“Fuck me with another Goddamn choice I can’t make.”
***
Don’t come after me. Why did I tell him that? Yet another unanswered question joined the ‘why did I leave’ dilemma bombarding Claire while she sat strapped in Will’s truck.
She closed her eyes and rubbed her fingers over her pounding forehead.
Will signaled and changed lanes. “So how did you meet this guy?”
She scowled and snapped at him. “Why is that always the first question everyone asks?” She couldn’t tell that story even if she wanted to.
“Sorry.” He passed the overloaded moving van and settled into the right lane, then cast a sideways glance at her. “How’d you get stranded at Caesar’s?”
She suspected he’d been dying to ask that since he found her sipping the watered-down margarita. The drink could’ve impaired her memory, but the events made no sense to begin with. “Honestly, I have no idea.”
“Well, let’s reconstruct.”
Great. Will-the-detective showed up.
He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. “You flew into Vegas Friday afternoon. Did he buy your ticket?”
She shook her head. “No, he’s a pilot, has his own plane.” At least he wouldn’t be stranded. The suite upgrade had probably drained his finances. She remembered something about Ramen noodles….
“Impressive.” He acknowledged the fact with a slight nod. “You checked into Caesar’s. Nice room?”
The first room had been perfect—plenty of space for their recreational activities, and the bedroom window made a great mirror/stage. Why did he have to change it?
“A small suite. I liked it.” Kurt had enjoyed it, too.
“Finally a smile.” He stroked her stiff shoulder. “Did you go gambling?”
A yes or no question. Amateur move. “Yes.” She clamped her lips together.
“Win or lose? How much?”
Now he wants details. “I won over ten thousand dollars playing Roulette.” She decided not to mention the other bet she’d won.
A low whistle slipped through his teeth. “What happened to the money?”
The weak alcohol churned in her otherwise empty stomach. She shouldn’t have been hungry after all she’d consumed in the last twenty-four hours, but she still craved something—not necessarily food. “I spent it all.”
“How did he feel about that?”
She hadn’t thought about it, but as she reflected on her spending spree, images of JT’s indulgent grin flooded her brain. “He loved it, encouraged me all the way.”
“Uh-huh.” Will scratched his stubbled chin. “Did you buy something for him?”
She smiled as the best memory came to life. “I gave him a really cool watch. Black leather cuff, diamonds on the face. You’d like it.”
“He liked it?”
He’d resisted at first, but she remembered seeing it strapped to his wrist while they fought. “Yes.”
Will’s eyebrows drew together and he cast a stern glance at her, commanding her to think. “Did he ask you for anything else? More gifts, dinner, show tickets, gas for the plane?”
JT had said nothing when she told him she wanted to spoil him. Except for the watch, she’d spent most of the money on herself or both of them. She’d required little prompting. “No, it was all my idea. I bought what I wanted.”
“Or did he lead you to believe you wanted it?”
She’d seen this coming, and had considered the possibility since Will started the line of questioning. “JT isn’t a con artist. He’s a good guy with a naughty streak a mile wide.” Don’t volunteer information!
A sly grin crept across his face. “What do you mean by naughty?”
She crossed her arms over her chest and stared straight ahead. “I’m invoking my right to remain silent.”
“That only works if I arrest you.” He laughed, then got serious. “Did he make you do something you were uncomfortable with?”
Not at all. In fact, JT had been encouraging her threesome fantasy since they’d first met. She’d seen that too, and she’d played along, not really believing it would happen but still hoping. “Let’s just say he let me live out my fantasies, and loved it when I did.”
“Sounds like a great guy.” His stern face relaxed and he gazed at her as if searching for the last piece of the puzzle. “What happened to make you leave him?”
She’d braced herself for that question, but it still stung. “That’s what I can’t figure out.”
He checked his blind spot and slid into the left lane. “What were you doing in the moments before you walked out?”
“Arguing.” Duh.
“About?”
That’s where things get confusing. She knew exactly what had upset her, but JT’s response made no sense. He seemed to be having another argument, one that didn’t entirely involve her. So she told Will what she knew for certain. “He upgraded our room to a penthouse suite. I accused him of going overboard.”
He bit back a laugh. “Wow. That’s a capital offense, darlin’.”
“Bite me.”
He stepped on the gas and accelerated past the semi-truck. “You realize you’re guilty of the same crime, right?”
Bite me harder. “What’s your point?”
Will glanced at the rearview mirror. “I can’t blame the guy for spoiling you. And I think you don’t either.”
Claire chewed her lip. Is this my fault?
He reset the cruise control and shot a pointed glance at her. “You’re feeling guilty because you overindulged in shopping, eating, and God only knows what you two did in the bedroom.”
Us three. “Oh, you’re the one to talk about sex antics.”
“And you deflected it on him.”
“Did not.”
He cocked that sexy left eyebrow. “I’m not wrong.”
Cheese and crackers. Does he have to gloat? “Arrogant bastard.”
“I’ve been hanging around Alex too much.” He chuckled, reaching over to rub her stiff shoulder. “And it kinda sounds like JR adores you.”
“JT.” Will had told her she needed that kind of man. “He does… in his own way.”
“How is that?”
“The wrong way.” Their very meeting had been illegal. “He likes to break rules, push boundaries. Actually, he likes it when I break rules and push boundaries.”
“Do you like it?”
A smile pulled at her lips. “Yes, damn it! I love it when he encourages me to do things I never imagined.” But that puzzle piece didn’t quite fit. “No, he makes me do things I’ve always wanted, but never acted on.”
Will nodded as if he knew exactly what she meant. “He’s a risk-taker.”
“Very much so. I like that.” She couldn’t deny JT’s careless appeal. “My world is so structured, but he shakes it all up. It’s refreshing.”
“A little rebellion is good for the soul.” Will slowed down to let a police car pass.
Claire smiled, her heart fluttering. “He calls me Rebel.”
“Sounds like he gets you.”
Her heart crashed as quickly as it had soared. “That’s what I thought.”
“But?”
Just when she’d gotten some answers, that pesky question popped up again. “I don’t know. Something didn’t work, and it had all been so great up to that point.”
“You need to find out what it was, and make it work.”
Her stomach knotted. “What if it doesn’t?”
“Then make your own way to fix it… Rebel.”
A yawn hit her from nowhere, and her body turned heavy. “I can’t think anymore. Do you mind if I sleep?”
“Go ahead.”
Another yawn shook her frame. Will must’ve been exhausted, too. “Are you okay with driving? You’ve been on the road for hours.”
“Wouldn’t be the first time.” A grim smile touched his lips. “I’m fine.”
She curled up against the door and closed her eyes. Conflictin
g images flitted through her hazy mind: the spinning Roulette wheel, half-naked showgirls dripping with diamonds, mountains of food, her ruby, Kurt’s glasses on the end table, JT’s lips on her breast… all three of them reflected in the dark window, naked and tangled.
The last picture stuck with her, burning into her brain. Maybe making it work required more than two.
Chapter 25
Kurt seriously contemplated creating a virus and emailing it directly to Claire’s computer, but he’d have to hurry to see her and stop it before it spread through the whole network. I have no problem with that.
As he worked through his plan, one flaw after another popped up. He’d get caught, fired, and then he’d never see her again. Better to come up with another reason.
Hell, he’d seen her naked. Why did he need an excuse to walk into her office? He closed his eyes and imagined the conversation.
“Hi Kurt, how was your weekend?”
“Hi Claire, I didn’t recognize you with your clothes on.”
Hmm… awkward much?
He could go up there and tell her to keep her eyes open for a new virus, one some lovesick pervert had created to get a girl’s attention. Then she’d wonder why he hadn’t sent the information in an email.
Damn it. Modern technology screwed him again.
Kurt wolfed down the last of his sandwich and tossed the paper bag in the trash. Afternoon already and he hadn’t seen or heard from her.
What did he expect? The last time he’d been in Claire’s presence she’d been tangled up with another man. They might still be in that bed for all he knew. Lucky bastard.
His cell phone buzzed with a text from his boss. So much for an hour lunch. He shoved through the break room door and slammed straight into the object of his obsession.
Claire swept her displaced hair behind her ear. “Hi Kurt, how was your weekend?”
Oh shit. “Hi Claire…. It was great. I had a lot of fun. You?”
“Me too.” A guilty smile touched her lips.
“How’s JT?”
Her eyes lost their sparkle and she shrugged. “I haven’t heard from him.”
Oh my God! Did they break up? “What happened?”
“It’s complicated. We had a fight, and I left.”
“I’m sorry.” Don’t smile. “What did he do?”
She shook her head. “Nothing really. I just….” She clamped her mouth shut as the DA’s assistant, Becca, strolled past them.
“Let’s go to the pub. We can talk in private over there,” he suggested. Would she give him all the details? Did he want to hear them?
Claire let out a deep breath and nodded. “Okay.”
He sent a text to his boss. ‘I’m dealing with an emergency. I’ll be back when I can.’
They ducked down the stairwell to the lobby and out into the street, where the bright afternoon sunlight gleamed off buildings, nearly blinding Kurt. His eyes adjusted when they walked into the bar, and he directed her toward a quiet table, then ordered a big basket of fries for them to share.
Now what?
She rested her chin in her hands, apparently lost in thought. He would have to start this conversation, but she’d already brushed off his questions about the weekend.
Start with something harmless. “You never told me how you met JT.”
Her gaze shifted and she glared at him through narrowed eyes. “And I never will.”
“All right.” He sat back as the waitress set the huge plate on the table, and waited until she disappeared behind the kitchen’s swinging doors before turning back to Claire. “Did I do something to piss you off?”
“No.” She grabbed a hot fry and dropped it. “Yes. You left without saying goodbye.”
“Oh. Sorry.” Their snack no longer appealed to him. He scooted closer, but stopped short of touching her. “You looked so happy. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
She pushed the plate away. “I was happy.”
Shit. Had he hurt her? He’d known their tryst carried the potential for disaster, but he thought they’d avoided it. “So… what changed?”
She sighed and stretched her arms across the table as if reaching for him. “I think I did. Winning that jackpot turned me into a monster. I could have anything I wanted… so I did. Including you two.”
He couldn’t hold back a smile. “I’m not complaining.”
This time she laid a hand on his arm and stroked him. “You don’t feel used?”
Not if you keep touching me like that. “Maybe a little, but I didn’t mind.”
“So you’re okay with….” She glanced over his shoulder at the couple seated at the bar. “With what happened between us. And him.”
How many times had he relived the experience? On the plane, in the shower, at the office. He’d lost count. More than okay. Much, much more. “I am. I was pretty nervous at first, but once I saw how much you enjoyed it… that’s all I needed.”
She nodded, staring at her hand linked with his.
Her mute response made his skin prickle. “Are you okay with it?”
A slight smile lit her face, but her soft words barely reached his ears. “Having sex with the two of you was the most amazing experience of my life. I don’t regret a thing.”
The prickly sensation wouldn’t go away. He had to know what had gone wrong whether she wanted to tell him or not. “Then why did you two break up?”
She sighed and sat back, breaking the link between them. “I thought the problem was that he didn’t understand me. Now I realize he does, but I’m not sure I like who I am when I’m with him.”
“Uh-huh.” She’d revealed something, but the information did not compute. He tried to imitate her language, hoping it might click for him. “Do you like who you are when you’re with me?”
She smiled and stroked his hand. “Yeah, I do. You’re good for me, good to me.”
Now that made sense. His skin tingled, sending awesome bolts of lightning straight to his heart. “I will always be good to you.”
“I know.” Her words escaped in a breathless rush.
He leaned in to kiss her, but she clapped both hands over her face. “I just wish I knew why JT makes me feel like this!”
Kurt recoiled. Whoa, what just happened? “Like what?”
“Conflicted.” She glanced around the bar then scooted closer to him. “All right, I’m going to tell you the truth, but you have to swear on your geeky life you’ll take it to your grave.”
Along with their Vegas exploits. “I swear.”
She cast another guarded look at the patrons around them, but nobody made eye contact. “I met JT when he was selected for the jury on Alex’s last murder trial.”
Whoa. Game changer. “Even I know communicating with jurors is not cool.”
“Don’t remind me,” she snarled, but her anger seemed to be directed inward, or at least at JT instead of him. “He flirted with me right in front of the judge, and she expressly forbade him to speak to me. But he didn’t listen.”
Kurt didn’t want to listen either, so he skipped over the details. “One thing led to another and…?”
The tension left her body. “He challenged me. Made me think about who I was and what I wanted from my life.” And then a dreamy smile appeared. “I was always the girl who came in second best, but with JT, I’m the winner. Literally. “
He’d hoped this path would lead to a different destination, so he tried to steer her back to the anger. “Where’s the conflict?”
She laid her head down on the table and groaned. “I don’t know how to be a winner. The money, the sex, it changed me.” But she popped up and a goofy smile brightened her face. “For one magical day and an unforgettable night, there was no competition. I was the best.” The light faded fast. “But all that ended when the money ran out, and now I’m plain old Claire again.”
He reached across the table and seized her hand. “You are never plain. And you’re younger than I am.”
She withdrew and loo
ked at him like he’d turned into an alien. “Are you always so literal?”
Obviously he’d missed something. Wouldn’t be the first time. “That’s who I am, Claire. I connect computers all day long, but I don’t really know how to connect with people.”
Her shoulders slumped, and she dragged the full plate of fries between them. “People are overrated. Stick with computers.”
Kurt picked up a cold limp potato. How appropriate. “What would JT think of that?” Jesus, dude! What are you doing?
She stuffed a handful of fries in her mouth, swallowed the lump and shrugged. “Hard to say. Today, he’d probably agree.”
As much as he wanted to change the subject, Kurt had to admit the gambler played a huge role in their current encounter. “He brought us together. That’s something I could never do.”
Claire winked, much like JT. “Do you suppose we should thank him?”
“Screw him.” Kurt jammed a wad of fries in his mouth, then signaled the waitress and ordered a couple of Cokes to wash down the bitter taste. When he’d gathered his courage, he looked at Claire. “Are we together?”
“If you mean that literally, yes.” She grinned over the rim of her glass.
He shook his head. “I’m talking about a relationship.”
The impudent smile reappeared. “I know. I was just trying to put it in a way you could relate to.”
“Thank you for that.” He took a big swig of Coke and let the fizz clear his head. “Was last weekend a one-time fling or do we have something more?”
She perked up at that. “I’d like more. Oh baby, that was the hottest sex of my life. You should try it.”
Had she forgotten him already? “Um… I did, remember?”
She laughed and rubbed his arm. “I’m teasing. Yes, I’d like more with you… and JT.”
“Seriously?” And just how serious did she want this fling to get?
She twirled a bent potato in her fingers. “Crazy, huh?”
“Just a little.”
“I know it can be done,” she said cautiously.
He didn’t have to ask how she knew.
She chomped on the helpless fry. “But can we do it?”
Home Is Where the Heat Is Page 24
