Framed and Hung (8 page)

She expertly cracked two more and added them to the jug. Jake bit back a groan. He’d already had his dinner. He’d planned on cooking for Zoe and maybe just joining her for a drink. Looks like he was about to have his second dinner of the evening.

‘Any idea where the onions would be?’ Not waiting for an answer, Zoe headed into the dry goods pantry. ‘Aha, found them.’

She emerged triumphant, the onion held aloft. ‘I’ll chop the bacon and onion, while you get a pan ready. Oh, and don’t forget to turn on the Robo.’

Jake turned to her, a frying pan extended in front of him. What the hell was a Robo? ‘Um, how about you do the…er, Robo while I get the gas going?’

She shrugged and slipped across to the side bench and turned on the power point beside the monster of a conveyer belt toaster taking up prime position on the bench. Then he saw the name in raised metal letters on the side of the machine.
Robo
.

He shook his head.
Well, that explains that. Guess Robo is a brand name.

Zoe made short work of chopping the onion, bacon and parsley and quickly flipped them into the hot pan. While Jake stirred, slowly adding the egg mixture, she made toast for them both. Before long, Jake was serving his one and only specialty — well, besides steak on a grill, that is — and placing it on the workbench where Zoe had set two places.

He grabbed a bottle of red wine and popped the cork, pouring each of them a glass. Before he’d even seated himself, Zoe was forking the scrambled eggs into her mouth.

‘Hmm, these are good,’ she said. ‘I didn’t think I was hungry until I had the first taste.’

Thank the Lord!
‘Glad you like them.’ He took a bite of the eggs and pushed the rest around the plate. After a few minutes, he placed his cutlery down and took a gulp of the red wine.

Zoe pointed at his plate with her fork. ‘You not hungry?’

‘Ah, not really. I stopped and had a couple of drinks with my brothers on the way home.’

‘Hah, you filled up with beer, didn’t you?’

‘Something like that. Guess I’m just too full.’
Yeah, a big prime rib steak with all the trimmings will do that to a man.

‘Then I’ll eat while you tell me what you wanted to talk to me about.’

Ah, right, that!
‘Let me ask you a question first. I’ve seen what you can do with a heritage home. And I know you paint landscapes, but…’

Zoe took a bite of toast and Jake found himself fascinated by the sheen of melted butter on her lower lip. He couldn’t tear his gaze away. He suddenly wanted to climb over the workbench and lick her lips clean for her. His cock certainly thought it was a good idea. He even braced his hands on the edge of the bench in preparation. Then common sense kicked in, only to be shot to hell again when Zoe slid her tongue along her bottom lip.

She looked at him expectantly, eyebrows raised. ‘And?’

He shook his head and dragged his mind back to the conversation. ‘Have you ever done any portraits?’

‘Well, I have, but it’s not my best work. I’m better at caricatures.’

Yes!
This could work, if he played it right. For a moment he felt like an asshole. He was planning on setting Zoe up to fail, but if the portrait was less than perfect, there was no way in hell his mother would hang it. Certainly not in the inn.

‘I take it this is to do with those portraits hanging in the Garden Room?’

Jake groaned. ‘Mother is never going to get off my back until I have it done. I don’t suppose…’

Zoe chuckled. ‘You want me to do your painting?’

‘Would you?’ He scrunched his face up and tried to look pathetic. ‘Please?’

She burst out laughing. ‘You look about five years old like that. Okay, I’ll put you out of your misery and give it a shot. But don’t come back at me if it doesn’t turn out any good.’

He released a relieved breath. ‘Thank you. I really appreciate it. But I have to warn you, I’m not great at the sitting still for hours thing.’

She shook her head. ‘Not necessary. I can take a series of photos tomorrow and work from those. At most, I’ll probably only need two sittings.’ A frown creased her forehead and she tilted her head on one side to stare at him.

‘What?’

‘Any reason why it has to be a formal portrait like those in the Garden Room? I can still do it in sepia shades to tone in with the rest of the portraits, but with a more up-to-date theme.’

He shrugged. ‘I can’t see why it would matter too much. Let’s break with tradition and go for something more modern.’

‘Sweet. This should be fun. It’s been a long while since I did a portrait.’

Jake gulped and rubbed a hand across his belly. There was that lump of guilt in his stomach again. God help him, he felt like the lowest of the low. Here he was, hoping she’d fail, and she was excited about doing his painting.

Not only arrogant, but a low-down bastard, too?

Oh yeah, Jake, not your finest moment.

Chapter Five

Zoe quaffed the last of her wine and stood, stretching her shoulders to get rid of the stiffness left over from painting. She barely stifled a chuckle as she spotted the look on Jake’s face. His gaze was fastened on her breasts, barely confined by her top. She raised one eyebrow and stared at him, willing him to comment.

A tide of red washed over his cheeks. He gulped and looked around the kitchen. ‘Um, it’s getting late. Guess we’d better get this place cleaned up and head off to bed.’

He pushed back from the bench and gathered the dishes before turning to the sink. After filling it with hot water and detergent, he dumped the dirty dishes in.

She collected the pan and cooking utensils from the stovetop and joined him. ‘You know we do have a commercial dishwasher available, don’t you?’

‘Not worth it for so few.’ He kept his gaze trained on the sink.

Zoe shrugged, grabbed a tea towel and dealt with the wet dishes, placing them back on the shelves when she’d finished. The whole time she kept an eye on Jake. On the flush that still stained his cheeks. On the surreptitious looks he cast her way when he thought she wasn’t looking.
And
the heat that rose from his body every time she brushed against him.

Accidentally, of course.

Yeah, right
.
You are such a liar, Zoe, my girl.

With a last swipe of the bench, Jake threw the dishcloth into the sink. ‘Okay, all done. Let’s hit the sack. I’ve got to get up early and do some work on my election campaign before I head to the bank.’

He led them out of the kitchen and locked the door, before taking her arm and guiding her along the path that led to their rooms.

Zoe snuggled close to him. ‘I heard you were running for local council. Following in Dad’s footsteps?’

Jake shrugged. ‘I guess, but it’s more than that. I like the idea of having a say in how this town operates.’

‘Control issues much, Jake?’

They’d reached the door of Zoe’s unit. Jake released her arm and turned to face her, a grin on his face. ‘And you’re one to talk about control? Pot, meet kettle.’

She laughed on cue, but deep down she knew that’s what all this pussy-footing around was about. Control!

There was no doubt Jake wanted her. Even now, as she brushed against him, she felt the hard ridge of a flagrant erection tenting the front of his pants.

So it all came back to control. As in,
Jake
controlling how this little fling progressed.

She bit her lip to stop from laughing. Poor Jake. He was about to learn she had her own issues and he couldn’t always have his own way. Let’s see how he liked having the tables turned.

Linking her arms around his neck, she pulled herself up and wrapped her legs about his hips. His automatic response was to grasp her bottom and ease her closer. Zoe grinned. Just the reaction she wanted.

‘I guess the time has come to say goodnight,’ she whispered before running the tip of her tongue along his bottom lip.

Jake tightened his hold. ‘Nice way you have of dealing with the height issues. At least I don’t have to carry a box around so I can kiss you goodnight. You’re such a tiny thing.’

She shifted, rubbing against his erection. His hips jerked, pushing against her core. ‘Haven’t you heard the old cliché about good things coming in small packages? And I can be oh, so good.’

Not giving him time to respond, she slanted her mouth over his. He immediately opened to her and she took control, nibbling at his full bottom lip before flicking her tongue across it to soothe the love bites.

He groaned and she applied pressure, sending her tongue snaking to taste him. He reciprocated, his tongue twining with hers. Movement for movement. Advance and retreat.

This time Zoe groaned as sensation shot through her. Heat pooled in the bottom of her stomach, swept through her blood, igniting nerve endings along the way. Using her grip on his shoulders, she moved against him, positioning the hard ridge of his erection right where she wanted — no, needed — it.

Jake took up the dance, pumping against her. The friction of their clothing just increased the building tension. Jake’s movements sped up. So, too, did hers. He deepened the kiss, his tongue lashing hers. She followed him, fighting for sanity in the maelstrom that had overtaken her and turned her insides to mush.

God help her, she was supposed to be the one in control, but she was in serious danger of losing it here. Of losing herself permanently.
Not going to happen.

Gasping, Zoe broke off the kiss, wiggling her legs until Jake let her down. For a moment, she felt light-headed as she struggled to regulate her breathing.

She ran a trembling finger across his mouth. ‘Goodnight, Jake,’ she whispered, opening the door behind her and stepping back.

The last thing she saw as she shut the door between them was the shocked look on Jake’s face. But not only that. Hunger. Raw, potent hunger, aimed directly at her.

Locking the door, she flicked on the light and sagged against the timber surface of the door. Damn it, that had been hard. The last thing she’d wanted to do was walk away. She shook her head.
Control, my girl, control.

Poor Jake. He really didn’t know what had hit him. Even now, she could still hear him outside her room, his breath rasping in his throat. Then one hard thump on the wall and footsteps heading next door to his room.

She gave a slight grin. If he felt anything like she did, that had probably been a clenched fist belting the wall in sexual frustration.

Stepping away from the door, she unbuttoned and shimmied out of the tight shorts, bending over to grab them and toss them onto one of the tub chairs. It was time she got some sleep. That’s if she could stop thinking about that smokin’ hot kiss she’d just shared with Jake.

She’d put everything she had into that kiss and Jake had met her in kind. Definitely hot. Hot enough to singe her right down to her toes, and given Jake’s response,
his
toes weren’t doing much better.

She shook her head again. ‘Enough already, Zoe. Get your butt into bed.’

After shedding the rest of her clothing, she took a quick shower and donned a pair of frilly baby-doll pyjamas. Then she headed back into the bedroom, only to drag to a halt at the foot of the bed.

‘Damn it, what the hell is going on here?’

There was a big depression on one side of the bed. The bed she and Rachel had remade earlier. Someone had been in her room and used the bed.

‘Well, I’m sure as hell this wasn’t Goldilocks or one of the three bears.’ The only other person it could have been was Jake. But what the hell for? Had he come in here before he’d joined her and Rachel in the Garden Room? Had he hoped to find her here, and when she wasn’t, waited for her to show?

More mind games? Only one way to find out. She beat her clenched fist on the wall separating their rooms. ‘
Jake
. Get your ass in here.’

She waited a moment and then heard his door open. Marching over, she wrenched her own door open.

In nothing but a pair of boxer shorts, Jake came at a run. ‘Zoe, what’s the matter? Are you okay?’

She pointed at the bed. ‘That. Is that
your
doing?’

He frowned and stepped inside, running a hand through his hair. ‘Ah, not certain what you’re talking about.’

‘My bed.’

‘Um…yeah, your bed. What’s wrong with it?’

Zoe planted her hands on her hips and glared at him. ‘That bed has already been straightened three times today. I wanted to take photos of this room for the Heritage Society, but every time I fix it up, someone comes in and lolls all over the bed. You’re the only other person here so…’

‘I swear, it wasn’t me. I wouldn’t come into your room unless I was invited.’

‘Then who the hell else would…’ Zoe’s words trailed off as she stared at the bed. She could have sworn the cover had moved. Then something else caught her eye. ‘
Oh my God
. Look.’

Jake’s gaze followed her pointing finger. The depression in the bed rolled to the right. The side of the bed compressed as if someone was lying there and had shifted position.

‘It looks like — ’

She didn’t wait for him to finish. Instead, she crept to the side of the bed and waved a hand over the area. Resistance? No way! She moved her hand again and it sliced through the spot above the hollow. Cold coated her fingers and inched up her arm, freezing her in position.

‘Effin’ hell, there’s someone…something…sitting here.’ She tried to drag her hand back. The icy feeling gripped at her and then her arm came free. She stumbled back, slamming into Jake’s chest as he moved closer. He grasped her shoulders and held her steady.

Zoe’s heart thundered loud in her chest. Her hand felt clammy. She rubbed it across the front of her baby-doll top, nipples reacting to the icy touch. Then, as she watched, the depression in the bed lifted, leaving only the crumpled bed cover remaining.

‘Flippin’ hell,’ Jake said. ‘I think we just met our resident ghost.’

A strangled groan issued from Zoe’s lips. ‘It can’t be…’

‘I don’t know how else to explain what we just saw. The cleaning staff have complained before about someone messing up the beds.’