The second he pulled away, she touched her fingertips to her lips. And he kept his eyes locked with hers. Finally after several moments passed. He spoke. “Tell me there’s no fire and I’ll call you the worst liar the world has ever seen.”
She cut her eyes to the side. “Point taken.”
“Good. Now, before I move on to my second point, I need to know about Kenneth.”
“There’s really nothing to know. We dated in college.”
“Was it a clean break?”
“As clean as parental politics can make it. His parents didn’t approve of me or the relationship. My blood wasn’t blue enough and my family’s bank account wasn’t high enough to meet their standards.”
“So if it wasn’t for his parents you might still be together?”
“No. We probably would have broken up sooner or later. Kenneth is more of the corporate type. I don’t think he would have been able to deal the long distance relationship my job would have entailed.”
“Well, the situation’s changed now.”
“What’s changed?”
“You’re going to be in Atlanta for a while and you’ve got a large bank account.”
“You’re only half-right. I may have money, which still doesn’t feel like it’s my own. But I haven’t changed to the point that I could be naive enough to think that Kenneth and I could get back together.”
“Glad to hear that.”
Sasha stood up and pulled on her coat. “You shouldn’t. Just because I’m attracted to you, Trey, doesn’t mean that I’m going to get mixed up with you.”
“Too late. We’re already involved and I’m looking forward to taking this new relationship to deeper levels.”
“We’ll see,” Sasha replied over her shoulder. “I’ll call you about the project.”
Trey didn’t miss the challenge inherent in her voice. If he was going to set the record straight, he had to do it now. “I’ll drop by and get the good news in person.”
Chapter 10
Sasha had spent most of Wednesday fuming about what a jerk Trey had been, and Thursday wasn’t much better. It didn’t help that he kept dropping by the house to check on Darwin’s condition and stare at her like she had broken all of the Ten Commandments by agreeing to have lunch with Kenneth.
It didn’t help that she’d started to run out of excuses as to why she hadn’t told her parents about her inheritance and her semi-permanent relocation to Atlanta. Worst of all, she felt guilty. She wished she hadn’t accepted Kenneth’s lunch invitation. She didn’t want to reminisce about the past. She wanted to forget about everything and curl up in bed with a pint of ice cream, an old movie or a good book.
“Did I tell you how stunning you look, Sasha?” Kenneth said in a voice that would have had raised goose bumps on her skin any other day.
Sasha sighed inwardly. They’d only been seated at the nearby country club’s dining room for ten minutes, but she already wanted to run back to her car. “Yes, you mentioned it after finding me passed out in Trey’s office the other day. Kenneth, why are you staring at me like we’ve never met?”
She closed her menu and looked at him. Not that it didn’t feel good to have such a handsome man staring at her like a bear just out of hibernation. She recognized the look because Trey had stared at her that same way before he’d kissed her. The thought alone brought her hand to the water glass to drink a gulp of the liquid. She needed to stop thinking about Trey. But her mind had other ideas as it flashed back to that night.
If only the veterinarian’s sexy dimple and broad shoulders didn’t send her hormones into overdrive. She was too old have a case of adolescent infatuation, and too smart to not believe fire burned. She took a deep breath and held it for several heartbeats. Trey Blackfox had the earmarking of a raging wildfire. Pushing the notion aside, she returned her attention to Kenneth.
He shook his head. “It’s just that I never expected to see you again and to see you now is very disconcerting.”
“In what way?”
“I was just thinking about us last week. Or thinking about you. I went back to the university for an alumni conference and as I walked across the main lawn I remembered all the times we sat on an old blanket and watched the sunset,” he said.
Sasha couldn’t help but smile at the memory. Too bad they could only have done it three times before discovering that Kenneth had a violent allergic reaction to ragweed. “We had good times and bad times.”
“More good than bad, I hope,” he replied.
“I wouldn’t be here if it hadn’t been.”
“The world keeps getting smaller.” He smiled. “I’m going to have to buy Trey a beer for bringing you to the zoo. So how did the two of you meet anyway?”
“He’s helping me out with some pets that I’ve recently inherited.”
Kenneth shook head from side to side. “Sometimes I wonder how he does it. Trey manages a thriving vet practice, consults for the zoo and juggles a harem of women.”
“Good time management, I suppose,” she replied dryly.
“It doesn’t hurt to have a silver spoon,” Kenneth laughed. “Then again, it works for me.”
“So you’re saying that Trey’s a self-centered trust fund baby, too?” Outwardly, it sounded as if she was teasing. Inwardly, Sasha was serious. It wasn’t as if this were a normal situation. Here she was about to have lunch with her ex-flame, but talking about the man who had her hormones in an uproar. That piece of the truth almost made Sasha drop her elbows on the table.
“That’s harsh.”
She waved a hand. “If the shoe fits…”
“You’ll have to ask him about the size of his trust. My guess is it’s eight figures.”
Sasha did the calculation in her head and the number of zeros sunk like lead in her stomach. She’d been under the impression that he’d grown up in a middle class home just by the way he spoke, the way he dressed, the loft and his vehicle. But the thought that he could be a millionaire hadn’t crossed her mind.
Inwardly she sighed. As if she needed another reason she shouldn’t get involved with Trey. Maybe she was cursed. She had to be the only woman who didn’t want to date or mate a man with more money than he could spend in a few lifetimes.
“I’ll try to remember to ask.”
“So what have you really been doing since school? I’ve heard rumors about you joining some radical conservation group and living in caves in Ecuador.”
“I worked on an internationally funded research project in Honduras, but I’m not a member of any group except for the Royal Science Academy in the UK.”
“Congratulations.”
“Thank you.”
“So now you’re back in the U.S.? Settling down at last?”
“Not really,” she responded, and then turned the conversation back in Kenneth’s direction. “But from the looks of it, you’ve managed to get out from under your father’s thumb.”
He laughed. “Not completely. I still have to go to the management meetings, and help out with the firm’s public relations. But I’m lucky that Daniel wanted to run the business.”
“That’s a surprise to hear. Your mother practically had Future CEO carved into your bronzed baby shoes.”
He laughed. “You’re not kidding. I threw my baby brother the party of the century after he got his MBA and started working under Dad.”
“Kenneth!” a high-pitched voice unexpectedly called out from across the dining room. Heads turned toward the entryway and many of the diners followed the progress of the stranger who was making a straight line toward their table.
Sasha’s radar went up and the sister who was dressed in a pinstriped suit strolled over to the table. She was model thin with few curves and long legs. Her long curly hair was pulled back into a ponytail. Her caramel-brown skin was unblemished and her makeup stopped short of a work of art. She flashed a bright smile and held up a diamond-covered wrist.
She watched her ex-boyfriend stand; his wide smile didn
’t hide uneasy eyes.
“Kenneth, darling, what a surprise to see you here. Why didn’t you tell me you were coming for lunch? I would have rescheduled my tennis lesson and joined you.”
“Arabella, what a surprise,” he replied, not as warmly as the woman who’d come to a stop next to their table. She snuggled into his chest, wrapped her arms around his stomach and then kissed his cheek.
“I didn’t expect to see you at the country club.”
She drew back in surprise. “How could you not? You know I have tennis lessons on Wednesday and Monika and I play a set on Thursday.”
“Sorry to disappoint you, but keeping up with your schedule isn’t high on my priority list.”
“That wasn’t nice. You’re sounding more and more like Daddy everyday.”
The newcomer stood upright and tall, feet spread shoulder length apart. She was small and had great muscle tone and she had a smooth complexion a preteen would envy. Her long black ponytail and dainty facial features reminded Sasha of a Barbie doll.
She’s beautiful and she knows it. Sasha picked up her glass to hide the amused look on her face as Arabella sported what had to have been the biggest pout she’d ever seen and Kenneth’s face froze.
“Not now, Arabella. As you can see, I have company.”
“That you haven’t introduced. How rude of you, darling.”
“Arabella Lamar.” She held out her hand.
“Sasha Clayton,” she replied. She passed on her best smile and extended her hand. Arabella wore wealth and privilege like a badge of honor. Her attitude of ownership over Kenneth rankled Sasha’s last nerve. She wasn’t romantically interested in her ex. She hadn’t been for long time. But just because she wasn’t aiming for Kenneth didn’t mean she was going to let this little barracuda treat her like dirt.
“Sasha. Have we met? I thought I knew all of Kenneth’s colleagues at the zoo.”
“No, I don’t work at the zoo.”
“For the moment,” Kenneth replied. “I’m hoping to lure Sasha on-board to help design and manage the new tapir habitat.”
“Well, you might as well go ahead and accept. Kenneth here is relentless when he wants something.”
“Yes, I remember how persuasive he can be,” she dryly replied. The only time he didn’t get his way with was his father, she thought.
Arabella blinked and looked back and forth between the two of them. Seconds ago, her eyes had been wider than a baby gazelle; now the orbs narrowed into slits. “You know each other?”
Sasha opened her mouth to respond. “Kenneth and I were—”
“College sweethearts,” he finished.
Sasha barely forced herself not to glare at Kenneth as he sat at the table oblivious to the awkward position he’d just placed her in.
“Really. How nice.”
Sasha blinked twice at the obvious lie and rushed to lessen the impact of Kenneth’s statement. “We haven’t seen each other since graduation. I had no idea he’d settled in Atlanta.”
“What a coincidence. So where are you coming from?”
“Everywhere. I’m a wildlife researcher so I’ve been traveling a lot. I rent a studio apartment in New York so that I can store things and have an address to put on all of my travel documents.”
“And you’ll be moving here to Atlanta?”
“I’m here on personal business and I’ll remain here until that’s resolved. After that I’m not sure.”
The waiter took that moment to bring their orders and Sasha was about to release an internal sigh of relief until she spied Arabella’s pinched mouth. She busied herself rearranging her napkin in an attempt to politely ignore the furious exchange of whispers between the couple.
“Bella, we’ll talk later, okay?” said Kenneth loudly.
Somehow she managed a bright smile, but her eyes could have been reclassified as a lethal weapon. “Of course. I’ll be over after seven.”
One peck on the cheek and she was gone. Sasha waited until she’d cleared the room before speaking. “Telling her we were college sweethearts wasn’t the smartest move you’ve ever made.”
He smiled, and then reached out for the bottle of ketchup. “I might regret it later, but that felt good. Arabella can be a spoiled brat.”
“She must have some redeeming qualities if you’re dating her.”
“No kidding. She’s great on the eyes, and has connections to all the key players in Atlanta. Her father’s a shoo-in for the senate elections next year, and she’s a tiger in bed.” He grimaced. “If only she kept quiet and stop trying to run my life she’d be perfect.”
Sasha almost choked on her French fry. After politely wiping off her mouth, she shook her head. “T.M.I., Kenneth. Way too much information.”
“All right. So back to the subject. You’ll take the position?”
“I don’t know.”
“If you’re reluctant because of the money, I can push for an increase in the completion bonus on the contract.”
Normally the money would have been a large percentage of her decision. But given the recent change in her financial circumstances, Uncle Camden had made sure that she wouldn’t have to worry about it at all.
“It’s not the money.”
Kenneth took a drink of his soda, and then sat back in his seat. His piercing gaze almost pinned her to the chair. “Is it me, Sasha?” he asked softly. “Be honest. Are you still angry with the way things turned out?”
“No. This has nothing to do with out break-up. I just don’t like working with people.”
“Ahh, I remember you were kind of into having a lot of personal space.”
“I haven’t changed that much.”
“It’s okay though. There’s only a small group working on the project. You’ll meet a couple of times a week. The rest can be done via email and phone. You’ll spend a majority of the time on-site helping with the habitat setup.”
“I’ll think about it,” she started.
He reached across the table and grabbed her hand. “Say yes, Sasha. Don’t think about what this could mean to the zoo in terms of donations and visitor rates—think of the animals that you’ll save from extinction and the future generations that will be able to know these creatures.”
Later she would have to say she’d had a moment of insanity or extreme weakness, but Sasha smiled. “Okay, I’m in.”
Kenneth stood up, leaned over the table, and kissed her full on the lips. Shock at his actions froze her in place.
She looked over her shoulder and straight into Arabella’s glaring eyes. Before she could warn Kenneth, the woman turned on her heels and disappeared. Life just kept getting interesting.
Chapter 11
When Sasha woke on Saturday morning, she walked over to the window and looked out. A clear sky and bright autumn sun were the perfect invitations to a brisk walk and she needed to get outside. After taking a shower, she went to the closet and grabbed her jacket, jogging pants, sweatshirt, tennis shoes and a pair of gloves.
It was only once she’d gotten to the door and looked down to see Darwin dragging his leash that she stopped to think about something other than getting away from her demons. She opened the door and stared out past the nice fence to see the perfect street and cement sidewalk that led past row after row of million-dollar homes. A sense of claustrophobia was so profound she instinctually backed up and slammed the door. The sound seemed to echo off the walls and highlight just how big and empty the house was. Sasha bent down and fastened the leash on to Darwin’s collar. The rapid swishing of his tail made her smile.
“You want to get out just as badly as I do, don’t you, boy? Why don’t we go to the park?”
While driving toward town, Sasha’s stomach growled. Doing something that she’d probably regret later, she pulled into a Starbucks and rolled down the window. Darwin stuck his head out and stared at the outside speaker with a quizzical glance as Sasha perused the menu. “Now only if they had a drive-through sushi spot, all would be perfect, wo
uldn’t it?
The dog pulled his head in and turned around to get off her lap, then lay down in the passenger-side seat. “You agree, too, huh?”
It took her five minutes to decide to fill up on a caramel-laced coffee and thousand-calorie chocolate chip muffin. She gobbled down the muffin in the car. She had to circle the park twice before finding a parking spot. It was Saturday morning and the popular midtown park was filled with people walking dogs and kids, bicycling and jogging.
They were in the last days of autumn. Leaves were on the ground, brown, yellow and red. She drew in the cool crisp air and smiled. Once she’d locked the car and put her keys in her purse, she began to walk with Darwin trotting alongside. With her coffee in one hand and his leash in the other. She waited until they reached the center of a grassy meadow before putting everything on the ground and releasing Darwin from his leash.
The Jack Russell terrier ran all out toward the nearest tree and after taking a moment to sniff, lifted up his leg and engaged in normal canine behavior. She laughed at the sight as he came running back to her and picked up his ball. In only three weeks since her arrival he’d put on a pound and was back to normal, just as Trey promised. Sasha drew out the ball and before she could release it, Darwin took off like a bullet.
Her thoughts turned back to Trey. She’d promised to call him with an answer as to whether or not she’d be joining the team on constructing the new primate habitat. Since she’d already given her answer to Kenneth the other day, she hadn’t rushed to pick up the phone. Part of her was still fuming about his kiss. She’d seen jealousy in the world of nature many times, but Trey needed to know that just because his kisses curled her toes it didn’t mean he could dictate her life. Pushing those thoughts aside, Sasha focused on her upcoming tasks.
The project would be unlike anything she’d ever worked on. She’d read studies, visited various zoos and compared notes with the zookeepers. Sasha took another sip of her coffee and breathed. Once more, she was aware of how much her life had changed since learning of her uncle’s death. She’d already made up her mind to donate money to the zoo. Writing a check was easy; working to create a replica of the Brazilian rainforest in the middle of Atlanta would be a definite challenge.
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