Holding Out For A Holiday Hero

Chapter 5

Chapter Five

“When you deck the halls, you don’t typically leave a dead body under the Christmas tree.

That’s just…not very festive.” –True Blakely

“It’s also a murder, sweets. A fucking murder.”

– Jake Hale

“I was standing right here.” They were in the museum’s grand exhibit hall. One she’d been tirelessly prepping because the traveling Egyptology display was slated to open after the new year. Thankfully, she’d changed into extra clothes that she had in her work locker. Yoga pants. A sweatshirt. Comfortable tennis shoes and not her boots. “I was the only one in the area. All of the other staff members—except our head of security, Robert Moss—had gone home for the night.” She glanced around at the two elaborate sarcophagi that had been carefully arranged in the exhibit hall. One to the left. The other to the right. They were the centerpieces of the display. “There are over one hundred treasures in the traveling collection.” Including a royal mask that was behind security glass on the center wall. “But the piece that nearly fell on me wasn’t part of the collection, thank goodness. That would have been an insurance nightmare.” She shuddered just imaging the paperwork.

“Yeah, total nightmare.” Jake’s droll response. “Especially if you’d, I don’t know, died. ”

She cut him a quick glance.

“What fell?” Jake asked.

“A large, white column. Not ancient Egyptian. Just decorative, but very heavy.” Heavy enough to have caused serious injury if it had hit her. “It’s designed with a light inside to set the mood for the display.”

“Got to set the mood.” He rocked back on his heels. “So you were standing here, prepping the exhibit all by yourself, and the column just fell?”

“It couldn’t have fallen on its own. That’s what I tried to explain to Harris. I built the column. It was sturdy. You’d have to push it—hard—in order to make it fall. Not like I’d have some accident-waiting-to-happen situation in here for museum visitors.” She took safety very seriously. The protection of museum visitors was always a priority for her.

“And this particular column was positioned over here, in front of the curtains?” Jake’s hand waved toward said curtains.

She nodded.

He moved toward the wall—the wall lined with thick, black curtains. He lifted the curtains and studied the small space behind the billowing fabric. “Easy enough for someone to hide back here.”

Yes, someone could hide behind the curtains, and that fact creeped her out. The idea that someone had been there while she’d been working her late nights made fear slither through her veins.

“He just would have waited for the perfect moment.” Jake let the curtains fall back into place as his gaze swept the large exhibit hall. “I see there are two security cameras in this area.”

Her lips pressed together. “Yes, but they weren’t operational that night. They are brand new—actually, they still aren’t up and running. The whole system at the museum is in the process of being upgraded.”

“That’s unfortunate.”

Understatement. Before she’d started work at the museum, there had been a few very old cameras in the place. Truth be told, the museum had been dying. So many of the wonderful artifacts had been boxed up in storage. She’d made it her mission to bring the place to life once again. Using the connections she’d made while working at a larger museum in Atlanta, True had been able to score the traveling Egyptian exhibit. She’d been planning to use that exhibit to get people in the doors. Then she’d been hoping the good folks in Rosewood would come back to see all of the wonderful art and artifacts that she’d planned to display once again. Everything is coming out of storage.

“And nothing was caught on any other security cams at the facility?” Jake pressed.

She shook her head. The very lack of anything—anyone—being caught on the other, older cameras had been one of the reasons Harris seemed so certain she’d imagined things.

Just an accident.

Just an accident, her ass.

The dead man’s image flashed through her mind. Dizziness suddenly had her trembling.

Jake’s hand closed around hers. “You okay?”

She sucked in a deep breath. Then one more. “I’ve never found a dead body before.”

“I could say you get used to them.” His hand squeezed hers. “But that would be a lie. It’s gonna haunt you for a while.”

“Was he there to hurt me?” He must have been.

“Well, I’m thinking he wasn’t there to deliver Christmas cookies so…” Jake winced. “Bad joke. Yeah, sweets. With his rap sheet, his intentions were damn dangerous. I’m glad you weren’t there.” He released her hand.

But she grabbed his hand right back. “What did Harris mean?”

He looked at their hands. Then at her face. One brow rose in query.

Right. She should explain herself better. “When he said it was like a Christmas miracle for you.” She bit her lower lip.

His gaze fell to her lip.

Heated.

And her heartbeat raced. Settle down. Get these words out. “I’m not…I’m not the girl of your fantasies.” No way did someone like Jake fantasize about someone like her. She was boring. Quiet. The girl who’d never broken a single curfew back in high school.

Meanwhile, Jake had broken every rule that existed.

His lips twisted in a smile that never reached his eyes. “Harris has a big-ass mouth. One of his many flaws.”

“Are the two of you friends?” True was trying to get a handle on their relationship.

“Something like that.” He edged closer. “Used to hate the guy, to be honest. Thought he was an arrogant, know-it-all asshole. Now I tolerate him for football games and bowling nights. And because he can make one mean burger.”

“That sounds like friendship.”

“If it had been a real friendship, he would have told me that you were in danger.” Hard. “Friends don’t keep shit like that from friends.”

Her heart was racing too fast. “Why would my danger matter so much to you?” Her fingers were lightly caressing his hand. She should stop that.

She didn’t.

“Because you matter.” Very low. Very deep. “Because Harris caught on to the fact that I’ve been fantasizing about you for a long time.”

Jake Hale fantasizes about me. Me. And he’s done it for a long time. “How did he catch on to that fact?” Breathless.

“Because if I saw you walking in town, I tended to lose my train of thought.”

He could not have shocked her more. She was sure her mouth had just dropped open.

Jake rolled one shoulder in a shrug. “If you came into the coffee shop and I was there, I’d stop talking mid-conversation.”

“I…don’t remember seeing you in the coffee shop.” Rosewood had one main shop that all the locals visited. It had been in operation for over fifty years. A centerpiece of town.

“You didn’t see me because you always rushed in, all busy, grabbed your order, and headed straight out like you had a meeting to catch.” A pause. “You didn’t see me because I never approached you.”

“Why not?”

He didn’t speak.

“Jake?”

“I didn’t think someone like you would want me.” He tugged his hand free. “I’m going to poke around the museum. See if anything stands out to me. I’ll talk to the guard you mentioned, Robert. And any other guards who might be here today.”

Her hands twisted in front of her. She missed touching him.

He pointed at her as his jaw hardened. “Don’t think of leaving the museum without me.”

“I actually can’t leave at all. Or at least, I can’t leave for long.” She would have to dash out and snag appropriate attire because… “We’re hosting a Christmas event for the kids tonight.” Something she should have mentioned to him sooner, but she’d been distracted by, oh, a dead body. “They’re doing a holiday scavenger hunt in the permanent exhibit area. Then there will be caroling, hot cocoa, and Santa will make his grand appearance.” The event had been her brainchild. All the proceeds were going to a local shelter for women and children.

His hand fell back to his side. “Sounds like fun.”

She doubted he meant that. Not with the way he felt about Christmas. For him, there was no magic in the holiday. There never had been.

“If you’re here, I’ll be here,” Jake added as he turned away.

Helpless, she took a step after him. “Jake!”

He looked back.

“Why wouldn’t I want you?” She did want him. Hadn’t she made that clear last night?

His powerful body stiffened. Then he spun to fully face her. “Because I’m a damn killer, True.”

She froze to the spot.

“I’ve got blood on my hands. It will always be there. I might have been fighting for my country, but people still died. I was good at what I did. Probably too good. And I still like hunting far too much. Why the hell do you think I have the job I do?” His mouth tightened. “And you don’t want someone like that, do you? Not good, sweet, kind True Blakely. You will never really want someone like me.”

“I—”

“True!” Aliyah Addams, the museum’s marketing manager, burst into the exhibit room. “We have a problem. A major problem.” The Christmas lights around her neck blinked on and off, the reindeer on her holiday sweater smiled, but her dark brown eyes were heavy with what could only be described as panic.

A problem? Is it as major as say…a dead body?

“Santa isn’t coming,” Aliyah announced starkly.

“Uh, yeah,” Jake began. “Hate to give you a newsflash, but he never?—”

True sent him a glare.

He stopped talking.

Her focus shifted back to Aliyah.

“He’s got the flu. Can’t be around the kids. All of the other Santas are already booked.” Each word was filled with the same panic that gleamed in Aliyah’s eyes. “Where are we going to find a Santa now? The night is going to be ruined!”

True’s stomach twisted. Disaster was imminent.

“Wait a minute.” Aliyah tapped her chin, and her gaze lasered on Jake. A broad smile spread across her face. “Hello, solution to our problem.” A brief pause. “I don’t think we’ve met.”

“Uh, Aliyah, this is Jake Hale,” True hurriedly made the introductions. “He’s my?—”

“Santa,” Aliyah finished, voice triumphant.

“No.” Jake shook his head. “Absolutely not.”

True had intended to say… He’s my bounty hunter. Or… he’s my bodyguard. Or… he’s going to be my date…very, very soon. She had not intended to call the man Santa. Never in a million years would she call him Santa.

But, apparently, Aliyah had other plans. She slowly walked around Jake, taking him in from all angles. “He’ll need some padding around the middle. Got to hide those abs, but this can work. This can definitely work!”

“No.” An adamant denial from True as she took up a protective position in front of Jake. “He’s not a Christmas fan, Aliyah. He’s not doing this.” She would not put Jake in his own nightmare.

Aliyah frowned. “But we’re desperate.” She craned around True so she could better study Jake. “Did you miss the desperate part? Do you want True to be desperate?”

“I’m helping True with a case.” Jake’s rumbling reply. “I’m not putting on a big red suit and ho-ho-hoing my way through the night.”

True glanced back at him. “We’ll find someone else.” She could figure this out. “It’s fine. Really. Aliyah and I can call around town. There are other options.”

“Uh, no, there aren’t,” Aliyah chimed in. “I’ve already called around. All the Santas are booked. Didn’t you hear me when I said that before? It’s the Saturday before Christmas. If you are a Santa, this is your busiest weekend. Most Santas were booked for this period months ago. With our guy calling in sick, we’re about to have a ton of disappointed kids, and what is worse than a disappointed kid on Christmas? All sad eyes and trembling lips and?—”

“Hell.” A growl from Jake.

“It would be for the kids,” Aliyah emphasized with a wiggle of her eyebrows. “Those sweet, wonderful kids.”

“Fuck.” Jake exhaled. “I’ll do it.”

True whipped around in shock. “Are you sure?”

He stared at her. A muscle jerked along his jaw. But Jake nodded.

She inched closer to him and put her hands on his chest. Then she whispered, “But you don’t even like Christmas.”

“Maybe it’s growing on me.”

Her lips parted.

“Or maybe I’m doing it for you.” Low. Words meant just for her. “Not the kids.”

Warmth spiraled through her. She leaned onto her toes because she could absolutely kiss the man right then.

Aliyah clapped. “Perfect! I’ll get the suit, and you can try it on now. Showtime will be here before we know it.” Her heels clattered away.

True didn’t move. At first, she just kept staring into Jake’s dark and deep eyes. Then she slowly smiled because she actually was figuring out a whole lot about him. And Jake might claim that he was big, bad, and dangerous. He might say he was the wrong kind of man for her to want. But for a wrong kind of man, Jake certainly had a heart of gold. “Thank you.”

His eyes glinted with intent. “You’re gonna owe me.”

“I’ll pay anything you want.” Hadn’t she made that offer before? When they’d been in his office, and he’d agreed to take her case without hesitation? The cops had turned her away. He hadn’t.

Wrong kind of guy? No. He was right. Exactly what she needed. She hugged him tightly. “Thank you, Jake.”

“Ho, fucking ho,” he groused. “You tell no one about this, understand? No one. This is one of those secrets that you carry to the grave. And you are damn well not to tell Harris, understand? Especially not him. And not my assistant Perry, either. Jeez, not Perry. The kid would never let me hear the end of it. He’d suddenly be convinced that I was overflowing with Christmas spirit.”

She beamed up at Jake.

He blinked at her. His voice roughened as he added, “And I will be collecting on what is owed to me.” His gaze had just gone feral.

Please, please do collect. Collect all night long.

She could hardly wait.

“How about a down payment?” Had she really just said those husky words? Her attempt at flirtation? Seduction?

His widening eyes confirmed that she had, indeed, said them.

No time to take the words back. No time for hesitation. She curled her hands around his neck and hauled him toward her. Jake’s mouth crashed onto hers. The kiss was a little clumsy because she was acting on nerves and need, but Jake took things over and turned the kiss from clumsy into…into…

Savage delight.

His tongue thrust into her mouth. He licked. He claimed. He had need coursing through her veins. A need that she only seemed to feel with him. Wildness rose within her. The good girl was so done. Being good for so long had gotten her nothing that she wanted.

An ex-husband who cheated.

A stalker who was trying to kill her.

A dead body.

Good was not working. Maybe it was time for something new.

His hands were on her waist. Her body pressed hard to Jake’s, and there was no missing his arousal. He wanted her. She wanted him.

Take him. They didn’t have to follow any rules. Jake probably still hated rules. He was a guy who lived on the edge, and she wanted to live there with him. A moan trembled from her, and he kissed her ever harder. His hands began to lift her up against him.

“Found it!” Aliyah called out happily. “Want to try on the Santa suit?”

Jake’s head slowly lifted. He stared down at True. Her panting breath seemed far, far too loud.

Then his head lowered. Not for him to kiss her again. Instead, his mouth went toward her right ear. And he whispered, “What I want…is to fuck you.”

I want you to fuck me, Jake.

“And I will. When we are alone again, you will be mine.” She felt his tongue lick the edge of her ear. “Ready to get on the naughty list, True?”

Her whole body shuddered. Yes, please.