Make Me Melt(37)

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


BY THE TIME they reached the beach house, it was nearly nine-thirty. They had stopped along the way for a quick bite to eat, but Caroline hadn’t had much of an appetite. Jason had insisted she look at the dessert menu, and when she’d been reluctant to choose something, he’d selected two slices of chocolate cheesecake to go. They made the rest of the drive in silence, each wrapped up in their own thoughts. Behind them, on the highway, Jason could just make out Colton and Deputy Mitchell in the second car.

After parking in the gravel driveway, Jason came around and opened Caroline’s door for her, before reaching into the back for the box of case files. He intended to take a look at the three cases that she thought might be linked to her father’s shooting. Balancing the box under one arm, he fished in his coat pocket for the house keys, and Caroline followed him along the dark path to the front door.

“I must have forgotten to leave the front light on,” she said offhandedly. “And I also forgot the cheesecake in the car. Be right back.” Jason paused to watch her jog lightly back to the driveway. Deputy Black pulled in behind them, illuminating Caroline with his headlights. Satisfied that she was safe, Jason turned back to the front door and inserted the key, and then he went completely still. The door pushed open before he even turned the key.

Swiftly, he set the box down and pulled his weapon out, motioning for Colton to secure Caroline. He waited as Colton hustled her to the second car and put her in the front seat next to Deputy Mitchell, who was driving. They backed out of the driveway and drove away. Jason caught a glimpse of her pale face in the passenger window of the car before they turned a corner and disappeared from sight.

With Caroline safely out of harm’s way, Jason used his foot to nudge the door open wider, holding his gun and a small flashlight out in front of him. He scoped out the room but detected no movement. Colton was at his side in seconds, his own weapon drawn, and together they did a complete sweep of the house. The rooms were empty, but whoever had broken in had trashed the place. Drawers had been pulled out and upended on the floor, and furniture and lamps had been tipped over. Picture frames and collectibles lay smashed on the floor. A quick check revealed nothing of value had been taken. The judge kept a wad of cash stashed in a drawer in the bedroom, and the contents of the drawer had been dumped out, but the money was left untouched. Whoever had broken in wasn’t interested in stealing anything. They’d either hoped to find someone at home or they were sending an ominous warning.

The French doors that opened onto the balcony had been left ajar. Inspecting them, Jason saw that one of the panes of glass had been smashed, allowing the intruder to gain access.