Found in Us Read online

  The Lost Series

  Found in Us

  Copyright © 2014 Layla Hagen

  Copyright © 2018 Layla Hagen 2nd edition

  Published by Layla Hagen

  Table of Contents

  Title Page

  Copyright Page

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Epilogue: Jessica

  Chapter One

  Jessica

  Dresses come in three lengths, as far as I'm concerned: stay-away-from-me length, buy-me-a-drink length, and take-me-home-with-you length. Mine is somewhere between the last two, though I don't intend to entice anyone to buy me a drink, much less take me home.

  Old habit, I suppose.

  I lean forward to the cabbie and say, "Mayfair, please."

  He nods, smiling at me and Dani, my roommate, in the rearview mirror. Dani pulls a bit at her own dress, as if desperately trying to make the fabric appear a few good inches longer. Her skirt is definitely take-me-home-with-you length. She looks as uncomfortable in it as she was when she first tried it on, but she insisted on wearing it. That's what college girls wear, she said, with an enthusiasm that only a freshman can muster. The red fabric does look gorgeous on her, though, contrasting beautifully with her dark, very short bob.

  I stare out the window, nostalgic about my own college days, which ended only one month ago. I moved from California to London right after graduating from Stanford. I have loved this city to pieces since the first time I was here. Two months later, my fascination hasn't lessened one bit. I'm starting to think it never will. I love everything about it: from the never-slowing pulse of the city to the downright moody weather. There is no reason to dislike London.

  Well, maybe one, but I'd rather not think about it right now. However, Dani's next words force me to do just that.

  "I hope Parker isn't there already. He doesn't like it when I'm late."

  I turn to her slowly. "Parker is joining us at the bar tonight?" I ask.

  "Yes." She blushes furiously. "Sorry, Jess . . . forgot to tell you."

  I sigh, leaning back in my seat. I haven’t seen Parker in a while, but I know I can’t avoid him; he is Dani's cousin, after all. I met him a few months ago when he was in the US, working with Dani's brother, James. I think my reaction when I first saw him is best summed up by the word stunned. I can think of a few more words to describe him, though. Scorching hot. Infuriating idiot. The last part became obvious only after I was around him several times.

  I straighten up when we enter the bar, pushing my long, blonde hair to one side. Though the decor is minimalist, with a dozen or so low tables surrounded by couches, the place has a far more elegant feel than I expected. All the tables are occupied, except the one right next to the bar. Dani says she'll join me there in a second; she needs to go to the bathroom. I stop at the bar and order a cocktail—a mojito—then proceed to the table and slump on the couch, running my fingers on the dark leather beneath me. I swallow the first sip, close my eyes, and savor the moment. I've done this a lot since I moved here. But patting oneself on the back from time to time should be mandatory, especially when there's no one else around to do it. Achievements should be celebrated. Best with booming music and tequila shots. But a mojito in a quiet, fancy bar will do as well. I suppose this is how responsible people celebrate. Which is exactly what I'm trying to be. I have the job I want at a modern art and history museum, and I moved to this city I love. It's a good feeling, being independent at twenty-two. I'm still working on the being responsible part.

  "I want a gin and tonic." I hear a man's voice behind me order the bartender and instantly open my eyes. That British accent, my God. I know who the voice belongs to. Low and commanding and somehow always strong enough to get everyone around him to do what he wants.

  And apparently quicken my pulse.

  When he finally comes into view, I suck in a deep breath. His dark blond hair is slightly longer than the last time I saw him, and it frames his handsome face perfectly. He's wearing a black suit—an Armani, I think—with a white dress shirt underneath it.

  All man.

  The kind of man that makes any decent woman fantasize for hours about doing less-than-decent things to him. Me included.

  His blue eyes widen in surprise when he sees me, and as he lazily undoes the only button of his jacket, throwing it on the couch opposite me, says, "Finally ran out of excuses to avoid me, Jessica?"

  "I wasn't avoiding you, Parker. I was busy. I’ve had lots of things to take care of since I moved here. Important things."

  He shakes his head almost imperceptibly, saying, "So how are you finding London? Is it living up to your dream?" He eyes me from head to toe as he sits down, and every inch of my skin catches fire under his gaze.

  "I should say so," I say, sipping from my mojito. "The apartment is beautiful. I love my job at the museum. Men around here aren't too bad, either."

  This catches his attention. In a fraction of a second, his eyes snap up from my hips and meet my own eyes. He puts his gin and tonic on the table.

  "Been hunting already? Be careful who you pick, Jessica. I might not be around like last time to keep your spontaneity from hurting you."

  Now this is the Parker I know.

  Presumptuous.

  Infuriating.

  "I don't need you to save me, Parker." I do a damn lousy job at keeping my voice even. Though truth be told, I did need saving that one time he's referring to. And saving me cost him a split lip and a black eye. I didn't emerge unscathed that night, though that was the direct result of my idiocy and dismal eye-hand coordination rather than a fight. We were in a club, and some guy didn’t like when I told him no. Parker stepped in, and things escalated.

  Parker leans a few inches over the table and says in a low voice, "Who said I have any intention to save you?"

  His gaze pierces me and I stubbornly hold it, feeling my cheeks getting hotter. He breaks his gaze at last, lowering it slowly, very slowly to my cleavage and then to my hips, as if he's drinking me in. I cross my legs and let out an involuntary sigh. Parker's breath catches. I look away, not daring to meet his eyes.

  Luckily, Dani arrives, cutting some of the tension.

  "Parker, you're here already," she exclaims. Parker gets up and places a gentle kiss on each of her cheeks. "See," she says to him, smiling proudly, "I told you I'd eventually get Jess to go out with us."

  The slightest flush crosses Parker's features, but he recovers quickly and says, "I was concerned Jessica was overworking herself."

  Dani grins. "You're a gentleman, as always." Bless her. She and, as far as I can tell, everyone else who knows him, seems to be utterly convinced that Parker is the ultimate gentleman. I'm convinced he's the ultimate man, all right. It's just the gentle part I'm not convinced of.

  "I'll get myself a gin and tonic," Dani says after taking a sip from Parker's glass.

  "I can get you one," he offers.

  "No, no, it's fine," she says, hurrying to the bar.

  He frowns as he glances at her, then asks in a to
ne so full of concern, it startles me, "How is she?"

  "What do you mean?" I ask.

  "James is concerned about her. So am I."

  "Well, he's her older brother, so he has an excuse. But I think you are both overreacting. She's a perfectly normal young girl who wants to have some fun." Actually, there is no way for me to know if that's true. I don't know Dani very well. I met her at the same time I met Parker, but unlike Parker, whom I met very often afterward, I didn't see Dani much. The decision to move in together in London was more of an I-don't-know-anyone-else-in-London case.

  Dani comes back with her drink, and just as Parker opens his mouth, the background music suddenly grows louder, and someone—the DJ probably, though I can't see him anywhere—says through the speakers, "Let the fun part of the evening begin, ladies and gentlemen."

  The slowest blues in the history of the world starts playing.

  "This is fun?" I ask incredulously, as some couples leave the couches and start dancing in the center of the room to the painfully boring song.

  "It can be," Parker says, standing up. "Dani, excuse us for a few minutes."

  "By all means," Dani says, grinning.

  Parker turns to me. "Come on, let's dance."

  "I don't dance to this kind of music," I say dismissively. "It bores me to tears."

  He fixes me with his gaze and I choke on my next breath. "You will dance with me."

  A slight tremble shakes me as I follow him to the dance floor.

  "I promise you it will be anything but boring." Parker puts an arm around my waist, and with a jolt pulls me so close to him that our chests touch. No one is dancing this close. As we start dancing, he interlaces his left hand with mine, as if nothing would be more natural. I swallow hard, burning at the points where our bare skin touches. I rest my left hand on his chest, taking in his solid frame. I had guessed he was well built. It's not hard to guess really. The contour of his toned arms and chest is discernible even through the long-sleeved shirts he usually wears. Touching him like this, though . . . I bite my lip. Behind his shoulder, I see Dani beaming at us. This reminds me of her comment and how it put Parker on the spot.

  "So you were worried I was overworking myself? Thinking about me, were you?" I ask playfully, hoping if I keep him talking, he won't feel the hammering of my heart against his chest.

  "I was, Jessica," he whispers in my ear, sending burning tingles down my spine.

  I draw a deep breath, but that only manages to liquefy me further. He's not wearing any cologne. The smell of him emanates from every pore; his scent is intoxicating.

  He pulls back a notch, biting his lip. I have the sudden urge to run my fingers through his thick hair, pull him to me, and taste those darned lips. Bite them, kiss them. I only realize he's been watching me fantasize about his lips when he says in a low, husky voice, "I've been thinking about you, I admit it. And I—”

  I shriek, jumping away from Parker, as someone collides with us and spills a drink with ice cubes right on my chest.

  "I am so sorry," a woman in her mid-thirties, holding an almost empty glass says, eyeing my dress in horror. One glance at my white dress and I realize why. Her drink had some kind of red fruit blended in it, which pretty much means I can kiss this dress goodbye.

  "Okay, I need to clean this mess," I say in what I hope is a measured tone. As I swirl on my heels in the direction of the door, I catch Parker trying to stifle a laugh.

  The bathroom is one hell of a twisted corridor away from the bar. If it weren't for the fluorescent signs marking the way to it, I doubt I'd find it at all. I curse all the way, but as I waste tissue after tissue in front of one of the sleek sinks, I think maybe a cold shower is exactly what I need. Things with Parker were getting . . . I don't know what, but they were getting. . .something. I shake my head. No, I thought that once before, and then, despite sizzling chemistry floating in the air, Parker made it painfully clear there was nothing between us. On a night very different from this one, Parker did one of the most insulting things you can do to a woman—or at least to me—he brushed me off. Plain and simple, he rejected me.

  Why he did it, I never found out. Not that it matters. All that matters is that I continue to do exactly what I've been doing until now: stay away from him. I need to focus on my new life here. Somehow, guys have always messed up things for me. Because I allowed them to mess things up, I remind myself. Starting with my dad, down to every single asshole I've dated. Not anymore. I take a deep breath, smiling in the mirror. I spend the next minutes fiddling with some tissues, trying to clean off the stain, then give up, pushing my chest forward instead. I can't hide the damn stain. I can use it to my advantage. And some advantage it gives me. A neon sign couldn't attract more attention to my cleavage, and I don't need this kind of attention right now. I decide to use the dress as an excuse to leave early. To my dismay, Parker is leaning against the wall farther down the corridor, one or two turns away from the entrance to the bar. His eyes rest on the stain on my dress for a few seconds and my cheeks flare up instantly. I'm sure he can see the redness in them even in the dim light.

  "I have to go," I say. "My dress is soaked."

  "I'll drive you home," he says, walking toward me.

  "No, you just got here. I'm sure you and Dani have lots to talk about." I actually take a step back, only to hit the wall behind me.

  "I'd just drop you off and return. Are you afraid of being alone with me, Jessica?"

  "No . . . it's just not necessary. I can take a cab."

  "What are you afraid of?" he insists, stepping right in front of me. "That I'll try to seduce you and take you to bed? Do I really strike you like that kind of guy?"

  In my experience, men who don't look even half as godlike as he does are after one thing only. But his rejection all those months ago proves he isn't one of them. And nothing I've seen or heard about him indicated he’s a womanizer. But being so close to him makes it impossible to think rationally.

  I push him away, but with one swing, he grabs both my hands and pins them against the wall above me. His lips are inches away from mine, the fingers of his free hand tracing the contour of my lips, leaving a trail of fire behind them. He's so close to me that I can feel every single hot breath against my lips. He locks eyes with me, and it's the sight of his blue eyes boring into mine—more than his proximity and his touch—that sets me on fire, causing an almost unbearable pressure between my thighs.

  He trails his fingers from my lips down to my chin and then slowly over my neck. I bite my lip when he presses gently with his thumb on the hollow of my neck, then proceeds with his torture farther down. His fingers peruse the hem of my neckline, at the exact point where the soaked fabric of the dress meets my skin, then slip under the fabric. Just a fraction of an inch.

  Not enough to actually touch my breast.

  But more than enough to send me over the edge. He’s going to kiss me.

  The corners of his lips lift in a delicious smile as he removes his hand from my neckline, letting it fall by his side. His eyes never leave mine. I wait, sucking in my breath, for him to lean forward and kiss me. After what feels like hours, he finally leans forward and kisses me.

  On my goddamn forehead.

  He walks me out of the club in silence. While he hails me a cab, I run my hands up and down. The wet spot clings to my skin, making me shiver despite the warm end of July evening. Once a car pulls over, I climb in quickly, waving at him. When I arrive at the apartment I share with Dani, I get rid of the wet dress, then slip under the covers. I’m playing with my phone, looking at cat pictures on Instagram, when a message from Parker pops up.

  Parker: Made it home alright?

  I like that he’s checking in with me.

  Jess: Yes.

  Parker: Don’t be a stranger.

  Jess: Please elaborate.

  I hover with my fingers above the screen before pressing send, then add a smiley face.

  Parker: You’re still upset about what happened ba
ck in the States, aren’t you?

  Well, yep. I don’t know what to write back, so I just stare at the screen, until another message pops up.

  Parker: It wasn’t your fault. It’s all on me. Trust me, it’s better this way.

  Right...this isn’t making me feel better.

  Parker: Peace?

  I smile, because I wasn’t expecting him to wave a white flag. But months have passed since that incident, and we’re bound to see each other soon. I don’t want Dani to be uncomfortable.

  Jess: Okay. Have fun with Dani. I’m going to go to sleep.

  Parker: Sweet dreams, Jess.

  Chapter Two

  Jessica

  "Here is the confirmation from the art gallery," my coworker Fiona says, dropping a file on my desk.

  "Thanks."

  I am ridiculously pleased that I understand every word she says. Fiona is from Scotland. Glasgow to be precise, and boy did her accent cause me headaches the first few weeks.

  "You look distracted today. Are you all right?" Fiona scrutinizes me, the fine lines around her green eyes deepening. I straighten up in my chair.

  "Just didn't sleep well, that's all. I'll call the gallery to finalize the details right away."

  "Slow down, Jess. You work very hard. Too hard, I would say. It can take a toll on your sleep. You should take up yoga or something. Make sure you don't burn out."

  This makes me smile. It's true I've been working hard since I started, on that hot July day two months ago, but that's not the reason for my poor sleep last night. Parker is the reason I tossed and turned in my bed for hours, waking up aroused. And while it was impossible for me not to think about him last night, the mountain of work I have to do before the day ends is a very good distraction.

  "I know I said you work too hard, but do you think you could lend me a hand with some catalogs later?" Fiona asks apologetically, fiddling with the sleeves of her gray, knee-length, cotton dress.

  "Sure, just let me finish with the gallery and I'll come by your office."

  "Great."

  Fiona is technically not my boss, but since my actual boss, Mr. Norton, has been away at our partner museum in Paris since I started working, she's been taking up his role.