CHAPTERFIVE
Jasper
“What crawled up your butt today?”Lori, my assistant, asks.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I snap.
I do know what she’s talking about. It’s Charity Winthrop that’s under my skin. I can’t get the blonde bombshell out of my head. She’s dug her claws in deep and I’ve only seen the woman twice. It makes no sense because she’s the exact opposite of my type. Especially after hearing her be so dismissive of her family. I’m pretty ashamed of myself for being stuck on her for whatever reason.
“Well, whatever it is, you better get it out of your system because we have a new client referral coming in today,” she says knowingly.
There’s a reason Lori is my assistant. She doesn’t miss anything and can smell bullshit from a mile away.
“Let me guess, another rich woman looking for arm candy instead of actual protection?” I grumble, knowing that ninety percent of my referrals come from other wealthy clients like my last one.
“No, this referral came from one of Ransom’s clients. Darlene Larson.”
I look up in shock. Darlene wouldn’t send just anyone my way. Whoever it is has to be in real trouble. My interest is definitely piqued. Especially since her or Colt didn’t call me directly. Very strange.
Minutes later, Lori is knocking on my door. “Jasper, Miss Winthrop is here to see you.”
I look up just in time to see the surprise on Charity’s face before she shuts it down and a broad smile spreads over her face. Her big blue eyes sparkling. She looks even more gorgeous than the last time I saw her in her sexy baby doll dress. Today she’s wearing simple skinny jeans and a pink tank top that accentuates her curves while still looking demure and comfortable. She didn’t dress to impress, and I like that. It adds another facet to the woman I’m already obsessed with.
“Jasper,” she says, sounding as surprised as she looked when she first walked into my office. “I didn’t realize…”
I stand from my desk and take a step around it to guide her into my office. “Charity Winthrop. Nice to see you again,” I say formally for Lori’s benefit. I don’t need my nosy assistant asking questions. “Come in and have a seat.”
Lori looks between us before closing the door behind her with a knowing look on her face. Of course she didn’t buy my overly formal introduction.
I circle around to my own chair while Charity sits nervously down in her own seat. “Tell me, Miss Winthrop, what brings you in today?”
“Charity, please. No need to be so formal.”
I nod in acceptance even though my attempt at keeping things formal is my way of distracting my mind from the way her wide, innocent blue eyes are looking at me.
“Darlene is actually why I’m here,” she continues without my prompting. “I told her it was probably nothing, but after…” she trails off because we both know what happened last year with Darlene and her stalker. It doesn’t surprise me at all that she would be paranoid about any kind of potential threat to her best friend.
“Why does she think you need private security?”
Charity’s cheeks turn a fetching shade of pink. “It’s silly, really. I’m just being paranoid.”
“Why don’t you let me decide that?” I say sternly, not liking that she’s pushing something that could be serious under the rug and dismissing it so easily.
“I just feel like I’m being watched.”
I sit up straighter in my chair. “Explain.”
“I don’t know. You know how sometimes the small hairs on the back of your neck prickle, and you just feel like something is off?”
I do know what she’s talking about. It’s an instinctive thing that most police officers have. My years on the force definitely proved that to be true more than once in my case.
“Yes, I know exactly what you mean. Tell me more.”
“That’s really it. I just feel like I’m being watched. I have no proof. Every time I look around no one is there.”
“That doesn’t mean someone isn’t watching,” I say seriously.
Fear flits through her eyes at my comment. “Why would anyone want anything to do with me? I’m a nobody. Plus, I just moved here.”