Get Lucky, page 65
Sensations built and collided inside her. Nothing mattered but Jason and the deliberate attention he paid to her breasts until she writhed on the mattress, her lower body bucking upward and begging for relief.
“Is this what you want?” he asked in a gruff voice, firmly cupping her mound.
Lauren leaned her head back and groaned, thrusting her pelvis against his hand.
“I’ll take that as a yes?” he asked, chuckling.
She forced her heavy lids open to find him staring at her, his own eyes dark with desire.
“You can take that as, it’s nowhere near enough.” She needed him to thrust hard inside her and fill the growing emptiness.
“All you had to do was say so.” He dipped one finger inside her. “So wet,” he murmured. Using her own moisture, he glided his fingertips over the delicate flesh, up one side, down the other, until finally he took pity on her and thrust his finger deep inside once more.
Lauren lifted her knees and squeezed her flesh around him, contracting and seeking relief from the unrelenting waves pushing at her body but never offering her real release. She knew she was close, just as she knew he was intentionally prolonging the combination of pleasure and agony. Watching her as she moaned, writhed, even begged him for more.
In the far recesses of her mind, she knew he must be sacrificing his own pleasure for hers, but she couldn’t focus. Didn’t want to.
Jason had never been more turned-on in his life. All his energy and thought went into pleasing her, and it was the most incredible high, watching her face contort with pleasure, viewing her body craving his and listening to the heavy, breathy moans as she came closer and closer to release.
“I need you,” Lauren pleaded with him, and he nearly came right then.
“What is it you need?” He wanted to hear her say it.
“Inside me. I need you inside me.”
He groaned and dove for the nightstand, pulling a condom out with shaking hands. He yanked it on and moved over her, drawing her hands above her head, and sealing his lips to hers.
He broke the kiss only to look at her face as she spread her legs and he thrust deep. Her body shuddered around him and she exhaled hard, her breath warm against his neck.
He felt her. Every dewy moist part of her surrounded him. Jason wanted to draw the sensation out, make love to her for hours, but the minute he felt her wet heat, he knew he wouldn’t last.
Especially when she pulled her legs back, urging him deeper. Jason lost control, pumping in and out as Lauren met him thrust for thrust. Her soft sighs punctuated the sound of their bodies joining, grinding, making love.
The thought came to him suddenly in a blinding burst of light, as clear as any finish line. He pulled out and thrust back deep. He loved her, he thought, as the most intense orgasm of his life washed over him.
Jason collapsed on top of her. Their heavy breathing intermingled with what should have been satisfied silence. Except he was far from satisfied.
The sex had been incredible. Fantastic. Beyond anything he’d ever experienced. He now understood the difference between having sex and making love. Because until now, sex had always been about him. His wants. His needs. His satisfaction. Of course he’d always made sure his partner had been pleased, too, but his heart had never been engaged in the act.
This had been all about the woman lying beside him. She’d fallen asleep already and he got out of bed, pulling the covers over her to keep her warm. A quick trip to the bathroom and he returned, climbing back in beside her.
She woke long enough to snuggle in the crook of his arm, mutter something unintelligible and fall back to sleep. He pulled her close, toying with her long hair.
He appreciated everything about Lauren. She’d taken on the huge burden of this house all alone. She never complained as things went wrong and expenses piled up. She dug in and worked hard without expecting others to do it for her. She was beautiful inside and out. Sexy in ways that went beyond things he could see.
In Lauren he’d found everything he hadn’t known he was looking for. Unfortunately he faced losing it soon. All he could do was make the most of their time together instead of counting down the days until the end.
Thomas had planned on visiting Clara in her shop. He saw it as his duty to guide Edward in the right direction—into Clara’s arms—and he still was convinced his plan had merit. If he could persuade her to date him, or at least get her to pretend an interest in him, Thomas believed jealousy would force Edward to confront his feelings. Yet instead of driving to Crescent Moon, Thomas found himself pulling into Edward’s isolated street.
Thomas knew why he’d driven here instead. He’d been unable to shake the look in Jason’s eyes when he and Hank had refused Lauren Perkins’s invitation to come in for coffee. Thomas had allowed the past to affect the present, much as his brother Edward had been doing his whole life. As a result, he’d hurt his son badly. Thomas didn’t like what he’d done, but his actions forced him to admit he wasn’t as immune to the curse and the Perkins family as he’d like to believe. Which led him to a deeper understanding of Edward’s troubles.
Judging by the way Jason looked at Lauren, he wanted her around for a long time to come. Which meant Thomas needed to get his act together and deal with the past.
There was no better place to start than by reaching out to his brother. He should have done it sooner. And he shouldn’t have tried to put Clara between them as a buffer because he was a coward. Afraid of having to have a real conversation with his brother for the first time in way too many years. Having driven by Crescent Moon first, Thomas knew his brother would be here alone.
He headed down the long driveway, pleased to see the jujus that used to hang from the trees and line the road as a form of spiritual protection against the curse were gone. Surely that had to be a sign Edward was moving in a more positive direction. That his medication and psychiatric sessions were working.
Thomas parked the car and stepped into the cool air, heading for his brother’s front door. Before he could reach out and ring the bell, Edward greeted him, walking out onto the porch, skunk in hand.
“Go away,” Edward said, dangling the skunk in front of him like a shield.
Edward used Stinky Pete, as he called the animal, to scare away unwanted visitors, but Thomas wouldn’t be deterred. “Put that descented excuse of a pet down and let me inside.”
“Hell no.” Edward met his gaze with more clarity than Thomas had expected. His hair, recently cut, was neatly combed and he was clean shaven.
That Edward felt he needed to use the skunk against his own brother pained Thomas greatly. But he wouldn’t allow Edward to win this battle.
“I have something to tell you and I’m not leaving until I have my say.” Thomas folded his arms across his navy overcoat. “So we can stand out here all day or you can let me in and hear me out.”
Edward frowned.
“The quicker you agree, the quicker I’ll be gone,” Thomas said, grabbing for the only bargaining chip he could think of.
“Come in,” Edward said gruffly. Turning his back on Thomas, he strode inside. He let go of the skunk, who darted out the door, much to Thomas’s relief.
Before Edward could change his mind, Thomas followed him in.
Order. That was the first thing that struck Thomas about his brother’s house. Though Thomas hadn’t been inside often, the clutter of the past had always surrounded him. It had been there as recently as June, when Jason had come home. Not even Clara’s cleaning had cleared up the mess inside. Until now.
“Place looks good,” Thomas said carefully.
“Clara enjoys puttin’ the candles and scented crap around the house,” Edward said.
Thomas nodded. “And cleaning?”
“Some of that was me. You know what they say. Out with the old.” Edward swept his arm around, gesturing to neat, almost empty shelves and tables. “You didn’t come here to talk about my house-keepin’. What do you want?”
Obviously Edward wasn’t going to offer to take Thomas’s coat. “I want to tell you…I’m sorry. For a lot of things.”
“Can’t change the past,” Edward said gruffly.
Thomas inclined his head, once again struck by his brother’s newfound focus.
A kernel of hope grew inside him that maybe he and his brother could come to an understanding. “I agree. But I’d like to change the future.”
“How? By going after Clara this time?” Edward, shoulders stiff, turned away and walked into the family room, placing distance between them.
“No, that’s not what I want,” Thomas said.
“Then what? You want to drive me insane by pretending you still want her?” Edward thrust his hands in his front pockets.
Thomas couldn’t believe the irony of his brother’s question. “I wanted just the opposite. You live with Clara. She cares for you and it’s obvious to me you care about her. You act jealous, but when it comes to admitting you two have a future, you run for the hills.”
Edward shrugged. “That’s my choice. It’s my life.”
“Well, I just wanted to push you in the right direction, that’s all. The other day, when you thought I was interested in Clara, you got all worked up. So I thought if I could get her to go out with me, I’d push you right into her arms.”
Edward turned to face him, disbelief on his face. “Are you sayin’ you aren’t interested in her?”
Thomas knew this moment was critical. Only the truth would win his brother’s trust.
Or turn him away forever.
Thomas couldn’t lie. So he opted for honesty. “I’m saying I won’t ever make a move on her.”
Edward narrowed his gaze. “You’re admitting you’re interested?”
Thomas drew a deep breath. “Only a dead man wouldn’t be interested. I’m saying she’s off-limits to me.”
A sudden flash of confusion crossed Edward’s face. “I don’t understand. Why are you here now?”
A lump rose to Thomas’s throat. His brother was so close to returning to full sanity, but the distrust he’d built up over the years was painful to watch.
To feel.
“I’m here because we’re getting older, Edward, and I don’t want to waste what time I have left estranged from my family, running from an ancient curse.” He drew a deep breath. “Do you?”
“I’m not running from the damn curse anymore. I’m on medication and getting healthy!” Edward spoke too loudly, too forcefully.
“Then why are you running from the one woman who loves you and could make you happy?” Thomas asked, raising his voice to match his brother’s.
Edward grew red in the face. “I’m not takin’ advice from you. I still don’t know if I can trust you.”
Those words took some of the bluster and certainty out of Thomas. “No, you don’t,” he agreed. “You’d have to take my word for it. And my word’s all I’ve got to give.”
Knowing he’d worn out his welcome, Thomas turned toward the door. “But if you don’t trust me, at least trust Clara. You deserve some happiness,” he said to Edward before letting himself out.
Only after he shut his brother’s door behind him did Thomas allow a lone tear to fall. Brushing it aside, he headed for his car, determined to take his own advice. For his son’s sake if not his own, he would try to make peace with the idea of Lauren Perkins and let go of the damned Corwin Curse.
Chapter Twelve
Lauren enjoyed watching Jason work. Not just working with his hands, which of course was a sight to behold. But when he was mentally processing something and deep in thought, she could watch him for hours. His brows furrowed, his full lips pulled together, he alternated between tapping a pencil against the kitchen table and his right temple.
“What’s got you so frustrated?” she asked, almost afraid to break his concentration.
“I’m just going over the fire department’s report. Trying to figure out who was behind this. The local police are investigating, but it bothers me to wait for them. If you’d been in the house, you could have been seriously hurt. I want this bastard found.” Jason spoke through a clenched jaw.
His protectiveness warmed her.
“Anything interesting in the report?” she asked.
“The wiring was tampered with in a way that no one would know when sparks would catch. Just that at some point, they would.”
“So we can’t narrow down time, other than after the electrician signed off, right?” Lauren asked.
“Exactly.” He leaned back in the chair, kicking his legs out in front of him. “Which brings us back to my list of people with access to the house. It just doesn’t make sense to me that one of my guys would do this. What would they have to gain?” His frustration was obvious.
She lowered herself into a chair beside him. “Maybe it’s not one of your guys. Like you said, you hired other people who have been in and out of the house.” She rubbed her hands up and down her arms, chilled again by the thought of someone plotting against her.
“According to Mike’s quick check, none of my crew had any specific dealings with your grandmother or sister. Neither did their families, which in my mind clears them.”
Lauren nodded. “Agreed. Plus I trust your judgment. If you hired them, they must be good guys.”
He treated her to a wry smile. “Thanks for that.”
She shrugged, not wanting to make too much of her feelings for him. She was barely hanging on to her promise to keep him at an emotional distance. She’d already seen firsthand how impossible it would be to join their families in any way. And of course, once she sold this house, her life and career were in New York.
Lauren cleared her throat. “I called Sharon and ran the names on the list by her, too. She spoke to Richard, who as mayor definitely knows most families in town.”
He glanced at her. “Did she offer any insight?”
“Just that Richard plays poker with Gary Willet, the drywaller, and swears he’s a decent guy, a family man, and in poker his tells are always obvious. She said he couldn’t hide a thing if he wanted to.”
“Okay, that leaves the plumber. I’m still waiting for J.R. to call me back with information on him. And I’ve got Mike running a background check.”
As if on cue, Jason’s cell phone rang. He glanced down and grinned. “Bingo. It’s J.R.”
While Jason took the call, Lauren fed the cat and cleaned the coffeemaker, keeping busy until she heard him say goodbye.
“Well?”
“Not sure what we’ve got. Brody Pittman is a new employee. He also worked on Mrs. Hawley’s corroding pipes last week. He doesn’t know much about him. Oddly he hasn’t been able to get in touch with him since the fire here.”
Lauren frowned, unsure what to make of that. “He isn’t finished with the pipe restoration, is he?”
“No. So his sudden disappearance is odd considering the guy is usually chomping at the bit to get to work.”
“I guess we have to wait and see if Mike comes up with anything on the guy. In the meantime, I am going to see Clara and talk to her about the journal. Want to come?”
He shook his head. “I’d rather keep working.”
Lauren took one look at his tense expression and decided he needed a break. She rose and walked behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders.
“Your crew is working,” she said, massaging his stiff muscles, working her fingertips into the tight knots. “You can take a break and come with me. It’ll do you good to get out of here for a little while.”
He groaned and tilted his head forward, giving her better access to his neck and shoulders. She pressed into his muscles, then released, taking her cues from the appreciative noises coming from the back of his throat.
“So you’ll tag along with me to Clara’s?” Lauren asked once she had him more relaxed. “And maybe grab a quick lunch at The Diner before coming home to deal with this place?”
“I’ll do anything you ask as long as you don’t stop touching me.”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned down, pressing a kiss against his cheek. “Much as I’d like that, there are workmen in rooms all over the house.” Straightening, she walked around to face him. “Let’s go talk to Clara. I bet she’ll have some insight into the diary.”
“Oh joy,” he said sarcastically. But a smile tugged at his lips.
She’d obviously relaxed him, but she doubted it would last long. Not once he discovered that instead of accepting his offer of a loan, she’d made arrangements with a friend in New York, a model with a good income, to buy her Porsche for cash.
Bells tinkled, announcing Crescent Moon had visitors. Clara sensed these people were important even before she looked beyond the long strings of beads that partitioned the back end from the rest of her store.
When she stepped out, she caught sight of Lauren Perkins and Jason Corwin browsing through her wares, waiting for her. “If it isn’t two of my favorite people!” Clara said as she strode out to greet them.
“It’s good to see you, too.” Lauren smiled, but as always, Clara sensed the hesitancy behind the mask. The young woman was never quite certain of her welcome.
Hoping to change that, Clara wrapped her arms around Lauren first, enveloping her in the bright blue of her caftan.
She then turned to Jason, hugging him the same way.
“I was so worried when I heard about the fire. But I knew in here you were both fine.” She clasped her hand against her chest, feeling her beating heart, which had indeed informed her that the fire hadn’t touched them.
“More likely the town gossips let you know there were no injuries,” Jason said, laughing as he discounted her sixth sense.
Clara stared at him—through him—before she broke eye contact.
As there were no other customers, she could give them her full attention. She sensed they needed it. “Lauren, what can I do for you?” she asked.
