“I don’t wanna get up,” he complained, his hands roaming her body. “I want to stay in bed with you.”
She gasped and grabbed his wrist when he cupped her breast. “Jace. I have to get to the café, and you have a rappelling session this morning.”
Another groan as he continued to palm her.
She moaned and squirmed. “Jace…” His cell rang, and she grabbed his chin, nudging his head up. “Another sign to get up. Answer the call.”
“They’ll leave a message.”
“Go.” He tried to lower his head again, but she tugged his face back up. “Jace.”
“Mm, even your authoritative voice is sexy as hell.” One more kiss, and he finally rolled over to grab his phone from the side table. A crease formed between his brows before he answered it. “Eastern. You got anything?”
At the narrowing of Jace’s eyes, Elle’s belly clenched. She sat up, pulling the sheets with her. Was this about the guy who’d pulled a gun on them at the café yesterday? Had Eastern found out who he was?
Jace nodded. “Got it. Thanks for looking into it. I’ll make sure she’s not alone in the café again.”
Another twist of her belly.
Jace hung up but didn’t immediately turn to her.
She touched his shoulder. “What is it? Did Eastern find something?”
“The stolen car was dumped last night. They looked it over and found prints from a guy by the name of Darcy Boyd.”
“Who?”
“He’s a criminal who’s done time in prison for battery and assault.”
Her skin chilled. “Okay. But why would he be afterme?”
“I don’t know, Tink. Maybe he just saw you and took an interest. We’ll find out. But until we do, you stay with at least oneother person at all times. No closing the café on your own. No solo walks.”
She sucked in a sharp breath. She didn’t like it. But she also didn’t like how vulnerable she’d felt yesterday alone at work. “I’ll have to work with Tilly and Molly to adjust the schedule…but okay.”
Jace steppedout of the café onto the deck. He hated leaving Elle, knowing some asshole thug was hanging around town.
Why? What the hell did he want? Was it just that he’d seen her and randomly decided to harass her?
His hands fisted as he headed toward the skywalk. He’d asked Kayden to set up his rappelling gear so it was ready to go for this morning’s session. Kayden would run the session with him, because there needed to be two supervisors at all times and his brother was a former PJ in the Air Force, so he knew what he was doing when it came to rappelling. He’d completed some of the most dangerous rescues in the deadliest terrains.
Kayden met him halfway to the walk. “Hey.”
Jace dipped his head. “Hey. All ready to go?”
“Yeah, everything’s set up.” Kayden studied him. “You and Elle okay after yesterday?”
He’d texted Kayden about last night. Having as many eyes as possible looking out for Elle wasn’t a bad thing. “Not really. I need to know what the asshole wants and whether he intends to stick around Misty Peak and harass her more or get out of town.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t around to help. I can’t believe the son of a bitch pulled a gun on you.”
Jace didn’t care so much about the gun being pulled onhim, more that Elle had been confronted with a firearm. “Eastern will get him.”
As they neared the skywalk, he saw a group of five guys standing around, no doubt their rappelling group. He frowned when he realized he recognized them as guys he’d gone to high school with. A couple had been in his grade, while two others were a year ahead of him.
When the last guy turned, Jace nearly stopped in his tracks.
Casper White. The guy who’d been an asshole to everyone around him—particularly Elle. The night of his last party before leaving for basic training popped into his mind. Of Casper touching her, refusing to leave her alone. He ground his back teeth together. He still regretted not nailing the guy that night.
