More backstory...will be over soon.
"Rob?" Kyra came into the jewelry store through the back entrance and he poked his head out of his office. "Hey. I have our lunch."
Rob walked up to her and relieved her of the bag of food and her purse. Smiling he ran his hands in her hair and lowered his lips to hers. It was supposed to be a short, simple kiss but when he felt Kyra press herself against him, he lost it. She parted her lips beckoning him to take the kiss further, which he willingly did as she wrapped her arms around him. She could feel the evidence of his desire pressing against her and she moaned into his mouth. The sound brought him back into reality. He instantly broke the kiss, broke the contact between their bodies and held her face in his hands his forehead touching hers, trying to regain control over himself.
Rob let out a disgruntled sound causing her to laugh. "How much longer?"
"You're entirely to blame for the state you're in. You're the one who is saying we can't. Not me."
"How much longer?"
"Two months. One month after I turn nineteen if that helps, but still two long agonizing months Rob."
"Until you become Mrs. Robert Andrew Wages III and I can have my way with you."
"Stubborn man…you could have had your way with me the minute you put this ring on my finger."
"We're waiting and I'm not backing out of the decision."
Kyra gave him a coy look. "Rob…those cold showers still working for you?"
He cleared his throat and grabbed the bag of food. "I think our food is getting cold."
"Nice change of subject. Where's Jason? I have his lunch order, too."
"Hey Kyra, right here. Just had a customer to finish up with. Smells great! Is this from the new restaurant down the street?"
"Sure is. They were packed today for lunch. I guess word is getting out."
The three some were in the back of the store when they heard the buzzer go off to let a customer in. Rob got up. "You two eat. I'll get it."
He buzzed him in and greeted the man. He took a good look at the guy. Dark military haircut, goatee, dressed mostly in black and all muscle and was a bit taken aback. He didn't exactly look like the jewelry buying type.
"Can I help you?"
"Hope so because I have no idea what I'm doing. I need a graduation gift for a friend."
"Graduation?"
"I'm a little late."
"Better late than never. Is your friend male or female?"
"Girl, eighteen, but I haven't seen her in four years."
"Let's see…what about earrings? Pearls are quite popular gifts at graduation time and it's hard to miss with something like that."
"She never wore them. Not exactly the girly-girl type. She did have a bracelet though. Silver. Kind that has something hanging off of it."
"A charm bracelet? We've got some over here, as well as charms."
"That's it. She's got one of those." Rob pulled the tray of charms out and let the man look through them. His furrowed brow told him that he was still confused about what to choose. He looked through them but had not chosen anything. "I don't know. Nothing here that reminds me of her."
"We've got some others over here. Kanji symbols. Not as traditional, but each means something different that may describe her. They are all labeled, except for these three. Wait just a second." Rob walked to the door leading to the back offices. "Krya? Can you come here a minute. There is a gentleman looking at the kanji symbol charms you ordered and a couple of the meanings are missing."
She dabbed her mouth with the napkin. "Be right there."
"She talked me into these. I didn't think they would sell but they've actually been quite popular."
Kyra stopped dead in her tracks for a moment when she saw the man. Her heart was racing and she felt her skin growing warm and turning red from the neck up. She quickly shook it off and took a calming breath. Tucking her hair behind her ear she placed her hand on Rob's shoulder. "Which symbols are they?"
Rob went to the counter but she didn't follow him all the way. She didn't know why but instinct was telling her to stay put. Rob brought the three to her. "These are it."
Examining them closely, she knew Rob was listening to her as he wrote down the meanings but she felt the man's eyes on her as well. She just wanted to get this over with and leave. "Ok, this one is courage. Next we have strength. And this one...spirit of rebellion, but not in a bad way. Like someone who has a lot of willpower, they have a backbone and can be obstinate."
"That's her without a doubt. Kyra looked up, startled by his deep voice and made brief eye contact with the man and wished she had not. "I'll take that one, courage, and heart."
"Rob, I have to go."
"Already?"
"Sorry. I need to run across the square to talk to Mr. Corley. He's insisting that his system is malfunctioning. I've about had it with the man but it's not like I can tell him that he's the one not playing with the full deck."
"I'll see you tonight for dinner?"
"Sorry, no. Randy and I have a dinnertime meeting with a new client."
"Bye." Rob wrapped an arm around her and gave her a quick kiss although he wanted more. Given he had a client in front of him he had to show some restraint. He watched her leave the store as did his client and then gave his attention back to the man. "Sorry about that."
"Not a problem." While Rob was wrapping his purchase, he looked back out the front window watching the woman cross the square like the devil was at her heels.
Kyra walked quickly across the square, berating herself. "What the hell was that all about? I haven't even thought of looking at another man since the day Rob first kissed me. I don't even get a good look at that guy and it was like I just lost it. Shit! Not like I lost it…did lose it for a minute. It's just the wedding. It's getting close and every bride gets the jitters…right? It wasn't anything. So what that for a flash of a second he completely reminded me of….Dammit! Stop it."
Kyra sat down on a bench in the square's park to gather her wits. She felt a hand at her shoulder and practically jumped off the bench. "Shit! Randy! Don't do that! You know I carry a knife."
"What's got you so twisted? You and Rob go at it in the back room…again?"
"Randy."
"Frustrated Kyra?"
Her voice got louder. "Randy!"
"Good thing cold water is plentiful, huh. Man still denying you?"
"Randall Hollings!" Randy laughed. He knew just how far he could tease her before he was going to get it from her. "You know as well as I do that we're waiting until we're married."
"We're waiting? Kyra 'we' implies that you are a willing participant in the decision and we both know that just ain't true."
She glared at him and stood up, hands on hips. "My sex life-."
"Or lack of it." She popped him in the back of the head. "OW!"
"Is none of your damn business. Now, I need to take care of lovely Mr. Corley."
"Been there, done that. He's cool now. His son was there and I showed him what to do. He knows his dad is a little…unbalanced."
She sat back down in relief. "Thank you. He was the last person I wanted to deal with right now."
Randy cocked his head then sat down next to her. "Something is really bothering you."
"It's nothing."
"Bullshit."
"Randy." She sounded defeated.
"Go to the gym. As much as I'd like to sit here and swap makeup tips and dish about men…I think Danielle is the girl for you."
She looked at Randy with a bit of wonder in her eyes. "You know…sometimes you scare me how right you can be. I'll see you tonight for our dinner meeting. Wear a suit."
"Do I-."
"Yes, you have to."
Kyra walked to Grant and Danielle's gym thinking about Rob. He wasn't the kind of guy that when you saw him the expression'He's hot' just jumps out at you. He was 6'2, dark hair, blue eyes and handsome. Completely different from his younger half-brother Jason who was blond, blue eyed and stopped the hearts of most women. Just never hers. He was like a brother to her.
Looking back, her whole relationship with Rob felt like it started yesterday it had happened so fast. Despite her glowing school record, no security firm would hire her…an eighteen year old woman. So she decided to strike out on her own. That didn't work either. Getting desperate, she staked out Rob and Jason's newly opened jewelry store and made the risky decision of robbing them, with the intent of returning everything, to show them that their system wasn't that great.
Both men had been very confused wondering why she had shown up at their home unaware that they had been robbed.
Jason answered the front door with a look of confusion on his face. "Hi. Um this is kind of strange, you showing up here. Kyra isn't it?"
"Yes, Kyra Bennett. Can I speak with you and your brother?"
"Sure. We're just finishing breakfast come in. Hey, Rob, we have a visitor."
Rob put his drink down caught totally off guard by her presence. He recognized her from the store. Jason was all into her and there was definitely something about her. Something different that intrigued him. But his brother had shown definite interest and she had not given him a 'no' signal yet. "Um Hi. Don't take this the wrong way but this is weird having you come to our house."
"That's what Jason kind of said. I have a good reason why I'm here. Can we sit and talk?" Rob motioned to the kitchen table. She took a deep breath. "How do I put this? I've been trying to get work with local security firms designing systems. However, I'm afraid I'm in a bit of a fix in that I hold technology industry certification, but I'm eighteen, a woman, I have absolutely no on the job experience so no one will hire me. I'm untried and no one will give me a chance unless they can see what I do."
Jason spoke up. "I still don't see what this has to do with us. We have a security system."
"I know and it's a poor one. In less than a week since the trips I've made to your store, I was able to get your building schematics, scout your store, find who your security vendor was, meet with him on the pretense of needing one myself for my own business, and getting a copy of the exact plans you have, right down to the laser trip lights."
Jason looked uncomfortable and confused while Rob was plain angry. "Forgive me if I just don't jump up and thank you for the news you just gave us. What are you trying to do? Threaten us?"
"Nothing of the sort. I needed to show someone that they needed me, my services. I'm not asking for any money at all or anything like that. I just want the chance to design a system."
Jason piped up at that point. He had been attracted to her and knowing that she had played him into giving her some sensitive information grated him. "Why should we believe you that our system is so worthless? You may know a lot about its design but that proves nothing. It's state of the art."
She kept her face very emotionless and pulled the bag up on the table. She stood up and slowly took items out of the bag from their store. The jewelry they didn't recognize as theirs but then she brought out the framed watch that had been hanging on their office wall. Rob stood up so quickly that he knocked the chair down behind him. He grabbed Kyra's arm roughly and jerked her up against him looking down into her face. If he had been anyone else, she would have broken his arm by now for grabbing her but she had to remain calm.
"Where the fuck did you get this? I want answers and I want them now."
Jason had never seen his brother so angry. "Rob, settle down and don't hurt her."
"Wake up! This is granddad's watch Jason."
"I got it and the jewelry from your store last night. If you don't believe me, there is a chair on top of Rob's desk that I used to boost me up to the skylight and I left a note on each of your desks. It was never my intent to keep anything. I just needed a way to demonstrate that these cookie cutter systems don't work."
Rob, despite his brother's request, had not let go of Kyra. "What the hell are you after?"
"Obviously, I don't wish to go to be arrested or go to jail. Let me just state that up front. I want the chance to create a system for your store. I don't want any money. I'm trying to get myself established. I have put aside enough to build your store a system out of my own pocket."
Rob released his grip on her and pushed her away from him. "Stay here. Jason and I need to figure out what to do." Although he didn't say 'with you' at the end, it was definitely implied. They only went to the next room, afraid she would bolt. They kept their voices low but she could hear their anger. After about five minutes, the talking stopped. They came back in the room to deliver their ultimatum.
Rob ran a hand through his hair before talking. "Let's just get this straight right now and out in the open. We're within our rights to have you arrested and prosecuted. I think that what you've done here is completely and totally reckless, not to mention probably the stupid most stunt that I have ever heard someone think up." She nodded. "I would dearly like to strangle you myself but I don't want to go to jail either. You made your point though and Jason and I can hardly argue with that. So, here's the deal. Take it and work with us or leave it and go to jail."
"I'm in your hands." For some reason the comment threw him off for a moment.
"You will create a system for our store at no cost, which you have already agreed to do. You will also create us a remote access to it from our home so we can monitor it from here as well. We can draw up specifics later but rest assured that what we'll want won't come cheap. You will have sixty days to complete the project and then we will hire someone to try and break into our store. If they are successful and go undetected, you go to jail."
She couldn't resist asking. "And if they aren't?"
That's when Jason spoke up. "Despite your actions we will act as a reference for you, sign an agreement that we will never press charges against you, and the money that we will get refunded to us from our current system will be paid to you and not a credit more."
Her face showed how shocked she was. Rob misinterpreted her reaction thinking that she was going to complain. "You have little choice Kyra."
"I didn't expect the terms to be like this. If you want me to sign something right now, I will. We can begin discussing options for your system and for your home whenever you like."
They wrote up the contract between them, noting that another contract would be signed detailing the specifics of the security system within 5 days. They printed extra copies and everyone signed them all. Rob handed the extra copies to Jason and asked him to take them to their bank security box. "I don't trust her not to take the copies if we leave them here or at the office."
Shaken up a bit, Kyra had sat on a love seat in their office after signing the contracts. After Jason had left, Rob came around the desk and sat next to her.
"I have to ask, what kind of terms did you expect?"
She didn't know why he chose to sit next to her. Normally not easily bothered, she felt unsettled alone with him. She wasn't frightened but she felt off balance and it irritated her. She looked right at him when she answered him, not letting him suspect that she didn't feel in control. "You gave me sixty days to install a system in your store that I should be able to do in a week providing parts are readily available. The remote to the house and installation will be trickier but I don't think that will take longer than two more weeks. I also didn't expect to be offered any money."
He was still fuming. "You can thank Jason for the terms and for the offer of money, which I doubt you'll refuse. For some unknown reason he has you pictured as someone in need of protection. I highly doubt that. You have the appearance of being soft but when I grabbed you, all I felt was muscle in your upper arm."
"I will thank Jason, I won't take a credit, and I work out."
Rob was furious. This eighteen year old had turned the security of his business on its ear in a week. He didn't like being manipulated and the fact that she had done it so easily was just salt in the wound. She had remained calm…unemotional the entire time and his hands were still itching to get a hold of her and try to shake some kind of reaction out of her. She had not even blinked when he grabbed her arm earlier. It's not like he got off on scaring women, but for some reason he wanted a response; scream, biting words, anger, tears. Anything he could pull from her the way she had done to him.
He kept his voice calm and low but the contempt was obvious. "No, you'll take the money. You've manipulated yourself into this and if there's a payday you'll take it."
Her heart sped up, despite her calm demeanor and she felt like she couldn't move. She wasn't afraid of him but she didn't like the way she was feeling towards him, didn't understand where it was coming from but just brushed it aside as anger. Stay calm. Don't raise your voice. "You think this is all about money to me and it isn't. There's a far bigger picture and as a business owner I'm surprised that you can't see where I'm coming from. Oh, but that's right. The sign on your store says Wages and Sons. So you got yours handed to you on a silver platter didn't you?" She was angry and let the insult slip from her mouth before she could stop herself. She immediately regretted it. He was furious.
She stood up and walked a few steps and turned to apologize to him. "I'm sorry, I-"
As she was turning around he had come right behind her. He was so close she could feel the heat emanating from him. He was looking down at her and she made the mistake of looking up. Before she could say another word, his left arm snaked around her back pulling her up against him, his other hand behind her head as he brought his mouth down on hers in a kiss that was meant to shut her up and provoke anything he could out of her at the same time. Her lips had been closed when he first made contact but an unexpected bolt of desire made her part her lips allowing him to take the kiss even further.
Rob, in all his 28 years, had never let a woman get to him like she had. He finally realized he wasn't angry with her for the stunt she pulled. He was angry that he wanted her. Angry that she never showed any reaction to him. He wanted to shock her when he kissed her. He expected her to fight him, wanted her to. He was desperate to see something, anything from her but he never expected this. She barely hesitated before turning his kiss right back on him with the same intensity. He realized that he had lost control the minute he touched her.
Any man who tried to touch her was usually left with a physical reminder to keep the hell away. Why then was she not fighting him? Jack was screaming inside her to fight him off, take her shiv and run it between his ribs. Kyra didn't want to fight though. She only wanted to feel. The minute his lips came down on hers she gave in. Kyra had never felt desire or lust for a man that she could actually have. Lust had always been forced on her. Now she was swimming in it and she didn't care if it overtook her.
She didn't even know him and she couldn't believe she was allowing this. Her heart was racing and all she wanted to do was pull herself closer to him. Her hands were flat against his chest. She could easily push him away. Instead her arms moved around his back and she pressed her hands against him. Needing air, he broke the kiss pulling his mouth away, which drew an involuntary sound of protest from her, but he never loosened his hold on her body.
Why her? He didn't even know her. He'd been with plenty of women but nothing he had felt had been this intense. He thought perhaps once he kissed her, the need would be gone. He was mistaken. He started back grazing his lips at her temple and kissing down her face to the side of her chin where his teeth playfully grazed her skin sending chills down her spine. Then he started a trail down her throat, nipping and kissing as he went. It was all too much for her and she felt tears coming to her eyes. She opened and then closed them sending the tears down her face, one hitting the corner of her mouth. He brought his mouth back up to claim hers again and tasted the salt of her tear. He pulled his face back from hers, cradling it in his hands seeing the other yet unshed tears in her eyes.
"Did I hurt you?" He pushed her errant hair away from her face. When she looked in his eyes she saw tenderness and concern and it sent several more tears flowing as she looked down, away from him. He caught them with his thumb as they came down and wiped them away. She brought her hands around to rest on his chest. She couldn't look at him or answer him. He had no idea what had just happened to her. He took her chin gently in his hand and lifted her face up. "Did I hurt you?"
"N-,no. Just caught me by surprise." He kept her face looking up at his. He smiled and kissed her eyes. He suspected that something else was going on.
"Kyra?" She could hear the desire in his voice as he said her name and it was pulling her. Afraid of what was happening she had to get out of his house. She needed space and time to think.
"I'm sorry Rob. I have to go. I'll be at your store first thing in the morning to begin planning your system with you and Jason."
She walked past him and he pulled her back against him. "We will talk about this. I won't let this go."
"I didn't think you would." She had left his home completely shaken to the core.
Working with him on a daily basis, it had not taken long before the two of them started dating and she had to let Jason know that he was a friend and could be nothing more to her than that. It was very awkward at first, knowing Jason wanted her and she was dating his brother, but after a short while, the three of them seemed to settle into the relationship.
Rob was the complete opposite of Riddick. He was calm, hardly ever raised his voice, very emotionally open with her, and doted on her constantly. She had finally told him about being raped by her father and running away but that was it. Rob came from an affluent family. He was brought up in a world that she couldn't begin to comprehend, just like he would never be able to understand what she had done as Audrey or as Jack Landers. Jack had to stay buried and Riddick could never enter into her life again if she expected to spend the rest of her life with this man.
She loved Rob very much despite their differences and she was determined to make a great life with him no matter what. Or so she thought.
Hmmm...who was that tall muscled man in the jewelry store?
