by Milly Taiden
“What?” Alex said, “I did not.”
“Then why didn’t you hear about the big manhunt they were starting up?”
She thought about that. Does someone know when they “zone out” or was that part of zoning out? “Okay. Maybe I was out of it. I’d rather talk about something else anyway.”
Nina glanced at her watch. “Hmm. I wonder what that would be. Or should I say who?”
“No,” Alex blurted, “I don’t want to even think about him.”
Nina gave her a sly look. “Even if I told you I talked to him before I came here?”
Alex gasped. “You did not!” She launched a crescent roll at her across the table. “What did he say?”
“Why should I tell you?” Nina sat back with a smug smile. What was her game?
“Don’t be a ninny,” Alex said, using the nickname they teased her cousin with when they were young. Nina threw the roll back at her.
“For that, I’m not answering the door,” her cousin said.
Alex glanced at the front door then back to her cousin. “What are you—” A knock came from the kitchen door, surprising them both. The knock came again.
Nina hurried into the kitchen and opened the door a crack. Alex heard her talking to someone in hushed voices. What the hell? Nina ran to the front window overlooking the porch to the entry.
“Oh my god. You’re right!” she cried out. Alex jumped from her chair, going to the window.
“What?”
“There’s a bear blocking the front door,” Nina blurted.
“No way,” Alex replied, leaning over her cousin’s shoulder. “Holy shit. There’s a bear blocking the front door.” In the waning light, a huge black bear stretched out on the front porch, head laying on its paws. “Why is it here?”
Nina scoffed. “Like I told you earlier. Tourists feed the bears. The wild animals come to where the food is. I’m sure it smells what we cooked.” The bear lifted its head and turned toward them. They both jumped back, “eeps” coming from their throats.
A deep voice sounded behind them. “No worries, ladies,” Andrew said. “I’ll save you from the big bad bear.”
Alex swiveled around with another “eep.” The voice lightened her heart until she remembered why she was pissed at him.
“What do you want?” She hoped he didn’t hear the strain in her voice.
“I didn’t take you for a coward.” His eyes pierced hers, the low light enough to show the anger on his face.
“What? What the hell are you talking about?” Was he crazy? Had he forgotten what she’d seen?
Nina headed toward the back door. “I forgot something in my car. Be right back. Well, maybe not ‘right’ back. I’ll wait for all clear signal.” The kitchen door closed, leaving Alex alone with Andrew.
He picked up where they’d left off. “You left. Didn’t give me a chance to explain, deciding without asking if I was guilty of whatever it was you thought was going on.”
“Oh, it was clear to me what was going on. I don’t need to hear this.” She should just walk away and not waste her time with him. She turned but stopped when he spoke again.
“Yes, you do. Don’t you want to know what happened? What really happened? Know if you were wrong for leaving?” He took a step closer as he spoke.
“No.” Her sad attempt at confidence failed miserably; her voice came out a shaky whisper. Sounding certain was difficult when she’d been questioning everything the past few hours. She stepped back and tried to put space between them.
“Liar! You want to know.” He sounded so sure, she wanted to slap his confident smirk away.
She folded her arms across her chest and snorted. “Yeah? Why would I?”
“Because you care.” Voice gone soft, he stepped closer. “Just as I care.”
Her stomach churned, and her heart thudded in her ears. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“It’s okay to be scared or insecure. It’s not okay to allow those feelings to dictate your life.” It frightened her, the way he looked at her, as though he were able to see her deepest, darkest secrets.
“Fine, talk. Say what you need to and go.” She widened her stance, shoving her hands in the back pockets of her pj’s.
“I’m not sure why Leslie did what she did. Never in the time we dated did she try anything like that. She was always very put together, very proper.” Disbelief appeared in her eyes. “Look, she caught me off guard when she took off the coat. I was in shock. No woman has ever done that, not in my office.”
Anger exploded through her. Instead of yelling as she wanted to, her voice softened and hitched when she spoke. “Do you take me for an idiot? Oh, yes, poor Andrew. I feel so bad for the poor rich man. It’s just so terrible, women throwing themselves at him all the time. It’s a wonder you don’t go into hiding. If you’re here to feed me crap, get the hell out. I know a plate of bullshit when I see it.”
“It’s not like that.” He started to pace in front of her while he spoke. “I’ve been feeling restless for a while. When you moved in to the office across the alley, I was instantly attracted to you. I asked about you. I found out you were in a relationship, so I let my attraction sit on the back burner. When I saw you at the club, something pushed me toward you. After that—” He stopped, turned, and looked at her. The pained but serious look he gave her made her breath catch. He tunneled his fingers through his hair all the while staring at her.
“After that?” She prompted and held her breath, heart galloping in her chest.
“After that, I knew you were it for me.” He went back to pacing. “I suck at big romantic gestures; the best I can do is flowers, cards, dinner, and jewelry. If it weren’t for my assistant and my calendar, I’d forget my own birthday. When involved with a new project, I turn into a workaholic, but I can try to slow that down. I need to dominate in the bedroom. I can’t change that part of me.”
He sounded as if he wanted to warn her away. Did he say he wasn’t romantic? He’d cooked for her, sent her two exotic flowers with his own handwritten notes, taken her to see a musical, and given her a purple Buddha charm on a bracelet. Plus, they’d done so much snuggling, she melted into a puddle of goo whenever she remembered. More than romantic, he was a naturally caring person. And if she was right, he cared for her.
“Why are you telling me this?”
He moved closer until he was right in front of her. He cupped her jaw with a shaky hand. “Because I need you. I’m not going away. My life, it’s empty without you.” He took a deep breath.
She clenched her hands into fists. “So, what will you do if I say no?”
“Never leave you alone until you agree to come back to me. You’re mine; you know it, and I know it.” His voice trembled with alarm.
“For how long?” Licking at her dry lips, she watched his eyes zero in on her tongue.
“Forever.” His voice took on a firm tone.
“Why?”
“Because I love you. Yes, I love you. I know you probably think it’s too soon, but you slipped in and settled into my heart.”
Her look showed disbelief. He sighed, lowered his head, and then jerked it back up to look at her with determination. He got down on his knees, and her eyes widened.
“What are you doing?”
His hands gripped her hips, and he looked up into her eyes. Concern was on his face. “I love you. I’m not leaving until you say you believe me.”
“Andrew—”
“Alexandra, I love you. Please, please, don’t break my heart. Say you want to be with me as much as I want to be with you.”
Heart so full she was sure it was going to burst, she stared at him for a moment. “Yes. I’ll give us another chance; I love you, too.” Her voice softened. “My life would be miserable without you in it.”
He claimed her lips in a kiss. It was slow and sensual, full of promise and sweet surrender. After a moment, he pulled back and gave her a hungry look.
She said, “I love
that you’re dominant. I wouldn’t change that in you. For everything else, there’s always compromise.” She gave him a teasing grin.
He sighed, climbing back to his feet. “Thank God. I was afraid I was going to have to bribe you into taking me back.”
Her brows lifted in curiosity. “How in the world would you have done that?”
He gave a sheepish grin and pointed to the SUV out the window. “I brought chocolate cheesecake and another chick flick.”
She laughed at his grimace and hugged him tightly. Yeah. He’d do just fine. She pulled his head down for another kiss and was immediately consumed in the fire of his touch.
Then the sound of a shotgun and the world coming to an end rattled the windows.
22
Alex screamed when the screeching roar outside the door erupted. What happened to the bear to make it hysterical? Had someone shot the animal? Andrew pushed them both to cabin’s floor.
“Andrew, Nina is out there,” Alex nearly yelled.
“Are they shooting at us?” he asked. “Or just the bear?” That was a good question. Due to her horrific afternoon, she automatically assumed the shooter was back. But she was miles from the cabin. How could he find her?
He felt around his pockets. “Shit. I left my phone in the truck. Where’s yours?”
“I-I don’t know. Nina dumped all my stuff in the bedroom.”
“You stay here.” Andrew got to his feet, but she pulled on his arm.
“Where are you going?”
“Out to find Nina and get my phone, or hers.”
“But the shooter?” Alex said with dread in her voice.
“Alex, relax. I’m sure it’s just a ranger who spotted the dangerous animal and is trying to get it away or something.”
“I-I don’t know, Andrew. Did Nina tell you what happened?” she asked.
His eyes narrowed. “I don’t think so. She gave me the third on how much of a dumbass I am then left. She gave me directions to this place saying not to go to the other cabin. What other cabin?”
“I’ll explain later. Get your phone then. Quickly.”
He headed for the front and she jerked on his jeans. “No, use the kitchen door in case the shooter is out front.”
“Nothing will happen, Alexandra. I’ll be right back,” he said. Alex moved a chair away from the windows, facing the front door. If anyone tried to come through, she’d be the first out the back.
She put her feet on the cushion and hugged her legs. Andrew was going to be so mad that she hadn’t told him about the bomb and the shooter. Shit, she hadn’t even told him about the note stuck her apartment door with a steak knife from the lounge. That seemed forever ago.
Thinking about the note warning her off Andrew, at the time Friday night, she thought it was Leslie being a bitch and let it go. But Leslie didn’t know where she lived. Robert had access to her work file, and Jack knew, but Robert had nothing to do with Andrew.
Maybe it was Jack warning her to stay away from Andrew because of the deal they were working on. Jack must’ve found out she and Andrew were an item.
Then it dawned on her. Friday night when she spotted Andrew talking with another man with his back to her, that was Jack. His hair had grown out since she last saw him, making him look different from behind. Oh god. She and Andrew got it on hot and heavy in one of the rooms at the club. Jack had to know that. Thus, the wonderful message on her door. Damn.
Would Jack send a pipe bomb to the office to kill her? He had the money to pay someone to make and deliver it. So maybe Robert had picked up the box from the front desk.
But Robert didn’t know she was here at the park. Nina swore she didn’t tell him. So he couldn’t be the shooter. There was no way Jack could be the shooter. She doubted he’d ever fired a gun in his life. Plus, he couldn’t know where she was.
Was she missing something? Was there someone else she wasn’t thinking of? “Damn,” she said out loud, “how many people want me dead?”
“Me, for one.”
Alex startled at the voice and pivoted in the chair to see Leslie in the kitchen, pointing a gun at her. Guess Alex was wrong to cross Leslie off the list.
“How in the hell did you get here?” Alex scooted off the chair and moved farther into the room toward the bathroom door.
Leslie grunted. “Like it’s hard to find you. I just followed Andrew right to the door. Stupid dumbfuck is such a waste.”
Alex raised a brow. “But you still want him for yourself.”
Leslie’s face scrunched. “Of course, he’s got money and is great in bed. What else could a woman want?”
Speaking of Andrew, where the hell was he? Obviously, he didn’t see her sneak in, but he could at least slip back in and take the gun from his crazy ex.
“I’ll tell Andrew that you said goodbye,” Leslie sneered. The gun raised. Alex squeezed her eyes shut. On the other side of the room, the front door burst open and bounced against the wall. Both ladies jumped.
“Get in here, Carter.” That sounded like...Jack? Through the busted entry, Andrew walked in with his hands up and Jack behind him holding a gun to his back.
Alex was dumbfounded. And Andrew was pissed. This was her fault for not telling him about all the stuff that had happened.
Jack and Andrew were just as surprised to see Leslie as the ladies were to see them.
Andrew rushed to Alex, meeting in the middle of the room. “Are you all right? Did she hurt you?” His cutting eyes sliced toward Leslie. The woman’s hands, holding the gun, were shaking.
“I’m fine. Just a little scared for my life,” Alex responded. Andrew wrapped her in his arms, protecting her as much as he could. But flesh against bullet was little contest.
“Leslie,” Andrew said in a calm, strong voice. “Go home. We were over a long time ago. I’m not changing my mind.”
“But, Andrew, baby,” she cried.
He lifted a hand to her. “No more, Leslie.” His tone turned harsh and growly.
“Hey, now,” Jack butted in, “no need to get shitty with the lovely lady. She’s only expressing what she feels.”
Alex snorted. “Jack, what the hell just came from your mouth? You never said anything so caring to me. You didn’t give a shit how I felt. You sure as shit made sure I knew how you felt about me and all my flaws. I was never good enough, was I?”
All through her rant to Jack, the man never took his eyes off Leslie. Alex wasn’t even sure Jack heard her. She glanced at Leslie on the opposite side of the room. Her eyes were locked on Jack’s.
Alex shook her head. This couldn’t be happening. She and Andrew were in the middle of the room with one bitch and a gun at the back of the space, and a prick with a gun at the front of the space. Neither could take their eyes off the other.
“You know, miss,” Jack said, “you looked down right edible this morning, all naked and running around. I would’ve put you on your knees and shoved my dick down your throat to suck me dry had we not been in his office.” He reached down to adjust himself.
Alex slapped a hand over her mouth to hold back the mashed potatoes climbing up her throat. She was going to spew if this went on much longer. She was sure Leslie would go off on Jack. Instead, the bitch shuddered as if a cat in heat.
“I like the way you think...Jack, isn’t it?” Leslie cooed.
He nodded. “You’re Leslie, I take it.” She rubbed a finger over her bottom lip then licked it. Alex and Andrew stood quietly, watching the would-be-killers enact foreplay. “So,” Jack said to Leslie, “what are you doing after this?”
“Not much. Just going home...alone...with little clothing on because it is so hot.” She fanned herself like the room sweltered. Alex could see why the woman never broke into acting.
“Well, then. Perhaps I can help with that. My new Porsche has a very soft, very cool back seat where you can lie down.”
Leslie dragged her red-tipped fingernail from her mouth down her chin, through her cleavage. “I like the sound of t
hat,” she said all breathy. Her hand cupped one of her boobs. Alex’s mouth dropped open at the brazenness. “Maybe you could help me scratch an inch I have.”
Jack moved toward her, pants tented big time. Leslie’s eyes grew when Jack stepped into the light and she saw his package. Alex had to admit it was nice junk, but she never wanted to see it again. Even thinking about it right now brought the mashed potatoes dangerously close to spewing.
Jack’s fingers tweaked the hard nubs clearly showing through Leslie’s form-fitting top. Leslie’s head tilted back, and she moaned.
Oh, shit. That was it. Alex couldn’t take any more.
“What do we do with these two?” Leslie asked. Jack stared at her like he had no idea what she was talking about. Yeah, all the blood in his body was flowing to the lower head. He’d agree to anything at this point.
“You know,” Andrew said, “no harm, no foul. You guys can go on out and get it on and Alex and I won’t say a word because you didn’t do anything wrong. Right, Alexandra?” She nodded, hand plastered over her mouth.
Leslie’s brow raised. “Sound good with you? I don’t want to wait much longer.” Jack grunted and took her by the arm and headed toward the front door. Pretty much what Alex expected from the jerk.
Before the visitors left the cabin, Alex heard Leslie say, “You are rich, right?” Another grunt was his answer.
Alex’s knees gave out and Andrew slung her into his arms then plopped on the sofa. Alex asked, “What just happened?”
“I’m not sure,” Andrew replied, “but I think we just witnessed soul mates coming together.”
“Ugh,” Alex said, “don’t say ‘coming together’ with those two in the same sentence. My food just now went back into my stomach.” Two cars started up outside, one squealing tires as it left the parking lot.
Alex breathed a sigh of relief. “This is the third time today that I can say I’m lucky to be alive.”
Andrew tensed around her. “What do you mean, third time?”
Alex cringed. She’d forgotten he hadn’t been filled in yet on her past ten hours. “Let’s get Nina and we’ll tell you everything. Did you see her outside when you went to get your phone?”