Morrow's Horizon (The Morrow Women Series Book 1)

by Sierra Kummings

  He tolerated it only for the alcohol she kept handing him. Three beers so far, on top of the three he’d had at Nic’s before their walk over, and he was already feeling the beginnings of a good solid drunkenness.

  Back when he’d had one-night stands, Tonya would have been his type. Hell, her body appealed to him now even though he had no interest in exploring its curves. It presented perks all on its own.

  He’d be lying if he said he hadn’t noticed her as soon as they’d joined the group. How could he not have noticed her? Her tits and long legs reminded him of—

  No. No! He would not think about Sara. Not her body, her kiss, and certainly not the damned fact that she lived two miles from where he sat on Ocean Beach.

  Jacob groaned. Why had he looked at her personnel file?

  He shook his head and drank more, trying to remember why he should care about his jacket and Sara’s lies and what it meant that the doctor he’d sent Elise to had yet to call him with any news. Shouldn’t they know something by now?

  Pointlessly, Jacob cracked open another beer and attempted to calm the urge he had to ditch the night out with his friends and head straight to the woman who presented a far more complicated situation than him having to avoid Tonya’s advances. He needed to focus on his father and his revenge, not Sara. Hadn’t he decided that a few weeks ago? He’d avoided her branch ever since because of it.

  Yet it didn’t matter how many beers he downed; his tongue remembered Sara’s taste.

  Why couldn’t he forget her?

  Jacob stood up and weaved over to the nearby trash can, tossing his empty bottles in an attempt to clear his head.

  “Hey, weeble-wobble. You might want to lie down before you fall and hurt yourself.”

  Jacob sent Nic a one-fingered salute and collapsed back onto his seat.

  Instead of returning the gesture, Nic flexed and wrapped his arms around the blond bombshell in his lap, his biceps bulging under the long-sleeved cotton t-shirt. Without another word, he hoisted her over one shoulder in a fireman’s hold and held out his other arm to the woman next to them. The brunette giggled and allowed Nic to pull her to standing before all three of them disappeared down the long stretch of beach.

  Casanova Nic. The man could make the toughest girl in the room giggle like a schoolgirl within five minutes, guaranteed, and have them agreeing to things other men received slaps for. It was a skill he put to good use at the exclusive Forbidden.

  Tonya tapped Jacob’s knee. “You’re awfully quiet.”

  You’re not Sara.

  Hijo de puta! Jacob stared at Tonya’s expectant face and slurred, “Maybee s’more alcohol will loosen my tongue.” He leaned over her to reach into the cooler, but even after downing half of the new bottle, he still wanted to pay a home visit to his employee.

  He finished the last of the beer in four large gulps, then reached for another.

  “Is Ms. Tonya getting to you tonight?”

  Not even a little.

  Mierda. Why did he care about Sara anyway? She wasn’t here. Tonya was. If he was going to fuck someone, it made far greater sense to do it with the willing woman who currently scooted her beach chair at an angle so it rested more in front of him and gave him a clear view of her tits.

  Yet all he saw was Sara.

  Her face didn’t hold the Cover Girl appeal of Tonya’s. Sara’s rounded cheeks, high cheek bones, and eyes that were almost too big for her face were all average features. But combined with her wild hair and her cute little crooked side teeth, the total package created a face that captivated him in a steal his breath, make all his blood rush to his cock kind of way.

  The same cock that Sara’s lips crept closer to now.

  Jacob shook his head in another attempt to clear it. Fucking alcohol had made him fuzzy. Those lips couldn’t belong to Sara.

  Yet the deepest blue-green eyes stared expectantly up at him as she slipped to her knees and mouthed the length of him through his jeans. Her eyes… Damn, those were unlike any he’d seen. A simple horizon of vibrant blue sky merged with grass a deep green in an ever-changing landscape of her moods. They were big enough to suck him in until he lost himself in them like he did now. That horizon spoke of the kind of hope for tomorrow that he’d given up on years before. “Dulzura…” Her eyes widened even further, making his cock twitched in equal response to the sight and to the hand that now gripped him firmly. “Oh yeah, Míss Morrow, keep—”

  “Um, hello, asshole, my name is Tonya.”

  What?

  Tonya yanked her hand away as she stood. “Uh-uh. I’m not working this hard to be a substitute. You can keep your broody-ass reflections. You won’t be getting my ass tonight.”

  “Why’r choo mad at me?” Jacob slurred at her. He should be irritated, not her. She was the one who tricked him into thinking she was Sara.

  Tonya stormed off toward her friends on the other side of the fire and he reached for another beer. Before he could enjoy it, one of the women Tonya spoke to stared at him a little too intently for his comfort. She looked vaguely familiar.

  Jacob put down his untouched beer. If she was one of Nic’s friends from Forbidden, Jacob wanted nothing to do with her.

  Hell, he wanted nothing to do with any woman.

  Except Sara.

  Jacob waved adios to Marc and stumbled away from the bonfire. For some reason, he seemed to want Sara more than he had anyone else. Ever. Even sober he’d had to fight his attraction. Was it any wonder then that he didn’t stand a chance while drunk? If whatshername hadn’t held his interest enough to distract him, what was the point in denying it anymore?

  Jacob zigzagged out of the parking lot. Instead of heading to his jeep where he could sleep off the effects of the alcohol, his uneven gait sent him in the opposite direction. He could walk two miles in an easy fifteen minutes. Then the only thing that’d be standing between him and the woman he couldn’t stop thinking about would be her door.

  Would she open it for him?

  If she was smart, she wouldn’t, but on the off chance that she did…? Jacob picked up his pace. It’d been two weeks since he’d last seen her, and damn if that didn’t feel like two weeks too long.

  14

  Pregnancy test—negative.

  Jacob stared at the lab report that had come through on his phone and barely contained a shout of joy as he headed into the downtown high rise that housed BCF’s corporate office. His Monday had kicked off to a phenomenal start. He could finally put to rest any and all thoughts regarding Elise and a possible child.

  What could be better than that news?

  His mind quickly offered an alternative.

  He could date Sara guilt free starting today, if he wanted.

  No, no I can’t. Jesucristo, why can’t I remember that?

  If he didn’t think about what a relationship meant for longer than a minute, he might be able to bypass his fear of the dreaded r word, but what about the challenge that Mrs. Everett presented. He wanted his father’s job and the only way to get that was through her. Dating an employee was risky enough during the best of times. These were far from the best of times.

  Eliminating Elise from his life merely meant he had more time to focus on work.

  Now that they were well into January, the likelihood of Jacob having flashbacks on a daily basis became greatly reduced. Hell, he might even get some sleep tonight.

  Sleep.

  Aí. Maybe that wasn’t a possibility.

  Ever since he’d stumbled drunkenly to Sara’s door two weeks before, his dreams had left his sleep restless. When he didn’t have nightmares, his nights had been filled with a montage of nothing but him sliding his cock in and out of her pussy. In each dream, she was wet for him as soon as he touched her.

  Easy, boy.

  A certain part of his anatomy didn’t seem to understand the importance of staying away.

  Hell, neither did his brain half the time.

  Jacob hid the evidence of his erection behind
his briefcase and exited the elevator near his executive suite.

  As soon as his assistant noticed him, she stopped typing out one of the emails he’d dictated to her earlier via voice message and pulled the ear buds from her ears. “Did you see the latest reports this morning, sir?”

  Jacob grinned. “New revenue in our 30th street branch has increased by ten percent, and our stock is on a steady incline.” Every day, their stock went up more it seemed, thanks to the local media coverage and Sara’s efforts the last month and a half. She was a natural behind the camera. Each time after her interviews aired they saw a dramatic increase in new accounts.

  Vanessa grinned back at him. “Miramar looks to top out on sales goals for January, too. Who would’ve thought that could happen after the last two quarters of last year? It seemed more likely that I’d be out of a job by now, if I’m honest.”

  “Us having to close down Santa Barbara wouldn’t have impacted your job, Vanessa. Please tell me you didn’t believe the rumors going around.” Jacob glanced at her in disbelief. He hadn’t bothered to tell her that because he’d thought it’d been a given. Unless she did something grossly negligent, she’d have a job as long as she wanted. He and his father would always need an executive assistant.

  “I don’t think I would’ve normally, but the holidays can be scary when your husband is dragging you through divorce courts like mine is. He’s trying to drain every last bit of money I have. Financial security is important to me more than ever now. Christmas wouldn’t have happened at all if not…” Vanessa stopped herself as if embarrassed she’d shared so much.

  She didn’t need to worry about that. Divorce seemed a normal occurrence in Jacob’s world, what with his own parents’ history. Besides, he’d known she was going through one. Everyone did due to her husband’s viciousness. Jacob had made up an excuse to give her an extra bonus right before Christmas because of it. “Did your kids enjoy…?” Jacob’s voice trailed off as he crossed the threshold into his private office.

  Dead center on his desk lay a box that had seen better days. Tape peeled off of one side while the other looked like it had been run over a couple hundred times at minimum.

  He knew its contents without moving to his chair. “Did this come in today?”

  Agitation tinged Vanessa’s tone. “Early morning, by courier.” She put her earbuds back in her ears as if that was that.

  Jacob refused to be dismissed. Something felt strange about the whole thing. “What the hell happened to it?”

  “I don’t know, sir. I wasn’t here when it arrived. Your father sent me on an errand.” She gave him her exasperated look. For a young thirty-eight, she’d perfected the displeased schoolmarm routine with surprising accuracy.

  He wouldn’t get any more information from Vanessa if she had that look.

  He crossed over to his desk. One yank at the tape and his jacket spilled onto the surface as he’d expected.

  He fingered the note pinned to the lapel.

  I’m sorry for running off with your coat. I didn’t know your wallet was inside. It doesn’t make up for it, but at least allow me to buy you another cup of coffee and pay for the dry cleaning. Although I tried to avoid it, I’m sure it smells like smoke. Hopefully this finds you quickly. Enjoy your coffee warm next time.

  - Sara

  Jacob flipped through his wallet. Each credit card rested in its designated spot, but the interior lacked the cash he’d had on him. No surprise there, but why return things now at all? And why return them like this? A month late and shipped in a box was neither quick nor handled with care. Nor would the five dollars attached pay for either of the two things mentioned. What had happened to his things from the time Sara claimed she’d returned them to now?

  There was more missing here than just the money. He felt it in his gut.

  Jacob parked outside of Sara’s branch trying not to be disappointed that her little red car remained absent from the lot. At well after one o’clock, he’d expected to see her returned from lunch by the time he arrived.

  He wanted answers and she was the only one who could give them to him.

  “Welcome back, Mr. Ramírez.” The tall blonde woman greeted him with her usual smile.

  He glanced at her nametag. “Thanks, Isabel. Could you send Sara in to see me when she comes back from lunch?”

  “I…” Isabel hesitated.

  Jacob studied her closer. If he’d kept his mind on his surroundings and off of Sara, he would’ve realized when he’d first walked in that her smile lacked its typical charm. The picture-perfect woman had always greeted him warmly.

  He stepped in closer when her bottom lip started to tremble. “Are you okay? Did something happen?” His gaze automatically strayed to Harrison’s closed door. It wouldn’t be much of a stretch to imagine her manager as the cause. From what Jacob had seen, the man didn’t inspire confidence. “Why don’t you come into my office and we can talk about what’s bothering you?”

  As if taken aback by his offer, Isabel shook her head. “No, no. It’s all right. I just… I guess you haven’t heard.”

  “Haven’t heard what?” Something akin to fear gnawed at his stomach. Had something happened to Sara?

  “Two weeks ago, um…” Harrison’s door opened, and Isabel lowered her voice while rushing to finish. “… Sara’s on family leave. Her brother… He, um, went out sailing right before the storms hit and… authorities called off the search a week ago. They found pieces of his boat and said no one could survive it, so…”

  Jesucristo.

  Two weeks ago, Jacob had been the selfish prick waiting on Sara’s doorstep, hoping to get laid. While he’d been serenading her empty apartment, she’d been mourning the loss of her brother.

  Jacob knew all about losing brothers. His men had been as much his family as Nic and Marc.

  Jacob said nothing more, instead turning on his heel and doubletiming it into his makeshift office. He accessed Sara’s employee information as soon as his computer booted up.

  Would she be at home?

  Probably not, but he dialed the number anyway, needing something to do to drive out the images threatening to overtake him. Her tired, “Hello?” calmed him even while it broke a little piece of his heart.

  “I hope it’s okay that I’m calling you.”

  “Jacob?”

  His grin that she’d recognized his voice lasted only for a second.

  He had no business caring about that even if her brother was still alive and well. How many fucking times did he need to remind himself of that? “I’m so sorry for your loss.” As true as that statement was, he hated how generic it sounded. He needed to see her, to offer comfort in some way and to verify with his own eyes that she’d eventually be okay. “How long will you need off?” He mentally reviewed the number of employees in the surrounding branches to see which locations had staff to spare.

  Hollow laughter rang in his ear. “Of course, work’s all you’d be concerned with.”

  “What?” Hijo de puta! No. That hadn’t been what he’d meant. “Sara—”

  “Don’t worry about it. I came back to work last week. I’ve adjusted my schedule to help out with family, but it’s all legal thanks to the Family Medical Leave Act, and your precious fundraiser is all good. Ray’s been picking up my slack, so things are almost ready. Three weeks ahead of schedule, I might add, as I pointed out to you in last week’s email. Is there anything else, or can I go now? You know, to maybe get some sleep, as I haven’t had much of that the last fourteen days.”

  “Sara, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to—”

  “What? Be an ass?”

  No, I didn’t mean to make you think you weren’t every bit as important to me as BCF.

  Jacob didn’t say anything, stunned into silence.

  When the fuck had that happened?

  Probably around the same time he’d accepted that she couldn’t possibly have been behind stealing the money from his coat even though all evidence proved that she ha
d.

  He found his voice enough to croak out, “Can I do anything? Do you need anything?” He couldn’t explain the strength of the desire he had to drive over to her place just to sit with her so she wouldn’t have to be alone in her grief.

  “No, Jacob. The only thing I need right now is sleep.”

  That wasn’t the answer he’d been holding out for, but he could give her that wish and then some. “I understand. I’m not sure what your new schedule looks like, but why don’t you take tomorrow and the next day off, too?”

  “I can’t just up and take off. Especially after having already been out a full seven days and permanently bumping my hours down from forty a week to thirty to help take care of my niece. My branch needs me.”

  “Not true. You can and you will. You forget that I’m the boss. I’m ordering you to stay home. Your branch will be fine. If need be, I’ll man your station tomorrow myself.” It might’ve been years since his teenaged days of opening accounts, but Jacob knew their computer system like the back of his hand.

  Sara’s voice became small as she said, “I-I don’t know what to say to that.”

  “Don’t say anything. Just promise me you’ll get some sleep.” Jacob hung up the phone, praying she could do just that. He knew more than anyone how difficult sleep was when nightmares chased even waking moments.

  15

  Sara put down her phone, making no move to leave her couch and go toward the bed she’d claimed she needed.

  Jacob’s kindness floored her.

  She hadn’t expected that.

  She hadn’t expected the desire she had to see him to double, either.

  She wanted to see him now more than ever, but how could she do that with everything she had going on in her life? She’d barely had time to sleep prior to Christopher’s death. But now? The fundraiser still needed to be worked on and Maddie needed her more than ever. Sara had organized a schedule with her sisters. As she was the only one whose job offered FMLA leave, she took the brunt of the shifts. Maddie couldn’t afford Tessa’s night nurse with only her paycheck, nor could she work her job and stay up all night with her daughter. Taking two to three of the overnights was the least Sara could do.