Chapter 17
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Cecelia kept her eyes on Jason until he turned the corner and was out of sight. Then she waited an eternity for her father to speak. They were both standing in the hallway, silent.
Normally, her father didn’t get involved in her dating life.
Granted, she hadn’t had one since she’d graduated from college and started working for him. She put in too many hours and the easiest place to meet people was at work. That was a major problem when the boss was her father.
Cecelia didn’t have time to date, and her father wasn’t interested in pushing her to find a relationship. They were both married to their jobs and that was just fine.
Until it wasn’t.
She turned toward her father, not surprised in the slightest to find his eyes on her with a look she couldn’t describe.
He might have been trying to put pieces of an expert-level puzzle together and failing.
He didn’t want to show weakness. He never did.
And that was probably her saving grace at the moment.
Because what was weaker than a father who hadn’t even known she was interested in seeing anyone, let alone someone who lived here.
“Dad—”
“You like this boy?”
She blinked, surprised by the question. He’d never asked her anything like that when she’d been on dates in the past. And it wasn’t like she had been spending an enormous amount of time with Jason. Thankfully, she didn’t have to think hard at all when she answered, “I really do. He’s a good man.”
Her father grunted.
Cecelia expected him to interrogate her further. To ask probing questions, like what she really knew about him and what she’d told him about herself. But he didn’t. He shoved his hands into his slacks pockets and rocked on his heels. Then he blew out a long breath.
“The town council will be putting the rezoning to another vote.”
She nodded. “I know. Kyle said he’d put it on the schedule. It’s coming up.”
“I don’t want the town to hear about it.”
Of course, she knew this was his plan. He’d said as much already. With a sigh of her own, she rubbed her temples. “Dad, we can’t—”
“All you have to do is make sure that they don’t send out mailers or post flyers around town.
Make sure that Kyle fellow keeps the information to the usual places in City Hall itself.
If the folks around here are so worried, then they’ll be subscribed to newsletters and they’ll actually pay attention to when the council meets. ”
She could argue with him about this all night, about the legal ramifications, about the PR nightmare this would become, about so much, but she knew better.
Politics on every level had some degree of corruption.
Money greased far too many palms these days, and she knew better than anyone that what her father was asking wasn’t all that bad in the grand scheme of things.
It wasn’t like he was trying to throw the vote.
That would have been a hard limit if she ever found out he’d gone that far.
“Just stop by City Hall tomorrow and make sure it happens. The fewer people who know, the better.”
All she could do was nod. Then she turned toward her door, but he stopped her.
“Cecelia?”
She paused, her keycard raised, but she didn’t turn around to face him.
What had started out as a wonderful night had been soured somewhat.
Sure, she’d had the best time with Jason.
That kiss? It had been out of this world good.
And how Jason had stood up for her? She was still weak in the knees from that whole interaction.
But then reality came crashing down.
Her father was cold and cutting. “I’ve never intervened when it came to the men you chose to spend your time with. But I don’t want you to get distracted by some guy who’s probably only getting close to you to gain information.”
Blood chilling to the marrow, Cece turned. “Jason isn’t like that.”
“Nothing would make me happier than knowing he cares about you for you. But you have to admit that his interest in you is a little—”
“A little what? He can’t possibly like me because I’m an outsider? Because I’m the villain in this story? Or why wouldn’t he like me?”
His face was hard as he patiently waited for her to get her irritation out of her system.
“Because that’s not who he is. He doesn’t want to know anything about this project. He only wants to get to know me, as a person. We enjoy each other’s company. And he never pushes me past my comfort zone. I’ve never, not once, felt judged by him.”
“That all may be true,” her father conceded.
“But people aren’t perfect. We’re all human and we all have something we want out of this life.
The only ones we can count on these days to be loyal are family.
Blood. I’m just looking out for you. I don’t want to see you hurt because you let some cowboy pull the wool over your eyes. ”
She held her keycard tighter, letting the edge dig into her palm. “We might be alike on several levels, but on this one, we couldn’t be more different. Jason has a good heart. He’d never betray me for anything.”
He arched a brow. “You truly believe that?”
Cecelia nodded. “I know it deep in my soul.”
“Well, for your sake, I hope you’re right.” With that, he turned and headed back into his room, leaving Cecelia reeling. She stared at the door for long, unseeing moments before she spun around and entered her own room.
It wasn’t until after she’d taken a quick shower that she sent Jason a text, inviting him to go for a walk with her tomorrow.
When he agreed, relief washed over her, soothing, and cooled her heated skin. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to fall to sleep thinking of him and the evening they’d spent together.
Most specifically, that kiss.
Cecelia shoved a blanket into a bag and slipped out of her room without a sound. She didn’t expect her father to be standing guard outside her room, but then, crazier things had happened.
Thankfully, she was able to get down to the main level and out the elevator doors without interacting with anyone. As she passed through the lobby, her eyes snagged on a familiar figure. The man from the other night.
He glanced her way as she passed and when she offered him a small smile, he didn’t smile in return. Instead, his mouth formed a tight line, and he returned to reading whatever it was on his phone.
She frowned, glancing back at him once. Where did she know him from? Normally, she was so good with names and faces. It was strange to recognize someone so far away from home.
Cecelia was dealing with the frustration of not remembering when she nearly bumped into Jason outside.
His hands came up immediately and wrapped around her upper arms to keep her steady.
But it was his warm chuckle that soothed the day’s irritations from under her skin.
From the second she’d woken up that morning, she’d had to deal with the ugly side of her job, the one she didn’t like sharing with anyone, especially not someone as good as Jason.
She gasped with shock when he leaned down without preamble and kissed her.
This one was nothing like the claiming kiss from the night before.
While she’d been startled, that emotion quickly dwindled into nothing but warm desire as his lips roved over hers, teasing and searching.
The kiss was a dance, a rekindling of what they’d started less than twenty-four hours ago.
It was sweet and kind. Every bit the sort of kiss she’d expect from her strong, silent cowboy. His hands rose up her arms until he cradled her head in order to keep her still. Or at least that was her read on it.
This was a new, unrestrained version of Jason she hadn’t been prepared for, and yet, she loved it just as much as the man she’d grown to admire and trust. When he finally released her, he stared at her with eyes so full of adoration that butterflies erupted in her.
No one had ever looked at her like this.
She exhaled a single word, “Wow.”
He chuckled then pulled her into his side and kissed her temple. They walked in silence for several minutes without saying a word. Cece had to let everything settle, but she had a distinct feeling that Jason was enjoying being in nature with her.
He’d know if she lied. He always did. So she said nothing, and the nothing sat in her gut along with the morning. She’d sat across a desk from Kyle Sinclair three hours ago and made sure the meeting notices would stay inside City Hall. He’d said it was already handled. It had been that easy.
Jason’s arm dropped from her shoulders and his fingers laced with hers. “What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
He stopped and turned her to face him. “Tell me.”
She looked at him. It was right there. I did something this morning you’d hate. She got as far as a breath.
“It’s work,” she said. “It has nothing to do with you.”
“Didn’t think it did.” He studied her as he always did, and he saw more than she wanted him to. Then he pulled her against him and held on, and she let him, because it was easier than the truth and she hated that it was.
“Are you going to tell me?” he said into her hair.
“Not today.” She leaned back to see his face. “Today I want the world to go away for a while. Can we just enjoy the time together?”
“For you, Cece? Anything.”
She’d packed a blanket and a few snacks from the minibar. They found a flat spot above the creek and sat together enjoying the view. He didn’t ask again, and she couldn’t decide whether that made it better or worse.