Lucky Break (15 page)

His paying was the obvious sticking point. She was independent but not stupid, which was why she'd allowed him to do as much free work on the house as her pride would allow, but she'd drawn the line at accepting a loan.

On dinner, he wasn't budging.
His
ego wouldn't allow it. “Well?”

She blew out a long-suffering breath. “As long as when I'm rich and famous, I can repay all this kindness.”

He nodded. “You got yourself a deal,” he said, placated by the fact that she'd confirmed his hunch about why she was hesitant.

It wasn't just dinner. It was dinner added to everything else. That much he understood.

They still stood close, their bodies aligned, his dick pulsing against his jeans. If they didn't break this up soon, they'd never make it to dinner.

“How did you know I needed the break?” she asked, head tilted, ponytail brushing her shoulders.

He kissed her lips. “Because I needed one just as badly. What made you say yes?” he asked, curious.

She treated him to a sheepish grin. “I want a decent meal and to get out of this house too badly. Not to mention I'd love a chance to wear my good clothing.”

“Then go shower and change.” He gave her a quick hug and stepped back. “I'll go home, shower and pick you up around seven.”

She visibly bit the inside of her cheek. “The mice?”

“Play loud music in the bathroom. They'll leave you alone. I don't have a decent change of clothes here.” He'd only brought some jeans and grungy shirts. “Besides, if I stay, I'll shower with you, and if I do that we're never leaving.” He brushed her hair off her shoulder. “You'll be fine. Just concentrate on knocking my socks off and don't let your mind wander to
them.”
He deliberately didn't use the word
rat, mouse
or
rodent.

“I guess I can do that.”

“Good. I'll call Amber for restaurant suggestions.” As a concierge at one of the swankiest Boston hotels, she could work miracles in the reservation department. Or so he'd heard.

“Dress up for me,” he said, and headed home for a cold shower in order to make it through dinner before being able to come back here and satisfy his ever-growing desire for this woman.

A woman, he reminded himself, who had every intention of leaving him when this house was sold.

 

G
ABRIELLE LAY NAKED
in bed, waiting for Derek to return home from work so he could join her. Her pregnancy had merely upped her horniness quotient, something Derek appreciated—when he wasn't worrying about hurting the baby.

The telephone rang and she hoped it wasn't Derek telling her he had to work late. “Hello?”

“Guess what?” Gabrielle recognized Amber's excited voice.

“What?”

“Jason called to ask me to recommend a restaurant downtown. A place where he could take Lauren
tonight.
They'll be out of the house!”

A sinking feeling settled in Gabrielle's stomach. “I am not rushing over there tonight. I have plans!”
She pulled on the sheet, which had begun to slip over her bare breasts.

Just then, she heard the lock turning. “Derek's home,” she whispered to Amber.

“Well, find an excuse to run out and cause some benign damage at the house.”

“Why? Jason's already sleeping there and he's obviously taking her out for a special evening.” She needed her husband in her bed more than Jason and Lauren needed their meddling.

Amber snorted. “You never know what could happen. Uncle Edward could snap, Lauren could get cold feet. We just need Jason to think something's going on at the house and he can't leave Lauren alone.”

Gabrielle frowned. “I—”

“Are you waiting for me?” Derek called out.

“Of course I am!” Gabrielle shut her eyes. “I'll see what I can do.”

“Did you ever buy the Super Glue?” Amber asked.

“Yes. It's in my trunk. I still think gluing the windows down is a stupid idea.”

“Then think of a better one, but do something!”

“But—”

“But nothing. I did the mice and it worked. Jason's been staying over. But trust me, you owe me for handling that one. It's your turn.”

“Are you naked?” Derek called out, his footsteps growing closer.

“Gotta go. Bye.” Gabrielle replaced the receiver at the same time Derek opened the bedroom door.

He must have been stripping all the way from the front door, because he was naked by the time he stepped into the doorway.

Gabrielle's eyes gleamed as she looked at her husband. They might have been high school sweethearts and he'd been her first lover, but time had only made her love him more.

She raked her gaze over his aroused body. God, he was gorgeous. She slowly, seductively slid the sheets over her now fuller breasts and rounded stomach.

Derek's eyes darkened at the sight. He stepped forward to join her and she thought she was the luckiest woman in the world.

And when his body draped hers, she could no longer think at all.

 

L
IFE WAS
all about risks, and Beth had taken a huge one stealing the nurse's cell phone when the nutty patient at the far end of the hall had an honest-to-goodness heart attack. Nurse Stupid, as Beth liked to think of her, had been on the phone when the alarms went off and everyone ran down the hall.

Beth couldn't believe her luck. She'd snuck out to find the nurse had dropped the phone on her desk. She already knew the construction work had been winding down and that would leave her without easy access to her lover, so she had to get her instructions to him any way she could.

She left him a message, telling him exactly what her sister had said about the electrical system being perfect.
A perfect target that no one would ever follow up on,
Beth thought. The perfect thing to sabotage. She instructed him to make sure he caused enough damage that there was no way her sister could close the deal on time. She had to make sure the house remained in her family's possession until she discovered the diamonds. In her message, she warned that if she didn't hear from him soon, she'd break out and come after him herself.

Yes, the call had been a risk, but she had him so wrapped around her finger with the lure of love, sex and money, he'd never turn her in.

She wiped the phone clean of prints and erased all trace of any outgoing calls before replacing it on the desk and climbing back into bed.

L
AUREN NOW KNEW
what it meant to bring a man to his knees. She relished Jason's jaw-dropping reaction to her dress, a modern one-shoulder design with metallic gold body-hugging banding that ended midthigh. She hadn't packed many nice clothes since she'd planned on renovating, not socializing. But she had brought two dresses she'd designed to show to Sharon, and she chose her favorite. She worried she was overdressed until she discovered their destination.

“Amber said the Top of the Hub is the ultimate romantic dining experience,” Jason told her on the car ride into Boston. He split his attention between her and the road.

She smiled. “I can't wait.”

“I hope it's worth it because I'm not used to wearing a jacket.” He shifted in his seat, obviously uncomfortable in his clothes.

She grinned. “It's worth it to me. You look handsome, Jason.”

She realized she was seeing him dressed up for the first time ever, in tan khakis, a black sport jacket and a white shirt. A far cry from the boy she'd known or even the man who worked at her house every day.

At the restaurant they ate in comfortable but aware silence. Throughout the meal, their eyes remained locked on each other and not the view of the Boston skyline or the Back Bay fifty-two floors below.

She barely tasted her pan-seared salmon and would lay odds Jason could say the same of his braised short ribs. The fixed-price three-course meal was elaborate, the service attentive and the view spectacular.

But all she could focus on was the man in front of her.

And what a man he'd become. Caring, tender, dedicated. A man who'd lost everything he'd dreamed of and yet still managed to smile.

At her.

To play footsie under the table.

With her.

To whisper in her ear all the sexual, provocative things he wanted to do.

To her.

She barely tasted dessert. Instead she wanted desperately to taste him.

The car ride home was too long. Lauren was tipsy from champagne, antsy with desire, and she couldn't control the need to constantly touch him. She nuzzled his neck and kept her hand on his thigh, just to the right of where touching would probably cause a car accident.

By the time they finally reached town and neared the turn for her grandmother's house, Lauren was surprised the car windows weren't fogged from their heavy breathing. So when she saw smoke coming from the back of the house, she thought she was imagining it.

“Holy shit,” Jason muttered, pulling into the driveway and slamming on the brakes.

Panic lodged in Lauren's throat. “Oh my God.” A real fire.

“Call nine-one-one,” he directed, tossing her his cell phone as if she didn't have one of her own.

She fumbled and started to dial, just as she realized her cat was probably in the house. “Trouble,” she muttered.

“I know. So dial. I'll go see how bad it is.”

He reached for the door handle but she stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “No, my cat.
Trouble might be in the house!” She scrambled for the door and this time he stopped her.

“No! I'll go look for the cat, you call nine-one-one. Now—before it spreads.” He jumped from the car before she could argue.

Time passed in a blur.

Jason running in through the front door to look for the cat. Smoke at the back of the house turning to flames. Bile and panic racing in her veins while she waited for Jason to come out. And finally the fire engine, sirens blaring, racing down the driveway, the men pulling out the hose.

Lauren had had the presence of mind to back the car into the street to make room for the fire truck and she stood there now, waiting for Jason to come out. She knew he wouldn't go near the fire or put himself in direct danger, but her throat was tight until she finally caught a glimpse of him running out, Trouble in his arms.

Grateful and relieved, she bolted across the lawn to meet him, throwing her arms around him. “Thank you!” she said, peppering kisses on his lips and his cheeks.

“You're welcome. The cat was in the study in the front of the house, looking out the window. Of course it was the last room I checked because it's
the room he rarely goes into.” Jason sounded out of breath but fine.

“You saved my cat!”

Despite the fire, Jason glanced at her and grinned.

“What? What's so funny?” she asked.

He shook his head. “You said I saved
your
cat. That's quite the change of heart from looking for a new owner for him.”

The ungrateful feline obviously didn't like being squished. He purred loudly in protest and jumped out of Jason's arms.

Lauren would never be so stupid.

“Excuse me.” A fireman in uniform walked over to them.

“Yes?” Lauren asked.

“Ms. Perkins?”

Lauren nodded.

“Hey, Jason.”

“Frank.” Jason acknowledged the other man with a nod of his head. “What did you find out?”

“The fire started in the electrical box in the mudroom.”

Jason narrowed his gaze.

Lauren knew exactly what he was thinking. “But the electrician signed off on the box. It was one of the few things in the house that wasn't a problem!”

“Well, someone tinkered with it then,” Frank said.

“Tinkered with it?” she repeated.

“Sabotage?” Jason asked at the same time.

The other man nodded. “Looks that way, but we'll have a final report in the morning. Another strange thing. Did you know the windows were glued shut? Had to break them to get in. Same with the door, but that's pretty standard. Sorry.”

Lauren shook her head, holding up one hand as if to block out the words. When it came to dealing with this disaster of a house, Jason knew she was on the verge of tears. He reached for her hand and squeezed it tight, earning him a look of gratitude.

“In the meantime, I can't let you back into the house until things have cooled off,” Frank said to her. “Do you have any place you can stay tonight?”

“I—”

“She'll stay with me,” Jason said.

“I'll stay with him,” she said, gesturing to Jason.

The fireman grinned. “You still got it, Corwin.”

“I need to go into the kitchen so I can leave food and water outside for my cat,” Lauren said to the fireman.

Her devotion to the stray was one of the things Jason found so endearing.

Frank nodded in understanding. “As long as we're still here, that's fine. Say hi to your father, Jason.”

“Will do.”

“We'll file a report tomorrow.” The fireman headed to the back of the house again, leaving Jason and Lauren alone.

She turned to face him. “The electrical box? Glued windows? What in the world is going on?” Confusion and exhaustion warred in her expression.

He shrugged. “I don't understand it myself. Look, there's nothing more we can do here tonight. A good night's sleep will help us both figure this thing out.”

“I'm not sure sleep will provide answers, but it'll probably make me feel better,” she said, her tone bleak.

He placed his hand on the small of her back. “Let's go back to my place.” At least there he could comfort her in some small way. “Smile, honey. Things will look better in the morning.”

He took in her slumped shoulders and defeated expression and hoped like hell he was right.

 

F
OR THE FIRST TIME,
Lauren didn't roll over to sleep alone. Instead, she curled into Jason's arms and conked out until morning. Exhausted, he did the same. He woke up before her. He opened his eyes and glanced at her profile. Relaxed in sleep, she still looked fragile. Last night had taken a toll on her.

Jason couldn't change the past or undo the fire,
but he could figure out who was behind it. So instead of lingering to wait for her to wake up and have sex, something they'd been deprived of last night, he forced himself out of bed.

Once he was seated in the kitchen with coffee and a pad and pen, he began to make a list of people who had access to the house other than himself and Lauren. Someone on his list had the motive and the ability to tamper with the electrical system. Every name he wrote struck him as an unlikely suspect. No one had motive, especially the three men on his crew.

Although Jason hadn't been in business long, his men were members of families he knew well. Nate, Connor and Ross were guys who needed a job and he'd been happy to give one to them. There was also the plumber with the dumb-ass grin. He was annoying but hardly seemed capable of creating an electrical fire.

Jason tapped his pen on the table. What about the electrician who'd walked through and signed off? Could he have “tinkered” with the wiring? It was possible.
Anything
was possible, but the man had been in business for years. What reason would he possibly have to undermine Lauren?

“What's wrong?” Lauren asked as she entered the kitchen.

He glanced up. “I'm just trying to figure out
who'd want to tamper with the electrical box in your grandmother's house.” He pointed to the list in front of him, the names staring back mocking his attempt to solve the mystery.

Lauren poured herself a cup of coffee and settled on his lap. She wore nothing but an old white T-shirt she'd pulled from his drawer and her panties, which he already knew were skimpy beyond belief. He had on a pair of sweats and nothing else, making him completely aware of her.

She, on the other hand, hadn't caught up. Her mind was where his had been for the past half hour as she studied the paper.

“People with access.” She read his words from the pad. “But the motive column is empty.”

He brushed her hair off her neck and nuzzled his lips against her skin, something he'd gotten used to doing each morning when he woke up with her sprawled on top of him.

He forced himself to concentrate on their problem. “Is there a remote chance you can fill in a possible motive for any of these guys? Is there someone your grandmother…”

Her body immediately stiffened and he let his sentence trail off.

“Go on,” she finally said, her words holding no anger, only resignation.

“I was going to ask if there were any names on the list you might recognize. Anyone who could hold a grudge against your family?” He struggled to find a palatable way of phrasing it.

She held up the list in front of her. “I wouldn't know,” she said at last. “But I'm sure it's possible.”

He braced his hand against her back, feeling a sudden need to protect her against the repercussions of her grandmother and sister's actions. The only way to do so was to help her finish the house without further incident and allow her to leave town as planned.

The thought hit him like a blow in his midsection, hurting more than Kristina's betrayal. And she had ruined his life's aspiration.

Lauren meant more to him than Kristina ever had.

“We need to know what exactly the fire department found last night,” Lauren said, oblivious to his train of thought.

He pushed the revelation from his mind, at least for now. “I agree,” he said, focusing on the fire instead. “There's something else you need to find out. Do you have insurance on the house?” he asked, hoping maybe she could collect money in the long run.

“Of course.” That had been another hit to her pocketbook. She expelled a long breath. “But so
what? By the time the police and fire department complete their arson investigation and clear me, the closing will have come and gone. I need to move forward with the renovations regardless of filing the claim.”

“We still have to get the insurance adjuster in as soon as possible.”

Lauren nodded. “I'll go through my papers and call them today.”

“I had another thought,” he said. “Maybe you could also look through your grandmother's papers to see if any names from this list jump out at you,” he suggested.

“Good idea. I think the police confiscated a lot of her files before she died but I can see what's left.” Lauren leaned back into him, relaxing as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

Together they sat in silence, each with their own thoughts. He was completely comfortable with her. He'd never before experienced this sense of rightness with another human being. A knot formed in his throat at the thought of becoming so attached to Lauren.

“Okay, enough of me being lazy. There's work to do.” She jumped off his lap and turned to face him. “I'm going to shower so we can get back to the house. I want to look through my grand
mother's papers like you suggested.” She grabbed the mug from the table and took another sip of her coffee, then put the ceramic cup into the sink and rinsed it.

He stared at the long legs that stretched beneath his shirt and caught a glimpse of her almost bare cheek. He wanted to sneak up behind her, lift the shirt and make love to her right there in the kitchen.