Chapter 18
Caroline was waiting for J.T. outside her new digs when he drove up.
She’d unpacked her suitcase and made herself familiar with the guesthouse. While she couldn’t see Blake and Natalie’s house, it was comforting to know it was close by on their property. She was going to have the privacy she craved.
“Wow!” J.T. said when he exited his car, a paper bag in his hands. “From mom’s to a modern two-story guesthouse made mostly out of glass. You must get incredible views of the valley from here. Looks like your luck is improving.”
She sure as heck hoped so. As he drew closer to the front porch lights, she noticed his face looked haggard.
“Blake and Natalie were sweethearts to let me stay here.”
The mere thought of their kindness brought tears to her eyes. Natalie had come over after work with dinner since Caroline hadn’t gone grocery shopping yet. They’d eaten together while Blake went on a run with Touchdown. Her sister had teased her some more about being a lightweight, saying there was no question they had the same blood. Still, she’d felt the weight of her sister’s concern. Natalie had kept looking at her when she didn’t think she was looking.
“It’s nice to have family,” J.T. said in an odd voice.
She drew him inside, and the moment he shut the door, he set the bag aside and took her in his arms. They didn’t speak. She pressed her face into his chest and felt him inhale a ragged breath. Yeah, they were both walking on emotional eggshells. He’d clearly had a bad day, and she’d spent the last couple of hours struggling to stay positive.
“I brought some more hazelnut gelato,” he said. “It’s not up to Rome standards, but I hear it’s just the ticket for tough days.”
Funny how hazelnut gelato only reminded her of better days, but she appreciated the gesture. “Good thing since I’m off tequila. That bad, huh? Who would have thought I’d have the better day of the two of us?”
He grunted. “Yeah. I have to tell you something.”
Fear coiled in her belly.
“The museum looks to be in serious trouble,” he said, “and I could be as well.”
“What happened?” she asked.
“Let me fill you in,” he said. “Can we sit outside? I know it’s crisp, but I need the air.”
Perhaps that would keep her head clear as well. It was starting to spin with bad scenarios. What would she do if the museum didn’t come to fruition? She’d have to find another job for sure, but could she really hope to find one in Denver after Kendra had fired her for cause? And where did that leave her and J.T.? If the museum wasn’t going to happen, he wouldn’t have a reason to stay. Would she follow him somewhere? Oh, she just didn’t know right now.
“Let me grab a blanket,” she said, rushing to the couch, where a few blankets were folded over the arms, so new the packaging creases were visible. She took one for each of them. “There’s a nice deck out back.”
“Do you want the gelato now or later?” he asked.
“Later,” she said, not wanting to mix it with bad news. “Let’s put it in the freezer.”
They finally settled in on the wooden bench lining the deck, blankets overlapping as they snuggled up to each other. The mountain air was cold but dry, and the million stars above were well worth the chill on her face. She could breathe out here.
He took her hand. “The situation isn’t pretty.”
As he told her about his meeting with Dr. Slimeball and the chat he’d had afterward with Uncle Arthur and her cousins, she was glad for the dark. Surely he would have seen the tension in her face otherwise.
“We’re going to get this museum up and running,” he said, rubbing her arms in assurance. “I don’t know how yet, but we’ll find a way.”
The mountain before them seemed colossal right now, but she said, “I know you will.”
“You don’t have to worry about a job either. I’d like to bring you on board as an art consultant. You can start working on the collection as if the museum’s a go.”
“But that would be on your own dime, and I—”
“That doesn’t matter,” he said. “What’s important is making sure we’re moving forward on some fronts even though it feels like we’re moving backward on others.”
That was one way of putting it. “What I meant was… It felt like we were crossing some lines anyway—working together and being together—but somehow it seemed like less of a conflict since you wouldn’t be directly…well, you know…paying my salary.”
“I can see how you might think that, but I’d feel better if we could agree to this. It’ll be like staying in this guesthouse. Temporary. Besides, maybe working on the museum would be fun for you right now.”
She heard another argument he didn’t make—he wouldn’t have the time. No, he would be out fighting Goliath while she organized which paintings they’d display in their Impressionist wing.
“Okay, but I’m going to have Moira…ah…negotiate everything for me then,” she said. “No one is more professional, and I don’t want you and me to have to talk about a salary and such.”
Not when they were sleeping together.
“Let’s go a step further,” he said, taking her hand. “I’ll have Trev negotiate with Moira. That way, we’re both out of it.”
Suddenly she could breathe easier. Talking about money had never been comfortable for her, and the prospect of discussing such a thing with J.T. was even more intimidating. “Fine. It will be nice to have something to do while—”
“We herd the board back onto the museum tour bus, so to speak?”
Now all that was left to discuss was the trouble he seemed to be in personally. “Yes. Ah…J.T., how serious are Cynthia’s accusations of bribery and the like? Does she have evidence?”
“No,” he said after a pause. “But she might have people looking. It’s hard to say. Of course, her family has a lot of influence, so the right whispers could trigger an investigation.”
What would happen to him then? This sounded serious. Like go-to-jail kind of serious. It might be common practice to offer “gifts” like that, but that didn’t mean it couldn’t get him in trouble, especially if the right people started asking questions.
“I still don’t understand this kind of revenge,” she said. “J.T., I’m scared for you.”
“Me too,” he said, putting his arm around her under the blankets. “I’m more worried about my family and the company. And you. When I left Merriam Gas & Oil, I thought… God, I gave up everything hoping it would keep everyone I cared about safe. Now…”
“What does Trevor say about all this?” she asked.
“Well, we had a horrible row, and I tried to bait him into taking a swing at me. Not my finest moment.”
Her brothers had gone hard at each other before, but they’d never gotten that physical. “Did you work it out?”
“Yeah, mostly,” he said. “I can’t do anything about his anger, and certainly it’s justified.” His tone was harsh, but she could tell it was directed at himself, not Trev.
Sometimes it took time to work things like that out. Natalie had pushed them all away in her grief over losing Andy’s wife, her best friend. She’d even broken up with Blake, though they’d made up, thank God. It had been hard on all of them. But time had restored Natalie to herself, and to all of them too.
“You’ll find a way to work things out. He’s your brother.”
“I know, and I’m so grateful he’s by my side. Caroline, my life is a total mess right now, and here I thought I had a clean state for a new beginning. Are you sure you want—”
“Shut up,” she snapped. Her mouth dropped open into an ‘o’ when she realized what she’d said and how she’d said it. “Oh my God, that was harsh. Sorry. What I meant was…I’m scared too, but I still love you. And I don’t like hearing you talk about yourself like that.”
“You’re right,” he said. “I need to shake this off. I haven’t even asked how you’re doing. Your world has been turned upside down. I never want you to think it’s all about me. I might be feeling bogged down right now, but you matter. I want to support you. Give you what you need.”
A part of her belly ignited at that thought. Maybe what they needed right now was to stop thinking for a while and just be together. Yes, that was it.
“Come with me,” she said, taking his hand.
He followed her inside. “Are you sure this is a good idea? I’m pretty emotional right now, and you’re—”
“Shhh…”
She led him to the bedroom she’d chosen for herself. It was bigger than her room in Denver, and it smelled of wood smoke from the fire Blake had started earlier to cover up the last of the fresh paint smell. Somehow that made the house feel more grounded, and she realized she needed that right now. She felt like she was walking a tightrope with her life.
“I love you, J.T.,” she said simply. “We’re both a little lost right now, but when I see you, my heart still lights up.”
He looked off, like he was at war with all the emotion inside him. She stepped closer to him and put her hand on his chest.
“And when you touch me, I want you to keep on touching me. J.T., I want to hear you laugh again, like when we were in Rome together eating at that quiet trattoria.”
“We will laugh again,” he said. “I promise you that, Caroline. I love you too. It means a lot that you’re willing to stick by me.”
What a funny thing to say—had he expected her to turn tail and run? Then she remembered how the rest of his family had stepped back, whatever their reasons. “That’s not who I am. It’s not like you deserve this kind of treatment.”
He coughed to clear his throat. “The bribery stuff… I need you to know that the money I paid out was always to someone’s pet project, like a hospital or a school. I need to be clear on that. I never just gave out cash. Our company decided that in Emmits’ time, and it’s continued on that way. It’s important you know I’m not a crook.”
“I would never think that.” She took his hand and squeezed it. “J.T., it’s time to be quiet.”
His mind was spinning, and hers wasn’t much better. Well, she had a solution for that. He hesitated, almost as though he was struggling again with whether he deserved to be with her, so she pressed herself against him and took over. Helped him shrug out of his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt.
Eager now, his moment of hesitation behind him, he peeled off her top, his hands quickly finding her breasts. She sighed in pure delight, leaning in to his touch, and let the noise in her mind fade as he stroked her bare skin. The knots in her belly turned to languid flutters. Yes, this was what they needed. To simply be. Together.
When he kissed the side of her neck, she raised her face to find his lips. He took her mouth gently at first, and then his control snapped. He fed on her, gripping her hips to bring her closer yet. She let her hands clench his back as she met his force with her own. There was power here now. And urgency. She wanted it all, she realized.
He stripped off the rest of her clothes and removed his own. His naked body was a delight, and tonight her belly was burning with want for him. She lay back on the bed with her hand extended to him, beckoning to him, and he came toward her and pressed his full length against her.
She released a moan, savoring the skin contact, and then fisted her hands in his hair as he kissed her again. The slide of his tongue was pure magic, the press of his knee to her core totally hot and welcome. She opened her legs and felt him leave the bed for a condom before he returned.
Connecting their hands, he slid inside her. Gently at first. And then with more force. Their eyes met, and she could see a new glimmer in his gaze. She was his light, and he was hers. Their hearts thundered with the knowledge as he started to thrust.
She wrapped her legs around him, urging him on, and he levered back and began to take her harder—exactly as she wanted. Their hands still gripped together, she pressed her head back into the pillow, feeling the build, knowing she was about to come.
Then he pressed hard and deep, and she cried out. He followed her over the edge, breathing hard in her ear. She floated on a sea of sweat and heat, trusting everything she felt between them. Whatever came, she would be with him. That she knew.
They would get through it together.
When he rolled away from her, she gave him a moment to clean up, but within moments she was nestled against him. They lay that way for a long time.
“I love you,” he finally whispered. “So much.”
“Me too,” she said.
There was nothing else to say.