Then & Now

by Kimberly Lowe

  And he lost it all from one stupid kiss, from a woman he didn’t even like. Where did he go from here? The whole love and lose thing didn’t set well with him. Though pestering her with an absurd amount of roses didn’t seem like a good idea anymore either.

  His phone rang tearing him out of his thoughts. Punching the speaker button, his assistant came on immediately. “Mr. Kamber, a woman is here to see you.”

  He wasn’t expecting anyone. “Who?”

  “A Ms. Eneas, sir. She says she wants to speak with you about her sister.”

  Mytrice. “Send her in.”

  He might as well get this over with. Although he had nothing to say to her. No that was wrong he had a lot to say, but wouldn’t say any of it. He was trying to help his case here not destroy it further.

  Maybe he should have a drink first. Walking over to the small wet bar, he reached for the brandy. He poured a small amount into the bottom of the crystal tumbler. When he heard the large oak door open and close behind him he added a little more to the glass.

  Turning slowly he brought the cool glass to his lips, only to spit out the tiny bit of liquid that hit his suddenly dry mouth. There in his office stood the last bit of hope he had left.

  “Alethea!”

  “You were expecting someone else?” She asked in a small voice.

  “Yes—No! I mean I was hoping it would be you, but after what I done I didn’t think…God you look good.” He smiled almost dropping his drink.

  Her cheeks reddened to match her nice fitting sweater. “Thanks.”

  He took a cautious step toward her. “Did you get my flowers?” He asked dimwittedly.

  “Yeah, all six hundred of them.” Her mouth quirked up slightly.

  “I went a little over board didn’t I?”

  “Only be a few…hundred.” Pushing some of her hair back she glanced around his office. “Nice. You can see the whole city from here.” She noted without walking over to the large bay window.

  “I’m so sorry, Thea.” He started getting right to the point. “About what happened, I wish I could explain. But I—”

  Holding up a delicate hand she stopped him midsentence. “Mytrice told me the truth. Which, frankly I didn’t believe. Until I saw how serious she was.” She paused for a moment, staring at him as if seeing him for the first time. “You really didn’t want to kiss her?”

  His chest released the tight knot that had formed over the past week. Smiling for the first time in what felt like an eternity he took another step toward her. “No, Thea. Your mouth is the only one I want to dine on.”

  It took everything he had not to laugh out loud at her expression, while she stared up at him with those kissable lips framing around her silent gasp. He had to admit that she was rather adorable with those big blue eyes wide with shock.

  Closing the space between them, he took her face into his hands. “I wasn’t lying to you. I have been waiting since high school for you.”

  Then like a prayer that had been gratefully answered she leaned forward and kissed him. He held onto her allowing the kiss to last as long as it could. Feeling her in his arms again was better than breathing.

  She lightly pulled back, giving him a look he’ll never forget. “I’ll owe Leya for the rest of my life and it isn’t the money I owe.” Letting out a slow breath, she placed her forehead against his chest.

  Kissing the top of her gorgeous head he smiled at that. “We both owe her.”

  “It looks like you have some bad news for your Aunt Penny.” She announced remembering their conversation they had the first night they reunited.

  “It’s okay. I have lots of cousins.” He winked.

  “Oh, good.” Taking his lips again, he was able to feel his heartbeat for the first time in seven days.

  Leya

  Leya Davis closed her eyes and sighed as the warmth of her bubble bath consumed her tired body. Sinking down until the water reached her chin, she watched the snow fall outside her bay window. There was nowhere else she needed to be. No one she really needed to talk to. She could lie there all day and let the world pass her by.

  Unfortunately, the world as she knew it wouldn’t allow such a pleasure. Within only a few minutes of her limited splendor, her bathroom door flew open to a man she didn’t expect for another hour or so.

  “You took my car!” Devlin Finley her lover—ex-lover—shrieked.

  “Correction. My car. I took my car.” She revised calmly as she played with bubbles in her hand. “I bought it. It’s mine.”

  “I was in the middle of dinner when my car was towed right in front of the restaurant.” He continued as if she hadn’t said anything. “When I went to dispute it with the police they said that it was stolen and that I was wanted for questioning. Do you have any idea how embarrassing that is?”

  Although he was attractive with his cute little Irish accent, he was dumb as a box of nails. She knew she shouldn’t have dated a model they’re really only good to look at and nothing more. “Of course it was, you idiot. That was the point.”

  “Why would you do that to me? Do you have any idea how stupid I looked in front of my friends?” He shrieked again reminding her of a peacock and with the shirt he was wearing he could’ve easily been trying to accomplish such a goal.

  “By friend you mean Jamie Yule?” She asked with a raise of her brow waiting for his reaction.

  He stood for a moment without saying anything. Then like the idiot that he was, he further disappointed her. “Yes. My best friend’s little sister was there.”

  Rolling her eyes she reached for the plug draining the once inviting bath. “I knew the minute I met you that you’d be my worst nightmare.” She grumbled as she reached for her towel.

  To his credit he said nothing as she covered herself and left the bathroom to her joining bedroom. She took her time picking out her outfit while he watched her from the door of her large walk in closet.

  “Leya, baby. If I’ve done something to make you this upset then you need to tell me. Because I have no idea—”

  “Are you kidding me?!” She turned on him completely irate. “Are you really going to do this? I mean, really?”

  “What? I don’t know what’s wrong?” He turn his big brown eyes into that puppy dog stare that pegged her the first time she had met him.

  But not this time. Throwing the outfit she had been holding at him she watched as the hanger nearly caught his eye. “I know your sleeping with your ‘best friend’s little sister’. Which by the way I know she’s not! You met her at a bar in town!”

  “What! No, I’m not.” He lied with such audacity she went into a violent rage.

  “Stop talking you lying peace of shit! I had you fallowed! I know everything! Now get the hell out of my house!” She screamed as she started to throw her shoes.

  “Leya! Stop it!” He yelled blocking some of the pointier ends of her heals. “Those are designer!”

  Taking a closer look at the pair she was about to throw she paused. “Your right.”

  He relaxed a moment dropping his guard and giving her a better aim. “But they’re so last year.” Giving her pitching arm one good go she got him right between the eyes.

  “Holy shit!” He squawked in pain. “Damn it, Leya! I have a photo shoot tomorrow. Oh, God! Am I bleeding? I think it’s going to swell!”

  Models! What a waist. She thought with little humor.

  Instantly her Guardian Angel arrived like he always did. Hurling the whining mess of pretty boy up, Jasper Kelley began to move him from the bedroom. Her one and only bodyguard had little trouble removing the sniveling little nothing from the room.

  “Stop manhandling me!” Devlin demanded trying to shake the larger man off. “It’s bad enough that the bitch just damaged my face!”

  Grabbing the front of Devlin’s ghastly shirt Jasper pulled him off the floor and only an inch from his face he growled. “Call her that again and I will ruin all chances of your precious career.”

  The other
man went completely limp in midair knowing that the threat was genuine.

  Jasper dropped the man to the floor, waited until he got his balance then grabbed him and shoved him out the door. He accompanied the sorry excuse for a man to the door as he whimpered and whined while he climbed into the waiting taxi that Jasper had called as soon as the man barged into the house.

  When the screaming started he knew when to come in and when to wait. In the nine years he had been her guard he learn her quirks, which made him able to control the situation better than anyone else. Although she only had him and her long time butler, Victor the older man had just allowed Jasper the right to handle her problems.

  As he watched the taxi leave the long drive, he wondered why she got mixed up with the wrong man every time she turned around. She didn’t deserve the shallow pretty boy type yet she kept bringing them home.

  “Another one?” Victor asked from the entry way.

  “Yeah. But don’t worry that one won’t be back.” He stated as he closed the solid oak door.

  The older gentleman chuckled lightly. “With you, they never do.”

  Damn straight. Though if it was up to him he wouldn’t permit them in to begin with.

  “That’s why I keep him around.” Leya’s sweet voice sang from the top of the stairs.

  “Right.” Victor agreed. “Someone needs to take out the trash every once and awhile and I’m too damn old.”

  Jasper smiled at the comment knowing the lady of the house would shake it off like she usually did. Only when he looked up her face wasn’t amused as it typically was. Her eyes weren’t as bright as they should be and the lines around her delicate face were more pronounced then a woman her age should have.

  All these ridiculous men were starting to wear on her. He wanted to race up those stairs and take that perfect body into his arms and show her what a real man could give her. Though that wasn’t his place and it never will be.

  Pushing the thought out of his mind he straightened his shoulders and folded his hands in front of him. “Will there be anything else, Miss. Leya?”

  She gave him a weary smile. “No, Jasper. That will be all.” With that she turned back to her room leaving him standing at the bottom of the landing.

  He rubbed the back of his neck while he slowly made his way into the kitchen where Victor had resumed making lunch. He wasn’t really sure when his fillings for Leya had turned more romantic then professional. It had been in the last few years however, that he had definitely noticed more attractive characteristics about the teenager he once looked after.

  He had been hired right before her parents were killed in a horrible plane crash nine years ago. She had been sixteen, quiet and somewhat shy when he was first took the position. But that all changed when the news of her parents finally sank in.

  Nine years of reckless behavior, random men, and rash decisions. But from time to time she reminded him of that shy teenager who loved books and dreamed of saving the world.

  He was twenty-three when he had started. Young and determined to make her his top priority. Nothing had changed except now that sixteen year old was now twenty-five and he had found that she needed more protection from herself than anyone else.

  Maybe that’s what it was. His protective nature was attracted to her need to be protected. Or maybe it was his lack of a real relationship over the last few years that was drawing him toward her. No, that wasn’t it and he knew it. Whatever it was had him up at night dreaming of his boss and her exquisite body.

  “If you get any deeper in thought, that vain in your head is going to pop.” Victor advised without looking up from his sandwich stacking.

  Jasper grunted in response as he took a seat at the bar. Although he was pretty sure his friend had no idea of his feelings, he eased into the topic carefully. “Vic, when you got custody of Leya, shortly after her parents died, did any of her family ever come to see her or express interest in having her for their own?”

  “She had no other family.” Victor answered quietly.

  He nodded. Victor and his late wife Annie were the Davis’s closest friends even though they were their employees. They did a fine job helping to raise Leya under the circumstances. Yet, he wondered if Victor blamed himself for her vigorous way of life.

  “I think she’s getting tired of this routine.” He finally said after a long pause between them. “I could see it in her eyes today.”

  “Yes, well…” Victor started. “I figured she would eventually.”

  He nodded again accepting the deli sandwich, the other man made for him.

  “Though, to be honest. She won’t completely stop until she gets what she really wants.”

  “And what’s that?” He asked between bites.

  “You.”

  Leya leaned against her bedroom door for a long moment while she stared at the mess of shoes that lay in disarray in front of her closet. While Jasper had escorted Devlin to the door she had quickly changed into her rode and rushed to watch him “take out the trash” as Victor so eloquently put it.

  Sighing heavily she made her way to her bed and then threw herself into the pillowy haven. She snuggled as deep as she could before letting out a frustrated squeal. It was official; her teen crush on her sexy bodyguard was never going away.

  She remembered the day he first walked into her home. He was so magnificent she could hardly breathe when her father introduced them. Although, she had been shy and reserved she couldn’t stop thinking about him and those arms and lips and God, those eyes. His eyes held the power to stop her dead in her tracks.

  After her parents death she wanted to run into those arms and never come out. But he remained professional, allowing Annie to console her. Then when Annie died only three short years later, he let Victor and her console each other. Staying in the corner and remaining the strong protector her parents hired.

  She never understood why her parents hired him to begin with. Victor claimed that there had been no death threats, no real danger of any kind. Yet, at the time of her mother’s death she distinctly advised that Jasper stayed on as her guard with a substantial paycheck.

  Maybe her parents wanted their little girl to always be safe. She remembered them being highly protective of her. Or maybe they figured she would come out of her shell and become havoc on society. Whatever their reason she found herself on countless occasions blaming them for her torture. She doubted there was anything more suffering then wanting something you can never have.

  The phone on her vanity rang and she ignored the first few rings, until curiosity got the best of her. Jumping off the bed she rushed to her privet line. “Hello?”

  “Did you hear about Sophia?” Alethea asked excitedly.

  “Oh, god! Don’t tell me she’s been eaten by an ape! I won’t forgive myself for that.” She teased, remembering her friend’s morbid fear of gorillas. With good reason, thanks to Ella’s cousin who nearly killed them playing dress up.

  “No.” Thea giggled. “She ran away to Scotland with that sexy Scot, leaving John behind.”

  Now that was interesting. “Good. I’m glad she took my advice. I hated that prick. Though, when I told her to explore the better side of Scotland I didn’t mean the country.”

  “Apparently, the best way to explore anything is going the whole way.” Thea laughed.

  “This coming from the once recluse.” She playfully pointed out.

  “Yeah, well my friend dragged me out and showed me what I was missing.” Thea countered as a male’s voice rumbled in the back, reminding Leya of Thea’s new man. Her friend giggled at whatever Jace said.

  Even though she was completely happy for her long time friend and was utterly shocked that Jace Kamber, “Bracey Jacey” had bulked up to be a real hunk, her heart sank at the sound of true happiness radiating from her friend’s laugh.

  Jealousy was an ugly monster. And it was pent up on driving her crazy. First Maddie, then Amelia, then without forgetting Alethea and now Sophia, her heart was at wits
end.

  “Anyway,” Thea said getting them both on subject. “Ella told me that Sophia will be back on Saturday and they’re going to throw a dinner party at his house. She wanted to know who you’ll be bringing.”

  Who indeed. “Jasper.” She answered without thought. If only.

  “Well yeah. And?” Her closest friend asked without any indication of what Leya was going through.

  No one except Ella knew of her longing over her bodyguard. She kept it pretty close to the chest. The only reason Ella knew was from one really drunken night that her friend had driven her home and took care of her. The next morning she swore Ella to secrecy, and her friend hadn’t let her down since.

  “And no one else. Just Jasper.”

  “Okay then. See you later.”

  “Bye.” She figured that Thea didn’t ask about Devlin, because Devlin was like all the other men she ran through. He was nothing more than a diversion from what she couldn’t have.

  Leya wanted to scream. She knew her face was red and her nerve was wavering. Some of her male friends could really throw a wild party. And just as she had expected, this party proved to be as reckless as the last four. At this point she could hardly wait for Sophia’s dinner party, knowing that it wouldn’t be so boisterous.

  While she took random sips of her drink, she watched as one of the drunken members of the night try to surf with a couch cushion as his board and the stairs as his waves. Of course, it ended in failure with the idiot landing on his face. The drunken dupe was up and laughing, causing her to move to the other side of the room.

  If she had to put up with one more suicidal drunk she was going to lose it. She wished she could’ve come up with a good excuse not to come tonight. This was ridiculous. There was no reason to be there.

  “Hey.” A deep voice came at her side.