For the first time, I look beyond the mess on the floor. I had a small television I took from my room at home in Iowa that sat on the counter in the kitchen. Gone.
I swallow hard. “Television is gone. My laptop would probably have been gone if I didn’t bring it with me to work.” And my laptop contains all of my business files, so I’m grateful for that.
“Any jewelry?” he asks.
“I keep a small box beside my bed. It has a few necklaces, and… Oh my God. Mom’s necklace!” I break free from his grasp and run for the small bedroom, which didn’t fare any better than the living area.
My bed has been ripped apart, my clothes tossed, probably just for spite, and as I kneel down beside the small night tableI bought at a secondhand store, my heart stops. The doors are swinging open, and inside, where my beloved jewelry box was, is empty.
“It’s gone.” That’s when all the strength I was holding on to flees. “The one thing I had left of my mother is gone.”
Jason kneels down beside me. “We’ll find it,” he promises.
I glance up at him, feeling the tears shimmer in my eyes, but I can’t control them. The pain of losing my mother is always there, just below the surface, yet I have no choice but to keep moving forward.
This is a blow that hurts. “You can’t know that.” I look into his serious eyes.
“I know I can do my best. We need to outthink him. I bet he pawns it for cash. If you have a photograph of it? Or if not, if you can describe it, my private investigator will look for it in nearby pawnshops.”
“Private investigator?” My legs cramp, and I rise to my feet. He follows and we sit down on my messy bed.
“Jack Renault with Alpha Security. I have him looking for your brother. I wanted to know if he was in the city, although I think there’s no doubt. He’s just good at going underground.” Jason frowns, his frustration at my situation obvious.
“You barely know me and you hired a PI? You’re letting me stay in your apartment. I don’t understand.”
“I’m not sure I do, either, but here we are.” He lifts a hand, his knuckles stroking my cheek. “You’re safe with me.”
My stomach pitches with unexpected desire for this man. I say the only thing I can. “Thank you.”
He treats me to a sexy smile but quickly sobers. “We should call the police.”
I nod, knowing it is going to be a long night.
***
Jason
A week passesafter the break-in. The police have no solid leads, and neither does my investigator, so I keep Faith close and we go about our lives. I take time off from the club in the evenings, but I have a plan to implement and my friends are getting antsy, wanting me to come by and see the work that’s been accomplished so far. I don’t want to leave Faith home alone, and given how exhausted she is after work, I sacrifice my own business needs.
This weekend is Noah’s birthday party, and she’s been working hard all day on the treats and packaging she planned for the event. The good news is that she has Kelsey back at work, and she isn’t handling the burden of everything on her own.
The bad news is we are both tiptoeing around the sexual frustration that is building between us. Living together makes for very close quarters. More than once, I’ve walked out of my bedroom in my boxers, stumbling to the kitchen for a drink, forgetting I have company, and found her in the living room on her computer because she was unable to sleep.
She, too, thought she’d be alone and was dressed in a pair of short shorts and a flimsy camisole top, her abundant breasts falling out of the lace edging. I woke up at the sight, my dick getting hard in an instant. She was flustered and apologized, rushing back to her room, but not before I caught the way her gaze fell to the bulge in my underwear and a beautiful, sexy flush stained her cheeks.
I never hesitate to take what is offered, but that is the issue here. I’m not sure how much Faith is offering. She is under a ridiculous amount of stress, and I don’t want to take advantage of her vulnerable situation. On the other hand, I recognize the signals that tell me she is interested in me and I damn well wanther. I’ve gone so far as to take a cold shower before heading back to bed after our run-ins because I desire her that much. The question is, how much more can either of us take before we break and end up in bed?
I watch her from a chair that must have my ass imprint on it by now, as she puts away the candy on the shelves, humming as she works, breasts bouncing in the confines of her tee shirt, and I groan.
Finally, after she locks up for the day, we are in my car on the way home. I am about to ask her what she wants for dinner when my phone rings. I hit send and say hello.
Landon’s voice sounds over the intercom in the vehicle. “When are we going to see your ugly face?” my friend asks.
I chuckle, glancing at Faith’s amused expression. “Sorry, man. I’ve been tied up. I explained it to you already.”
“Well, get untied and get your ass down to the club. We’re overdue for a group meeting. You’re the one who wanted to expand, and we’re the ones making it happen.”
I wince because they’re right. “I’ll be there tonight,” I promise, disconnecting the call.
