He’d been avoiding all calls since yesterday afternoon, but when Steven saw the P.I.’s number on his cell phone’s display, he answered immediately. “You find anything?” he asked, his pulse picking up. He needed a break in this endless streak of bad luck.
“I did. Your grandfather had an old car he was fond of, right?”
“Yeah, his old Morris Minor. Why?”
“Because it was shipped to a town in the Outer Banks late last week.”
North Carolina? He frowned. “Who shipped it? Aspen?”
“Yes. I’m already in the town she shipped it to, and I went by the beach house listed in your grandfather’s will. The car was parked in the driveway.”
Fury exploded inside him.
That bitch. That bitch had taken everything she’d been given and moved right into the beach house like it had been her plan all along. “Did she move there? Or is she just visiting until she can sell the place?” That would be just like her, to sell it and take the money before he could get it back.
“Can’t tell yet. So far the title’s still in your grandfather’s name. But it looks like there’ve been some improvements done to the place lately. Painting, plumbing and electrical.”
So she was probably planning to sell the place, make top dollar and then piss off with the money.
He got up and started pacing around the room. “Find out what she’s doing there. Find out everything you can.” He needed intel. He needed…something. A way to fix this.
“I will.”
Steven stormed out of his office, his footsteps echoing off the polished marble tiles in the empty hallway. It looked naked without the art on the walls, and he hated it.
He found Gina lying out on a padded chaise by the pool in a designer bikini and sunhat, staring out over the vineyard below their estate they could no longer afford. He still hadn’t told her about the eviction notice.
She glanced over at him, her eyes hidden behind dark Gucci sunglasses. “What?”
He stopped a few feet from her, pausing a moment to admire the view. His wife was gorgeous, and seeing her in that bikini sent a rush of blood straight south. “Aspen’s living in the beach house.”
Gina’s lips thinned. “She moved in?”
“At least temporarily. Not sure yet if she’s planning to sell or not.”
Gina glanced back out at the incredible view beyond the edge of the garden bordering the pool, acres and acres of rolling vineyard nestled into the lush, green valley below. As close to paradise as anyone could find this far inland. “I’d sell it. That place has to be worth two million, easy.”
Probably more, especially with tourist season about to hit and the rental market exploding. He’d been banking on collecting every cent of it to pay off what they owed before it was too late.
Seething inside, he sat on the chaise next to hers and leaned forward, forearms on his knees. “She’s acting like she’s won, and this isn’t over yet.” The appeal was still in the works. He was willing to sacrifice some more of the inheritance for legal fees if it meant getting that house. But it wasn’t looking good. He was going to have to take more drastic measures.
“You need to do something about it instead of just sitting around waiting.”
His jaw tightened at the annoyance in her voice. “I’ve got your relative following her, and I’m still shelling out money to the lawyer. What else do you want me to do?”
She huffed in annoyance, her voice rising. “Confront her in person. Put pressure on her until she gives us what we want.”
He shoved out a hard breath, reining in his temper. The gentle trickle of the fountain in the corner filled the sudden quiet around them. It would have been peaceful if he didn’t feel like he was about to come apart at the seams. This house had been their dream.
“Gina… They served us with an eviction notice,” he murmured, feeling ill at the thought. He’d promised Gina things would be better. When he’d bought this place, she’d believed it was true. They both had. Now…
“I know.”
“What?” he asked, surprised.
“I found it in your desk drawer.” Her head turned toward him, and even though he couldn’t see her eyes, he could feel the resentment burning in her gaze. “But we’ll only lose this place if you let it happen.”
Before he could respond, his phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, didn’t recognize the number, but whoever it was left a text.
Steven. Boss wants you to know his patience is wearing thin, and that he’s waited long enough. You’ve got until the end of the week to pay what you owe him, plus the interest. Otherwise you and your pretty wife are gonna have a serious problem. I don’t think I need to elaborate. Or do I?
The blood drained from his face. His fingers stayed frozen around the phone even after he’d finished reading the message, the threat echoing in his mind.
Gina sat up and pulled off her sunglasses, her piercing blue eyes locked on him. “What’s wrong?”
He swallowed, his heart drumming in his throat. “It was an enforcer. We’ve got until the end of the month to pay the money.” He shot to his feet, fear crawling through him, but stopped when Gina grabbed his arm.
“Hey,” she said softly, her expression more tender than he’d seen it in months. “We’re going to be okay. There’s still time.”
No there wasn’t. Not nearly enough time. And even if the courts gave them the money, it would still be tied up in the trust until the trustees released it to him. They were in serious shit.
Gina drew off her hat and leaned back, pulling him to her, the glint in her eye taking him by surprise and momentarily stopping the fear. She wasn’t a forgiving woman, and even after all their years together, her mercurial moods were still a mystery to him.
“Come here,” she whispered, arching that perfect body toward him.
He covered her on the chaise, poured all his desperation into the kiss while his hands were busy undoing the tiny ties holding her bikini on. He needed to escape. To disappear, and she was the only safe haven he had left.
Within seconds, they were both naked. He pinned her flat, feasting on her, her gasps and moans driving him insane. When she was quivering and clinging to him, dangling on the edge of release, he fisted his hands in her hair and paused. Staring down into those incredible, pleasure-hazed eyes a moment before driving into her silken warmth.
It was fast and furious, both of them racing to the finish. They soared over the edge together almost simultaneously. He didn’t know how long he stayed like that, but eventually became aware of her squirming under him. He eased his weight off her to let her get up, then dragged himself upright and followed her inside.
When he got to the master bedroom he found her coming out of their walk-in with two suitcases. “What are you doing?” he said, heart seizing. Shit, was she leaving him?
“Packing for us.”
He relaxed at the us part, but still didn’t understand. Leaving for a while was smart right now, sure, but they had to come up with a plan first. With organized crime enforcers on them, they had to be careful, and they didn’t have much room left on their credit cards. “Where are we going?”
She shot him an annoyed look. “The airport. Go book us seats on the first flight to Norfolk. That’s the closest airport to the Outer Banks.” She rolled the suitcases out into their bedroom.
Steven hurried after her, understanding dawning.
It was going to be a long night, but after that phone call, they needed to be far away from here by daybreak.
By the time he arranged their flights and got outside, Gina was already waiting in the passenger seat. He got behind the wheel and drove away, already on the phone to the P.I.
“We’re on our way to you. Should arrive sometime tomorrow afternoon at the latest. In the meantime, there’s something else I need you to take care of. I’ll make it worth your while.” What was another couple grand on top of what he already owed? He needed to scare Aspen enough to make her give in when he blackmailed her.
If that didn’t work, the only thing that might save them was…
“What are you thinking about?” Gina asked when he ended the call.
He laced his fingers through hers, determined to hold onto her. He couldn’t lose her too. “The will. That codicil he added.” Steven still wasn’t sure how Harry had managed it, or if it would even hold up if it went to court. But right now, it was the only sure thing standing between him and ruin.
Her smile was almost predatory, her eyes glowing with pride and a raw excitement that sent a tingle of unease through him. “So she hasn’t made a will yet?”
Gina was just trying to be enthusiastic. “No.”
Waiting for the automatic gate to open at the end of the driveway, he glanced up at the rearview mirror at their house. The symbol of everything he’d struggled to achieve.
The gate opened wide enough to let him drive through. He turned onto the road, Gina’s fingers laced tight with his. They would get through this. Together.
And if Aspen wouldn’t make things right, then he’d be forced to take her out of the equation.
****
Something evil was watching her. Following her. She could feel it. But couldn’t see it. Everything was dark and shrouded in fog. She was running, looking over her shoulder for the threat.
A hand grabbed her shoulder from behind.
She gasped and whirled, the blood draining out of her face when she found herself confronting Steven.
Aspen woke with a gasp and blinked up at the wooden beams in her ceiling, the ghostly tendrils of fear and dread still rolling through her mind. Morning light spilled through the transom above the wide window covering the wall across the room, the sound and smell of the ocean drifting in.
Just a dream. Nothing more.
She pushed the last wisps of it from her mind and sighed in contentment. Lying in bed, listening to the sound of the waves rolling onto the beach beyond her bedroom window, was almost too incredible to believe. She snuggled down farther under the covers and closed her eyes, letting the soothing sound wash over her, her mind wandering back to last night.
Heat swirled low in her belly as she thought of Bowie, settling into a throb between her legs. That kiss had been unexpected in so many ways. One because she hadn’t thought he would do it. And two, because she’d never had a kiss like that one.
She could see him so clearly in her mind as they stood out there on the beach, the fading sunlight reflected in his smoky gray eyes. The way he’d pushed the hair back from her face had been so tender, those big hands cradling her head, and the instant his lips had touched hers the bottom of her stomach had dropped out like she was on the first, steep drop on a rollercoaster.
Just thinking about it made her nipples tighten and her clit throb. The incredible heat between them had burned the whole time they’d kissed, but it had been amplified by the way he took his time, exploring and savoring her with enough skill to dissolve her bones.
But then he’d pulled back. Physically and emotionally. She’d felt it.
She opened her eyes and rolled to her back, sighing. Unsure where they stood now, and less sure about what she should do. She didn’t know him well, but she knew he was private and used to being on his own. The worst thing she could do right now was come across as chasing after him, even though that’s exactly what she wanted to do.
Leaving the comfy nest of her bed was hard, but she had things that needed to be done. She took a long, hot shower, letting herself imagine the water was Bowie’s hands gliding over her naked skin, then got dressed and went downstairs to the kitchen.
Light streamed in from the windows along the sink. She stopped in the doorway a moment to admire the sight of it, a smile spreading across her face.
She’d painted the walls a pale aqua, with warm white cabinets, a retro-style aqua fridge, white quartz countertops, and stainless steel oven and range. Little punches of bright red dotted the space, her coveted stand mixer and the vintage dinette set, its Formica-topped table rimmed with chrome. It was the best room in the house aside from the master bedroom, cheery and cozy and fresh.
And it could all be hers. Every last inch of it.
For now, she couldn’t wait to do some serious baking in here.
A whine at the side door startled her. She walked over and found Sinbad perched on her doorstep, peering up at her, his butt wiggling slightly. There was no sign of Jack out on the back porch.
She grinned and opened the door. “This is gonna be a regular occurrence, isn’t it?” she said to him, scratching him under the chin a moment before stepping back to let him in. He trotted past her and went right into the kitchen. “Smart dog.”
Her beautiful aqua fridge wasn’t stocked with much in the way of groceries yet, but it had what she needed to make a batch of muffins. She added a touch of cinnamon to the batter, along with a pint of fresh blueberries and some grated lemon zest before portioning them into the muffin tins and popping them into the oven. Within minutes, the kitchen smelled like heaven.
She made herself coffee while the muffins baked, and busied herself cleaning everything up. When they were ready, she set them on a rack to cool for a few minutes, then stacked some on a plate rimmed with painted red cherries. “Come on,” she said to Sinbad. “Let’s take these to your dad.”
Sinbad bounded ahead of her, leading the way around the back of Jack’s place. “Knock, knock,” she called out when she reached the back wooden steps leading to the porch.
The rear screen door opened a moment later. Jack stood there frowning at her in jeans and a gray T-shirt overlaid with a flannel button-down, a few days of white growth on his face. His gaze dipped to his dog, then the plate in her hands. “You made those?” he said.
“Just pulled them out of the oven. Sinbad wanted one, but I told him he had to wait until you said it’s okay.”
He grunted and scowled at his dog. “Stop botherin’ the neighbors.” But the scowl faded when he focused on her again. “I was just gonna sit out on the pizer with some coffee. If you wanna join me,” he added.
“Pizer?”
His eyebrows knit together. “Pizer.” He indicated the back porch. “You gonna live here, you better learn the local dialect.”
“Maybe you could teach me,” she offered, hiding a smile as she came up the steps. She had his number now. All bark and no bite.
He grunted again and nodded at the settee placed against the house, overlooking the beach. “You want coffee? Or tea, maybe?”
“I’d love some tea. With milk, if you have it.”
“Might. Go on, sit down.”
He disappeared back into the house, so she sat on the settee and petted Sinbad, admiring the view and thinking for the thousandth time how incredibly lucky she was to be here. She was determined to be a better person than she had been before the accident. To make her life count for something.
The screen door creaked. Jack came out with two mugs. “That enough milk for ya?” He handed her the tea.
The bag was still floating in it. Harry would have been horrified. “Perfect, thanks.” She scooted over a bit. Jack hesitated a moment, then sank down at the other end of the settee. She picked up the plate and offered him a muffin.
He took one. “Still warm.”
“Best way to eat them. Actually, the best way is to split them, toast them and then slather the halves with butter.”
He took a bite, made an appreciative sound and eyed her. “These are good.”
She huffed out a laugh. “Well, thanks.”
“You like to cook?”
“Mmm, not as much as I like to bake. It’s all Harry’s fault. He got me addicted to baking, especially British treats. Scones and sticky toffee pudding and trifle.”
She swore the corners of his lips twitched. “My wife loved sticky toffee pudding.”
Aspen could sense his loneliness. “What was her name?”
“Marie.”
“How long were you married?”
“Not long enough.”
She nodded and let it go, sensing not to pry any more. They sat in silence, enjoying their muffins, watching the waves and the people strolling along the beach. “Can I give Sinbad half a muffin?” she finally asked. He’d been so good, sitting mere feet away and staring at her with hopeful eyes.
“Guess so.”
She broke a muffin in half and offered it to him. He leapt to his feet and lunged forward to snatch it from her palm, swallowing it without even chewing. She glanced at Jack. “Can he finish it?”
“Don’t see why not.”
Sinbad gulped down the other half, and she laughed when he eyed the two remaining muffins on the plate. “He’s a bottomless pit, right?”
“Never been full in his life.” He glanced over at her house and jerked his chin. “Back post on this side of your pizer is whopperjawed.”
She blinked, swallowing her last bite of muffin. “What?”
He waved a hand impatiently. “The post. It’s crooked.”
“Oh.” She leaned forward to look past him. The post looked okay to her, and the inspector and painter hadn’t said anything to her about it.
“I can fix it if you want. Won’t take me more than an hour or two.” He eyed her, a spark of something like mischief glowing in his gaze. “Wouldn’t mind a sticky toffee pudding sometime if you wanted to do a trade.”
She smiled. “Deal. Thank you.”
“Welcome.” He got up and stretched. “Well, we’re burnin’ daylight just sittin’ here. Best get a move on.”
Oh, okay. Visit over. She gulped down the rest of her lukewarm tea and handed him the mug. “Thanks for the tea. And the visit.”
“Thanks for the muffins.” He eyed his dog. “Come on, you sorry sack of fur. Let’s leave the neighbor lady alone so she can get some work done.”
Sinbad got up and padded toward him, tail wagging.
“Bye,” Aspen said, and received a raised hand in reply an instant before Jack went inside, the door closing behind him. She didn’t even care that he was gruff and rough around the edges, she already loved him.
She’d just started the tap in her kitchen sink to wash her plate when her phone rang. Snatching it off the counter, she was hoping to see Bowie’s number, but there was a message from Harper instead.
Call me when you get a chance!
Aspen dialed her back. “Morning.”
“Morning. How’d you sleep in your new digs?”
“Right through the night, and it was amazing.”
Harper laughed. “Glad to hear it. Hey, I’m wondering what you’re doing today.”
“I was going to paint a couple pieces of furniture I bought from a consignment place. Bowie’s still got my car, but when he brings it back I was planning to go into either Kitty Hawk or Nags Head to see if I can find a painting I like for my kitchen.”
“Can I come? I’ll bring the car back, since Bowie’s busy at work. I’ll take you to this great little place right here in KDH I think you’ll love, and then we can do lunch after. Sound good?”
Aspen smiled, delighted by the idea of hanging out with Harper, even if she was a little disappointed that she wouldn’t get to see Bowie. “I’d love that.”
“Great. I’ll be there in about forty minutes. Bye.”
“Bye.” Aspen set the phone down, half afraid to trust the excitement swirling inside her.
For the first time in forever she felt hopeful about her future. She was almost afraid to believe it, but she could feel the start of something special here, far away from all the ugliness and pain she’d left behind in California.