Authors: Kimberly Lowe
He knew he was doomed from the moment he saw her in person. Alethea had such a natural beauty, he found himself wondering why she hid behind baggy clothes and glasses.
“So, tell me. Why don’t you model like your sister?” He asked truly curious to why she would hide such a killer body he knew laid under that blanket she called a sweater.
S
he surprised him with deep laugh. “Flattering me won’t get you anywhere.”
“I’m sorry?” She thought he was joking?
“Trust me. The world thanks me for letting her be the model and me just staying the brains.” She laughed again as she stirred in a few packets of sugar before taking a careful sip of coffee.
“What do you mean? You sister doesn’t have brains?” From what he could tell she seemed smart enough, if only she got off of the ‘I’m so pretty’ pedestal.
“Of course she does. She just doesn’t think she has to use them, because she’s so pretty.” She explained fallowing his train of thought. “Besides, she has the face and body to do what she does. I do not.”
So that was it. Living in her sister’s shadow had somehow reduced herself image.
Interesting. “So, you have a degree in anthropology and are now teaching a class in Riverside High School, that’s impressive.” He said getting back to their original subject, knowing that the other was bound to come back up later.
She nodded as she took another sip out of her mug. “Yes. Truthfully I’m a little nervous. This is my first year.”
“I bet you are a great teacher.” He smiled as he sat forward. “I wish I had a teacher who looked like you in high school. Hell all the men in my graduating class would’ve given their left leg to have a teacher like you.” He teased with a wink.
A beautiful rose color flooded her cheeks as she laughed. “Stop it.”
He had to chuckle at her response. Although she had little awareness of how incredibly gorgeous she was—which he found to be the most attractive characteristic she possessed—she knew she was strong in the mind and that gave her a confidence that came soul deep. Not even unrealistically beautiful women had that kind of self-assurance.
It was refreshing to see someone who wasn’t full of themselves. In his line of work he ran into many conceded people who believed they were better than everyone else. The arrogance was the only thing that he hated about Eagleridge Security. At times it became intolerable.
Watching Thea’s attractive features turn a soft pink, made the last year of bigheaded princesses lift into nothing but a passing thought. If she could work that miracle he wondered what else she was capable of.
“Oh, wow! It’s really late.” She exclaimed, glancing that the watch on her delicate wrist. “It’s nearly two in the morning.”
Taking a quick look at his own watch he realized that they had been sitting in the booth at the back end of the restaurant for a little over two hours. Giving a soft chuckle he couldn’t believe that he had spent nearly five hours with one woman without sex being involved, and actually enjoyed himself. He had been taking such pleasure in her company that time seemed to have escaped him.
“Thank-you, so much for tonight.
I had really nice time.” Dropping her eyes she quietly admitted. “Honestly, I haven’t ever really had night like this.”
“Trust me, the pleasure was mine.” He said lowering his voice into a sexy hum that was rewarded with a beautifully soft smile. “Please, let me take you home.”
She gave it a little thought before agreeing. Sliding out of the booth she reached into her bag to retrieve a few bills. He lifted his hand to hers to stop her, but was caught off guard by the feel of her supple skin. The delicate flesh on the back of her hand tickled his palm causing him to lift her hand to his lips for a small taste.
Her eyes widened with shock at his unexpected advance. As another blush crept onto her cheeks her eyes slanted into a seductive invite. Slipping his hand behind her neck he gently pulled her forward. He allowed her time to stop him, but when she moved forward he forgot where he was and covered her lips with his.
She tasted like sweet coffee and something engaging. Something he had never tasted before. It caused him to want to deepen the kiss, to explore her mouth and to caress her tongue with his. Unfortunately the voice of the hostess seating another table had him reeling back to reality and where they were.
An all night dinner was not the place to devour the mouth of a woman like Alethea. He backed away slowly, keeping her hand in his. Telling his body to calm down he threw a few large bills down onto the table. Leaving her hand in his, he escorted her to the door with the realization that he still had a mad crush on the woman who followed quietly with a shy grin playing recklessly on those appetizing lips.
Thea nervously fished for her keys while Jace stood quietly beside her. She re
membered that her porch light had blown out that morning and it was pitch black outside, which was making it difficult to find anything in her oversized bag. Murmuring an apology she gave her bag another shake.
Without warning her front door flew open to her sister standing in the entry. Thea gave a small gasp to the sudden action completely surprised to see Mytrice standing in her home. “What are you doing here?” She asked watching her sister’s assessment as she looked over Jace.
“Me? What are you doing home so late?” Mytrice asked never taking her eyes off of the man who stood next to Thea.
Feeling the heat raising in her cheeks, for the millionth time that night, Thea turned to Jace. “Jace this is my sister, Mytrice. Mytrice this is Jace.”
Giving him another look over, Mytrice almost completely dismissed him—which was easy for her seeing she was surrounded by hot men all the time—then folded her arms over her chest. “Does dad or mom know you’re out this late?”
Giving the main home a quick glance over her shoulder, she shook her head like a child in trouble.
Living in a house on the back lot of her parents’ property, had never really been a problem, until now. She half expected to see her father or one of her brothers coming running with gun in hand because a man brought her home at this hour.
“No. But I’m an adult—”
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t care.” Mytrice interrupted. “I have my own problems.” Leaving them at the door, her sister made a low whine like cry as she made her way towards the back of the house.
“Umm…” She turned to Jace who had a questionable expression on his face. “Thank you again for tonight and for walking me to my door. I would invite you in but apparently my sister needs me.”
“Is everything okay?” He asked gesturing towards the entrance where another pitiful whine echoed.
“With Mytrice?
Probably.” She laughed.
“Thea!”
Her sister cried again.
Shaking his head in disgust Jace gave her an amused smile. “Can I call you tomorrow?”
“Yes.” She answered a little too quickly. “I mean, yes that would be great.”
He leaned in and gave her a quick kiss before Mytrice screamed for her again. “I will talk to you later.” He chuckled at her irritated glance at her home.
“Okay.” She watched him walk down her short drive and get into his expensive looking car before she rushed into her house.
If she had the guts she would slaughter her older sister.
“Mytrice? What’s wrong? Why aren’t you at your condo? Are you ill?” Thea came to a halt when she found her sister’s bags strung across her living room. “Mytrice?”
“This isn’t going to work.” Her sister cried from behind her. “I can’t live here! You don’t have enough room for all my stuff!
Doesn’t anyone understand how bad this will destroy my social life?” Mytrice whimpered again.
Confused Thea turned to face her older sister. “Why are you living here?”
“My house was set on fire.”
“What?!”
Waving a dismissive hand her sister shrugged. “That guy you came home with was really cute. Where did
you
find something like that?”
“We went to high school together.” Thea answered quickly eyeing each suitcase anxiously. “Mytrice, what did you mean when you said your house was set on fire?”
With an annoyed sigh Mytrice fell back onto the couch. “Remember that guy I was seeing?”
That guy
was Thea’s ex-fiancé who left her two months before their wedding for the more attractive Eneas sister. Apparently that little tidbit was easily forgotten by her self-absorbed sister. Nodding anyway, she waited for her sister to continue.
“Well, he found out about Cain and flipped out.” She explained sounding more annoyed then scared.
“Which was completely obnoxious. Do you have any idea how annoying it is to work around someone’s childish behavior?”
“Wait, who’s Cain?” Thea asked trying to keep up.
“The Italian I’ve been seeing.” Her sister replied with another flippant wave. “Which was worth my condo. Amy Russo wasn’t kidding about Italian men being great in bed. Besides my condo was getting old. I needed something new.”
“Wait, what?” Alethea chocked. Her sister’s condo was only a year old.
“Oh, I can’t wait to see what kind of press I get out of this!” Mytrice praised with her eyes sparkling with her future.
Shaking her head she glanced around her small living room. “So how long are you going to stay here?”
“Just until I find a new place.” Mytrice yawned. “I need to get some sleep. You don’t mind if I sleep in your room. I have a photo shoot in the morning.”
“What’s wrong with the guess room?”
Her sister pouted out her bottom lip. “Thea, I can’t sleep on that bed. I need to look good for the shoot.” She whined and before Thea could say another word her sister smiled. “Thanks, Thea! You’re the best.”
Folding her arms tightly over her chest she cursed softly. She knew fighting with her would get her nowhere. It never did.
She took her time shutting off all the lights and locking all the doors. Making her way to the guest bedroom she thought about her night with Jace. Normally she was timid with men, but with Jace she found herself being comfortable and not afraid to show who she really was.
Without turning on the light she crawled onto the queen-sized bed. Fully clothed, coat and all she stared at the ceiling until her eyelids grew too heavy to stay open. The last coherent thought was Jace and his dark eyes.
Setting down to her computer
, Thea began to review her lesson. Her nerves were rattled and her stress was peeking. She had to teach high school kids on Monday and her brain was trained solely on Jace Kamber.
She could blame it on lack of sleep that her mind won’t concentrate, though she knew that would be a lie. Erotic dreams of her old high school friend kept her hot and bothered throughout the night. Never in her young adult life had a man
affected her so greatly.
A knock came at her front door, and she groaned out loud.
It was probably one of her many family members who came to check on Mytrice. Her sister had managed to get the whole family informed about her condo before breakfast, which was pretty impressive, even for their family.
Apparently
the entire situation had been a complete surprise to her father and her mother. Mytrice hadn’t told either one of them about the fire that had nearly burnt her entire condo down. Which Thea found humorous. That condo coast their parents a fortune. So it was no surprise when her poor father flew into a panicked frenzy.
She said nothing waiting for
them to allow themselves in, which her family usually did by now. When no one entered, she realized it wasn’t anyone from her family at the door. She never had company besides family. Stopping just in front of the door, she reached for the baseball bat inside her umbrella case.
“
Alethea? It’s Jace.” His thick sexy voice slipped through the cracks and down her spine. “Could you please open your door?”
Releasing a breath that had been
lodged somewhere between her lungs and throat, Thea opened the door. Another breath unexpectedly caught again at the sight of him.
“Are you alright?” He asked, as he eyed the bat in her hand.
“Yes. I just got a little spooked.” She explained setting the bat back into the case. “I wasn’t sure….My family usually just walks in so….I wasn’t sure.” She repeated quickly when she realized she had been rambling.
All he did was nod while those beautiful eyes stayed trained on her.
“Come in.” Thea offered feeling awkward.
“Do you greet everyone who isn’t family with a baseball bat?” He asked with a slight tilt of his head.
“No. It’s just that I didn’t get enough sleep last night and after what happen to my sister…I guess I’m seeing shadow’s.” She giggled nervously.
“May I ask what happen with your sister?” He asked looking concerned.
She almost forgot that he was the CEO of a major security team. “It’s nothing really. She just pissed off an ex and he set her home on fire.”
“On fire?”
His face became all business.