Page 27 of Sweet Little Thing

I laughed, “Yes, he does, but that doesn’t mean I should marry him.”

“But why not?”

I leaned back in my chair and took a sip of coffee. Glancing up at Jasper, I saw him grinning, relieved he wasn’t panicking. “If I wanted to get married, which I never do…but if I did, I’d definitely be interested in marrying your beautiful sister,” Jasper told her, not looking away from her face. Holding her gaze. He wasn’t uncomfortable around her the way guys in my past had been.

“You don’t want to get married?” Heidi replied. “Why? You could have babies, play games, and eat ice cream all the time.”

He didn’t laugh at that, and I had to give him credit. “Those are all very true. But I’m too busy with work. I don’t have time for all those fun things that come along with marriage.”

“Do you work on the movies?” she asked.

This time, I had to smother my giggle. Heidi was completely focused. Her flu forgotten with Jasper in the room.

“I’m afraid not. I work a very boring job in an office most of the day.”

She seemed displeased by that. “Why? You would be the handsomest man in the movie.”

Jasper grinned and responded, “I’ll keep that in mind. If this office thing doesn’t work out, that will be my backup.”

Heidi was appeased by that. She began telling him all about a soap opera she had started watching since moving in here. She was sure he should be on that one. Jasper took a seat beside me and handed me a pack of peanut butter crackers, chocolate doughnuts, and a crispy wafer bar. I picked the crackers and began to eat them.

Heidi talked to Jasper, who kept up the conversation, ranging from soap operas to her love for Jimmy, before landing on her best friend May, stating that “pizza day” was her favorite day of the week. He seemed to enjoy talking to her. He even managed to eat the sleeve of doughnuts and the wafer bar while he answered, asking questions from time to time, which Heidi was happy to respond to.

With each passing minute, my feelings for this man deepened. He was going to be a good friend. That much I knew. I’d do anything for him after today. When the nurse came in to check her vitals, Heidi didn’t even seem sick. Jasper’s presence had changed her for the better, even if she still had the flu.

When it was time to go, I kissed Heidi’s forehead and told her how much I loved her. She told me she loved me too and that she was going to listen to Momma’s singing tonight. Then she told Jasper to come see her again, and he responded, “Absolutely.”

I didn’t know if he would, but I knew she’d remember him after this. As would the nurses and staff. On our way out, every pair of eyes followed him, and I was brought back to the reality that he wasn’t mine or Heidi’s. He’d been perfect with Heidi, and I wanted to throw my arms around him and hug him for it. But I didn’t. That would make things awkward. Me getting things mixed up in my head because he had given me someone to leanon when I needed it would not end well.

Chapter

Twenty

Jasper

The quiet, early morning was peaceful. I stood with my cup of coffee and watched the pool rippling from the breeze. The place was manicured and clean, pristine, though that wouldn’t be the case tonight. Girls would be topless, drinks in abundance, and the people I called my friends would surround me on every side.

This party was what I needed to get my head on straight. It would remind me that this was my life. My father’s death had messed up the plan, forcing me to grow up sooner than I had anticipated. I never expected to take his place before I was forty. I had wanted to travel and enjoy life for a while. Not deal with the corporation, employees and my mother. Coming back here to Savannah had been the last thing I wanted to do.

Now, I was here and faced with the fact I had to stay in Savannah. If I didn’t stay, my mother would ruin me, the woman having no sense of business or any idea of a budget. Nothing was the way I thought it would be. Stone had agreed to stay in townfor a while, to be my support and help guide me. He already had a flat here. In fact, he preferred Savannah over Manhattan. He kept homes in both cities. Even though he had his own shit to handle he knew I needed help facing Portia and this company; the man was always level-headed, attuned towards business, whereas, well, I wasn’t at all. I was a dreamer, always searching for the unattainable. I lost sight of goals to chase new ones. I enjoyed freedom and I no longer had it. I never would again.

Glancing back at the house, I wondered if Beulah was awake yet. Just thinking about her made me smile. That wasn’t okay, and I knew it. She had her own responsibilities to deal with. I still couldn’t figure out why my mother had helped Beulah and Heidi, though I was certainly glad she did. Beulah had quickly managed to get under my skin, in my head, I found myself obsessing over her entirely too much. That was fucked up, and I knew it. But I still smiled when I thought of her. The days she was with me at work had become days I didn’t dread going to the office.

She made mornings my favorite part of the day. We’d eaten together a few times now and I loved listening to her talk. I didn’t give a fuck what it was about. I just liked to see her lips move and hear her voice. My going to see Heidi had changed how she acted around me. She was more relaxed, and I finally got to know the real Beulah. She laughed loudly at my jokes, blushed when complimented, and was relaxed around me, whereas before, she had been closed off and quiet.

If I could keep from wanting to grab her and slam her against the wall, then take that sexy mouth, it would be even better. But that seemed impossible since every passing second we spent around each other all I wanted to do was touch her, scale her body with my hands. See if Beulah tasted as perfect as she looked. The girl was messing with my head. I didn’t do relationships of any kind. Never had before, unless it was purelysexual. And I was almost certain Beulah didn’t do quick ‘no strings attached’ hot fucks. I was certain of that. She was the kind of girl that did relationships. Hell, she was so naïve she may even be a virgin. That was a major hell no right there. I didn’t touch virgins. Yet, she’d made her way into my thoughts, taunting me. And I was fighting it more and more.

This party was mostly due to my need to fight those urges. To put a barrier between Beulah and me. For my sake. Because I was real damn close to crossing a line with her.

I was bringing her coffee at work just to sit and talk to her. I canceled meetings for an excuse to eat lunch with Beulah, and I’d taken all those damn files and dumped them on the floor in a gigantic clusterfuck just to have a reason to give her the money she needed to take care of Heidi. I knew her pride wasn’t going to let me pay her what Portia had been paying before I came, especially after I’d acted like a dick about the money I had thought she was pocketing.

I ran my hand through my hair and sighed. I was sinking and had to claw my way out. My life was not a place that Beulah would fit. I would hurt her, not even meaning to, and I couldn’t stand the thought of her enduring any more pain. I’d seen the way she had started looking at me. Gazing too long with a soft expression in her eyes. And fuck I had liked it. I wanted it. But I would hate myself in the end.

Tonight, I’d enjoy naked women plastering themselves against me. I’d fuck several. Taking two at a time. I would do whatever I needed to get that sweet fucking face out of my head. . .and her smell. . .Beulah’s scent. . .I had to forget how incredible she smelled, like motherfucking sunshine and honey. Jesus, that got to me.

“Good morning,” her voice was soft, almost musical, as it floated through the breeze. I turned to see her standing just outside the door. A cup of coffee in her hand. “I’m sorry you hadto make your own cup.”

“I was up earlier than normal. I can manage. You drink that one.”

---