by Lacey Wolfe
“I really need staples.”
Tonya giggled. “Looks like your morning secretary is no good at her job.”
Jace wasn’t sure why, but hearing Tonya say something negative about Claire annoyed him. “I had her running a ton of errands. I’m sure she didn’t mean to forget.”
“It’s her job not to forget. Would you like me to run out?” she asked.
“No, I think I got it. Can you handle answering the phones for about an hour?”
“I can handle anything you give me.”
Did she just say that? Was she possibly referring to…? “Good to know.”
Jace locked his office door, and as he took a bite of his sub, he left. Something wasn’t right about that girl. She was coming on to him strong. Between the shirt with her breasts spilling out, bringing him lunch, and then that comment. Sure, he should be flattered. And his dating life had been non-existent lately. But Tonya was young. She needed to grow up a little more. He wasn’t even sure how far over legal she was.
Twenty minutes later, Jace had the staples he needed. And as he drove back to the office, he found he was headed in a different direction. And before he knew it, was sitting at the light that if he took a left, he’d be heading to Honeycreek. When the light turned green, he hesitated a moment and finally when someone honked the horn behind him, he pressed the gas and went straight through the light. He didn’t need to go to Honeycreek. The more things got personal with Claire, the more he liked her. And Seth’s words rang through his head. She dislikes you. But Jace also knew there was a fine line between love and hate. However, pursuing a relationship with Claire right about now probably wasn’t the best idea.
* * *
Jace watched Claire as she made her way up the sidewalk toward the office. She carried a tray again with two cups of coffee from The Roasted Cup. He could get used to that. And with Tonya bringing lunch, he’d be set.
“Morning,” she said as she came in.
“Good morning to you.”
She set her stuff down on the desk. “Coffee if you want one. It isn’t homemade, so I hope that’s okay.”
Homemade? “Coffee is coffee, right?”
“I’d like to think so.”
As she got situated, he took a moment to give her a once-over. She wore a pair of black slacks that made her ass look amazing. In fact, he could stare at it all day. She also wore a light blue blouse that she had left unbuttoned. And if she wasn’t wearing a white top under, he’d get an eyeful of her luscious breasts. But Claire kept them covered—unlike Tonya. Claire’s breasts he wanted to see a little more than he was willing to admit. He’d gotten a good eyeful of them the day she stormed into his office. Perhaps he could come up with a way again to reenact that scenario.
“Something wrong?” she asked.
She’d caught him. “Sorry, zoned out a moment. Guess I should get to work.”
“Oh, before I forget,” she dug through her purse and handed him something, “staples. I forgot to leave them yesterday when I left the sub sandwich.”
“You left a sub?”
“Yeah. Maybe Tonya put it in the fridge or something. She said you’d already eaten the lasagna she brought you. So if she doesn’t bring you something homemade again, you’ve got lunch.”
Homemade. He got it now. But why the hell had Tonya lied to Claire and in return told him she’d brought the sub?
“Thank you. That was very nice of you.” He turned and went to his office.
Taking a long gulp of coffee, he still couldn’t understand why Tonya had fibbed. Obviously she liked him, and for whatever reason, thought claiming she brought the sandwich would get her one step closer. But then as he thought over his conversation with Claire, he got a sense she was irritated by Tonya. The homemade comment and she wasn’t her usual self. His last few encounters with her, she’d been feisty. But this morning, she was just here.
He set the cup down and popped his head back out the doorway. Claire was getting the computer booted. “Everything go okay yesterday?”
She looked up. “Yeah. I hated having to give those folks the bad news. Sorry I was so hard on you.”
He chuckled. “It’s okay. If what was happening to you was happening to me, I’d feel the same way.”
She smiled slightly and it was the most beautiful one he’d ever seen. He was experiencing one of those heart-stopping moments. “I left a list on the desk of things I need done this morning. If it’s too much, just leave it for Tonya.”
She nodded. He went back inside his office, needing a moment. He couldn’t believe the way being in a room with her made his heart pitter patter. She’d only been back in his life a few days and he couldn’t understand why he was falling so fast for her. He’d always found her attractive in high school and if memory served him right, besides being popular for her looks, she was also one of those girls who did things to help others. In fact, he remembered she used to head the committee to keep Brookfield clean. Every Saturday, a group of kids would walk around cleaning up trash, among other things.
He was pretty sure she didn’t remember him though. He hadn’t been in the popular crowd. And when he was in high school, if you didn’t play football, you weren’t anyone. The only thing that kept him from being a complete no one was that he played on the school’s baseball team and he’d been one of the best players.
* * *
The morning went by fast. Claire had stayed busy with paperwork that needed to be typed up. She moaned loudly as she stretched her back. She’d never been one to sit for long periods of time. She liked to be active.
With her work done, she pulled out her binder that contained her to-do list for Honeycreek. There really wasn’t much that needed to be done. Her parents had kept the place up-to-date, minus the bedrooms. For now, she’d open a cabin or two and possibly two rooms at a time. She didn’t expect to be busy much right away, so it would give her time to get the place ready. Honeycreek stayed active during the summer. It was cool usually. But the winter months were busy as well. Brookfield always got a good bit of snow. The lake froze over and it was a popular place to ice skate. The last few years though, her parents had been closing in the winter. Which she’d argued with them until she was blue in the face that it was a mistake. They didn’t listen. It was then that things at Honeycreek started to go downhill, and the tourism in Brookfield went down. She wanted to help the town and all the small businesses. Honeycreek being open year-round was the key.
When she left she would go by the hardware store and get some paint samples. The only place she might need help painting was the large foyer and dining area, because of the vaulted ceilings.
“Lost in thought?” Jace asked from beside her.
“Oh, sorry. I was done with work and going over what I needed to do later.”
“Can I see?” She pushed the binder his way. After a moment he said, “Do you need help with anything?”
“Probably. It’s a bigger project than I expected it to be.” Claire sighed, not because of the work ahead, but because of how close Jace was. She could smell his cologne and it was driving desire through her body at rapid speed. She almost felt the urge to wiggle in her seat she was getting so worked up.
“Let me know. I like doing things like painting.” His face was close and it was taking everything in her not to reach out and touch the stubble.
Claire laughed to break the connection. “Why?”
He shrugged and took a step back. “I don’t know. I enjoy changing the color and stepping back to admire it.”
“I can see that. I might take you up on it then. I don’t think I can do some areas by myself.”
“Maybe I can come over and give you a few ideas.” His gaze locked on hers.
Jace and her alone—not a good idea. Yet her mouth didn’t listen. “That would be great. When did you have in mind?”
“I could come tonight.” He looked at his watch. “Maybe even now. I’m done for the day. Perks of owning your own business.”
Her heart raced as she nodded her head like an idiot. “That would be great. What about Tonya?”
“Already called her and told her we were closing early today. If you’re up for it, how about I go home and change, then drive over?” he suggested.
“Uh, yeah. That works.” She was going to see this man out of a suit. As good as he looked in one, imagining him in a pair of jeans got her motors really pumping.
“I’ll see you in a bit.” He winked and went into his office.
Claire took several deep breaths as she packed her stuff. She left quickly and without telling him bye. Before he got there, she needed to get her emotions and hormones under control. Otherwise, she might do something she’d end up regretting.
* * *
Jace climbed the steps of Honeycreek. He assumed Claire was in there since he’d knocked on her cabin door and gotten no answer. The door was cracked so he took it as a sign he could let himself in.
When he entered, he stopped. Claire was bent over and he had no idea what she was doing. All he saw was miles of creamy skin, long, lean legs, and a pair of short-shorts. His cock liked the view as well and pressed on his zipper, wanting a better look obviously.
Claire stood slowly and glanced over her shoulder. Her blond hair was up in a messy ponytail. “Hey.”
He tugged at his waistband to reposition his pants. “Hey.”
She placed her hands on her hips and he saw she wore a tiny tank top. A low, cut one that left little to his imagination. He needed to turn around right now and leave. Otherwise, he would kiss her, and more if she allowed it. And at this moment, his second head was really hoping she wanted to meet.
Trying to get his mind on anything else, he glanced around. The ceilings were tall in the main room. At least twenty-four feet. The sun shone through the windows at the top, illuminating the entire room. This room was all wood paneling, but the real kind, like a log cabin. Not much had changed in the décor since he’d been here as a child. He hoped Claire kept it the way it was and didn’t modernize it too much.
“This is the room that’s going to be a pain,” she said. “The ceilings are so tall. And I must admit I’m a little afraid of heights.”
“How? You were the cheerleader that they always tossed in the air or whatever.” And the boys also got a peek at the blue bloomers.
“I hated it.” She smiled. “I can’t believe you remember that. Or me, for that matter.”
Claire Stevens was not someone a man could forget. And even with a few years added, she still stole his breath. “I’ve got a ladder to get up there. It won’t be a problem.”
“Cool. I don’t want to do anything though until this mess gets cleared up. I was just doing some cleaning.”
She could clean his place any day dressed like that. “I’m sure it will be soon.”
“You look nice out of a suit. I hardly recognize ya.” She winked.
He was going to take that as a compliment.
“I hate that you drove all the way out here for nothing. Guess I should’ve thought about that before.”
“It’s no problem at all.” He stepped inside a little farther and glanced around. “I volunteered.”
“Can I get you a drink or anything?”
“Yeah.” His throat felt dry.
“Soda okay?” she called as she headed in the opposite direction.
“Uh-huh.” His gaze was on her ass. If those shorts were just slightly smaller, he’d get a shot of her—enough! He had to quit. But when she came back from wherever, carrying a red can, his cock sprang to life again. And this time, he was certain she noticed. Oh yeah, she noticed.
As she handed him the drink, he could tell by the smile she wore that she knew he was hard. Crap. How was he going to look her in the face now? He wasn’t some fourteen-year-old boy. He should be able to control it.
“What are you going to charge for the paint job?” she asked as she took a seat on one of the leather couches.
He sat on the same couch. “Nothing. Just supply pizza or something.”
“You’re easy to please.”
More than you know. “That sub you brought the other day was really good.”
“Thanks. I wasn’t sure what you liked on it, so I kinda guessed when I had it made.”
“You had all my favorites put on it.”
Silence stood between them and he was glad. He needed the time to compose himself and get his emotions under control. He wanted to inch close, wrap his hand around her neck, and let his lips explore her. But he wasn’t sure if she felt the same way yet.
“I’m sorry for the way I acted and how I accused you of things you didn’t do,” she said. “I jumped to conclusions. Obviously, someone has done something and I intend to get to the bottom of it, but I was wrong to assume you had anything to do with it. It’s just hard. If my parents were here, they could help. But they aren’t.”
Jace scooted closer when he saw her eyes grow moist. He offered an arm and Claire took it, laying her head on his shoulder.
“I hate that they were both taken from me. It’s not fair. And all I want to do is let their dream of this place live on. And someone is getting in the way. I don’t understand.”
“You have a great piece of property here and could make someone very rich if they could get their hands on it. I’m sure your parents have had offers throughout the years from big companies wanting to buy it from them.”
He felt her head nod.
“And that’s the only thing I can think of. Whoever it is sees the money they could get if they pull this off.”
She sat up and stared at him. “Well whoever it is has never met me or else they’d know I will fight for what I want with everything I’ve got.”
He stared into her eyes. When she licked her lips, he couldn’t hold back any longer. He reached out, yanked her to him, and kissed her.
He expected her to push him away and slap him. But she melted into him, giving herself. She opened to him, letting their tongues meet in the middle. He held her tightly around the waist and her hands returned the favor by clinging to his neck.
He tilted her head back so he could deepen the kiss. His other half below the belt returned to standing position, only this time he didn’t care. He wanted Claire to know exactly what she did to him.
Jace broke the kiss momentarily to trail his lips down her neck to her collarbone, giving himself a peek at what she had inside her shirt. Damn, she had a full set and his tongue begged to taste. To dip down and lick between her breasts. Claire must have sensed how he felt. She pulled his face back to hers. And then she spoke and nearly gave him a heart attack.
“I think we should go back to my place and sleep together.”
Chapter Five
“You w-want…you want t-to…” Jace stuttered.
“Yes. I want to,” Claire said. She’d wanted to since she walked in and saw he had a hard-on. And when she spotted it again, she found herself wet. He wore a pair of jeans better than she imagined. And the black t-shirt—heaven. “We’re attracted to each other. Let’s just do it and then move on.”
“This is a one-time thing?”
“I guess we could do it more. But I think we need to at least once. We’re both single and at the moment horny. Why not?”
Jace stared at her and her nipples puckered. She reached down for the hem of her shirt, ready to take it off when he stopped her.
“God, I can’t believe I’m going to say this. But if this is a one-time thing, I don’t think we should.”
She placed her hands in her lap.
Jace continued speaking, “I want to. Please know that. And right about now, if my dick had a gun, it’d shoot me. But let’s be honest. No one can sleep together only one time. Someone is going to want more. And I should be honest. That person will probably be me.”
“You like me? I’ve been so mean to you.”
“You’ve turned me on every single day. Your sassiness does it for me.”
She laughed. “Is there something wrong with you?”
He shook his head. “Not that I know of. I enjoy being around you. When you’re in the room, no one else exists.”
“Typically, it’s only you and I in a room.”
“And typically, in my mind, I’m imaging pinning you to a wall.”
“Then do it.”
He groaned and she loved getting that type of reaction out of him. Knowing he was having as hard a time as her controlling himself, made her even more moist.
“We can’t.”
She leaned forward, placing her lips right by his earlobe. “If we can’t have sex, can we at least play?” She placed her hand on his shaft.
He sucked in air and before she had time to think, he shoved her down onto her back and stole her lips. She knew she wasn’t being fair to him—again. He’d given her valid reasons why they shouldn’t, but she didn’t care. She wanted it. Wanted him. And as his hips ground into her, she knew there was no turning back. Whether they went all the way right here on this couch or not, they were about to learn a bit more about one another.
* * *
Jace sat on the brown leather couch. Claire had disappeared back to the kitchen area. He couldn’t believe they’d fooled around and if he had wanted, he could’ve sunk into her warm opening and probably found a slice of heaven. Yet he’d turned her down all because he wanted more than sex. He didn’t want to sleep with her only once. He wanted the whole damn shebang.
“God, you’re sexy sitting there in only a pair of jeans. I don’t think I’m satisfied fully,” Claire said as she came back in the room. “I hope cheese puffs are okay. It’s all I could find in there that hasn’t been opened.”
“I don’t need anything fresh.”
She giggled. “This is food left from my parents. Figured it was best to get something still sealed. My ‘fresh’ food is back in my cabin.”
“Why don’t you stay in here? It’s gorgeous.”
“I plan to. I’m hoping once I make a few changes and get opened up, I can. To be honest, the time I’ve spent with you is the longest I’ve been in here since they passed. It’s hard to bear, not seeing them in here. I know I have to. I can’t exactly run the inn from my tiny cabin.”
