Caroline watched as Jack located Grace’s number and tried to call the woman. No answer. But maybe she’d call back soon. And perhaps Grace wouldn’t try to avoid them simply because she didn’t want to be questioned about her possible involvement in the attack.
Of course, if Grace was indeed avoiding them, it likely wasn’t because Lily had warned her. Not enough time for that. It had only been a couple of minutes since she’d left the sheriff’s office. Plus, why would Lily have volunteered the woman’s name if she was just going to go and warn her?
Jack left Grace a message for her to call him and then tried Zeller again. Even though he hadn’t put his phone on speaker, Caroline was close enough that she heard the call to Zeller go straight to voice mail.
Unlike Grace, Zeller was someone who could absolutely be avoiding them.
If what Lily had said was true about Zeller coaxing Nicola into helping him, then the marshal should have already spilled that. Not just to Jack’s father but to Jack and his siblings. Zeller definitely needed to answer some questions, and with each new bit of information, Caroline was trusting him less and less.
Jack shook his head in frustration over not getting through to Zeller before he fired off a text to someone, and then he looked at her. Whatever he saw on her face caused his frustration to worsen. “You’re exhausted,” he concluded. “I’m sorry. I should have already gotten you out of here.”
“No, you shouldn’t have,” she argued. “You needed to be here so you can find the person who tried to kill us.”
And while things were still unsettled between them, Caroline knew one thing for certain. She didn’t want Jack sending her off with anyone else. Especially anyone else with a badge.
Even though touching him was playing with fire, Caroline risked sliding her hand down his arm. A gesture meant to comfort him, along with getting some comfort for herself. Jack was the only person who could soothe her like this.
Now his eyes flashed with a different emotion. Heat layered over the irritation of the stalled investigation, and soon even the worry seemed to fade away. Apparently, she also had a soothing effect on him, and it was effective if she didn’t count the whole arousal thing.
Caroline figured that Jack counted it.
Neither of them had time to act on it, though, because of the approaching footsteps. That sound caused them to move apart, and Jack shook his head as if to clear it before he stepped in front of her. Preparing for a threat. But he relaxed some when Kellan appeared in the doorway. Kingston was right behind him.
“Am I done here now?” Kingston asked. He didn’t sound smug or cooperative now, which meant Kellan had grilled him hard. Good. Maybe Kellan had also gotten some info they could use.
“No, you’re not done,” Jack snapped. He shifted his attention to Kellan. “Lily Terrell came in and chatted with us. She’ll be back later with her lawyer for an official interview, but for now she had some interesting theories. One that’s connected to Kingston.”
Kingston groaned. “Did Lily accuse me of something, too?”
“Do you know Grace Wainwright?” Jack went on, ignoring Kingston’s question.
Kingston blinked, clearly surprised by the topic. “Of course, I know her. We were once lovers.”
Jack didn’t pause even a second. “Did she get you Caroline’s address?”
“No.” Kingston looked ready to gear up with a more detailed, angrier denial, but then he stopped. “Maybe. But if she did, she didn’t tell me she was the one who texted it to me.”
No, because that would have incriminated her in a felony. Of course, it was possible Grace had given him the address and that he was covering for her. Caroline figured Jack would be digging deep into the woman’s background to try to determine that.
Kellan waited until Jack gave him the go-ahead nod before he turned to Kingston. “You can go, for now, but don’t leave the state. I’ll be bringing you back in when I have more info.”
That clearly didn’t please Kingston, but he didn’t waste any time arguing with them. He turned and hurried out.
“Lily thinks Zeller knew Nicola,” Jack told his brother when Kingston was out of earshot. “He might have even talked Nicola into helping him break up the sex-trafficking ring.”
The muscles tightened in Kellan’s face. “I’ll make some calls and see what I can find out.” He glanced away and cursed. “We’re not getting answers, just a whole bunch of questions.”
“Yeah,” Jack agreed, the fatigue now back in his voice. “I’ve already requested authorization to look into Zeller’s computer. That might get us something.”
It would, unless Zeller had already wiped the hard drive. Or disposed of it. For someone with the right skills, there were plenty of ways to erase data.
“I also need a warrant to get into the records at New Beginnings,” Jack added. “I want to have a look at the file of a woman that Zeller says went missing. But I can wait a little while on that. For now, I need to go ahead and get Caroline out of here. You think you can spare a deputy until morning, or should I see if Teagan can help?”
Kellan glanced at Caroline and then out into the bullpen. “Since Caroline seems to be more comfortable with female officers, why don’t you take Raylene. Caroline knows her.”
Yes, she did. Deputy Raylene McNeal. Caroline didn’t like putting trust in a person simply because of their gender, but in this case it helped her relax a little. Well, relax about who’d be doing bodyguard duty for her, but her nerves went zinging again when she realized they’d be going back outside.
Kellan stepped into the squad room, motioning for Raylene, and a moment later, the sturdy-looking brunette deputy joined him in the doorway, where Kellan, Jack and she had a whispered conversation. Something that Jack said had Kellan frowning and groaning, but Jack persisted and finished whatever point he was making.
When they’d finished talking, Raylene glanced at Caroline in a gesture that was probably meant to reassure her. Surprisingly, it did. Caroline hated that she needed to be babysat like this, but she wasn’t stupid. She’d come close to dying too many times to take unnecessary risks by turning down protection.
“Caroline, Raylene and I will go in a cruiser,” Jack explained. “Gunnar will follow as backup but will come back here once he’s sure it’s safe. Raylene will stay with us.”
Raylene nodded. “Just let me get the overnight bag I keep in my locker.”
While Kellan spoke to Gunnar, Raylene hurried toward the break room. The deputy didn’t take long and was back in under a minute. That was still plenty enough time for Caroline’s stomach to start churning with the reminder that the person who’d tried to kill them could be waiting outside.
“Move fast,” Jack instructed, and he hooked his arm around Caroline’s waist to get her moving.
There were two cruisers parked out front. Raylene and Gunnar went out first, each of them hurrying to get behind the wheel of their respective vehicle. Jack had one last look around before he moved with Caroline, and the moment they were inside the cruiser, Raylene took off with Gunnar following right behind her.
Jack continued to keep watch. So did Caroline. She studied each person on Main Street as if they were a would-be gunman, but no one attempted to fire at them. That still didn’t make her relax. She kept her eyes on their surroundings, wishing that she had a gun so she could defend herself if it came down to it.
Raylene drove out of town and onto the rural road that snaked through the countryside. There were no pedestrians here to watch, only miles of woods and pastures, and it didn’t take Caroline long to realize where they were going. She whirled toward Jack so fast that her neck popped.
“You’re taking me to your family’s ranch,” she blurted out, and was certain her tone and expression let him know she didn’t like that.
“Actually, I’m taking you to my place, but as I’m sure you remember, it’s on the ranch.”
Oh, yes. She remembered all right. It was the wood-and-stone house where she’d spent many nights with Jack. As his lover. And while it might be more comfortable than standing around at the sheriff’s office, it wasn’t exactly “safe.” Not with all the memories the place held. Specifically memories of Jack and her in bed.
“You can’t think going there is a good idea,” Caroline said.
He shrugged and continued to keep watch. “I have a security system, and the ranch hands will help guard the place.”
Again, that didn’t make it safe.
“Are all the repairs done?” Raylene asked him, her gaze briefly meeting Jack’s in the rearview mirror.
“They are. The damage wasn’t that bad.”
Caroline didn’t need clarification on the repairs or damage because she’d heard about the incident that’d happened at his place. Someone who’d been after Jack’s brother, Owen, had rammed his car into the porch. She’d heard bits and pieces about it from Lucille and the media reports she’d accessed, but Caroline figured she hadn’t gotten the full story. Wasn’t sure she wanted it, either. She had enough bad stuff in her head without adding more.
“Considering that an attack happened so recently at your place, maybe we should take that as some kind of sign not to go there,” Caroline grumbled.
“The attack caused me to beef up security,” Jack said as if that answered all of her concerns. It didn’t. But then Caroline didn’t know anywhere they could go where she wouldn’t feel the danger looming over her.
Still...
She had to put her argument on hold for a moment when Raylene pulled to a stop in front of Jack’s. Despite those repairs and the security upgrade that he’d mentioned, the place looked exactly the same. It definitely wasn’t sprawling like the main house just up the road, where Kellan lived and helped run the family ranch. Jack’s place only had three bedrooms and two baths, and was as comfortable-looking and laid-back as the owner.
“Wait here a sec,” Jack told her.
He got out and ran to the front door. Caroline watched as he unlocked it and then used his phone to disengage the security system. He also went in, likely to search the place, before he came back out. As they’d done at the sheriff’s office, they moved fast, and only after Jack had Raylene and her inside did he motion for Gunnar to leave.
While Jack reset the security alarms, Caroline walked into the living room and glanced around. No changes here, either, and that included the two framed photos of Jack and her on the mantel. In one, he had his arm crooked playfully around her, his mouth pressed to her cheek, while she had a huge grin on her face. The other photo was a shot of Kellan and Gemma standing next to Jack and her, all of them smiling. Obviously, they were taken in much happier times.
“You can take the guest room,” Jack told Raylene, and he motioned toward the first room off the hall.
With her overnight bag in hand, Raylene headed in that direction, leaving Caroline with Jack.
“I’ll take the couch. You can use my room,” he added to Caroline, holding her hand to take her there.
She knew the way, every step of it, and every scent was familiar because it was Jack’s. By the time she walked into the bedroom suite, her body was humming with that familiarity. With those memories of what had gone on here. None of the bad stuff. Not here. This was all warmth and pleasure.
He’d kept the same quilt, and Caroline knew the feel of it. The soft cotton that had slid against her skin every time she’d been naked in that bed.
“Afraid to be alone with me?” he asked, coming up behind her.
She shook her head. “Fear isn’t the right word for it—”
“You told me you loved me,” he interrupted. “That morning before Eric took you, you told me that.”
No need for him to clarify which morning, but she didn’t like his timing in bringing it up now. “I remember.” She cleared her throat so it would have some sound, and had to do it again. Great. Her throat was clogged now, and her breathing wasn’t faring much better.
Jack moved in front of her, studying her face. He wasn’t frowning, but it was close. “You don’t feel the same way about me now.”
She wanted to groan. Apparently, he wasn’t content with just having her surrounded by old memories of them as a couple. He wanted her to relive it with words, too. And it was working. She felt the slow hum of heat circle around her.
“I’m not sure what I feel,” Caroline settled for saying, but it required another throat clearing.
Her answer didn’t smooth his near frown. But it was partly true. She didn’t know about still being in love. She’d had no time to sort out her feelings, but when it came to Jack, she was certain about plenty of other things. She wanted him more than her next heartbeat. More than she wanted to feel strong and whole again.
And that want was quickly turning into a need.
The silence vibrated between them as he stared at her. It ended when Jack cursed. “I considered offering you no-strings-attached sex. Just to burn off this heat so we could possibly think about something else. Anything else. But I can’t do that.”
Silence fell again, this time because he’d stunned her. “You can’t have sex?” And she hated the disappointment in her voice.
A flicker of annoyance, and heat, went through his eyes. “I can’t give you the no-strings. The sex is going to happen, but not until you know that it won’t be just to satisfy some raw animal urges. Strings,” he repeated, emphasizing it. “I’ll want that I-love-you from you again. Maybe not tonight, but I’ll want it soon.”
Caroline was about to remind him that he’d never given her those words, but Jack snapped her to him and kissed her. It was hard and rough, not just his mouth but the grip he had on her arms. The roughness was something that Caroline quickly realized made it even better. He wasn’t going to treat her like glass. The fragile kind of glass that broke with a careless touch.
He was going to break her in a whole different way. And there’d be nothing careless about it.
Cupping the back of her neck, Jack deepened the kiss. The physical part of it, anyway, since the emotional part was already as deep as it could get. Or so Caroline thought. He proved her wrong when he stopped and eased back enough to stare into her eyes.
There it was. The face that could have been created for an ancient god. The pretty ones who could be both ruthless and very, very desirable. His eyes, dark. That rumpled black hair. Oh, and that scent. Leather and male. It seeped into her, mingling with the heat that his kiss had already flamed.
Jack waited a heartbeat, maybe giving her a chance to change her mind, all the while knowing that she wouldn’t do that. Caroline knew it, too.
The next kiss was just a brush of his mouth over hers. Slow and sensual with their breaths mingling. And he looked at her again. Gauging her reaction. She was breathing too fast, and her pulse was at a full gallop. Every inch of her was quivering, waiting, and she didn’t want the wait to continue for even a second longer.
She didn’t have to.
Jack took her mouth again, and there it was. The raw animal urge that went to full flame and beyond when his hand slid underneath her dress and straight into her panties. Caroline made a gasp of pleasure when he plunged his fingers into her. So much pleasure that his touch would have brought her to a fast climax if he hadn’t suddenly stopped.
“No. It won’t be that easy,” he said, his voice as intense as the look he gave her. Jack reached behind her, shut the door and locked it. “It’ll never be that easy between us.”
It sounded a little like a threat, and he hooked his arm around her, lifting her as if she weighed nothing. Those strong, corded arms closed around her. He kissed her, hard and deep again, while he took her to his bed. He practically dumped her on the too-soft mattress that swelled up around her.
When he didn’t immediately join her, she reached for him, only to realize that his plan was to stay standing so he could strip off her dress.
Which he did.
Jack sent it flying. Then he got on the bed, his knee landing between her legs. As he loomed over her, she could feel his jeans rub against the inside of her thighs. Could hear the rough rhythm of his breath.
He kissed her breasts through her bra. Again, not gently. Both his hands and his mouth were rough as he yanked off her panties and then her bra. He’d said he hadn’t wanted easy, whatever that meant, but he apparently wanted fast.
Good.
Because she wanted that, too. Fast meant she didn’t have to think about this. For that to happen, she needed him as naked as he’d just gotten her. Caroline went after the buttons on his shirt, but when he took her nipple into his mouth, the heat roared through her. Fingers to toes and every single place in between. She gave up on the shirt and went after his zipper instead.
Jack didn’t stop her when she freed him from his jeans and boxers, but he did stop the maddening kisses. Again, their gazes met. And held. Just as he plunged into her.
Caroline made another of those gasps. Pleasure, yes. Definitely that. Mixed with the brief shock of his hard thrust. Then, even more pleasure. So much more.
This was the animal urge part. His eyes held a need of a different kind, though. The pretty, ruthless god planned to claim what he believed to be already his. To possess her. It frightened her a little to think that he could do just that. Frightened her even more that she wanted him to do it.
It didn’t take much. A few more of those deep, plundering strokes inside her, and Caroline couldn’t have held back the climax even if she’d wanted to. She didn’t. But she refused to go falling over that edge alone.
Knowing exactly how to undo him, she lifted her hips, clamping her knees around him and dragging him harder into her. She let the muscles in her body force him into joining her. Her vision blurred, but still she watched him. And he watched her...while they fell together.
Caroline could feel those strings tightening around her, and while Jack gathered her into his arms and kissed her, she prayed for so many things. That this wouldn’t be the mistake she was certain it was. Because those strings weren’t just about love and broken hearts. They were about priority and focus.
And those strings could get them both killed.