by Kahlen Aymes
“No?” Her eyebrows shot up and the skin on her arms bristled.
Alex filled the two glasses halfway with scotch, held one out to her, and motioned for her to precede him to the large leather furniture in front of the fireplace. He found himself wishing it were November or December so the fire could be blazing. There was a large antique grand piano near the window, one of his most loved possessions.
Angel reached for the glass but didn’t move. Alex rolled his eyes and moved around her. “Come on in.”
“Are you planning to keep me here against my will?” One eyebrow shot up. She hated that she couldn’t be mad at this man for long.
“Never. I’ll simply convince you to stay. Max will help me, won’t you, boy?” he said with a soft laugh as the dog nudged his hand for attention.
“How? By starving me into submission?”
Alex motioned for her to sit down. “Oh, sorry, I owe you dinner. Unfortunately, I was planning on being home later, so my housekeeper has the night off. What would you like? I’ll send Martin out to pick something up.”
Angel was curled up in the corner of one of the big brown couches, her head resting on her hand, looking up at him. “Or, you could just take me home.” His green eyes roamed her face in the low light. He liked the intimacy of the moment and didn’t turn on more lights.
The dog jumped up on the couch and settled next to her, and soon she was stroking the thick golden coat.
“I’m not taking you home.”
Alex grabbed a remote and soon soft music was filtering in from some hidden speakers around the room. Angel flushed, not liking where her thoughts were headed.
“Nice. Will there be a huge round bed dropping from above and a spring-loaded champagne bucket popping up from some hidden hole in the floor?”
Alex laughed. “No, Angel. I like music. I have it piped all over the house. I’m not one of those.”
“Hmmph!” She let out her breath, her expression clearly doubting his words. “Yeah, sure. If I explore the house, will I find ten other sex slaves, bound in chains, locked up in the basement?”
Alex huffed, sinking down in the chair facing her and downing the rest of his drink before placing it on the end table nearest him. “Hardly. I only have one sex slave at a time,” he joked; his beautiful mouth quirked up at one side and Angel had to laugh. He was gorgeous; her breath hitched even though she should be pissed to be held prisoner.
“So, why are we here?” she asked softly, wanting to know his intentions.
His green eyes bored into hers and his finger and thumb tugged on his lower lip as he considered his answer. “Well, because we made plans to be together tonight, and you pissed me off going to that meat market alone. You should know better than that.”
“I wasn’t alone.” Max put his head in her lap and whimpered for Angel to continue stroking his coat. “Kenneth was there.”
“He was late. If you can’t count on him then get more responsible, uh, friends.” A new wave of anger rushed up in his chest, heating his skin. He rose and walked slowly to refill his glass. His movements were relaxed, but his tone spoke of agitation.
Angel smirked, unable to hold back the glimmer of hope that this amazing man cared enough to be jealous. “What is all this? We agreed we’d be monogamous when it comes to sex, but otherwise, we’d live our lives. Besides, we had plans later, and you knew it. I don’t get why your panties are all in a bunch. I wasn’t fucking him under the table, so I wasn’t violating our understanding,” Angel goaded softly. She bit her lip to hide a smile when he turned back to her from the bar.
Jealousy burned him alive, but it was more worry over her safety and he needed her to understand that. “I feel sure he’d like to be doing some violating.”
“So what? He knows where things stand,” she said, nonplussed.
Alex tried to read her expression, wondering if she was telling the truth. “All I’m saying is that if the guy can’t keep his word, then make concessions to compensate.”
“Like what?”
“Like use your goddamned head, Angel! It’s not just him! You know what I’m talking about!” he blurted loudly, startling Max, who jumped down to go to him.
Alex moved to sit on the floor in front of Angel when she didn’t answer, feeling her eyes burn into him and her perfume wafting around him. After a minute, he turned to her.
“Look, I’m not ignorant or immune to what’s going on with you. Last night at the station, there were hoods messing with your car while I waited; I chased them away.” Angel’s heart thumped in her chest and he reached out for her hand, kissing the tender flesh on the inside of her wrist, his eyes holding hers. “What if I wasn’t there?” he asked against her skin.
Angel sighed softly, unable to help softening toward him, and her hand moved to the side of his face. “Nothing, Alex.” She shrugged slightly. “If you weren’t there, I would have been fine; like I’m always fine. They were probably just some neighborhood kids messing around in the parking lot.”
“I won’t take chances with you.” Alex struggled. Should he tell her about his car and the note? He didn’t want to scare her, but he wanted to protect her. The undeniable emotion that moved him to take care of her both enthralled and terrified him. He worried; he wanted to protect, to touch, to taste, and to own like never before.
His fingers closed around the wrist near his chin, and he pulled her toward him until his mouth found hers and his arms encircled, pulling her down onto his lap. He was gentle, the kiss coaxing; not like the passionate assault in the limousine.
“Just give me some peace of mind and be more careful,” he pleaded as his lips left hers and she curled into him, his fingers sliding into the silky strands on the side of her head as his thumb brushed her jaw. “What should we order for dinner? You’ll need energy later.”
Angel chuckled and nodded, her forehead coming into contact with his jaw. She felt safe here in the arms of a man she barely knew. It was nuts but undeniable. Their intense physical connection and his tenderness were at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. That told her that there was more about him she wanted to know—and know well—despite the fact that her heart would bleed when it ended. Her emotions ruled her mind for the first time and it felt too good to fight. She smiled into him. “So will you.”
His chest rumbled underneath her cheek as he laughed. “I like the sound of that. Okay, something with a lot of carbs, then.” He pulled out his phone. “Martin, please run down to Giovanni’s for some pizza and spaghetti. Hold on.” He moved the phone away. “Angel, what kind of pizza do you want?”
“Pepperoni and cream cheese.”
Alex grimaced. He’d never heard of that combination. “Pepperoni and, uh, cream cheese. Yes, me either. Yeah, I know, it sounds gross to me, too!” Angel punched him playfully in the stomach and he grunted. “Get a large supreme and whatever you’d like, also. Don’t forget the hot peppers and parmesan.”
Angel was nibbling on his lower jaw when he threw the phone aside. “It’s delicious, asshole. You’ll be eating your words.”
“Mmmm….” Soon, Angel found herself pinned beneath him, his hot mouth on her neck, hands pushing her blouse open, teasing the sensitive flesh under her lace bra. “I’ll be eating something, that’s for sure. If I’m lucky.” He smiled against her skin and she let out a breathy moan that went straight to his cock. “You’re delicious.”
* * *
Alex and Angel sat in the middle of his huge, over-sized bed, in the middle of the disheveled sheets, finally eating the pizza, now cold, that Martin had left on the counter in the large marble and mahogany kitchen.
Alex’s eyes widened. “Holy shit! This is… fucking… amazing!” he mumbled with his mouth full. It was three AM and they were both starving and exhausted. Angel giggled as she picked up a slice and tried to situate herself back into the pile of bedding. She tried desperately not to spill it in the dark, the only light coming from the moon shining in through the cracked blinds. Al
ex’s bedroom was like the rest of the house: stone, massive furniture, dark wood, and all man.
“Told ya,” she said, shoving the pizza into her mouth, laughing.
He watched her with amusement as he enjoyed the satiated glow of her expression and her waves of dark curls falling softly across her cheek as she concentrated on her pizza. He delighted in having her with him; their evening spent teasing and exploring each other’s bodies to the height of heights. She was the most exciting creature he’d ever known, but yet, so easy to be with.
“Yes, you did.” He stopped to take a pull from a long neck Heineken before holding it out to her. “It doesn’t hurt that I’m hungrier than I think I’ve ever been, though.”
“Whatever. Just admit it, Alex. I’m right and you’re wrong,” she teased, taking the beer from him, her face lighting up in a big smile, her hair in a big mess around her face. “Nana nana boo-boo!” she sing-songed.
Alex burst out laughing, almost choking on his pizza. It was so simple; sitting in his bed, in the middle of the night, with an amazingly sexy, naked woman, eating pizza and laughing with her unabashedly. It was good to let go of the structure and just be. “Don’t get too cocky, Dr. Hemming.” He leaned up against the headboard and watched her munch away.
“Are you gonna let me go home tomorrow? Even sex slaves need a reprieve and fresh clothes,” she said with a grin.
“The jury is still out. I like having you here.” The words were out before he thought about it, but it was the truth. “I’m really enjoying this.”
Her face sobered as she handed him back the beer, which he set on the table by the expensive lamp his mother had brought back from Cairo. “Yeah. It’s been fun, although your methods are unconventional. You could’ve just asked me to come over. Just sayin’.”
“That was the plan, originally.” He threw what was left of his pizza back in the box and moved it to the floor beside the bed.
“The housekeeper is gonna shit herself in the morning. Left over pizza, beer bottles, and used rubbers scattering the floor… classic,” Angel quipped, crawling up next to Alex, and draping over him in a half-assed way. “Unless… she’s used to it,” she probed, looking up into his face, her chin in her clasped hands.
“Uh, I think I’ll pick up the rubbers, and no, she’s not used to it. She doesn’t need to see that side of me.”
“Believe me; every living thing with a vagina sees that side of you.”
Alex let his breath out in a surprise and then chuckled. “Angel, that’s crazy. She’s sixty-something!”
“So?” Her voice was hesitant but a smile danced around her luscious mouth. “Does she have a vagina?”
He laughed again. “I don’t know and it’s not something I want to think about. Besides, she’s like my mother. Only much more accommodating because she’s on my payroll,” he reasoned.
“Go ahead. Bury your head in the sand. Bet her vibrator and fantasies of you are best friends.”
“Okay, that’s gross!” His face contorted in agony. “Thanks for the visual.”
They both laughed out loud, and he wondered if he’d ever be able to look at the woman again without hearing Angel’s words in his head. Ugh.
“What’s your mother like, Alex?” Angel asked and he balked. One of the few things he remembered from Bancroft’s file was that her mother had left. His hand threaded through her hair again and again, which Angel found both erotic and soothing. She ran her fingers over the smooth skin and hard muscles on his stomach, concentrating her gaze on the fine trail that disappeared under the edge of the sheet.
He drew in his breath at her touch. “She’s very elegant and proper, but a very good mother. She played with us a lot, but I think I was the one most like her; she expects more from me. Cole is reckless and carefree, and Allison is silly most of the time. She’s relaxed her standards with them.”
“Because she knows you expect as much from yourself,” she said knowingly, and Alex was stunned by her perception. “I can see that about you—elegant and proper—but so passionate, too. Do you get that from your father?”
“I suppose. He’s very driven; he knows what he wants and he takes it.”
“Touché,” she said softly, her words holding a heavier meaning. “I see that in you.”
“Yes.” His arms slid down to tighten around her, one hand resting on the curve of her hip.
“My father worked like a dog, and still we didn’t have much. My mother left us when I was in second grade. I don’t even know why, because Dad doesn’t speak of it, but I can only assume he couldn’t provide what she wanted.”
Alex’s eyes closed, painfully conjuring up the large brown eyes welling with tears in a younger Angel’s face, beautiful, but very sad. “I’m sorry, Angel. Do you ever see her?”
“No.” Her voice hardened, though she remained where she was, letting him stroke her hair and her body. “I used to cry when she missed birthdays and Christmases, but now, I have no desire to know anything about her. If you could see how my father suffered, you’d understand. She has to be a cold-hearted bitch to do that.”
Alex’s heart tightened at the pain in her voice. It hurt her more than she wanted him to know. “Do you visit your dad?” he asked softly.
“I rarely get down there, and he doesn’t ever come to Chicago. He likes his friends and his life. He’s content. I send him money, but I have to nag him to cash the checks. I just want to make his life easier. I miss him a lot.”
“I’m sure he’s very proud of you. How does he feel about the drama surrounding your job?”
Angel signed. “My job is mundane, boring, and sometimes heartbreaking. He doesn’t know there are risks. I mean, he’s probably thought about it, but we don’t discuss it. He thinks the radio show is cool. He listens to the audio stream online sometimes.”
“He’s probably worried sick, in both cases.”
She pushed back from him so she could look up into his face. “Alex, this is stupid. I’ve been doing this for two years and the current situation is no different, so relax. It’ll blow over.”
“Will it?” he growled. He realized he’d have to tell her. “The reason I brought you here is because I’m… Oh, fuck!” he exclaimed in disgust. “I want you here, Angel, but something happened last night that necessitates it. Someone vandalized my Audi in the garage and left a note. I can’t believe that it’s a coincidence, and this is the only way I can ensure your safety.”
Angel frowned and sat up, clutching the sheet to her chest. A worried look settled on her face and she stilled. “What happened to the car? What did the note say?” Her voice wavered with apprehension and it only reinforced what Alex knew—that she was as worried as he was.
“If I knew what was good for me, I’d stay away from you.” Alex’s hand smoothed back her hair when her eyes widened and she gasped. “It wasn’t that bad; the windshield was shattered, nothing more. It wasn’t about destroying the car; it was about delivering the message.”
She inhaled deeply and he could see the wheels turning behind her eyes. Alex reached for her and pulled her up to him gently until she rested on the pillow facing him. “So, you see why I worried that you were unprotected at the bar? Why I didn’t want you at your condo tonight? Not until we find out who’s behind this. Angel, tell me about your cases,” he demanded.
She was preoccupied, her thoughts racing in her head until she finally met his gaze. “I can’t tell you anymore than I have. Professional ethics—”
She felt him stiffen in her arms and his voice hardened. “We’re talking about your safety, so, screw professional ethics!”
“No, we’re talking about your safety. Maybe you should stay away from me for now, until this is over.” She started to get up from the bed but he grabbed her arm.
Panic flooded Alex’s body, his skin heated and it showed on his face. “Then what? The next case or the next?”
“This is only the second or third time it’s happened, and the other times were noth
ing.”
“Well, there’s a first time for everything.” Alex silently fumed, since he knew who it was, per Cole’s intervention, and it pissed him off that she wouldn’t trust him enough to tell him the truth.
Angel pulled her arm free with a warning look. He reached for her again, this time more gently, beseeching her to listen to his logic. “Damn it, Angel! This is dangerous. You don’t know what you’re dealing with.” But he knew, exactly.
Angel’s thoughts raced. It was his car that was damaged, not hers. She feared for his safety more than hers, and maybe this would be the last time she’d be able to be with him for a long time. God knew how long it would take to convict the bastard. Her heart sank into her stomach as she allowed Alex to gather her close and her own arms to stretch around his broad shoulders, her forehead resting in the crook of his neck as he soothed her by stroking her hair down her naked back. His nails raked softly, causing electric shivers to run over the surface of her skin.
“I have to re-administer some tests. See if I can get the subject to fail, then the D.A.’s office takes over and all I have to do is explain the findings in court.”
Alex’s heart seized. If Swanson was connected to the mob, she might be in more danger. He only hoped Swanson’s contribution to their organization wasn’t significant enough for them to come to his aid.
Fuck! How can I keep you safe without telling you what I know?
“I can see it in your eyes. I know you’re scared.” His nose nuzzled into the side of her face, hot breath mingling with her own, thinking that if she was in his arms, he knew she’d be safe.
“My job is part of who I am and that won’t change. We’ve only just met, but you’re acting like… well, unreasonably. Why does this matter? Can’t this time together be ours?”
He knew what she meant. The world ceased to exist when they were together: nothing mattered but the insatiable need and the undisputed passion that flared between them like a tidal wave; each seeking and unabashedly taking what they needed from the other, but he was anxious and worried. But there was more. He was becoming more and more consumed with her when they were apart. She was in his head, not just igniting his passion.