Captivated by Love (Grangers Book 1) Page 6

  A smile touched her lips. “Wonderful. I dropped by their place last night to see them. Myles took some time off work to help out and they looked so happy. They named the baby Zina, after Myles’s grandmother.”

  Roland nodded. “So what’s going on with you, Carson?”

  Her smile widened. “Nothing much, really.” Roland was someone she could talk to, so she decided to tell him the truth. “I met someone.”

  He lifted a brow. “Is it serious?”

  She shook her head. “No.” There was no way she could let it be. The emotions Sheppard Granger stirred up inside her were nothing more than an early mid-life crisis.

  “You want to talk about him?”

  She shook her head. “No need. Like I said, it’s not serious.”

  “Have the two of you gone out on a date yet?”

  As much as she’d like to, there was no way that could happen. At least, not for at least eight years. “No, and we won’t.” She paused a moment. “As to what else is going on with me, I’ve been keeping busy. Mostly at Delvers, working with some young inmates.”

  In recognition of Becca’s birthday, they ordered a slice of Becca’s favorite dessert--key lime pie with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. When the waiter re-filled their wine glasses, they raised their glasses in a toast.

  “To Becca. Happy birthday, my friend,” Carson said.

  Roland smiled. “Yes. To Becca, my heart. Happy birthday,” Roland said in a choked voice.

  Clinking their glasses, they then took a sip of wine. It was her hope that one day Roland would meet someone who would remove the sadness from his eyes. She knew that was what Becca would have wanted.

  #

  “Sorry Marshall, I don’t recognize any of these names.” The man had a list of eight--six males and two females. Unfortunately, none of them meant anything to Sheppard. “Are they people that I’m supposed to know?”

  Marshall closed his folder. “Their names came up in my investigation.”

  Sheppard lifted a brow. “In what way?”

  “For now, I rather not say,” Marshall said, standing.

  Sheppard wasn’t sure if the P.I. was being tight-lipped because Ambrose was in the room listening or because he wasn’t ready to tell him about any new development yet.

  “Thanks for taking the time to see me, Sheppard.”

  Sheppard stood as well. “No problem.”

  “Your father is out of town on a business trip, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “When do you expect him back?”

  “The end of next week.”

  The man merely nodded, but Sheppard could almost see the wheels turning in his head. “I’ll contact him when he returns.”

  Sheppard wondered if the man was on to something, and if so, what? But he wasn’t going to find out anything more today. Sheppard would just have to wait until his father returned to discover what was going on.

  Once Ambrose escorted Marshall out, Sheppard sat back down at the table. He didn’t want to build up his hopes, but if Imerson was on to something, something that could get him his freedom, maybe a future with Carson wasn’t such a farfetched dream after all.

  He shook his head, knowing he couldn’t get his hopes up about anything. Besides, even if that were to happen and he got his freedom, there was still something that stood in his way of ever developing a relationship with her, even if she was open to the idea. That was the ten-year difference in their ages.

  Granted he wasn’t old enough to be her father or even a doting uncle. But still, she was in her thirties and he had sons in their twenties. Hell, he shouldn’t even be attracted to her, let alone dreaming about her at night.

  The intimate part of his marriage had ended long before he’d found out his wife was being unfaithful. Yet, not once during the seventeen years of his marriage had he ever strayed. He’d always given Sylvia the respect she deserved as the mother of his sons.

  Sheppard glanced over to the clock on the wall. It was late afternoon and he couldn’t help wondering what Carson was doing? Was she still at work? At home? And why did he care? Bottom line was that he did care, although he wished he didn’t.

  He stood and decided to go to the library and check his email when Ambrose returned. More than anything, he needed to keep his mind busy.

  5

  You okay Sheppard?”

  Sheppard stopped pacing and glanced over at Ambrose. “Yes, I’m fine.” Really, he wasn’t. He had been unable to sleep most of the night anticipating this meeting with Carson. He had been disappointed when she’d cancelled the meeting last week, sending word that a case she was working on needed her undivided attention, and that she would meet with him in the three weeks as originally planned. He’d wondered if the cancellation had been intentional.

  “It’s early. She’ll be here.”

  He stopped pacing. “Am I that obvious, Ambrose?”

  Ambrose chuckled. “Pretty much.”

  Instead of saying anything, Sheppard continued pacing and every so often, he would glance up at the clock. Damn, he was too old for this. He hadn’t been this impatient to see a woman in years. A man who was looking fifty in the face in a few years should have a bit more self-control.

  “Pretty soon you’re going to have to admit to some things, Sheppard.”

  There was no need to ask Ambrose what those things were. Over the last few months, he’d discovered Ambrose was very observant. Very little went on that the man didn’t see.

  Suddenly the door opened and there she was. He stood, transfixed in place. “Hello gentlemen.”

  Sheppard heard Ambrose return the greeting but all he could do was stare as if it had been three years instead of three weeks since he’d last seen her. As if ignoring the fact he hadn’t said a word, she moved to the table and placed her briefcase on top of it. “Let’s get started, Sheppard.”

  He still didn’t move. She glanced over at him and then suddenly became still as well. They just stood there, staring at each other, forgetting Ambrose was in the room until he cleared his throat. They both glanced over at him. “There are a few things I need to take care of. If you don’t have a problem being alone with Sheppard Granger, Attorney Boyett, I will do them now.”

  Sheppard blinked. He knew the rules, even if Ambrose was conveniently forgetting. An inmate could not be left alone with a visitor unless it was during attorney-client consultations.

  “No, I don’t have a problem with it.”

  “Fine.” And then as if to give them a heads-up, he said. “I will knock when I return.” And then he opened the door and left, closing it behind him.

  Carson swung her gaze back to Sheppard and stared at him. “He’s not supposed to leave us alone.”

  Sheppard drew in a deep breath and said, “No, he’s not. I guess he’s bending the rules.” Sheppard walked over to where Carson stood. “Maybe we should, too.”

  #

  Carson saw the desire in Sheppard’s eyes when he came to stop in front of her. How was she supposed to fight this? He stepped closer and she felt heat emitting from him and it nearly scorched her skin.

  She tried to get control of the situation. More than anything, she needed to fight this. Resist the temptation. Ignore the intense attraction. Wasn’t that the reason she had cancelled last week’s meeting? Because she’d known she was too weak to resist?

  “Sheppard? Is something wrong?”

  He didn’t say anything for a minute. “You cancelled the meeting last week.”

  From his quiet tone, she couldn’t tell if it was a statement, a question or an accusation. She swallowed. “Yes, I thought it would be for the best.” There was no reason to lie to him, or play any unnecessary games. It was what it was. Lust was ruling whatever time they spent together and they both knew it.

  “I thought so too,” he said. “But…”

  She swallowed. “But what?”

  “But that was before this morning, when I woke up with a need to see you. Can we be honest about som
ething Carson?”

  “About what?”

  “That this thing between us shouldn’t be happening.”

  Though she agreed with him, she wondered at his reasoning. “Why not?”

  If her question surprised him, he didn’t show it. “I can give you a number of reasons. First and foremost, I’m a lot older than you.”

  Carson rolled her eyes. He wanted to play the age card but she refused to let him. “Ten years. Big deal.”

  “How did you know it’s a ten year difference?”

  Her gaze flickered warily. How would he handle knowing she had done research on him? She was about to find out. “I looked you up on online.”

  Silence as thick as mud oozed between them and she couldn’t decipher his expression. Then he finally asked, “Did you find out everything you wanted to know?”

  He didn’t sound upset about it. “No, I didn’t find out everything.”

  “So what else do you want to know about me?”

  Was she imagining it or had he moved closer? “You were charged with murder. Did you do it?”

  #

  Sheppard ignored the twist in his gut at her question. Anyone who truly knew him would not have asked. But that was just it. She didn’t know him and more than anything, against his better judgement, he wanted her to know him. He wanted her to believe that he could not have done what he was locked up for.

  “No. I did not kill my wife.”

  “That means…”

  She trailed off her words but he knew what she was about to say. “That means the real killer is still out there.” He didn’t want to discuss things he couldn’t change. Just like he couldn't get his hopes up that Marshall Imerson was on to something that could possibly procure his freedom.

  He took a step back. Maybe it was a good thing her question had come when it had, effectively dousing water on a fire that had almost gotten out of control. There was no way anything could ever develop between them. Over the past month or so, he had allowed himself to dream. It was time to deal with reality. Time to handle the nature of the business they were meeting for today.

  He took another step back, away from temptation, away from her. He glanced at her briefcase. She had yet to take any files out. “So what do you have for me today?”

  A part of Carson refused to let the moment they’d come close to sharing be lost. She figured there would be implications with asking her question, but what she hadn’t counted on was the immediate distance he put between them. She wasn’t sure what was causing thoughts of rebellion to flow in her head. All she knew was at that moment, she refused to let Sheppard decide their fate.

  Against her better judgement, instead of opening her briefcase and pulling out the files, she stepped forward, recovering the distance separating them. The moment she did so, the frissons of fire that burned between them flared all over again. “We still need to talk about this thing between us, Sheppard.”

  He was looking at her in a way that made her acutely aware of his male power and strength. It made her ache for his touch. “We’ve done that. Like I said, the difference in our ages tops the list,” he said. She saw his gaze dip from her eyes to her mouth. He began studying it with an intensity that nearly made her groan.

  “Maybe it heads your list, but not mine.” She took a step even closer. “No matter what reasons you’ve come up with, it really doesn’t matter.”

  He lifted a brow. “Why not?”

  She knew she shouldn’t say what she was thinking, but something compelled her to do so anyway. “Because at this very moment, what I want more than anything is for you to kiss me.”

  #

  Sheppard dropped his hands to his sides, as if caught off guard by Carson’s request. The desire between them was palpable and he needed the kiss as much as she did. But…

  He knew kissing her would be a major game changer. He would be crossing over into forbidden territory. Getting involved in something that he didn’t want to be involved in. He drew in a deep breath. That was a lie. He did want to be involved. He had been pushed to the limit. He could no longer hold back, could no longer deny himself something he wanted. Something that he, at that moment, truly needed. Before he could talk himself out of doing it, he reached out and pulled her into his arms.

  The moment their lips touched, powerful shivers raced down Sheppard’s spine. He wanted to fill her mind, senses, her entire being with his taste. The same way she was filling him with hers.

  Their tongues mingled, tangled and devoured. Nothing escaped their ravenous hunger and for the first time in over ten years, he knew how it felt to want a woman to the point where your mind became void of rules, regulations and just plain decency. The only thing consuming his thoughts was the woman he was holding in his arms. The woman he was kissing as if she was the one his mouth had been made for.

  This is what he’d dreamed of doing over the past few months and now his primal instincts were kicking in with a vengeance. Something about this kiss soothed him one minute and overwhelmed him the next. A sense of urgency had him using his tongue to gobble up every inch of her mouth, from corner to corner. And when he heard her moan, he deepened the kiss, wanting and needing to taste her as much as he wanted her to taste him.

  Wrapping his arms around her waist, he brought her body closer to his as he continued to take everything she was offering, kissing her like there was no tomorrow, like this might be his last opportunity. Stolen kisses. Hijacked moments. Forbidden needs. Dangerous wants and desires.

  Today he was being consumed by them all and was too weak to deny himself anything. He blamed it on her unique taste. A succulent blend of woman and passion. He felt his erection harden even more as it pressed against her middle. His senses were soaring. Awareness intensified. The air surrounding them appeared electrified.

  Blood was rushing through his veins, driving him toward a fine edge of lusty craziness. Sensations continued to swamp his body, overtaking his sanity. And when she shifted her body to meld it even closer to his, making his erection poke deeply against her, he tightened his arms around her waist. His better judgement was being replaced by a sensuality so urgent and sharp, everywhere he placed his tongue inside her mouth sizzled.

  She pulled her mouth away from his, snatching air into her lungs. And as if a moment of weakness consumed her, she wrapped her arms around his neck while resting her forehead against his.

  It took a while for them to get their breathing back under control and then she pulled back slightly and looked at him, holding his gaze. “I needed that, Sheppard.”

  Logic was returning two-fold and as he licked his lips, enjoying the taste of her lingering there, he knew he had to put a stop to this madness before it could go any further. “Carson, we can’t--”

  She quickly pressed a finger to his lips. “I don’t want to hear the negatives, Sheppard. Just the positives.”

  Positives? He shook his head. “I’m afraid there aren’t any positives. Besides the ten-year age difference, I have twenty more years in this place. I have nothing to offer you.”

  A smile touched her lips, lips that were still damp from their kiss. “You do, and you have already. Today you offered yourself. And I took it.”

  #

  Later that night Carson sat cross-legged in the middle of her bed working on her laptop, typing in notes on an important case; one that was headed to trial. A woman was accused of shoplifting at a department store and accosted by store security upon leaving. She’d been literally tackled to the ground and in the process, her head had been banged up and her arm, broken. When no merchandise was found on the woman, the store gave her an apology and offered to pay her medical bills. However, since this particular department store was notorious for falsely accusing people of shoplifting, Carson’s client decided to make a point and sue the store. So far, no acceptable settlement had been reached.

  She then thought about the good news she’d received earlier that day. Judge Witherspoon had agreed that the charges against Craig Lo
ng should be dropped. His family had been ecstatic and couldn’t wait to bring their son home. She was happy, as well. It had been proven that another man had broken into the ski shop. The police had pulled Craig over when his car matched the description of the robber’s. He’d been taken down to police headquarters and forced to confess to the crime under duress and intimidation.

  Carson had been the one to drive out to Delvers for the second time that day to deliver the news to Craig herself. He’d cried tears of happiness at the thought of being free after a full year of incarceration.

  Her thoughts shifted to Sheppard and she allowed herself to relive those moments earlier today with him. No further discussion about their kiss could be made when a knock on the door had signaled Ambrose’s return.

  As if Ambrose hadn’t a clue about what they’d been up to in his absence, he’d gone to his spot in the corner and pulled out his crossword puzzle. She and Sheppard didn’t have any choice but to keep the overpowering sexual chemistry between them at bay.

  She had to give him credit for trying and would give herself a pat on the back as well. But still, the irresistible sensual pull between them kept getting in the way, resulting in stolen glances, brushing of their hands when they exchanged papers, breathing on each other. She had become aroused just from his scent. And when she’d intentionally brushed her leg against his, he’d sucked in a sharp breath and glanced over at her. She was certain the guilty look on her face let him know the move had been intentional.

  Even when he’d apprised her of the situation with Matthew Fontane, which was definitely a serious subject, she had watched his mouth move, had listened to the sound of his voice, had heard the even tempo of his breathing and had gotten turned on by all three. By the time the meeting ended, she’d worked up more sexual frustration in that one hour than she had in all the years since Pence.

  Just thinking about the kiss they’d shared brought desire rushing through her body. She knew Sheppard would dominate her dreams tonight, just as he had the last few. But this time, it would be different. Now she knew his taste, and it was something she couldn’t forget.