Free Home Is Where the Heat Is by Amelia James Page A

She stood up to join JT at the window, but the room spun, and she grabbed a bedpost as she fell to her knees. A tinny ringing filled her ears as spots flashed before her eyes.
    His strong hand touched her shoulder and lifted her up, then he guided her to the chair, then ran to the bathroom for a glass of water.
    “Thank you.” Her voice cracked, and she clutched the glass with trembling hands.
    He squatted, bringing his eyes level with hers. “They’re not here for us. Even if the judge found out, she wouldn’t send the police after us. She’d wait till we showed up in court tomorrow.” He caressed her cheek, peeling damp hair from her neck.
    “I know.” She gulped the water and coughed, reasoning with herself to fight back the wave of irrational panic before it turned into a full-on overreaction. “I always imagine the worst possible thing that could happen, even if it isn’t realistic. In my mind, we would’ve been arrested for contempt. I’d lose my job, the trial would be miscarried, you’d be fined or worse.”
    “But we weren’t .” A short siren blared and the lights moved away. He looked out the window. “They’re leaving—without us. We’re safe.”
    She shook her head. “I’ll never be safe with you.” She’d tried to overcome the fear, to join him on a thrill ride, but this attraction cost too much. “I can’t do this anymore.” She braced her hands on the armrests and slowly stood.
    He crossed the room in two steps and slipped his arms around her waist. “The trial won’t last forever.”
    But she’d regained her strength and stepped back, free from him. “Doesn’t matter. There’d be questions about how and when we met, maybe an investigation. It would never work.”
    “I’ll make it work.” His jaw clenched.
    She buttoned her blazer, closing the argument. “Goodbye JT.”
    “Claire, don’t.” He grabbed her arm but she shook him off.
    Her vision blurred as she reached for the door. The old hinges squeaked, announcing her departure. She left the door open behind her, an invitation for him to pursue, but she made it to her car alone. It’s better this way. The engine sputtered as if unwilling to leave, but she pushed the gas pedal and forced her determination on it. She turned the heat up full blast and watched the motel through the rearview mirror while the windshield defrosted.
    No sign of him. A wave of sickening regret rose from her stomach. She’d lost another man to circumstances beyond her control. Blind luck, cruel fate.
    She’d see him in court tomorrow. His legal duty would force him to show up. No doubt he’d watch her from the jury box, his penetrating blue gaze stripping her as naked as she’d been on that quilted bed. She couldn’t expose herself to that again. Maybe she could find an excuse to avoid the courtroom—call in sick, or find something she had to research right away. Keep busy with other tasks until the trial ended.
    And then she’d never see him again.
    I can live with that. Can he?
    Somewhere in the darkest corner of her wounded heart, a flame of hope ignited—and refused to be extinguished.

 
    Chapter 6
    The motel’s ancient pipes groaned and rattled as the old showerhead spurted brown water. JT jumped back and let it run clear, hoping it would get warm at some point. Unfortunately, his luck didn’t go that far this morning. The cold jarred him awake, shocking him into taking stock of what he had to accomplish. Shower, check. Get dressed, check. Find his way home, in progress.
    He got in his truck and switched on the GPS. He’d paid no attention to his surroundings on the way up here. How the hell had Claire found this place? He’d been to the mountains plenty of times, but this little town and its sheltered location remained a mystery.
    The sun rose bright and clear as JT rested his arm on the steering wheel and glanced at his watch. If he didn’t run into rush-hour traffic, he’d have time to go home and change clothes before