Touch of Doubt (Law vs. Love Book 2) Read online

  “I didn’t expect to see you here,” she finally said as Jace settled into the leather chair. “I hope nothing is wrong?”

  “Something is wrong. You aren’t in my bed at the moment.” His eyes flicked across her V-cut blouse. “In addition to that, you’re wearing far too many clothes for my liking.”

  “Jace,” she hissed, glancing at the door. Anyone who walked by would surely hear his words. If not, they’d definitely be able to spot the blush on her cheeks. “You can’t say things like that here. I’m at work.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t be at work,” he said with a wicked smile. “I’m sure you could take an extended lunch break. I know there’s something special I’d like to eat.”

  His gaze trailed down her chest before stopping at the edge of her desk, which hid the bottom half of her body from view. Heat tickled the top of her thighs, and she crossed her legs to keep herself from squirming in her seat. She knew exactly what Jace meant, and even as inappropriate as it was, it didn’t stop her from feeling very much aroused by his words.

  “Jace,” she whispered. “I know you think you can get away with anything you want, but you can’t just come into my office and hit on me like this. You’re my client, thanks to you. Not to mention everything else.”

  “I can get away with anything I want.”

  Carrie’s heart thumped. She knew he was talking about his seductive come-on tactics, but she couldn’t help but latch onto his words. Jace Holt could get away with anything he wanted. Even murder.

  She sucked in a sharp breath. She couldn’t believe she’d let the words even enter her mind for a moment. Jace couldn’t be involved in Madison’s death. He wasn’t that kind of man. And even if he were, he wouldn’t have had the opportunity to get there and back in time. She had to stop letting her mind go there.

  She repeated the words to herself several times, but they still didn’t explain the gut feeling that Jace was keeping something very important from her. He’d had that gun in his kitchen drawer. Why? And why hadn’t he seem surprised about Madison?

  “Something’s wrong,” Jace said, leaning forward and shooting the scent of musky aftershave across her desk. “You have that look on your face. Has someone upset you?”

  “Nothing’s wrong,” she said with a weak smile. Despite all the questions in her mind, Carrie had to believe in Jace’s innocence. If he were involved in either of the recent murders, everything she thought was true would come crashing down around her. And she didn’t think she could handle that. “I’m just really swamped with work. Why did you need to see me?”

  “There’s been an unfortunate development that I’ve managed to stall for the moment.” A frown creased Jace’s face, and he twisted in his seat as a group of clients strode by the door, chattering about the wintry Manhattan weather and the latest developments in the presidential primary race. “There seems to be a lot of traffic outside of your office today.”

  “Yes, exactly.” Carrie couldn’t stop the red from spreading across her neck. “Anyone who walks by could see us in here.”

  Jace’s voice dropped low as he turned back to face Carrie. “There must be somewhere more private that we can talk.”

  Jace watched Carrie smooth down the front of her sexy blouse, the silk clinging to the lacy bra he could see through the thin material. She was acting distant and a little bit closed off, and he was determined to massage away whatever had caused this change in her.

  “The law library is rarely used these days,” Carrie said after clearing her throat. “Would that work for you?”

  “That’s perfect.” He flashed a smile, standing and buttoning his suit jacket. Carrie stood from her chair before grabbing a notepad from her cluttered desk and leading the way into the hallway. Around them, the law office buzzed with activity, and a few paralegals glanced their way as they moved toward the elevators.

  “It seems busy around here,” Jace said as they slid into the elevator.

  Carrie pressed the button for the tenth floor and gave him a nod. “Business has picked up lately. That’s why I’m so swamped. Someone keeps trying to distract me though.”

  Jace suppressed a smile and let his eyes roam across Carrie’s body. Today’s skirt was shorter than her usual ensemble, accentuating her well-curved ass. He shifted closer to her side, leaned down, and brushed his nose against her ear before sweeping her luscious locks from her shoulders. Carrie shivered under his touch, but she didn’t pull away.

  “Jace, you can’t. Not here.” Her voice came out strained and breathy.

  He dragged his hand down her body, past the curves of her breasts, and to the edges of her black skirt. As he licked her delicate ear, his fingers slid under the material and brushed against her thong. It was lace, just like her bra. He hardened as he felt a dampness between her thighs. “God, you drive me crazy. You’re so ready for me, aren’t you?”

  She shuddered against him, eyelids fluttering as his fingers pushed aside her thong and slid into her pussy. Her lips parted with a moan, and Jace felt his erection throb against his pants. God, he wanted her. She felt so wet and so ready around his fingers that it was all he could do not to yank down her skirt and thrust his cock inside her right then and there.

  “There are cameras,” Carrie gasped as she pulled away and pushed down her skirt. Her face was pink and her pupils dilated with lust. “Someone will see us.”

  “Does the library have cameras?” Jace murmured just as the elevator doors whirred open.

  Without glancing his way, Carrie strode forward onto the tenth floor, her back straight and tense, and her ass wriggling with each step she took in her sexy heels. Jace smoothed down the front of his suit and smiled, the scent of Carrie tickling his nose. He followed her down a quiet hallway and past rows of shut office doors until they reached a locked room at the end.

  Carrie swiped her card against a security panel before opening the door and ushering Jace inside a room full of oak bookshelves crammed with sleek volumes of the law. She’d fallen silent as soon as they’d stepped out of the elevator, and Jace had a good hunch as to why. She wanted him right now just as much as he wanted her, and her desires were close to overwhelming any hesitation she might have.

  As soon as the door clicked shut, Carrie whirled on him. “What did you want to talk to me about that couldn’t be said in my office?”

  “The police stopped by today,” he murmured, moving close to Carrie. Her ass hit the back of an oak table as she tried to take a step away from him. “They want to see the security footage from the night of the murder. I demanded a warrant.”

  Carrie sucked in a breath as he took another step closer. “Why? I thought there was nothing to see.”

  Jace touched Carrie’s neck, drawing a sensual line to the top of her breasts. She shivered under his touch. “There are a few regular clientele of mine that might not be pleased to be caught on camera.”

  Frowning, Carrie looked up at him. “What do you mean? Who?”

  “That’s not important.” Jace leaned forward and dragged his tongue across her ear, breathing in the scent of her vanilla shampoo. “They’re just very private individuals.”

  “Jace,” Carrie moaned, dropping her head back so that her neck was fully exposed to him. Eagerly, he dropped his mouth to her skin and spread hot kisses down her chest. He pushed her harder against the table as his hands gripped her waist, his cock almost bursting through his pants.

  He needed her. Right here and now. Taking her like this in her place of work would be the ultimate display that she was his.

  He pulled her shirt over her head, and she gasped, her eyes flicking to the locked library door. Before she had time to object, Jace pushed aside her bra to expose her exquisite breasts. Her nipples were hard and swollen, and he leaned her back onto the table to take her breast into his mouth. God, she tasted so good. He licked and sucked until she was a gasping, trembling mess under his mouth.

  Shoving her skirt up to her waist, he ripped her thong off her t
highs. He groaned at the sight of her wetness, and when she opened her legs wider, he unzipped his pants and climbed on top of her, his palms flat against the sleek table.

  As he settled over her, Carrie reached for his cock and pulled it from his pants. Her fingers sent thrills of pleasure through him. He was going to take her hard, thrusting so deep inside her, it would make her scream.

  Jace dug his fingers into her waist and pressed himself inside her. Carrie moaned and arched her back, her full breasts bouncing as she rocked against his length. Dear god, she’s gorgeous, he thought as desire overwhelmed him. The need for silence flew from his mind as he groaned and thrusted harder into her sex.

  She was his, he was hers, and no one and nothing would stop them from being together.

  He pounded into her. She reached up to grab his tie, yanking him closer. But Jace pulled back and trapped her arms on the table above her head. He was the one in control here. Rocking against her, he picked up his pace and felt Carrie tighten around him. Desire tore through him, but he held back his release until a loud moan slipped through Carrie’s mouth, signalling her climax.

  Jace relaxed and followed in her wake, emptying his seed into her gorgeous body. Panting, he released his tight grip on her arms, leaning down to drop a kiss on her nipple. She tasted so good. His tongue began to tease her breast, and she began to shake underneath his mouth once more. Groaning, his cock began to harden again.

  A knock sounded on the library door.

  Carrie scrambled off the oak table and snatched her shirt from the floor as her heart hammered out a hectic beat inside her chest. Her hands trembled as she pulled the silky material over her head and smoothed her hair. It was no matter. Anyone who saw them now would know in an instant what had just happened between them inside this room. Jace’s face was flushed, his tie askew, and a scratch mark had reddened along his neck.

  A moment later, the door clicked open and Sarah’s head popped into the room.

  “Oh, thank god,” Carrie said, sighing against the table. “It’s only you.”

  Sarah’s knowing smile was almost blinding. “Yep. It’s only me, but Rick said something about coming up here. I saw you guys disappear upstairs, so I thought it might be a good idea to come warn you…Seems I was right.”

  Sarah’s eyes darted toward Carrie’s torn thong on the floor. “You might want to make sure you don’t leave your panties up here. And I’d hurry if I were you.”

  With a laugh, Sarah shut the door, leaving Carrie and Jace alone once again.

  Sighing, Carrie snatched her thong from the floor and straightened her wrinkled skirt. She couldn’t believe what had just happened. Sure, it had been hot as hell, but it was one of the worst ideas she’d ever had. Anyone could have come in at any moment. Of course, that had been part of the thrill of it all…

  “Jace, we can’t do stuff like this,” she hissed as she tucked her destroyed thong into the back of her skirt.

  “That’s funny,” he said, trailing a hot finger down her back. “Because we just did.”

  Carrie was still flustered when they reached the lobby of The Grand Rizzato. Jace had insisted she come back to the hotel with him to watch the security footage from the night of the murder. He wanted to know what was on the tapes before the police got the warrant and went through the footage themselves. Or at least that’s what he’d said. She knew his games. He probably wanted to lure her up to his penthouse for more sexy time between the sheets.

  Carrie didn’t really understand the big deal about the security footage in the first place. So, some hotshots didn’t want the cops to see them on camera at Jace’s hotel. Who were they? Just another secret Jace was hiding from her, though she supposed she might find out soon enough if they ended up being on those tapes.

  Jace led her through the lobby of the hotel, guests glancing up as they strode past. Jace Holt was well-known, even to tourists who dropped by for a short break to experience the vibrant sights and sounds of the city that never sleeps. Recognition lit their eyes, and Carrie wished she could hide her face from view. No matter what Jace liked to say, she didn’t want to end up as the next scandal on the news.

  The two of them made their way down a quiet hallway, through a door accessed only by a keycard, and into the security room where an elderly man sat with his feet propped up on a plastic table. He was surrounded by monitor screens and empty coffee cups.

  “Ahem,” Jace said when they stepped into the tiny room. It stunk of day-old pizza and stale cigarettes. It was obvious to Carrie that Jace barely interacted with this part of his hotel or it never would have smelled or looked like such a dump. Jace liked everything clean and pristine and sparkling. Except for sex, of course. He seemed to be into more interesting displays of passion these days. Ones that Carrie might have balked at three years ago, but now she was finding incredibly arousing. He made her feel like she could finally let go and do whatever she wanted, whenever and wherever.

  “Sir,” the man said, scrambling to stand when he saw who was hovering in the doorway. “Mr. Holt. I’m sorry for the mess, sir.”

  “We’ll need this taken care of,” Jace said in a clipped tone. “This is not acceptable for The Grand Rizzato, even if guests never see this particular room.”

  “Yes, sir,” the man said, picking up a trash can and dumping the coffee cups inside. “Of course, sir. I’m sorry, sir.”

  “Calm down.” Jace waved his hands at the monitors. “Go on your lunch break. Miss Simmons and I need to view some of the security footage.”

  The man gave a nod before glancing at the screens. “Do you know how to use it?”

  Jace gave the man such a stare that he had to clear his throat and rush into the hallway without another word. Rolling his eyes, Jace settled into the chair and punched a few keys on the computer. The monitor feed paused, and Carrie watched as Jace got to work. She had no idea he knew how to operate this kind of thing. Jace was a manager, an organizer. He didn’t do the dirty work himself.

  “You seem right at home with this stuff,” she said, dropping into the seat beside him. The monitor footage clicked off before a new set of paused images flickered onto the screens.

  “This isn’t the first time I’ve looked at my security tapes, Carrie,” Jace said.

  His tone sounded ominous. Or maybe she was just imagining it. But why would Jace need to look at his security footage? It didn’t seem like the kind of thing a real estate owner would need to get involved with, and she hadn’t been aware of any incidents ever happening inside his hotels before.

  “Why? To check up on these secretive people and what they’re up to in your hotel?” she asked, half-joking.

  Jace gave her a cool look before turning back to the computer. Her heart thumped. She hadn’t really been serious, but the look on his face was clear. Don’t ask questions. What was he hiding from her?

  He tapped a few more keys while Carrie watched silently and tried to decide what to ask. And even if she should ask anything at all. If he was hiding something serious, she needed to know, least of all because it could come up in the investigation.

  “This is the footage from the night of the murder.” Jace tapped the nearest screen. “I’m going to start playing the tapes from ten-thirty, which was around the time I left to go to the bar.”

  To find some willing stranger to hook up with, Carrie couldn’t help but thinking.

  But before her thoughts went too far in that direction, Jace began to play the videos. All of the monitor screens lit up with footage from that night, all synced to play just as it had happened. Two cameras were focused on the lobby, one inside each elevator, and one on each floor’s main hallway.

  Carrie settled back into the chair and fought back a yawn. This was going to take awhile if they were going to watch the entire night from beginning until end—when the cops arrived on the scene several hours later.

  But just as she relaxed, something strange caught her eye in the video that zeroed in on the lobby doors. She leane
d forward in her seat, her breath caught in her throat. There’s no way what she was seeing was right. There was Anders Holland, walking right through the front revolving doors of The Grand Rizzato, completely and one hundred percent alive. Someone strode into the hotel beside him. Black suit, dark hair, face obstructed from view. That man looked familiar.

  He looked just like Jace.

  “Jace Holt,” Carrie’s voice was high-pitched and sharp. Angry. Her eyes flashed as she turned on him, stabbing her finger on the video screen that showed footage from the hotel lobby. “You told me you went to a goddamn bar. You’re right there with Anders Holland. You better tell me the truth right now. What happened that night?”

  Frowning, Jace glanced at the screen. Sure enough, there was Anders Holland, striding through the glittering lobby with a man who very clearly looked like himself. He leaned forward and squinted, shaking his head. The man was careful to keep his face hidden from view, so only his dark hair and muscular back were visible to the cameras.

  “That’s not me, Carrie. You can’t see the man’s face, and I would never wear a suit with sleeves that long.” Jace crossed his arms and stood. “I have a feeling I know what you’re implying, and I can’t believe you don’t trust me.”

  Carrie’s face was red as she stood to meet his hardened gaze. “What am I supposed to think, huh? Your argument is that the man’s sleeves are too long?”

  “That is exactly my argument.” Jace felt his veins pulse in his neck as he took in her expression. Doubt lit her eyes, and confusion rippled across her features. She really did think that was him on the screen. “I thought you were on my side.”

  “I am.” Carrie threw up her hands. “I was.”

  “Carrie.” Jace moved closer to her and reached for her hands, but she took a hasty step back.

  “I need to go back to work.” She glanced at the screen. “I’ll try to stall this warrant. The police cannot get ahold of this footage. If they do…”