Southern Romantic-Suspense Boxed Set (Southern Romantic-Suspense Novel Book 0) Read online

  She sighed deeply. “It was a long day for me.”

  He smiled, obviously pleased with her admission. He pushed the tomatoes onto his bread plate, then speared a perfect forkful of salad. “I won’t hold up your table, but I did need to eat.”

  Jaynee stood. She couldn’t remain with one customer without getting into trouble.

  “Well, it’s not as if you don’t tip well. Do you always tip like that, or was that just for me?” The hostess trailed two older couples behind her, heading toward one of her tables. “Sorry, I have to move around, and Amy’s getting ready to seat me.”

  “Of course.” Jordan gestured his hand for her to proceed. “As long as you regard me as your number one priority ... that’s all I ask.”

  His eyes were intense, and Jaynee couldn’t suppress a laugh at his request. “Number one priority? Well, okay, if that’s all ...” What was he asking, and why was she okay with it? Two states separated them. Where did he intend for this to go? Was this just an affair to remember, or worse — to forget? He seemed sincere, and she didn’t want to destroy what little enjoyment she could have by broaching the subject.

  “And yes, I always double the tip when I eat alone. It doesn’t seem fair otherwise.”

  She smiled at him and shook her head, letting out a small humph. “So it wasn’t just me,” she teased but then walked away before he could comment. He was too cute and too sweet, which meant he was too good to be true.

  Jaynee waited on her other tables, but always kept her attention on Jordan — she didn’t want him to think he wasn’t her number one priority. She made sure she was in the kitchen when his dinner was ready, then grabbed another fresh mug of tea, and headed to his table.

  After he had finished his meal, she left the check and checked on her other customers.

  As yesterday, he stood as she returned to him. “Will I distract you if I sit at the bar?” His fingers grazed hers as he handed her the folder with the dinner check inside. She could see two bills sticking out. He’d obviously given her way too much of a tip again.

  Her heart thudded uncontrollably at his slight touch. “Yes ...” she admitted, gulping, but hoped he would.

  “Good.” He flashed a wicked grin, then strolled toward the bar.

  Jaynee decided to do something unprecedented. “Tim...” Hesitantly, she walked up to the general manager. It was too early for him to cut a server, but other waitresses had asked this early. She knew this, of course, because she always picked up their slack. “I know it’s early, but could you close my station.”

  He cocked his head and narrowed his eyes. “Seriously? You never ask me to cut you early, C.J. Don’t tell me you’re going to start acting like the rest of the college kids?”

  She waved him off. “No, no, it’s nothing like that. Actually, I have a paper due, and I need to work on it,” she told a half-truth. She did need to work on her novella; though, she had no plans to do that tonight.

  “Fine. I’ll tell Amy not to seat you again.” She turned to walk off, hoping he wouldn’t press her. “But, C.J ...” She turned to look back at him. “Please don’t make this a habit. I like the fact I can count on you. The reason I give you the best stations.” He lowered his gaze and smiled, assuring her of this fact.

  She completed her closing duties, so when her last table finished, she was ready to leave. She rushed to the employees’ lounge, changed clothes, freshened up, and then headed to meet Jordan at the bar. It was only eight.

  Bounding up behind him, she startled him. He turned around quickly when she touched his arm, shielding his body. She cringed at the suddenness of his movements. He reacted as she’d seen men do in thriller movies, as if they were gearing up for an attack.

  Not wanting to ruin their night, she passed it off as nothing. Jordan was a big man, but he wasn’t dangerous. He was sweet. “How ’bout ice cream instead of coffee? I know a great little place off the causeway where we can pick some up and then drive to the beach. Also, if it’s okay with you, we can drop off my car on the way.” She usually wouldn’t allow that. But if he intended to try something, he wouldn’t have hung around where everyone could identify him, or he would have attempted something last night. He hadn’t even tried to kiss her.

  Jordan smiled wildly again, sending her blood coursing through her veins. “I always wanted a woman to say that.”

  She scrunched up her nose in confusion. “Say what?”

  “‘I know a great little place,’ like they always say in the movies. It’s rather romantic, don’t you think?” His cheek pulled up on one side, revealing a dimple she hadn’t noticed.

  Romantic? Jordan wasn’t effeminate in the least, and yet, he wasn’t afraid to verbalize something as romantic.

  Jordan stood and directed her toward the exit. His hand rested lightly against her lower back again. Amy’s eyes were wide as were a couple of the girls who’d stopped bussing tables. Jaynee heard their whispers earlier as they’d checked out Jordan. They too had noticed him two evenings in a row, but she’d kept her mouth shut.

  Jordan escorted her to her vehicle as he had the previous night, closed her inside, and then without a word, walked to his truck. Amy had been right. It was an eye-catching pickup. It was a brand new F-150, a mammoth of a truck with its customized lift-kit and chrome wheels, the paint a pristine solid black. A true country boy’s truck — it fit him.

  Why hadn’t they discussed what he did for a living? Billy had mentioned construction, but she’d never thought to ask. She now wondered. Although, she was positive it wasn’t anything like how her ex had made money, but then, she hadn’t discovered what he did for income until it was too late.

  After pulling into her driveway, Jaynee shifted her car in park and sprinted around to Jordan’s F-150. He’d already jumped down and had opened the passenger door.

  He chuckled lightly as he helped her up. “I guess I need to install running boards.”

  “Hey ... is that a short joke?” she asked as he climbed into the driver’s seat. Truly though, she reveled at the idea of Jordan wanting to install running boards — for her?

  “Not at all ... your height is perfect. I’m not into tall and skinny girls.” He crinkled his nose, as though frowning at the notion.

  She put her hands on her hips and jutted out her bottom lip, pretending to be offended. “So, I’m not skinny either?”

  “Thank God, no!” he offered, laughing. “Jaynee, so far ... you are perfect in every way.”

  “So far ...” Remembering the analogy he’d cited yesterday, she turned it on him. “Are you sure you want to finish the book?”

  Jordan turned in his seat, lowering his head so their eyes were level with each other. He held her gaze for a moment, then said, “I do.”

  Just two little innocent words, and yet the implication in his tone sent shivers down her spine.

  “What if you don’t like what you find?” Wishing she could take back her ridiculous words, she gave him directions before he could respond. “Take a right on Curlew Road at the light which will take us directly to the Dunedin Causeway.”

  He stopped at the intersection but didn’t turn right on red. Instead, he looked at her. “Jaynee,” his tone was solemn ... serious, “are you doing anything illegal or immoral, or have you committed a crime against someone?”

  “Of course not!” she retorted.

  He smiled, shrugging. He looked to the left, then started moving again, turning right. “Then it doesn’t matter. Whatever your life was up to now doesn’t matter to me. When you trust me enough to tell me why you don’t believe in happiness, I’ll listen. Otherwise, as long as it doesn’t fit into one of those categories, it doesn’t matter.”

  She remained silent as they drove toward the causeway. His question and then comment that it didn’t matter made it sound as if he wanted more than a couple of days. How was that possible? Did whatever company he worked for have a location here. That would be nice.

  “That’s it up ahead.” Jaynee poi
nted to a yellow house-like structure with a front porch, its appearance similar to eateries located in the Florida Keys. She’d been so excited when they built it. Beforehand, there wasn’t any place to get ice cream or dine on the causeway after sunset. “There are tables or we can take it with us,” she offered, appreciating the sound of us a little too much, and it was only their second non-date.

  Jordan parked, then made his way around his truck to help her down. Placing his hands on either side of her waist, he lifted her, holding her up a second longer than necessary. His gaze locked with hers for a brief second, and Jaynee saw something she’d never seen in a man’s eyes. It was more than passion; there was hope. He set her down after a moment, not acting on the natural impulses they clearly both felt. Instead, he led her across the parking lot, his arm tighter around her waist. She already felt comfortable with his protective touch, something foreign to her.

  As they walked through the breezeway, he glanced down at her. “Are you hungry?”

  She suppressed a laugh by covering her mouth. Immature thoughts ran rampantly. She was hungry all right but guessed that wasn’t what he was referring to. “Ice cream will be fine. I’m a big fan of ice cream.”

  “What’s funny?” He smiled at her, probably thinking she was crazy for bursting into laughter over a simple question.

  “Nothing. I was just being silly. I’ll have mint chocolate chip in a cup, please,” she said, attempting to change the subject.

  Jordan paid for their dessert, and they returned to his truck. They drove over the draw bridge, approaching the dual line of palm trees bordering the beaches of Hurricane Pass. The sun, having dipped below the horizon within the last half-hour, shot brilliant bursts of brushstrokes in every spectrum from pink to red across the sky, saturating the heavens with warmth. But what made the display even more breathtaking, was sharing it for the first time with someone special. Someone she could never have. But she had tonight.

  “Caladesi and Honeymoon Island are voted in the top ten beaches in America, but they close at twilight. The causeway is great to relax and watch the sunset; though unfortunately, we’re a little late for that, too. Just pull into whichever section looks good,” she babbled, wondering if Jordan thought she was insane because of her giggling and then rambling.

  “It’s beautiful,” Jordan said with meaning. “It looks like a postcard.”

  Driving onto the beach, he backed his truck close to the water’s edge. Jaynee waited while he walked around the back of his truck, dropped the tailgate, and then opened her door. After handing her his cup, he scooped her up into his arms before she could object. He carried her around to the truck bed and placed her gently on the tailgate. Tears actually formed in her eyes ... she’d never been treated so well. She’d never met such a tender man

  Jordan jumped up beside her in one agile move, but then immediately noticed her tears. “What’s wrong? Did I hurt you?” His eyes searched her face.

  She felt like a moron. She never cried — not lately anyway — and twice her eyes had glazed over in his presence. “Just the opposite. Why are you treating me like this?” The ridiculous tears snaked aimlessly down her cheeks.

  “Like what? What did I do?” Grief filled his face as he reached to brush the tears away with his fingertips.

  “Why are you being so chivalrous, Jordan? If you just a want a vacation fling before leaving, why would you exert such effort? It’ll only hurt more when you disappear in a few days.” She felt like such an imbecile. Why was she doing this? Why couldn’t she enjoy this moment? She didn’t want a relationship, she reminded herself futilely. Why did she keep trying to lie to herself? She wanted him more than she’d ever wanted any man.

  Jordan set down his dessert, sighed, and then gently cupped Jaynee’s face with both hands. She sucked in a mouthful of air as if preparing for impact. What did she think he was going to do? Someone had hurt her badly. He planned to find out, but first he needed to assure her he wasn’t some schmuck who only wanted to take advantage of her.

  “Jaynee, I don’t know how to say this without scaring the heck out of you, or myself for that matter, but I’m not pretending anything. And I’m definitely not interested in a one-night stand. I don’t know how this is going to work, but I ... all I know is I want —”

  He pulled her face to his, kissing her softly once, twice, a third. As she parted her lips, inviting him in, he kissed her deeper, passionately. They fit together perfectly, and his body ached to have her closer. Not in a sexual way, he wanted all of her, mind and soul. He wanted to know everything. He released only her lips but continued holding onto her face. All he knew was he wanted that to be his last first kiss.

  “I don’t know how to explain this, Jaynee, but I assure you I don’t want a fling. I’m not pretending anything. Can we just sit a minute, eat our ice cream, and then we can talk. Okay?”

  He wanted to bask in this moment. The feelings soaring through him were powerful, like nothing he’d ever experienced. He wanted to kiss her again, taste her lips, breathe in her scent, but he didn’t want to alarm her.

  They ate without talking while staring out at the waves crashing against the beach. How was this going to work? He’d told her the truth. He didn’t want a one-night stand, but he did want her.

  When he finished eating, he draped his arm around her shoulders. God, he loved this.

  It felt so natural. The evening was warm, but the ice cream made it feel cooler. Jaynee shivered, so he pulled her closer. She made no objection, which he was thankful. He didn’t want to release her. He truly enjoyed her company.

  “Tell me more about you,” she said suddenly, breaking the silence.

  Not wanting to talk about himself, he sighed lightly in response. But then realizing it was the best way for her to trust him, he decided to share more than just the basics, as he’d done last night. “Well ... I told you I left the military after my initial tour — because my dad was dying and my mom needed me — but it’s a little more entailed than that. I didn’t want to end up like my father. A career in the military ... it’s rough on the family. So ... I returned to the only place that ever felt like home. Where my grandparents had always lived and my mother and sisters now live.” He hadn’t discussed his jobs, but since it was a major part of who he was, he figured he needed to tell her what he did for a living too. Some women freaked, wanting nothing to do with a cop and others thrilled at the idea. “I’d always wanted to be a police officer, and it’s an easy transition from the military, so I became a cop. Now you probably understand why I asked you those questions earlier.” She nodded, but didn’t comment, so he continued, “I also started helping folks remodel their houses. Before I knew it, people were paying me to build things for them. In the last few years, my small handyman operation has grown to a full-scale construction company. I have a beautiful house in Stanfield. It’s far enough from my mother and grandmother to discourage daily visits, but close enough to watch over them. I like being a cop, but I don’t have to anymore. My company pays the bills with enough left over that I can take the time to help in emergencies like these hurricanes.”

  Jordan paused. He felt as though he were telling her his life story, and still, he didn’t know enough about her. He wanted to know everything. He felt like an addict who needed a fix.

  He shrugged. “What else would you like to know?” He lowered his head to look at her eyes. She just stared at him. She probably thought he was ridiculous and simple-minded the way he prattled.

  “Are you sure you’re real? Why aren’t you married or have a girlfriend?” Jaynee’s eyes flashed with panic, then she pulled back from him. “You don’t, do you?”

  “Jaynee, how many times are you going to insult me tonight? First you accuse me of trying to seduce you for a one-night stand, and now you think I could be sitting here, spilling out my guts if I were married. What in the world happened to you, girl?”

  This time, she kissed him. He felt a hungry need in her embrace. She wrapped her a
rms around his neck, pulling closer. He gave into her, drawing her entire body onto his lap, holding her as close as possible.

  Pulling back, he whispered, “Can we go back to your house? I promise nothing will happen, but I feel a little uncomfortable out here in the open and really want to talk to you tonight.” He saw the apprehension in her eyes. “You can trust me. I swear I’ll never ask anything of you emotionally or physically you’re unable to give, and I’ll never hurt you. But you need to give me a chance to prove myself.” He jumped down from the truck bed with her still in his arms and carried her back to the cab. “We can stay here if you want, inside the truck. I just don’t like being open to the elements of society with my attention otherwise diverted. Cop, remember?”

  “Yes, I remember. Do you remember the way to my house?”

  “I do.” Did she notice the inference in his words? For the first time in his life, he actually imagined saying them for real. Imagined what it would feel like to have one woman forever.

  After climbing into the driver’s seat, he lifted the center console and slid her next to him. He draped his arm over her shoulders. He could get used to this, he thought with utter contentment. If he could just shatter her barriers, he believed they could make this work. He would lay everything on the line and see where it led.

  Chapter Four

  As Jaynee slipped the key into the lock of her front door, she glanced over her shoulder at Jordan. Her eyes then shifted to the empty street beyond. Nothing was out of the ordinary, except that she was about to let the first man into her home in over a year.

  She was fragile and therefore needed to be careful. She’d made too many mistakes with men. However, she didn’t want to be so cautious that she missed something great. Her refusing-to-date stance wasn’t making sense. Jordan represented everything she’d ever wanted in a man. How or why he was attracted to her, she couldn’t comprehend, but for some reason, he seemed interested.