Crazy About You (19 page)

Taking a deep breath, Emma said, “I was also the lucky one who found him washed up on the beach. I’m the one who ID’d the body for the local police. So they said I can’t leave town while they’re investigating, not until they say I can go.”

Silence stretched across the phone line.

Emma frowned. “Tony? Did you hear me?”

Chase heard Tony mumbling but couldn’t quite catch the words. He glanced at Jim, who scribbled on his notepad. Emma’s eyebrows drew together in confusion while Tony continued. “I need to clear a few things on my schedule, then I’m coming to the Cape. I’ll straighten this out for you, babe. Don’t worry. You’re gonna be fine. I promise.”

The line clicked dead before Emma could ask anything else. She put the phone back on the desk, plugging in the cord to continue charging. Chase furrowed his brow, trying not to dwell on the fact that the guy called her
babe
several times over the course of the short conversation. “What was it he said right before he hung up? I couldn’t quite catch that one part.”

Jim actually laughed. “He said,
That explains the fire
. Which means he knows something, and that fire’s definitely connected to Vito’s death. And your man Tony is connected to both events.”

Emma stared at him, visibly bristling. “I don’t know about
definitely
anything, Jim. You can’t jump to conclusions about murder based on that. And he’s not
my
Tony.” She turned to Chase. “You know that, right? You still believe me?”

He nodded, his answer rooted in faith instead of fact. “I believe you.” Despite any evidence to the contrary, and despite the clear look of disbelief on the detective’s face, he trusted she’d told him the truth about everything so far.

He believed in her, and it felt right. Now they just needed to figure out the rest.

Chapter Twenty-One

Yellow crime scene tape surrounded the front yard and crossed over the open front door like a giant X. The blackened trash barrel sat in the middle of the lawn, a stark reminder of disaster narrowly averted. All the windows stood open to remove any lingering smoke from the building.

Her rental car sat parked in the CCS lot, but another vehicle blocked the driveway. Emma recognized the older officer sitting in the squad car. “Officer McKeevey! Nice to see you again.”

The patrolman looked up from his newspaper, a smile adding more wrinkles to his already crinkled face. “Emma Maguire. I heard you were back in town. Shame about the fire.” He opened the squad car door and stood to join them.

She gestured to Chase. “Mr. McKeevey, this is Dr. Chase Anderson. Chase, this officer was the S.R.O. when I was in high school.”

Chase held out his hand. “Nice to meet you, sir. I’m not familiar with the term, S.R.O.?”

McKeevey shook his hand. “School Resource Officer. Making connections with young people at school and whatnot.” He nodded toward the burnt out barrel. “Seems today’s youth are a lot more wild than usual this summer.”

Emma cocked her head. “Have there been other incidents?”

“Not like this. The fire chief seemed to think this was a prank that got out of hand. If it was intentional arson, there would’ve been more damage.”

“Or it was a warning.” Chase gazed up at the house.

The cop’s face scrunched further, creating even more wrinkles. “Warning? About what?”

Emma patted him on the arm. “That’s something we need to figure out. Are we allowed inside yet, or is the fire marshal still working on the report?”

McKeevey waved in the direction of the front door. “He blocked off the main entrance, as you can see. I’m waiting for the lab guys to come check for fingerprints, since it seems that’s the most likely point of access for the delinquents. But you can go in through the back door if you need to get anything. I’m assigned here until six, when the chief should be coming by to test the interior air quality.” McKeevey explained if the tests went well, Emma could be back in the house as early as this evening.

Emma nodded. “I need to get Hershey’s food and dishes to drop off at the neighbor’s house. They’re being so kind, taking him in.”

“You should pack a bag for yourself while we’re here,” Chase said. “Even if the chief clears the house for occupancy, you aren’t spending the night here.”

She looked at him, and finally nodded again. “I guess you’re right. But…”

“No buts. Pack a bag. You’re staying with me.”

****

Emma threw the bag in the trunk of the rental car, butterflies in her stomach again. The short walk from her house to the CCS parking lot had been mostly silent, her thoughts churning a mile a minute. On the one hand, Chase was right about not staying in the house, no question. But a motel—with Chase? That was sure to get people talking, and get Tony’s attention. Not in a good way.

She slid into the driver’s seat as Chase slammed the passenger door closed. She pulled out of the parking lot, searching for a way to explain. “Listen, I was thinking. Maybe it’s not such a good idea for me to stay with you.”

“You’re not staying in that house alone.”

From his firm tone, she knew it would be pointless to argue. She tried another tack. “There are plenty of neighbors, family friends, I can stay with. I don’t have to inconvenience you.”

“I wouldn’t get any sleep because I’d be up worrying about you. And you’d be worrying about waking people with your nightmares.”

Her cheeks flushed as she slid her eyes in his direction. “I guess you heard those last night, huh? Hope I didn’t keep you awake.”

“I wasn’t sleeping much anyway, thinking about everything. Especially that good night kiss.” He turned and smiled at her, and she felt her breath catch and her blood pound. How did a mere smile send her heart into palpitations?

She didn’t trust her voice so she merely nodded. At the end of the road, she turned left onto Bradford Street and they rode in silence to the edge of town, where the Harbor Hotel sat a mile past the Snail Road turn back to the main highway.

“This is my first research trip out of Provincetown Harbor,” Chase told her, his tone light. She swung the car into the crowded parking lot, searching for an open spot. “For some reason I figured the Harbor Hotel would be within walking distance to the actual wharf, not on the outskirts of town. And the place has been packed all week!”

She parked in an open spot facing the ocean, sweeping her hand across the windshield with the flourish of a game show hostess. “The hotel is named for its gorgeous view of the harbor, not for being anywhere convenient. It’s only packed because it’s inexpensive compared to most of the B&Bs in town. Which ironically works out rather well, considering we need to stay under the radar as much as possible.”

When he looked at her with a question in his eyes, she added, “We can blend into the tourist crowd more easily in a place like this than somewhere in the middle of town, trust me. Plus there’s the added bonus of not being too near the crime scene itself. No one’s going to look for us out here, or even know who we are.”

The corners of his mouth dipped. “Small town. You don’t want to run into any more friends from high school. You’re worried what they might think. About us.”

A little thrill shot through her at the way he said the word
us
. Like they were a real couple. Pulling her head together, she tamped down on her excitement. He probably didn’t mean it the way it sounded. Yes, she might end up fooling around with him tonight—at least, she certainly hoped she’d get that chance—but she had no illusions about some insta-love happily ever after. Things like that didn’t happen in real life, no matter how much his kisses melted her heart. “I’m not worried about what anyone thinks. I appreciate that you’re giving me a place to stay, but we don’t need to give Tony anything more to act jealous over.”

“You think his jealous outburst the other night was an act? Who benefits?”

She pushed open the car door. “I don’t know what to think any more.” In the last week, her life had turned completely upside down. So much seemed up in the air, question marks tumbling like early autumn leaves. She glanced at Chase, looking solid and dependable, and some of the tension inside melted. At least she wasn’t alone. He cared about her. Chase would keep her safe.

He exited the vehicle and shaded his eyes with a hand. “I wonder when Todd and Captain Wilbur will be returning.”

Emma rolled her eyes. Of course his first thought was about work.
Why wouldn’t it be?
He pulled his cell from his pants pocket and checked for messages. “I told Todd to text with an E.T.A. so we can meet him down at the pier. I know you want to keep a low profile, but I need this project to stay on track. I haven’t decided if he should head back to New York with the rental car and the samples, or stay here and work with me at CCS tomorrow. Christine will be pissed about the additional rental fees since the department head pinches every penny.”

“Why do you care about the money? Aren’t you, like, a billionaire?”

He smirked, and she couldn’t figure out if he looked annoyed because she knew his family had wealth or because she was suggesting he pay for his own rental car. “My
parents
are billionaires. I try to live within the project budgets outlined for me. In this case, the bulk of the cost expenditure is allocated to hiring the boat and paying for fuel.”

An awkward thought occurred to Emma. “Speaking of penny pinching, you guys aren’t sharing a motel room, are you?” As much as she’d be comfortable crashing on a spare bed in Chase’s room, or even crashing with Chase in his bed, three would make a crowd.

He rounded the car and pulled her into his arms, chuckling. “No. We’re not. I splurged to avoid sharing a room with a drunken grad student.” He brushed his lips to hers, sending a wave of need curling through her. “But I’ll gladly share with you.” She kissed him back, losing herself in the feel of his tongue tangling slowly, sweetly, with hers, forgetting for a moment about mobsters, dead bodies, nightmares, and the smell of burning rubber. Thinking only about this delicious kiss, right here, right now. And how safe and warm she felt in his arms.

He pulled her tighter against his hard body and the kiss deepened, his mouth more demanding. She felt herself slipping over the edge of sanity, not wanting to think but only feel, drowning in the sensations swirling through her body. Her breathing was ragged when she finally broke away, opening her eyes to stare up at Chase. His eyes darkened to the color of summer thunderclouds, stormy and almost black. “I’ve been waiting all day to kiss you like that,” he said, his voice graveled and rough. He cupped a gentle hand against her cheek. “Actually, I’ve been waiting half my life for a kiss like that.”

She gulped and tried to find her way back to reality. “Only half your life?” she teased, trying to take a light tone when she felt anything but light.

His lips quirked into a smile. “Believe me, it’s been a lonely existence.”

“And now?”

“I’ve found you, and I’m not letting go.” He kissed her again, his mouth harder against hers, taking more, demanding more, and she gave it all to him. Heat and passion flooded her senses, making every part of her body yearn with anticipation. Between the stress and nerves and tension, her body wound way too tight, ready to snap at any moment. Every touch of his hands, his lips, made her quiver, on the brink of shattering completely.

She whispered against his lips, nipping in between the words. “Where is that room?”

He pulled her across the narrow parking lot, taking the overnight bag from her hand and putting the strap over his shoulder, keeping her hand gripped in his own. Digging a key from his pocket he nodded to one of the ground floor doors and soon they were inside the modest hotel room.

He dropped the bag on the floor by the door and wrapped both arms around Emma, pulling her close, claiming her lips as if it had been ages since their last kiss instead of mere moments. She arched and slid along his hard planes in one long, fluid motion. His tongue stroked her mouth and she felt the urgency build within her body. She wanted him inside her now, to hell with the rest of the world.

He pulled her toward the bed and somehow they ended up lying on the white comforter, legs tangled and Emma sprawled on top of Chase as his hands roamed over her body, pushing the straps of her tank top to the side and nibbling at her collarbone.

She untucked his shirt and snaked her hands up under it, running her fingers across his stomach and chest. She flicked his nipple with a fingernail and he sucked in a hard breath. If he was that sensitive to her hands…she shimmied his T-shirt all the way up, her tongue licking and tickling a trail up the center of his body.

“Wait.” He let go of her for a moment to remove his shirt, baring his chest to her mouth. Before she could resume her tasting, he yanked her tank top over her head as well. “Fair is fair.” Her hardened nipples strained against the thin fabric of her bra. His eyes slid halfway shut as he moved his mouth to her breast and suckled her nipple through the silk. She moaned, her fingers lacing in his hair. She felt the pull in her groin and arched into him, grinding her hips into his, her thin skirt still too much of a barrier so she grabbed the elastic waistband and moved it down past her hips, wiggling the rest of the way out of it. He groaned as she wriggled, unclasping the front hook of her bra, giving him full access to both breasts. He flicked his tongue across her nipple and moved across to the other one to give it attention, his mouth hot and intoxicating on her bare skin.

“Oh God, Emma,” he murmured, his eyes almost black with desire as he rolled them over the bed, landing on top of her but propping his weight with his hands on either side of her shoulders. “Kiss me.”

She cupped his face with both hands and smiled, feeling like she was falling into the stormy depths of his eyes, needing something to hold on to but wanting to let go and freefall. She kissed him long and deep, the kind of kiss you could disappear inside forever.

Her fingers slid away from his face, tangling in his unruly curls, feeling like she never wanted to let go. She was still holding onto his head when he dipped it lower, licking his way down her neck to first one breast and then the other, making her gasp as he teased her nipples with his tongue and teeth. One hand came up to stroke the dampened breast he’d just abandoned while he suckled the other and Emma gave up any hope of regaining her sanity, losing herself in the heat and his tongue and his clever fingers.