Chapter 14
Fourteen
“I can’t believe how much money I spent,” Chloe Dawson lamented, adding a little moan for emphasis.
“I can’t believe how much you made me walk around that mall.” Jane smiled at her dearest friend and stretched her legs, trying to ease the ache. She hadn’t walked like that since she didn’t know when. Her old physical therapist would be thrilled at how much exercise she got tonight.
“Yeah well, at least we’re finished, right?
And I bought you cheesecake so no complaining.
” Chloe grinned over at her. Jane caught sight of it in the flash of a passing car’s lights.
They were headed home after some major Christmas shopping at one of the malls in Sacramento. “I wish Mindy had come with us.”
“Yeah, I don’t think she was feeling up to it.” Jane shook her head. It would’ve been good for Mindy to get away from her troubles and have a little fun with her and Chloe. Unfortunately, her sister was in too much of a funk to want to go anywhere.
A couple of years younger than Jane, Chloe had been her next-door neighbor growing up.
Part of the same neighborhood gang, they had a shared history that made Chloe incredibly easy for Jane to talk to, hang out with.
Jane and Chloe had reconnected recently, since Chloe taught at the elementary school, where Jane saw her on an almost daily basis.
“I’m still stuffed from dinner. I probably won’t even eat it until tomorrow.” Jane glanced down at the restaurant takeout bag that sat at her feet, a box filled with a thick slice of lemon raspberry cream cheesecake inside. Her favorite, something she hadn’t indulged in since before the fire.
“Still feeling the effects of that drink?” Chloe asked.
“Ha.” Chloe had also bought Jane a giant margarita, which Jane finished by the end of the meal. She’d felt a little loopy from it afterward, too. “I’ve completely sobered up, thank you very much.”
“Too bad.” Chloe sighed. “I wouldn’t mind going home and indulging in a drink or two right now.”
“Chloe. It’s almost eleven.” They’d shopped until they dropped, almost literally. Lucky for Jane, the children were staying at their grandparents’ house for the night.
“Eleven on a Friday night, I might add. We could go back to my place and have a drink or two. Come on. I think we both deserve it.”
“I don’t know. I’m exhausted.” Jane would probably pass out if she put any more alcohol in her system.
“Honestly? Me, too.” Chloe laughed. “Man, what a bunch of old ladies we’ve turned into, huh?”
“Speak for yourself,” Jane teased just as her phone rang. “Who could that be?”
“Maybe it’s that guy you’re seeing,” Chloe teased as Jane reached for her phone.
“Oh.” Jane saw the name flash on her screen and her heart started to go pitter patter. Chloe was right. “Hello?”
“Hey.” Just that one word spoken in his deep, sexy voice made her stomach twist, her toes curl in her boots. “Are you done shopping?”
“We are.” She glanced at her friend, who had a smirk on her face. Jane refused to be embarrassed. “What’s going on?”
“Tired?”
“A little.”
“Want to come over?”
“Christian.” She turned away from Chloe, wishing she had a bit more privacy. “Are you suggesting a…booty call?”
He laughed, the sound of it slithering down her spine, making her skin tingle. “Maybe.”
“You’re a man of few words tonight.”
“I’m a man who wants to see you tonight. Care to come over?”
“I’m with Chloe.”
“Have her drop you off. I’ll take you home.” Tomorrow. The unspoken word hung heavily between them.
She was silent, contemplating something she already knew she would say yes to. Letting him hang, she had to admit, was kind of fun.
“All right,” she finally said, her voice low. “I’ll come over.”
“Where are you?”
“Almost to Lone Pine Lake.” Chloe was about to take the turnoff that led home.
“You need directions?”
“I know where you live.” She closed her eyes the second she let it slip, feeling like some sort of spy. But they were in a small town. Of course she knew where he lived.
“You been keeping tabs on me, Clark?” His voice held a teasing quality she didn’t hear often enough.
She liked it.
“Maybe,” she teased back, enjoying this.
“Well then I’ll see you in a few. I’ll leave the door unlocked.”
“Okay.” She gulped. “Where will you be?”
“In my bedroom waiting for you. Come find me, Jane.” He ended the call before she could say anything else.
Oh, wow. His words left her body flushed and hot, and her skin prickled with awareness. That was by far the sexiest phone call she’d ever received.
“I take it I’m dropping you off at Chris’s house,” Chloe said.
“Um, yes.” Jane slowly dropped the phone back into her purse, feeling as if she were in a fog. “If you don’t mind.”
“I don’t mind, though I’ll admit I’m jealous. I wish I had a hot guy calling me, asking me to come over.” Chloe shook her head and flicked the signal on. “Booty calls on a Friday night. I’ve never experienced one.”
“I haven’t, either.” Jane turned to look at her. “You heard me say booty call?”
“Of course I did.” Chloe smiled. “When my friend’s hunky boyfriend calls her at eleven at night, I’m going to eavesdrop.”
“Chloe!” Jane’s cheeks felt as if they were on fire.
Why this embarrassed her so much, she didn’t know.
It was just Chloe. No big deal. They’d known each other forever, had seen each other through puberty, for goodness sake.
“Someday you’ll be getting booty calls, and I’m going to harass you, I promise. ”
“I doubt that. I’m a small town girl stuck in a small town world. You snagged the best guy here.” Chloe mock sobbed.
“Oh, there are plenty of great guys in Lone Pine Lake.” Not really. “Um, what about Mac?”
“No way. He’s like my brother. We’re way too close.” Chloe wrinkled her nose. She and Mac hung out a lot, but always as friends. “I kissed him once, you know. It was awful. He agreed.”
Jane laughed. Chloe had never shared that little detail before. “I remember when you used to have a crush on Cameron.”
“Don’t remind me. I made a fool of myself over him.” Chloe laughed weakly. “So, um, have you talked to him lately?”
“Who, Cameron?” Jane wondered at the odd tone in Chloe’s voice. “He came home briefly for Thanksgiving before he took off again.”
“He was here? In town?” Chloe squeaked. “I had no idea.”
Hmm, there was definitely something going on there. “He hasn’t been back in a few years. My mom convinced him to come home. All five of us were there for once.”
“Wow.” Chloe remained silent for a while. “I-I would’ve loved to see him.”
Ha, Jane just bet. “He’ll be back at Christmas.”
“Oh, really? Hmm.” Chloe tried for nonchalant but she wasn’t fooling Jane.
“You know where Chris lives?” Jane asked as Chloe turned onto his road.
“I know where everyone lives. And lucky for you, you won’t leave a car out in the driveway tonight so the whole town can whisper.” Chloe laughed.
“Hey, they’re already whispering because he stays so long at my place.” Jane shook her head. “Don’t people have anything else to talk about?”
“Well, between your sister’s divorce and your and Chris’s new and steamy relationship, your family is keeping Lone Pine abuzz with gossip.” Chloe shook her head. “That was rude of me. I’m sorry.”
“No, not rude. It’s the truth.” The old Jane would’ve been mortified. The Jane from a month ago would’ve avoided this sort of situation at all costs. But now, she didn’t care. She was thankful for the relationship, thankful she had Chris in her life.
She wanted him to be an even bigger part of her life.
Jane breathed deeply and grabbed her purse when Chloe pulled into his driveway.
“Don’t forget the cheesecake,” Chloe said, and Jane reached down to grab the takeout bag. “Maybe you could share it with Chris.”
She didn’t think Christian had food on the brain. “Maybe.”
“I’ll take your bags home with me and drop them off at your place tomorrow if that’s okay, though I noticed you didn’t buy much.” Chloe paused. “You were already finished with your Christmas shopping, weren’t you?”
“I was. All of this is was just for fun.” She knew Mindy had been in a bad state shopping-wise and still wished she’d come with them. And she’d invited Chloe because she knew she wasn’t much better. She was the last-minute type, which drove Jane bonkers.
“So you did this for me.”
“I did this for the both of us. But yes, I also did this for you.” Jane smiled.
Chloe reached out and they embraced quickly before Jane climbed out of the car. “I’m so glad we did this, Jane. Thank you.”
“I’m glad, too. I had fun tonight. And thanks for dropping me off.”
Chloe raised her eyebrows. “I don’t need to tell you to have fun. I know you will.”
Jane rolled her eyes, anticipation making her giddy. But she knew Chloe was right. “Shut up.”
“Booty call!” Chloe yelled just as Jane shut the door.
Squaring her shoulders, she went to the front door, admiring the fragrant wreath that hung from it. It was adorned with a red velvet bow and a few pinecones, simple yet beautiful.
Much like the man who’d hung it there.
Chloe waited until Jane got to the entrance before pulling away.
Jane shut the door quietly behind her, taking in her surroundings.
The room was dark, a dim light glowing from the kitchen the only illumination.
It was simply furnished; she could just make out the brown leather couch and the big screen TV that dominated one wall.
Typical man décor. She went to the hallway, noticed another dim light shone from the last open door on the right.
Chris’s room. It had to be.
She padded down the hall toward the open door until she stopped in front of it, her gaze alighting on Chris.
He lay on top of a huge bed, leaning against a mound of pillows. His arms were angled behind his head, hands clasped at the back of his neck, looking as casual as could be. A smile tilted his mouth, that sensual, delicious mouth that knew just how to kiss her. He flicked his chin in her direction.
“What’s in the bag?”