Jasper: Book 2 War & Piece Chronicles Read online

  “I’m guessing you’re the accountant. You don’t look like one and definitely do not sound like one.”

  “Quit staring at my butt and help me pick up this mess,” she snapped as she continued to gather articles of paper.

  I chuckled as I kneeled and began to offer assistance. “But it’s an extremely nice arse,” I said with a sexy grin.

  “You’re kidding, right? I read all about you and your antics. I may be a country girl, but don’t assume I’m clueless, because I’m not. Now point me to my office so I can get to work. I need to get situated and don’t have time for your shenanigans. I believe Ms. Wellington wanted a forensic accounting of the books since VIP opened.”

  I scoffed, crossing my arms. “Wait a minute. Harriet wants you to check my work, all of it? Why, because she doesn’t trust me?”

  Collecting the last of her fallen papers, she stood and glared. “Please don’t take it personally. I need a starting point. Do you comprehend what beginning with a blank slate means? Although, if she doesn’t trust you, I can understand why.”

  My jaw ticked as it tightened. Yet another slight. Just ignore it.

  “Yes, I know what a blank slate means. Your office is next door, so if you have queries, feel free to use the phone. No need for you to personally pop in,” I muttered, contemplating working with this horrid woman. Training clients began to sound appealing to me.

  “Don’t you worry. I won’t need your advice. I do hold several degrees. I doubt you could offer me any help—”

  “So now I’m deficient?” I asked angrily, disbelieving the balls on this woman.

  “Your words, not mine. I call ‘em as I see ‘em. Now that I’m thinking about it, I must have been hired because you aren’t qualified or, rather, up to the task,” she answered with a smirk.

  This petite woman was pissing me off. “Oh, trust me. I am always up to the task, regardless of what that job entails. You’d only have to know me intimately.”

  Her smirk dropped. “I’m thinking just about now that you remind me of my soon-to-be ex-husband, and I really loathe him. Not a good way to start off a relationship.”

  “We’re going to have a relationship?”

  “Professional relationship, you jerk.”

  I had to laugh. She was amusing as hell. She had fire. Right about now, I was contemplating a ball gag or a good spanking.

  I dropped my hand to conceal the beginning of a hard-on. She turned to walk away as I assessed what my final words would be.

  “Would it be sexist if I asked your name? You do have one, I assume.”

  “Daisy. Daisy Jones.”

  Chapter Three

  Daisy

  The nerve.

  I’d known men like him all my life. They’d been customers in the diner, men I’d worked with, and even the male students in college. Didn’t matter their age. Control was their main asset.

  Though, I’d lied when I said he reminded me of Maynard. They were nothing alike. Maynard was handsome, but Jasper was not only attractive, but enormous. He was so tall he reminded me of the spruce firs that grew in Sweet Birch Hollow. That tight suit he wore accented his muscular body. His hair was not quite black or even brown, but somewhere in between, and it was styled in some bizarre way—probably an English thing. He had piercing blue eyes, pearly white teeth, and dark stubble that added to his sexual magnetism. But it was his hands… Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, one of them had to be three times the size of mine. He should have terrified me, because now most men did. But regardless of his arrogant temperament, there was something strangely appealing about him.

  The man was smooth all right. Regardless of what I’d said, that accent made me hot and bothered. Just being close to him made my skin prickly. I was glad I had my own space; working side by side would be extremely tempting.

  Maynard was slick and aggressive. I hadn’t been innocent, but I was wide-eyed and excited when a rich and handsome man had paid attention to me, always sitting in my section of the diner and leaving me hundred-dollar tips. It was difficult to say no to his sexual advances, especially when my tuition was due and I hadn’t saved enough. It had felt wrong to ask him, but we’d been seeing each other for close to a year. My financial problem was his permanent way into my life, and four years later, I married him.

  I would never let another man take advantage of my circumstances. No man would ever control me again.

  I was smarter and older now. Even though I took responsibility, it had been the money and shiny bobbles that caused me to turn a blind eye to Maynard’s illegal doings. But when I found out it was more than just fudging numbers and that he’d committed really heinous acts, I knew I was done.

  It didn’t matter if my bottom half showed interest in Jasper; he was just another man that used his looks, accent, and ego to boss women around. It appeared I was fascinated by any man who dominated, and right now, that man was Jasper. Anything between us would be a repeat of the mistake I’d made before. It would mean I had learned nothing from the last few years with Maynard or the pain I’d experienced at his hands.

  As long as Jasper stayed in his office and didn’t bother me, we’d get along just fine.

  I heard a loud knock on my door. Damn, that had better not be him.

  “Come on in,” I spouted with displeasure.

  Yet another tall male walked in. He was gorgeous, with an infectious smile, definitely not that English man.

  “Hi. I wanted to introduce myself. I’m Reese, one of the other partners. I thought I should check in and assure you not everyone is a villain,” he quipped.

  “You’re talkin’ about that English slicker?” I commented, then watched Reese double over in laughter. “I’m Daisy.”

  “Yes, you are. You are a breath of fresh air. Where are you from, Daisy?” he asked genuinely.

  I sat in my office chair as he perched himself on the edge of my desk. “I’m from the South.”

  He stuck out his hand, and his clasp was warm. Reese seemed sweet.

  “It’s very nice to meet you, Daisy. I apologize for Jasper.”

  Surprise overtook my features. “How do you know if an apology is needed?” I asked with curiosity.

  “From experience. He can be a handful. Once you get to know him, he’s not so bad. The Brit has a permanent chip on his shoulder, so he can be cranky in the beginning.”

  “Yup, I noticed. He’s pretty to look at, but his bedside manner blows.”

  Reese appeared amused as he cleared his throat. “Bedside manner, huh? That part of him excels with the ladies, but any other time, he’s bitter, especially since you took away his job as the bookkeeper.”

  “I prefer the term accountant or financial analyst. I didn’t go through all those years of schooling and get bunches of degrees to be referred to as a bookkeeper.”

  “Now I must apologize to you. I swear the men on St. Willis aren’t bad, just ill spoken. The only other partner you haven’t met yet is Kai, the originator of VIP. He’s married with a kid, so he only works part time. Be glad you didn’t get this position before he got hitched. You wouldn’t have liked him before, but having a family straightened out his behavior,” he confessed.

  “His wife must be awfully trusting. I saw some of your employees on the way in. I wouldn’t want my man around so many young and beautiful women. Too much enticement, if you get my meanin’.”

  Reese wagged his finger. “Kai’s wife was his client when they met. It shouldn’t have happened, but it did. I mean, Tegan was older and trying to lose weight. She’s very special. I envy him.”

  I eyed him carefully. “Did you get with her before your friend? Sounds like you did.”

  He shook his head, grinning. “Not for lack of trying, but I came on too strong. Because of my actions, I practically handed her to him. Thinking about it now, I never had a chance. It was always Kai. I suppose the heart wants what it wants.”

  “It sounds as though you might be the next one smitten and getting hitched.”


  Reese laughed. “Are you offering?”

  I felt my jaw drop as my eyes went wide. “I think you’re a little young for me. And to be honest, I’m already married and planning a divorce. It’s left a bad taste in my mouth for men, no matter how pretty they are.”

  “I like my women seasoned,” Reese teased.

  “You callin’ me old?”

  “No, ma’am. I just wanted you to know that age doesn’t matter to me. Never did. What’s not to like? You’re adorable, and I love your accent.”

  I raised an eyebrow in amusement. “What accent?” I joked. “Just joshing with you. I have a tendency to fall back into country drawl when I’m mad or comfortable, although I work hard to sound like everyone else in a professional setting.”

  “Don’t you change a thing. I could listen to you all day, but I do need to get back to work. I don’t want you thinking I have no substance, that I’m just a physical beauty. I do have a brain.”

  “Ha, that’s usually my line. I’m always being judged. Because I’m country bred and have an accent, people think I’m not smart. Truth be told, I’m more knowledgeable than most. I have this numbers thing. I can remember an entire page of numbers and calculate them in my head. My professors told me I had a photographic memory. That’s why it won’t take me long to go through these books. Most likely a week, if that.”

  “Well, hell, Daisy, you are incredible. I’m inquiring as a friend, nothing else. I swear. Could we maybe have dinner? I mean, you have to eat,” he asked as he slid off the corner of the desk.

  “That airplane didn’t offer nothing but nuts, so by tonight, I’ll be hungrier than a fox in a hen house. I kind of get the feeling this place doesn’t serve the kind of food I’m used to.”

  Reese appeared to contemplate my dilemma. “Well, we do have world-renowned chefs. I suppose I could ask one of them to whip up some southern fare, but as you have to realize, this is a health club, so they probably won’t have an alternative to your dietary desires. We do have superior culinary choices, including vegan, vegetarian, low-calorie, low-fat, and low-sugar selections geared toward our weight loss clients. We also offer a more mainstream menu for employees and those guests who have come to the island strictly for rest and relaxation. I’m sure you haven’t had time to explore all the amenities we offer. I’ll leave this brochure with you. We provide everything you’ll ever want or need. I assumed you’d be living on the island, so I secured the penthouse for you. It’s been unoccupied since Kai got married.”

  Reese handed me a thick file, which I flipped through quickly, noticing a brochure and a map. God, this place was too much. First the airplane trip, then a ride on a yacht to get here, then this place with its palm trees and beaches, and now some huge apartment fit for a king.

  Was Reese doing all this because he was interested? I did sense he might be one of those men, a player. I’d met a lot of them in college. They didn’t care about the age difference; they were only interested in getting me in bed. I didn’t trust anyone. I might have been born at night, but it wasn’t last night.

  “Isn’t a penthouse a little excessive for an accountant? I mean, I do appreciate it, but I think it’s too much.” Even though I’d married money and was used to the finer things, I was a country gal at heart.

  “No, it’s been empty for almost two years. None of the partners ever lived in the hotel but Kai. Jasper has a house a couple miles away, and I have a nice bungalow on the east beach because surfing is my first love. I adore the water.”

  I surveyed his appearance. He definitely looked as if he spent his time outdoors. His skin was deeply tanned, and his hair was sun bleached. His coloring made the man’s jewel-green eyes pop. You could tell he was athletic, his arms and legs muscular. The men I was used to had hard bodies from back-breaking labor, but Reese looked different. I was sure he worked hard for that body, but he appeared… fancy. He knew he was a pretty boy and used it to gain a woman’s attention. Any other time, I might have gone for the bait, but I had at least fifteen years on him.

  “Well, after I’m done arranging my office, I’ll have a look-see at that penthouse. I’m not too thrilled it’s so high up. I hate heights. But I have to live somewhere, and since you sort of already expect me to stay there, I suppose it’s okay. And maybe I’ll take you up on that dinner offer after I get settled in. No promises. You have to behave. Us having supper is not a date; it’s a friendship sort of thing. I’m likely old enough to be your mama, so I’ll slap you upside the head like one if you don’t keep your hands to yourself.”

  Reese’s face held a childlike expression. It was kind of foreboding. It reminded me of when Maynard hit me last. But this attractive surfer wasn’t him. I had to constantly remind myself that not every man was out to hurt me.

  My hand instinctively went to my face, reminding me I would never again allow a man to lay hands on me. But then again, my husband didn’t want to hurt me. He wanted me dead. Therein lay the difference.

  Chapter Four

  Jasper

  “Christ, do you ever knock?” I asked Reese in an admonishing tone.

  “I was meeting our new accountant, and since I was next door, I wanted to ask what you thought of Daisy.”

  I placed a folder on my desk. “Honestly, I’m trying not to,” I responded dryly.

  “Ooh, I really like her. That accent is almost as charming as yours.”

  I pressed my lips together, trying to stifle a chuckle. “Yes, the country bumpkin is delightful,” I muttered sarcastically. “Tell me you’re not thinking of her in that way. I would have thought that lesson was learned with Tegan. Besides, she is definitely too old for anything you’re planning.” I tossed him the manila folder.

  I watched as Reese’s eyes scanned Daisy Jones’s résumé. They grew wide as they came to the age. It wasn’t necessary to include that information in her employment credentials, but she had volunteered the information.

  He whistled. “Forty-three, damn, but that woman looks good for her age. I knew she was older, but I thought midthirties.”

  He wasn’t wrong. Ms. Jones was mature but had a body made for fucking and an appearance that was flawless. Her tits and arse were definitely God-given. No plastic, no fakery. Her hair was a nondescript blond, but her eyes shone a breathtaking jade green. Being six feet six, I was drawn to women who were taller, but Daisy was small-boned and short. I definitely towered over her by at least a foot.

  It was no matter because the woman was fourteen years older and definitely an executive that was off-limits.

  “There’ll be no physical contact between you and her,” I stipulated.

  “We screw employees all the time. I know we spend more time on the mainland doing our thing, but we still have a few here.”

  I shook my head. “Tegan was bad enough. Kai really fucked us by having an affair with a client, getting quite a few of our female employees in an uproar. If you remember, even with NDAs, we shelled out thousands in severance pay.” I paused as I rubbed my temples. “It was total rubbish. I have never terminated so many people. You are a pain in my arse. For some ridiculous reason, you seem to gravitate toward every older woman that walks on the premises. You cannot go there, and, Reese, she is not one of your nightly bimbos. Ms. Jones is an executive. Blasted Harriet hired her. Please do not shag the woman who has that twat’s ear.”

  “Daisy’s in the beginning stages of divorcing her husband. I doubt she’s remotely interested in men.” Reese lowered his voice. “How close did you get to her? I mean, did you see her face?”

  “To be honest, I had more of a backside view, but yes, I did look at her face briefly,” I said. Liar, you memorized her from head to toe.

  “Then you noticed the bruises. They’re faded, but someone did that to her. I’m voting on the husband.”

  I cursed silently as my fists balled at my sides and my jaw began to tick. As ruthless as I could be, I drew the line at physical violence against women, although I was not opposed to brutalizing the me
n who violated that line. The pain she obviously wore, carefully concealed beneath cosmetics, had escaped me because I’d been too occupied with her arse.

  Daisy and I had gotten off on the wrong foot.

  I’d tried so hard to extinguish the memories that plagued me. They used to invade my dreams, so I began spending my nights fucking. Even though I could handle my end of the business without much sleep, if I felt tired, I drank more tea or caught an occasional nap.

  I believed pain could be a healthy part of sex, but only if my partner consented. I enjoyed giving and receiving, but I would never intentionally take my hand to a woman in savagery.

  “Are you sure, Reese?” I asked.

  He nodded a confirmation.

  I bowed my head as I exhaled loudly. “It’s really none of our business. She obviously doesn’t want anyone to know, since she made extreme effort to cover them. What would we even say? She most likely chose this position to put distance between them. I wouldn’t want to embarrass her by asking about her personal affairs.”

  “Wow. What did I expect? You don’t have any emotions when it comes to manhandling women during sex. I guess since we’re not fucking her, she isn’t worth your inquiry.”

  “Wait a goddamn minute. I resent your innuendo that I would hurt any woman. The pain I enjoy during sex is always mutual. I would never do it unless it was consensual. I can’t believe you expected me to ask her about it. Our first meeting wasn’t very jovial. You think she would confide in me something that is obviously personal? You’re insane. You saw the bruising. Why didn’t you ask her what happened?”

  I put my hand up before he had a chance to reply. “I’ll tell you why. Because, Reese, as ‘nice’ as you pretend to be, asking requires involvement, and you, my friend, want love all wrapped up with some pretty bow. You want everything that Kai has, but you don’t want to put in the work. Caring about another requires effort.

  “At least I’m honest. I already have everything I want, so there’s no room for anyone permanent in my life. I’m truly sorry if someone roughed her up, but it’s not our concern. So quit thinking about her. I know you adore women that are broken, but this you can’t fix, so let it go.”