Dangerous Kiss (The Layton Family 1)

“Oh my God, what happened now? I just heard about how you chased down the killer. Margret Goodwin said she saw Chris carry you back to the restaurant. Are you okay?” Beth accentuated her words with a loud slurp of her ever-present coffee.

“I kissed him.”

“You kissed the Voice of Doom?” Beth’s voice went up three octaves.

“No, I did not kiss him! I kissed Jake. Well…more than that.” Claire wandered into the living room and nudged Onion off the couch. “Not a lot more, but not as much as I wanted. We almost went at it right there on the kitchen counter. I can’t

seem to control myself around him.”

She bent and picked up a few stray dog hairs from the overstuffed gray cushions. Onion shed fur everywhere and it seemed to travel with Claire. She’d found dog hair in her office at Harvest, where he’d never been, carried in on some item of her clothing.

“You really like him.” Beth giggled. “Miss Picky Dater has finally found a guy who makes her melt.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Oh, come on, Claire. You’ve lived like a nun for long enough. There’s nothing wrong with having the hots for Mr. Tall, Dark and Studly.”

“Very funny. I don’t live like a nun, I just work a lot. Anyway, it won’t work out because we hate him.”

“We do, huh?”

“Yep.”

“More information, please.”

Claire harrumphed and plopped down on the couch, still warm from Onion. “At Harvest, he questioned me like I was a criminal.”

“So he did his job as a private investigator?”

Unable to sit still, Claire popped up from the couch and marched over to the bay window. Yep. He was still out there, his SUV bracketed by the storm clouds rolling across the pink and gold horizon.

“Beth, you’re not helping. He’s obnoxious. Plus, he knows why Kendall’s phone and flash drive are so important, but he won’t tell. Some bullshit about client confidentiality.”

“As a lawyer, I must remind you that client confidentiality is not just ‘some bullshit’.”

“This is why everyone hates lawyers.”

“Only until they need one. Enough lawyer jokes. Start talking, Claire.”

She told Beth about Jake, the killer’s latest phone call and her trashed house.

“I know you don’t want to hear this, but it is not safe for you to stay out there by yourself.”

“Agreed. So you’re good with me coming to your place?”

“Of course! We’ll watch a chick flick and talk shit about Jake. I have mocha coffee ice cream and whipped cream.” Beth paused. “I’m on my way to get you now. Will you be okay until I get there?”

“Sure, I’m not alone. Jake’s sitting in my driveway.”

“What?”

“He wouldn’t leave. Told me I’d have to get Hank to come arrest him.”

Beth laughed so hard she snorted. “Oh my God, have you ever met your stubborn match.” She sighed and took another loud slurp of coffee. “Okay, I’ll be there in about twenty minutes.”

“See ya then.” Claire clicked the phone off. Her gaze locked on the SUV. Despite her irritation, having him out there set off the butterflies in her stomach again. Made her imagine what it would be like to have Jake around all the time.

Onion’s nails clicked on the hardwood floor. He stopped in front of the plywood-covered front door and whined. She reigned in her fantasy and opened the door.