Long-Lost Mom Read online

  He thought Kristen was looking for a job, Jenna realized with relief. Well, what else could he think? He could never in his wildest dreams guess the truth. “It might be a while,” she said, not exactly eager to face what had to be done. What should have already been done.

  “Never mind, it’s okay.” Kristen nearly ran to the door. “We can finish another time. Thank you,” she said to Jenna, giving her a look Jenna had no trouble reading.

  Tell him!

  Don’t you dare leave! Jenna silently begged in response.

  “Take care,” Kristen said.

  Stone looked surprised at Jenna’s outburst. “No! I need your résumé, remember?” Jenna jumped up, desperate to delay the inevitable.

  “I won’t forget. Goodbye, Stone.” Kristen hesitated. “I hope to see you again. Will you tell Sara you saw me?”

  Jenna’s heart stopped. Stone’s gaze was shuttered. “Why would I do that?”

  “So that maybe you could tell her I asked about her. That I send my—” She stumbled over her words when Stone didn’t make a move to encourage her. “So you can tell her I said hello.”

  He stared at her. “I’ll tell her.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered, her eyes bright as she left

  Stone rose and came toward Jenna. He stopped so close his thighs brushed hers. “Why are you so tense?” He lifted her chin so he could meet her eyes. “I wish you wouldn’t hide from me.”

  “Hide?” She laughed nervously, pulling away to sit at the chair behind her desk. “I’m right here.”

  “You know what I mean.” With slow grace he closed the space between them. He leaned forward, his big hands on the arms of her chair, surrounding her, crowding her in the nicest of ways. One hand lifted and his fingers brushed her jaw gently. Tenderly. Lowering his head, his mouth replaced his fingers, and she felt him kiss the puckered skin of her scars so lightly, with such gut-wrenching care, tears welled.

  “What did Kristen mean,” Stone murmured against her skin, “when she asked you about lingering pain?”

  “Did you stop by for pleasure or business?”

  “I asked first. Are you hurting from this?” As his mouth hovered close, his fingers spread wide over the side of her face, his thumb brushing over her lips as if he wanted to feel her answer, as well as hear it.

  “I...can’t think when you touch me,” she said against those warm fingers.

  “So don’t think.” His body brushed closer, then closer, so she could feel the heat of him sink into her skin.

  His name drifted in a sigh off her lips.

  Her name drifted off his and he bent to kiss her.

  The door to the office swung open to reveal a shocked Kristen.

  “I’m back,” she said too brightly, waving an envelope. “And I’ve got my resumé.” She shot Jenna a glance that spoke volumes. “Stone, I think someone is just pulling up to your office.”

  When Stone moved to the window to peek out, Kristen glared at Jenna and mouthed, Stop kissing and start telling!

  Stone turned back, strode over to Jenna and, disregarding Kristen’s fascinated stare, kissed her just long enough to have her eyes crossing with want. “I came to talk to you about hiring a clerk for my office, but we can do that later. I’ll see you soon,” he promised quietly.

  As he strode out, Jenna fell limply into a chair, thankful down to her curling toes she didn’t have to answer.

  Kristen grinned. “Got any brain cells left?”

  “Not many.” Jenna fanned herself, feeling ridiculously juvenile to be so bowled over by a kiss. “What are you doing? Why did you come back?” She tossed the empty envelope aside. “You don’t have a résumé.”

  “I’m making sure you don’t make another mistake. I stepped aside too many times in our lives, and yes, I realize we’re old enough to take care of ourselves now, but I thought I’d save you, anyway.” She pointed. “Now listen up, little sister. No more hanky-panky until you tell him. You’ll just make it worse.”

  “Do you think I plan such things?” Jenna asked incredulously.

  “Hmm. No, I can see how you lose yourself. He’s incredible. Just don’t forget, you have a strategy. Make him fall in love with you. Love. Not lust, though...” She glanced out the window at the retreating Stone, whose long amazing legs, strong defined arms and taut backside all moved with the easy grace of a man very much in charge of himself and his emotions. “I can definitely see where the lust comes from.”

  Like starstruck giggly teens, they crowded the window, watching Stone walk away. God, he was something, Jenna a thought. A well-honed machine, all those muscles and well put together bones running smoothly.

  “He did grow up fine, didn’t he?” Kristen asked a bit breathlessly.

  “Yeah.” And the knowledge didn’t ease the ache of unfilled desire pounding through her. Not one little bit.

  Make him fall in love with you.

  Kristen’s words haunted Jenna as she tried to work the next day, for she had no idea how to accomplish this. Besides Stone, no one had ever fallen in love with her; she’d certainly never contrived to make them do so.

  She had a million things to do. Place ads, read the Help Wanted section in all three of the papers she’d dumped on her desk, run checks on two new people she’d interviewed the day before. And that was just the beginning.

  Oh, yes, she had lots to do, she thought, continuing to pace her office. Lots to do and all she could think about besides her daughter was that sexy man a couple of offices down from hers.

  The night before he’d tried to convince her to come to dinner with him and Sara, and as much as her heart yearned to do just that, she’d declined. It had nearly killed her. Getting to know Sara was so important, but she couldn’t let herself indulge in that luxury, not until she’d told Stone the truth, something she couldn’t do until she had him alone.

  “Ridiculous,” she muttered. “Asinine. I’m a complete fool.” Continuing to berate herself, she pulled out her purse. Buried in the zippered compartment in the bottom, was a small photograph.

  Sara.

  It had been taken immediately after her birth. It was faded, wrinkled—and her most precious possession.

  “I’m so sorry, baby,” she whispered, caressing the photo as if it were Sara’s skin she was touching. “I’m trying to fix it, really I am. Right now.” That decided, she once again buried the photo and straightened. She had every right to walk on down there to Stone’s office, didn’t she? His brother had just died, for Pete’s sake. She should go down and see if he was okay.

  Leaping on that excuse, Jenna flipped on her answering machine and practically ran out of her office.

  She stepped into Stone’s shop, only to come to an abrupt halt.

  Chaos reigned.

  The phone rang off the hook. The huge saw was on, its roar filling the shop, but no one was near it. The large room was hot, as if the heat had been accidentally left on all night. On the counter a small fan blew ineffectually at the too-warm air.

  Flying around it were sheets of paper, and given the unaccustomed emptiness of the counter, Jenna imagined that the fan could be blamed for this, as well.

  There were things she remembered about Stone, things she would never be able to forget. Not necessarily a neat man, he did thrive on order.

  There was no order here, none at all.

  Something was wrong and dread knotted in her stomach.

  “Stone?”

  At the silence more dread filled her, for Stone was always careful. He’d never leave his shop unattended, with important papers flying about and a saw running. Not unless he’d gotten hurt again—

  “Stone!”

  The sun beamed through the windows on the side of the shop, blinding her, but she ran toward his office and jerked the door open without invitation.

  It was empty.

  When she turned to leave, she saw him. She’d missed him before because of his utter stillness and the glare of the sun, but he stood directly i