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

  “But how can you know this?” Carrie stood and began pacing in front of the couch. She had that look on her face she used to have in college when she was in the middle of a particularly difficult assignment for one of her advanced classes.

  “Franklin found something in her apartment that he shared with me.” Jace frowned. He needed to stop here. Carrie couldn’t know anything else. “That’s all I can tell you. I need you to trust me, Carrie.”

  Sighing, she plopped back on the couch next to him and searched his eyes. “I want to. Believe me, I want to. But you have to put yourself in my place and imagine what this must look like.”

  Jace clenched his jaw. “Take your own advice.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Imagine how this must look to me.” Jace leveled his gaze with hers. “Imagine things were reversed and you were in my position. How would you feel if I even entertained the thought that you were a murderer? Me, Jace Holt, doubting Carrie Simmons. It sounds absolutely preposterous because I could never do such a thing. I’d always believe in you over anyone or anything else. And I’d be able to recognize you on a tape any day, no matter if it showed your face or not.”

  Carrie’s eyes widened. “Oh.”

  Carrie stared at Jace. He was right, of course. He would never doubt her, no matter what. Guilt flooded through her veins. It all looked so terribly condemning, but that had been the whole point, hadn’t it? Whoever was doing this wanted to frame Jace and make him look as guilty as they possibly could.

  They’d done their job, and she’d almost fallen for it. No, Jace still hadn’t offered an explanation, and she needed to know what he was hiding, but she’d still stand by him even if he wouldn’t share.

  “I’m sorry,” she said. “I know you’d never kill someone. It just looks so bad, and you’re clearly hiding something from me.”

  “There are some things you’re better off not knowing.”

  “That’s not fair.” Carrie frowned. “You wanted me to be your lawyer. You forced my boss to put me on your case. If there’s something else I need to know, you have to tell me what it is. It’s the only way I can help you.”

  Jace sighed and ran a hand down his perfect face. “You’re right. It was thoughtless of me to bring you into the middle of this.”

  “Well, thank you for finally realizing it.” Carrie couldn’t believe he’d admitted he’d been wrong. She’d been trying to drill this idea into his head for days. Involving her in this situation had only led to too many complications, and it would surely lead to more by the time this was over with, especially if he wouldn’t share whatever it was that he was hiding.

  “It’s far too dangerous.” Jace nodded. “I don’t want you looking into it any further. You’re off the case.”

  Carrie’s face drained as his words sunk in. “Excuse me?”

  “You’re right. You shouldn’t be involved.” Jace cocked his head when he noticed her shocked expression. “I thought that’s what you wanted.”

  “It’s what I wanted originally.” Carrie couldn’t help but stand as she raised her voice. “But Rick has made it very clear I have to nail this case for you. My job is on the line here.”

  “I won’t put you at risk,” Jace said. “Far too much has happened, and you’ve already been attacked once.”

  Carrie clenched her hands by her sides. She couldn’t believe him. After all he’d done to push her into this, he was now throwing her out without the slightest hint of an explanation. Rick would be furious that she’d gotten herself fired. He’d bent the rules of the firm to appease Jace’s whims, and now Jace was flipping the table on both of them.

  “Rick will be furious,” Carrie said through gritted teeth. “I’m furious. If you’re going to do this to me, at least tell me why.”

  “You’re disobeying me again, Carrie.” Jace frowned, but a hint of mischief flickered in his eyes. She couldn’t believe he was back on this disobedience thing. He’d never talked about punishment and obedience before, but he seemed intent on it now. That combined with the way he’d been taking control in the bed lately, she wondered if something in him had changed since they’d been together. But she couldn’t say she was disappointed in this new side of him…

  And she couldn’t help that a part of her was begging to find out more. Being tied up had been thrilling and electric. If his “punishment” was as good as that…

  She crossed her legs and squeezed her thighs together. He was distracting her—again—from the far more important thoughts running through her head.

  “You’re doing it again,” she said, her voice sounding throatier than she intended.

  “Doing what?” He slid closer.

  “We start talking about something important, and then you somehow manage to turn it into sex.”

  “I don’t know why you expect me to concentrate on anything else when you’re here on my couch clenching your gorgeous thighs like that.”

  Carrie blushed and tried to loosen the tension in her legs, but she only managed a twitch. Jace’s gaze was dark and hot and full of danger, just like him. What would he do if she continued to tempt him with her words? A part of her deep down inside really wanted to find out.

  “You can’t take me off the case,” she said, turning slightly to face him.

  “You’re mine.” Jace reached around her neck and grasped her hair tight in his fist. Carrie gasped, dropping back her head in response to the pleasurable pain. “And you’ll do as I command.”

  A thrill went through her body, and her thighs ached. She couldn’t believe how much she wanted him to keep dominating her like this. It felt as if she were flirting with danger, letting everything go so he could do exactly how he pleased.

  “And if I don’t?” she whispered. “What will you do then?”

  Jace’s eyes flashed with desire, and she slid her hand down his chiseled chest to feel his cock. It was so hard it strained against the seams of his pants.

  “You’ll take my punishment.”

  “Well, I’m not going to listen to you,” Carrie said barely loud enough for him to hear. “So, you’re going to have to punish me.”

  Jace stood from the couch. He grabbed her and spun her around, lifting her ass high into the air. Standing behind her, he unbuttoned her jeans and slid them down to her feet before ripping her silky thong in half. Her pussy grew wet as her breath barely escaped her throat, her heart pounding so hard it shook her chest. She’d never seen him like this before, and it made every inch of her scream with desire.

  Groaning, Jace roughly grabbed her ass before sliding his fingers between her thighs to feel her wetness. “You’re enjoying this, are you?”

  Carrie’s face felt hot and sweat dripped down her back. She’d never felt more turned on in her life, with her ass sticking up in the air and her face pressed into the slick couch. Submitting to Jace was like submitting to her deepest desires. Lack of control meant lack of thought, lack of worry, lack of doubt.

  Carrie heard Jace unzip his pants, and a moment later, the soft sound of material hitting the carpet. Her pussy ached as she lifted her ass higher in the air, yearning for him to push his cock inside her and show her how bad she was to disobey his commands.

  “Oh no you don’t,” he said with a laugh. “You haven’t had your punishment yet.”

  Carrie squirmed, panting, gripping the sleek material of the couch in her fisted hands.

  A moment later, a sharp slap rang out as pain radiated across her ass. He’d spanked her, hard, but it left her gasping for more. She lifted her ass again and gripped the couch even tighter.

  “That’s one,” Jace growled before smacking her ass again. Fire licked along her skin from where he’d made his mark. “That’s two.”

  He spanked her again, this time so hard her cheek smashed into the couch. She blinked against the pain, her thighs dripping from the intensity of her need. Jace grabbed her hips, and his cock pushed inside her. She moaned into the leather, rocking back against him. He thru
sted hard and fast, picking up speed with each passing beat. She could barely control the desire ripping through her, and in only moments, she was screaming in pleasure, wave after wave of her orgasm consuming her every thought.

  Jace spanked her one last time before pulling away. Carrie gasped, stars dotting her eyes. She didn’t know what the hell had just happened, but she wanted it again.

  That had been the best sex of Jace’s entire life. Carrie had been so excited, so eager to submit. It had been more than he’d ever hoped was possible with her. After he’d given her exactly what she needed, he’d drawn her a luxurious bubble bath and left her to relax in the jacuzzi while he ordered up some dinner for the two of them. On her way to the bath, he’d rubbed his knuckles into her shoulders, and he’d noticed the knots that had been there only days before were gone.

  Jace smiled. He’d been the cause of that.

  Unfortunately, the smile was very short-lived. The reason for the punishment in the first place was due to Carrie’s insistence on staying involved in his case. He couldn’t let her do that, and he hoped that her words had only been meant to drive him into bending her over and giving her a good spanking on that tight little ass.

  There was a knock on the door, and Jace strode to answer in only his black boxer briefs. It would only be the concierge with their food. Jace wasn’t exactly a modest man, and his private concierge was immune to Jace’s various states of undress by this point. But when Jace swung open the door, he frowned when Franklin stood there with his hands tucked into his pockets and a frown displayed on his face.

  “Franklin.” Jace crossed his arms and pulled himself tall. “I hope this is important. I’m in the middle of something.”

  “I can see that.” Franklin’s eyes flicked to the pile of clothes scattered around Jace’s living room before landing on Carrie’s ripped thong. “Unfortunately, there’s a situation downstairs.”

  “A situation.” Jace frowned.

  “The police have arrived with a warrant for the security footage. I tried to stall them long enough to come tell you, because I assumed you’d want to review the document before giving access to the tapes.”

  “Yes, of course.” A flicker of annoyance went through Jace. He’d expected this to take a little longer. Franklin may be good at what he did, but he hadn’t had much time to take care of the issue. “I’ll be right down.”

  Jace closed the door behind Franklin and went into his bedroom to change into a crisp suit. Carrie called out from the bathroom, and he stepped inside to see her sleek and glowing skin. Every inch of her was wet, her face flushed, her nipples hard. She was ready for another round of his punishment, he could tell. This was terrible timing.

  “What are you doing?” Carrie frowned as she took in Jace’s clothes. “Why are you getting dressed?”

  “The cops have arrived with a warrant for the tapes. I need to go down and keep an eye on things.”

  “What?” She shook her head and stood, putting her entire gorgeous body on display. Bubbles and water droplets trailed down her glowing skin, and for a moment, Jace couldn’t remember what the hell he was supposed to be doing.

  “I knew I should have stayed at work,” she said. “I could have slowed things down, but I was so distracted today…”

  “It was only a matter of time.” Jace backed out of the bathroom, dragging his gaze away from Carrie’s body. As soon as he was done dealing with this, he’d get right back up here and give her even more of what she so clearly needed.

  Jace grabbed a tie and began heading for the door, but the sudden sound of splashing water made him pause. Carrie emerged from the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her breasts, a determined set to her face.

  “There’s no need for you to get out of the bath.” Jace slid the tie around his neck. “Stay in the bubbles and relax. I’m sure this won’t take long.”

  “I’m coming with you,” she said, snatching her jeans from the floor and wriggling into them. “I need to check that warrant. Maybe they missed something, and I can stall them from getting ahold of those tapes.”

  “Carrie, I don’t want you involved in this mess anymore.”

  “Look,” she said, shrugging her sweater over her head and brushing her dark waves away from her face. “I’m not going to leave you hanging like this before you’ve found someone else to represent you. All I’m going to do is look at the warrant.”

  “Fine, but if you do anything else.” He glowered. “I will punish you.”

  Downstairs, Jace found Franklin with Detective Foster, the same man who had interrogated him at the police station. He had that smug look on his face again, the one that said he knew more than he let on, and Jace had the overwhelming urge to punch the man. Of course, instead, he gave the detective a charming smile as he reached out to shake his hand.

  “Detective Foster,” Jace said. “Always a pleasure to have you in my hotel.”

  “I’m sure.” The detective grinned back. “Your assistant here said you insisted on seeing the warrant yourself. I hate to say it, Mr. Holt, but these stalling tactics of yours are about to come to a screeching halt.”

  “My lawyer needs to review the document.” Jace gestured to Carrie who stood beside him, looking calm and professional even though her hair was partially wet, and her sweater was slightly askew.

  “Oh right.” Detective Foster’s gaze landed on Carrie, and he smirked. “Your step-sibling. Who just happened to be here in your hotel. Again. Looks as if I may have caught you in the middle of something.”

  Irritation flickered through Jace. He didn’t like what the man was implying. Even if it were very much true.

  Carrie stuck out her hand, and her tone was clipped when she spoke. “The warrant?”

  “Alright, here it is.” The chubby man handed over the paper, and Carrie snatched it from his fingers. “I think you’ll be disappointed to find everything is fully in order here.”

  With her eyes cast on the paper, Carrie turned away from them to read over its contents. Jace was very certain the detective was right. Everything would be in order. He just had to hope that Franklin had done a good enough job with the tapes to ensure that every shot of his lookalike was gone from the film. He’d planned on checking over it himself, but the warrant had come through much too soon.

  “That’s funny,” the detective said, pointing at Carrie’s waves. “I could have sworn I just saw a photo of hair that looked exactly like this. Now where was it?”

  With a sharp intake of breath, Carrie whipped around. Jace frowned, not entirely following the conversation. The detective looked smug, and Carrie looked as white as a sheet. Something strange passed between them before the detective tapped his forehead.

  “Oh, that’s it.” The detective grinned. “You’re the girl who was cozying up with Mr. Holt on Madison Avenue. Just outside your law office if I remember that photo right. Interesting relationship you two have. It would make quite the story.”

  Rage filled Jace’s mind, and he stepped forward. He wouldn’t allow anyone to speak to Carrie like this, not even a member of the police force. He wouldn’t let him threaten her. He wouldn’t let him ruin her reputation. This man could go right to hell.

  “Jace, don’t.” Carrie placed a hand on his chest before she turned to face the detective. “The warrant’s fine. Go get your damn tapes and leave us alone.”

  Carrie paced back and forth in front of the flickering fire while Jace ushered their dinner trays into the kitchen. The savory smell of steak swirled with the sharp scent of the Pinot Noir she held in her trembling hands. Jace looked far too calm, far too at ease for a man who would be arrested as soon as the cops watched that footage.

  While she believed the man with Anders Holland wasn’t Jace, the police would have no such doubts.

  As soon as the concierge left the two of them to their meals, Carrie tipped more wine into her glass before striding over to Jace’s side. He lifted the silver goblets off the plates and gave her a sexy smile. “Dinner is
served, Miss Simmons.”

  “Jace, we need to call Rick and tell him what’s happened,” she said. “We need to sit down and go over everything. Build up a case now. We have no time to lose.”

  Jace frowned. “It’s Friday night, and you’re not my lawyer anymore despite the stunt you pulled downstairs. You are not here to discuss business-related interests with me. You’re here for a very different reason, and nothing about that has to do with the law.”

  Carrie let out an annoyed sigh. “Rick will be furious with me if I don’t—”

  “I’ll deal with Rick.”

  “But the tapes are—”

  “There’s no need to worry about the tapes.” Jace smiled and gestured to the platter of food. “Now sit and eat dinner with me.”

  Frowning, Carrie stared at Jace’s easy smile. He was doing it again. Hiding something from her and pretending like the world was okay when it wasn’t. It was almost as if he wasn’t at all worried about being arrested…because maybe he wasn’t. A seed of a thought sprouted in her head. An impossible thought. No, he couldn’t have.

  “Jace,” Carrie said slowly, gripping the back of the dining room chair in her hands. “Tell me you didn’t tamper with those tapes.”

  Jace’s smile stayed just as it was, but something flashed in his eyes. She knew it. Her heart thumped hard in her chest. This was not good. It was going to make him look even guiltier than he already looked. Innocent men don’t tamper with evidence.

  “I did no such thing,” Jace said, spreading his hands by his sides. “If the tapes have been…adjusted in any way, I had nothing to do with it.”

  Carrie sighed and pushed away from the table, shaking her head hard. “That was stupid. When they realize someone messed with the tapes, they’ll arrest you anyway. We might have been able to prove that man wasn’t you, but now we can’t prove a damn thing.”

  Jace suddenly appeared behind her, settling his warm hands on her stiff shoulders. “You’re tense again. You shouldn’t worry so much.”