Page 42 of Her Property

She was already angry at herself for letting all of this happen. Even if it had culminated in incredible sex with this kind and gentle man.

That’s what he was, and Alfred might never see it.

She couldn’t return Jake’s smile.

“You okay?” he asked, his face immediately draped in concern. “Is it your hand?”

He reached for the hand with the bandage, holding it up against his face.

She’d knocked her hand around a bit during their hours of lovemaking, but she’d barely felt it. Now it hurt, like a reminder of what she’d done.

“It’s okay,” she said, lowering it. “But I meant it when I said I’m hungry. I’m haven’t eaten for hours. Is there such a thing as takeout in Barkley Falls?”

“Takeout!” Jake exclaimed. “We don’t need no stinking takeout.”

She almost laughed.

“I’ll make us some food,” Jake said. He looked happy for the task. Then as he looked at her, his smile wavered.

For a brief moment, even though it didn’t matter, an old feeling that slid down the back of her neck—maybe he didn’t evenreallywant to be here. He had his fun.

But Jake leaned back down and kissed her so hard she pressed her palms down on the mattress, shocked with the intensity of it. He pulled away. “Don’t goanywhere,” he said. “In fact, make yourself at home. Please. There’s a guest robe in the closet here, some spare clothes in the drawers if yours are still damp from the rain… though I’m not sure if anything will fit. Feel free to come out and join me in the kitchen if you want.” He stood up.

“I’m not much of a cook,” she said.

“For company only,” he said as he picked up their clothes. God, his body made her drool—even after so many hours of having it under her hands. The flex of his muscles as he bundled all their clothes in his arms… the length of his hard thighs and what was between them. He looked up and caught her staring. She sunk into the blankets.

“I’ll throw these in the dryer,” he said, winking.

“Okay,” she said. “Thank you.”

“Of course, you’re welcome to stay right where you are. There are books here, a TV… whatever you like.”

“Go!” she exclaimed.

He gave her a grin that made any old coldness melt like butter. Then he turned, and she treated herself to a perfect view of his ass as he walked out the door.

Staying in the blankets was tempting. She was so warm, and she might even nod off if she closed her eyes. Shewasexhausted.

The bare limbs of a tree outside the window snapped against the glass, making Cat jump. She got up and pulled the robe out of the closet, wrapping it around herself. She couldn’t hide in bed for the rest of her life, as delicious as that would be. Out the window there was only darkness, but she imagined the lake would be visible from here. She could picture the end of the dock, choppy water hitting the pilings. It was so different from a few days ago.

Shewas so different from a few days ago.

What had happened to her since she’d arrived at Ruby Lake? Where was the cutthroat lawyer who came home at midnight and was up again four hours later?

She thought of her life back in New York, of the late nights eating takeout or horrible microwaved boxes from the freezer after getting home from work at a time most people should be tucking into bed. She remembered the conversation she’d had with Jake by the swimming hole that first night. How she’d considered for the first time what her life might look like without her being a 24/7 workaholic. She’d been putting off thinking about that—distracting herself with this mission to get to the bottom of Jake and Alfred’s feud.

But Jake had opened something up in her. He’d lifted the curtain and now the only way to not think about it was to keep herself busy, like she always had. It was either that or she would be going crazy running around barefoot in a swimming hole, looking like a fool.

The briefest flash of a thought came to her. What if she lived some place like the Jewel Lakes? Start a practice to help people set up small businesses rather than the giant corporations she worked with in the City? Wouldn’t that satisfy her need to help people and keep busy but maybe… just maybe give her time tobreathe?

She sighed. How ridiculous, to think of leaving everything she’d made for herself back in the city. She had a good life there. An enviable career. A mentor who treated her like his own daughter. Part of her wished she didn’t have the kind of relationship she did with Alfred. That they had a more normal boss-employee relationship.

But then she wouldn’t have ended up here, at Ruby Lake. She’d be out of a job due to her big screw-up. Or worse, she’d be sweating it out at a different firm with all the grueling work and none of the kind empathy Alfred hid such sweetness behind his crusty exterior.

Once, at a staff Christmas party several years ago when Cat had been working at Jones & Associates for maybe a year, she’d asked Alfred why he’d never had kids of his own. She hadn’t known him as well then, and she had a couple of drinks in her. She’d been telling Alfred about growing up in Ohio; how her parents had such small visions of their future and couldn’t understand why she hadn’t stayed home and married her high school sweetheart. She’d never told them about what had really happened with Justin.

“I only ask because I’m probably not going to have a future like that either,” she’d said, trying hard to sound professional even as she was tipsy and nervous around her newish boss.

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