Landry's Law (8 page)

“Oh.”

“But we did get the results of the prints back from Grayson’s room. Nothing there. Just Grayson’s and a partial of Junior’s on the doorknob.”

“Junior’s?” Savannah asked.

Seth smiled. “I didn’t want to tell you this, but Junior and Bill had a conversation in his room before you arrived. Junior told me himself that he’d made it clear to Grayson that you were going to be Grayson’s dinner partner, period.”

Savannah felt her cheeks warm to a blush. “I suppose that’s very sweet, even though it wasn’t necessary.”

Seth’s expression went still. “You wouldn’t have…have… Bill was a nice-looking guy and all, and—”

“Stop stumbling over yourself, Seth,” Savannah teased. “No, I would not have gone to bed with Bill Grayson. I don’t do one-night stands, even as a favorto Olive.”

She liked the fact that he looked relieved. Did that mean that he had feelings for her, or just that he had feelings about one-night stands? The man was confusing the hell out of her!

“There is some interesting news, as well.”

“What?”

“A few hours after we finished up at the crime scene, one of the bellmen caught Cal Nestor and a friend in the ventilation system, trying to get a peek into the room.”

Savannah shivered. “Remind me never to stay there. Apparently anyone can climb through the inn at will.”

Seth shook his head. “Cal Nestor is trouble. I’m sure once he heard there was a murder, he couldn’t resist crawling through the vents to take a look.”

“Who is Cal Nestor?”

“Jasper’s resident juvenile delinquent. And if it wasn’t so late, I’d go over there right now and give him a little attitude adjustment.”

“Nestor?” Savannah repeated. “Any relation to the waitress at the Cowboy Café?”

“She’s his mother. Ruthie tries, but Cal’s the kind of kid that needs an iron fist and Ruthie doesn’t have one. The kicker is, the kid has a near-genius IQ.”

“So why is he always in trouble?”

Seth shrugged. “Ask my brother Shane. He was the same way. Smart as sin and a magnet for trouble. Hopefully Cal will straighten himself up like Shane did.” He stifled a yawn.

Savannah realized it was after midnight and that Seth hadn’t slept the night before. “Give me a minute to change the sheets on the bed for you.”

“I’m taking the couch.”

Savannah glared at him, her hands on her hips. “That’s idiotic, Seth. You’re over six feet tall. I’m barely five-three. I’ll take the sofa, you’ll take the bed. This isn’t open for discussion.”

He opened his mouth as if to argue but she warned him off with a pointed stare. Savannah spent about fifteen minutes changing sheets and making herself a bed on the sofa. Her final act was to put several logs on the fireplace and build a fire.

Seth still lingered in the living room. If ever Savannah had had an awkward moment, this was it. Her libido wanted to give him a kiss good-night, but her intelligence made sure that she kept her distance and simply made a shooing motion toward the bedroom. Seth checked all the locks, then disappeared inside her bedroom.

Savannah changed into her nightgown, laying her jeans and sweater over the chair, then slipped into the makeshift bed. She watched the dancing flames for a long, long time before she was able to forget that Seth was in the house.

She fell into a fitful sleep, battling dreams of Rossi, the photograph of Brenda after the shooting, and Bill Grayson’s cold dead eyes.

S
ETH OPENED HIS EYES
in the predawn, momentarily disoriented. Probably because he wasn’t used to sleeping in a cramped double bed with a frilly eyelet coverlet and floral arrangements everywhere.

Or maybe he was just distracted because the pillow he was holding carried Savannah’s scent. Loneliness crept up on him. It was a new experience. He’d been sleeping alone for thirty-eight years, save for the occasional transgression. Normally, he enjoyed the solace and quiet of being alone. But not on this particular dawn. As he watched the sun paint the distant peaks purple, then pink, then finally an orange-yellow, he silently acknowledged why he was feeling lonely for the first time in his life.

Because he’d gone to bed feeling that way. He had listened to Savannah move about in the living room for a long time. He didn’t dare hope that her restlessness came from the same place as his own. He’d never know since he couldn’t very well walk out into the living room and say, “Since I’m really attracted to you and we’re going to be roommates, why don’t we just sleep together?” Seth punched the pillow in frustration before rising.

After brushing his teeth, he got his jeans out of his duffel, pulled them on, then quietly walked
across the light-olive painted wooden floor. It was incredibly chilly, making him sorry he hadn’t put on his boots, but he didn’t want to wake Savannah.

Carefully, he turned the knob until he heard the faint click of the latch. Silently he cursed when the hinges squeaked as he opened the bedroom door.

Cold air greeted him when he looked out into the living room. His next curse was no longer silent.

Savannah wasn’t on the sofa and the front door stood wide open.

Seth quickly raced back into the bedroom to get his gun. At the same moment, he heard footsteps entering the house. With his gun drawn, he returned to the living room.

Savannah was so startled by either him or the gun or both, that she dropped the bundle of firewood she’d been holding. The logs hit the rug with a muffled thud.

He was standing just inches away from her. It was impossible for him not to notice that she was wearing a thin nightgown, which she had shoved into her jeans for the trip outside, under her open coat. The fabric was worn enough so that he had no problem
making out the shape of her breasts, including the tawny shade of her nipples.

Seth’s heart was suddenly pounding in his ears and his body’s response was intense and immediate. He met and held her gaze. He placed his gun on the end table and moved to her, hating himself for his own weakness.

Savannah’s hair was mussed and her cheeks were stained a little scarlet from being out in the cold morning air. Her eyes were sultry, which seemed to intensify her disheveled appearance.

He saw the look of longing in her eyes, and that was all the encouragement he needed.

Placing his hands on either side of her small waist, Seth checked her expression again. Luckily, she showed no signs of resistance or repulsion. If anything, unspent passion filled her eyes. It nearly erased the blue, turning them a dark, imported chocolate color.

Beneath his hands, he could feel the quick, uneven breaths in her diaphragm. Slowly, he bent down and gave his first tentative touch of his lips to hers. It was sheer heaven.

Savannah surprised and pleased him when she placed her palms against his chest and stepped into his kiss. The feel of her hands against the mat of hair and his bare chest was almost enough to send him over an embarrassing edge.

She teased the seam of his lips with her tongue
until he opened his mouth. She tasted like mint, coffee and lust. Seth wrapped her in his arms, holding her against him as the kiss evolved from something tentative into a full-fledged erotic experience.

His fingers moved into her hair. He tilted her head gently, to gain better access to her sweet mouth. Again Savannah surprised and pleased him. She began to tease his nipples. Seth hadn’t even considered his nipples an erogenous zone until that second.

He only wished that she was taller, then he might have had the exquisite pleasure of feeling her body pressed against his. Instead, he settled for forcing one leg between hers.

Savannah moaned softly into his mouth. He could actually feel her need and desire and it further pushed him toward a premature release. Something that hadn’t occurred since his teens.

She slipped her hands around his naked torso as their lips remained locked together, their tongues exploring, testing and exciting. When her hands laced behind his head, Seth was treated to the feel of her breasts being pressed against his flesh.

He felt hard nipples and soft roundness.

Then he felt himself do the unimaginable.

His body wracked and convulsed against her hip. He was mortified.

But Savannah had a different reaction than what he
had expected. She deepened the kiss, turning it into something sweet and profound instead of passionate and needy. It was almost as if she was silently thanking him for being unable to control his own body.

“Oh, my heavens!”

Seth and Savannah jumped apart at the sound of Olive’s voice. She was standing in the still-open doorway, holding a basket. Her expression was a blend of surprise and pleasure. Seth knew there was no way to gracefully explain why he was holding Savannah in the living room and he was sure he looked as guilty as Savannah did.

So far, this day was turning out to be a lot like his teen years. “I’m going to take a shower,” he said, then made a hasty exit into the bedroom.

“Well, well,” Olive said as she came in and started to unload freshly baked muffins. “I never would have put you together with Seth Landry.”

“We’re not together,” Savannah insisted, mostly for herself.

Olive turned and gave her one of those yeah-right looks. Savannah relented slightly. “It was just one kiss,” she promised her friend.

“One kiss?” Olive snorted. “I…um, watched for a moment before I made my presence known.”

Savannah felt her cheeks heat with a blush at the mere thought that Olive had witnessed—what?

She placed a small jar of her homemade pre
serves on the counter. “And our sheriff has quite a body, doesn’t he?”

Savannah’s eyes grew wide. “Olive!”

“Well,” the older woman said. “I may be old and crippled with arthritis, but I know a washboard stomach when I see it.”

Despite her embarrassment, Savannah had to agree. The memory of feeling hard muscle beneath her palms was too fresh in her mind. As was the incredible intensity of the kiss itself. No man had ever kissed her like that. And certainly no man had ever shown her the depth of his desire in the way Seth had. For the first time in years, she felt both want and wanted.

Once she heard the shower running, Savannah gave a wicked smile to Olive. “Definitely has a great body.”

Appearing pleased, Olive sat down in one of the kitchen chairs and asked for some coffee. Savannah poured cups for them both, then started a new pot before she joined Olive at the table.

Olive was the closest thing to a mother figure in her life, and Lord knew Savannah was feeling too many conflicting emotions. She needed a sounding board. “I think I’m losing my mind,” she admitted to Olive.

“Why?”

Savannah took a fortifying breath. “Seth and me? There can’t be a future in that.”

“Why not?” Olive asked sincerely. “He’s handsome, smart, and he’s a
Landry.
Seems to me the only problem you have is keeping Ruthie Nestor away from him.”

Savannah’s heart plummeted into her stomach. “He’s dating Ruthie?”

Olive gave and emphatic shake of her head. “No, Ruthie has had her hopes set on Seth since they were in high school together. As far as I know, that hasn’t changed. Especially since Seth helps her out with that horrible child she has.”

“Cal?”

“Cal the criminal,” Olive corrected. “I had to ban him from the shop because he steals as easily as he breathes.” Olive took a sip of her coffee. “But I don’t want to talk about Cal. The topic is Seth.”

Savannah raked her hands through her hair. “Olive, the man makes me weak in the knees, which is ridiculous since he’s accused me of three murders.”

Waving her hand dismissively, Olive said, “
That
was him just doing his job. What I saw a little bit ago had nothing to do with work.”

“I’ve never felt this kind of instant attraction to a man,” Savannah admitted.

“Ever hear of love at first sight?” Olive asked.

“Of course. But I never thought it was true.”

“Until now?”

Savannah nodded, if cautiously. “Is it possible
that I’ve fallen in love with Seth in a matter of days?”

“Anything is possible,” Olive reminded her.

“Did you know when you met your husband that he was the one?”

Olive’s eyes clouded, as they always did whenever anyone mentioned her long-deceased husband. Savannah thought she must have loved him very much to still feel the pain of his loss. And she had never remarried in all this time. That had to mean she still felt married to a ghost. It was kind of sad and romantic in a weird way.

“We got married two weeks after we met,” Olive said.

“Wow.” Savannah was impressed. It also explained why Olive was such a terminal matchmaker. Obviously she believed in love, especially at first sight. “Then I guess it means it is possible for me to have feelings for Seth.”

“Feelings? Darling, I’ve known you since the second day you arrived in Jasper. You’re all work and school. It’s good to see that Seth has cracked your practical shell. In fact, I think it’s great!” Olive proclaimed excitedly. “We’ll have a wedding shower and—”

“Slow down,” Savannah insisted. “We were kissing, not getting engaged. Besides, I have no idea how Seth feels. He may have kissed me because I was convenient.”

“Pooh,” Olive huffed. “Men are very transparent at times. I’ve seen the way he looks at you. The man’s in love.”

Savannah swallowed the yelp of cheer that was her first response. “Maybe the man’s just in lust,” she pointed out. “Sometimes you can’t tell the difference. Besides, even if he is in love, there’s no future for us.”

“Why would you say that?” Olive asked. “When you get your degree, you’ll probably be working closely with Seth on cases and things.”

If I’m still here.
“Maybe,” Savannah hedged.

“Well,” Olive began as she rose, “you two enjoy the muffins.” Olive smiled, knowingly. “
And
each other.” Then she headed for the door. “I’ll see you around one.”

“Okay,” Savannah called. “Thanks for talking to me, Olive.”

The woman glanced over her shoulder, her eyes moist. “You know I think of you like a daughter. I just want you to know I’m always here for you.”

“I know, and thanks.”

Savannah pondered the complexities of her situation with Seth until she heard the shower stop. Then she went into Plan B mode—pretend it didn’t happen unless he brings it up.

“N
O MORE SCHOOL
and no more Olive’s.” Seth proclaimed several hours later when she came out of the bedroom where she had been hiding.

She glared at him. “Wrong. I’m going to work and I’m going to school.”

Seth’s scowl was fierce and she noticed that his fists were balled at his sides. “How am I supposed to protect you when you’re out in public?”

“I’ve been out in public since I got here,” she reminded him. “The only thing that has changed is that now you know I’m a federally protected witness.”

He took a threatening step closer. “You think that’s the only thing that’s changed?” His tone was low and almost threatening.

Much to her chagrin, Savannah had to crane her neck to maintain eye contact. Or more accurately, their glaring battle.

“Let’s get
that
out of the way then.”

“Out of the way?” he repeated sarcastically.

Savannah took a step back. She needed space to be able to do this. For some reason it was impossible for her to control her hormones when she could smell his cologne. “We kissed, Seth. Period. It won’t happen again.”

“Wanna bet?” he challenged.

She implored him with her eyes. “I should have said it
can’t
happen again.”

“Why?”

She rolled her eyes. “Because the government could yank me out of Jasper tomorrow. I know what it’s like to leave behind people you love.” The instant the words fell out of her mouth, Savannah wanted to die.

Seth didn’t miss her little slip. “You love me?” His expression was now gentle, inviting and almost vulnerable.

“It wouldn’t matter if I did,” she insisted.

“It would to me.”

Closing her eyes and dropping her head, she said, “I don’t know. I only know that I’ve never felt like this about a man. It scares me.”

Seth pulled her into his arms. It was the most comfortable place on earth. Softly, he stroked her hair. She could feel solid muscle and immediately her mind returned to when she had explored the impressive contours of his torso.
Lord, why can’t I keep my mind out of the gutter!

“If it makes you feel any better, I’m off balance, too.”

“What does ‘off balance’ mean?” she asked as she placed her cheek so that she could feel the uneven beat of his heart.

“I think it means I’m falling in love with you.”

Savannah stepped out of his arms and placed a finger to his lips. “
Don’t
say that,” she begged, feeling as if she wanted to burst into tears.

“Even if it’s true?” he asked, the annoyance clear in his voice.

“You told me how hurt you were when your parents left you. Seth, the only difference between that situation and this one is that I
know
I’m going to be relocated again. I know I’ll have to leave you
one day.” Savannah felt her eyes fill with tears, but she refused to allow herself to cry.

“You don’t
know
that,” Seth insisted.

“Look, Peter let Cody overrule him, but it won’t be long before someone in the Justice Department hears I’m still in a possibly compromised city and yanks me out of here.”

“You don’t have to go,” Seth said. “I can protect you.”

“Protect me?” she parroted. “This morning you almost shot me because I went out for firewood.”

“Excuse me!” Seth retorted. “I wake up and find you gone and the door standing open. What was I supposed to do?”

Realizing this was getting them nowhere fast, Savannah said, “Okay, so you were protecting me.”

“Thank you.” He didn’t sound all that sincere. “Now, back to this idiotic notion of yours that you continue to live as if nothing has changed.”

“It isn’t idiotic,” Savannah assured him through clenched teeth. “I’m going to work, then to class. This isn’t open for discussion.”

“Is that one of your favorite expressions?” Seth countered.

“When I’m dealing with someone who is being a hardheaded jerk, yes.”

“Jerk?” he asked, though there was a tinge of amusement in his tone and one of his eyebrows
arched questioningly. “The last person who called me a jerk got punched.”

“I wouldn’t suggest that,” Savannah said. “I’m not one of your prisoners who you can punch when no one is looking.”

“I wouldn’t punch someone in custody,” Seth assured her. “Shane called me a jerk, so I had no choice but to hit him.”

Savannah shook her head. “That reminds me of home. My brothers pounded each other for any dumb reason.”

“It wasn’t a dumb reason. Anyway, I hit him, I didn’t do any long-lasting harm. He had a bruise on his stomach for a while. End of injury.”

“He had a bruise on his face in the photograph at your house. Was that also you?”

Seth shook his head. “Clayton.”

Savannah raised her arms. “I’m sorry, I know you don’t like to talk about him.”

Seth shrugged. “It’s no secret he’s in prison for manslaughter because of Victoria DeSimone.”