Cat Got Your Tongue?

by Rae Rivers

  Alex stared at him for a long, silent moment before sighing softly. “You really mean all that?”

  “Yes.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “You’re not going to lecture me every time my job makes you uncomfortable? I refuse to alter my life or my career because of you.”

  Cole drew in a deep breath. Right now, another negotiation seemed easier than dealing with her. “You know that I attract a lot of public attention and with you in the picture, that attention will only increase twofold. I can’t afford any bad publicity and neither can you. So besides asking you to exercise a little more caution on your choice of associates, I’m not asking you to change anything right now.” He caught her chin in his fingers and tilted her face toward his. “Although, could we lower your testosterone levels a notch or two?”

  A flash of amusement sparkled in her eyes and she exhaled slowly. She slid her arms around his neck and kissed him. “Perhaps you do have the balls to handle me after all.” Before he could reply, she pulled away and went for the menu on the dining room table. “Are you going to feed me tonight? I’m starving.”

  Cole smiled and shook his head. That was Alexis all right—changing gears in a second flat. Fortunately, he was a sharp man and liked the challenge of keeping up with her.

  But most of all, he was enjoying the ride.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Monday morning

  New York

  Cole glanced up from his desk when Alex walked in the following morning. She looked composed and professional in a dark blue tailored suit but appeared to be charged with either anger or energy. He wasn’t sure which but knew he would soon find out.

  “Are you crazy?” she asked, closing the door.

  Cole blinked. “Excuse me?”

  Alex dumped her bag on the chair opposite him, planted her hands on her hips, and looked at him. “Why did you leave without waking me?”

  After a late flight home and little sleep, leaving her sleeping in his bed when he’d left for work had seemed the obvious choice. “I had an early meeting.”

  “You should’ve woken me.”

  “You were sleeping.”

  “I work for you, Cole. My job is to make sure that you stay safe. I can’t make that happen if you traipse off to work and leave me behind in bed.”

  Cole leaned back in his chair. “You didn’t get much sleep last night, Alex. I didn’t want to wake you and besides, I don’t need you to babysit me everywhere I go.”

  “I’m not here to babysit you. You hired me to be your bodyguard. I can’t do that if I don’t have a body to guard.”

  He sighed, searching for patience. “Although I agree that I do need some sort of personal protection, I can still take care of myself. As much as I enjoy having you around, I really don’t need you to traipse down to the office with me.”

  “Have you forgotten that you were marked twice in the last week? You shouldn’t be taking any chances right now.” She blew out her breath. “We’ve crossed a line, Cole. You’re starting to treat me more like your lover and my job has become secondary.”

  “Alex,” he said, knowing she was right.

  But he wouldn’t change it for anything.

  Angry eyes met his. “I warned you that things would get complicated once I became your bodyguard with benefits and that’s just what this is—complicated.” She shook her head and looked away. “You know there’s something weird happening. I’d feel better if we back off each other for while so that I can do my job in keeping you safe and figure out how you fit into all of this.”

  “I still want you, you know,” he said, not liking her suggestion.

  “You want my body. Our initial agreement was supposed to be just business, but the sex changes everything.”

  He raised a brow. “You’d really walk away from this? From us?”

  “I work for you, Cole,” she said, producing her phone. “You need someone to have your best interests in mind and right now, our wires are way too crossed for that. I’m going to schedule a meeting with you and Dan to discuss your requirements and fill him in on what we know.”

  Cole went to her, snatched the phone out of her hand, and tossed it into her bag. “I don’t want Dan, Alex. I want you.”

  She looked at the phone and sighed. “I can’t work for you and be in your bed. Surely you’ve figured that out by now?”

  “Yes, I have.”

  “Then meet with Dan.”

  “No.”

  Their eyes met and held, the challenge on.

  “Cole.”

  “We can meet with your partners, Alex, but I still want you a part of this team.”

  She exhaled slowly and then nodded. “Then we do this my way. From now on, where you go, I go.” She held up her hand when he started to protest. “I’m serious, Cole. Any resistance from you and you’ll be sleeping with Dan tonight.”

  Cole chuckled. “I think I’d prefer that bodyguard to come without the benefits.”

  “Don’t be smart. Just think about what I said, okay?”

  He caught her wrist, tugged her closer, and kissed her. When he pulled away a moment later, he was smiling. “You have to admit, Alex. The sex does complicate things, but it’s the best damn sex we’ve ever had.”

  Alex laughed. “You’re so full of it. What makes you so sure it’s the best sex I’ve ever had?”

  “Because if it wasn’t, you wouldn’t still be here.”

  “Mm, that’s the problem. We’re so going to get you killed.”

  “No, we won’t. We’ll figure this out, okay?”

  Alex rolled her eyes. “You keep saying that but we never do.”

  ****

  Alex blew out a breath and slumped in her chair. Three hours of studying all the available material on the museum heist and the robbery attempts of the Renoir and the Monet and still no answers. Nothing added up and nothing made sense.

  Maybe she was way off. Maybe there was no connection between the robberies and the museum, but it seemed odd that the museum’s name had resurfaced at the same time that her clients were marked. Co-incidence?

  No. There had to be a connection.

  Her phone vibrated on the table, and she fished it out from beneath the scattered documents.

  Cole.

  She smiled. “Is everything okay?”

  “Of course. What are you doing?”

  “Working. Do you need something?”

  “Besides you?”

  “Cole.”

  His soft chuckle rumbled through the phone. “I need food. I’m starving.”

  “So eat.” She cast a quick glance around the hotel restaurant, surprised at how busy they were.

  “But I want company.”

  “So get John or Julia to eat with you.”

  “No,” he replied, his tone playful and light. “I’m looking for some decent arm candy.”

  “Are you breaking for lunch?”

  “Yes. Can you come?”

  She grinned. “With you, baby? Always.”

  “Alex.”

  She laughed, pleased with the sudden strain in his voice. “I’m downstairs in the restaurant.”

  “I’ll see you in five,” he said and the line went dead.

  When Cole walked into the crowded restaurant five minutes later, his presence brought a stir to the room that had her smiling in amusement.

  He flashed her a smile as he sat opposite her. “You’ve been working here?”

  “I told you I’m not going anywhere without you,” she said and then rushed on, silencing his protest. “I’m starving. Can we order?”

  “Sure.” Cole signaled the waiter who appeared within seconds and took their order of white wine and the chef’s specialty sandwiches.

  “How was your meeting?” Alex asked, unable to take her eyes off him.

  “Productive.”

  “What did you buy today?”

  “I don’t have to buy anything to be productive.”

  “Who’re you kidding?” she scoff
ed. “I read books as a hobby. You buy property as a hobby.”

  He grinned. “Quite a lucrative hobby, don’t you think?”

  Cole’s phone rang and he answered with a scowl.

  Alex studied him in silence and wondered how she’d ended up with him as a client, working in his office and living in his house. Not to mention sleeping in his bed. Her breath caught and she glanced away.

  “A business associate?” she asked when he hung up the phone a minute later.

  Cole handed her a glass of wine. “Yes. Barry Jenson, the owner of the hotel in California. He has a few queries regarding our contract, but he can discuss it with my attorneys.” He must have seen the flash of recognition on her face as he tilted his head and raised an eyebrow. “Do you know him?”

  “Yes. I’ve had a few dealings with him in the past.”

  “He’s offered to buy my townhouse.”

  “He has?” Alex sipped her wine, enjoying the fruity flavor. “I didn’t even know you were selling.”

  “I’m not. He’s offered me a fortune for the place, and I turned him down several times, but he’s been quite persistent.”

  “You’ve got a great place, but why’s he so eager for it?”

  Cole shrugged. “He fancies the location as well as the building itself.”

  “He’s probably after it simply because you have it,” she said and sat back as the waiter arrived with their order. The gourmet sandwiches were stacked up in a neat tower on the plate, delicious fillings oozing out between the bread. Her stomach growled and she reached for her fork.

  “That sounds like the behavior of a first grader.”

  She popped a tomato into her mouth, chewed, and swallowed. “Men are competitive. It’s like you guys have this deep seated radar inside of you that beeps every time one of you has outsmarted the other.”

  “I doubt Barry’s going to spend that amount of money simply because I own the townhouse and he doesn’t.”

  “Chances are he does want it because you have it, you know. Your business associates admire your keen business sense and excellent eye for quality. Simply knowing that you owned the townhouse would put Barry’s mind at ease and reassure him that the townhouse would be a lucrative investment.” She flashed him a bright smile. “A personalized Anderson stamp of approval.”

  Cole chuckled. “There’s no need to sweet-talk me, you know. You’ve already got me into bed.”

  “I wasn’t. I was simply stating a fact.” Alex narrowed her eyes. “Besides, the question of who got whom into bed is up for debate. I seem to remember having little choice in the matter.” As if she could have turned him down.

  “Is that so?” He sipped his wine, a silly grin making the corners of his lips curl. “I recall that your body was quite a willing player in my bed.”

  Alex couldn’t look away. Vivid images of them naked and in bed together came to mind and hot tendrils of electricity shot straight through her. Damn him. Would she ever be satiated with him?

  “I’d be quite happy to listen to those protests in bed tonight,” he said with a sexy grin that made her heart race even more. Alex inhaled sharply and he chuckled. “No choice in the matter, huh?”

  “Stop it,” she whispered, appalled that she’d started blushing.

  He laughed but to her relief, diverted their conversation to his art and they spent the next hour discussing the different art pieces he owned. It was a passionate subject for them both and before they knew it, they’d finished their sandwiches and wine. Somewhere between their intricate conversations, the waiter had appeared to remove their plates and empty glasses and returned with two cups of steaming coffee.

  Alex smiled as he set the coffee down. It appeared that everyone was familiar with the billionaire’s preferences and were eager to please him. She wondered how many of them did it because he paid them to and how many did it because they respected and liked him. She would bet her money on the latter.

  Cole glanced at the pile of papers beside her elbow. “What are those?”

  “The catalogues I picked up at the museum on Saturday. I still don’t understand how the thieves selected their art.”

  “Their choice was a bit odd,” Cole agreed, reaching for the catalogue. “They stole two priceless paintings, nabbed several others of lesser importance or value, and left behind others that were worth far more. Very odd indeed.”

  “I wonder how big their list was.”

  “You’re so sure they were working off a list?”

  Alex nodded and sipped her coffee. “I’m positive. They had plenty of time to pull what they wanted but the robbery lasted less than an hour and then they quietly left with their loot. No external alarms went off so no one was alerted.”

  “Where were the guards?”

  “Locked up.”

  “Ouch.” Cole grimaced, studying the contents of the museum’s catalogue. “I wish I knew what happened to the art work.”

  “It’s probably hanging in some private collector’s basement somewhere. No one would ever be able to sell or display those pieces on the open market.”

  “That would be asking for trouble, wouldn’t it?” He turned the page, glanced at the contents, and froze. “Alex,” he said, straightening in his seat.

  “What is it?”

  He pointed to the page in front of him. “Look at this.”

  “What is it?”

  “It’s an article about an event held at the museum.”

  Alex tilted her head and read the caption. “The Californian Symphony Orchestra—what’s that got to do with anything?”

  “They held the event at the museum but look at the date.” He pointed to the small printed letters at the bottom of the page. “The day before the robbery. Check out the picture above the article.”

  Alex studied the photograph of the museum’s director and a few members from the orchestra. She frowned and glanced at Cole in question. His hand slid forward and he touched the corner of the photograph with one finger.

  Alex gasped. “Oh, my God, Cole. It’s your Renoir!”

  On the wall behind the four smiling people, the Renoir that Cole had recently acquired hung in all its splendor.

  Alex’s head shot up. “How can this be?”

  “I have no idea.”

  “But how come the Renoir was at the museum? It wasn’t on the museum’s inventory.” A rush of energy and excitement blasted through her and her mind raced with various possibilities.

  Cole pulled out his phone. “Makes me wonder where Mike Willis’s painting was before he bought it. Shall we take a drive to Christie’s?” he suggested, but judging by his grin, he already knew her answer.

  Chapter Twenty

  Monday afternoon

  The restaurant at Christie’s was quiet for a Monday afternoon, the lunch crowd already dispersed, and it was a nice change from the bustling restaurant at the hotel.

  Alex glanced around, trying to quell the anxiety gnawing at her since they’d left the hotel. She’d tried to distract her thoughts from derailing during the limo ride. The discovery that the Renoir was possibly linked to the Taylor Museum caused havoc with her senses and sent her alarm bells into overdrive. She’d forced herself to rein in her thoughts until she’d seen the Renoir’s paper trail and if her gut feel was on the mark, then she was reserving her little freak out session for later.

  And she still had to tell Cole what she suspected and fill him in on her conversation with Eddie Jones.

  She stole a glance at Cole and frowned. He’d only been in her life for a short while, but the connection and attraction between them was so powerful and unique that it astounded her in its intensity. Somehow, this billionaire had stripped her defenses and even though it was too soon to think about where their relationship—business or other—was headed, she was simply pleased she’d followed him home the night of the auction. That simple act had caused her several other headaches she hadn’t bargained for but had also led her to one of the most exciting weeks of her life.


  Cole sipped his coffee and studied Alex. “Your silence unnerves me,” he said, a small smile teasing the corners of his mouth. “I far prefer it when you’re barking at me.”

  Alex’s lips twitched. “I don’t bark at you.”

  “Okay, you growl.”

  “Well, you do your own fair share of growling. That’s why we get on like fuel and fire.”

  “Mm, an explosive combination.”

  “We’re both used to being the captain of our own ship which explains why we fight so much.”

  “Well, there’s enough affection between us to balance out the fighting so I think we’re okay.”

  Alex shot him an irritated look. “Affection?”

  He sighed, the laughter fading from his voice. “Would it make you feel better if I rather used the word ‘sex’?”

  “Yes. Watch your words, Anderson. We don’t want any confusion where we’re concerned. This is still a business relationship after all.”

  Cole openly laughed in her face. “You’re so full of it, Alex. You know damn well we’re way past that and I’m going to make it my mission to have you admit it.”

  “Good luck with that.”

  “You’re way too pensive this afternoon.” He reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “What’s on your mind?”

  It was the perfect opening to tell him what she knew. But she stalled. “I’m anxious to see what Gustav has on the Renoir.” They’d spoken to Gustav Minola, the director of sales, and he’d gone to retrieve the information Cole had requested.

  “How would the provenance of the paintings help?” Cole asked. “And if our paintings were at the Taylor Museum, then what’s that got to do with what’s happening now?”