Love Renewed (Entwined Hearts #3) (3 page)

“Jenson,” I say striding into the offices on the top floor of the building in central London.

“Dane,” Jenson replies.

“Dex got my message to you?” I nod at him relaxing into a leather sofa in one corner. My eyes automatically move around the room, taking in the exits, places that people could be hiding behind. The window cleaning lift outside.

“So what was so important that we needed this meeting brought forward?” I question. He moves over to a locked cabinet and opens it. Pulling out a box, he makes his way over to me, setting it on the table in front of my chair.

“This came today. Our contacts in the US sent it. They want us to look it over.” I stare at the small brown box and wait for him to open it.

“The contents were tampered with.” My eyes shoot up to meet his. “We don’t know much yet, but what we do know is that there was supposed to be four disks in this box. Now there are only three.” Sighing and sitting back, I cross my arms over my chest.

“I’m going to Vegas next week. I’ll be busy for the first week, but the second week I was thinking about flying to New York. I could chat to our contact while I’m there. If nothing else, maybe find out what was on that fourth disk, before trying to work out who took it.”

“Of course,” he replies handing me the box. “Whatever you need me to do I’ll be ready. Just let me know.” Standing to leave, no goodbye is uttered as I climb in the lift and travel to the basement, reaching my waiting car, heading toward home and wondering how I’m suddenly stuck in both a personal shit storm and a professional one.

“Nova.”
I just can’t get his voice out of my head, or the picture that seems to be imprinted on my brain of him calling me that name. But it was the look of devastation when I said I couldn’t remember him that seems to be seared into my retinas.

“Libby, are you okay?”

I blink at Davy. “Oh yeah, I’m good. What are you getting?” My voice is flat, I can hear it, and judging by Davy’s wince he heard it too.

“Libby, we can leave the date tonight if you want?” His question doesn’t surprise me. Davy and I have been dating for about six months. Even after all this time, we still only see each other once a week. Every week. Specifically every Saturday. He seemed sweet, sexy, and kind of edgy when we first met at my job. Now I wonder if that guy ever actually existed.

Working at an accounts firm is boring. Boring and brain-numbing. Nothing interesting ever happens, and before Davy, there were no hot guys to work with. I’ve worked as a receptionist at Douglas, Kirk and Sully Accountants for nearly three years. I’m part of the furniture. My job isn’t particularly exciting, but it pays the bills, and the people I work directly with are nice. Plus, my best friend Melissa works with me. We met here, she started about six months before me. Luckily she was here to show me the ropes. Until Davy, though, well, it was just another job. I’d been working there for just under two years the day he arrived. I remember it like it was only yesterday.

“Fuck, he’s hot,” Mel said slapping me on the arm. My head hung down as I was trying to get some important reading completed. Fallen Crest High by Tijan had been downloaded on the recommendation of a friend only that morning, and I couldn’t put it down. It didn’t bother me that Mason Kade was about ten years my junior…he was my latest book boyfriend and I couldn’t tear myself away.

“Who?” I asked my head still in the Kindle.

“Sexy suit and glasses guy, heading this way.”

Only snapping my head up as he arrived, Davy dazzled me on sight. So much so that my voice escaped me, and although I was aware he was talking, I couldn’t make out what he was saying as my brain was having a hard time engaging. The moment it kicked back in Melissa was speaking.

“I’ll help you. Sorry Libby isn’t feeling herself today, all those silly romance books she reads.” Glancing over to Mel I noticed she had leant forward enough that her arms were squeezing her breasts up and almost out of the top she was wearing.

“I don’t think there’s anything wrong with reading. Romance specifically, it just lets you know what you want and it helps some people realise that they can shoot for better than average,” he said all the while staring at me. He ended his words with a wink. All the air left my lungs and I felt my cheeks heat.

“Some of us don’t need books, some of us know just how we like things,” Mel interjected. She was well known for her brazenness. She was the loud to my quiet, the high maintenance to my low, the brash to my unassuming. I watched with interest as hot suit guy flicked his eyes momentarily to Mel and tipped his lips up in a placating way, then his eyes slid back to mine.

“I’m Davy Brooks,” he said extending his hand. I was taken aback. Visitors didn’t usually address us personally, especially not with handshakes. I looked between his hand and face twice before Mel jumped in and took his palm in hers. He twisted to her and gave a polite smile. After a few shakes the situation was becoming awkward, even as a bystander. I watched Mel smiling at Davy and fluttering her eyelashes while he tried to disengage his hand. In the end, he snatched it away, and for the sake of my friend I quickly averted my eyes to my Kindle, so she thought I hadn’t seen.

“See, in her book again, no man will ever match up.” Mel almost spat the words out and I was embarrassed and worried, as we still had no idea who this guy was. Fortunately, he chuckled. I stared at him slightly warily and gave him a timid smile.

“How can we help you, Mr. Brooks,” I asked in my most polite tone.

“Davy, please. And you can start by telling me your name?” His answer surprised me and made me immediately suspicious.

“Why?” The question popped out without warning. Quickly slapping my hand over my mouth, I apologised.

“Sorry,” he said and it was obvious he was now trying not to laugh. Realising this was because I still had my hand over my mouth and was, therefore, mumbling, my cheeks flushed. I wasn’t sure at this point if I could be any more mortified. I pulled my hand away and closed my eyes for a second. Mentally slapping myself. Hard. Then opening my eyes again, I plastered on a professional smile.

“Good morning Mr. Brooks…Davy…I’m Elizabeth Burchall…Libby. Nice to meet you.”

He smiled at me and this time it seemed genuine. “Good morning, Libby.” He offered me his hand again, this time I took it. Clasping my small hand in his, I was surprised and slightly agitated when he stroked the back of it with his thumb. Pulling my arm back in a jerky motion, made him release his grip on me.

“How can I help you today?” What could I say, I was ever the professional.

He just smirked. “I’m here to see Mr. Kirk.”

“Of course, Sir. If you would like to take a seat, I’ll let him know you’re here.”

He nodded, smiling and walked over to the leather sofas that filled our waiting area. Taking a seat he kept his eyes on me, and I couldn’t quite determine if that made me feel flattered or creeped out.

“Do you, Lib?” Davy asks bringing me out of my memories.

Memories—any memories—are something I truly cherish, and that’s hard for a lot of people to understand.

“No, sorry, of course, I want to have this date tonight. There’s just a lot on my plate at the moment, what with this interview,” I lie.

He knows I’m lying, probably knows that I don’t really have the interview I’ve been talking about since coming back from England. It’s just a way of distracting him from my real thoughts. I just don’t think he really wants to know what’s actually bothering me. Never wanting to see past the surface. That’s Davy. He’s always loving toward me…when I see him. He just doesn’t do deep, it’s like he keeps himself at a distance so he doesn’t actually feel.

The waiter appears magically, I almost expect a puff of smoke to surround him. “Are you ready to order?” he asks looking at my breasts.

“We are,” Davy snaps gaining his attention. “I’ll have the soup to start and fillet mignon in red wine sauce.” He doesn’t offer a ‘please,’ he obviously spotted the waiter’s stray eyes.

“Ma’am?” The waiter turns to me, his eyes once again wander to my breasts.

“I’ll have the lobster ravioli, please.” Turning he leaves.

“Davy,” I mutter and his eyes lock onto mine, he has a hardness in them now.

“Just leave it, Lib. He’s a douche, and your top is too low cut.” His eyes move around the room. He never looks at me when he knows what he’s saying is unfair, never apologises either. Today I don’t care, my mind isn’t in it. Plus, the distance we have means that I can be left to my own thoughts.

Staring at Davy, I take in all that is him. He’s taller than me, although that isn’t hard as I’m only five-foot-three, but at five-foot-ten he isn’t particularly tall for a man. Looking down his body to his waist, his bottom half is hidden under the table, but I know what he looks like under that expensive suit. He uses the gym three times a week, at least. Well, that’s what he tells me, it’s one of the reasons we only have one date a week. That, and the fact that he thinks, if we dated more than once a week, we would burn out because we work together. I never really understood his logic because we hardly see each other at work. Still, he’s not lying, he definitely goes to the gym. I’ve seen his body, it’s a gym body, of that there is no denying. He has blue eyes. Unfortunately they aren’t very special, and often lack expression and depth. His brown hair is neatly coiffered with its short back and sides. He always keeps it perfectly tidy, the same as his facial hair, or that should be lack thereof. He doesn’t do facial hair. I suppose it’s expected in his profession—Accountant.

He came into my workplace, and my life that day, because he had been headhunted. Recruited into our firm by one of the partners. His eyes drift back to me and he smiles, then looks out the window. I ponder why I’ve never felt raw passion with him…with anyone.

My mind again flicks to Dane, wondering whether I had that kind of passion, in my past, with him. I was only a kid really, so probably not. Still, my mind won’t seem to push him out. I know we have a history, not that I can remember any of it. But he did fill me in when I was in England. All the basics. But it’s the things he never said. The words that I could see on the tip of his tongue, the one’s he never expressed. He kept his mouth shut, but his eyes…Dane has no problem with expressive eyes. His eyes could tell stories, they’re so beautiful. Even so, I couldn’t get past the fear within me. He mistook it for fear of him. I let him believe that it was easier than facing a whole lot of uncertainty. The unknown scares me. It’s my biggest anxiety. I have plenty of unknown in my past and don’t need unknown in my future.

Solid. Expected. Predicted.
That’s what I need.

Davy—he’s all those things. Dependable. I need that in my life. I smile and grab his hand.

“How was work today?” I ask him.

His eyes whip back to mine. I’m sure there’s something momentarily in them before it disappears.

“Good. I’m pretty certain I’ve got this new account in the bag, Larissa was saying…”

He carries on talking about work. I sit intently smiling
. I’m a bad girlfriend.
I don’t really listen to him because my mind keeps jumping back to Dane.

“
You made me better Nova. Sorry, I know you like to go by Libby, I’m not trying to piss you off.” He sighed. “You’ll always be my Nova…” The whisper slipped from his lips.

My plate is put in front of me and I pick up my cutlery while Davy continues talking.

Yes.
Dependable, stable, consistent.
That’s what I need.

I just wish my heart and head were on the same page.