Zenith in Love (The Zenith Series Book 5) Read online

  Zenith in Love

  The Zenith Series Book Five

  Leanne Davis

  Contents

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Epilogue

  Other Books by Leanne Davis

  Excerpt from Zenith's Legend

  Other Books by Leanne Davis:

  About the Author

  Chapter 1

  “KAYLA.” JIM ZAVARIAN’S TONE sounded like a chiding father facing off with a too rambunctious, too often disciplined young toddler. “What are you doing here?”

  “Seeing my sister.”

  “You don’t usually come here for that.” Here being church.

  “Right. Perhaps I’m here because I sinned too much last night and now, I’m in dire need of confession to redeem my immortal soul.” She gave him a quick, obnoxious eyebrow lift with another smirk.

  He closed his eyes, removed his glasses, touched the bridge of his nose with his fingertips and blinked his eyes open. He looked tired. Surprised at his reaction, she almost regretted the goading. He put his dark-framed glasses back on. They were uniquely his. Not many men could pull that look off. On him they were sort of studious-sexy, rather than just dorky. Another thing Kayla would never admit to anyone.

  “I’m not a priest and we don’t do confession. You’re just being rude and disrespectful right now. News alert, but not to you, huh?”

  She was being rude. Yes, just a bit. Slightly chagrined, she nodded. “Maybe.” She gave him a real smile. “Lighten up, Pastor. Last night I hung with my mom and dad before falling asleep long and hard.”

  She realized after she said her sleep was long and hard, that it sounded a bit sensuous? She stepped back and her smile faded. She didn’t intend to sound like… what? Someone suggesting something sensual to Jim?

  Jim?

  Even his name was ordinary. Nothing unusual, sexy or hot about the name Jim. It was solid, mundane and boring, like the name of a tax collector or an insurance salesman. Right? Yes.

  Jim. Her sister’s fiancé.

  Pastor Jim Zavarian was about the most eloquent, engaging, interesting, inspiring public speaker and pastor anyone could remember. However, in real life, he was also the most sanctimonious, annoying and frustrating man Kayla knew.

  She never ceased to appreciate Jim’s unusual talent for oration. Not many had the gift like he did. She had to give him that. The first time Kayla heard him, her head nearly flew off her body when she turned around that fast to see him with her own eyes. Shocked. Amazed. Flabbergasted. Those were only a few words to describe her reaction at seeing the transformation in him. Going from the Jim who abraded her so often she wanted to scratch his eyes out, to the Jim who spoke like an angel, addressing the massive congregation in a warm, inspirational, motivational, life-changing way seemed like a full one-eighty to her.

  When she first met Jim Zavarian, a couple of years ago, Kathy showed up with him in tow, saying he was her pastor and friend, whom she’d invited for dinner. By the end of the evening, Kayla had already found half a dozen items they’d clashed on and she razzed Jim about all of them. She’d restrained herself at that dinner, believing it would be a one-time affair. But damn! Her sweet, rather naïve and clueless sister started dating the pompous fool.

  Over the course of the next two years, Kayla failed to keep her silence, and even initiated several conflicts between herself and Jim. It hurt Kathy’s feelings, although Kayla sensed it didn’t hurt Jim’s feelings at all. In fact, it was about the only time Jim seemed interesting. His eyes flashed with passion and he showed some actual feeling.

  Kayla’s real conversations were reserved for the times when she was alone with Jim. And the fucker did it right back to her. He deserved an Oscar for the way he played the serious, humble, good pastor to his congregation.

  “Kayla, you are ever the prize.” Jim muttered for her ears only.

  Ouch. Coming from a pastor standing in his place of worship? On a Sunday? Just after performing the service? Well, damn. Once again, Jim annoyed her. He always seemed to get to her. Kayla checked her response as Kathy was walking up just then.

  “Kayla! I didn’t know you were coming home. Much less, here. I can’t believe it.” Kathy embraced her in a warm, sincere hug. Kayla returned it, glancing at Jim stonily.

  Kayla didn’t often come to the church where Kathy worked as the musical director. Kathy ran the choir and even wrote her own music for the church, which was a rather large congregation. Kayla rarely showed up there, but since it was mid-winter break from Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana, she was back home in Arlington, Washington to hang with her family and she decided to visit her sister this Sunday.

  Kathy was nearly the polar opposite of Kayla. Where Kayla had enjoyed years of partying and dating, her sister had spent her time with only one man.

  “Surprise!” She squeezed her sister’s hand.

  “You never come here unannounced.” It was so easy to please her sister.

  “I wanted to hear you sing.” Her sister’s voice was rich and haunting and Kathy could easily pursue a career as a solo singer. Of course, their stepdad Rob was the lead singer in the famous rock band Zenith. His experience and connections would ensure that she made it in the business. But Kathy suffered from debilitating stage fright, and preferred to sing Christian music exclusively. She sang with the choir at church every Sunday, but not alone. She seemed much happier ever since becoming the music director there.

  “How long will you be home this time?”

  “Just until Wednesday.”

  “That’s great. Come, let’s eat something at the reception.” She turned to Jim and asked, “Join us?”

  He smiled at her but it immediately vanished when Kathy passed him and he was faced with Kayla. “Of course.”

  She smirked. Jim did not want to join them. Not with Kayla there. But here he was.

  “So tell me everything that’s new. How is school? When will next quarter start? How are you?” She fell into step with Kathy who was always so genuinely interested. The best sister a girl could have really. Even someone as selfish and undeserving as Kayla. Kathy would’ve killed to go to college, but she didn’t have the good grades and struggled so hard in school she believed she couldn’t do it. Kayla’s academic life was what Kathy longed to experience. But Kathy never whined about it. In fact, she did nothing but celebrate it. Always eager to hear Kayla’s details. In-depth. But never in a jealous or snide way. She swore Kathy was too good for such normal reactions. She envied her goodness but never tried to emulate it. Kayla knew that was a no-go and learned to embrace herself as she was.

  She sat at the church social and ate the fattening, homemade desserts that were so good. Chatting about school and Kathy’s song and Rob’s latest hit and Mom’s plan to write a new series of books, they all caught up on their lives while Jim listened quietly.

  Interjecting his opinion here and there, Jim kept being interrupted by parishioners who wanted to speak to him or say goodbye. Jim got up more than once to speak with them and then he sat down again.

  Kathy left to go to the restroom. She gave Jim an assessing look.

  “What,” he snapped at her perusal.

  “Don’t you ever get sick of being so damn nice? I mean, the way th
ey all want to hug and touch you? That’d drive me crazy. And having to always be so nice…”

  “Well, it’s part of the job. I can’t really snap at them and snarl that I’m not in the mood so go away, now can I?”

  “But you don’t always feel so upbeat, do you? I mean, don’t you have bad moods when you don’t want to do this shtick on some Sundays?”

  Jim actually glanced around to see if anyone were within hearing distance, like Kathy, who thought he was too good. “Sometimes, I might be… glad when it’s over.”

  “Even with Mr. Hermione? He stinks.”

  Jim actually laughed but quickly caught himself and stopped. Dropping his face into a stern reprimand, he said, “He could stand to shower more often. Yes. But he—”

  “Don’t tell me he means well. He’s rich as sin, strange as all get out, and he uses his donations as a bribe to get what he really wants. He all but sexually harasses Kathy, although she’s too damn nice to say anything. Or even think that he’s doing it.”

  He flinched. “Can you not swear in here? It’s a church, Kayla… I mean, everyone gets that caveat. Even you should observe it.”

  She rolled her eyes. “I always have. I don’t pretend to be something I’m not no matter where I am. I don’t get it. In God’s house, why can’t you fully be yourself? Huh, Jim? Since God sees you everywhere anyway, why pretend to be otherwise? He knows, right? So I’m just being the same old me. Whether I’m here or at the grocery store. And news flash: God has yet to strike me dead.”

  “That too… why do you have to be so antagonistic all the time?”

  “Why don’t you tell the man who bribes you and slathers his breath all over your fiancée to go to hell? Too good for that, Pastor Jim? Or too eager to take his money? You aren’t as pious as you want people, including Kathy, to believe. And you have no idea what I am. Swearing doesn’t make me anything. It’s simply self-expression, not a gauge of my morality.”

  “What about respect? How could you be Kathy’s sister?”

  “Because I have morals. Deep ones. I just don’t judge people so shallowly or decide what they are based on whether or not someone says damn or darn or gosh or God. Seems kind of a shallow determination of someone’s worth.”

  “Kayla, I’m the pastor here. Could you not try to be so…”

  “What, Jim? Real? Human? You should try it sometime.” She smiled sweetly. His eyes widened and he nodded his head. She could read his warning. Kathy was coming. Kayla kept her expression neutral as Kathy slid into the chair beside Jim.

  Kathy’s reverence for Jim completely puzzled and worried Kayla. She might be marrying the man for his oratory talents, but not his real personality. Not for companionship. Not because she loved him as a man, and a person, but for her love of God and her faith, making Jim the embodiment of that.

  It presented a conundrum to Kayla. How to convince Kathy, and save her and Jim from an empty marriage lacking in love but full of adoration for a shared faith and Christianity? Oh, yes, those two worked together at the church like a professional team. But outside of that, in ordinary daily life, they seemed uncomfortable and unnatural with one another.

  Kayla blamed their short-sightedness on lack of exposure to certain types of people and inexperience. Neither could boast of any past relationships, definitely none that were sexual or intimate in nature. They were both raised in oddly sheltered environments, and neither seemed to get that having one thing didn’t necessarily result in the other.

  Kathy smiled at Jim. “Mrs. Carter was asking about the spring concert. Would you mind answering some of her questions?”

  He smiled, shooting a dagger glance at Kayla before obeying her sister’s bidding.

  Kathy turned to her with a cloudy look. “What were you arguing about?”

  “Nothing? What are you talking about?”

  “Don’t play that clueless act with me, Kayla. I can read you and Jim. He’s pursing his upper lip, which is something he does when he’s annoyed and trying to restrain his comment. What was it this time?”

  She rolled her eyes. “He’s too prudish. I might have let one mild curse slip out and he jumped in and started correcting me. I’m not a child. I don’t need scolding.”

  Kathy rolled her eyes. “You are in his church. His congregation consists of people who are mostly over the age of sixty and many find swearing offensive. That might be a decent reason to not swear inside here, Kay. Could you please respect whatever Jim asks of you? Hmm? It’s not unreasonable, and again, he is the pastor?”

  Kayla blushed… Just a little though. Only Kathy could induce that. “Fine. I guess I might have been a jerk about it. But he tries to act like the purest saint and it’s annoying as—”

  Kathy gave her a head tilt, indicating a censure and warning. Kayla sighed. “Fine. Annoying as gosh, diggity-dog.”

  Kathy sighed. “Do you have to be so difficult for no good reason? Now you just sounded like you were mocking him and me. We don’t curse. It isn’t that shocking or annoying.”

  “Sorry I’m so offensive.”

  “No. You’re not. Your attitude is what ticks Jim off.”

  Fuck. Kathy knew? She didn’t realize her guileless sister actually noticed that.

  Kathy tilted her head. “What? You think I missed that? Just please stop.”

  Totally chastised and feeling bad now, as only Kathy could bring on, she gripped her sister’s hand across the table. “I’m sorry. I really did want to hear your voice in the choir. That’s all I was doing.”

  Kathy let out a long sigh and snorted, patting Kayla’s hand. “You are impossible to be mad at even when you deserve it. Fine. Just be nicer to Jim. For me.”

  “I know. I’ll do it for you.” She smiled with a tight stretch of her lips. What most worried her as she watched Kathy telling him they were leaving was that Kathy forgot to be real and whole and human with Jim.

  But not her damn, darn problem, huh? After all, she dared to—gasp—swear. She glared at Jim and waited for Kathy to put away her music accessories while Jim worked the room with the last of his parishioners. He was always so good with them.

  If only he was good for and with her sister. Was it any wonder she felt such… what? Acrimony around him? If she did, he deserved it. She evil-eyed him with suspicion. What if he remained so critical of Kathy that she could never just be herself?

  Kayla resented that she understood Kathy’s attraction to Jim. Each word he said was inspirational. Personalized for you. For your own good. For your improvement and happiness and growth. It was so easy to fall under his spell.

  Sometimes, Kayla had to blink a lot and remind herself, no! It was just Jim.

  Jim who criticized her opinions and used them against her.

  Jim could have been a cult leader with a whole damn congregation full of unsuspecting sheep. But Kayla knew Jim was one of the most upstanding people she ever met. His puritanical judgment of others aside, he’d never deliberately try to influence people in a demigod persona. Yet he was that good.

  But what shamed her was this: she couldn’t help finding him a bit sensual. She could almost feel him when he spoke, like a groupie might experience with her stepdad, Rob, when he sang. Her friends often claimed that Rob seemed to sing right to them and not to the masses, which he actually did. That’s the gift that Jim had in his orations.

  At a freaking church sermon? Kayla became so uncomfortably intense that she preferred not to come for that reason alone, although there were others.

  She didn’t like seeing Jim in any other light than the freaking annoying one she saw away from the church. His intellectual smirk enraged her when he dared direct it her way.

  Kayla remembered they were on the exact same plane, and on even ground.

  Jim was not better than her and he should not be marrying her little sister. Both things could be and were true.

  “Is Kathy around?”

  “Nope. Just me, Pastor.”

  He restrained the usual eye rolling. Be
better. Be like Kathy. Not like Kayla.

  “Do you know where she is?”

  “Yes.” Kayla smirked and lounged in the doorway. He tried to keep his gaze glued to her face but her damn shirt was way too small. A tank top that stopped inches from the band of her pajamas pants and dipped down into the pert shadow of her breasts. She wore a bulky robe over her so it was… wow. Kind of sexy to have the bulky, uniform robe over the tiny, nothing shirt. And all that skin. So much soft, pale skin. He’d—

  Stop. Now.

  “Can you tell me where she is then?” He gritted his teeth.

  “Hanging with Eric.”

  “Hanging with Eric?” He rolled his eyes. Eric was the huge, muscle-bound, new security director and Kathy’s personal bodyguard.

  “You know Eric, right? Big, muscular, hot… steaming hot… bodyguard type? Him.” She smiled sweetly as her voice all but climaxed. “You know, Kathy’s bodyguard.” She said body like sugar addicts might say chocolate.

  “Yes.” He kept his tone tight, ignoring her innuendoes. Eric had recently been added to Kathy’s security details. Due to the rabid fans of her stepdad’s rock band, Zenith, Kathy, as well as all her sisters, had guards on her twenty-four/seven. Something he detested for its intrusion but tolerated for her. “I know him. What are they doing?”

  “I don’t know. I tried to get Rob to put that big hunk of hotness on me. But he refused, rightly so. I’d have no doubt seduced him. So… I guess Kathy gets all the fun.”

  “Kathy doesn’t even like him.”

  “No… but she sure as hell has eyes, Pastor.” Kayla smiled and then slammed the front door shut.

  Jim sighed. He checked Kathy’s apartment, which was on her parents’ land. They had a secure compound on acreage out in the woods. There was an electrified fence surrounding it and full security in cameras and people.