by Susan Stoker
“You’re right, I’m sorry,” Blake apologized immediately. His hand crossed the center console and rested on her thigh. Its weight heavy and comforting. “I was out of line and didn’t mean to piss you off.”
“It’s fine,” Alexis mumbled, looking down at the large hand covering her leg. Alexis could feel her skin tingling under the weight of his calloused hand. She wished she was wearing shorts rather than jeans; she wanted to feel his hand on her bare skin almost more than she wanted coffee in the mornings.
Her eyes roamed up from his hand to his forearm. The one she’d do anything to be able to snuggle up to at night, holding it between her breasts as they spooned. Without thought, Alexis’s legs shifted apart, as if giving him room to slide his hand between her legs. The second she moved, he pulled his hand away and rested it back on the steering wheel. She mentally shook her head at herself; her attraction to him was hopeless. He was never going to see her as anything other than one of his employees. She was pathetic, wanting something she was never going to have.
Sometimes she felt like she was eight years old and desperate for everyone around her to like her . . . to be her friend. But she’d learned to hide that part of her deep inside. To outwardly portray herself as tough and gung ho about everything she did. Most people didn’t seem to want to dig below her surface and get to the woman she really was rather than what she showed to the world.
Alexis wanted to get the conversation over with. “For the first time in my life, I enjoy what I’m doing here at Ace Security. Every day is different, and I feel like I’m making a difference.”
“You’re doing a good job, Lex,” Blake said, the approval echoing loud and clear in the small cab of the car.
“Thank you for giving me a chance.” Alexis was more than grateful for Blake and his brothers. They didn’t have to give her a job, but she’d worked her butt off to be useful to them, and she’d finally gotten to the point where she thought she was actually pulling her own weight. A lot of times the technical aspects of the job went over her head, but she was getting really good at digging into social media and finding information on clients. Digital footprints were way vaster than most people knew or understood.
“So . . . no boyfriend?” Blake asked in a tone that he might’ve used to order a meal at a drive-through fast-food place. As if he couldn’t care less what her answer might be.
Alexis could feel the coffee she’d drunk that morning threaten to come back up. After he’d touched her, she’d thought that maybe Blake was softening toward her. That maybe she had a chance to catch the gorgeous man’s eye. Obviously, she was an idiot.
“Nope,” Alexis said, exaggerating the last p in the word, trying to be funny. “Not at the moment. I’ve had my share, but no one’s appealed in a while.” It was a little white lie. She hadn’t had that many boyfriends, but he didn’t need to know that.
“Hmmm,” Blake responded, keeping his eyes on the road.
What the hell did that mean? Alexis had no idea. Was he surprised because he thought she was good-looking? Did he think she simply wasn’t interesting enough to keep the attention of a guy long-term? She had no idea. Just when she thought she would go insane trying to figure out what he was thinking, or burst into tears, Blake spoke up again.
“You’re getting your sea legs.”
Um what?
“What? My sea legs?”
“Yeah. You’re like a new sailor trying to get used to walking on board a ship on the open ocean. At first it’s hard to walk normally, but after a while, it gets easier and easier. When you get more comfortable in the job, and when you truly settle into doing something you enjoy, you’ll be receptive to opening yourself up to dating again.” He smiled over at her, the light in the morning sky just beginning to illuminate the world, including the inside of the car where they sat. “It’s smart not to rush into a relationship right out of college. Good for you for not falling in love at first sight with the first guy to show you some attention. When the time is right, you’ll find someone who is perfect for you.”
Alexis bit her lip and turned her head to look out the side window again to hide the tears she couldn’t hold back. If only he knew. She swallowed hard and mumbled, “I’m sure I will.”
And she was sure. Because she’d already found him. It was love at first sight, but obviously only one-sided. Blake saw her as nothing more than a flighty college graduate who couldn’t decide what she wanted to do with her life. There was no way she could stick around Ace Security and not be with Blake Anderson. She might be a virgin, but Alexis knew down to the marrow of her bones that Blake Anderson was the man who was meant for her.
But there was no way she’d be able to stand him dating, kissing, and possibly marrying another woman right under her nose. Her heart wouldn’t be able to take it. She’d finish the job she started when her brother had been kidnapped, but after she gathered as much information as she could about the Inca Boyz gang and turned it over to the Denver Gang Task Force, she was going to forget about Ace Security and Blake Anderson and start over somewhere new.
Chapter Two
“So . . . want to stop and get some lunch?” Blake asked Alexis as he pulled away from the courthouse. It was eleven thirty, and the job had gone off with no issues. Not that he thought there would be any. The client’s ex-husband hadn’t showed up at the courthouse to make trouble for their client. Alexis’s job was to stay near the entrance and notify Blake, via two-way radio, if he appeared. He hadn’t, and they’d been able to leave Colorado Springs before noon.
He’d never thought hiring Alexis would work out. In fact, he’d been extremely reluctant to work with her. He was almost ashamed to admit it, but the fact that she was rich played a big part in his reticence. After seeing how Grace’s very wealthy parents conducted themselves, and having more than his share of run-ins with women who had money, he hadn’t wanted anything to do with someone who he assumed was probably spoiled rotten and used to getting her way. But Alexis had surprised him. She was down-to-earth and easy to be around. Most of the time he completely forgot she and her family had more money than he’d ever see in a lifetime.
Not only that, but she was actually an excellent employee. Willing to do whatever was asked of her without complaint. And, as a bonus, many times female clients were more comfortable with her than with him or either of his brothers. Lex was friendly and had a way of making their clients relax that he and his brothers weren’t always able to do. Some of it had to do with the fact that most of their clients were women who had been abused by men, but most of it was simply Lex.
When she first started working for Ace Security, Blake had thought she’d get bored within a week. He knew her work history, and the security business wasn’t exactly glamorous. It was a lot of observation, research, and waiting around and watching for trouble. But Alexis had taken to it like a duck took to water.
He’d never spent as much time with a woman as he had with Alexis Grant. Most of the time she was quiet—so quiet that some days he forgot she was working in the office across from him. She didn’t nag or bitch when things didn’t go her way. She never threw her money in his face or flaunted it.
But she was also funny. She had a lightning-quick wit and wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself or those around her. She tried to portray herself as an experienced woman who’d seen and done just about everything, but there were times when it just didn’t ring true . . . and it was those times that fascinated and intrigued Blake the most. Made him want to needle her a bit more and get under the shield she seemed to keep up to hide from the world. In a lot of ways, she was a complete mystery, and lately he’d found himself more and more interested in Alexis Grant.
His conversation with her that morning had only piqued his interest. She’d tried to hide how hurt she was when he’d basically accused her of being nothing more than an airhead rich bitch, but he saw something different in her very expressive face that had been reflected in the window. He hadn’t exactly meant for hi
s words to sound the way they had, but her reaction proved that she wasn’t a rich chick flitting around from job to job, but rather that she was still searching for something that fed the passion she obviously had inside her.
When he thought about how her former bosses and customers had hit on her, it made his blood boil. Yes, she’d had five or so jobs since she’d graduated, but he admired her for not putting up with any bullshit. Alexis Grant would never be anyone’s doormat.
“I don’t know,” Alexis hedged. “Eating might take a while.”
“Come on, you have to be hungry. We’ve been up for hours, and all you’ve had was that cup of coffee I brought you.”
“It’s not like I need to eat—I’m certainly not wasting away—but fine. Only if I pay.”
Blake ignored the crack about her weight, not happy with Lex’s perception of her curvy body. It seemed perfect to him, but he knew nothing he could say would sway her thinking. Like most women, her view of herself was skewed by the media’s representation of what was “beautiful,” and it would most likely take more than words to . . . but he wasn’t going there. At least not yet. If nothing else, Blake knew he had to move slowly around the skittish woman. He had no idea what her experiences were with men, but she didn’t exactly come off as experienced, no matter how hard she tried. “You are not paying,” he told her firmly. “We’ve been over this. It’s business.” He thought he saw her flinch, but she quickly wiped any stray emotion off her face and shrugged.
“Business. Right. Then wherever you want to stop is fine.”
Blake hated when her voice got flat. As if she couldn’t care less about anything he said or did. They’d had the argument more than once about who would pay, and he’d found that the only way she’d relent was if he fell back on the “business” excuse. He didn’t like making her think for even a second that it was the only reason he was asking her out, but he was trying to go slowly with her . . . for his own sake and hers. “There’s a new seafood place that’s supposed to be good,” he said nonchalantly.
“Seriously?” Alexis asked with an eyebrow raised.
Blake nodded, smirking.
“You know I hate seafood,” Alexis said grumpily. “But if that’s what you’re in the mood for, I’m sure I can find something.”
“I do know it, Lex, and I much prefer when you’re honest with me than when you go along just to be compliant. Where do you want to eat?”
Alexis turned to him and glared. “Whatever. I don’t care.”
“You do care,” Blake insisted. “I have no problem with you speaking your mind. You usually don’t hesitate to tell me, and anyone else who irritates you, exactly what you’re thinking. So, where do you want to eat?” Choosing a restaurant wasn’t exactly a life-or-death decision, but he wanted to take her someplace that she’d enjoy, not someplace that she’d just endure.
He liked it when Lex stood up to him. Even though he and his brothers were essentially born at the same time, he’d always identified himself as the “middle child.” Logan was outgoing and aggressive; he’d protected both of his brothers from his mom’s wrath growing up. Nathan tended to fade into the background, happy if everyone left him alone. But Blake was the peacekeeper. He tended to be more flexible than his brothers and more able to let things slide off his back. He found perverse pleasure in the fact that Lex wasn’t like that. Most of the time she’d tell him if she disagreed with him and wouldn’t agree for the sake of agreeing. It’s why he pushed her now; he knew she was just going along with what he’d suggested.
“Fine. You’re right. From now on I’ll make sure you know exactly what I think about every little thing. You really shouldn’t wear black socks with white tennis shoes. It’s super weird, and you’re not eighty, so that fashion statement isn’t appropriate for you. If there’s a Souper Salad around, I’d love to eat there.”
His lips quirked up at her petulant tone, but he was happy to hear her picking at him, even if it was to make fun of his choice of clothing. “Sounds good.” And it did. It might be a salad-and-soup place, but it was a buffet, and the food was awesome. Alexis might complain about her weight, but she didn’t eat like the typical women he had dated. Blake enjoyed taking her out because she never seemed to worry about what he thought about what she was eating. She’d pile her plate high. And the woman had a serious sweet tooth. That was one of the first things he’d learned about her. She put so much vanilla flavoring in her coffee that it almost didn’t even taste like coffee anymore . . . more like a liquid cupcake, which was disgusting and adorable at the same time. Frequently when they visited a restaurant with a buffet, she’d make more than one trip through the line as well. He loved that about her. Well, not loved . . . but . . .
“Is that okay? If it’s not, we can eat anywhere. I really don’t care.”
Blake shook his head and turned his attention back to Alexis. “No, it’s fine. Good choice.”
They were silent the rest of the way to the restaurant. Blake parked and resisted the urge to walk around the car and open the door for Alexis. She wouldn’t appreciate it, even though he’d tried to be a gentleman more than once. Every time, she’d shaken her head and told him she was perfectly capable of opening and shutting her own damn door.
She was an extremely hard woman to do anything for, almost going out of her way to do things for herself that most other women would consider polite. She made sure she got to the door first, so she could open it for him instead of the other way around. Insisted that he go in front of her in the buffet line, and always, always, tried to pay, no matter if it was already decided before they arrived that he’d be picking up the tab.
Today was no exception. She held the door open for him, but Blake grabbed the door above her head and held out his hand, gesturing for her to walk into the restaurant ahead of him. She got to the cashier first and ordered, but he was ready for her sneakiness and made sure to butt in and tell the woman that he’d be paying for both their meals. She even held out a tray for him when he shuffled in next to her.
Giving in, he took the tray but refused to start down the buffet line ahead of her. It was almost a game between them now. He followed behind her, smiling to himself as she once again piled her plate high with so much food that croutons spilled off the sides by the time they were at the end of the line.
After they chose a seat and a waiter took their drink order, Blake asked, “Have you found out anything more about the Inca Boyz?”
The Inca Boyz were a gang up in Denver that Alexis was looking into. A few months ago, Grace’s mother had hired the gang to detain Logan so they could kidnap Grace and lure Bradford to a hotel and take lewd pictures of the two of them. Margaret had hired the gang via social media. It was ridiculously easy, and if Margaret Mason had been able to hire the gang to do her dirty work, the Anderson brothers and Alexis had wondered who else had hired the gang and for what.
Alexis finished chewing the bite and took a sip of her water before she spoke. “Actually, yeah. I was looking at their Facebook page the other day and saw a comment by a girl whose name sounded familiar. I didn’t find anything with a Google search, but I knew I recognized her from somewhere. I didn’t think it was from my college classes—let’s face it, she didn’t come off as all that bright in her comment—so I got out my old high school yearbook. Bingo.”
“She went to your high school,” Blake said.
“Yup. Actually, we were pretty close friends in middle school,” she said, not looking at him but studying her food intently.
Something about the tone of Alexis’s voice seemed off. “In middle school but not when you got older?” Blake asked.
Alexis shrugged and played with the salad on her plate and still wouldn’t look at him as she answered. “Yeah. You know, people grow up, friendships change, and all that. I hadn’t thought about her in years.”
Blake wanted to know more about her growing up and changing friendships but didn’t want to pry. It was more than obvious Lex didn’t want to
talk about it, but also that it was something that bothered her even ten years later. He let it go . . . for now. “True. Go on.” She looked up at him then, and Blake knew she was more comfortable since he wasn’t asking about her personal life.
“Right. And she’d commented on a post that Damian posted about his brother, Donovan, being in prison.”
Blake chuckled. “What’d he say?”
“He posted something about how he visited Donovan that day and plans are in motion.”
“Visited him in jail? Plans for what?” Blake asked, extremely interested now, leaning forward on his elbows. He didn’t miss the way Lex’s eyes flicked down to his forearms, then back up to his face. He’d noticed lately that she did that all the time. Anytime he shifted position or lifted anything, her eyes would be glued to his forearms. Curious, he’d begun to do childish things like flex his biceps to see if she had an arm fetish, but he’d barely gotten a glance. However, when he’d made a fist with his hand, and the muscles and tendons in his forearm had shifted, her eyes had dilated, and once he’d watched in disbelief as her nipples had gotten hard under the tight T-shirt she’d been wearing. She’d immediately turned away from him, hiding the evidence of her arousal, but that had been the moment he’d stopped seeing her as simply Bradford’s little sister and more as an attractive woman whom he was extremely interested in getting to know better.
Her hair was neither short nor long. Blonde nor brown. She wasn’t model gorgeous but was pleasing to the eye. She wore minimal makeup, just enough to enhance her face rather than overwhelm it. She wore high-priced quality clothes, but nothing that screamed money. She didn’t freak if it was raining and she got wet. He’d seen her stand outside the courthouse in Denver in the pouring rain during one of their jobs, as if she didn’t have a care in the world. While many women her size wore high heels to try to compensate, Alexis generally wore sneakers or one- to two-inch heels.