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“Hey, Caroline,” he said. “I’m glad you called me back. How’s your father doing?”
“He’s actually showing signs of improvement,” Caroline said. “Is everything okay out there?”
“Yes, everything is fine,” he assured her. “I just wanted to be sure you were okay, and to let you know that Devon Lawton was placed into a foster home. I think it’s going to work out for him.”
Before she could respond, a hand descended on her shoulder and spun her around. She found herself staring into Jason’s face, and if his eyes had reminded her of tempered glass before, now they were positively shardlike.
“That’s wonderful, Patrick. Look, I have to go,” she said hastily. “I’m sorry. I’ll try to give you a call later today, okay?”
She disconnected the call, knowing her expression looked guilty.
“Let’s go,” Jason said. Without waiting for a response, he took her elbow in a firm grip and steered her back toward the building. At the entrance, he stiff-armed the revolving door, preventing anyone from using it, as he cleared a way for her. Then he hustled her effortlessly inside and over to the stairwell.
Only when they had climbed quickly to the third floor, and she was breathless and panting, did he finally pull her to a stop and push her up against the wall.
“Don’t ever do that again,” he said, his eyes blazing into hers. Then he bent his head to claim her mouth in a kiss that was both demanding and exhilarating. Pinned between his hard body and the wall, Caroline could only hang on.
Slowly, the kiss changed and became softer. Deeper.
She gave a hum of approval and slid her hands to his back, clutching him tighter. He stroked her tongue with his own, pushing past her teeth to explore her more fully. Caroline felt light-headed, but whether it was from their mad dash up the stairs or from his kiss, she couldn’t tell.
Finally, he dragged his mouth away and bent his head to hers. The only sound in the stairwell was their ragged breathing. When he lifted his head to look at her, she was shocked by the expression in his eyes. He looked haunted.
“Jason.” Her voice came out as a husky whisper. “What is it?”
“It’s okay,” he said. “I’m okay. I just didn’t know where you’d gone. And when the deputy said you’d left...” His voice trailed off.
“I’m sorry—I should have waited for you to come back, but I thought you were outside.”
He gave her cheek a gentle flick of his thumb. “As if I would leave you. But Jesus, I stepped away for five minutes, and that’s all it took for you to vanish.”
“I’m sorry,” she said again. “I just had to make a call, and I couldn’t get any reception inside.”
“Promise me now that you won’t do that again,” he said. He took the sternness out of his words by planting a warm, tender kiss against her mouth.
“I promise.”
He straightened and glanced through the window of the stairwell door, to where Agent Black and the guard stood vigil outside her father’s room. Caroline could see his pulse beating strongly at the base of his throat, and she realized just how much her disappearance had impacted him. The knowledge made her feel both guilty and pleased.
He exhaled harshly and scrubbed a hand over his hair. When he looked at her, she could see he was back in control. “It’s almost six o’clock. Would you like to stay a bit longer or head back to Santa Cruz?”
After that smoking-hot kiss, Caroline couldn’t believe he thought there was even an option. Her father was still heavily sedated and had made a turn for the better. There was nothing more she could do for him today.
“I think I’d like to head back to the beach house,” she said. As fast as you can drive, please.
“I’ll let Deputy Black know,” he said, completely unaware of the direction of her thoughts. “It’s getting late, and I’d like to go through those case files before it gets too late.”
His words were like a dash of cold water. Caroline thought about the medical malpractice cases she had reviewed. What would Jason think about the judge’s decisions in those cases? Would he agree with the rulings, or would they somehow diminish his opinion of William? Jason also had a law degree, so maybe there were nuances to the cases that he would understand. Still, there was a part of her that was reluctant for him to read the files. He’d always looked up to the judge, maybe even more than she had. She didn’t want to see that change.
“Maybe the cases should wait,” she said. “At least for tonight.”
11
