A Love to Remember

by Angela Weaver

  “Ms. Clayton?”

  Sasha dropped the article and turned around to face a tall redheaded man with a beard. “Yes?”

  “Didn’t mean to startle you. I’m Dr. Howell, the lead on the project.”

  She shook his outstretched hand and smiled. “I would never have recognized you from the photo, Doctor.”

  “Please call me Roger. After my electric razor died on me, I discovered that the tamarins seemed less skittish when I was around.” He reached up and tugged on his beard. “Guess I blend in. Anyway, let’s not keep the group waiting. We’ve got a bit of work to do.”

  After spending three hours with the project team members whose backgrounds covered the entire spectrum of the zoo as well as outside consultants, she could honestly not think of a better way to spend her time. The zoo didn’t just intend to research the animals, it also meant to help facilitate the tamarins’ return to the Brazilian rainforest. There was a great deal of planning, design, construction and training. Sasha gathered the stack of research material she would go over later that night and started toward the exit. She turned the corner and ran straight into Trey. Struggling to keep the papers from slipping out of her fingers, she welcomed his steadying hands on her shoulders. “Whoa, you all right?”

  Sasha managed to get a grip on the paper and push her purse back up on her shoulder. “Thank you. I’m okay.”

  “Why didn’t you tell me you were starting today?” Trey demanded.

  Sasha hadn’t expected him to welcome her with open arms and a passionate kiss, but she certainly hadn’t expected the angry look she saw in his eyes now. “Does it matter?”

  “It does when Kenneth leaves a message on my cell phone with the express purpose of rubbing my nose that today was your first day.”

  “So this is all about your wounded ego?”

  “No, I also wanted to be here to introduce you to the team and take you to lunch on your first day.”

  His admission took all the wind out of her sails. Several heartbeats passed as Sasha did her best to quash the butterflies in her stomach, but they just moved to her chest and she couldn’t do anything but smile. “Okay,” she said.

  His eyes shot upward from the open area of her blouse. “Huh?”

  “Lunch?” she prompted.

  He nodded twice before taking her arm. “Right. I know just the right place.

  Getting started on the wrong foot by having his eyes glued to Sasha’s cleavage wasn’t how Trey had planned his afternoon. Then again, his near car accident while watching her cross her legs hadn’t been planned, either. It was probably a case of low blood sugar after skipping breakfast that morning or the cold weather. At least that’s what he told himself as he watched Sasha bite into a garlic breadstick fresh from the oven.

  “I think she’s in love.”

  “Who?” Trey almost dropped his forkful of fettuccini. He followed her finger toward a little baby in a stroller. He waved at the little girl and chuckled as the she began to wave her tiny hands.

  “She kind of looks like my little sister.” He grinned.

  “I bet you’re very good with kids.”

  “Kids, animals, politicians,” Trey said, shrugging.

  He put down his fork, and picked up his iced tea. “I bet kids flock to you like bears to honey.”

  Her laugh was intoxicating, and he swallowed hard at the way her beautiful brown eyes twinkled.

  “You’re right about the kids latching on to me, but you forgot the part about me turning and running with my tail between my legs.”

  Trey raised an eyebrow. “I’m in shock. The world-renowned wildlife researcher is afraid of kids?”

  She raised a finger to her mouth. “Shh. It’s a secret and if you dare tell anyone I’ll have to kill you.”

  “Ouch.” He chuckled and clutched at his chest in imagined pain.

  She picked up her fork with her graceful fingers and took a bite of the manicotti. “So tell me what you know about Dr. Howell?”

  Just like that, she switched the subject and before Trey knew it, they spent the rest of the lunch discussing her impressions of the team. Learning about Trey’s schedule and the numerous advances in veterinary medicine. Leaving the restaurant, they shared interesting details about one another’s lives: things they liked to do for fun, favorite movies and memorable moments.

  “Thank you for lunch.”

  Trey got out of his SUV, went around the side and opened the passenger-side door. When he took her hand, the scent of her perfume and warmth of her slender hands reminded him yet again as to why he couldn’t get her off his mind.

  “You’re welcome,” he replied, reluctant to release Sasha’s hand after assisting her from his vehicle. “I just wanted to make sure you had a good first day.”

  “You’ve succeeded.”

  “I’ll walk you back in.”

  She shook her head and took a step away. “I’ve kept you from your work long enough. I think I can make it past the insect exhibit without hyperventilating.”

  As if it was the most natural thing in the world, his fingers caressed the curve of her face. “No doubt in my mind that you, Sasha Clayton, are more than a match for our scorpion admirer.”

  She smiled. “Goodbye.”

  Trey put his hands in his jacket pocket and watched her stroll away. Maybe it was just wishful thinking on his part but he could have sworn that there was a little extra swish in her walk. He couldn’t have removed his eyes from the curve of her legs, even if he’d wanted to. Even after she’d entered the zoo via the employee entrance, he leaned back against his SUV, staring at the closed door. It took him a moment to realize that he was actually cold. Trey rubbed his brow, jumped back in his SUV and turned on the engine. For a moment, he let the engine idle as he struggled with a momentary surge of panic as he tried to recall a time when he’d wanted something as badly as he wanted Sasha. Just as fast as the sensation hit, it disappeared. Trey looked up into the rearview mirror and winked at his reflection. Trey Blackfox had always gotten what he wanted.

  Chapter 14

  “So this is where you’ve been hiding.”

  “Hello, Trey.”

  He looked around and noticed that the indoor exhibit was empty except for Sasha. “How long have you been here?”

  “A few hours, I think. I’ve lost track of time.”

  “Where are the others?”

  She leaned back on her knees and rounded her shoulders. “Since its Friday, I imagine that most are home with their families or out starting off the weekend with a drink.”

  “Yet, you’re still here.” He’d thought about Sasha all day. Hell, he had her on his mind all week. They’d spoken to each other on the phone almost every day, and the midnight softness of her voice had sent him into the bathroom for a quick cold shower three nights in a row.

  “As are you.”

  Her soft smile pulled him from his uncertain thoughts and he went over to where she was kneeling at one of the flowerbeds. She patted the ground next to her and Trey bent down. “I got a call about a llama with a nasty inner ear infection. I called your cell phone and you didn’t pick up.” Trey reached over and, unasked, began digging a small hole with a garden tool.

  “How did you know I was here?”

  “I didn’t. I always stop by to see how things are going.”

  “When I was a little girl my mother would plant a garden in the spring even if we were scheduled to leave before being able to pick them. She told me that they would be a gift to the family that came after us. I never realized how rejuvenating planting could be.”

  He watched, fascinated by her elegant hands, hands that competently set a bunch of new seedlings into their new homes. Never in his life had Trey thought that something so simple could turn him on, but the sight of her glowing eyes and dirt-stained cheek ignited a blaze of lust in the pit of his gut.

  Her softly worded question broke his concentration.

  “Trey, could you pass me the trowel, please?”


  He handed it over and proceeded to pick up another plant and lower it into the freshly dug hole.

  “Thank you.”

  “So are you going to tell me what’s got you digging holes at—” Trey paused to look at this watch “—seven o’clock in the evening?”

  “I talked to my mother today.”

  “Is everything alright with your parents?”

  “I was going to tell her about the inheritance, but then she told me that Dad was nominated for an award. I didn’t have the heart to say anything.”

  “So you’re doing this to keep your mind off the situation?”

  She returned the trowel to a small box and pulled off her gloves. “Exactly, and if I go home, the mansion will make me feel even guiltier.”

  “Well, I know another way to take your mind off the situation,” Trey said, following the curve of her neck and wondering if he’d come down with some new form of delirium. Since her arrival in Atlanta, they’d taken long drives, had dinner together at numerous restaurants, shared lunches at the zoo and sat next to one another at various foundation meetings. But, it wasn’t enough that he was stopping by the exhibit to see her every day and he sometimes followed her home at night. Truth was, he loved spending time with her, eagerly anticipated leaving the office to fight traffic to catch a glimpse of her at work or getting into her car.

  It felt like Christmas morning every time they were alone. He couldn’t remember how long it had been since he’d laughed so hard his chest hurt. He loved the soft lilt of her voice and the stories she told of her parents, the adventures they’d had traveling the world and how she was always getting into trouble. He loved the way the corners of her mouth titled upwards in a mischievous smile. He found that he liked that smile on her, even if it had the effect of making him hard.

  “I’m not ready to spend the night with you, Trey.”

  Trey’s mouth went dry. “Not yet, huh? Does that mean there’s a chance?”

  “Stranger things have happened.”

  He grinned. “When you and I get together, Sasha Clayton, you’ll be able to think of many adjectives to describe us, but strange won’t be one of them.”

  He helped her stand and even after she’d gotten her balance, he didn’t let go of her hands. Instead, he captured her lips with his own and kissed her until they both ran out of air. When he pulled back and looked down into her dark eyes, she had to struggle not to do it again. “I’ve wanted to do that all day.”

  Her tongue darted out over her bottom lip. “You must have had a long day.”

  “Oh, yes. And I’ll tell you all about it over dinner.”

  “Are you inviting me out to dinner?”

  “No, I’m inviting you to my home for dinner.”

  Her smile lit up her face. “I might have plans.”

  “Trust me. The plants aren’t going anywhere and neither is this zoo. But you and I are going to head to my place for the best chicken you’ve had in your life.”

  “That’s a big boast.”

  “It’ll be so good that you’ll want to kick yourself because you won’t be able to finish it.”

  Sasha laughed. “Not in this lifetime. My parents never had to threaten to send my food to the starving children in Africa, because I learned early on to clean my plate.”

  He laughed at the saucy way her head bobbed from side to side. “All right, then. Let’s get out of here.”

  Sasha had to admit Trey hadn’t lied about his culinary skills. The stuffed chicken was sweet and tangy, the white meat so juicy she was almost tempted to go back for seconds. While she’d set the table, he’d whipped up a spinach salad, taken the garlic bread out of the oven and poured two glasses of wine. Dinner had been complete with slow jazz on the stereo and a glass-encased candle on the table.

  “So where’d you learn how to cook like that?” Sasha asked after they’d cleared the table and placed the last plate into the dishwasher. If she hadn’t been in the loft while he’d prepared the meal, she would have checked the garbage for gourmet take-out boxes.

  “My mom was a very forward-thinking Southern woman. She and Dad met at Howard,” he said.

  She pulled up one of the barstools next to the breakfast bar and watched as Trey operated the espresso maker. He placed two coffee-filled mugs, sugar and cream on a wooden serving tray.

  He continued, “They met at a party late one Sunday night when all the restaurants were closed and the stores were closed for the day. My dad was starving because he didn’t know how to cook and didn’t have any food back at his apartment. Mom took pity on the poor man and took him home to her parents.”

  Sasha followed Trey into the living room and watched as he placed the tray on a side bar next to a small round table that held an antique-looking chess set.

  “Here you go.”

  Sasha took the cup from Trey’s outstretched hand and gave him a warm smile. The first sip of the warm chocolate-laced coffee made her lips inch higher. She picked up her cup of coffee as Trey gestured for her to take a seat in the comfortable leather chair. “Don’t stop there—you’ve got to finish the story,” she urged.

  Trey took a seat in the opposite chair. “Well, Dad always told me that he fell in love with my mother when she invited him over to dinner, but couldn’t really talk to her with her parents glaring at him from the other end of the table. So he decided that he’d learn how to cook so he could impress her.”

  He put down his cup and leaned forward. “How about a game of chess?” he asked.

  She leaned forward, eager to hear the rest of the story. “Trey. The story. You have to finish the story first.”

  “Where was I? Oh, Dad decided that he’d learn how to cook. So he invited my mom over for dinner one Sunday afternoon. He wanted to make her some fried chicken, but ended up setting fire to the kitchen. My mom, being the smart woman she was, had come prepared. They ended up eating cold ham sandwiches.”

  “So how does this story relate to the wonderful gourmet dinner you just whipped up?”

  “Mom didn’t want some crafty upper-class girl enticing me back to her apartment with promises of home-cooked meals.”

  “So she taught you how to cook?” Sasha guessed.

  Trey nodded and set down his mug. “She made all of us peel potatoes, chop onions and skin catfish. Mom taught the basics and from there I learned to improvise.”

  He was probably very good at improvising, she thought, her stomach fluttering a little. Why on earth was she getting turned on by that statement? The answer was way too easy. Everything about him was sexy, from his muscled physique to the baritone of his voice and hypnotic brown eyes.

  “How about some mental stimulation?”

  “Hmm. I’m game.”

  “Good. Chess.”

  “What’s the stakes?” Sasha never played any game unless she had something to lose. Which made the game all the more interesting and winning all the more sweet.

  “If I win, you spend the night.”

  Spend the night. The temperature in the loft seemed to rocket up ten degrees. His voice was smooth like silk brushing against her skin. The phrase did a triple loop in her head. It sounded as innocent as a slumber party, but the last thing she imagined was sleeping. Her pelvic muscles clenched as images of his lips on sensitive areas of her skin flashed through her mind. Lord, spending the night with Trey was a bad idea. So bad that it was good. With all the sexual tension that had been building since the day they first met, sex with him would be better than good—it would be phenomenal. Better than chocolate.

  Sasha hesitated, not because she wasn’t confident, but even professional players lost pieces. Moreover, she wasn’t so sure that she wanted Trey to see just how color-coordinated and sheer her lingerie was.

  “Afraid?”

  “No,” she responded, taking a breath and faking a sense of bravado. “And if I win?”

  He spread his arms wide. “Name it and you can claim it.”

  “That’s pretty magnanimous of yo
u.”

  “I don’t intend to lose, Sasha.”

  Grinning, he took off his watch, then proceeded to remove his cufflinks. “Now for the new rules.”

  Sasha narrowed her eyes. She really hadn’t even accepted the wager yet. “Rules?”

  “For every piece you win, the opponent loses a piece of clothing. Not including jewelry.”

  She gave him an annoyed glance. “No fair. You’ve been playing this since puberty and it only adds to your possible prize.”

  “I’m just upping the stakes. I can understand if you’re nervous.” He reached over and removed two pieces from the board. “So I’ll start out with a handicap.”

  The mood between them during dinner had been easy and relaxed, but now the sexual tension permeated the air. Ten minutes into the game, she lost her shoes and her socks. During winter when Sasha was growing up, she’d hated it when her mother wouldn’t let her leave the house without at least two layers of clothing. Now she would have given anything to have her pink long johns, cotton turtleneck and sweater.

  She stared at the board, very aware that Trey’s intense eyes watched her. “I think you should take another handicap.”

  “I think you should take off your blouse and that will be all the handicap you need.”

  Sasha fell silent as her body warmed at the huskiness in his voice. “Wouldn’t that defeat the purpose of the game?” she asked, and realized that she knew the answer.

  “No, but it might hasten my victory.”

  Trey’s hand reached over the table and cupped her face. Forced into eye contact, her stomach fluttered. “I don’t intend to lose, Trey.”

  “And I can’t let you win, Sasha.”

  On her next move, Sasha captured his only knight and instead of taking off his socks, Trey unbuttoned his shirt and shrugged it off. Her mouth went dry and what little chess strategy she remembered vanished at the sight of his bare chest.