A Love to Remember

by Angela Weaver

  Trey stepped into the room and let loose a low whistle. “I don’t want to pry, but is this place is expensive to keep up? I knew Camden had deep pockets, but this is truly impressive.”

  Sasha clamped both hands together as the need to talk to someone about the inheritance beat like a herd full of elephants in her chest. “Trey, Uncle Camden left me twenty-five million dollars, the house, the animals and the responsibility of providing oversight for his foundation.”

  On the verge of hysterics, Sasha hugged herself. “All I wanted was to research animals in their natural habitat. Eventually I would settle down, get married, have a child and a cat and live in a normal house with a small car. Now I’m in this huge mansion and have responsibility for a dog, a cat, an iguana and a foundation.”

  She closed her eyes and then froze as she felt strong arms pulling her forward. Her brow rested on his broad shoulder and Sasha relaxed in Trey’s embrace. “All I want is to have my godfather back so I can make him undo this mess.”

  Several heartbeats passed in silence before Trey spoke. “Everything will be alright, Sasha.”

  She kept her eyes closed and breathed deeply. The clean scent of his aftershave tantalized her nose. She sighed before answering, “My father practically excommunicated Uncle Camden from our lives after finding out he had money. He’ll lose it when he finds out that I’ve inherited all of this.”

  “It can’t be that bad.”

  “I wouldn’t be too sure about that. Long before I was born my father added wealthy people and capitalism to his list of the seven deadly sins.”

  More reluctant than she’d dared admit, Sasha stepped out of his arms. “Part of me feels the same way.”

  “Sasha, I knew that Camden wasn’t a pauper—after all, he did make generous donations to the shelter. But even I didn’t know that he was a multimillionaire.”

  “You and me both.” She weakly chuckled. “My godfather was a different breed of man. He was honorable, decent, kind, caring and fair.”

  “I agree. Having money doesn’t make a person bad. It’s what they do with their money that counts.”

  “You’re right.”

  Trey cupped his ears. “What did you just say? I couldn’t hear you.”

  Sasha laughed and the sound reached way down in his gut and relaxed muscles he didn’t know were tensed.

  She playfully swatted him on the shoulder. “Very funny.”

  Trey grinned thinking about how long it had been since he’d enjoyed himself so thoroughly. “I’m sorry, but I’ve had a complex since I was little. There has to be some unwritten rule in my family that no matter what the men say, the women will always tell them they’re wrong.”

  “I can tell you know that I call a spade a spade and a snake a snake. When it comes to Uncle Camden’s pets, you’re the expert.”

  “You’ve got a deal. And when it comes to monkeys, aardvarks, elephants and anything else that belongs in the forest, I’ll leave that up to you.”

  He reached out his hand with his palm upward with every intention of shaking her hand. But as soon as the warmth of her palm touched his, his fingers closed and all of Trey’s senses were full of her. He savored the sight of her: her midnight hair gleaming in the setting sun, her flawless brown skin, her eyes—deep brown, like Georgia pine—the feel of her skin, soft as silk, yet suggestive of great strength and tremendous resilience in her touch; and her scent. Something sweet and soft, sandalwood, he thought, combined with the subtle scent of her own body in a blend that was heady enough to drown him. Trey drew a deep breath.

  He lowered his head and settled his mouth on hers. He felt her initial resistance slowly melt away and he pulled her closer, deepening the kiss. When her lips parted and allowed his tongue entrance, the sweetness of it rocked his world.

  Suddenly, Sasha pulled away and backed up. “That was unexpected,” she said softly.

  “Was it unpleasant?” he asked in a deep, husky voice. He didn’t ask out of curiosity because Trey knew enough about women to know that Sasha had enjoyed their kiss.

  She cleared her throat and looked everywhere else but at him. “I seem to have forgotten my manners. Can I get you something to drink?”

  “I’m fine.” Trey followed her to the hallway and almost bumped into her as she came to an abrupt stop. “The question is are you okay?”

  She met his gaze as she toyed with a lock of her hair. “I’m fine. I’m just trying to remember where the kitchen is.”

  “Ahh, the kitchen,” Trey repeated. “My mother considers it the most important room in the house. My father thinks it’s the basement.”

  Her brow furrowed. “Why the basement?”

  “It’s the only room in the house she let him decorate. My dad went all out with the home theater, wine cellar, bar and a billiards table.”

  “Speaking about your mother. You’d better go. You don’t want to keep her waiting.”

  “I forgot to take a look at Lucky,” Trey said.

  “Lucky?” she repeated.

  “The iguana.”

  She blinked and then laughed. “Uncle Camden named him Lucky?”

  “It is a she and your uncle rescued Lucky from his backyard.”

  “I’m not an expert in reptiles, but an iguana of her size is not native to the American Southeast.”

  “You’re right. The best we could come up with is that one of his neighbors decided to give her up because she’d grown too large to keep in fish tank. It’s an appropriate name.” He pointed to Lucky who seemingly slept under one of the sunlamps. “It’s a rags to riches story. How many iguanas do you know outside of the zoo that get their own custom built habitat, room service and medical treatment?”

  Sasha laughed. “So he took in a homeless lizard. That sounds just like something that Uncle Camden would do. Any other adventures you want to tell me about?”

  “Ask me that question one night after drinks. You wouldn’t believe me if I told you when you were sober.”

  “I will save that for another time.” Sasha reached up and ran her fingers through her hair. Mrs. Blackfox’s stylist, Fredrick, had done an excellent job. “Please tell your mother ‘thank you’ for me.”

  “You could join us for dinner and deliver the message in person.”

  “Thank you for the invitation.” Sasha faked a wide yawn. “But I’m going to turn in. I guess I haven’t completely adjusted to the time change.”

  From the skeptical look on his face, she could tell that Trey wasn’t buying her act. But she hoped that he’d be a gentleman and let it pass. She’d had a hard time dodging his mother’s questions and an even harder time not giving away the fact that even after just having met her son, she liked Trey more then she cared to admit.

  “She’ll be disappointed,” he pointed out.

  That was something Sasha didn’t doubt for a moment. “Good night, Trey.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow when you come to pick up Darwin. Then I’ll let you in on a little proposition.”

  “That sounds ominous.”

  He stepped closer and leaned down. Sasha’s entire body stilled as every nerve seemed to focus on Trey. His cheek brushed against hers and the feel of his lips against her skin sent a shiver down to the tips of her newly French manicured toenails.

  “Don’t forget to lock the door behind me.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  He turned and left her standing there in the foyer. When the door clicked shut behind him, Sasha stared at the wood paneling as it settled on her that she was alone in the huge mansion. She jumped out of her skin when something brushed up against her leg. Zaza began to rub her head against Sasha’s pants. “Well, it’s just us girls.” She bent down and rubbed her head. “How about we head back to the kitchen and fix up some dinner?”

  Twenty minutes later Trey leaned against the door-frame and pressed a doorbell to the company-owned condominium in the heart of Buckhead. When the door swung open, he sauntered inside and enveloped his mother in a big hug. “Ready
to go out?” Trey asked.

  After spending thousands on hotel accommodations when in town for business, his brother Marius had purchased the three-bedroom luxury home even before the contractor had broken ground. Without waiting for an answer, he slipped by her and stood in the middle of the open foyer.

  “I was on the verge of calling you.” She tapped her foot.

  He turned around from gazing out the large curtainless windows. “Sorry, it took a little longer than I expected to find Sasha’s place.”

  At the mention of Sasha’s name, Trey wanted to hit himself as he caught a flash of excitement cross his mother’s face. “You took so long I ordered in Chinese. Before you ask, I ordered a large portion of the sweet and sour chicken, an egg roll, hot and sour soup and a few extra fortune cookies.”

  He walked over and enveloped her in a bear hug. “You’re the greatest.”

  “Yes. I love you, too. Now, wash your hands. The table is set.”

  After getting out of the bathroom, Trey took a seat at the oval dining room table. He looked over and noted that there were place settings for three people. He hadn’t been able to break his chopsticks before she brought up the topic that he’d hoped to avoid.

  “I had thought you would invite Sasha to dine with us.”

  “She turned me down.”

  “Really?”

  “Yep.”

  “Did you try to change her mind?”

  Trey looked away from his mother’s discerning gaze and did an elaborate job of spreading his napkin on his lap.

  “Thought so. Well, tell me about Sasha.”

  “You must be off your game today, Mom. Back in the day, all I had to do was miss picking up my phone on the first ring and you’d have the girl’s name, age and social security number. You mean that after spending an entire afternoon with Sasha you didn’t get her biography and references?”

  His mother narrowed her eyes and pointed her chopsticks in his direction. “Cute, son. She’s a very intelligent and refreshing young woman. But I didn’t ask many questions because I didn’t want to scare her off with the nosey-mother routine.”

  “What about me?” His voice rose. “You ask me questions all the time.”

  “You don’t count. You’re my son. It’s expected that I pry into your personal life.”

  “She’s new in town and she’s going to be a very import art client and benefactor of the clinic.”

  “And?” his mother asked expectantly.

  He popped a pineapple into his mouth. Before leaving the clinic to take Sasha home, he’d gotten a call from the Atlanta zoo inviting him to sit in on a meeting next week. Apparently, the board of directors had given the green light to start a new outdoor exhibit. The planned occupants would be a set of ten golden lion tamarins, which were native to Brazil and would greatly enhance the zoo’s primate exhibit. There would need to be a lot of work done to build a suitable habitat and he couldn’t think of anyone more qualified than Sasha to assist with the project. “I’m hoping that she’ll help at the zoo.”

  “Trey, stop beating around the bush. Are you going to sleep with the woman, then dump her when you get bored?”

  He was so caught off guard by his mother’s question that he dropped a piece of chicken. Trey felt his heart rate accelerate, and he forced his eyes not to drop. What had Sasha told his mother about the attorney’s office?

  “Don’t look so shocked. I’ve heard about your exploits. Your reputation of a lady’s man. Brandon brags that you’re following in his footsteps.”

  “It’s not like that.”

  “It better not be. One die-hard bachelor in this family is more than enough. I cannot believe that your grandfather hasn’t done something about him.”

  Trey’s brow knitted. The youngest of his father’s siblings, Brandon Blackfox had taken his inheritance and started a law firm. Brandon was one of the best corporate attorneys in Georgia, and whenever Trey needed legal advice he called his uncle. Trey had grown up seeing his uncle as a second father.

  Brandon’s fiancée had died in a car accident and he’d vowed never to marry. That didn’t keep the women from trying to get him down the aisle and his uncle from making appearances at V.I.P social events with a beautiful escort on his arm. Yet, it was a surprise to hear how much his uncle’s lack of a wife worried his mother. “I’ve got too much work to be out in the nightclubs. I barely date.”

  “That’s not what Dr. Robinson told me today.”

  Trey took a long drink of tea and wished he hadn’t left his cell phone in the car. He could have called to check in and concocted an emergency at the clinic to get away. His mother’s determined look let him know that he wouldn’t be leaving the dining room table without bearing his soul or at least opening up his black book and giving his mother a high-level overview of his personal life. The thing was that he couldn’t fault her for her actions. How could he? Her only concern was his happiness. And that alone had him leaning back in his seat, embarrassed at what he imagined his partner had described. “Don’t believe everything you hear.”

  “So you’re not a jet-setting playboy wooing women in four states?”

  “Four?” He shook his head. “No. Two, maximum.”

  “Trey,” his mother said, and sighed in disappointment.

  She stood up and came over to his side of the table. Her hands rested on his shoulders and Trey wanted to scrunch down. He felt as if he was about three years old and he’d just been caught with his hand in the toilet bowl.

  “You need to settle down, son.”

  “I bought a loft,” he responded.

  “You should have bought a house,” she scolded softly. “I had a nice one picked out for you.”

  “I’m not ready for that.”

  “Will you ever be? It’s time that you grow up and start a family.”

  “I’m the youngest, remember? Marius and Caleb need to go first.”

  “Don’t you think I’ve talked to them about this before? Your father and I won’t always be around.”

  “Mom.”

  “No, you need to listen. I worry about all of you all the time. I just want you to be happy.”

  “I am. I’ve got a thriving practice and the challenge of working on the special projects at the zoo.”

  “But want about your personal life? What about all the wonderful things that you can give to a child? You will make a great father, baby. And your father and I don’t want you to miss out on that joy.”

  He sighed in surrender. He couldn’t argue with his mother. None of them could. The five foot six inches, sixty-four-year-old woman commanded four grown men with the inflection of her voice and the look in her eyes.

  “I hear you and I’ll think about it,” he said sheepishly.

  “Good.” She walked over and returned to her seat on the opposite side of the dining room table. “Do you need any help? I have quite a few friends on the national board.”

  “No need. I’ve already got someone in mind.”

  “Really? What’s her name?”

  Trey froze and then blurted out the name of the first woman who came to mind. “It’s Sasha.”

  His mother smiled and his heart joined the sweet-and-sour chicken churning in his stomach.

  “Wonderful. You know that your father and I are going to Bermuda next month.”

  “Uh-huh. Grandmother and Grandfather going, too?”

  “Yes. We’re going to take the yacht right after Grandfather’s birthday. I’m planning a get-together and you should bring Sasha.”

  “She travels a lot. Might not be in country,” he hastily replied.

  “Either way, promise me that you’ll at least invite her? She can be my guest. Sasha is beautiful enough to pull Marius away from work for a few hours.”

  Oh, hello, no. Trey took a gulp of his drink. The last thing he wanted was to introduce Sasha Clayton to his oldest brother. Women loved Trey, but they lusted after Marius. His parents had hired only male babysitters because the girls had alway
s wanted to flirt with him.

  “I’ll ask her about her schedule,” was the best response he could come up with on the spur of the moment.

  Rose put down her chopsticks and politely patted her lips with the napkin. “You can do better than that.”

  “I’ll invite her to the party,” he said.

  His mother beamed at him while he added a mental caveat—after he’d had Sasha between his sheets.

  Chapter 7

  Keep your head on straight and you can accomplish anything. Sasha had heard her mother repeat the adage numerous times, and for the most part she’d believed it…until she had walked into her uncle’s study and sat behind the large desk staring at stacks of paperwork for two hours.

  Falling back into the chair, she dropped the pen in her hand and massaged her aching wrist.

  “I thought you could use some tea.”

  She looked up to see Jackson. “Thank you.”

  He placed the silver tray on the table and turned to leave.

  “Jackson, please. Won’t you join me?”

  He blinked in surprise and nodded. “I’ll go get a cup.”

  Sasha sighed with relief. She was used to being alone. She’d enjoyed it, but the silence of this house overwhelmed her. Not to mention the lack of things to do. She’d awoken that morning prepared to feed her new pets, only to find that Jackson had not only taken care of the animals, but had also prepared breakfast for her.

  By the time he’d returned, Sasha had poured herself a cup and moved to take a seat at a small table next to the window. She smiled at the butler when he re-entered the room, and took the seat opposite her.

  “Is Jackson your first or last name?” she asked.

  “I was born Jackson Winton II.”

  “Are you from North England, as well?”

  “No, I was born in Liverpool.”

  “Is that where you met Uncle Camden?”

  “No, we met in a holding cell at a London jail,” he said with a serious expression. “Camden and a group of environmental protesters had been picked up for handcuffing themselves to a fence outside of Parliament.”