Savage Sweetness (Lost and Found Book 3) Read online

  She grinned. “That was the idea.” She shifted to grab one of the insulated cups. “And I seriously love chocolate.” She shrugged. “It was a match made in heaven!” She poured him a cup of her American blend coffee, and popped a lid over the steaming brew. “Here you go. Enjoy!”

  “Thank you, Rosalee,” he replied, taking the cup. “What time do you get off work today?”

  Rosalee’s breath caught in her throat and she stared at him for a long moment. Was he going to ask her out? No way! A man like Ken wouldn’t ask out a woman like her! She’d had this conversation with herself last night. There was no point in getting her hopes up.

  “Oh, the usual time,” she finally got out. “Around five, as long as everything is calm here.” She felt the rush of words bubbling up. Rosalee told herself to shut up, to stop babbling. And yet, the verbal diarrhea came forth. “Sometimes, we get a rush of people in the late afternoon and I only have one person working then. So, if we get a rush, then I try to stick around to help out. It’s just that…” Patty, the evil elf who was sooo going to get mopping duties this afternoon, snuck up behind her and put a hand over her mouth.

  “She’d love to have dinner with you tonight,” Patty told Ken with a mischievous grin.

  Rosalee’s eyes widened and she shook her head. Well, she tried to shake her head. Patty wasn’t helping.

  But Ken merely grinned and nodded. “Would six o’clock be too early for dinner?” he asked.

  Rosalee froze. Six o’clock? Too early for what? For all of the yummy, naughty things that she wanted to do to and with him?

  “Six o’clock would be excellent!” Patty confirmed sweetly. “You can pick her up at her house. She lives on a farm out on Route Six.” Patty released Rosalee’s mouth. “If you come to a massive, beautiful mansion, then you’ve gone too far. She lives in a small house tucked back into the woods. So if you come to the huge house, just backtrack until you find a red mailbox. That’s her driveway.”

  Ken lifted his cup of coffee in thanks. “I’m pretty sure I can find it,” he told Patty, then his grin widened when he looked at Rosalee. “I’m looking forward to tonight, Rosalee.”

  And then he left. He simply walked out of the coffee shop and strolled down the sidewalk towards the hardware store. Rosalee stared at his back and…okay, at his butt…thoroughly stunned at what had just happened.

  When Ken was out of sight, she spun around to glare at Patty. “What have you done?!” she hissed.

  Patty and Mark, the other employee helping with the morning shift, laughed softly. Patty merely shrugged innocently, and grabbed a clean towel to start wiping down equipment. “He’s super-hot and totally into you! You were about to blow it by coming up with some reason why you couldn’t go. So really, I was helping you. You are so welcome, by the way.”

  Rosalee stared at her, jaw nearly on the floor. When her mind finally cleared, she lifted her hands in a pleading manner. “He wasn’t going to ask me out for dinner, Patty!”

  “He totally was,” Patty assured her with a knowing nod.

  Mark agreed. “As the only male in this conversation, I can give you the male perspective and he was definitely going to ask you out.”

  “He was not!” she hissed, then glanced out the window. But Ken was out of sight. He was probably in the hardware store. She sighed, closing her eyes as she leaned back against the counter. “He is so completely out of my league!”

  Mark blinked at her, then shook his head. “You’re gorgeous, Rosalee!”

  Rosalee opened her eyes, her lips twisting into a grimace. “I’m average, Mark,” she snapped, huffing and looking around for something to keep her hands busy. Unfortunately, Patty and Mark were already doing everything that needed to be done while they waited for the morning rush to begin. She glanced at the clock, willing time to move faster so that she had something to distract herself from the fact that her employee had trapped a gorgeous man into having dinner with her tonight. Ugh!

  Thankfully, one of her regulars came in, giving her something to do. For the next several hours, there was a steady stream of customers, both tourists heading into the city for a day of exploring the museums in Washington, DC, as well as the locals who stopped by for their morning dose of caffeine.

  Kasim worked hard, quickly unloading boxes and stocking shelves. Several customers needed assistance loading their trucks with the heavy supplies and he was happy to help them. It was an exhausting day, but the tasks weren’t enough to keep him from thinking about Rosalee. Was she thinking about him? Why had she tried to back out of having dinner with him? What was she doing? Was she working too hard? Were her customers treating her well? Did she have good employees?

  All of these questions kept echoing through his mind. So, when it was time to collect the trash, Kasim accomplished the task with an eagerness that was far beyond the call of duty. He pushed through the back door to the alley, found it empty and lingered there, hoping to see Rosalee as she took out the trash for the coffee shop.

  He was just about to give up, assuming he’d missed her somehow, when the door opened. His right hand froze on the door handle, waiting. Sure enough, her dark head peeked slowly around the door, waiting to make sure that the coast was clear.

  However, he wouldn’t let her get away with that.

  When she spotted him, she froze, her eyes widening. For a brief moment, he could see the intention in her eyes to dash right back inside to safety. Thankfully, she sighed and accepted her fate, hauling the heavy bag of garbage out into the alley.

  “You don’t have to take me out tonight,” she told him.

  Kasim picked up the heavy bag she’d dumped onto the gravel and tossed it easily into the dumpster. Brushing his hands together, he turned around to look down at her. “Why do you say that as if it is a chore, Rosalee?” he asked, his hand lifting to brush against her cheek, as if he were pushing her hair away. He wasn’t. Kasim just wanted to touch her, to feel the softness of her skin. It was so much less than what he truly wanted from her, but it was enough for now.

  “You’re…gorgeous Ken,” she whispered. “I’m not. I know I’m not the type you would normally take out for dinner. But I sincerely appreciate you not embarrassing me earlier. That was quite chivalrous of you.”

  He couldn’t manage to stop the snort of amusement. If Rosalee could read his thoughts, she’d never again refer to him as chivalrous! He was the exact opposite of chivalrous! Hell, at the moment, he was thinking about how her breasts pressed against the softness of her sweater and wondering what it would feel like to kiss her. To taste her and know what she sounded like when she was aroused.

  And because the temptation was so much, he didn’t resist. Instead, he lowered his head, kissing her gently as he cupped her cheek tenderly. When he straightened, he noticed that her eyes were still closed, even as she let out the breath she had been holding. And since she looked so utterly tempting, he kissed her again. This time, it was more than just a brush of their lips. He lingered, enjoying the sensation. When he felt her lips press lightly back, he felt a flood of victory and kissed her again. And again!

  He felt her hands creep up along his arms and almost lost control as he pulled her in, wrapping an arm around her waist while his other hand held her head steady, tilting slightly to the left so that he could deepen the kiss, nibbling at her lips until she opened for him.

  He was just about to kiss her again when a loud noise shattered the silence of the ally. Jerking around, he pushed Rosalee behind him, immediately searching for cover!

  Joe stepped through the backdoor of the hardware store. “Hey Ken,” he called out, lifting a package in his hand. “Someone just stopped by to give this to you. He said to tell you that he had to dash, but that you’d need this immediately.”

  Kasim heard the only word that mattered. Dash had dropped off a cell phone. Damn it! He’d truly been enjoying the reprieve from his real life. A cell phone meant business and interruptions. It meant that people could talk to him again, interrupt his life once more.

  He tamped down the resentment and nodded sharply. “Thanks Joe,” he called back, reminding himself that he didn’t need to protect Rosalee from Joe. He was a good man. Kind of a lousy storeowner to tell the truth, but he’d been selling the same products to the same people for decades. The man had his ways of doing things and Kasim respected him for his consistency.

  He turned back to Rosalee. “I’ll pick you up at six o’clock,” he said, enjoying the blush that washed over her lovely cheeks.

  “Right,” she sighed and hurried back inside. “Thanks Joe!” she called out with a friendly wave. “Have a good night!”

  “You too, Rosalee!” Joe called back.

  Kasim took the package and noted that it was heavier than just a cell phone. That meant that Dash had included something else that he would need.

  “Pretty woman,” Joe commented easily as they walked back inside.

  “She is,” Kasim agreed, tucking the package under his arm.

  Joe paused and Kasim waited, wondering what the older man might say. “She’s a good woman, Ken. She works hard and is a valued member of this community.” Kasim tensed, wondering if Joe was going to say that Rosalee should date within the community, and that she was worth more than a random transient, like him. Instead, Joe smiled. “You’re a hard worker too. Harder than anyone else I could have hired. I know that you’re in some sort of trouble, son. So if there’s anything I can do to help, just say the word. You’re good people. Rosalee is a prize, but I think you are too.”

  Kasim relaxed and nodded his appreciation. “Thank you, Joe,” he said with heartfelt thanks. “I don’t know if there’s anything you can do to help, but I appreciate the job.”

  Joe huffed a bit and nodded. “Good enough. Also, Sheriff Jenson is a good man. I know you don’t want to involve him in whatever is going on, but I can vouch for him. He’ll treat you right, whenever you’re ready.”

  Kasim nodded again, but there was no way he’d involve the local sheriff in this mess. This was trouble of a much higher caliber than what a local law enforcement officer could handle.

  Joe nodded, looking a bit awkward, and sighed. “Thank you for your help today. You’ve done the work of two people.”

  “My pleasure,” Kasim replied.

  Joe chuckled. “I’m guessing that you have a date tonight?”

  “Yes, sir,” Kasim said with a grin that he couldn’t seem to suppress.

  “Well, have fun.” Joe chuckled as he moved to the front of the store. It was Friday night, so he was going to lock up for the night and head on home. The hardware store would open early on Saturday, but would be closed all day on Sunday. That was another throwback to the past that Joe maintained. Most stores remained open on Sunday now but Joe attended church services on Sunday morning, then had a meal with his wife, children, and grandchildren. As he’d explained to Kasim, he wasn’t about to give up church and family just for a bit more money on Sunday. So, the man closed his doors on Sunday and Monday, not even allowing someone else to be in charge of the store on those days.

  Kasim didn’t argue with the man. Joe was a good soul and if he wanted to remain closed on those days, so be it.

  Kasim left the store and headed towards one of the benches in the town square. He wasn’t going to open the package in front of anyone who wanted to look.

  Tearing open the top, he peered at the contents. Dash hadn’t just sent him a cell phone. He’d sent a few thousand dollars in cash, a driver’s license with the name “Kenneth Stinson” on it, several credit cards and, bless the bastard’s heart, keys to a vehicle! As soon as he pulled the cell phone out, it rang.

  “About time,” Callum grumbled.

  “Are you okay?” This from a feminine voice that Kasim recognized as Angela’s. “What can I do to help?”

  Kasim chuckled. “What do you know?” he asked as he tucked the package under his arm and pressed the button on the vehicle key fob. Immediately, a black sedan parked in front of the hardware store beeped. It wasn’t a new sedan. Well, it might be new, but Dash had “dirtied” it up a bit, so the car wouldn’t stand out. There was a coat of dust covering the car, just enough so the vehicle looked well used but not abandoned.

  “I don’t know. Where is Dash? What has he found out?”

  There was a slight pause, and Marco joined the conversation. “Dash is working on sending a box that is currently being delivered to your sister that contains one of his agents. We need you to call your sister to warn her about what’s going on so she doesn’t scream when the guy pops out.”

  Kasim chuckled at the idea of one of Dash’s agents hiding in a wooden box. Marco was right. Taylee would scream if she opened a strange box to find a man in it. “Okay, will do. Was he able to find out anything before he left to supervise the Jack-in-the-Box agent?”

  “Not yet, but his techs are working on it,” Callum replied.

  “Okay, well, let me call my sister and warn her then.”

  “That’s probably best. Your sister is a bit…”

  “High strung,” Angela filled in. “She’s worried about you. She’s called me several times and I’ve done my best to assure her that you’re okay, but I don’t think she believes me.”

  “Thanks Ang,” he said, settling into the driver’s seat of the sedan. He had to push the seat back. Whoever had driven the sedan here was much shorter than he was. Thankfully, the sedan might look benign on the outside, but it had all of the bells and whistles on the inside. “Now that I have a phone again, I’ll call for updates.”

  “We won’t wait for your calls,” Callum added. “If we find out anything, we’ll call you immediately.”

  “Thanks everyone,” he said, the sincerity in his voice ringing through loud and clear.

  “Just stay alive,” Angela ordered, her voice firm, but he could hear the concern in her tone.

  “I will do my best,” he assured her, as well as Marco and Callum. The men were just as worried, but they wouldn’t say as much. Angela was their emotional outlet and he loved her all the more for it.

  They ended the call and Kasim wondered what the other three were going to do next. He wouldn’t put it past them to show up here, demanding to see him.

  But for the moment, he needed to get to the grocery store and buy the ingredients for a picnic. Thanks to Dash and his brilliance, he had more than enough money to spoil Rosalee. However, he stuffed the thick wad of money under the driver’s seat. He didn’t want to use Dash’s money for tonight’s dinner. All his life, he’d had enormous sums of money. He’d inherited a huge amount of wealth from his father and he was extremely good at increasing that wealth through investments.

  But the roll of twenties that he’d earned through his efforts at the hardware store was what he’d use for tonight. He wanted to treat Rosalee tonight. The other money was Dash’s money, although Kasim would definitely repay him once he was back in Alistar. Tonight, it would be just the two of them.

  “Give me something!” Jatua snapped, bursting into the guardroom. He’d fired all of the guards who had failed so far. These men were loyal only to him. The explosion several days ago had been a major failure all around and he refused to allow ineptitude in this palace!

  The man Jatua had established as the captain of the new guards straightened, his eyes narrowing in anger. Jatua wasn’t sure if that was good or bad. The man needed to know his place, and yet Jatua also needed men who were willing to do whatever was necessary to accomplish the missions. That willingness to do anything usually came with a bit of an attitude.

  As long as it didn’t become a problem, Jatua would allow it.

  For now.

  “We’ve searched all the hotels where your nephew might have gone to stay. We’ve interviewed the hotel staff and no one has seen His Highness,” the man reported.

  “Are you interviewing the check-in personnel?”

  “No, sir,” the man replied, pointedly not using the elevated title. Jatua would deal with that once he was established as the ruler of Alistar. Unfortunately, he needed to find Kasim before he could rise to leader! “We left that to the local law enforcement personnel. My team went to the hotel cleaning personnel and the back room staff. They’re the ones that need money more than the front office personnel. They are also the people more likely to see a larger number of guests.”

  “And?”

  “Nothing, sir. We’re still looking, but I’d like to expand the search to the suburbs. I think that your nephew might be-“

  “No!” Jatua snapped. “Kasim is in the city somewhere! He’s probably talking with his powerful contacts, laying low while he figures out what happened.” He paced a bit, drumming his fingers against his thigh as he considered the danger if he didn’t find Kasim before…well, before. Kasim wasn’t an idiot. He’d figure out what had happened. Jatua needed to get his people in place before Kasim put the pieces of the puzzle together.

  “Talk to the embassy personnel,” Jatua snapped, turning back to the guard captain. He was short and stocky, but incredibly intelligent. The infernal question that kept circling in Jatua’s mind was if the man was both willing and merciless enough.

  He’d test him over the next few days, Jatua decided. If the captain wasn’t both of those things, then he’d find someone who is.

  Her terrified scream rent the air, but a large hand immediately covered her mouth. Taylee’s heart pounded against her chest as she struggled against the hand. Where were her guards? Why didn’t they hear her?

  They were new, she remembered. Her former guards, the ones that had protected her for years, had been fired. Jatua, her uncle, had declared that the old guards lacked skills and had brought in a new team. Unfortunately, these new guys were a bunch of idiots.

  Case in point, she was standing in front of an enormous crate that should never have been delivered to her room without being inspected first. If the crate had been adequately inspected, then the man inside the crate would have been discovered, and she wouldn’t be trying to remember how to get out of this particular hold.