Claiming his lips, she let one hand wander down until she wrapped it around the bulge in his pants.
“Oh God, I think you’re torturing me,” he groaned.
“It’s the good kind, at least.”
She took no time after that stripping him of his pants and boxers. His hands explored her and when his fingers dipped into her center, her eyes closed and she moaned. He entered her, bringing her pleasure to a new level. She needed him now, good and hard.
“I hope you’ve got a condom.”
“I do.” He removed his fingers from her, and bent down to get his wallet from his pants.
A moment later, he was protected, had her ass on the edge of the desk, her legs wrapped around his waist, and her back arched as he slid into home plate.
Chapter Nine
“Jace.” Claire poked her head into the spare bedroom he was currently using as a second office at Honeycreek. “I just got a text from Seth. They need me down at the station. You okay to stay here? I think Mark is supposed to be coming by to do measurements.”
“I’m fine.” His eyes never left the computer screen.
“By the way, where is he living? I always see him going toward the outskirts of town.”
“He’s staying in the Miller residence.”
“Ah. Makes sense with Mrs. Miller out traveling the country. Which reminds me, I need to give Julie a call and see how life is treating her in New York City.” She planted a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll see you soon.” And she headed for her car.
Over the last few days, Claire and Jace had fallen into an easy groove with one another. At first she worried the relationship wouldn’t work well with her dedicating her life to getting the inn back up and running, but then Jace had a great idea. He was going to set up a second office for now in one of the spare bedrooms. She could work on the things she needed and help him all at the same time, until he was able to hire just the right person.
She’d even convinced him to bring spare clothes. Most of the time they ended up back at her cabin for the night.
She knew though that she needed to begin moving into a room in the inn. When it opened, she needed to be in the main building. For now she’d be doing the cooking and possibly the cleaning until she could hire an onsite housekeeper.
Claire parked her car outside the Brookfield police station. As she entered the small station, she saw Seth wave his hands in her direction. She made her way to his office and had a seat.
“So, you got news?”
“I do.”
“Tell me you tracked down Mrs. Moore.”
Seth smiled. “Of course. I’ve got statements from her and Tonya as well.” He leaned back in his chair. “Thankfully it isn’t too complicated of a story. Mrs. Moore went to your parents to buy it and they turned her down. But from what I gather, they’d been feuding for several years. A few times your parents led to her to believe that they were going to sell it to her. Obviously it’s a shame we can’t get their side of the story. But what Mrs. Moore didn’t know was that you had taken over the accounting for the place. Tonya had broken into your cabin to find your proof it had been paid.”
Claire shook her head. “I kept it with me. Even if I hadn’t, you had copies.”
“Who knows. Mrs. Moore figured it would be easy to acquire the land after your parents passed.”
“Then she never met me.” Claire grinned. “Anyway, what about the money? She stole it. So the taxes actually haven’t been paid. What’s going to happen?”
“This is going to have to go to court. Know a good lawyer?”
“Yeah, but he represents them.”
“As far as I know, he works with the tax assessor office, not Mrs. Moore and Tonya.”
“I hope I can afford his fees,” Claire said jokingly.
“I’m sure you’ll get a discount.” Seth rubbed his temple. “I’m glad to see things working out for you, Claire. I’m happy for you.”
“Me too. And I’m sure you’ll find your perfect match before long.”
“There isn’t anyone in Brookfield for me.”
“Then perhaps someone new will move in and steal your heart.”
He raised an eyebrow. “No one wants to move here.”
“Hey. Don’t be so down about this place,” Claire said.
“I’m not. I love it here.”
“All right. If you don’t need anything else from me, then I have an attorney I need to speak too.”
“I bet you do. But the good news is you can get the ball rolling on getting Honeycreek open. I know Mr. Jenkins, and I’m sure your tax issues have been cleared up.”
“Thank you for your help.”
“Not a problem.”
Claire stood and gave a little wave to Seth before leaving the station.
* * *
Jace stood in the bedroom that would be Claire’s when she moved into the main building. He walked around, taking in all of the Stevens’ things, and realized how emotional this would be for Claire. It would mean she’d have to pack everything up and decided what to do with it from there.
He wanted to help her in some way. If he got the ball rolling, maybe she could begin the process. The first thing that would have to go was obvious—the bed. Maybe once Mark finished up in the other room; he could give Jace some ideas. They could keep her parents’ bedroom furniture, just new bed mattress and frame. Perhaps a fresh coat of paint.
On her mother’s dresser he noticed a photo of Claire. It was from senior prom. She was decked out in a bright purple dress with sequins galore. He chuckled. Why was it years after these events, one realizes how crazy they were dressed, yet at the time, they looked hot? He set the frame back down.
“I’m done. Where you want me to leave these quotes?” Mark asked from the doorway.
“I’ll take them. Before you go. Any ideas for a fresh look in this room?”
“This her parents’ room?”
Jace nodded. “I want to help her move forward and thought you might be able to help.”
Mark raked his hands through his hair. “You want the truth? Leave it alone. Everyone grieves differently and moves on when they’re ready. You can’t force it.”
“I understand. But I thought I could help her.”
Mark cleared his throat. “What were you thinking?”
“Keep the furniture. But a new bed frame at least. One that will match the furniture.”
“I can do that. But I won’t do anything until Claire wants it.”
Jace felt irritated. What right did this man have to tell him to wait until Claire was ready? He just wanted his opinion. “All right. I’ll give these to Claire.” He held the papers up. “I’m sure she’ll be in touch soon.”
Mark nodded and left. Jace stayed in the room, wondering how Claire would feel about the changes he was considering. Surely she didn’t want to stay in the cabin when the place opened.
He sat down on the bed. He’d been getting to know Claire more and more each day. And each day he was falling even more hopelessly in love with her. They hadn’t yet said the words to one another, but he was dying to tell her. Some might think he was crazy for knowing so soon that this was the woman he wanted to spend his life with. A part of him was still scared that Claire was just having fun with him.
Jace stood up and began to walk out of the bedroom when Claire appeared in the doorway.
“What are you doing in here?”
“I asked Mark to look around and give me some ideas.”
“For?” Her tone held a slight irritation to it.
“I wanted to see if he could make something to match up with the furniture already in there.”
Claire didn’t say anything. Instead, she brushed past him and stood in the room. She was still at first, but then began to tiptoe around, picking up random things and setting them down. Her hands ran along the mattress and when she turned back to him, tears trickled down her cheeks.
“I’m sorry I overstepped,” he immediately said.
br />
“No. I was thinking earlier actually about moving into the inn. Sleeping in here…”
“Maybe you could move into another room.”
She grinned and shook her head. “I could never use this as a guest room. It wouldn’t feel right.” She sat down on the bed and patted the spot next to her. “Sit. Tell me what your thoughts were.”
Jace sat and she took his hand. “I thought we…I mean you could keep the main furniture. A fresh coat of paint. New decorations, of course. Bed and mattresses. I asked Mark if he could make a new headboard and footboard to go with the furniture already in here. Since it was my idea, I’ll handle the expense.”
She squeezed his hand. “I’m not worried about that. I’m worried about sleeping in here and how it would feel.”
Jace knew that would be weird. Anytime he walked into his parents’ bedroom, it was odd. It was one of those rooms that kids pretended didn’t exist because they sure as heck didn’t want to know what might be going on in there.
“Jace,” she said softly.
“Yes.”
“When the room is ready, will you do me a favor?”
“Anything.”
“Spend the night with me. I can’t do this alone. I need you.”
The last words she said pulled at the strings on his heart. “I’ll do anything for you.”
Claire slightly giggled. “I’d kiss you, but that’d be a little awkward on my parents’ bed.”
He snickered. “I’d have to agree.”
Claire stood and led him out of her parents’ room. As they made their way to the front door of the inn, he knew exactly where they were going.
“Wait,” he said.
They stopped and Claire spun around. “Tell me you aren’t about to put the brakes on this.”
“I’m not. But I need to be honest with you.”
She stared at him, waiting.
“I love you,” he said it so fast he wasn’t sure he actually spoke it.
“You do?”
Jace nodded. “You think I’m crazy, don’t you? But I need you to know how real this is for me.”
Claire wrapped her arms around his waist. “That’s good. Because I’ve been trying to fight these feelings as well, but I can’t. I love you too.”
“Oh God, that’s music to my ears.”
“Now, let’s go express the love in another way.”
Jace scooped Claire up in his arms and practically ran out of Honeycreek to her cabin.
Chapter Ten
A few weeks later
Claire stood in the foyer of Honeycreek, not able to believe that in just a few days they’d be opening. And even more perfect, a fresh layer of snow had fallen and the weatherman was predicting a few more inches by the weekend.
“Hot chocolate,” Jace said from behind her.
“Ooo, thank you. A nice treat, you bringing me something.”
He grinned. “You won my heart with coffee each morning.”
“I’d like to think I won it other ways.”
“It’s yours. I don’t ever want it back.”
Claire spun around, planting a light kiss on his lips. “I love you.”
“I love you. In fact, I have something else for you.”
“You do?”
“It’s in my suit pocket. Could you get it?”
She set the hot chocolate down on the table near her and reached into his jacket, pulling out a small black box. “Oh my!” she gasped. “Is this…?”
As she stared at him, he took her hand. “Claire Stevens, I don’t want to go through life without you. So far our relationship has progressed fast, and I’d like to keep up with the pace. Would you do me the honor of being my wife?”
“Yes!” She embraced him, not giving him time to even put the ring on.
Once she finally let go, he slid the most beautiful diamond ring she’d ever seen on her finger. It was a princess-cut diamond with several small diamonds nestled on each side.
Just as he tilted her head back to kiss her, a knock sounded on the front door.
“Perfect timing.” She giggled.
“Not for me,” he mumbled.
Claire went over and opened the door. A couple she vaguely recognized stood there. “Hi, can I help you?”
“Wow, you’ve grown up, Claire. I’m sure you don’t remember us. We used to stay here every winter and loved it. When your parents closed in the winters, we were so sad, but even more saddened to hear of their loss. We heard Honeycreek was reopening. We want to book a weekend as soon as possible,” the older woman said.
“Wow. That is great. Come on inside out of the cold and we’ll get you all booked.” Claire was ecstatic to have someone who wanted to stay there.
As she went over the details with Mr. and Mrs. Adams, she stole a few glances at Jace, who sat beside her, holding her hand under the table. This man gave her all the courage she needed. With him by her side, she could tackle anything.
The End
About Lacey Wolfe
Lacey Wolfe has always had a passion for words, whether it’s getting lost in a book or writing her own. From the time she was a child she would slip away to write short stories about people she knew and fantasies she wished would happen. It has always been her dream to be a published author and with her two children now of school age, she finally has the time to work on making her dream come true.
Lacey lives in Georgia with her husband, son and daughter, their six cats and one black lab who rules the house.
www.laceywolfe.com
Email Lacey Wolfe:
[email protected] Contemporary Romances
Brookfield Series
Finding Home (Continue reading for a preview)
Bare Necessities
The Brookfield Series – Volume 1 (Includes Finding Home and Bare Necessities)
Not Just Friends
Love Strikes Trilogy
Bidding Wars – Coming May 17
Erotic Romance Books
Amber’s Muse
Tempting The Manny
Bound By Pleasure
The Naked Truth
Sarah’s Chase
Letting Go
Hot Bods Series
Fool Me Once
More Than Useful
Accidental Love
Opposites Attract
Free Stories
Sarah’s Chase
At the Beach – Volume 1
Holiday Kisses
Finding Home – The story that started the Brookfield Series
Available Now!
Chapter One
Welcome to Brookfield, Wyoming. We hope you enjoy your visit.
Julie Miller rolled her eyes as she passed the sign that welcomed her back to her hometown. It had been a long time since she’d been back. It was one of those places that never changed, and its people would take you back anytime with their arms wide open.
As she drove down Main Street, she took note the town was almost the same. Just a fresh coat of paint on many of the stores. The street lights that lit the darkened streets had all been replaced and now had a more modern look to them.
It was a ghost town though. Then again, what did she expect? It was eleven at night, and this was the small town of Brookfield. Nothing stayed open late. Everyone was probably home, nestled up warm in their beds. She had debated on going straight to her mother’s house, but she was coming unannounced. It would be best to arrive in the morning.
At the stop sign, Julie took a right onto Steeple Lane and headed toward Honeycreek Bed and Breakfast. She pulled up to the beautiful house. The front porch was lit up. It was as if they knew she was coming. As she shut off the car, she sat a moment to compose herself. Returning here was more difficult than she’d expected. Soon everyone would be asking questions about why she was here and, even if she could avoid answering, they would all be able to see why.
Jul
ie placed her hand on her belly. A tear trickled down her cheek as she remembered.
Pacing back and forth across the bathroom, Julie waited. Deep down she knew what that stick was going to say, but all she could do was pray it wouldn’t. As if she even had that control at this point. What was done was done, and there was no changing it.
The timer on her cell phone went off. Biting her bottom lip, she turned toward the test. It was time to find out if what she feared was true. She had laid the box over the stick, and she now had to remove it to see if it would confirm her fear. As her arms shook, she pushed the box aside and stared down at the results.
“Shit,” she said. “I’m pregnant.”
Well, she had no other choice now. She was over three months late, and she had to tell Jeremy. She was scared to tell him. They’d never discussed children. Things were getting serious between them. She had just recently moved into his apartment since she was here all the time anyway.
She found him in the living room like usual.
“Jeremy,” Julie said softly, feeling a lump in her throat.
“Huh?” he responded.
“We need to talk.”
“Right now?”
“It’s important,” she said, starting to feel frustrated.
“Fine. What?” he snapped and then muted the TV. He turned toward her in his recliner.
She took a deep breath and blurted out, “I’m pregnant.”
“You’re what?” His voice was loud now.
“Please don’t make me say it again.”
“This is just great! I move you in here, and you get yourself knocked up.” He shook his head, now noticing the test in her hand. “You’re going to have to take care of that.”
Julie hoped he wasn’t asking her to do what she thought he was. “You don’t mean…” she said.
“Damn right, I do. I don’t want to be a father.”
“What if I don’t want to do that?”
He pointed toward the door.
“I have to leave?” Julie couldn’t believe what was happening.
Jeremy didn’t say anything to her. He turned the volume back up on the TV and returned to his show. Julie stood there, dumb-founded. Was this really happening? Not only had her life been turned upside-down by an unexpected pregnancy, but her boyfriend had just told her to have an abortion or leave.