Page 91 of Just Killing Time


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“Maybe I’d rather have a more private party.”

She tsked. “Smooth lines don’t become you.”

“It wasn’t a line, Jacey. I wasn’t talking about sex…although, I want that, too.”

Was that an earthquake? She was sure the ground had just shaken, which would explain why her legs felt like jelly and she half stumbled against him. His hands caught her around the waist, and he easily braced her against his body.

That big, warm, broad body.

He brushed his lips against her temple, rubbing his skin against her hair. “You can’t be surprised that I want you.”

She took a deep breath, forcing away a stab of disappointment as she took a tiny step back. Regaining her space. Losing his heat. “Sex, sure, not a surprise. You’re a guy. I’m just, well…you’ve got a lot of women who’d be happy to take care of that for you.”

“You didn’t let me finish. Yes, I want you—which I can’t say is true about any other woman right now—but I also want you to drop the act, to open up the way you do when we run. To see what’s happening here.”

“What’s happening here?”

“Oh, Jacey,” he said softly, sounding almost amused, “you’re falling for me.”

“What?”

“But that’s okay, because I’m falling for you, too. All you have to do is give us a chance to see how far we fall.”

The arrogance of the man, assuming she was in any way “falling” for him! They hadn’t even kissed, had barely touched. Okay, they’d shared several wonderful, quiet mornings this week, jogging through miles of trail in the early dawn hours, sharing a private time of day that Jacey had never shared with anyone before. But that didn’t mean anything, other than that they both liked exercise. Right?

“Stop trying to figure it out. Just put down the camera and let’s see what happens.” He held out his hand. “Let’s dance, Jacey.”

She was close, so close her fingers were already moving to the switch on her camera. He leaned in until their lips brushed in a featherlight touch so gentle and intimate she wondered if she imagined it.

But before she could find out, they heard what everyone else did.

A gunshot.

WHY DIDN’T YOU tell me there was a shooting scene?” Jacey called as she came tearing up the front lawn toward the steps of the inn.

Caro looked over her shoulder, watching the camerawoman hurrying to catch up. “I didn’t know.”

She’d been as surprised as everyone else when the boom had echoed through the party. It had seemed to come from inside, but with the clear night, it could actually have been from somewhere else. That seemed unlikely, though. She’d given a quick look around, seeing no signs of activity other than the party.

She also hadn’t seen Mick, whom she’d instinctively sought out. He’d said something earlier about going to the haunted garage to look for Jared, but had disappeared, along with several other familiar faces. Most of the people still outside braving the rapidly cooling night were the extras who still wanted their few minutes of fame on the show, along with a few townspeople who’d had a little too much of the spiked cider and were now trying to do the Time Warp without breaking their ankles. She didn’t see one of the cast members outside, nor any members of the crew, except Jacey, who caught up to her on the porch.

“Do you know where Renauld is?” she asked the young woman, wondering what he was pulling and why he hadn’t told her about it.

Jacey shook her head, then reached to pull up the loose strap of her flapper dress. Caro had noticed how attractive the young woman had looked earlier in the evening. Now there was a definite sparkle in her eyes and her cheeks were vivid with color. Not just attractive—Jacey looked downright beautiful. But also very intense, very much a hunter on the scent.

“Damn, I can’t believe I got distracted and missed this. If one of my team’s not on it, I’m going to shoot myself.”

“Well, just use the prop gun. We need you,” Caro said with a grin.

When they entered the inn, they found a flurry of people rushing around asking what was going on. A couple of the contestants—who looked like they’d had a few too many glasses of mulled wine—were among them. A few, however, including Ginger, Mona, Whittington, Digg and Willie, were nowhere to be seen.

“I can’t believe Renauld would spring something like a shooting without letting me know to have my crew set up,” Jacey complained as the two of them stood in the foyer, watching the contestants race around, checking rooms in the inn.

“I know,” Caro replied. “To my knowledge, there was supposed to be a poisoned candy apple and a fall onto a pitchfork to eliminate two contestants tonight. Plus the assorted murders of a few extras.”

“Weird,” Jacey mumbled. “But maybe Renauld decided one of the extras would be shot.”

Right. And Caro had been too busy having incredible sex this weekend to find out about it. Not professional. Not smart.

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