Love Me Forever

by Serenity King

  Love? Where did that come from? Did he love her?

  Jarred had known Nevea for a shorter time than he had known and dated Lainey. Yet his feelings for Nevea were different. Not forced. They came as naturally as he breathed in air. If that was an indication of love, then, yes, he suspected that he was in love with her.

  “She’s coding it out,” both Brice and Emerson said at once.

  “Coding what out?” Jarred asked, confused. He had been so engrossed in his own thoughts that he had apparently missed the conversation.

  “Langston asked what she was doing, and we told him. Pay attention, bro,” Brice said.

  Jarred caught his knowing look. He knew he’d been busted, staring at Nevea, and he didn’t care. Not one bit.

  He turned his attention back to her when she let out a delighted cry. “Here we go,” she said, and everyone in the room gathered around her.

  “You got in?” Jarred asked excitedly. From the expression on Nevea’s face, he knew it was good news. She was grinning from ear to ear.

  “Two down,” she muttered, her excitement growing, her fingers sprinting across the keyboard.

  “I’m in!” she shrieked, and then jumped up and did a little shimmy.

  A slow smile spread across Jarred’s face. Well, I’ll be damned. She did it. He was so proud of her. His lady knew her stuff.

  “Nevea, sweetheart, you broke the code?” He asked the question, but already knew the answer. He just wanted to hear her say it. Hear the enthusiasm in her voice.

  “Broke it to pieces. Boom!” She giggled.

  All Jarred could see were lines and lines of blue and green names and numbers scrolling down the screen.

  “What is that?” he asked, looking closely at the computer. The bars on the monitor were rolling by too quickly for him to get an idea of what he was looking at.

  “It looks like transactions, dates, a lot of names and numbers. It was hidden, and I’m assuming it’s important. Plus it’s a big file,” she said. “If you’re going to print it...well, you all know what to do from here. My job is done.”

  “And what a wonderful job you’ve done,” Jarred declared, not able to hide the pride he felt in her. He turned to face her. She was still beaming with joy. Happiness was written all over her face, and that made him happy. Even though she’d vowed not to help with anything concerning her father, she’d been selfless and had come in even while feeling sick to assist them.

  “Whoever installed that other software is high tech. It didn’t break my system but it made it hard to get into the new one overlapping the one that I installed. A very clever move indeed.”

  Their eyes met and held. Jarred didn’t bother masking his desire for her. He wanted her badly. He knew it and so did she. He’d caught her eyeing him in his office earlier with the same intensity he now held her captive with. Jarred hadn’t said anything then, for fear of her bolting.

  He knew they had a lot to discuss. He also knew the office was not the place to do it. No, he needed to get out of here and take her someplace more private. Besides, he just needed to be alone with her—hold her in his arms away from the watchful eyes of his family. Now that she was back, Jarred didn’t plan on letting her go again. And he needed to apologize to her for the appalling way that he’d treated her their last night together.

  “Emerson, you, Brice and Langston can handle things from here. Nevea needs a break. She’s been at this for a couple of hours,” Jarred told them. Not that they were paying attention. Their eyes were glued to the computer. He could have waltzed out of the room with Nevea in his arms and the three of them wouldn’t have noticed.

  Taking Nevea by the hand, he led her out of the office and back up to his. Once they were off the elevator, the stares of his employees weren’t lost on him. But he didn’t care if the whole world knew that Nevea was his woman. Even if she didn’t know it herself. She would soon enough. He planned on correcting a lot of misunderstandings and bad actions that had taken place.

  “Other than your ‘eloquent’ burrito cuisine,” he jested, “what do you fancy eating?”

  “A burger and fries,” she said, without hesitation.

  “You had that one ready and waiting, didn’t you?” He chuckled. “Do you want to go out someplace local, or have it delivered?”

  “Out. I need some air.”

  “Feeling sick again?” he asked, eyeing her with concern.

  “Not at all.” She shook her head.

  “Okay. Let me grab my cell and we can be on our way,” he said, walking into his office and taking his phone out of his desk drawer. He’d put it there before they’d gone down to Security, because he didn’t want any interruptions.

  “I need to grab my purse, too,” she murmured.

  He released her hand long enough for her to retrieve her things, and then took hold of it again. “Ready?”

  “Ready. Where are we going?”

  “There’s this pub a few blocks up that makes a great burger. They’re pretty quick with preparation, too,” he said, walking back to the bank of elevators and taking the waiting car to the first floor. He walked hand-in-hand with Nevea out of the building. It was where she was meant to be.

  Chapter 19

  Nevealise breathed in the fresh air once they left the confines of the office building. She tried to remove her hand from Jarred’s, but he wasn’t having it.

  “Feel better?” he asked.

  “Yes,” she said quietly. Now that they were alone she’d become suddenly self-conscious.

  “What’s wrong? You’ve gone quiet on me.”

  “Have I?” She didn’t know what he wanted her to say. Other than to announce that she was pregnant—something she wasn’t ready to do, even if she did suspect that he already knew. She needed time to process the fact herself. She’d just found out herself yesterday. Plus she didn’t know if she could trust him. She’d done so once and he’d turned it back on her.

  His husky voice cut into her thoughts. “What are you thinking?”

  “That I’m suddenly hungry,” she lied.

  “The pub is not much farther.”

  It didn’t bother her. The walk would do her good. The mild May afternoon was perfect. Not hot at all. She would take the seventy-degree weather any day, over the hot and muggy days of summer.

  As they strolled along the sidewalk, Nevealise took note of the shops, the different restaurants and vendors. Unlike the peacefulness of her brother’s place, the streets of Manhattan were bustling with people. It didn’t bother her that everyone was rushing to be somewhere.

  “Do you drive into the office or take the train?” she asked Jarred, for no other reason than to spark a conversation.

  “Drive most days. I don’t like a lot of people in my personal space.”

  Nevealise smiled. She could understand that. His everyday surroundings were so spacious that being on a crowded train could be a problem.

  “But it’s easier to take the train, right?” she asked.

  “Sometimes. I still prefer to drive. Buses and trains come in handy during the snowy winter months.”

  “I prefer trains, but they can be a hassle in Boston if you don’t know how they run. When I’m in Cambridge, I try to walk wherever I need to go.”

  “This is the place,” Jarred said, stepping aside and allowing her to precede him in.

  “Thank you,” she said, walking through the door.

  Nevealise looked around. The “pub” was a little mom-and-pop place with a quaint feel to it. There was friendly banter happening throughout the establishment, leading her to believe that most of the customers were regulars. Her gaze traveled the expanse of the front area where she and Jarred stood. She noticed the many dishes of food on the customers’ tables, which all looked divine.

  “Do yo
u want anything on your burger?” Jarred asked.

  “The works, with fries and pickles,” she responded.

  “And to drink?”

  “A seltzer water.”

  She waited with him while he placed their orders. Then they found a two-person table toward the back and took their seats. Jarred held her chair and waited for her to sit before he joined her.

  “They’ll have our food ready soon,” he said.

  “Suddenly, I’m starving.”

  “You should be. It’s going on four o’clock in the afternoon and you’ve only had a few crackers and a soda,” he said.

  “Wow, that late?” she asked, her eyes wide. “No wonder I’m starting to feel tired.”

  “Are you sure you’re up to this?” he asked.

  “I’m fine, Jarred.”

  “Would you tell me if you weren’t?” he inquired softly.

  “Of course. Why wouldn’t I?”

  “I was just wondering. I didn’t want to presume anything. By the way, thanks for helping us with that computer problem. We’ve been at our wits’ end trying to get into that system.”

  “No problem. It was relatively easy, because I designed some of the firmware. I was surprised that my father had used some of my information to open certain files,” she said. Surprised was a mild description for how she’d felt upon that discovery. Evidently she was good for something in his eyes.

  “Hmm. Interesting.”

  “Very,” she said, and moved back a little as the young waiter brought their food to the table.

  “This looks scrumptious!” she said. “But there’s no way in the world I’m going to be able to eat all of it.”

  “Eat what you can. If you like it well enough you can take the leftovers home for later,” Jarred said, biting into his burger.

  Nevealise had to use her knife to cut her burger in half, and still had a hard time fitting it into her mouth. She bit down into it, savoring the flavor.

  “Good?” Jarred asked around a mouthful of his food.

  “Yes,” she mumbled, and then reached over, took a french fry from the basket and popped it into her mouth. “Unbelievably so.”

  She was enjoying her food, but all too quickly she felt full. She didn’t want to overdo it. Her stomach was being nice to her now. She wasn’t going to purposely do anything to upset it. When she started to feel a rumbling sensation, she opened her seltzer water and took a swig. That seemed to do the trick.

  “Stomach bothering you?”

  Nevealise started. What was he, a mind reader or something? “Not really,” she replied. The food she’d so fervently wanted she now looked at with disdain.

  “Do you want to take the rest with you?” Jarred asked.

  Nevealise wanted to, but knew she’d just dump it later on. Her stomach was always playing tricks on her, she realized, suddenly feeling miserable. The fact that she couldn’t eat much shouldn’t bother her the way it did, but her eyes watered on their own accord. She quickly lowered her head. However, she couldn’t stop the lone tear that escaped. The droplet landed on her hand.

  “Nevea, what’s wrong?” Jarred asked anxiously. She could hear the panic in his voice.

  She hadn’t meant to alarm him. Her emotions were all over the place lately. Still, she didn’t speak, for fear of losing it and breaking down in front of him.

  Jarred went to get up, but she gestured with her hand for him to stop. “Please don’t,” she whispered. “I don’t want to embarrass us both by drawing attention to myself,” she murmured.

  “What happened?” he asked softly. She could still hear the concern in his voice.

  Nevealise drew a deep breath, took the napkin off her tray and dabbed discreetly at her eyes. “Nothing,” she croaked. “Absolutely nothing. Lately, I’ve been crying for any little old thing. Don’t worry about it. Finish your food, Jarred.” For lack of something better to do, Nevealise picked up one of her fries and took a small bite, chewing it slowly. What was so delicious minutes ago now tasted like cardboard.

  “Don’t,” he whispered.

  “Wh-what?” she questioned.

  “You’re going to make yourself sick. Don’t force yourself to eat.”

  She dropped the half-eaten fry back into the basket and heaved a sigh of frustration. “I just didn’t want to waste all of this.”

  “I told you we can take it to go,” he said calmly. “Are you ready?”

  “No. Finish your food, Jarred. I’ll be fine.” She cleared her throat and took a sip of her seltzer.

  “Nev—”

  “Please.” She stated firmly.

  “If you’re sure,” he said, and began to eat the rest of his meal with fervor, and then finish off his soda in just about one gulp.

  “Goodness, someone was hungry and thirsty,” she joked, trying to lighten the suddenly tense atmosphere.

  “I guess I was.” He chuckled, looking down at his empty plate and glass.

  “I wish I could have enjoyed my burger as much as you,” she murmured sadly.

  “You will again. Soon. Your being sick will pass quickly,” he said sympathetically. Her head shot up, her eyes darting to his face. He knows. Or so she thought. However, by looking at him she couldn’t tell. He gave no indication that he was aware of her condition. Only innuendos. His face appeared devoid of emotion.

  When his cell began to ring, he took it out and scowled down at it.

  “Excuse me a minute, Nevea,” he said, and answered.

  “We’ll be back shortly,” he said to whoever was on the line.

  Nevealise lowered her head, trying not to listen to his conversation. She didn’t have to try too hard, one-sided as it was. She was able to hear only his responses, not the questions.

  “I’ll talk to you this evening,” he said, right before he ended the call. “That was Brice,” he told her. “Apparently they took their faces away from the computer long enough to notice that we weren’t there,” he added sarcastically.

  “They’ve just noticed now?”

  “Unbelievable, right?” Jarred said drily, garnering a chuckle from her.

  “And here I thought that I get lost in my work.”

  He laughed, then said, “Ready to go?”

  “I’m ready,” she said. The sudden onslaught of different smells filling her nostrils was bringing on a bout of nausea. She watched as Jarred raised his hand to get a server’s attention.

  “The lady wants to take that with her,” he said, pointing to her leftovers.

  “Sure. I’ll be right back,” the young man said. A few minutes later he returned with a take-out box.

  “Jarred, do you know if there’s a restroom here?” Nevealise didn’t usually use public facilities, but in this instance she didn’t have a choice.

  “I’m positive there is.” When he saw her put her hand on her belly, his gaze darted around. Her eyes followed his anxiously. She was hoping he’d find one quickly.

  “Come on,” he said. Jarred grabbed her by the hand and rushed to the other side of the pub. She had to hold on to her handbag to keep from it falling as he led her to the restroom. He pushed the door open and she ran inside.

  Nevealise was grateful for the privacy there. She ran to the first stall, barely making it before she was sick once more. That’s it. I’m never eating anything again. Groaning, she flushed the toilet, and then washed up, popping a mint in her mouth.

  Jarred was waiting anxiously by the ladies’ room door, his face taut with worry.

  “Are you okay, sweetheart?” he asked softly.

  Ah, he called me sweetheart. She caught herself from going into another crying spell.

  “Let’s get out of here,” he said, taking her hand and walking briskly out of the pub.

  But as they
dashed along the crowded New York City sidewalk, she couldn’t hold it in a minute longer.

  “Jarred, I’m pregnant,” she blurted out.

  She didn’t know what she expected his reaction to be, but it wasn’t what she got.

  “Yes, I know, love.” He merely flashed her a smile and led her down the street.

  Chapter 20

  He was at his wits’ end. Nevea had revealed to him almost two weeks ago that she was pregnant. Yet she’d refused to go back to his place with him. Instead, he’d had to drop her at her brother’s house, after promising not to say anything to his family. According to her, she “needed time to process everything.” As if his family didn’t know already. And process what? She was having a baby, not a damn computer chip. Not only that, she’d refused to discuss the subject with him, spouting off some lame excuse.

  He was royally pissed. Their ten-minute nightly talks weren’t nearly enough. He needed to know that she was okay, and taking care of herself properly.

  Just how long was she planning on holding his little slip against him?

  Jarred was tired and horny as hell. He wanted his Nevea back. Just the thought of slipping between her thighs almost sent him over the edge plenty of nights. Instead of watching her belly swell with his baby, he was relegated to the sidelines.

  He looked around his plush office and wanted to throw something. What, he didn’t know. Just something. He’d been holed up in here more now than ever before. He shouldn’t mind, really. There was nothing and no one waiting for him at home. His sanctuary was fast becoming his den of depression.

  His brothers had taunted him about his melancholy mood, saying that they preferred him barking at them rather than him being holed up in his office looking like a lost puppy. He owed them a beat-down for the lost-puppy crack.

  There was a knock of three quick taps at Jarred’s office door. Langston. That was his signature knock. Jarred smiled. His middle brother was a lot like him in many ways, although Langston had always been the calmest of the three brothers. He saw reason where Jarred and Brice didn’t.

  “Come in, Langston,” he called out. The door opened and Langston strutted in with purpose. Jarred noticed the huge file he was carrying and wondered what it contained. It couldn’t involve bad news because his brother’s features were too relaxed. A few months ago they’d been the polar opposite. “What’s up?”