As if he needed the reminder that she was gone after the house sold in a few short weeks. After all, she’d never indicated she wanted anything more than a brief affair. And the Corwin Curse continually reminded him he should know better than to think beyond the moment. He’d never been a big believer in the curse, but he had to admit he’d never had reason to feel threatened by it before. There’d never been a woman with this much potential-and a Perkins to boot.
His stomach churned at the thought of losing her. Son of a bitch, he thought, accepting the truth he’d been trying to push away all morning. What had begun as a fun affair and a revisiting of the past had become much more.
At least for him.
He met her gaze, her expression curious as she waited for a reply.
“Don’t thank me,” he said gruffly. He hadn’t signed up for the work. He’d signed up for her.
But he wasn’t about to ruin their easy relationship by telling her as much. Instead he leaned forward and captured her lips in a kiss that wasn’t soft or easy. He devoured her mouth, tasting, feeling, and giving back to her in return.
With a soft sigh, she molded herself against him, her breasts pushing through the soft cotton of her shirt, her hard nipples grazing his chest. God, he wanted her. Wanted to be inside her, feel her heat contracting around him.
But he also knew her priorities and he’d respect them even if it killed him.
Pulling back, he looked at her, pleased with what he saw. Her eyes were still fogged with desire, her lips damp, her head tilted in a way that told him she remained in that dreamy, desire-filled state.
Although he could have her now, his thoughts returned to the rules she’d set. “Work first,” he reminded her. “You’d better go shower or we’ll never get out of here.”
She closed her eyes and a rumble of disappointment escaped her throat. “You’re right. We’ve got to get back to the house.”
“But I’ll make it up to you tonight,” he promised.
A sexy smile pulled at her lips. “I’ll hold you to that,” she said, before she turned and ran for the shower, leaving him alone.
Aroused.
And while he cleaned the coffeepot, his thoughts returned to the two of them. And why they could never be. The biggest obstacle was Lauren herself. Her career path was set. Paris was waiting, along with a glamorous life he had no part in. She’d made it clear she was leaving this town and its memories as soon as her grandmother’s house was sold.
He didn’t miss the irony. Last time they’d been together he’d been the one who’d had a goal and no time or inclination to change course for anyone else. Now he’d be the one left behind.
He envied Lauren her goals.
He missed waking up every day with something driving him beyond the nine-to-five routine. He missed the adrenaline. Since Lauren’s return to town, he’d managed to convince himself that pursuing her substituted for other goals. But he knew now he’d been deceiving himself. He needed more.
For now he had the deadline of finishing her house and solving the mystery of who’d deliberately set the fire.
But then what?
LAUREN STEELED herself as they returned to her grandmother’s house. She wasn’t ready to see the fire damage, but she had no choice. The sooner she viewed the house, the sooner she’d be able to deal with reality.
Jason turned the corner and pulled into the driveway right behind a car she didn’t recognize. “Who is that?”
Jason shook his head and groaned. “No rest for the weary,” he muttered. “It’s my father and Uncle Hank. Are you up to dealing with them?”
The older men had exited the vehicle.
Lauren glanced down. She wore a pair of Jason’s drawstring sweatpants and a baggy sweatshirt. It had been borrow or wear last night’s dress. As it was, she had on a pair of stiletto heels. Yet she surprised herself by not feeling the least bit uncomfortable.
She faced Jason and shrugged. “I’m rested, I’m showered. I can take on the world.”
Or at least Jason’s part of it.
The worst had already happened. Between the fire and the general state of the house, she doubted it would sell on time. But that didn’t mean she wouldn’t give it her all anyway.
Jason leaned over and kissed her cheek. “You’re amazing.”
His words warmed her all over. “You’re pretty amazing yourself.”
He’d stepped up and taken on her problems as if they were his own. He gave her a shoulder to lean on and he’d become her personal body warmer at night. In a short time, she’d grown accustomed to his strength and it scared her.
A knock on the windows jarred her and she jumped.
“You all coming out or do I have to come in after you?” Hank asked through the glass.
Jason rolled his eyes. “We’re coming!”
They climbed out of the car and met the men on the driveway.
Before Jason could say a word, Hank launched into a monologue first. “The one night I fall asleep early and don’t listen to my police scanner before bed, there’s a big fire. Here, of all places. And nobody called us!”
“You have a police scanner?” Lauren asked.
“From my days as a volunteer fireman,” Hank said proudly.
Thomas stepped forward. “His day as a volunteer fireman. Don’t let the old fool kid you.”
“Just one day? What happened?” Lauren asked, genuinely curious.
“Nothin’. A small difference of opinion, that’s all.” Hank flushed red in the face and glared at his brother.
Jason grinned. “Uncle Hank has a problem following orders, which happens to be a serious issue in the fire department.”
“Whatever,” Hank muttered. “Anyways, I still have my scanner-”
“He refused to give it back and nobody wanted to show up at the door and ask for it, not when he tends to greet unwanted strangers with an old shotgun,” Thomas explained.
“Unloaded shotgun, you ass,” Hank yelled at his brother. “I’d never hurt anyone.” He drew a deep breath and jerked around to face Jason. “When I listened this morning, they recapped last night’s fire and we came at once!”
“We’re fine,” Lauren assured the two men who, despite their bluster, looked genuinely concerned.
She couldn’t help but feel sorry for them. “Why don’t you both come inside? I’ll make some coffee and we’ll tell you what happened.” She waved toward the house. “The fire was in the back, so I’m sure the kitchen is fine.”
At her invitation, Jason shot her a grateful look.
But Hank stared at the old Victorian, trepidation in his eyes. “No offense, honey, but I can’t go into the old Perkins place.”
Thomas adjusted his collar and smoothed nonexistent wrinkles in his pressed khaki pants. “I’m with my brother on this one. It’s not that we don’t appreciate the offer,” he said, almost bowing before Lauren in apology.
She swallowed over the unexpected lump in her throat.
Jason protectively grabbed her elbow. “As you can see, we’re perfectly fine. We have work to do, so you two can go home.” His voice was laden with disappointment.
After the two men left, Lauren walked into the house, planning to go straight to her grandmother’s office and sift through her papers. Instead, the first thing she noticed other than the smoky smell was the mouse caught in Jason’s trap.
Before she could react, he came up behind her, grabbing her arms and steering her past it.
“I’ve got this. You go check out the bedroom, open the windows to air it out-if they aren’t Super Glued sheet. Same with the rest of the house.”
She didn’t mind taking orders if it meant he was protecting her from rodents. “What are you going to do with it?”
“I thought I’d take it for a ride and let it go somewhere far away. Okay with you?” he asked.
She nodded, feeling silly. “Thanks.”
She left the room without looking back. For the next few hours, she holed up in her grandmother’s study, poring over business papers for names. Some Lauren recognized, others she didn’t. None were related to the workers who’d been in the house since she’d begun renovations and her frustration grew.