After Hours (5 page)

“Are you flirting with me again?” she teased.

“What if I am? What are you going to do about it?” he said. “I believe I showed who was boss behind the trailers earlier. If you want a repeat, I’ll be more than happy to give it to you.”

Leaning across the table Jametria got directly into Forbes’ face. Damn, if he was this good-looking she wondered what his parents looked like. “I might tell you to stop since I’ve decided not to kiss anyone I work with.”

Forbes brushed his thumb over her bottom lip, making the sexual chemistry between them even hotter. “I think I have the gifts to make you change your mind.”

“No, I don’t think you do. I’m going to stand firm on this,” she said, moving Forbes’ hand away from her mouth.

“I have to disagree with you. I think it was something neither of us had experienced before and I want to try it again. Your kisses are addictive and I do have problems with controlling myself, so I can’t stop at only one.”

Sighing, Jametria fell back against her seat. “Please tell me you haven’t tried that line on other unsuspecting women.”

“I thought it was pretty good. It kept you talking to me.”

“I guess it did.” Jametria agreed, getting lost in the soothing sound of Forbes’ voice.

He continued looking at her like she was the most beautiful woman in the world. “I find you captivating. Go out on a date with me.”

The smile instantly vanished from Jametria’s face as she gathered up her belongings and stood swiftly. “I’m sorry. I can’t do that. Now if you’ll excuse me.” She picked up her laptop and walked away from Forbes.

****

“How are things going on your end? Have you gotten Jametria to open up to you yet?”

Moving the curtain back in place, Forbes left the window and paced around the hotel room. Zane was watching his every move. He couldn’t keep doing this to Jametria. He was really beginning to like her…more than he should on his part. His growing feelings for her were starting to trouble him.

“Can’t we find another way to get Mr. Collins?” he asked.

“No, this is the best way and from what I’ve seen, you’re doing a wonderful job,” Zane pointed out.

“You’ve been watching me?” Forbes snapped. He stopped pacing and glared at the man who had been his best friend since he began at the FBI. “Don’t you trust me to get the job done?”

“It’s not that,” Zane stalled. “It just seems like you aren’t pushing Jametria hard enough. She’s either always working on this book or with her agent. You need to cement yourself into her life until her uncle makes an appearance.”

“Jametria is an amazing woman and I don’t want to hurt her. Let me tell her the real reason I’m here.”

“Absolutely not,” Zane yelled, jumping from the couch. “We can’t afford for you to pull out now. You’re too far in this and besides, what would Jametria think?”

“She would be hurt if I disappear without any warning and the last thing I want to do is have her upset with me.”

“Glad to hear it,” his boss said, patting him on the shoulder then strode towards the door. “I need to go, but don’t forget I can check in anytime. So don’t get too comfortable being with Ms. Collins.” With those parting words, Zane opened the door, went out and then closed it softly behind him.

“That’s easy for you to demand since you aren’t the one falling in love with her,” Forbes mumbled right before he took the seat Zane just vacated. “Am I willing to risk my career for a woman that I barely know?”

For years he found the solitude of his job rewarding until he laid eyes on Jametria Collins and then everything changed for him. He started to wonder if she could handle the long periods of time he would be away from her. His career was exciting, constantly filled with travel.

The usual retirement age of most agents was after twenty years of service; some retired in their late fifties. He was fast approaching his twenty year mark in the Bureau and before Jametria, leaving the F.B.I. seemed impossible. Now it didn’t look so bad.

“How can I keep the woman I’m beginning to care for and the job I love?” It was a hard question with an even more difficult answer.

Forbes wasn’t ready to lose either one, but having them both seemed impossible. When all of his secrets came out after this assignment, he was going to lose one and he didn’t have a doubt in his mind it would be Jametria.

Could he quit his job for her and become a teacher, attorney or private investigator as most of the other agents did after they left? No, none of those jobs fit him. He would be bored within a year’s time.

“Why am I even thinking about all of this?” he questioned, standing up and stretching. “I know that Jametria is attracted to me but that doesn’t mean she wants a relationship.”

Get a grip, Huntington, or you’re going to blow your cover.
Searching the room for his car keys, Forbes snatched them up and left his hotel room.

Chapter Nine

“I want one scoop of chocolate and another of vanilla. Could you also add some sprinkles on top, too?” Jametria dug inside the bottom of her purse while she waited for her ice cream. As soon as she found the correct amount of money the strangest sensation came over her.

“You should’ve informed me that you liked vanilla. I’d have freely offered up my body in a hot second,” a warm male voice whispered by her ear.

Jametria shivered at the sudden picture of Forbes lying naked on his back while she licked delicious ice cream off him. It was so real that she almost dropped the money in her hand. Taking a deep breath, she faced the wicked man behind her.

A forest green shirt was plastered to his flawlessly proportioned body and shoved into a pair of tight jeans that molded his hard thighs and everything else in between. Jametria slowly ran her tongue over her bottom lip, not knowing what the action did to Forbes’ already semi-aroused body.

“Shame on you,” she scolded. “You shouldn’t offer me things like that. I might take you seriously.”

Forbes backed her so fast into the corner by the ice cream booth that she didn’t have time to blink. “You might have forgotten what we did at Ron’s photo shoot, but I haven’t. Do you know how many dreams I’ve about you since that day? In some states, they are illegal.”

“That isn’t my fault,” Jametria tossed back. “We shared a quick moment of passion and nothing else. I told you I don’t sleep with the men I work with.”

“Technically, I work for your publisher and the cover is finished. So, we can date and have all the fun we want,” he whispered tracing the swell of her breasts with his finger. “Don’t you want to have fun with me?”

“Stop,” she moaned trying to move her body away from Forbes. His erection was poking against her, causing a pool of moisture to rush between her legs. “We can’t be doing this in public.”

“Would you rather we do this in private?” Hard fingers pulled at her nipples while his tongue licked at the side of her neck. “You smell delicious. Does the rest of you smell this good?”

“Ma’am, your order is ready,” a cheerful young voice piped from around the corner, cutting into her rendezvous with Forbes.

Embarrassment flooded her face and Jametria was thankful for her darker skin so Forbes couldn’t see it. “Let go of me,” she hissed shoving at the hard wall he called his chest, but he wouldn’t move an inch.

The wind stirred around them gently and Forbes’ cologne hit her senses. The powerful scent stirred a deep longing within her body and mind. Her experience with men wasn’t that extensive, but she sensed that Forbes Huntington was trouble with a capital “T”.

“I’ll move on one condition,” he said, staring into her eyes, making all of the struggle leave her body.

“What is it?” she asked.

“Will you wait for me while I order my ice cream? Or will you run away the second my back is turned?”

“I’m not a coward. I’ll wait for you over there on the bench in the park,” Jametria promised, wondering if she was making a huge mistake.

 
Girl, what are you getting yourself into with him?
She wasn’t quite sure of the answer, but she was willing to wait and find out.

“I believe you,” he replied, moving away from her.

“Thanks.” Jametria hurried past him and quickly paid for her treat. “Don’t stand me up,” she tossed back as she went in the direction of the bench.

“Don’t worry, darling. I’d never leave a pretty girl waiting for me,” Forbes’ playful voice yelled behind her.

****

“Tell me about your family. Are the only child? Or do you have a large family?” Forbes already knew the answers, but he had to test Jametria to figure out how honest she was.

Swallowing the last of the ice cream cone, she wiped the corner of her mouth with a napkin and then tossed it into the trashcan. Sunlight shone on her black curly hair making it shimmer. She was wearing another sundress like the one at the photo shoot, only this one was a salmon color that highlighted the deep rich brown tones of her skin.

The need to reach out and run his fingers over her skin had him stretching his arms across the back of the bench. It was getting more difficult to resist the clawing need to make love to the beauty seated next to him.

“I had an older brother, Trey, but he died while pledging to a fraternity. One of the hazing stunts went wrong and my parents sued the college. They got awarded some money, but they never got over losing my brother.”

“I’m so sorry. How old were you when he died?”

“I was a freshman in high school.”

“Are your parents still alive?”

Jametria looked at him and shook her head. “No, they died my senior year of college in a boating accident.”

“You’ve been on your own for a while now haven’t you?”

“I’m not alone. I have my Uncle Wayne. He’s my mother’s brother and after I graduated college, he invited me to move here and I stayed with him for about two years.”

Forbes schooled his features hoping that Jametria wouldn’t see the exhilaration at her mention of her uncle’s name. This is what he had been waiting for these past two weeks. “Is your uncle the one that got you interested in becoming a writer?”

“Yes, he was. My uncle read one of my college English papers and told me I should get paid for my creative talents. He was always about making money. I never understood how he always seemed to have money, but never worked a day in his life.”

“How do you think he got his money?” Forbes asked.

Jametria’s eyes lingered on his for a few seconds. She glanced around and then moved closer to him. “I think he was a professional gambler. I mean my dad told me never bet against him when I was a kid.”

“So, I guess you never played cards with him growing up?”

“No.” She laughed. “The only thing I took from him was his advice about my writing and the rest is history.”

“I guessed you had a good relationship with him?” Forbes wanted to know how much it was going to hurt Jametria when Wayne was arrested.

 “My uncle is the coolest. My brother and I always had the best presents from him when we were little. My uncle never seemed to be able to hold down a job, yet he had the best of everything.”

“I bet he did,” Forbes mumbled under his breath.

“Did you say something?” Jametria asked.

“No, I was just thinking out loud,” he lied.

“Care to share?”

“I was thinking about how soon it would be before I was able to kiss you again. Don’t tell me you haven’t been thinking about the same thing,” Forbes challenged.

Jametria looked at him then shook her head. “This wouldn’t work between us. You’ll be gone soon if my publisher doesn’t request any re-shoots. So, it would be for the best if we don’t get involved with each other.”

His radar went on red alert.
Could he be falling hard for someone that already possessed an emotional attachment to another guy
? Was Jametria blowing him off because there was another man in her life and bed?

“Do you have a boyfriend and that’s why you’re so against us going out of a date?”

Chapter Ten

Jametria wanted Forbes with an intensity that she never thought she could feel, but it wasn’t the right time for her to get in a relationship. She had too much going on in her career to dedicate anytime to starting a personal life.

 “Forbes, I’m not blowing you off. I have told you the reasons why we can’t get involved.”

 “They were dumb excuses and you know it,” he countered. “I can tell that you want me. I’m not going to give up until you agree to go out with me. I mean I’m a pretty good looking guy and you’re gorgeous. We would make a stunning couple.”

“Forbes, you’re a gorgeous man…”

“Thank you,” he said jumping in. “I’m glad to know you find me attractive. So, I’m one step closer to winning you over, aren’t I?”

“You didn’t let me finish,” she sighed. “What we are feeling is a sexual chemistry attraction to each other. I write about it all the time with my characters. It might fade out after a couple of dates.”

Forbes brushed the back of his knuckles against the side of her neck. “Have you always been this scared of men or am I the only man that brings out this fear to run away in you?”

“I told you earlier that I’m not a coward,” Jametria insisted, turning her head to look at Forbes.

“Prove it,” he taunted, softly as his warm breath glided over her skin.

“How do you want me to prove it?” she questioned. Jametria wondered if she was setting herself up for something she wouldn’t be able to get out of later.

“I want you to spend some time with me,” Forbes said.

 “I believe we are spending time with each other right now.”

“You know what I mean. I want a real date. Do something that doesn’t involve your book. Besides, I don’t consider this a date because we didn’t come here together. I want to be able to pick you up at your house.”

Jametria was beginning to see that Forbes was a lot more determined that she first realized. “You aren’t going to drop this, are you?”