When the doorbell sounded, anxiousness suddenly filled Dalton’s body. It had been over a week since he’d last seen Jules, but he had thought about her every single day, dreamed about her every effing night. Already, blood was pumping through his veins, and his body was on fire, craving something he was trying to prove to himself that he could do without. And damn it, he was failing miserably, especially when he could already pick up her scent. Not Amarige specifically. This time, it was the feminine scent of a woman. A woman his body remembered mating with. A woman his tongue remembered tasting. A woman his—
“Are you going to get that, Dalton? After all, it is your house.”
He blinked and glared at Caden. Instead of giving his brother the satisfaction of a response, he headed for the door and opened it. And there she stood. Dressed in a maxi dress, jacket and boots, looking sexier than should be allowed during daylight hours. Why was he so glad to see her? Why were his mind and body telling him he had missed her? That he had been miserable for the past week? That he had wanted her, even though he’d tried convincing himself he hadn’t?
“Jules.”
“Dalton,” she said, parting lush crimson lips into a semblance of a smile. “How are you?”
“Okay, what about you?”
“Fine.”
“Damn it, Dalton, aren’t you going to let her in?” Jace called out.
Dalton stepped aside. “Come on in. The natives are getting restless.”
*
All eyes were on Jules as she stood in the middle of Dalton’s living room about to disclose why she had asked for this meeting. She could handle all pairs of eyes...except one. Curiosity was not lining the dark depths of Dalton’s pupils. What she saw nearly took her breath away, had goose bumps forming on her arms and had the area between her thighs tingling with a sensation she recognized very well.
“Jules, you wanted to meet with us,” Shana prompted.
Jules smiled at her sister. “Yes.” She paused a moment and then said, “I know that no one asked or hired me to do so, but I decided to prove that Sheppard Granger did not kill Sylvia.”
“What?”
“Why?”
“How?”
All three questions were thrown to her at once. The only one who hadn’t asked anything was Dalton, because, of course, he knew what was going on. But that didn’t stop him from keeping his intense stare on her as if he had x-ray vision, making her feel naked even while fully clothed.
“I think I can sum up all your questions in one response. Because I am a private investigator. That’s what I do for a living, and I’m good at what I do. Besides that, my sister is now a Granger. If your lives are in danger, then so is hers. The thought of that doesn’t sit too well with me. And although I’ve never met your father, my dad has, and he feels that Sheppard is serving time for a crime he didn’t commit.”
“So you’ve taken it upon yourself to prove his innocence?” Caden asked, arching a brow.
“Yes. Already, I’ve started my investigation and—”
“Started an investigation?” Shana asked with panic in her voice.
“Yes.”
“You do know what Dad thinks happened to the last private investigator, right?” Jace asked, taking Shana’s hand in his.
“Yes, I know. And I’ve looked into that situation, as well.”
Shana leaned forward in her seat. “Sounds like you’ve been quite a busy little beaver, Jules. I think you need to fill us in on a few things.”
Jules heard the censure in Shana’s tone and knew her sister didn’t like the thought of her taking on the investigation. “Okay, then. I had Manning do the legwork for a few things during that week I was in Miami.” Bringing up Miami made her force away erotic images that had suddenly sprung forth to the front of her mind.
“Who’s Manning?” Caden wanted to know.