After Hours (11 page)

“I’m going to try everything in my power to make her mine again,” Forbes whispered to himself. Food could wait because he wasn’t going anywhere until he got to talk to Jametria. He just had to make sure that she didn’t bolt the second she laid eyes on him.

****

“Do you need me to go and get you something? You don’t look that good,” Africa whispered by her ear. “You haven’t moved for a while and I know you have to be thirsty.”

“Oh, I would love a Banana and Strawberry smoothie from next door,” Jametria answered, giving her fan back the autographed book.

“I’ll try to get back as soon as I can. Do you want something to eat, too?”

“That’s okay. I’ might eat something after I’m finished here. I only have about eight people left.”

“Alright, I’m outta here.” Africa touched her on the shoulder before moving towards the front of the bookstore.

Jametria watched Africa leave the building with a little bit of envy. She loved being her with all of her fans, but her wrist was starting to hurt and she was just plain tired. Africa didn’t know she wasn’t sleeping at night. As much as she tried to hate Forbes for everything that he did to her, she secretly still felt something for him.

He seemed to know what she was thinking without a word being spoken. One time after she had spent hours in front of the computer, Forbes fixed her a soothing bath and afterwards he massaged her body down with scented oil until she fell asleep.

Some nights they wouldn’t even make love, but just cuddle up in bed and listen to music. Jametria’s eyes started tearing up when it hit her all of those moments had been an act of his part. From the second Forbes appeared out of nowhere at the photo shoot, it all had been about tossing her uncle in jail and never her.

“Ms. Collins, are you okay?” a female fan asked as she handed the book back to her.

 She blinked a couple of times to dry her eyes and gave the lady a small smile. “Yes, I’m fine. Thank you for asking.”

“Okay, you just looked like you were a million miles away,” her fan replied. “By the way, I totally loved your latest book. Are you planning to do one about Paul and Tyra? They deserve their own story so much.”

“Yes, I’m working on them.”

“Wonderful, I’ll be the first one in line to buy it.” The woman waved at her then walked away allowing the next fan to move up.

The flow of fans stayed steady for about the next twenty minutes and Jametria chatted with them and answered all of their questions. She was pleased to know they wanted Paul and Tyra’s story told. She
only
hoped she could do it justice now since in her mind Paul looked like Forbes.

Jametria shoved the negative thoughts from her head. She was a best selling writer and it was her job to be able to separate her personal life from business. She wouldn’t allow Forbes lies to ruin this story for her fans. For the past two and a half years Paul and Tyra’s story had been floating around in her mind and they would get the happy ending that they deserved.

A hand touching her shoulder drew her attention away from her signing the book in front of her. Glancing over her shoulder, she was surprised to find Kay standing there. “Do you want to take a break and come back in a few minutes?”

“Can you see how many people are still in line?”

Kay moved to the end of the table and looked at the line. “I only see about four more people and you should be finished for the day.”

“No, that’s okay. I’ll just stay here and sign the rest of them.”

“Can I get you anything?” she asked.

“No, Africa should be coming back with my drink in a few minutes. She went next door to get it.”

“She’s probably still standing in line with the lunch crowd. That restaurant is the hottest spot in town and is usually standing room only,” Kay said, giving her a concerned look. “Are you positive I can’t get you something? I have some bottled water or soft drinks in my office.”

“No, thank you.”

“Well…if you say so.” Kay paused and looked at her for a split second then moved away.

Jametria thought Kay’s kindness was sweet, but she didn’t want anything. She wished that she hadn’t agreed to this book signing so soon after her uncle’s trial. Her publisher had been pushing her to do one for a while but she kept saying no.

The only reason she agreed to this one now was Forbes. She thought meeting her fans would get him out of her mind, but it didn’t work. It was like she felt his presence everywhere and it was driving her crazy.

She was taking a leave of absence after she typed
The End
on ‘
Lost Love”.
A long vacation on a tropical beach was so in her future and Africa wasn’t going to give her a problem about it either. Oh, just thinking about lying on a beach with a fruity drink in her hand brought a smile to her face.

Shaking off the trance, Jametria focused her attention back on the remaining fans that were still standing there to meet her.

“Good afternoon, thank you for coming to my book signing,” Jametria said, taking a book from a woman who looked in her early forties.

“I’m so happy that you finally decided to do one. I have all of your books and I can’t wait until your next one comes out,” the lady gushed. “Your alpha males are so hot! I dream about leaving my husband all the time for one of the men in your books.”

She tried not to laugh at the woman’s enthusiasm,
if she only knew the men in my books don’t exist in the world.
“I’ll tell you a little secret,” Jametria whispered to the woman, secretly happy this was her last book to sign for the day. If this lady hadn’t been the last person in line she would have lost her mind.

“Oh, what is it?” Her fan took the book back and held it against her ample chest. “I love hearing secrets.”

“I wish sometimes that the men in my books were real too. What woman doesn’t want to get swept away by her Prince Charming?”

Nodding the lady replied, “I know what you mean. I love my husband, but sometimes I wish he was a little more romantic.”

“As long as your husband doesn’t lie to you, he’s a keeper.”

“No, Victor isn’t a liar. My husband is one of the most honest guys I have ever met.”

“Then like I said he’s a keeper,” Jametria sighed.

A smile lit up the woman’s face bringing a glow to it and taking off five years. “I’m not ever letting him go, but dreams are nice too.”

“Yes, they are,” she agreed.

“I better go. Victor is taking me out to dinner tonight.” The woman waved at her and left.

Closing her eyes Jametria rested her head back against the chair and thanked God for allowing everything to go so smoothly. She had been worried something crazy might happen. She truly wasn’t fond of large crowds and today’s crowd turned out to be enormous. She never thought that many people would show up to see her.

“Excuse me, can I still get an autograph,” a masculine voice asked, sending a jolt through her body.

It couldn’t be!

Jametria’s eyes shot open and she almost fell out of her seat when her gaze connected with Forbes.
Damn…Double damn
!

Why did his ass have to be so fine? A plain shirt stretched across his chest and the jeans she loved him in hugged his lower body. Even his five o’clock shadow was turning her on more than it usually did.

The familiar musky scent of his cologne filled her nose, it made her body throb for what they once had, but would
never
have again. She shoved the thoughts of the past to the back of her mind and refocused.

“What in the hell are you doing here? I didn’t see you in the store or in line.”

“I stepped behind one of the bookshelves when there were two people ahead of me,” Forbes answered. “I knew if you saw me before now it would be over.”

“You’re damn right,” she hissed. “I want you to leave. The sight of you makes me sick.”

“No…I came to get an autograph and that’s what I want,” he said, tossing her book on the table.

Opening the book Jametria scribbled something inside and flung it back at the man who had literally ripped her heart out of her chest. “There you go. Now get the hell away from me.”

Forbes grabbed the book and read the inscription. “I didn’t think you knew that kind of language,” he laughed, tossing the book back on the table. “I know you hate me but if you let me…”

“Please don’t tell me you want to explain anything to me, Agent Huntington; I wouldn’t believe a word that came out of your mouth. You’re a liar and will always be one.”

“Forbes.”

Jametria’s eyes narrowed on the man in front of her. “What?”

“My name is Forbes…not Agent Huntington when I’m around you.”

“You were Forbes when I thought you were my boyfriend,” Jametria corrected. “Since you aren’t anything to me now, calling you Agent Huntington just seemed right.”

“I can be something to you again if you let me.”

Jametria snickered and it even sounded evil to her own ears. “I wouldn’t let you give me a glass of water if I was dying from thirst. What you did to me was cold and heartless. I’ll have that memory for the rest of my life.”

Forbes rushed around the table blocking her in. “Jametria, listen to me. Baby, I want to find what we used to have. I’m begging you for a second chance.”

“Fuck no!” she screamed in his face. “I hate you and never want to see you again.”

Forbes flinched then ran his fingers through his hair. She remembered him doing the same thing after they made love. It was so silky that it seemed unfair for a man to have it.

“Jametria, I’m leaving in two days for another job and I don’t know when I’m going to be back.”

Lord, was he going to do something dangerous and get himself hurt? She couldn’t let Forbes know that she still cared about him.

“So, I could not care less.”

“Stop lying to me,” Forbes snapped, grabbing her by the arms.

“Let go of me.”

“Not until you tell me that I still have a chance with you,” he demanded, jerking her out of the chair and against his chest.

“Has hell frozen over? That’s the only way I’ll tell you something like that.”

“Jametria, I know you still love me, I can see it in your eyes,” he said.

“Look closer…that is called hatred. I hate you Agent Forbes Huntington. You ruined my life.”

Chapter Eighteen

Panic laced through his heart as Jametria’s words settled into his soul. He wasn’t going to get a second chance with her. The woman he had been waiting for all of his life despised the sight of him.

“You don’t mean this,” he said, trying to reason with her. Jametria was just upset and it was causing her to lash out at him. “I know you’re still in love with me, because I’m still in love with you.”

“How dare you come here and say that to me? You don’t know the meaning of the word love!”

“I know that every time I see you, my heart lodges in my throat. You are the last thing I think about before I go to sleep at night and the first thing on my mind when I wake up,” Forbes said, trying to make Jametria understand how he still felt about her.

“God, you’re so good. How long did it take for you to come up with that?” she snickered. “It sounds like something I would write in one of my romance novels. Have you been sneaking at peek at some of them?”

He didn’t like this nasty side of Jametria. It wasn’t her. She was sweet and understanding. She wasn’t the type to have a nasty retort at the tip of her tongue, especially for him, not after all the things they shared together.

“No…I meant every word from my heart. Jametria, you know that I love you.” Forbes let go of Jametria and took a step back from her.

“Thank, God,” she sighed. “I thought you would never get your hands off me.” Jametria brushed at her arms like his touched disgusted her. “When are you going to get it through your head that I don’t want you anymore?”

He would never get it through his head because it was a lie.
“I know I surprised you by being here today, so I’m going to leave. However, I’m not giving up on us. What we found with each other is rare and I’m not letting you brush it under the rug.”

“Go away, Forbes,” Jametria muttered, turning her back to him.

“I don’t know how many times I have to say I’m sorry, but I’ll say it until it will get you to look at me the way you used to. Jametria, I love you and I always will.”

Standing behind Jametria, the urge to wrap her in his arms clawed at Forbes, but he fought it. “I’m leaving,” he said moving around the table, “but I’ll be back before I have to leave on my next assignment. I love you with all my heart, please never forget that.” He turned on his heel and went out the door without looking back.

****

Jametria watched Forbes retreating back with mixed feelings. She felt like he truly he loved her and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. But on the other hand, could she really forget the ultimate betrayal?

“Ms. Collins, are you okay?” Kay asked, appearing at her side. “I saw you talking to that man and you looked so upset. I didn’t know if I should interrupt or not.”

“It’s okay, Kay,” Jametria muttered as she watched Forbes through the bookstore window. “I know him.”

 “He’s very handsome. Is he someone special to you?”

“No…he was just a man from my past.”

“Well…from the way he was looking at you, I think he doesn’t want to be,” Kay exclaimed.

“I’m not sure that can ever happen,” she said, looking over at Kay. “Some things just aren’t meant to be.”

“I always tell people never say never when it comes to a guy. The first time I met my husband I thought he was a world class jerk until I got to know him. Now we’re about to celebrate our fifteenth wedding anniversary and my love grows for him more each day.”

Jametria couldn’t believe that Kay thought she wanted to marry Forbes. “Why do you think I want to have a relationship with Forbes? I never said that.”

“I’m hope I’m not speaking out of turn, but for a woman who’s not interested in a man, your eyes never left him until he disappeared from sight. If I’m wrong I apologize, but if I’m right you should give him a chance.”