
The other Winston Brothers
by Lori Foster
"Tangled Sheets"
Night after night, bar owner Cole Winston was seduced by prim and proper Sophie Sheridan's way with hot chocolate... until her sexy and outrageous twin, Shelly, walked into the bar...
"Tangled Images"
When Mack Winston agreed to model loungewear for a catalog, he had no idea he'd be working with the only woman who's ever intrigued him---serious, standoffish Jessica Wells...
Lori Foster's full-length novel Wild--- to be published in January 2002---features Zane Winston.Turn to the back of this book for a special sneak preview...
JOVE BOOKS, NEW YORK
If you purchased this book without a cover, you should be aware that this book is stolen property. It was reported as "unsold and destroyed" to the publisher, and neither the author nor the publisher has received any payment for this "stripped book."
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents either are the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
THE WINSTON BROTHERS
A Jove Book / published by arrangement withthe author
PRINTING HISTORYJove edition / December 2001
All rights reserved.Copyright © 2001 by Lori Foster."Tangled Sheets"copyright © 1999 by Lori Foster."Tangled Dreams" copyright © 1999 by Lori Foster."Tangled Images" copyright © 2000 by Lori Foster.Excerpt from Wild copyright © 2001 by Lori Foster.This book, or parts thereof, may not be reproducedin any form without permission.For information address: The Berkley Publishing Group,a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.,375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.
Visit our website atwww.penguinputnam.com
ISBN: 0-515-13173-3
A JOVE BOOK®Jove Books are published by The Berkley Publishing Group,a division of Penguin Putnam Inc.,375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.JOVE and the "J" designare trademarks belonging to Penguin Putnam Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
10 987654321
Thank you readers!
You've overwhelmed me with the wonderful response to my beloved Winston brothers. Your letters and e-mails have been very much appreciated.
When I first decided to write Cole Winston's story as a novella, I never dreamed that so many of you would enjoy him and his interfering, zany brothers as much as I did. I must admit though, I hoped my editor would like Cole's story enough to want the other brothers.
To my relief, she did!
And so you got Chase Winston, the quiet bartender with the very kinky, and very hot, sexual predilections. Then the youngest brother, Mack Winston, surprised his family---and his woman---with a core of maturity and responsibility normally hidden behind a carefree facade.
Now, in January 2002, I present you with Zane Winston in Wild, a Jove single title. Zane is well-known as the rowdiest Winston brother of them all---with good reason. Zane is sexy, outrageous and unstoppable. All he needs is a not-so-perfect woman to turn his orderly bachelor world upside down. And what a woman she is!
I hope you'll enjoy Wild and all the Winston brothers as much as I enjoyed writing them.
My best,
Lori Foster www.lorifoster.com
P.S. Prepare yourself as I introduce a new Winston male in Wild. Joe Winston, a disreputable, rough and sexy cousin, is guaranteed to knock your socks off!
To Cindy Hwang,From the first Winston brother to the last, working withyou has always been a pleasure. Thank you for making thisso much fun!
Chapter OneChapter TwoChapter ThreeChapter FourChapter FiveChapter Six
Even though it was an incredibly busy night at the bar, even though he could barely hear the newest order over the din of loud conversation, music, and laughter, he heard her. Her every thought. Chase watched her, saw that her mouth wasn't moving, that she wasn't actually talking, but he could still listen to her.
She was on the other side of the bar, standing by a group of Halloween decorations that his sister-in-law had designed out of a bunch of pumpkins he and his brothers had carved. The haystack and jack-o'-lanterns were festive and provided an amusing backdrop to the serious expression on Allison Barrow's face. He'd known her several months now, ever since his brother had married her best friend and boss, but he'd never before noticed how cute her round, wire-framed glasses looked on her small nose or the fact that she had a tendency to straighten them needlessly.
He noticed now. But why?
His youngest brother, Mack, bumped into him. "Hey, Chase, orders are piling up here. You want to stop daydreaming and help me out?"
Chase gave Mack a distracted glance. "Come here a minute, will you?"
Mack paused. "What?"
"Over here. Come on. Now stop right there." Chase positioned him exactly where he'd been standing. Mack was in his last year of college, still studious and alert. Surely he'd pick up on something. "Now, look over there at Allison. See her, right past the redhead with the skinny guy in a suit? By that Halloween display?"
"Yeah, so?"
"What's she saying?"
Mack turned to stare at Chase in disbelief. "What's she saying? How the hell should I know? I can barely hear you, and you're only two inches away from me."
Frustrated, unable to really explain, Chase said, "Well, look at her, dammit, and try."
With a sound of disgust, Mack again stared toward Allison. Chase saw his gaze warm a little, then go over her from head to toe, and for some reason, that annoyed him. Now that he'd really noticed Allison, he didn't particularly want Mack doing the same. He'd always thought Allison was cute, in an understated, sort of just-there way, but suddenly she looked very sexy to him. She was twenty-five, on the short side, dark blue eyes, medium blonde hair. Nothing special. Certainly not the type of woman to appeal to his baser side. But tonight he couldn't pull his attention away from her. He suddenly heard her every thought when he'd sure as hell never been a mind reader before. And he only heard Allison, no one else. There was something going on between them, and it didn't make any sense.
"Well?" Chase prompted.
"She looks different, doesn't she?"
"It's the clothes," Chase explained, having noted the difference himself. It had taken him several minutes to finally pinpoint what made her look so unusual tonight, so... sensual. "She's wearing some sort of old-fashioned, vintage dress."
In truth, she looked like a woman straight out of film noir. The dress was a deep purple gray, and even from a distance, Chase could see that the color did things for her eyes. Or were her eyes just brighter tonight, more alert?
There was subtle black beading on the top of the dress that caught the bar lights and drew his attention repeatedly to her less-than-outstanding bustline. At least, he'd never thought it outstanding before. But now... Now he was imagining her naked and almost going crazy because of it.
The waistline was tight, showing off her trim build, and when she turned, Chase not only saw that she had on seamed stockings but also that the damn dress had a flat bustle of sorts, a little layering of soft material that draped real nice over her pert behind, a behind that would feel just right against his pelvis if he took her from the back...
"It looks... I dunno, kind of sexy on her, doesn't it?'' "Mack." Pulled from his erotic thoughts, Chase said it as a warning, surprising himself and his brother. His tone had smacked of possessiveness, and he didn't like it, but he also didn't like another man, not even his brother, thinking Allison was sexy. He wasn't quite used to himself thinking it yet. "Pay attention."
"To what? From what I can tell, she's not saying anything. She's just standing there all by herself, looking sweet. In fact, she looks a little lost."
Chase rubbed his face. "So you don't hear anything?" With a strange look, Mack asked, "What exactly am I supposed to be hearing?"
Damn. There was no way Chase could repeat the thoughts he'd picked up on so clearly. They were fairly... intimate. Explicit thoughts. Sexual thoughts. About him. He almost groaned. "Never mind. Forget I said anything."
Mack frowned at him. "Hey, you okay?"
"Yeah, fine. Go on before we get mobbed by disgruntled customers. You take that end of the bar, and I'll handle this end."
With one last curious look at his brother, Mack sauntered off. The bar, owned by the brothers, was especially packed tonight. It had gone from being a popular watering hole to a regular hangout. People not only drank there, they danced and played billiards and pinball. Cole, the oldest brother and recently married, was thinking of expanding into the empty building next door. He'd discussed his plans with Chase just the other day, and Chase was all for it, especially if it meant they'd hire in some help. The bar was plenty prosperous enough now to support several additional employees, and with Zane, the third brother, getting his own computer business off the ground, and Mack finishing up college, it was certain the two younger brothers would likely work less and less at the bar.
Cole had originally bought it to support the family after their parents had died. He'd worked damned hard, making ends meet and taking care of three much younger brothers. Chase, as the second oldest at twenty-seven, was still nine years younger than Cole, with Zane twenty-four and Mack just turned twenty-two. Chase had always tried to help out as much as possible, and he and Cole were friends, as well as being as close as brothers could be, but none of them had expected the bar to eventually be so popular. It had given them a great start in life and had guaranteed employment for the younger brothers, but it had served its purpose and it was time to think of the future.
Their clientele was as much female as otherwise, being that until Cole's recent marriage, they'd all been bachelors---according to the local papers, the most popular bachelors Thomasville, Kentucky, had to offer. A lot of women lamented Cole's altered state, which sent an overflow of attention to the remaining brothers. Chase smiled. He wasn't all that interested, being something of a recluse and extremely particular in his sexual appetites, but Zane and Mack sure appreciated all the female adoration.
The six to eight o'clock rush was finally starting to wind down when Chase was hit with another of Allison's vivid internal dialogues. He'd been fending off the stray thoughts, doing his best to ignore them, but there was no way to keep this one out. A tray in his hands, a dishrag over his shoulder, he paused on his way to the sink, like someone had frozen him in mid-step.
Such nice shoulders. So sexy. Probably hard and smooth to the touch. And hot. They'd move when he thrust, the muscles shifting...
And then a visual image joined the words, an erotic picture of him making love to Allison. It was carnal, sensual, and showed him exactly what she'd look like naked, laid out beneath him, straining against him while he drove into her. Her small breasts were flushed, her pale pink nipples were puckered tight. Her eyes were closed, her blonde hair fanned out on a pillow, her hands desperately clutching his shoulders...
The tray almost slipped out of his hands, and he barely managed to catch it, He shook his head, trying to clear it, totally overwhelmed by a wave of raging lust and heated need. He turned to stare at her.
She was looking at him, and as he stared, gaze intent, her face turned pink and she ducked her head. Like a sleepwalker, Chase plunked the tray on the bar, threw the dishrag to the side, and started toward her.
She looked up at him, her eyes now rounding with alarm, and she took a hasty step back, but the haystack and pumpkins were there, crowded into the corner, making it impossible for her to flee. Which was just as well, because if she'd run, he'd have simply chased her down. All he could think of was getting his hands on her.
Chase stalked her, keeping her in sight, stepping around those people loitering or dancing in the middle of the floor, dodging tables and ignoring greetings. He didn't like being played with, and while he didn't know how she did it, he knew Allison was in some way responsible.
He stopped right in front of her and she looked up at him, one hand pressed wide over her heart as if to keep it contained in her chest. He started to question her, but then he noticed her lips, soft, pink, parted slightly, and he wanted so badly to kiss her he couldn't think straight. He could almost taste her on his tongue, hot and wet and woman sweet. His hands shook---hell, his whole body shook.
Like a wild animal scenting a female in heat, it took all his concentration to control his basic urges. He'd never felt this way before, not even with the most accommodating women, and they were rare indeed. His desires were usually specific, a little risque to the average woman, something that needed to be catered to in order to achieve mind-blowing pleasure. He simply didn't get overwhelmed with lust at the mere sight of a woman.
Anger washed over him, making him tremble. He didn't want to notice her, dammit. She'd never affected him this way before, so why now? How did she do it? He stared down at her, at that tempting mouth, and every muscle in his body tensed. He cursed softly.
Oh God. Maybe I should have chosen Zane. He'd have been willing at least, and so much easier. He wouldn't question what was happening...
"Like hell!" Chase took her shoulders and shook her slightly. Through clenched teeth, he growled, "You're right, Zane wouldn't hesitate; he'd probably already have you in the back room with your little bustle in the air. But I'm not Zane, and I didn't start this, you did."
She stared at him, her shock apparent, her face draining of color.
Jealously made him a little rougher, a little less discreet than he'd normally be. He took care to keep his private life private. Not that he was a monk, but he sure as hell wasn't the outgoing, obvious ladies' man that his younger brother Zane was. His hands tightened on her narrow shoulders and he leaned low to say, "You can just get thoughts of Zane right out of your head."
She blinked up at him, the pulse in her throat going wild. "What... what are you talking about?"
They were so close, her glasses fogged just a little, then slipped down the bridge of her nose. Chase could see small flecks of gold in her deep blue eyes, like little explosions of heat. His jaw worked for a moment, then he said with just a touch more calm, "How dare you even consider my brother?"
She gasped, putting both her palms on his chest. The touch burned him, making the lust that much worse. He wanted to howl. He had never in his adult life had this happen, had lust rage over him so suddenly, so uncontrollably. Hell, of the four brothers, he was the quietest, the most discriminating in outward appearances. And control, especially with a woman, was something he insisted on.
She glanced around, her movements nervous, then whispered in a rush, "Chase, what in the world is wrong with you?" Her face was flushed, her eyes round, and she looked embarrassed and alarmed and very worried.
Chase, too, glanced around. Several people were looking at him, including his damned brothers. They must have radar, he thought, wondering how all three of them had known he was going to make a fool of himself. But the fact that he had, that it was over a woman, was rare enough that he knew they wouldn't ignore it or let him forget it. He simply didn't cause scenes, ever, but especially not over women.
Turning back to Allison, striving for a pleasant look rather than that of a crazy man, he said, "I'd like to talk to you. In private." The words slipped out through his teeth and the parody of a smile he'd forced to his mouth.
She rolled her lips in and bit them, her gaze still wary, then nodded. But she looked far from willing. She looked nervous as hell. He could feel her nervousness, damn her, just like he'd felt everything else.
Holding her arm in case she changed her mind, Chase led her past the bar toward the back office. Mack stood behind the bar, shaking his head in wonder. Cole, standing in his path, frowned in concern, and Zane, surrounded by a group of women, grinned like the village idiot. Ignoring the two younger brothers, Chase stopped in front of Cole and said, "I need a few minutes of privacy."
Looking between him and Allison, Cole narrowed his eyes.
There was no way Chase could explain, so he said simply and firmly, "I'll be back out as soon as I can," and his tone alone forestalled any arguments.
Cole looked hesitant, then finally he nodded. "Take your time. We can handle things now."
"Thanks." Chase turned away, and Allison stumbled along beside him. He realized it looked like he was dragging her along, but that was only because she was holding back a bit. Chase glanced down at her. "You're causing a scene."
"Me?" They were now out of sight of the main room of the bar, and she again held back as Chase opened the office door. "You're the one doing the caveman routine. What in the world is the matter with you?"
He snorted. "Like you don't know." Hell, she'd been thinking about him all night, taunting him with those personal, private, sexual thoughts of hers. He didn't know how he knew it, but he did, and his conviction was so strong he didn't doubt it for a moment. He gently propelled her into the office and shut the door.
The lock turned with a quiet click.
Only one light was on, a small lamp sitting on the desk. Chase watched as Allison backed up a few steps, then stopped and braced herself. For what?
"Allison..."
You can do this, you can do this, you can...
"Do what?" Chase barked, advancing on her, again losing his temper. Startled, she jumped back and her knees hit the soft, slightly worn sofa that Cole had installed years ago when long nights sometimes made it necessary to nap at the bar. Allison lost her balance and she tumbled gracefully onto the sofa, the soft, flared skirt of that killer dress fanning around her. Her spine pressed hard to the back of the sofa in alarm. She started to jump up again, but Chase stepped so close she couldn't, not without plastering herself against him.
And judging by her expression, she didn't want to do that.
She eyed him, then whispered, "I don't know what you're talking about."
He leaned down, one hand on the back of the sofa next to her head, the other on the arm next to her side, pinning her in. "You want me. You've been thinking about me all night, distracting me, invading my head. Now you're trying to give yourself a pep talk and---"
Her eyes flared wide like saucers, and she fumbled with her glasses. Her mouth moved, but no words came out. Finally, she sputtered, "How on earth do you know that?"
He frowned, tilting his head to study her carefully. Her old-fashioned dress was a major turn-on for him, and he fully appreciated the feminine, sultry picture she presented. It affected him somehow, but he couldn't say exactly why.
"Chase?"
She sounded honestly surprised, and then he felt her shock roll over him and knew she'd had no idea he'd been listening in on her ruminations. She hadn't silently talked to him on purpose, he'd just suddenly been able to read her. Why?
Chase touched her cheek, feeling the heat of her blush. She was mortified to discover he knew her thoughts. Some of his anger evaporated, and he wanted to reassure her somehow, but first they had to figure out what was going on.
Standing up straight again, he said, "Don't move."
She shook her head, mute. Her thoughts were such a jumble he almost smiled. Poor little thing. She was as confounded as he. And now that he knew she wasn't controlling the situation, wasn't controlling him, he could almost appreciate the novelty of it.
He touched the tip of her nose, then a loose blonde curl by her temple. He liked touching her, he thought, then immediately withdrew. He didn't want to like touching her. "This is going to take some time to sort out. I'm going to go get us a couple of drinks, then we'll talk, okay?"
Her chest rose and fell rapidly, making the beaded bodice glitter. She looked away. "Okay."
"Allison?"
Her gaze came back to him reluctantly.
"It's all right." He searched her face, noticing how pretty her eyes looked, how they weren't just a dark blue, but a multitude of blue shades, complex and original. "That you want me. I mean."
Her lashes lowered, her hands fisted in her lap, and she whispered, "Oh God."
Smiling now, feeling like he was finally getting the upper hand, Chase walked out. Damn, he didn't know what was going on, but one thing was certain: Allison hadn't denied wanting him. She hadn't denied anything. She'd been too upset and embarrassed and confused to do more than stare up at him, letting him absorb her thoughts, letting him experience her desire.
And her desire sparked his own.
He was so hot, he thought he could breathe steam. His muscles were tensed, his abdomen tight. He felt like he'd been indulging in an hour of specialized foreplay, and in a way, he supposed he had, listening in on Allison's thoughts, seeing her small fantasies. They'd been almost real, and had affected him like a touch.
This whole thing went beyond the realm of reality. If someone had tried to tell him any of this was possible, he'd have laughed. Mind reading? Ha. He hadn't believed such a thing existed, but now he knew it did.
Even stranger than that was Allison, suddenly looking so appealing, suddenly wanting him. He'd always been polite to her but distant, because he'd instinctively felt she wouldn't meet his needs. She was mostly quiet, a little perky but in a cute, friendly way, not overtly sexual. A small woman with sweet features, not a single risque or daring thing about her. She didn't in any way look like a woman who would indulge his sexual demands. So he'd been merely polite and she'd always been the same.
Now he knew her quiet facade hid some heated urges, and though they weren't on a par with his, they intrigued the hell out of him.
Hurrying, he went behind the bar and grabbed two colas. Cole tried to talk to him, but he put him off. Hell, there was no way to explain the unexplainable. Cole would think he'd gone off the deep end.
Mack and Zane started whispering, their heads together, but he ignored them, too, not even bothering to give them a second glance.
Even this far away from Allison, he still knew what she was thinking, and he wanted to get back to her, to reassure her. She was afraid of what he'd think, racking her brain for an explanation he'd accept. Her uncertainty was understandable, even endearing, given the bizarre situation.
For whatever reason, she suddenly wanted him, and he didn't really think he should turn her down. Hell no. Whatever was frightening her---and she was frightened--- he'd take care of it.
Cole walked up to him again. "Chase..."
"It's under control, Cole. Don't worry."
Cole searched his face, not looking the least bit convinced. "But... Allison?"
Chase grinned. "Yeah, I know. Pretty surprising, huh? Maybe there's some black magic at work, considering it's almost Halloween, or there's a full moon out tonight or something. Who knows?"
Cole didn't respond to the joke. "Do you know what you're doing, Chase?"
Considering that a fair question since he wasn't behaving at all like himself, Chase shrugged. "I'm working it out. That's all I can tell you for now."
Cole still looked concerned, but he let it go, saying only, "Just remember she's my wife's friend and assistant. I don't want to end up in the doghouse because of you."
Chase laughed. As he headed back to the office, colas and napkins in his hands, he dodged under a black paper cat and an orange paper jack-o'-lantern hanging from the ceiling. Maybe Halloween really did have something to do with this sudden power of his to read Allison, to see things in her he'd never seen before.
If so, he intended to enjoy it while it lasted.
But first, he wanted some answers.
Allison paced the office as she waited for Chase to return. She'd never been in here before, and beyond her nervousness was a curiosity that kept her looking around. Cole mostly used the office, since he was the bookkeeper of the bar. Chase generally contented himself with being a bartender---and an unusual one at that. He wasn't chatty, was more of a listener than not. He had the incredible knack for keeping disagreements at a minimum, negating the need for a bouncer. The bar was a lively place, but it was friendly, and totally acceptable to a family man or woman.
The office was large with a massive desk at one end and a plush sofa against the adjacent wall. A few chairs were scattered about with a filing cabinet or two. Photos of the brothers at various ages hung on the wall, and with her heart pounding, Allison went to peer at an aged photo of Chase. He was younger, but even then she could see the hidden fire in him, the repressed energy that everyone else seemed to miss, accepting him as the quiet brother. She shook her head. He was still incredibly gorgeous and her stomach knotted. It suddenly seemed like much too much.
"Darn it, Rose, I knew this was a bad idea. He's actually angry that I want him. Why wasn't Jack good enough? He couldn't read my mind, and we both know he was more than willing, even if he didn't exactly make my pulse race the way Chase does. He had no idea what you were planning. It would have been so much---"
The door slammed and she turned to see Chase, drinks in his hands and a frown on his face. "First my brother Zane, and now some bozo named Jack. How many men are you daydreaming about?"
He was angry again---
"Damn right I'm angry!"
Her own temper sparked, obliterating some of her nervousness. "Stop doing that! Stop reading my mind."
He stared at her, and very slowly his frown smoothed out. He looked disgruntled as he stepped into the office and set the drinks on the desk. "I can't help it. It's like you're screaming into my head."
"But why?" Her hands twisted together in nervousness. "I don't understand."
"Hell if I know. You came in tonight and just like that, I heard you thinking about me."
If her face got any hotter, her ears were going to catch on fire. Mustering her courage, determined to see this through---a thought he obviously read, judging by his smile---she admitted, "I've done that before."
"Thought about me?"
She swallowed hard and nodded. "Yes."
Eyes narrowed sensually, he stepped closer. His voice was low and heated when he asked, "Sexual thoughts?"
Her stomach did quick little flips of excitement. "Yes."
"I never guessed."
"I know. You've never even noticed me." That was painfully true, and there'd been many a night when she'd gone home feeling heartsick because she was all but invisible to him.
Chase reached out and touched her cheek again. "I'm sorry."
Darn it, she had to censor her thoughts a little better or she'd never be able to get through this.
Chase grinned. "Don't bother on my account. I kind of like reading your mind."
With the most ferocious frown she could muster, she said, "Well, I don't like it!"
He looked very annoyed again. "Because you're also thinking about Zane and this Jack person?"
"No!" She shook her head, flustered to the core. Seeing no hope for it, she admitted quietly, "I don't want Zane or Jack. Not like..."
His gaze softened. "Like you want me?"
"Yes. But none of it matters. I don't need to be a mind reader to know you couldn't care less about me. I'm sorry if my thoughts are suddenly intruding in your head, but I don't really know what I can do about it."
His frown was back, only now it looked more confused than angry. "You want me, but you don't want to do anything about it?"
Allison turned away. This was the tricky part---
Chase swung her back around and up close to his chest. His hands held her firmly, not hurting, but making certain she couldn't move away. Allison thought he'd shake her again, and she braced herself, but no sooner did she think it than he narrowed his eyes and sighed. "Dammit, I would never hurt you, okay?" When she didn't answer right away, he added, "I promise. Trust me."
Heart tripping at his deep, compelling tone, she said, "Okay."
"Good." There was a wealth of satisfaction in his heated gaze, but also determination. He tugged her the tiniest bit closer, until she gasped. "Now let's get something straight. I don't want you to try planning and plotting against me. It's only tricky if you're not honest with me."
Being so near to him was muddling her brain, making logical explanations difficult. "I... I can't be honest with you."
"Why not?"
"You won't believe me, and you'll think I'm nuts, and you won't want anything to do with me, but I need you to..." She closed her mouth, appalled by how much she'd just blurted out.
His gaze moved from a fascinated study of her eyes, to her mouth, then down to her breasts. His fingers on her arms turned caressing, persuasive. In a soft, gentle tone, he said, "This whole situation is nuts, so I doubt you can add much lunacy to it. And to be truthful, I'm finding I want a lot to do with you. Maybe it's just a masculine gut reaction to knowing how much you want me, but I've had a hard-on since you first started thinking about me. And it's you I've got pictured in my brain, not any other woman."
Allison groaned. His words were like an aphrodisiac, making her blood race, her toes curl. Rose couldn't have planned this any better if she'd tried. But it was all wrong. Even if he was now willing to do what she needed him to do, it wasn't because---
Chase leaned down and pressed his mouth to her temple. "Tell me what you need me to do, honey."
Honey. He'd never called her that before. She liked it.
"I'm glad."
Her head dropped forward to bounce against his chest and she groaned again, this time thoroughly flustered at her wayward thoughts.
Chase chuckled, nuzzling against her crown. "I'm sorry. Would you rather I didn't answer your thoughts?"
She shook her head. This situation was so bizarre, it bordered on comical. But then, everything that had happened to her since moving into the house was beyond belief. "No. It's just... disconcerting."
His hands stroked up and down her back, and her eyes closed as she basked in the heat of his touch. He kissed her brow and said, 'To me, too, you know. My brothers are probably out there huddled together, coming up with every wrong conclusion there is. It's for certain they're not anywhere close to the truth."
Alarmed, she pushed back to look up at him. "You're not going to tell them, are you?" It was bad enough that Chase had been drawn in, but she didn't want or need anyone else to find out all her secrets.
Chase cupped her cheek, his touch so tender she could barely find her breath. "I don't know. I'm not even sure yet what's going on. But if it'll make you feel better, for now I won't say anything."
Her eyes closed in relief. "Thank you."
"What secrets do you have?"
Darn. She hadn't meant to let that slip. Then realizing she might as well have spoken out loud, she said, "Just give me a little time, okay?"
"Time for what?"
"Time to figure out how to tell you, how to get used to this, how to prepare myself."
He didn't look like he wanted to agree. In fact, he looked very disagreeable, but he finally nodded. "Answer a few questions for me, then."
"If I can."
"Who's Jack?"
That was easy enough, though not a very desirable topic. "He's a man I've been dating. He wants to get serious, but I don't."
He looked far from pleased by her explanation. "Why?"
"He's not... right for me."
"In what way?"
Chase made it very difficult to talk when he kept touching her, his big hands smoothing over her shoulders, her back. And he stared at her mouth, making her self-conscious.
And he damn well knew it.
He shook his head. His voice was deep and affected, husky with desire. "I'm sorry. It's just that I can't stop thinking about kissing you---and a lot of others things. Things that'd likely have you hightailing your pretty little behind out of here as fast as you can."
Ignoring most of what he said only because it didn't make sense to her, she asked, "You... you really want to kiss me?"
"Oh yeah." His voice dropped even more and he stared at her lips. "But I can tell you don't really want me to. Yet."
Allison tried to step away, but he wouldn't let her go, so instead she covered her face. "This is so difficult."
She found herself hauled up against Chase's chest, his arms wrapped tight around her, comforting her. "I don't mean to make it---whatever it is---harder for you, honey. But I can feel your confusion. You want me, but you don't want to want me. Have I got that right?"
She sighed. He smelled so good, and it felt so good to be this close to him. More than anything she wanted to be with him, in every way imaginable.
He drew in a deep breath. "Every way?"
She stared at him, speechless. That had sounded too ominous by half. Still, she would have agreed, but there were stipulations that she couldn't ignore.
His eyes narrowed. "What stipulations?"
Darn it, she had no privacy at all! It took all her control to hold back her fist. She wanted really badly to punch him.
Chase held her tighter. "None of that."
This time she didn't even question his right to know her thoughts. Thoroughly disgruntled, accepting there was no way she could sort out her thoughts in her own head, she groaned and pushed back to glare at him. "Do you think I should be happy to want a man who doesn't want me?"
"But I just told you---"
"Right. That you... have an erection." Her face burned, but she didn't look away from him. "I know. But that's not because of me. Chase, you don't even know me, and you've never wanted to know me."
He was quiet, watching her closely.
"I think in the eight months that Sophie and your brother have been married, you've said about a dozen sentences to me, all of them mundane cordial niceties. How're you doing? Nice weather we're having. That sort of thing. Now, just because you know I've fantasized about you a little---"
"A lot."
"Okay a lot---"
One corner of his firm mouth kicked up. "Tell me some of the fantasies."
His voice was low, commanding, making her insides tingle. She frowned severely. "No. Besides, you'll probably know them soon enough as it is."
His brows lifted. "You've got plans, do you?"
She opened her mouth, then saw his taunting smirk and wanted to slug him again. "No! I meant that you'd probably just read my mind and know them, though I swear I'm going to do my best not to think about you at all."
"Party pooper."
"It's not funny, Chase."
He grinned and kissed the end of her nose. "From my perspective it is. There's not a man alive who wouldn't pay good money to be where I am right now. It's not often a fellow can actually understand a woman or know her thoughts."
She snorted. "Like you can even begin to understand."
He ignored that. "And I really am curious about these fantasies, but I'll wait, if you insist. Now, about that other nonsense you rattled off."
Her wariness returned. "What nonsense?"
"Me not wanting you. Okay, so I'll admit I'd never really paid much attention to you before. I never pay much attention to any woman, at least not for long, but especially not a woman who's a friend and assistant to my sister-in-law. I have no intention of getting involved long-term with anyone, and your relationship with Sophie puts you just a little bit too close to home for comfort. You're not the type of woman for a one night stand, and one night stands are about the only speed I go these days, so I ignored you. It really didn't have anything to do with you."
She stared at him, disbelieving such words had actually come from his mouth. "My goodness. All that? So your disregard for me was actually something of a compliment, because I'm above such casual notice?"
"Don't be snide."
"Snide? I don't believe a thing you said. Since I've known you, I've seen you with three women, and if they were any indication of the type of female you gravitate toward, then I have no problem at all understanding why you've always ignored me, and it didn't have a lot to do with my friendship with Sophie."
He'd stiffened at her first mention of the women. "Meaning?"
"Meaning the women you go for are always beautiful and... and well stacked." She winced at her own word choice, but it was absolutely true. While she was full through the hips, lacking in the upper works, and of a very ordinary appearance overall, Chase had shown a preference for tall, slim, busty women---none of which could be applied to her.
He chastised her with a shake of his head. "Women are so damn weird."
"Weird!"
"And so hung up on their bodies. Allison, there's absolutely nothing wrong with how you're built."
Her mouth twisted. She obviously didn't have a single sacred thought.
"No, absolutely not, especially when you're thinking all kinds of ignorant things."
"Ignorant things? Chase, I have mirrors in my house, and I know what I look like."
"You look fine, better than fine, and it wasn't the look of those women that drew me."
"Then what?"
He hesitated, studied her closely, then smiled. "Not yet, honey. But maybe, given half a chance, I'll explain it to you someday."
The deliberate secrecy annoyed her. "See? You're obviously just not interested."
His own temper sparked at her stubbornness. "Then explain why I still have a damned erection!"
He no sooner shouted that than a tentative tap sounded at the door. They both turned, appalled. Chase recovered first, saying in a bark, "What is it?"
There was barely repressed laughter in Mack's voice when he called out, "Uh, there's a guy here looking for Allison."
"Uh-oh." She cleared her throat as Chase turned slowly to glare at her, then she answered Mack nervously, saying, "I'll, uh, be right out."
Chase looked like a thundercloud. "Who the hell is looking for you?"
"Jack?" She posed her answer as a question, not sure how he'd react.
Working his jaw, Chase stood silent for a moment, then finally said, "You'll tell him to leave."
"No, I will not! Chase, we agreed to meet here tonight before I knew any of this would happen. I need to talk to him, to tell him---"
"That you want me."
"No! I'm not going to tell him that."
"Then I will."
He turned toward the door, and Allison launched herself at him, wrapping her arms tight around his waist and digging in her heels. "Wait! You don't understand!"
Chase easily pulled her around in front of him, then pinned her to the door with his hands on her shoulders, his hips pressed to her belly. Her heart skipped two beats, then went into frantic overdrive. His breath fanned her cheek and his gaze was hot. With his lips almost touching hers, he said, "I don't want you to see anyone but me."
His scent enveloped her, his nearness made heat bloom inside her. She'd wanted this for so long, but not this way, not when he'd more or less been coerced.
"No one is coercing me, Allison. I want you, plain and simple."
"There's absolutely nothing simple about this and you know it." Still, did she have any choice? Rose was counting on her, and so was Burke. She licked her lips and could almost taste him. 'There's a lot I have to explain to you yet."
His hips pressed closer, letting her feel the long, hard length of his erection, making her gasp. "Like who the hell Rose and Burke are?"
Her glasses were crooked and she straightened them, staring at his throat rather than meeting his eyes. "Yes. And... and why I think you should come to my house and... and make love to me."
She peeked up at him. The heat of his gaze burned her up from the inside out. And then he kissed her, his mouth voracious, his tongue stroking. She clutched at him, overwhelmed and turned on and unable to rationalize what was happening. Unexpectedly, he caught her hands and pinned them over her head, then groaned deeply.
When he pulled away just the tiniest bit, he said roughly, "Get rid of the other man, Allison."
She practically hung there in his grasp, on her tiptoes, her arms stretched out, his pelvis pressed to her, keeping her still. "I... I will," she managed to stammer around her excitement. "But I have to do it right."
"Tell him to get lost."
"That would be cruel." She said it as a gentle reprimand, then quickly added, "He's a nice man, Chase. And he's serious about me. He asked me to marry him, so I can't just dump him like that."
Chase stared at her for a long moment, and she could see he fought an internal battle. Finally his eyes squeezed shut, and he whispered, "I've never been jealous before. I don't like it."
"You have no reason to be."
He kissed her again, softer this time, consuming, with so much tenderness it felt like her heart was swelling in her chest, nearly choking her.
"Don't let him touch you. Promise me."
"No." His kiss and his words left her nearly panting. "No, I won't."
With a sigh, he carefully, slowly released her wrists and stepped away from her. "Let's go before Mack starts telling everyone that I have a hard-on and I'm shouting about it."
Horrified by such a possibility, she asked, "He wouldn't, would he?"
"Hell yes, he would, if he thought it'd embarrass me. That is, he'd tell Zane and Cole. And they're the two I'd most prefer didn't know."
But when they stepped back into the bar, all three brothers stood there, grinning like magpies, and Allison knew Mack had already blabbed. Luckily, it was only Chase they seemed intent on teasing. But then Jack spoke up from behind them, drawing everyone's attention.
"Allison? What the hell's going on?"
She looked at Jack, silently begging for him not to start anything, but it was Chase who answered those thoughts, saying forcefully, "Forget it, honey," as he stepped forward. All three of his brothers crowded behind him.
Jack stiffened his spine. He was every bit as tall as Chase, topping six feet, but was Chase's exact opposite in every other way. While Chase was dark with golden brown eyes, Jack was blond with bright green eyes. They looked like two wolfhounds ready to bite each other. Allison was mortified.
"Cole, do something!"
He blinked at her, then turned to his brother. "Knock it off, Chase."
Both Chase and Jack ignored him. Cole shrugged at her, as if saying, I tried. But then he suggested, "At least make it private, Chase. You're embarrassing her."
Chase nodded agreement to that and turned to go back in the office. Jack followed him against Allison's protests.
Exasperated, Allison hurried in on Jack's heels, and shut the door behind her. "This is not necessary."
Chase said, "I think he disagrees."
In his most provoking tone, Jack said, "You're right, I do."
Trying desperately to salvage the moment, Allison said, "Jack, it's not even what you think."
Chase snorted. "Unless he's an idiot, it's exactly what he thinks."
Allison whirled to face him. "You promised, damn it!" Chase didn't even look at her, his attention fixed on Jack.
But he did say, "I promised to give you time to talk to him. But I didn't say anything about letting him yell at you."
"Allison?"
Jack sounded out of patience, and she turned to him again, saying in a whisper, "It was Rose's idea. I swear. I'll explain later..."
"Rose?" Suddenly Jack's expression relaxed and he even chuckled as he glanced at Chase with an amused look. "So you're letting Rose call the shots again, huh?" He shook his head, laughing at her.
Chase took an aggressive step forward. "Allison, maybe it's time you told me who the hell Rose is."
With a lift of his brows, Jack said, "I can explain, though I doubt you'll believe it any more than I do."
He was still amused, and seeing no hope for it, Allison decided she had nothing to lose. She frowned at both men. "Jack, you can forget our date tonight. In fact, you can forget any dates!"
Jack glared. Anger crowded his features, then a near panic. "Damn it, Allison..."
She crossed her arms over her chest.
Jack glanced at Chase, then narrowed his gaze on her face again. "I'll call you later when you've had a chance to calm down." And in a huff, he stormed out, slamming the door behind him.
Chase shook his head. Now that Jack was gone, he looked relaxed and under control again. His gaze lit on Allison, and he teased, "I thought you claimed he was a nice guy-"
"And you!" She was practically fuming, she was so mad. Nothing had gone as expected, and she'd had more surprises tonight than one woman could bear. "I've decided you're not worth the trouble, no matter what Rose thinks!"
She turned to the door, ready to make a grand exodus, but Chase's hand flattened on it before she could get it open. Speaking close to her ear, he growled, "I don't get off till late tonight, so it'll have to be tomorrow morning. But we'll get together at ten to talk. Which is damned early for me, so I hope you appreciate the concession to my sleep."
"I won't---"
"We have a lot to discuss, and I think I'm showing a great deal of patience, all things considered."
She wanted to tell him to go to hell. She wanted to go hide somewhere, considering how horrible the evening had turned.
"But you won't, will you, honey?"
She turned the doorknob and he let the door open. As she stepped out, thoroughly defeated, she growled, "I suppose not. Good night, Chase."
"Ten o'clock, Allison. Don't make me wait."
Arrogant, obnoxious, controlling jerk...
She heard him laugh, and she groaned. Fleeing seemed her only option, and she did so quickly. But as she left the bar, she felt all four brothers watching her, and she knew, from here on out, nothing would be the same.
Chase was distracted as he finished closing down the bar. It was almost two in the morning, and he and Zane were alone. Mack had taken off hours ago to catch some sleep before his morning classes, and Cole always left early these days, now that he had a wife waiting at home for him. Chase grinned, thinking about Sophie. She was awfully sweet, and the way she'd played Cole just before they were married was something he'd never forget, the stuff fantasies were made of. Cole hadn't stood a chance, and Chase considered him damn lucky to have her.
But thinking of Sophie and Cole reminded him of something that had been niggling at the back of his mind ever since Allison had stormed out of the bar, her thoughts confused and her frustration level high. Hell, his frustration was through the roof. He was still mildly aroused, even though she was gone. He couldn't get her out of his mind, and though he couldn't read her so clearly now that she wasn't close, he still got the occasional glimpse of her thoughts and it kept his desire on a keen edge.
Small talk with customers had been almost impossible tonight.
Zane came out of the back room, whistling. Out of all the brothers, he was the rowdiest. Zane seemed to have a little wildness in him that no one would ever be able to erase. Cole had never really tried, preferring just to temper that energy whenever possible. It had never bothered Chase before, but now, he kept thinking of how Allison had briefly considered Zane, and it bothered him a lot.
Zane looked up and caught Chase staring. The whistling stopped. "What'd I do?"
"Nothing. At least, I hope not."
Reaching for his coat off a hook in the hallway, snagging Chase's also, Zane started forward. "What does that mean?"
"I want to ask you something, Zane, and I want a straight answer, okay?"
Zane tossed Chase his coat, then propped his hands on his hips. "At twenty-four, don't you think I'm a little old for a lecture?"
"I wasn't going to lecture you."
"Oh." He grinned. "Well, good. Because I wasn't going to listen."
Chase perched on a bar stool and stared at his brother. "You remember back when Cole and Sophie first hooked up?"
"How could I forget?" Zane lifted himself onto the edge of the bar. "Hell, Cole was so damned amusing, I worked extra hours, neglecting my own business, just to get to watch him fumble around."
Chase grinned, too. "He did have a hard time of it, didn't he?"
"Aw, well, Sophie made it worth his while."
"You knew Allison back then, didn't you? I mean, even before Sophie and Cole hooked up." He'd sort of blurted that out, but he was getting edgier by the minute, prompted by some unknown discontent, like something was wrong, but he didn't know what.
Zane shrugged. "I know just about every woman in town, Allison included, but probably not the way you're thinking, judging by your frown." He grinned. "I asked her out, but she turned me down flat."
That surprised Chase. "She did?"
"Yeah, several times, in fact."
So Zane had asked her out more than once? He didn't like that. "You never said anything."
"Like you expected me to brag that I was turned out cold? Get real. Besides, from the way the two of you carried on today, I have to wonder if she wasn't hung up on you way back then. You can be damn blind when it comes to women, Chase."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means a lot of women try to get your attention, but you don't take the bait."
Because they were nice, conservative women who most likely wouldn't meet his appetites. He shook his head. "I date."
"Yeah, about five times a year." He snorted. 'That's barely enough to keep a man alive. I figure every so often your libido takes over, and you cave. Other than that, you're a man of ice."
"Maybe I just don't like to spread myself so thin."
Zane chuckled. "You were sure spreading it around today. The way you corralled Allison into the back room reminded me of a stallion herding a mare. Not at all subtle."
Chase made a disgusted face and muttered, "Yeah, well, I don't know what got into me today." But even as he resolved to regain his iron control, his uneasiness grew, prompting him to leave. He stood up and pushed in the bar stool.
Zane slid off the bar and buttoned up his coat, preparing to follow Chase out. "If I'm not mistaken," Zane said, "I think it's called lust. And about time, I'd say."
Suddenly, Chase had to see Allison. The urge to go to her was overwhelming, as bad as the turbulent lust had been. He had to fight to keep from rushing out, making a fool of himself again. Only the fact that he didn't have her exact address held him back. He glanced at his brother and wanted to wince. Zane was giving him a rather knowing look.
"I don't suppose you know---"
Zane chuckled. "She lives on State Street, not too far from here. It's a big old cream-colored clapboard farm-house, and you can't miss it because the roof sticks up way higher than any of the others."
Narrowing his eyes, Chase asked, "How do you know?"
"Well, I haven't been there wooing her, if that's what you're worried about. Besides, like I already told you, she wasn't interested in me. From what I understand, she inherited the house from an old spinster aunt. I helped out about a month ago when Cole and Sophie moved her in there."
"Thanks." Chase headed out the door, driven by some vague urgency he couldn't suppress. He tossed a quick look at Zane. "Lock up, will you?"
Zane blinked in astonishment. "You're not going over there now, are you?"
Chase didn't answer him. He didn't have time. Before he was completely through the door, he was flat-out running. He had to get to Allison. Why, he didn't know, but the panic was real, making his heart race and his jaw lock. Within minutes he was in his car, driving too fast, and just as he turned the corner on State Street, he was able to clearly hear her again, her every thought, her every word. And what he heard caused him an unreasonable amount of anger.
It's not that I mind you being here, really. It just makes me a little nervous because it's not something I'm used to. Especially when I'm trying to bathe. Couldn't you go away for just a little while until I finish up?
Someone was with her while she was trying to take a bath? And he refused to leave?
Allison's nervousness was real, flooding his senses. In fact, her nervousness bordered on fear, and Chase was suddenly so enraged, a red haze crowded his vision. He parked his car in the driveway with a screech, thankful that she didn't have any near neighbors on the older, quiet street. He jumped out of his car, stormed up the paved entry walk to the immense wooden front porch decorated with a huge jack-o'-lantern and some cornstalks, but as he started to pound on the door, he noticed a narrow window to the side of the front room was opened just a crack. In late October, the evening air was cool enough that all the windows should have been shut, especially considering she was a woman alone, on a dead-end street, and it was nearing three in the morning. His instincts kicked in.
Chase crept to the window and slid through it silently. Once inside, he closed and latched it, then looked around. He seemed to be in a parlor of sorts with carved, embroidered furniture, plenty of crocheted doilies, and lamps with fabric shades. Even though the room was dim, enough light came from the hall chandelier to let him clearly see the flocked, flowery wallpaper. He felt like he'd stepped back in time.
The house was dated enough to boggle his senses.
He explored cautiously, leaving the parlor and sneaking a peek into the adjacent rooms, one a library lined with dark, heavy wooden shelves, the other a more modern family room with a TV and overstuffed couch. The rooms were long and narrow with arched doorways and heavy drapes, and they opened to a central hall. At the end of the hall he could see a spacious country kitchen, and next to it, a small bath with black and pink ceramic tile on the floor and walls. Right inside the front door, to the left, was an incredible winding, ornate wooden staircase that led to the second floor.
Hearing a creak from above, Chase looked up. From the sounds of it, Allison was up there talking quietly with someone.
Jealousy, hot and dark, raced over his nerve endings, along with the need to protect. He could still feel her unease, and when he found out who was responsible, they'd be sorry. He crept upstairs. Each damn step seemed to groan beneath his weight, the typical speakings of an old house. The urgency suddenly quieted, replaced by annoyance---not his annoyance, so maybe it was hers?
The stairway ended with another hall. At one end was a large, narrow, diamond-paned window showing the dark night beyond, with two bedrooms, one on either side of the hall, in between. At the other end was a master bedroom and a larger bathroom, and that's where Chase headed. He could hear Allison clearly now, and his brows drew tight. Who the hell was she talking to? He paused outside the bathroom door and listened.
"Really, the idea is ludicrous. I can't sleep with Chase when he doesn't truly want me. And before you say it, you know it's just that darn trick you played on me, letting him read my mind, that has him reacting right now." She groaned. "When I think of all the stuff I imagined, it's so embarrassing. If it wasn't for that, he'd still think I was invisible.
"Oh, no. That dress had nothing to do with it, though I admit I liked wearing it. It made me feel sexy, whether it actually worked or not." She laughed slightly. "The underthings were great. I loved them."
Chase peeked around the open door, his eyes narrowed. But there was no one in the room. Just Allison. Naked. In a tub of bubbles.
Her blonde hair was pinned on top of her head, little ringlets falling free, and her bare arms rested along the sides of the free-standing, claw-footed white porcelain tub. Her eyes were closed and her soft mouth smiled.
She sighed deeply, and one small pink nipple appeared above the froth of bubbles. Chase stared, mesmerized, unable to speak, barely able to breathe.
"I appreciate your efforts, guys, I really do. But I'm not at all sure I can go through with it, so let's just forget about Chase, okay?"
Chase stepped completely into the bathroom, his body pulsing with need. "Let's don't."
With a loud squeal and a lot of thrashing and splashing, Allison turned to see him. She knelt in the tub, her hands crossed over her chest, her eyes wide. She didn't have her glasses on and she stared at him hard.
Automatically, he said, "It's me, Chase."
"I know who it is! What in the world are you doing in here! This is my bathroom. How did you get in?"
He opened his mouth, but she interrupted him, shouting, "Never mind that! Just get out!"
He frowned. "Who were you talking to, Allison?"
She groaned. "Oh God, I don't believe this. I don't believe this, it isn't happening..."
"Are you going to get hysterical on me?"
"Yes!"
She glared up at him, her big blue eyes rounded owlishly as she tried to see him without her glasses. She was still crouched in the tub, the bubbles reaching her hips, and her hands somewhat inadequate to completely cover her breasts. She was small, but the soft, white, rounded flesh showing from around her crossed arms was very distracting. And here she'd thought herself lacking...
Chase cleared his throat. "I'll step out in the hall, but make it quick. You have some explaining to do."
He walked out and dropped back against the wall, his eyes closed, his stomach muscles pulled tight. He'd left the bathroom door open and heard her growl, "Don't you dare peek!"
He just shook his head. "Hurry up, will you? My patience is pretty thin right now."
There was a flurry of splashing and mumbled cursing, then Allison, leaving a trail of water, padded barefoot out of the bathroom, an ancient embroidered chenille robe wrapped tightly around her, her glasses once again in place. Bubbles clung to the end of a ringlet over her right ear, and her throat and upper chest were still wet. The robe covered her, but the neckline dipped low enough that he could just make out the edging of white lawn underwear. Again, something vintage? When she stomped over to face him, the robe parted over her legs and he saw old-fashioned drawers that just reached her knees. His heart rate accelerated, but she quickly pulled the robe closed again.
She greeted him with a pointed finger poked into his chest. "How dare you barge in here, intruding on my privacy!"
Chase grabbed her hand, pulled her close, and gave in to the need to kiss her. She was still warm and damp, and she smelled like flowers. He held her head between his hands, urging her to her tiptoes, then kissed her long and soft and deep, eating at her mouth, capturing her tongue and drawing it into his own mouth. She groaned softly, and the hallway lights blinked happily around them.
"What the hell?" Chase looked up, but there was no one there. "What happened to the lights?"
Her hands remained fisted in his shirt, her expression dazed, her lips still parted. Around panting breaths, she said, "Hmmm?"
"The lights blinked, almost like a strobe."
"Oh." Very slowly, she pushed herself away from him, then straightened her glasses. She looked around with a frown. "It's an old house. The wiring is sometimes... temperamental."
Chase stared at her, saw her trying to gather herself, and shook his head. "Damn, honey, you look sexy as hell." He lifted an edge of the robe. "What have you got on under there?"
Her eyes widened and she clutched the robe. "Chase, stop it."
He stepped toward her, and she backed up. "Who were you talking to, Allison?"
"Myself?"
He shook his head. "I'm not believing it. Try again."
"You can see there's no one here."
"The window downstairs is open."
"It is?"
"Yes." He couldn't quite keep his gaze on her face, not after seeing her practically naked---and liking very much what he saw. He was so hard he hurt, and his imagination was going wild, thinking of all the things he'd like to do to her. "Don't you think that's a little risky, being you're here alone?"
"I didn't open the window, Chase."
His brows pulled down again, because she sounded totally unconcerned as she said that. Then she added, "What are you doing here, anyway? It's kind of late for a social call, isn't it?"
Why was he here? Damn, how could he tell her he'd been worried? That he'd felt something was wrong? He started to say just that when suddenly the lights flickered again, almost going crazy, and seconds later there was a crash downstairs. Chase grabbed Allison's arm, shoved her into the bathroom, and shouted, "Lock the door," before rushing down the stairs. His instincts were screaming an alarm, and he didn't wait to see if Allison would do as she was told. He just took it for granted that she would.
Bounding down the steps two at a time, an awkward task given the lights danced wildly, he reached the bottom in just a few seconds. He heard another noise, like a distant thump, and followed the sound into the parlor where he'd entered. As he bolted into the room, he saw that the wind had picked up a heavy curtain hanging over the window he'd climbed through minutes before.
He distinctly recalled closing and locking that window. Someone had just left the house.
He moved silently across the room, his gaze searching everywhere, checking out every corner. But the fact that the window was open when he got here, and then opened again, led him to believe someone had been in the house and had now left. Otherwise, how did the window get open, when it locked from the inside and he himself had just locked it?
He turned to go back to check on Allison and ran right into her. She would have landed on her sweet behind if he hadn't caught her upper arms and steadied her.
"Dammit! I thought I told you to stay upstairs." He wasn't at all pleased that she'd disregarded his orders.
She glared right back at him. "This is my house. And besides, I knew nothing was wrong. A house this old makes all kind of noises. There was no reason to be alarmed."
He wanted to shake her. This propensity he had for losing his temper and rattling her teeth was disturbing in the extreme. He'd never really lost his temper with a woman in his life, and he'd sure as hell never taken to shaking them. In fact, he took extra pleasure in maintaining icy control, in holding the reins of command gently. It was a big turn-on for him.
But Allison made him forget all that.
He leaned down close until their noses almost touched and said in a low growl, "Someone was just in your house."
She scoffed.
"Dammit, Allison, how much proof do you need? When I got here, the window was open, which was how I got in, by the way. But then I closed and locked it. Only now it's wide open again and a table's knocked over and there's a broken dish on the floor. So unless you're going to tell me this house is inhabited by ghosts, you'll have to admit---"
"It is."
Her blurted statement and small wince had him verbally backing up. "It is, what?"
She drew a long breath and he felt her shoring up her courage, preparing herself, then she whispered, "It is inhabited by ghosts."
He had the horrifying suspicion she was serious. "Come again?"
With another deep breath, she looked up at him, then said, "The house comes with two ghosts. If you'd like, I could introduce you to Rose and Burke."
Allison waited anxiously while Chase did no more than stare down at her. He looked skeptical and a little concerned. Finally he said, "Are you all right?"
"Chase." She took his hand and led him to a couch, forced him to sit, then turned on a few lamps. He was right. There was a knocked-over table and a broken dish. She frowned and said to the room at large, "Very funny, Rose. If you wanted to scare him off, you're succeeding."
"Uh, Allison---"
She waved him to silence, propped her hands on her hips over the soft robe, and looked around. "Well, Rose? You got him here, so the least you can do is come out and show yourself. What? No more blinking lights? No more parlor tricks?"
Nothing. She frowned again, then glanced worriedly at
Chase. He watched her like she'd grown an extra head. She raked a hand through her disheveled bangs, somewhat embarrassed. Darned aggravating ghosts.
"Uh, listen honey." Chase spoke very gently, very softly. He patted the couch cushion beside him. "Why don't you sit down here for a minute and I'll go see if I can get us something to drink."
When she shook her head at him, he left the couch to stand beside her, trying to urge her to the seat he'd just vacated.
She made a sound of disgust. "It must have been Burke. Rose is pretty nice most of the time, though she's sometimes a little crotchety. But Burke"---and here she raised her voice to make certain he'd hear---"can be a real pain!"
A cold draft filled the room, making her shiver. Chase looked around, then chafed her arms roughly to warm her. "Do you have another window open?"
"No, that's just Burke. He hates it when I insult him."
He eyed her dubiously. "On second thought, I don't want to leave you alone. Why don't we go into the kitchen together?"
Allison laughed. "Chase, you can read my mind. Can't you tell I'm not making it up?"
She might have been made of fine china, the way he now handled her. "I can tell you think you're actually talking to ghosts." He put a rather brotherly arm around her and urged her into the hallway. "But don't worry about that right now. Let's just go to the kitchen, and while you get something to drink, I'll check the other windows. There's definitely one open. Your hair is blowing around."
She lifted one hand and shoved a loose curl behind her ear. Her gaze searched every corner of the hallway and all the rooms as she passed, but Rose and Burke were hiding for some damn reason.
"Shhh. It's okay. Here, just sit a minute while I go check the windows and doors."
Allison sighed. "I'm not going to break, Chase."
"I know that." Then he very carefully smoothed her hair in a way that reminded her of a puppy being petted. "I'll be right back, honey." He jogged out of the room.
Allison looked around her empty kitchen and wanted to scream. She said aloud, "Well, I hope you're happy now. He thinks I'm loony. And I seriously doubt discrediting my mental faculties is going to inspire him to lust."
A warm breeze blew over her, taking away the chill. "Thanks. I hate being cold." Then she covered her face. "Guys, this is never going to work. I know you thought it would, but---"
Chase walked back in, a severe frown on his face. She knew he wanted to say something about her conversation with ghosts that he didn't believe in, but he refrained. "Everything on this floor is closed up and locked. I didn't check upstairs yet, but the breeze seems to be gone."
She eyed him carefully. "Of course it is."
"Actually, for such an old house, the locks are pretty secure. Were they changed recently?"
A safe enough topic, she decided. "My aunt, who I inherited the house from, had never married. She lived alone here, and it made her nervous. I think she updated the locks every two years, and she had them all checked regularly." Allison added with a grin, "Living with ghosts made her really nervous. She didn't accept it nearly as well as I have."
Pulling a chair up close so that their knees almost touched, Chase seated himself. He took her hands and stared her in the eye. "Forget your ghosts for a second, okay? You have a real problem."
"What?"
"Honey, I opened the front door and right off the edge of your porch, there are footprints in the dirt. Big prints. Not yours." He glanced down at her small bare feet, then with another frown, added, "Someone went out the window in a hurry, then leaped off the porch. Not a damn ghost, a flesh-and-blood man. Someone was here in the house with you."
Every small hair on her neck stood at attention while she stared frozen, straight into Chase Winston's dark, serious gaze. So that was why she'd been feeling so nervous and why Burke and Rose had invaded her bath.
Chase made an impatient sound. "Allison, I don't understand---"
She waved him to silence, finally ungluing her tongue from the roof of her mouth. "Don't you see? Usually they respect my privacy. They're around, but they don't intrude---at least, not much---and certainly not when I'm changing clothes or bathing. But tonight they kept hanging around the bathroom, and even though they're just ghosts, it really did make me nervous. I mean, I was naked."
Chase blinked slowly. "Yeah, I noticed."
She ignored that and continued to reason things out. "At least, I thought that was why I was nervous. But now I think it must have been the intruder. Rose wanted me to be nervous, to understand... Oh God." The enormity of it hit her. "Someone was in my house!"
Chase bit the side of his mouth, and she could feel him thinking, sorting out what he'd say, how to address what he considered sheer fancy on her part. Finally, he lifted a hand to her cheek and tried a small smile. "Honey, you're telling me there're ghosts in your house, but that doesn't bother you. It's only the idea of a real man---"
"Oh, for pity's sake, Chase. You're a real man, and I'm not afraid of you. But then you don't sneak in through windows!"
His thumb brushed over her temple, distracting her. "Actually, I did."
She struggled to get her mind back on track and away from that big, warm thumb. "You know what I mean. You came because you were worried about me. Hey! That's it. Just like Rose transferred my thoughts to you at the bar, she must have let you know about the intruder. Can you just imagine what might have happened if you hadn't shown up?" She shuddered in very real fear. "I guess I owe Rose my thanks."
Chase appeared to be considering everything she'd said. "Okay, let's deal with that first. Why did you leave the window unlocked?"
Allison huffed. "I'm not an idiot, Chase."
"But..."
"I didn't leave the window open," she insisted. "And before you even think it, Rose or Burke would never do such a thing."
Chase lifted his gaze to the ceiling. "I wasn't going to suggest they might."
"Oh, that's right. You don't believe in them."
"What I believe is that someone broke in here, and they got in through the window. It didn't look to me like they'd broken in, rather they just opened the window because it wasn't locked."
"But they're always locked."
"This one wasn't."
She pondered that. How could such a thing have happened? The lights flickered again and both she and Chase looked up at the old Tiffany-style chandelier hanging over the kitchen table. Allison pursed her mouth. "See there? I think Rose or Burke have an idea, but because they're fickle and determined on their own course, they won't just come right out and tell me about it."
"They, uh, talk to you, do they?"
"I don't know if I'd call it talking. I mean, I hear them, but I don't know that they're actually saying anything. You understand?"
His expression was ironic. "Certainly. What's not to understand?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. "You claim to hear me when I'm not talking to you."
"But you're not a ghost."
"So?"
He opened his mouth, then closed it.
Satisfied that he'd listen, Allison stood to pace. "The thing is, they didn't come right out and tell me, but they did do the next best thing, which was to send you here." Then she glanced at him again, and the look on his face didn't encourage her. "I'm sorry you're out so late tonight. You must be exhausted after working all day."
Chase looked like he either wanted to strangle her or lay her out on the table and do wickedly sexy things to her. She gulped, knowing which she'd prefer.
"I know which I'd prefer, too," he said pointedly, staring at the way her robe gaped at her throat, "but I think we need to get a few things straightened out here first."
"Like my sanity?"
"I'm not suggesting you're insane---"
She began pacing again. "I'm not confused or making it up or imagining it, either. You saw the lights. Well, they do that to show they're agitated or excited. Which proves Rose and Burke are real. Or, that is, they're as real as ghosts can be."
"Because of some flickering lights? Honey, I hate to tell you, but this old house probably has lots of glitches in it. It's ancient enough to be falling apart. Damn, just look at the kitchen."
There was a touch of criticism in his tone as he looked around at the kitchen she loved so much. She saw his gaze linger on the old-fashioned free-standing sink with the hand pump at one end. Protectiveness for her house rose like a tide within her. "I happen to love my house."
He shook his head. "It looks to me like it needs some major fixing up."
No sooner did the words leave his mouth than a large plastic bowl filled with fruit toppled off the top of the rounded refrigerator to pummel his head. Chase jumped up, cursing and looking around, his body tensed. A plump orange rolled across the floor, stopping when it hit Allison's bare foot. She bent to pick it up. Several apples, a banana, and a few grapes were littered around him. Chase's look of insult was replaced by disbelief. "How the hell did that happen?"
"Burke?" When Chase scowled at her, she shrugged. "He loves this house. He bought it for Rose after they married, sort of a little love nest, though in this day and age the house would be considered huge. But anyway, Burke doesn't take kindly to someone insulting it, so if I were you, I'd be careful what I said."
"Dammit, Allison, that's ridiculous. Besides, I wasn't insulting the house, only commenting on the obvious."
"I guess Burke didn't like your comments."
He shook his head. "The floor slants, that's all. Even the walls are crooked. The bowl was bound to topple sooner or later. It was just coincidence that it happened to fall on me just then."
"If you say so."
He crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the refrigerator. It was such an old, squat appliance, his head was above the top now that he was standing. "I'd just gotten off work when I had the feeling you were upset about something. What are you doing up this late, honey?"
She fidgeted, wondering how much to tell him, but one look at his face and she knew he'd just read her mind if she attempted to hold anything back. Still, it was so embarrassing...
"Out with it, babe. All this hedging will just make it worse."
She bit her lip, knowing he was right but resenting him all the same. She should have had at least until tomorrow to get her thoughts together. "I couldn't sleep. I kept... kept thinking about you and that you'd kissed me and how wonderful it was." His gaze darkened, and his look became almost tactile. She shivered again, this time in reaction. Then she added softly, "And I kept thinking that it was all wrong."
His shoulders tensed while he looked her over from head to foot. "What's wrong about it?"
He sounded gentle again, but determined. Allison cleared her throat. "You don't really want me, Chase. I think Rose has done something to you to make you think you do. It's kind of a long story---"
"Do you have to be at work early tomorrow?"
"No. Not until noon. Sophie's opening it up tomorrow."
"So, we have plenty of time for you to explain this long story to me then, right?"
Unfortunately, she couldn't think of any reason to refuse him.
He smiled. "First, I think we need to call the police about the break-in."
"No!" Even as she said it, the lights flickered crazily.
Chase's expression hardened as he glared at the lights. "Allison, a man was in your house. If I hadn't shown up when I did, you might have been hurt---"
"It was probably just a prankster, you know, a kid messing around because of Halloween."
"It isn't Halloween yet."
"But you know that sort of thing always starts early. And now he's gone, and I'll be sure to double-check the windows every night from now on, so there's really no reason to worry. And no reason to bother the police."
Chase wasn't an easy man to fool. He leaned over and trapped Allison against the butcher block counter. "What's going on, Allison? Why the aversion to the police?"
With him this close, she could see how thick his eyelashes were, could smell him...
"Dammit, forget my eyelashes! I'm not trying to seduce you. At least, not yet. I want to know why you won't call the police."
She looked at his incredibly sexy mouth, saw it quirk slightly, then blurted, "Rose and Burke hate having people rummage through the place. It makes them nervous."
His eyebrows shot up incredulously. "Nervous ghosts?"
"Well... yeah."
Straightening again, he rubbed the back of his neck. But Allison's gaze dipped over his body---so gorgeous--- and her attention got stuck on the fact that he was hard again. His jeans fit him snugly and the soft, faded material hugged that part of his body, making heat explode inside her, her stomach twist in need.
He groaned. "You're making me crazy, babe."
"I... I think you need to see something." She gulped. "Before we go any farther, I mean."
He leveled a look on her, hot and expectant.
"It's... it's upstairs. In my bedroom."
He smiled.
Shifting nervously, Allison said, "I'll just go up and get dressed, and then I'll show you---"
Chase took her arms and half lifted her off her feet. He shook his head. "I like you just the way you are," he whispered, then kissed her gently, showing a lot of restraint. "You look sexy as hell with your hair pinned up, that soft robe giving me sneak peeks every now and again of that sexy cotton underwear, and your glasses perched on your nose that way."
She clutched the robe shut to rid the possibility of any further sneak peeks, then asked with a squeak, "You like the corset cover and drawers?"
"What I've seen of them, yes. Do you intend to model for me?"
Her brain went blank at the idea of dropping her robe for him. He grinned, and she quickly asked, "You think my glasses are sexy, too?"
Pulling her up flush against him, he said, "I think everything about you is sexy, and your damned ghosts don't have a thing to do with it."
"But... my glasses?"
He smiled again. "Let's go upstairs, honey. I think I've waited long enough."
Eyes wide, she said, "But I have to show you something before you start getting... um... amorous."
One large hand stroked her waist. "I'm already amorous." - "Chase..."
"You can show me what you think is so important, but it won't make any difference."
Allison turned to nervously lead the way to her bedroom. Under her breath she muttered, "Wanna bet?"
But Chase heard her, and he rewarded her sarcasm with a small smack on the bottom, then left his hand there, caressing. It took all her resolution to climb the stairs. And once they were in her bedroom, she avoided looking at him, knowing if she did, she'd jump his bones and they'd never get around to the important stuff.
Hurrying to her nightstand, she opened the top drawer and pulled out an old, red leather-bound journal. She thrust it toward Chase. "I haven't shown this to anyone else. But I think you should read at least part of it before we do anything."
He stared at the book, stared at her, and then stared at the huge, four-poster mahogany bed, and he sighed. Taking the book, he said, "I sure don't have any complaints on your bed, honey. It looks plenty big enough, and the four posters are giving me some interesting ideas." He looked at her, searched her face, then asked, "How about you?"
She gulped. "How about me, what?"
Nodding toward the bed, he asked, "Any interesting ideas?"
She could just tell he was reading her mind, and what was in it was too explicit for words. Ideas? Heck yes, she had ideas, and all of them had him naked for her pleasure.
Chase grinned, then sat on the edge of the mattress. "Not exactly the images I'm having, but we'll work on it." He held up the book. "Just as soon as I finish this."
He settled himself comfortably with a pillow behind his head, at his leisure. With one last glance at Allison, standing there with her mouth open, he murmured, "You're just damn lucky that I'm a fast reader."
And there was a promise to those words that had her catching her breath and shivering from the inside out. "I think I'll go get us those drinks we kept talking about."
"And something to eat? I'm starved."
"I'll see what I can dredge up." She fled the room, unable to look at him as he read the damning words in the journal that told what his purpose tonight would be.
Allison made four peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and poured two large glasses of milk. Rose and Burke were mysteriously absent, and she had the feeling they were watching Chase read. She felt so bad for them, she sincerely hoped Chase would be able to accommodate what needed to be done.
She'd been downstairs over twenty minutes and decided putting it off any longer was just plain cowardly. Still, she dragged her feet as she went up the steps. Sure enough, when she entered the bedroom, she saw both Burke and Rose hovering over Chase, who still had his nose buried in the journal. Now, however, he'd taken off his boots and had his sock-covered feet crossed at the ankle, with one long arm behind his head. He was so tall, his stretched-out form went from the head of the bed to the very end, when she often felt lost in the incredible size of it.
When she stopped in the doorway, his gaze lifted to her, but otherwise he didn't move. His expression was speculative and lazy.
She cleared her throat, ignoring Rose and Burke. "I, ah, made you some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I hope that's okay?"
He laid the open book on the mattress, spine out, and rolled to his side, propping his head on a fist. He still didn't say anything.
"Urn, interesting reading?"
"Very."
"How far did you get?"
"Far enough to know now what it is you want me to do."
"Oh." Her face heated and she inched closer to hand him the tray of sandwiches.
Chase set it in the middle of the bed, then patted the other side, indicating she should sit down with him. Very tentatively, she slid onto the mattress. She smoothed the robe over her outstretched legs, kept her back straight, and settled her hands in her lap. Just to give herself something to do, she picked up half a sandwich and took a small bite while staring at her bare feet.
Chase, knowing exactly how nervous she was, waited until she had her mouth full to say, "I'm supposed to be your grand passion, right?"
And Allison promptly choked.
Chase made no move to assist her, instead picking up his own half of a sandwich and eating it in two bites while watching her struggle for a breath.
Allison wheezed and snuffled and when she could finally talk without rasping, she asked carefully, "Did you get to the part about the jewels?"
"Um-hmm. Burke gave Rose jewels as a sign of his love, but when he died with the measles, and she, too, got sick from never leaving his bedside, nursing him until his death, she hid them in the house so none of her damned relatives could steal them. They were, in Rose's words, a symbol of grand passion, and neither she nor Burke wanted them getting into the wrong hands."
Allison toyed nervously with a curl that had escaped her hairpins to hang to her shoulder. "That's right. And in fact, Rose did die of the same thing, only she went a little faster than Burke did because she was already so weak from taking care of him." She glanced at him. "Isn't that sad?"
Chase shrugged. "I suppose a wife who loved a husband would do exactly that. Or vice versa."
His answer obviously pleased the ghosts, considering how the lights twinkled happily and a warm glow seemed to fill the room. This time, Chase didn't even seem to notice the lights. All his attention was on Allison.
She cleared her throat. "They're not really a symbol of everlasting love or anything like that." She peeked at him through her lashes. "But Rose and Burke at least want the female relative who inherits the jewels to be... um... passionate. So far, there's been no one they feel fits the bill, so they've kept the jewels hidden, and they've been stuck here, not wanting to leave until the legacy of the jewels has been passed on."
"So it's an actual legacy of passion?"
Allison wasn't sure if he was teasing or not or if he believed any of it or not. His expression gave nothing away. "When they both died, they left the house to one of Burke's sisters, Maryann. But Maryann's young husband had already died, and she never remarried. Her only daughter, Cybil, inherited next, but she never even seemed interested in the idea of marriage. Rose didn't consider either of them women of... um... fire. Like herself. The women didn't believe in the ghosts and weren't that interested in men. It's Rose's worry about the jewels getting into the wrong hands that's keeping them both gounded on this plane instead of finding peace."
Chase ate another sandwich and drank half his milk, still looking at her in that watchful, curious way, as if waiting to pounce on her. "Rose didn't have any other relatives that suited her?"
Allison shook her head, and two more curls tumbled free. She tried to stick them back up, but somewhere along the way, she'd lost a pin or two. Chase's gaze skimmed her hair, lazy and hot, then came back to her face.
"I, ah... no, Rose's relatives all thought she'd married beneath herself, and most of them disowned her. That's why the jewels were so important. Burke had to work really hard to afford something for her that he thought her family would find adequate. But Rose never wanted anything material from him. Still, he bought her this house and the jewels and---"
"And they had a very passionate marriage."
Allison ducked her head. "Yes." Then in a smaller voice, she added, "That was all Rose ever expected from him. But he was an entrepreneur, and it wasn't long before they were actually doing pretty well. Rose had always believed in him, so she wasn't surprised. And it didn't make her love him more. And by then her family all wanted her back, but she was devoted solely to Burke and didn't want to associate with a family that hadn't accepted him based on the wonderful man he was rather than his material worth."
The last sandwich was gone, wolfed down by Chase. She'd only eaten a half. Chase finished his milk, then set the whole tray aside on the nightstand. He reached for Allison, and she stiffened, both in excitement and wary nervousness. She squeezed her eyes shut.
Chase paused, his hand now gently rubbing her arm. "I take it you're willing to fulfill the role of the passionate heir?"
Not quite meeting his gaze, she said, "Rose thinks I would suffice, though truth is, I've never considered myself a particularly passionate woman."
"No?" His fingers trailed up and down her arm, then across her throat.
Allison swallowed hard. "You'd probably find out soon enough, considering things are progressing right along here, but I'm actually still a... a virgin."
Chase froze, then with a growl he dropped back on the bed and covered his eyes with a forearm. "I don't damn well believe this."
Allison peered over at him. He seemed to be in pain, his body taut, his mouth a firm line, his jaw locked. "Chase, are you all right?"
His laugh wasn't at all humorous. "A damned virgin," he muttered.
"Well, I'd hardly consider myself damned. I just never met anyone... um, except you... that I wanted to get all that involved with. Sexually I mean. And being as you weren't interested..."
"This is incredible. A virgin."
"You don't need to drive it into the ground."
Just that quick, Chase was over her, causing her to yelp in surprise before her breath was completely stolen away by the look in his eyes and the pressure of his wide chest over hers. He caught her hands in one of his and raised them over her head, effectively pinning her in place so she could do no more than blink. Through clenched teeth, he muttered, "Do you have any idea what I wanted to do to you?"
She opened her mouth but could only squeak.
Chase gently smoothed her hair away from her face, the careful touch in direct contrast to how he held her and the roughness of his tone. "You know so little about me, sweetheart."
Suddenly the lights turned dazzling bright, making them both squint against the glare. Allison turned her head to look in the corner at Rose---and her mouth fell open in shock. "Oh my God."
Chase shielded his eyes with a hand and barked, "What?"
She turned back to him, so surprised even the light couldn't bother her. "Is it true?"
"Is what true, damn it?"
"What Rose just said."
"I didn't hear her say a damn thing. Are you telling me the ghosts are here with us now?"
He couldn't see them. Allison registered that fact and wondered how she'd ever convince him. Then just as quickly she realized that if what Rose claimed about him was true, he probably wouldn't need much convincing.
Chase pressed his chest closer, effectively pulling her from her thoughts. With a near sneer, he asked, "And what exactly is it that Rose has said about me?"
She almost couldn't utter the words. It took two swallows, and a great deal of effort to whisper, "She says you're... you're kinky."
"Kinky!"
Allison nodded. "She says you like to... to dominate in bed." Chase's expression was almost comical in his disbelief. "She says that's why you're so choosy about who you sleep with, why you ignored me, because you didn't think I'd get into sex games with you or that I wouldn't indulge your preferences for a little bondage and---"
Chase laid a hand over her mouth, halting the flow of words. He whispered, as if he didn't want anyone else to hear, "There really are ghosts?"
Allison nodded.
The look of disbelief left his face to be replaced by outrage. He glared and thrust himself away from her, rolling off the bed and onto his feet in one quick, fluid movement. He searched the room, but the lights were dim again and Rose and Burke were hiding. Chase turned his accusing gaze on Allison, who hadn't moved a single muscle. She was still too fascinated by the idea of being at Chase's sexual mercy. She didn't know exactly what he'd do or how much mercy he'd have, but she was more than a little anxious to find out.
"Oh no you don't! Don't start trying to distract me again with sex." He pointed a finger at her. "You expected me to make love to you tonight, and you knew all along they'd be watching? You set me up as entertainment for them? Rose and Burke can't just be normal ghosts, oh no, they have to be damned voyeur ghosts!"
A pillow shot off the bed to hit Chase square in the face. He slapped it aside, but another took its place. Chase cursed and said, "Oh great. Now I've pissed off a ghost! It doesn't get much better than this, does it, Allison!"
Still lying there, feeling a lot more confident about the situation now, Allison grinned and said, "Then you believe in them?"
Running an agitated hand through his hair. Chase said, "Why not? It makes as much sense as anything else."
She looked ready to giggle. Chase realized he was behaving in an absurd way. There was Allison, spread out on a bed, looking so damned ripe and ready it made his teeth ache. And he was provoking ghosts.
It also dawned on him that she didn't seem overly repelled by the idea of him dominating her. In fact, if he was reading her right---and he knew he was---she was intrigued. Well, how about that.
Another pillow hit him.
"I think Rose wants you to apologize. She said she kept her eyes closed whenever Burke made love to her, so she sure as certain doesn't have any urge to watch you."
A reluctant smile curved his mouth. The uniqueness of the situation was finally starting to sink in. "She said that, did she?"
"Yes." Allison hesitated, then added, "But Burke says it isn't true, that she used to devour him with her eyes when they made love. He says Rose has the most beautiful, expressive eyes in the whole world."
Despite himself, Chase was touched by the sentimental words. Ghosts. And not just any ghosts, but passionate ghosts who joked and teased and loved. Who would have believed it? Allison had to be telling the truth because how else could she have known? And the damned pillows had literally flown off the bed without her help. She'd done no more than lay there, watching him. Waiting.
In a way, he was grateful, because Rose and Burke had given him Allison. Without their interference, he never would have seen the depths of her, and seeing her now, so anxious to take part in everything he wanted to do with her, he couldn't imagine not being with her.
He stepped over closer to the bed. "Tell me something, honey. Did you think to try this with Jack?"
She wrinkled her nose but apparently felt there was no point in lying. "I needed to do something passionate so
Burke and Rose could move on. They don't mind being here, but they're not settled. Only they didn't want me with Jack---and I have to admit I'm glad. He's a nice guy, despite how he acted at your bar, and he's been very considerate, very helpful to me. But I couldn't quite get into the idea of... of..."
Chase felt his heart swell at her pink cheeks and stammering tone. Very gently, he said, "You couldn't imagine being passionate with him?"
She nodded, then added in a whisper, "I tried to think about him that way, but it always ended up being you in my fantasies. And somehow Rose just sort of knew that. She insisted I should go after you, even though I told her it was useless. She even selected the stuff I'd wear---"
"Ah, that killer dress from yesterday?"
She nodded. "Rose found it in the attic."
"Was it hers?"
"No. She told me she really likes this modern, shorter style though." Allison smiled. "To Rose, it seems really risque."
He lifted a brow and looked her over slowly. 'To me, too."
"Really?" She gulped, then forged on. "Rose even picked out the stuff I'm wearing now, but at the time, I didn't know you'd ever see me in it."
He knelt on the bed beside her and without a word, unknotted the fabric belt to her robe to pull it open. He stared down at the soft-as-silk cotton chemise and drawers. There was a flawless rose crocheted on the neckline of the chemise right above a row of tiny shell buttons, and more roses on the front of each leg. The drawers closed up in front with a wide, intriguing flap---big enough for a man's hand. Chase breathed hard. "You can tell Rose I heartily approve."
Allison smiled. "You just told her yourself."
He stared down at her soft breasts, her small nipples hard and straining against the cotton material. He felt his nostrils flare, felt a twisting in his guts. Without lifting his gaze, he said, "Beat it, guys. Allison and I have some business to attend to."
The lights dimmed so that only a soft glow touched the bed, then a slight warm breeze passed over him and he knew Burke and Rose had given them privacy. He wasted no more time. Straddling her hips, he stared down at her body, at the way her chest rose and fell with her deep breaths. He unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off.
Allison groaned at the sight of his bare chest and started to reach for him. He smiled and caught her hands.
"No, I have a certain way I like to do things, sweetheart. And seeing as we'll be doing this a lot---"
"We will?"
"Oh yeah. Definitely. So we might as well start out right." He pulled her into a sitting position and removed her glasses, tossing them aside, then stripped the robe off her shoulders. Holding her wide gaze, he pulled the soft, chenille belt out of the belt loops.
He could feel her trembling, both alarmed and excited. "Don't ever be afraid of me, Allison," he ordered quietly. She licked her lips, eyeing that soft belt, then nodded.
"Good girl." Her acceptance pleased and provoked him. "Now, lie back down."
She was practically panting, her eyes unblinking, her lips parted. Chase couldn't help but smile at her. "Put your arms over your head, as far as you can. Try to reach the top of the bed."
She gulped, but she slowly did as he ordered. Blood rushed through his veins at her compliance. And better still, he could feel her excitement, almost as great as his own. It was like she was his exact match, a perfect soul mate, and his body and mind recognized that fact, making all the feelings more acute, more important.
Taking his time, making the anticipation build, he held her wrists together and looped the belt around them, then tied it to one of the sturdy posts at the top of the bed. When he was confident that the knot would hold, he trailed his fingers down her bare arms to her armpits, then over her collar bone. She shivered slightly, twisting, and he whispered, "No, don't move."
She stilled instantly.
He eyed her taut form. "Are you uncomfortable?"
"No."
That was the tiniest voice he'd ever heard from her, and he recognized the aroused tone. He touched the rose on her bodice. "I'm going to look at your naked breasts now, Allison."
She started to close her eyes, but again, he reprimanded her. "I want you to watch me," he instructed gently.
Her teeth sank into her bottom lip, but she kept her gaze on his face. The tiny buttons slid easily out of the silk loops, and little by little, he bared her. Her breasts were small, some of the fullness removed by her stretched-out position. He felt her touch of embarrassment but refused to allow it to interfere with her enjoyment.
Closing his fingers around one taut nipple, he said, "You're more beautiful than any woman I've ever seen."
She started to speak, and he pinched lightly, tugging. Her words evaporated into a gasp.
"You like that?"
"Yes."
He lifted his other hand, plying both breasts. Her back arched, ignoring his order to remain still, but he let the small disobedience pass. She looked sexy as hell writhing under his hands, and he enjoyed watching her, enjoyed feeling her waves of carnal pleasure pass through him.
Without a single word of warning, he leaned down and replaced one hand with his mouth. She cried out at the sweet, soft tugging and the stroke of his tongue.
"Shhh." He blew softly on her now wet nipple.
"Chase, I can't stand it."
"Yes you can."
He felt her frustration explode, felt her body tensing even more. She was drawn so tight, her entire body jerked when he lightly nipped her with his teeth. He tightened his thighs around her hips, holding her still, forcing her to his will.
He switched to her other breast, treating it to the same sensual torture. Around her nipple, he whispered, "I learned early on how much I love controlling a woman this way, being in charge of her pleasure, mastering her with sex. But I love controlling you even more."
She groaned and tried to lift her legs but couldn't. He smiled. "None of that now. I told you to be still."
"Chase..."
"It's all right. Let's see what we can do about these bottoms."
Sitting up, he positioned himself so that her upper thighs, clamped tightly shut, were accessible to his hands. Through the soft cotton, he stroked one finger over the center seam of the drawers.
Allison's head twisted from side to side and she tugged on the bindings of her wrists. It was an instinctive reaction, he knew, to try to free herself even though she didn't really want to be free. He could feel everything she felt, and it doubled his pleasure knowing his own unique form of foreplay drove her crazy with need. She was already wet, the drawers damp where his finger continued to stroke. He was careful to barely touch her, to avoid letting her get too close to the edge.
Her belly hollowed out and her breasts thrust upward as she tried to strain closer to his taunting finger. He watched her face as he asked, "What do you want, Allison?"
"I don't know," she answered on a wail.
"Yes, you do. Don't lie to me."
She squeezed her eyes shut and he lifted his hand. "I told you not to do that."
Gulping air, she forced her eyes open again. "I want you to touch me."
"Like this?" His finger slid down, dipped, came away.
A great shudder passed over. "No. Under... under the drawers."
His body rocked with his heartbeat. He slid his hand inside the seam, barely touching her. "Like this?"
She tried to thrust against him, but he pulled away again. "Oh, please."
"Tell me, honey."
"I want... I want your fingers inside me."
Her face was bright red, both with frenzied need and embarrassment. Chase was so pleased with her, he leaned down and kissed her mouth hungrily, thrusting his tongue deep, his control almost shattered by her innocently whispered words. When he pulled back again, she stared at him expectantly, her breath held. He opened the seam of the drawers, laying the material wide.
Her feminine curls were dark blonde, damp, and he wanted to taste her very badly. He locked his jaw against the temptation and insinuated one long finger between her folds, feeling her wetness, the warmth of her. His penetration was eased by her excitement, but the tightness of her nearly did him in.
Allison let out a low, keening cry as he forced his finger deeper. "Is this what you wanted, baby?"
She didn't answer, her hips working against him, almost lifting his weight from the bed. He pulled back, watching her face closely, then thrust again, hard and deep.
She screamed with pleasure. His name.
Cursing viciously, Chase levered himself to the side.
He pushed her legs wide, then held them there when she instinctively tried to close them again. The material of the drawers was in his way and he ripped it open wider, wanting to see all of her, vulnerable, open and ready for him.
Allison was stunned. He could feel her sudden confusion and anticipation. He slipped his finger into her again, then added another. Her hips bucked, and that was all the provocation he needed. Bending down, he took her in his mouth, his tongue hot and rough and insistent. He found her small clitoris and sucked gently.
Allison climaxed with a shock of incredible pleasure that shook her whole body, and he felt it all, felt her trembling, her emotional turmoil, her greed. He cupped her hips, lifting her tighter against his mouth, refusing to let her orgasm fade despite her cries and weak struggles. When finally she stilled, going boneless beneath him, he climbed off the bed and furiously stripped off his jeans and shorts.
"Allison?"
Her eyes barely opened---until she saw he was naked. Then her big blue eyes flared wide, looking him over in great detail. "Are your arms okay, sweetheart?"
She squinted at him, trying to see him more clearly, and he smiled. "I want to touch you, Chase."
"That's not what I asked."
Her legs shifted restlessly, then she nodded. "I'm not in any discomfort, if that's what you mean."
"Good. And don't worry. You'll get your turn. But for now---" His gaze burned over her again. Her legs were still open, her damp curls framed by lacy cotton. "---For now, I like you just the way you are."
He slid a condom on and moved over her. After gently lowering himself onto her, he held her face and said against her mouth, "I like making love to you like this, Allison. Will you mind if we do this often?"
She blinked at him, then mutely shook her head.
"Good. I think I'd enjoy keeping you tied to my bed forever."
"Chase..."
He could feel the questions she wanted to ask, questions about the future. But he couldn't even explain to himself what he felt, the rightness of being with her, the intensified pleasure of his naked body touching hers. She felt like his soul mate, like just being with her would be enough to make him whole. He realized how alive he'd felt since last night, when he'd first started sparring with her, wanting her, trying to understand her and get to know her better. He felt unbearably possessive, and he knew the feeling wouldn't go away anytime soon. Probably never.
He kissed her to stop any further questions and calm his own tumultuous thoughts, then reached down and carefully opened her to his first thrust. The bed rocked gently and she moaned into his mouth.
"So tight, honey. So damn wet. God, you feel good."
Her body resisted him at first, then, as if being welcomed home, she accepted him, his size and length, letting him in until he filled her completely. She gasped, arching her neck back, her tied hands curling into fists. Her muscles clenched and unclenched in small spasms, her entire body trembling. It was incredible and mind-blowing, and he couldn't pace himself, couldn't hold back to tease further.
He met her eager gaze as he balanced himself on his elbows and tried to control the depth of his steady thrusts. His jaw locked with the effort, his shoulders straining.
The damned bed, apparently on uneven legs, rocked back and forth with his every movement. He slid his hands over her breasts, felt her nipples tight against his palms, felt her hips lifting, seeking, her muscles squeezing around his erection as he thrust harder and faster, and he was gone, closing his eyes against the too intense pleasure of it.
Nothing in this life had ever felt so right.
He knew then that he couldn't ever lose her.
Long minutes later, Chase became aware of Allison shifting beneath him. Good lord, had he fallen asleep? Appalled, he lifted himself to stare down at her. Her face looked so precious to him, glowing, flushed, happy, and also a little timid. He smiled and kissed her gently, then smoothed her mussed hair, now more unpinned than not. "Are you all right?"
She ducked her head shyly and attempted a restrained stretch. "I'm wonderful."
He looked up at her wrists, then reached to untie her. Lowering her arms carefully, he began to rub them, easing any tenderness she might feel. "I've never made love to a virgin before." He grinned at her. "It was a uniquely satisfying experience."
She gave him a quick glance. "I've never been tied up before. I doubt I would have enjoyed it with anyone else but you."
"And with me?"
"It was... incredible. You're incredible."
Chase rolled to his back and pulled her on top. She wasted no time in doing some of the exploring she'd missed out on due to her restraints. Her hands coasted over his chest and she sighed in wonder. "You are one devastatingly beautiful man, Chase Winston."
Satisfaction settled into his bones. Life didn't get any better than having a naked Allison sprawled over him, his body replete from loving her, his mind at peace with the knowledge that she was his.
When she bent to press her soft lips to his chest, he laughed and resettled her against him. "Behave, woman. It's almost four in the morning. Don't you think we need some sleep?"
She made a pouting face at him. "I thought you said I'd have my turn."
"You will. Tomorrow."
She looked his length over greedily. "Will I get to tie you up?"
"Hell no." The frown she gave him now was mutinous, and he kissed her thoroughly in between chuckles. "The effect isn't at all the same, I promise. Besides, there are a few things I still want to do to you."
"Chase..." Her eyes were suddenly glowing warmly again.
He touched her cheek. "You're an intelligent, independent, sexy woman, Allison Barrows. I wouldn't have you any other way. Except," he added when she looked flustered at his praise, "in the bedroom. In here, I'm in charge. And I already know how much you like it, sweetheart, so don't bother protesting."
Allison picked up a pillow to smack him with it. The bed teetered. Chase caught the pillow, then frowned. "Has this damn bed always been uneven?"
Still looking disgruntled that he could so easily know her thoughts, she muttered, "Not that I've noticed. But then you probably weigh a hundred pounds more than me. I don't think I could make this bed move if I tried."
Chase sat up and rocked experimentally, then felt the enormous bed wobble again. With a dark suspicion, he climbed off the mattress and looked down at the thick posts supporting the massive bed. Placing one hand on the edge of the mattress, he pushed. The bottom left leg of the bed lifted and fell because it was almost a quarter inch short. Chase noticed a small corner of cloth poking out. He bent down, but it was stuck inside the bottom of the leg. "Allison, come here a minute."
"What is it?" She peered over the side of the bed, squinting in an effort to see clearly without her glasses. Her gaze was on his naked body, not the bed.
Chase shook his head in amusement, then tugged on his jeans so her attention wouldn't be divided. "See if you can pull that piece of material out when I lift the edge of the bed."
Chase was momentarily diverted from his quest when Allison scrambled off the mattress, breasts bare, drawers gaping open and hanging low on her lush hips. He felt a fresh wave of heat and almost forgot his purpose, especially when she went on all fours in front of him, then looked up. "Well?"
Damn. The erotic images that crept into his mind were probably still illegal in some states. It took all Chase's resolution to reach down and heft the edge of the heavy bed. He barely managed to lift it two inches, but Allison quickly tugged out the thin piece of white lawn. It had something written on it.
"What did you do with my glasses?"
Chase reached for the small square of material, but she held it out of reach. "I got it. I want to look first."
"Allison..."
She narrowed her eyes at him, still sitting on the floor. "You can control the sex, Chase, but that's all."
With a slow, satisfied grin, he picked up her glasses, then sat on the floor beside her, his back to the bed. "That's all I want to control, babe, so I guess we're in agreement." He slipped the glasses on her nose while she watched him warily.
"Somehow I'm not sure I won that one."
He leaned closer, eyeing a pert breast. "Later, when I'm showing you a position I'm particularly fond of, you'll be more certain."
She reluctantly pulled her gaze away from him and stared at the scrap of material. "Oh my God! Do you realize what this is?"
"Since you won't let me look, no."
"It's the directions to where the jewels are hidden!"
Despite himself, Chase felt the rise of enthusiasm. "A map?"
"Not really. I mean, it just directs us to a certain spot in the basement. And judging by how complicated this is, without the note, we'd never find the jewels."
The laughter erupted, so hearty he almost fell over. Allison smacked his shoulder. "What?"
"Don't you see?" He wiped tears from his eyes and chuckled some more. "The note is hidden in a leg of the bed, and the only way anyone would know about it is---"
Her eyes widened. "If they indulged in some pretty passionate activity in that bed! Otherwise, the bed is so heavy, it would never rock, and no one would ever notice the hidden note."
"Exactly. You have to admit, Rose was pretty damned clever."
Allison jumped to her feet. "Come on."
"Whoa." Chase held her hand and pulled her back to stand between his wide-spread legs. "Don't you think you should put something on first?"
"Why?"
"Because if you don't," he said succinctly, leaning forward to kiss her belly, "I won't be responsible for the fact that we never make it to the basement."
"We won't?"
He stared at one taunting nipple. "No, we won't."
Allison grinned. "You make me feel very sexy, Chase."
"That's because you are very sexy. Incredibly sexy."
"And here I'd always heard virgins weren't supposed to enjoy their first time."
Chase cupped both her breasts, his interest in cold jewels fading quickly. "You're not the average virgin, honey."
She flashed him a coy smile and stepped away toward her closet. "Or maybe you just have a rather unique way about you that... stimulates my sexier side." She wiggled out of her drawers and pulled a dress off the rod. She slipped it on over her head. Chase stared.
It was another old-fashioned dress, fitted across the top, calf-length. It had no collar, just sort of scooped down in a narrow V over her naked breasts. There were about a zillion little tiny covered buttons down the front that fit into narrow, covered loops. Chase watched her start buttoning and knew it would take an excruciatingly long time to get her back out of that dress. To him, it looked like an opportunity for endless foreplay.
He already looked forward to the effort.
She pulled out chunky heeled shoes, then said with a wink, "These are my Brighton Beach hooker shoes."
Chase narrowed his gaze. "You're naked underneath."
"I know." And just that easily, she sauntered out of the room. "Come on, Chase. I'll show you the way to the basement."
Chase grinned as he followed her, watching the tantalizing sway of her behind in the full skirt.
Allison had the foresight to grab a flashlight from the kitchen. Once in the basement, they had a hard time maneuvering across the packed-dirt floor. The one bare bulb hanging at the bottom of the stairs wasn't adequate to light their way. The basement was musty, the walls damp. They followed the directions carefully, counting off steps, making abrupt turns, steering around the odd pipe. They came to a stop in the far corner where the rough edge of a protrading, homemade laundry chute was just visible from the ceiling beams. Chase stared down at a rusted tub beneath it.
Fascinated, Allison paced around him. "That's the old laundry chute, from when Rose used to have to do the wash with a wringer-type washer. Burke built it for her. When they first got this house, they couldn't afford a maid of any kind, so he tried to make it as organized for her as he could. The chute starts under the sink in the hall bathroom, but a former heir had it boarded up when a modern laundry room was built off the kitchen."
"We need something to climb on," Chase said, moving to stand just beneath the chute. He aimed the flashlight at the square of linen in Allison's hand. "It says the jewels are directly up from here."
The flashlight beam bounced over the long, deep chute, then inside it. About two feet up, taped flat against the inside, was a narrow box. "Well, I'll be damned," Chase whispered slowly.
"Is it the jewels?"
"I think so."
Chase felt Allison's excitement roll over him, and then a thought occurred to him. "Where are Burke and Rose? There hasn't been a single light flicker or breeze or anything. Not since..."
Allison froze. "Not since you asked them for some privacy."
Chase gently touched her cheek. "Maybe they realized things would work out."
Allison bit her lip, her eyes huge behind her glasses; then she whispered, "Will they?"
They both jumped when a third voice intruded, amused and condescending. "Don't tell me you actually believe in that ghost nonsense."
Allison whirled around. "Jack?"
Chase stepped forward, forcing her behind his back. Jack stood at the bottom of the steps beneath the feeble bulb. In his hand was a gun. Very calmly, Chase asked, "Visiting again?"
Jack merely smiled. "Yes. That was me you found in the house tonight. I thought Allison would be in bed, and God knows, I never figured on you visiting that late. But not only did you visit, you stayed." His expression hardened and he glared at Allison, who stood on tiptoe to peek over Chase's shoulder. "After you sent me off without the slightest regret, I never suspected it was so you could have another man over. Somehow I had the impression you were a nice girl."
Allison gasped, but it wasn't the insult that shocked her. "How did you get in? I locked the front door behind you myself!"
"Ah, but first we went to the parlor and talked, and while you were busy explaining to me why we couldn't see each other anymore, I unlocked the window. You thought I was staring despondently, when I was actually planning." He smirked. "Your door is now a little damaged by the way."
"But why?"
"For the jewels, of course. You told me they were here somewhere, I want them. They must be worth a fortune."
Chase said nothing. He was busy watching the bulb over Jack's head dim slightly, then turn bright again. A small smile touched his mouth. "You want the jewels, you bastard? Fine they're up there."
He pointed at the chute, but Jack just shook his head. "I think you can fetch them down for me. And Allison can come over here by me to wait."
"No."
Jack raised the gun. "I'm not asking, bartender. I'm telling you."
Before Chase could stop her, she darted around him toward Jack. He saw her glance up at the light. He hoped like hell they weren't both nuts, trusting in ghosts that might not even be around anymore.
Once Allison was pinned to his side, Jack said, "Well hurry it up. Get the damned jewels."
Not willing to waste a single moment with Allison so close to the other man, Chase turned over the heavy, rustedout laundry tub and climbed on top of it. His fingertips could just barely reach the package. He used the edge of the flashlight to work it loose, and finally, after several minutes, it fell down into his grasp.
"Give it to me."
Jack held out one hand, and Chase started toward him, but the gun lifted. "No, toss it to Allison." He shoved Allison forward, and she stumbled, then righted herself. Staring at Chase, she held out her arms. He carefully tossed the heavy package and she caught it in both hands.
Jack grinned and snatched it away from her. "Excellent.
You know, I'm thrilled to finally have these, but I swear, Allison, I would have enjoyed having you, too."
She shuddered in revulsion, then sneered at him. "I didn't want you, though, and that's all that matters."
He laughed. "Because your damned ghost said it had to be passionate?" He gave Chase a man-to-man look. "Can you believe that nonsense? When she first explained it to me, I went along. I mean, what the hell, she's pathetically naive, and I figured it'd be fun."
Chase turned his molten-hot gaze on Allison. "You actually planned to sleep with this bastard? You went so far as to explain to him why?"
Allison's face turned bright red. "I didn't think you would be..."
"Obviously. Hell, Allison, even Zane would be preferable to him."
She lowered her head, chagrined.
Chase inched closer. He didn't know quite what Jack had planned, but he didn't doubt for a minute that it wouldn't be pleasant.
Before he could take two steps, Jack snarled at him. "That's enough. Both of you, over in the corner."
Allison stared up at him. "What are you going to do?"
"I'm going to lock you both down here until I can get away, that's all."
But Chase knew he was lying. His brow furrowed as he realized exactly what Jack would do. Had Rose let him read another mind? "You're going to set the house on fire."
Jack looked abashed at first, then wary. "How did you know?"
"Rose told me."
Jack began backing carefully up the steps, keeping the gun on Chase the whole time. He tried for a sneer but wasn't overly successful. "I don't believe in ghosts."
The lightbulb flickered, almost going out, then blazing so brightly, Jack had to lift one hand to shield his eyes.
Chase smiled. "Neither did I, until I met two of them."
"It a trick! How the hell are you doing it?"
"I'm not. Rose and Burke are. And if you're smart, you'll put the gun away and give Allison back her jewels."
"Ha!" He had almost reached the top step. "So she can sell them?"
Allison gasped. "I would never do that!"
Jack stopped on the top step. A cold wind blew down the stairs with an eerie whistle. Jack's breath frosted as he shouted, "Stop it!" He lifted the gun. "I don't know how you're doing it, but---"
Suddenly he was pushed forward and his gun hand went up in the air, then resounded with a loud crack as Jack instinctively pulled the trigger. Allison covered her ears, while Chase covered her with his body. Jack lost his balance and tumbled head over heels down the hard stairs, squealing the whole way. He landed in a heap, the gun skidding a good three feet from him. Chase jumped up and grabbed it, then leaned over Jack. The man was unconscious but alive. Judging by the twist of his right leg, it was broken. He turned to Allison and held out his arms.
With a small gasp, she ran to him, and it felt so good to hold her, to know she was again safe, he knew for certain he'd never let her go.
Suddenly there was a flurry of footsteps from above. "Chase!"
Chase lifted his brows. "Cole? What the hell are you doing here?"
Not only Cole filled the open doorway at the top of the narrow stairs. Zane and Mack, both wide-eyed, joined him. "What the hell happened? We walked in, and here's this maniac, holding a gun and shouting."
"It's just Allison's old boyfriend," Chase explained, and though he was still holding her close with one arm, she managed to punch him in the side. He grinned and pulled her closer, then started up the stairs.
Zane peered down at him. "We were rushing over to help, but then..." He looked at Cole. "Did you, uh, push him down the stairs?"
Cole stiffened. "Me? I thought you did it somehow."
"Well, no." They both turned to Mack.
"Don't look at me!"
Chase chuckled as he joined his brothers upstairs. "It's a long story."
"Then you better make it quick. I, uh, called the police."
"Why the hell did you do that?"
Cole shook his head, then looked away. "Damned if I know. I was sleeping with my wife---which is usually enough distraction to block out the rest of world---and suddenly I just... knew you were in trouble." He shrugged. "It was the strangest damn thing. I called the cops, then Zane and Mack, and we all met outside."
The kitchen where they had all clustered suddenly glowed with warmth. The brothers looked around. Mack turned to Zane. "I think I'm ready to get the hell out of here."
Zane nodded. "I'm with you." They both turned to go. "If you need us for anything later on, just give a holler."
Mack snickered as they walked out. "First Cole, and now Chase. I can't wait to see what the hell you get into."
"Ha! I hope you're not holding your breath, because you'll be the next entertainment, not me."
"I'm still in school!"
"And I'm having way too much fun to start acting crazy over one particular woman."
Their voices faded as they went through the house to the front door. Cole, Chase, and Allison stared after them.
After shaking his head, Chase raised a brow at Cole. "What about you? You going to stick around?"
Cole sighed. "Well, I did leave a rather warm, willing female in my bed." Then he laughed. "But I suppose Sophie will wait. Hell, I'm anxious to see how you rationalize this to the cops."
It was several hours before the police left, content with the explanation that Jack was simply an insane intruder, the story neatly shored up by his loud claims of ghosts.
Allison and Chase were alone, back in the massive bed. It had taken Chase quite some time to get the dress off her, but the end result had been spectacular. Allison curled up at his side, then sighed.
Chase smoothed her hair. "What are you thinking, sweetheart?"
She froze, turning quickly to look up at him. "Don't you know?"
The expression on his face was comical. "Uh, no."
Her heart pounding madly, she asked, "You can't read my mind anymore?"
Chase frowned, then shook his head. "I don't have a single clue."
"Oh God. Does that mean Rose and Burke are really gone? Have they moved on?"
Chase touched the modest emerald and diamond necklace around Allison's throat. The jewels weren't ostentatious or enormously valuable, except maybe to a collector. But they were beautiful, and she'd cried as Chase hooked the latch at the back of the necklace and helped her to slip the pierced earrings in. The ring was a little big for her fingers, so it was now on Chase's pinkie.
He kissed her cheek. "The jewels are where they belong, sweetheart. It's only right that they find peace now."
"I'll miss them."
"But you still have me."
His small jest didn't make her feel much better. Would she have Chase? A thought occurred to her, and she asked, "Could you read my mind while we were, you know. Making love?"
Her face felt bright red, thinking of the way Chase had lingered over removing the dress, how he'd positioned her on the edge of the bed, how she'd eventually pleaded with him to take her.
He pulled her up over his chest and framed her face with his hands. "Come to think of it, no. But I didn't need to read your mind when your little moans told me everything I needed to know."
She swallowed hard. "Chase? Do you really like my old-fashioned dresses? I mean, there's trunks full of them, left over from one of the spinsters, and I like wearing them and---"
He placed a hand over her mouth. "Hell yes, I like them. They're the type that inspire fantasies, sweetheart. At least, they do when you're wearing them."
She pulled his hand away and asked, "Do you like my house? Because I don't ever want to leave here. I know it needs some work, but---"
Again, he covered her mouth, this time grinning. "I like your house. A lot. I think it'd be fun to do some repairs, without changing the looks of things."
With her words muffled against his palm, she asked boldly, "Do you like me?"
Very slowly he shook his head. "No. I don't like you." Her heart nearly punched out of her chest, and it was all she could do not to wail. The disappointment seemed like a live thing inside her. Then he lowered his hand and kissed her and he whispered, "I love you. All of you."
"You love me?"
"I've never known a woman like you, Allison. How the hell could I not fall in love with you? You casually converse with ghosts, defending them, fighting for them. Befriending them. You burn me up in bed, taking everything I have and giving it back tenfold. But you make the rest of the world think you're such a good little girl. You even turned down Zane, and that makes you unique as hell." He grinned, tangling his fingers in her hair. "You're smart and independent and brave, and best of all, you love me, too."
With tears threatening, she whispered, "Did you read my mind to know all that?"
He very slowly shook his head. "No. It's right there, in your pretty blue eyes for me to see. You do love me, don't you, sweetheart?"
"Yes. I have, almost from the first time I saw you."
"Will you continue to indulge me in the bedroom?"
She bobbed her head. "Oh yes."
This time he laughed out loud. "You sounded awfully eager when you said that."
She pressed her forehead to his rock-hard shoulder. "I'm so glad Rose tangled up my dreams and sent them to you."
"I'm so glad you had the good sense to dream about me in the first place."
They both grinned, and then Chase rolled her beneath him. They neither one noticed, but there was one last, happy flicker of a light---and then it was gone.

