Under the Covers Read online

  Table of Contents

  Under the Covers

  Copyright

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  A word about the Author

  Thank you for purchasing this publication of The Wild Rose Press, Inc.

  Under the Covers

  by

  Jo Barrett

  This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales, is entirely coincidental.

  Under the Covers

  COPYRIGHT © 2014 Jo Barrett

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the author or The Wild Rose Press except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

  Contact Information: [email protected]

  Cover Art by R.J.Morris

  The Wild Rose Press

  PO Box 708

  Adams Basin, NY 14410-0706

  Visit us at www.thewildrosepress.com

  Publishing History

  First Champagne Edition, 2014

  Digital ISBN 978-1-62830-332-2

  Published in the United States of America

  Chapter One

  Jane had to bite her tongue and smile at Riley Atwater. Why would the man not take her hints? She wasn’t interested in anything but a business relationship. He was a nice enough guy, if you like the ladies’ man type, which she didn’t, but the constant invitations and subtle touching was really beginning to bug her. She could only dodge his hands and offers for just so long before he took offense. And that, she couldn’t let happen. The man was her landlord, and had given her a really good deal on both her shop and her apartment on the second floor.

  After years of scrimping and saving and searching, she had enough money and the perfect location in which to begin her new life. One look at Kings Gap, and she knew it was where she belonged. The drive down Main Street as the businesses disappeared and it became a long, beautifully oak-lined road of historical southern mansions was the clincher. The pride and care the townsfolk showered over their little spot on the map were hard to find in today’s world. She wanted to be a part of it, to belong to a community. Something she could never have while traipsing across the country with her father. But he was gone now, and this was her home, and she wasn’t about to jeopardize things now. Not when it all seemed so perfect.

  Well, except for Riley. And not to mention the store owner across the street. It was just her luck to have the man she wasn’t interested in pursue her constantly, while the one that sent a zing down her spine, barely gave her the time of day. And yet, Jacob Hayes, the hunky owner of Hayes General Store, barely gave anyone the time of day. She’d noticed that about him. He rarely spoke, and when he did it was usually in curt short sentences, as if he didn’t wish to waste an ounce of strength to have a normal conversation with another living soul.

  As with most small towns, everyone knew everyone else’s business, and naturally, the folks of Kings Gap had to discuss it all in great detail whenever there was a lull in the conversation. And Jacob was number two on the list of topics. The other being the question as to how deal with the smell coming from the row of chicken houses out on route eleven.

  When she’d first learned of his story, she’d felt sorry for him. No one liked the idea of being left at the altar—literally. But after having witnessed his stone-faced, terse responses on more than one occasion, she wondered if that was why his fiancée ditched and ran. Although, to be fair, they said she’d run off with another man, but still, he wasn’t the most approachable person she’d ever met either.

  She wondered if he was nicer to the tourists. After all, his store was one of the big draws for the town, since it was pretty much the way it had been when it opened in 1895. Although it had been renovated at some point to include the modern conveniences, the place kept an untouched look to it. Stocked with homemade jams and jellies, and a smattering of local crafts, many of the items in the store could easily be placed in a different century. There was a small pharmacy type of section for the over-the-counter remedies, and some toys that kids were always drawn to on excursions, but the entire place retained its old timey feel.

  The general store, the old regal houses, the very atmosphere of Kings Gap screamed home to her. She didn’t want to ruin it by making a mistake with Riley.

  “What do you say, Jane? We could even take a nice walk along the lake after dinner. It’s supposed to be beautiful tonight,” Riley said, pulling her back to their conversation, one she didn’t want to have.

  “It’s really nice of you to ask, but I have so much left to do before I open my doors. I just can’t, Riley. I’m sorry.” She cast him her sweetest, yet fake, smile. The one her father taught her when she was a kid to help sway his clients.

  “Okay, but you don’t know what you’re missing,” he said with a wink, and strolled out the door.

  She took a deep cleansing breath and returned to her work. There really was a ton of things left to do before she opened The Sew Spot, her very own quilting and sewing supply store. She’d visualized it so many times, it was hard to believe she was actually going to achieve her dream.

  With renewed energy and a true smile she carried some of the bright bolts of fabric to the rack at the front of the store. Out of the corner of her eye, she caught sight of Jacob across the street, casually leaning against the corner of his store, watching the traffic, what there was of it, and the people. She studied him for several minutes before shaking her head and getting back to work.

  “He isn’t on the agenda, girl,” she muttered. There were far too many other things she needed to do before even beginning to consider a relationship. “As if he’d be interested,” she said with a sniff.

  ****

  Jacob watched the various passersby with little interest. His gaze went back to the little store across the street time and again, then down the road to Atwater Realty. He couldn’t stop himself from wondering how long the pretty little blonde would fend off Riley. Almost all the women in town had dealings of one sort or another with the guy, but Jacob had never worried that Beth would succumb to his charms, although he had tried. Riley hit on all the women in town, but Beth was never interested.

  His stomach churned at the memory of how she’d jilted him, only not with Riley, but with Buster. Not a good thing to dwell on, but for some reason it kept popping back up lately, and he had a feeling it had something to do with the new shopkeeper across the street, Jane Walters. He was attracted to her and had been since the first moment he laid eyes on her.

  He shook his head and went back inside, determined to ignore where that train of thought would lead him. And it was time to cut Joey, his assistant, loose. The kid had done a good job so far this summer stocking shelves and handling the tourists, even though Jacob didn’t really need him. The store was all he had, all he did, other than watch a ballgame once in a while. There was the occasional call to his parents in Florida, but all in all, he didn’t have anything else to do but run the store. But the kid needed the extra bucks, so he figured why not hire him?

  “You can cut out now, Joey,” he said, passing the checkout counter.

  “Wow, thanks, Jacob!” He hung up his green apron and took out of the store like his shoes were on fire.

  Jacob chuckled to himself, knowing the kid had a hot date tonight. It made him wonder if he’d ever been that eager.

 
He nodded as he straightened up the counter. He’d been a kid once, had big ideas, big plans, and thought he was in love. Funny how one person could change all that.

  Beth’s betrayal made him grow up hard and fast. So now, he had no plans, no big ideas, and definitely no love life, which he was glad to do without. Love only led to misery anyway. And as for plans and ideas, he figured just running the store and saving up for retirement was good enough. He was happy for the most part, and that was all that mattered.

  The sunlight flashed off of the glass door across the street, shooting through the window and blinding him for a second. Miss Walters was calling it quits for the day, probably going for dinner.

  He moved closer for a better look, and let his gaze travel up her long legs, across her perfect ass, to the sunlight catching in her golden blonde hair. She was a sight for hungry eyes, no doubt about it. He’d even caught her looking at him a time or two as well, but nothing would ever come of it. Still he watched her walk to the corner, then turn and skip up the stairs to her apartment.

  “That’s the last thing I need,” he grumbled, and went back to work.

  He could do with some major sex, but getting involved with anyone in Kings Gap was a bad idea. The gossip still rambled around town about him and Beth, although it had been nearly five years. He didn’t need to add to it by having an affair with someone local. No, his occasional trip out of town, where he managed to get lucky a time or two, would have to do. He couldn’t get involved with his new neighbor, no matter how well her jeans fit, or how the sunlight caught in her hair.

  Chapter Two

  Having forgotten that she still needed a few things for dinner, Jane stopped midway up the stairs and turned. She’d have to go right by Riley’s office to get to the grocery store, she realized. And if he saw her out and about so early, he’d be after her again about going out tonight.

  She figured her best bet would be to try and sneak down the street. Not exactly the most dignified thing to do, but she just couldn’t deal with him again today.

  With as much stealth as she could manage, she eased her way down the stairs and across the street, hoping he wouldn’t see her. But she’d barely made it past the corner of Hayes General Store when the door to Atwater Realty opened.

  In a near panic, she backtracked as fast as she could, then dodged into the general store. Without so much as a glance at whoever was behind the counter, she huddled behind a rack of hats near the window. From there she could see the realty office and gauge the time for her escape.

  She withheld her groan as she spied Riley coming down the street. There had to be a better way to avoid the man. When he stopped and looked in her window, obviously not seeing her inside, he turned and headed straight for the general store.

  With a muffled shriek, she bolted down the aisle, away from the door, and looked for a place to hide.

  The bell over the door jangled, and she heard Riley’s voice.

  “Hey Jacob.”

  “Riley.”

  “Have you seen Miss Walters this afternoon?”

  Jane sucked in a breath and dashed into the stockroom as Riley’s back was turned, hoping and praying Jacob hadn’t seen her come in. She had no idea how she would explain why she was hiding in his store, but she just couldn’t face Riley again today.

  She huddled closer to a stack of flannel shirts sitting atop a half-opened box as the voices dimmed. Then, just as she thought she was safe, heavy footsteps started toward her. Had Riley left? Her heart was pounding so hard, rushing the blood through her ears, she wasn’t sure if she heard the bell over the door or not.

  Her breath came out in a whoosh as Jacob came around the corner and stopped dead in front of her. Thank heavens it wasn’t Riley, but as Jacob stood before her, his arms folded over his broad chest, and no expression what-so-ever on his face, she knew she’d have to start talking.

  She opened her mouth, but nothing came out. What could she say? As she frantically searched for words, her gaze had caught on his dark hair where a ray of sunshine coming in through a skylight created faint streaks of amber amid the neatly trimmed strands.

  He was a good looking man, not pretty-boy handsome, but fit and worth a second look on any day. Looks which she had taken.

  Her gaze wandered down, across his square jaw, along the smooth edge of his throat to his broad shoulders, then along his nicely formed arms.

  She blinked away the fascination with his biceps and other parts. Really, there were other things to think about at the moment. Not how attractive or well-built he was.

  “I, um, guess you want an explanation,” she said, and cleared the nervous rattle from her throat. A lame beginning, but she had to say something.

  One lone brow quirked up, and yet he remained silent.

  It was pretty humiliating to have to tell him the truth. “I was—that is—I…” She let out a defeated sigh. There was no easy way to say what she needed to say.

  With a subtle shake of his head, he said, “Riley’s gone,” then turned and disappeared around the corner.

  Shaking off his terse words and the split second of surprise at his accuracy, she followed him back to the front of the store. “How did you know I was hiding from Riley?”

  “My customers don’t usually visit the stockroom,” he said, continuing to walk away from her.

  Although that had to be the most she’d ever heard him utter at any one time, it was annoying to talk to someone’s back. But she was in no place to point out his rudeness. She’d been hiding in his store, after all, and his back wasn’t his worst feature.

  She forced her thoughts back in line and returned to her problem. Riley Atwater. “I don’t understand why he doesn’t take my hints,” she said.

  Jacob swept up a stack of postcards as he passed the front counter. “Because they are hints.”

  “You mean, you think I just have to tell him to stop?”

  “Yep,” he said, continuing to walk toward the end of the counter.

  “And what if he doesn’t take a flat no all that well? He is my landlord, after all.”

  The man paused in mid-stride, and she nearly plowed into his back. Looking over his shoulder, he said, “That’s a chance you’ll have to take.”

  “Oh,” she said, and blew out a deflated breath. “So you don’t know if he’ll react badly then, I take it.”

  “Nope.” He turned and continued to the end of the counter to a partially empty postcard rack.

  “There has to be an easier way to let him down,” she said, following him once again. “One without creating possibly drastic results.”

  He stopped shoving cards into the rack for a moment, his hand resting on the last one he’d placed in the slot, with a thoughtful look on his face. “Get a boyfriend,” he said with a shrug, then resumed his work, his features back to their normal stony appearance.

  “But I don’t want a boyfriend.”

  “Lie.”

  “I don’t lie. I’ve never been any good at it anyway. I—wait. I know it’s a lot to ask, but could I say—would you mind if I said you were my boyfriend?”

  The rack wobbled as his head jerked around to look at her. “What?”

  She bit her lip and looked into his widened eyes instead of at his clenching jaw. The man knew how to be intimidating, but she was desperate. “It wouldn’t be for real. I won’t bother you or anything, no dating, I promise, but if I don’t have a real person, it won’t work. I told you, I’m terrible at lying.”

  He shook his head. “No. Absolutely not.”

  “But it would only be pretend. And it would only be for a little while.” She punctuated her pathetic begging with her hands clasped beneath her chin and a huge smile on her lips. “Please?”

  He looked her over from head to toe. It was almost feral and sent a sharp tingle down her spine. This could not be good.

  “No. It would definitely—not—be pretend.” He started to turn, then paused and gave her one last heavy-lidded look, his chocolate eyes
filled with all sorts of wicked promises. “Don’t hide in my store again unless you want to find out what I’m talking about.”

  Her breath caught in her throat, as her lips formed a soundless “oh” before she hurried out of the store and back to her apartment.

  She rushed up the side stairs without a glance back, afraid she’d see him laughing at her, and headed straight to the bathroom. She snatched a cool cloth and pressed it to her forehead and neck. Her heart beat so fast she thought it would leap from her chest.

  Continuing to press the cloth to her overheated body and reel in her racing heart, she eased over to the window in the tiny living room that overlooked the street.

  There he stood, arms firmly crossed, leaning casually against the front corner of one of the windows that flanked the entrance to the general store. Why did he always stand there like that and look so good?

  His gaze lifted from the street to land on the very window in which she stood. And he wasn’t laughing.

  “Jacob Hayes, you are the devil sent to torment me,” she muttered.

  Against her will and self-imposed dictate to stay away from men for the time being, she wanted him. And that was not a good thing.

  ****

  Once again, Jacob ran the reasons he most definitely should not get involved with the woman through his head. Regardless of the fact that he’d meant his words, that she possessed soft subtle curves atop a pair of long legs he’d give his eyetooth to savor with something other than his eyes, he couldn’t risk getting tangled up with her. But he couldn’t take his eyes off the window over her store where she stood looking down at him. He couldn’t see her clearly, but she was there, and she knew he hadn’t been joking.

  Of course, he thought, stroking his chin as he watched her move away, she might be open to just plain sex. No strings, no complications.

  He muttered a curse, then turned and went back inside the store. Nah, she’d never go for a no-strings deal. And when it was over, it’d be awkward being right across the street from her. They’d have to be cordial afterward.