Give Me Love (20 page)

“Oh, I like your jeans. Are they
Sass and Bide
?”

I was still wearing last nights outfit of jeans and a loose satin dark blue top with little silver chains that dangled from one side to the other all the way down the front. “Yeah, they’re my favourites.”

He nodded approvingly at my outfit. “You have good taste. We should go shopping together.”

I agreed. The more numbers you had, the more terrain that could be covered. Shopping was like preparing for battle, you needed to strategise, plan targets, assign buddy’s, spread out, coordinate food stops, and finish on the high of spending money you hadn’t yet earned.

We exchanged phone numbers and Tim took my hand. “Come on, I’ll show you around.”

The phone rang.

“Blasted phone,” he muttered. “Hang on. Jamieson and Valentine Consulting, Tim speaking. One moment please.” Pushing a set of buttons he said, “Geoff on line two,” then hung up.

He put a little phone headset on, hit a button, and turned to me. “Kitchen, coffee, biscuits. Let’s go.”

I followed because the pretty boy spoke my language. He led me through the door Coby had disappeared behind and past a row of five large open style offices.

Tim pointed at each as he led me past them. “That’s Coby’s desk, Travis, Jared, Casey, and Carol.”

They were all empty. “Where is everyone? Who’s Carol?”

He led me into a large kitchenette out back that housed a couple of lounges, a casual dining table, a fridge, and a kitchen bench that ran along one wall with a coffee machine, microwave, and sink.

“Travis, Coby, and Jared are upstairs. Casey's overseas on assignment. Carol is our office manager. She’s out running errands. Coffee?”

“Tea, please,” I asked as I took a sticky beak in the fridge to find nothing but milk. I waved my hand at the vast emptiness. “This is woeful. What do you eat?”

Tim rolled his eyes. “We never know who is going to be here at any given time, so we order in lunch each day once we do a head count. We do have fruit.” He indicated to a large bowlful with a distinct lack of enthusiasm.

I raised a brow. “Jared’s doing?”

I got the milk out and handed it over as Tim gave me a speculative look. “You and Jared are dating, aren’t you?”

“Is this a trick question? What if I say yes?”

He finished making the tea and opened a cupboard, giving a furtive look left and right. “Because I have these...” he half pulled out a packet of Tim Tams “...or you can have an apple,” he said in disgust, “if that’s what you want.”

The phone rang and Tim pressed a button on his headset. “Jamieson and Valentine Consulting, Tim speaking.” I absconded the packet of Tim Tams from his hands and made a mad dash for the couch. It wasn't really a mad dash, but if I wasn’t under the effects of the Barnacle Hangover it would have been.

“Casey is out of the country at the moment. Is the matter urgent or can I take a message?” He moved to a notepad and pen by the fridge. “Of course. I’ll be sure to let him know.” He hung up, grabbed the tea and coffee, and came to settle on the couch next to me.

I had half a Tim Tam packed away already, and he gave me an approving look. “Well you pass the test, but I don’t foresee fun times ahead for you and Jared.”

“Tell me about it,” I agreed around a mouthful of chocolate biscuit. “The whole idea of it makes me break out in a clammy sweat.”

He took in my mournful expression and patted my hand in sympathy, confiding that it was always a good lunch day when Jared wasn’t in the office.

“So what’s upstairs?” I asked as I took a cautious sip of hot tea.

“The control room, an overnight room, and a gym.” He dunked his biscuit in his coffee and took a bite, swallowing before he explained, “The control room is where they plan and run their operations from. Frank works up there along with five others who assist in just about everything. The overnight room has a few bunk beds and a small en suite for when they pull overnighters, and the gym is here because they’re always working, so it’s convenient.”

“Working hard, Tim?” a loud voice came from the doorway.

Tim shrieked from being startled, and the Tim Tam packet went flying up in the air. All eyes swivelled to watch it fall face up on the floor.

“Crap,” Tim muttered.

Jared was standing just inside the door with his arms folded, casually leaning up against the doorway, amusement flickering in his eyes. He was wearing a pair of dark denim jeans, a fitted white t-shirt, navy jacket, and brown boots, but he’d trimmed his hair.

My face fell in disappointment.

“Hey, baby.” He grinned at me and stalked across the room. “I was waiting for you to come up but...” he gave a pointed glance at the biscuit packet “...I see you had other priorities.”

I put my tea down on the side table, and Jared yanked me up off the couch and planted his lips hard on mine. I whimpered and I wasn’t sure if it was because my head was going to wobble off or because the feel of Jared pressed up against me was more delicious than my feeble body could stand.

He moaned as I wound my arms around his neck and opened my mouth to let his tongue slip inside.

“I’ll...ah...just get back to the front desk,” Tim muttered from somewhere far away.

Lips still locked, Jared turned me around and sank down on the couch, pulling me with him. I shifted so I straddled his lap and met his tongue with my own. The kiss swiftly turned from tender to hot, and he broke away and sucked in a breath.

“Christ, you’re fucking hot,” he muttered as he stared at my swollen red lips.

“What?” I asked in a daze.

He looked into my eyes. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too but…” I ran my hands through the shorter silky strands.

He chuckled. “It will grow back you know.”

“Um, hi, Evie.”

I twisted from my straddled position to see Travis standing in the doorway with an amused expression.

“Hi, Travis.” I flushed and tried to struggle to my feet.

Jared, sensing my efforts to take flight, wrapped his arms around me and held firm.

I gave up with a huff. Jared, happy with my lack of mobility, turned to Travis. “What do you know?”

Travis folded his arms, looking just like Jared had a few moments ago, but his expression was worried. “Frank says Sarah Jenkins is the sister-in-law of Joseph Farrell who is the recently deceased brother...” he glanced pointedly at Jared “...of Jimmy Farrell.”

Oh my God, was he
that
Joe? I didn’t know he’d died. Jared hadn’t mentioned anything. My hands gripped tight on his shoulders. “He died?”

“Yeah,” Jared murmured. “Shit!” His voice grew louder. “Do you think he was following Coby in Evie’s car or following Evie?”

“Fuck. I don’t know. It could be either,” Travis said unhappily.

“Why would he be following me?” I asked in confusion. I didn’t even know the man.

“Coby and I were both on scene at the time Joe was shot. He may think Coby shot Joe and is tailing him, or I did, and he’s after you because you’re my girl,” Jared explained. He stood up and set me on my feet. “If he was smart enough, he’d just go underground, but it’s possible that he’s looking for payback.”

Travis nodded his agreement as Jared paced the room in full business mode.

“I’ll get Evie home soon and stay with her. We need a schedule to have someone on Evie at all times until Jimmy is located. Tell Frank to call Mitch. The police will need to be notified. I want everyone to drop everything that’s not urgent and get on to finding this bastard.” He swiped a hand down his face. “Shit.”

“Shit is fucking right,” Travis muttered.

“I’ll be right back, babe. Wait here and don’t worry. We’ll have this bastard locked up by days end.” Jared bent his head and with a brief touch of his lips to mine, disappeared through the door behind Travis.

Chapter Eleven

It was early, the sun just rising, and it was not a time of day I was overly familiar with or fond of. I won’t deny I enjoyed the quiet, but I was tired and the ability to get back to sleep had died a slow and painful death as I lay staring at the ceiling. Jared had been working around the clock for a week, and Jimmy was still at large. Not wishing to wake him, I sat on the front balcony of our duplex sipping a cup of tea and reflecting on the past week.

We’d played two shows, one at a place called
The Cathouse
and one at
The Forbes,
a shopping trip with Mac and Tim, nothing heard from Gary the Jettison Records scout, and a whole week of having Jared in my bed. It wouldn’t have been half bad, but considering every moment that I wasn’t with Jared I had either Coby, Travis, Henry, or Jake stuck to me like glue, it gave me an idea of how it must feel to be one half of a conjoined twin. I appreciated the sentiment that it was done in the name of keeping me safe, but blankets were less smothering, and the weight of concern surrounding someone following me left me slightly breathless whenever I allowed myself to think on it.

I felt the air stir as Jared came up behind my chair. He swept my hair over my shoulder and pressed a soft kiss to the back of my neck that sent cool goose bumps travelling along my skin.

“Morning, baby,” he murmured, yawning as he moved over to sit in the deck chair to the right of me. Hair mussed from sleeping, he smiled at me lazily, and I let out a long, quiet breath. His chest was bare but he’d slipped on the pair of jeans he was wearing last night.

“What are you doing up so early?”

I took a sip of my tea and waved my hand at the horizon before I answered. “I wanted to watch the sunrise.”

He looked out at the brilliant pinks, oranges, and soft blues before raising one eyebrow, looking back at me sceptically.

“Okay,” I said on a sigh. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Come here,” he ordered.

I shifted and crawled into his lap, breathing in his warm, male scent as I rested my head on his shoulder.

“Evie, I’m sorry. I’ve loved every minute of you being here, but I feel responsible for what’s happening with Jimmy. It’s been a good idea to lay low until he’s found, but maybe we can relax things a bit.” He rubbed his hands up and down my back in soothing motions. “We still haven’t had that talk yet either.”

That was ages ago. Damn the man, he had the memory of an elephant.

“We don’t have to do that now,” he said, sensing my sudden urge to flee, “but you need to know that I want you with me—permanently. I’m happy to wait for you to catch up, but it doesn’t mean I’m not going to do everything I can to make you want to take that jump because I’m right there with you.” He leaned in to kiss my forehead. “I know you’ve been hurt in the past, and I can’t promise that I’m never going to make you angry or upset you, but I wouldn’t ever do it deliberately. Just give us a chance, okay?”

Without waiting for a response, which was good because I needed a moment to think about what he’d said, he held on to me and stood up. The fact that this amazing, beautiful man wanted
me
was thrilling, and I knew I wanted him just as much. That was never in doubt. I just wasn’t ready to let those last, final pieces of myself go. That fact he was willing to give me time gave me some measure of peace.

Carrying me into the bedroom, he tossed on the bed and crawled up and over the top of me to lean down and press a kiss on my lips.

“I want you every minute of every day. You make me crazy,” he whispered as he nipped and licked his way down my neck before sitting me up to take off my camisole. He pushed me back down and finished his trail down my chest, peppering little kisses across my ribs as his hands ran up and down the length of my thighs. I moaned at the touch, and in response, his tongue traced a hot path along my hip bones.

He paused and met my eyes. “I think we should go on a date.”

“A date?” I repeated. My conversational abilities were at a disadvantage while his tongue and hands were caressing my skin.

“Yeah a proper date, just the two of us. We can go out for dinner, a movie, have some quiet time together away from everyone else. What do you think?”

He peeled the silk shorts slowly down the length of my legs, my breathing becoming shallow as his mouth moved between my thighs. What did I think? He was asking me to think?

When he’d finished the long drawn out process of doing wicked things to my body, we had another water conserving shower, and I was now in my wardrobe searching for something to wear. Since we’d signed on with Marcus to a regular, lucrative spot at the White Demon, Henry had decided to buy a car, and Jake, he and I were going car shopping today.

I pulled on my grey cuffed shorts with the hot pink pinstripes, a pair of silver sandals, and a plain white fitted shirt and trotted down the stairs to find Henry and Jake sitting around drinking coffee and munching toast while Jared was sliding on a pair of shoes.

I gave Henry and Jake a dirty look. “You didn’t make me any toast?”

Henry and Jake had the good grace to look guilty as they munched heartily.