WindSwept Narrows: #21 Charlotte Bell & Natalie Templeton

by Diroll-Nichols, Karen

  “Sulking?”

  “Ignoring,” she countered sweetly. “You’ve offered your apology. You realize you made a huge mistake and that’s the end of it.”

  “Is it?” The smallest hint of humor played over his lips. He had to admit he’d given little thought to playful flirting over the last dozen years or more.

  “I’m not your type,” she informed him with a nod, satisfied with the direction of their conversation.

  “Oh? Do you think we know each other well enough to predict a type?”

  Charlotte had been watching the tall almost regal woman talking to people on the fringe of the milling people near the bar. She had heels that went on forever and legs that picked up after that, leading into a sea green dress that ended in an open slit on the side. She landed on Sebastian at last who seemed to be pointing her to the dance floor.

  “I’m thinking she’s your type,” Charlotte wasn’t sure why but this promised to be entertaining. From somewhere, a smile brightened her face. She bit the inside of her cheek when the low, growling curse left the man holding her. But it was trepidation she felt suddenly, not humor at his predicament. Something was wrong.

  “What the hell is she doing here?” All the humor and relaxation he’d been feeling, all the fun at exchanging words with Charlotte suddenly went up in smoke. A dark, black lethal smoke.

  “Friend of yours? She seems to have really good radar,” Charlotte tried stepping back when the music stopped but his arms didn’t loosen. “I think the music is over.”

  “Have you been to the buffet?” Jesse turned her without waiting for a response, his palm riding warmly on her waist. “Why do you think you’re not my type?”

  “Because I need trust and you don’t have it to give,” Charlotte stopped moving forward and took a step to the side. “Good night, Jesse Hunter.”

  He stood momentarily stunned.

  Not only at her comment but at his reaction to it.

  Trust. The key ingredient Sebastian had mentioned with Paige. Long, strong strides had him at her side without pausing, his hand back at her waist and his head bent next to her ear.

  “I need your help and I’m willing to bargain,” he said quietly, fiercely. “You don’t owe me a thing,” he said when her mouth opened and eyes narrowed. “I’m not even pretending you do, Charlotte. And when we have more time and privacy, I’ll explain everything. I’m asking for your help right now. I’m asking you to trust me with a problem I have that I believed remained in Vancouver,” he paused, swore he could see her walking the line between yes and no. “Please.”

  Charlotte was the only one who heard the softest sigh of genuine relief when he sighed after she nodded agreement. “What do you need help with, Jesse?”

  “Just…” His head turned in the direction of the approaching blonde.

  Charlotte frowned and followed his gaze. Something was definitely off, she realized, the look in the green eyes had been focused on Jesse until she got closer to the couple.

  Was this the reason he didn’t trust? Then her gaze went to where his palm rested on her hip and Charlotte really didn’t like the pure hatred she saw there. Carefully hidden, but definitely there.

  She saw Jesse as her property, Charlotte realized sharply, positive she could feel the burning fire of the woman’s glare over her skin. She wasn’t sure why, but her body seemed to automatically fold against Jesse’s, a strange sense of uncertainty making her edgy.

  “Jesse…darling…I’ve been searching all over for you,” the blonde made a move forward, stopping when only a flat stare was returned.

  “What are you doing here, Jasmine? This is a business party,” Jesse kept his hand firmly on Charlotte’s hip.

  “We’re associates, Jesse,” she turned the smile that had been reserved for him to Charlotte and offered her palm. “Jasmine Billings.”

  “Charlotte Bell,” she placed her hand in the one offered, one woman appraising the other, she thought. But more so. “You’re an old friend of Jesse’s? From where he used to live? He hasn’t mentioned you, but then we’re not big on dissecting the past, are we, lover?”

  “I know how much you live in the now, Charlotte,” Jesse felt part of him relax. Charlotte was smart and intuitive and evidently sensed something. His body reacted when she leaned against him, her hips moving to stand in front of him, as if to shield him, he thought briefly. An almost protective stance and he realized it wasn’t something he’d ever had before.

  “Jesse and I have known one another a long time, Ms. Bell,” Jasmine said, a hint of the effort it was taking her to remain civil.

  “Good friends, are you?” Charlotte decided she wanted to see how close this blonde was to Jesse and moved easily in front of him, taking both his hands in hers and wrapping them around her, their fingers entwined at her waist. “You must have been sad when he left Vancouver,” Charlotte wracked her brain for information, all the while watching the jealousy simmering in the woman’s green eyes.

  “It isn’t such a long distance,” she assured Charlotte with a simple shrug.

  “Very true…just please, call before you show up on our doorstep,” Charlotte laid her head against his jaw. “I try and take weekends off and we like to sleep late. And I work early mornings, so we tend to turn in early. Do you work, Ms. Billings? I’m sure you understand the constraints it puts on a couple.”

  “I’m very sure I do.”

  “Well, it was nice meeting you, but I’m after the ladies room,” she turned in his arms and kissed him soundly, dancing amber eyes meeting a pair of dark circles with too many sparks flaring to life inside them for her to guess his mood. “I’ll be right back.”

  “You appear to be settling in well, Jesse,” Jasmine Billings met the dark eyes without blinking.

  “Jasmine, you’re breaking a restraining order by being here,” Jesse spoke the words slowly, carefully. It only just dawned on him the possible danger he’d thrown Charlotte into by mixing her with Jasmine.

  “We’re in the States, Jesse,” she laughed and stepped closer to him, her palm up and stroking lightly over his arm. She shrugged. “It’s a nice resort. I might stay awhile and visit. Have a pleasant evening, Jesse.” She paused, her head tipped slightly to the side. “You know you won’t be happy with anyone other than me. I’ve told you that before.”

  Chapter Six

  Jesse Hunter had spent the last year trying to make the woman hear him. He had one date with her. Nothing more. He’d known, instinctively, that something was off with her behaviors. The twins had felt it, too.

  He pulled his phone out, tapping out notes to himself and sending one to the head of his security team with the site. He placed a request for the restraining order from the Vancouver police and shook his head. He sent off another quick note to his attorneys. They needed to come up with a way to make this woman leave him and his family alone.

  And now he’d involved Charlotte. She was right, he decided, arrogant was a suitable word at the moment.

  “Jesse?” Charlotte came in from the side, watching the dark frown on his face as he worked the small phone computer. “You want to explain the problem now?”

  Jesse laughed. Charlotte shivered but she wasn’t cold. She’d heard his laughter on their only date. This was cold and bitter. Angry didn’t seem a strong enough word for the emotions she felt radiating from him.

  “Ever hear of a guy being stalked before?” Dark eyes met hers. “Now you know of one more. I don’t know if the restraining order is any good here or if the stupid thing is good for anything, period. It was a legal step that had to be taken, I was told. She isn’t supposed to come near me or the kids. She’s unstable, rich and positive I belong to her and I made the stupid mistake of involving you. I’m sorry, Charlotte. You’re right. I’m not your type.”

  Charlotte stood staring after him as he stalked the large open patio doors. Rain was spitting from the sky, making a half-hearted late spring attempt to dampen things. But he didn’t seem to notice. She
watched a few sparkling drops hit the back of his tux as she went behind him, arguing with herself that this was where she walked away. This was where she gathered her anger and fled. Yet she remained.

  “Is she a danger to the twins?” Charlotte stayed in the dry part of the patio. She heard his breath pushed between his teeth.

  “The police don’t know. The shrinks can’t tell me. They know. They know to stay away from her and dial up the emergency number,” he laughed harshly. “Hell, they’ve both been taking martial arts classes since they were able to walk. They can defend themselves against her better than I could, I think. I dated her once, Charlotte. Once. And I knew something didn’t feel right. But she kept visiting the house, stopping by the office…I asked her to stop. Then I told her to stop. She laughs and says I really don’t mean it.”

  Charlotte puffed up her cheeks and froze when he turned around. She wasn’t quite prepared to hear him laugh and have it be out of fun.

  “You’re like a kid with curves,” he said with a shake of his head. His palms were up and on her shoulders. The air left her cheeks seconds before his mouth hungrily covered hers. “I wanted to do this last night and thought I was insane,” he growled softly, nipping at her lip before claiming her whole mouth as his own. Hot, full and tasty, he decided, savoring the flavor as his kiss dragged them far from the ballroom in the resort.

  Charlotte wasn’t quite sure how her fingers were wrapped knuckle white around the lapels of his tux. Or how all the common sense she had in reserve suddenly up and fled. But she did know it felt really, really good to kiss him. And he was very methodical and thorough, she thought briefly, melting against him and sending her tongue out to sweep, stroke and arouse over his.

  “If you two intend to set the building on fire, they’ll probably charge us extra,” Sebastian commented, strolling past with Paige at his side.

  “Go dance or something,” Jesse told him, lifting his head just enough to see the humor in their eyes.

  Charlotte shook herself mentally and pushed against his chest, her head tipped slightly as she tucked long strands of red behind one ear. “I think I need some cold water or wine or maybe both,” she told him, about to turn back to the room when his hand took hers.

  “I’m sorry I asked for your help.”

  “Doesn’t matter. It’s done,” Charlotte shrugged. “Maybe she’ll take the hint, depends on how psycho she is, I suppose.”

  “You find this amusing?”

  “I’ve had too many friends in this situation to find it a hundred percent amusing, Jesse,” Charlotte accepted the large goblet of iced water he held out to her. “It gets ugly and messy and sometimes people are hurt. I wish I knew why they get possessively attached…”

  “You’d have a number one paper in the mental health journals if you did, Charlotte,” Jesse met the amber eyes with a sigh. “I am sorry. Maybe I was thinking the same thing. I honestly believed me leaving the area would end the problem. Even, selfishly, hoped she’d move on to someone else.”

  “Did you have sex with her?”

  “No. One date. We met at a charity fundraiser and she asked me out,” he recalled with a slight frown. “Said she’d been watching me all night and found me fascinating.”

  “That’s a nice ego stroke,” Charlotte murmured, clearing her throat.

  “I won’t dignify that with a response. Let’s just say that after a dinner with her, I declined other offers, other dates. I even had her investigated by my security people,” he said flatly. “Evidently she has a history that her family has been covering up for more than a few years. But they’ve just fallen short of having her committed. Pretty soon there won’t be any family left to watch out for her.”

  “Do you investigate all your dates, Jesse?”

  “The morning after our date, the house was flooded with flowers. At six, she began calling to find out where I would be lunching and when so she could join me. All men in powerful positions needed a strong, influential wife,” his voice was flat, eyes cold at the memories. He met the stunned look on Charlotte’s face. “It got worse over the next few weeks before I finally sent a detailed letter to my attorney and told her to do something. I had photos because the kids had taken pictures of the things she sent, the notes she left me. They said they were keeping a folder of what they didn’t want in a potential step-mother,” he said sourly.

  “Jesse, I…I’m sorry.”

  “It seemed to amuse them for a short time. I never found it funny, Charlotte, and no, I do not investigate my dates. Which brings us back to you and I,” he said with a long breath. “I do not believe you prowl the internet or your shop for dates. I think Paige somehow got you here tonight for just this reason, to make me feel like an idiot for my…I don’t know where the hell my head was this morning.”

  “I’d make a suggestion but it would ruin the congenial mood we have going,” she met the suddenly tired eyes with a crooked grin. “Good night, Jesse,” she went to her toes and kissed his cheek. “I hope whatever we did tonight helps to convince her to move along. I just wish there was a better answer for people who behave like that than eventual prison for their actions.”

  “Charlotte,” he gripped her hand when she turned away. “Don’t you get it? I let her believe you and I are involved.”

  “Jesse, I was there. I let her believe that, not you. I’m a big girl. I come armed when I’m alone and I’m not concerned. Just take care of the twins,” Charlotte shook her head and backed up a step. “Good night.”

  Jesse stared at the back of the black dress weaving through people and pulled his phone out. He placed a quick, curt call to Jamie. Hotel doors didn’t have security peeps to check on who your visitor was. Next, he placed a call to resort security, leaving a message for either Cassidy or Catherine to call him when they could. He’d have a copy of the file by Monday to share with all parties he needed.

  He wandered out of the ballroom and down to the lower level in time to see Charlotte leaving one of the other elevators. He increased his pace, intercepting her before she made it to the large doors outside.

  “How are you getting home?” He asked before she could speak.

  “Cab.”

  “Let me take you, Charlotte.” He reached for her hand and twined their fingers. “We had a pleasant time at dinner the other night. I screwed up with…accusations that don’t belong between us and I’m sorry for that.”

  “It’s not easy trying to protect children from the world,” Charlotte nodded slowly, tightened her fingers and offered a crooked smile, her free hand up and dragging the long hair back over her shoulder.

  “If the world would mind its own business, it would be easy,” he said dryly, leading her into the cool mist falling outside on a Friday night.

  “Do you think she’s really dangerous, Jesse?” She didn’t mind the drizzle. It was all part of the charm, especially when it was a warm evening like tonight. She slid into the SUV, buckling the belt and waiting. He was too quiet. That meant the answer was probably yes.

  “I don’t know, Charlotte,” he finally said after starting the SUV. He loosened his tie and opened the top two buttons on his shirt. “I don’t know. Evidence from previous…encounters…say she’s just annoying. Refuses to face reality. I’ve looked over the reports, trying to find a trigger that tells her to move on, but the only thing I’ve found is when she gets distracted by another person.”

  “So basically we’ve got to find someone to sic her on,” Charlotte watched the look on his face and laughed. “What? It’s a viable solution. We just find someone like her, but male.”

  “I’m not sure…that’s devious…”

  “Hmmm…so much for my nice girl image, huh?” Charlotte grinned. “So besides believing that I prowl the internet for men, now I’m devious. It’s a little logical. We can’t kill her. Too hard to get rid of bodies. We can’t put her on a slow boat somewhere, that’s probably considered kidnapping and frowned upon,” Charlotte decided she was getting into the who
le theme. “So we need to discourage her in the hopes she doesn’t do anything more annoying.”

  “Nothing more dangerous than a female with a mission,” Jesse murmured to himself. Or a mother protecting her cubs, he thought, thinking of the twins and Charlotte. “I talked to Jamie about you.”

  “Just Jamie?” She asked, a little miffed, a little curious.

  “At the time, you were pissed at me and I didn’t need another female in that frame of mind,” he answered logically. “And my daughter has no problem explaining to me the ways men screw up their lives.”

  “It’s genetic,” Charlotte agreed with a light shrug.

  Jesse sighed. “Makes you wonder how the species continues.”

  “Yeah, well, girls have weaknesses for things, too. Something about you helpless types just appeals to us, you know?”

  “Helpless types?” He repeated in amused disbelief.

  “So what did Jamie have to tell you about me?” Charlotte only grinned at the look on his face.

  “That you kick ass in game and held auditions for the team positions,” Jesse parked outside the closed coffee shop and turned the engine off. “Going to invite me inside?”

  “I’m not sure it’s a good idea, but yes,” Charlotte stepped onto the concrete and pulled keys from inside the little bag she carried. She didn’t look over her shoulder as she climbed the wide stairs, opened the door and checked the alarm status upstairs and down. She reset it when he was inside. “I’ll be right back.”

  Chapter Seven

  Charlotte shook her head as she stepped from the heels and into her closet, hanging her dress up and finding a pair of cotton drawstrings pants and a large sweater that drifted down one shoulder. She carried a small pair of socks with her and sunk onto the sofa to pull them over her toes.

  “The view along the west coast is something I’ll never get tired of. Whether it’s open ocean or Sound,” Jesse stood near the closed patio doors, hands in his pockets and mind churning. He turned when he heard the sound of the TV behind him, a cross between disbelief and relief on his face when he saw her curled into the corner of the sofa.