when to stop. It made them appear ugly and desperate.

  He was neither.

  Although, he thought, looking in the mirror, he could shave his beard. It had grown wild. That might tilt the odds in his favor. But not yet. Not when Jenna didn’t seem interested. Too many women only saw him for his face and his money. Not one — except for Nadia — could see past all that.

  Greyson tugged on a shirt. He hadn’t thought of Nadia once since Jenna had taken over his life. His mind. Well, except for the times Jenna had mentioned her. If nothing else, he’d be forever grateful to Jenna for that reason alone.

  It’d make leaving so much easier when the time came.

  He still had no idea where he was going, but that was easy enough to figure out. And, ultimately, it didn’t matter as long as his feet were moving.

  He’d have to call Ian later and see where he was and if he ever found the woman who stole diamonds from his estate. If not, Greyson could help.

  Now, however, he had to help Jenna.

  Chapter 18

  Jenna was searching for ways to market a bed and breakfast when the doorbell rang. Since Greyson was still in the shower, she went to answer it. As she twisted the knob, she heard a growl behind her.

  Actually, it wasn’t much of a growl, but a cursing in a low, gravelly tone. She peered behind her to find Greyson on the stairs, glowering.

  “Were you about to open that door without me?” he asked. “Does nothing I say matter at all?”

  Jenna frowned. It wasn’t as if she meant to disregard what Greyson had asked of her, but some things were so ingrained they became reflexive. Hear a ringing phone. Answer it. Hear a doorbell. Answer it.

  He stalked to the door, scooting her around to stand behind him. He glanced out the peephole and sighed.

  When he opened the door, she understood why. Frankie, Mark, and the tubby cat were back. Only this time Gus lounged on a wagon fashioned with a pink satin pillow edged with tassels. Behind him were stacks of boxes and bags.

  “We brought the rest,” Frankie said.

  “The rest of what?” Greyson asked.

  “Clothes, silly,” he tsked and slid past Greyson, heading to the kitchen. “I’m parched! I hope you don’t mind if I help myself to a libation.”

  “Where’s Mya?”

  “Resting at home.”

  Greyson stepped back to allow Mark to roll through with Gus and parcels in tow. “I could go for a little something to quench my thirst, too. Should I make my famous green power smoothie?” He didn’t wait for an answer as he followed in Frankie’s wake.

  “Whatever you do, don’t drink the smoothie,” Greyson whispered to Jenna.

  “That bad?”

  Greyson involuntarily shivered.

  “Suggestion noted.”

  Jenna and Greyson followed behind the two, listening as they bickered about a chapel.

  “What chapel?” Jenna asked, sitting at the counter. She felt Greyson’s presence as he stood directly behind her. She resisted the urge to lean back against him.

  Frankie perched next to Jenna as Mark zoomed around the kitchen, making himself at home.

  “We own a chapel,” Frankie said.

  “Will own a chapel,” Mark corrected. “If we can get the building constructed sometime before I expire.”

  Frankie waved a
lazy hand. “I owned All Celebrities Chapel, and he owned Fairytale Chapel. They both came to destructive ends.”

  “Which was entirely your fault,” Mark said.

  “We’ve agreed to blame Nadia,” he returned with a tsk.

  “You tore down my turret!”

  Frankie rolled his eyes. “Did not. It fell. And now we’re constructing a new building for the two of us,” he quickly added.

  Jenna glanced up at Greyson, whose eyes twinkled with amusement. He didn’t even seem upset that Nadia was blamed for the destruction of two buildings.

  “When will you open for business?” Jenna asked.

  “It will take almost a year,” Frankie said. “We’ve sold our land and bought a bigger lot. Construction has started, so I just launched our website to keep everyone up to date. Do you want to see it?”

  “Yes, of course,” Jenna said. “I have to start a website for the bed and breakfast. Would you mind if I asked you a few questions?”

  Mark snorted. “Don’t get him started!”

  Frankie had already scooted over to the table and plopped down in front of the laptop, ignoring Mark. “The first thing you’ll need is a web address. Did you get yours yet?”

  “Not yet.”

  “Well, you can buy it through a provider and use their software to create a page.”

  “I thought it might be easier to hire a professional to design it.”

  “You could do that, but you’d still need the web address.”

  “How does that work?” Jenna asked. “Do I buy it once and it’s mine forever?”

  “No. Most of them are annual renewals.”

  “Oh,” Jenna said, wondering why that piece of information bothered her.

  “Now, behold!” Frankie said, turning the screen to Jenna. “My newest website. Created for Anything Goes Wedding Chapel.”

  “Oh!” Jenna gasped, looking from the screen to Greyson, who wore her same stunned expression.

  “I told you it was bad,” Mark said to Frankie. “You’re going to scare our customers away.”

  “What’s wrong with it?” Frankie turned to Jenna. “You like it, don’t you?”