by Alison Aimes
“Oops.” Jessie shoved her hand into the pants pocket where she kept her phone. “Now mine’s going.”
“Leave it.”
Jessie withdrew her hand. “Right.”
They stood together in uneasy silence, the peace Lily craved impossible to grasp.
From a little ways off, another phone rang and Lily wanted to scream.
Didn’t anyone believe in respecting the dead anymore? It had been a year, but sometimes the ache seemed as raw as the day he’d died.
The truth was she’d gone soft. Somehow, without meaning to, she’d grown attached to the silly idea of someone she could stand with against the world. And the most shameful part? When she pictured that person’s face, it wasn’t her late husband she saw anymore, but piercing, bright blue eyes and a square jaw in a too-beautiful, scowling face.
Which was the height of stupidity.
Since he was the last person she could count on.
“Ma’am? Ms. Bennett?” The deep voice of her driver sounded behind her. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but it seems your staff and the police have been trying to reach you. There’s been another incident. This time at Winslow headquarters.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Alexi shoved past the shouting reporters and ducked under the too-familiar yellow tape. A few choice words for the police handling crowd control and he was prowling forward again.
“You shouldn’t be here.” The same two who’d tried to keep him out last time, Jim Winslow and Lily’s assistant, Jessie, stood shoulder to shoulder on the sidewalk, glaring at him as if they’d caught him red-handed with the matches that had started this fire.
Normally, asshole that he was, he’d just shove them aside. That’s what he’d done last time, in fact. But now—knowing they were acting out of concern for his rival—he locked his hands to his sides and tried a different tact.
“I’m glad you’re watching out for Lily. She needs loyal friends now more than ever and I’m taking note of who steps up and”—he scanned the crowd in search of Paul—“who doesn’t.”
“Why are you pretending to care?” Of course it was the assistant. She was far braver than her cowering counterpart. “You think you can fool us? There’s a good chance you’re the one behind this and we all know it. You were calling her all day. Was that another way to taunt her?”
“I would never hurt her.” He caught the assistant’s stare and held it, letting his true colors show as the thin veneer of civility slipped away. “I will destroy anyone who tries. Or thinks they can keep me from her.”
The assistant’s eyebrows climbed upward. “No way.”
He liked that she appeared more shocked—and pissed off—than afraid. A sign she might actually be worthy of Lily’s trust.
He offered what he hoped passed for a smile. “I’m sure I can count on the discretion of a small-town girl from Wichita whose grandmother is depending on her big-city paychecks to keep the farm running.”
Another gasp, the kind that said how do you know that?
He didn’t let it slow him down. Especially since that was the tip of the iceberg of the information he had on her, and the rest of the Winslow staff.
“I also hope,” he said, redirecting his glare to the man behind, “I can count on the silence of a man who’s over his ridiculous crush”—yes, he’d seen the way Jim looked at Lily—“and who’s done being goaded into telling secrets by his older brother, unless he wants the world to know he once covered for that same older brother when the man was helping himself to money from the company funds.”
“No.” The assistant swiveled toward Jim, her expression pure outrage.
The way the guy’s face leeched of color was especially satisfying. But he deserved it. Alexi’s source had confirmed Jim was the one who’d had a jealous tantrum and tattled to Paul about finding Lily in the conference room alone with her rival.
“You have a choice to make,” he told the man, “get a new crush, grow a backbone, and pick a side—preferably the right one—or slink away now.”
Russell’s second swallowed hard but, to his credit, stayed where he was.
“Lily and I have, ah, already had this conversation.” There was a wounded dignity to the man’s tone Alexi hadn’t heard before. “She said as much to me a few days past.” He stood taller. “I picked a side.”
“Good.” Alexi nodded. Maybe this guy wasn’t the total waste of space his father and brother were? Or maybe not. Only time would tell. “I’ll hold you to that. Don’t fuck up again.”
Things were changing. The sooner Lily’s staff got with the program the better. He was done playing nice. He was done ignoring his gut instincts. He’d let things drag on far too long. But that was at an end.
This latest mess had decided him. Business as usual was taking a back burner to a new plan.
“My men will want to talk with you about who had access to the building, what the police know, anything that could be of use in identifying the culprits. This bullshit ends now.” He brushed past them.
The assistant swiveled around. “Are you serious? ’Cause I’m not exactly sure what’s going on, but this is sounding weirdly like a classic case of no one can hurt her…except me.”
“I couldn’t have said it better myself.” He offered her a wolfish smile. “I’ll be in touch soon with further instructions.”
“Who the hell put you in charge?”
“Me.”
“You need to step back. There’s still ash and embers falling.” It took everything inside him not to haul the small figure wrapped in the fire blanket into his arms.
Lily Bennett whirled around, dark streaks of ash and the oversized blanket making her look younger and more fragile. Which was a lie. The woman was as tough as they came.
Didn’t mean she didn’t need someone to take care of her.
“Kazankov?” Her emerald gaze flickered toward the reporters. “What are you doing here?”
“You have a problem. I’m here.” Woman’s stubbornness would likely always drive him insane.
“That’s…nice.” She looked almost confused. “Aren’t you missing work?”
“Yes, and I damn well—”
“Thank you.” The whispered word shut him right up. “I’m…I’m glad you’re here.”
He choked back a groan. Strong, fierce Lily Bennett made him hot as hell. The woman staring at him now made him want to do whatever it took to keep her gazing at him like that forever.
“It’s going to be okay.” He reached for her.
She stumbled back, her gaze darting to the reporters before returning to his. “Not…here.”
His hands clenched by his side. No question. The woman and her damn independent stubbornness would always be a challenge.
“Fine.” He sucked down a calming breath. “No touching. What can I do then?”
“Nothing. I…” Those big eyes he was used to seeing blaze fiercely turned glassy. “I don’t know.”
He wanted to kill whoever had brought her to tears. Destroy the bastard who’d made her suddenly uncertain.
It took three long seconds before he was able to speak without sounding homicidal. “Whatever you need. I’m here to help. Not make things worse.”
Her eyes sunk shut. When they sprung open, the gratitude in them cut him off at the knees. “Thank you. It…it really helps to see you here. But I can’t…” She sucked down a deep breath. “I can’t afford to look weak. Especially now.”
“You could never look weak, Lily. You’re pure steel.”
Her smile soothed something inside him.
Until shouts from a nearby fireman broke the spell. Smoke billowed out of a window. A hose started gushing foam.
“That can’t be good,” she murmured.
“Actually, it is. They’re separating any remaining fuel from the air and starving the fire. It’s the last stage in putting the fire out.”
“Got it.” She let out a soft sigh. “What a mess.”
This scene was all
too fucking familiar. “What do they know?”
“Not much. Only that it was deliberate. Started in my office with some lighter fluid and matches. They’re still waiting to examine the security tapes to see if maybe it was the same people who vandalized the tombstone.”
Per usual, Morales had already discovered all that and passed it along. “And they just walked right in? How the hell did that happen?”
She shrugged. “There was security at the entrance to the building like always, but they were looking for guns or knives, not cigarette lighters. And, since I was out, security on the top floor was almost nonexistent.”
“A mistake that won’t be made again.”
She shot him a warning look. “A decision I already made.” Then she blew out a breath, a faint quiver lacing her voice. “I’m just thankful no one was hurt. They disabled the sprinkler system in my office, but people saw the smoke almost right away and got out quickly. We were lucky.”
“Someone is going to pay for this.”
She nodded, that vulnerable look disappearing as her spine snapped straight. “Exactly right. I’m getting pretty sick of this bullshit.”
“Any idea where Paul was today?”
Their gazes caught and held. “No.” She rubbed a hand down her face. “I’m looking into the possibility, believe me. He said some strange stuff to me recently.”
Alexi’s jaw clenched tight. “What kind of stuff?”
“Look,” she paused, “Paul’s a grade A, entitled asshole. But he’s Russell’s son. I know he cares about Winslow Industries. That’s why it killed him when his dad refused to let him run it. I can’t believe he’d do something this horrific to a place he loved.”
“If he can’t have it, no one can. There are plenty of men who live by that creed.”
She stiffened. “You’re right about that.”
“Which is why you need to make sure the police take a hard look at him.” It didn’t escape his notice she hadn’t told him exactly what kind of stuff Paul had been saying to her.
She ran her hands up and down her arms. “I don’t need you telling me what I already know.” She eyed the smoking building once more. “But the truth is there are a lot of potential suspects.”
“Including me?” he challenged.
Their gazes fused once more.
Her answer seemed to take a hundred years. “No, not you.”
He released the breath he hadn’t even realized he’d been holding. “Right answer.”
She laughed—and then seemed shocked she had.
It made him want to pound his chest. It made him want to hear her do it again.
Then she sucker punched him.
“You should go.”
“What the hell?”
Instead of glaring back at him, a shaky smile slid across her face. “I didn’t mean to insult you.” Her gaze flickered once more to the mob of reporters shouting their questions from behind the yellow tape. “Your coming was a shot in the arm. A reminder I can be the CEO my employees need me to be.” Her smile grew. “I can’t thank you enough for that.”
His chest puffed up like an inflated balloon once more. “I’m glad.”
“But reporters are watching,” she continued, raining slightly on his parade, “and before they start asking questions and shifting the story to something neither of us wants on the front page tomorrow, it’s probably best for you to go.”
It was hard to believe he’d ever dismissed Lily Bennett as a piece of fluff. Anastasia had always looked to him to fix her messes. But not Lily Bennett. She had no interest in clinging, which only made him more determined to become a necessary fixture in her life.
Tricky part was getting a certain stubborn, independent woman to embrace the idea as well.
But even Neanderthals have their moments of clarity—and he’d just had his.
“Fine. I’ll go.” He kept his voice low. “But know this, when you’re finished here and all the cameras are gone, I’ll be waiting.”
Her quick intake of breath only made him more certain. “I don’t—”
He cut her off. “What happened in that bathroom proved this isn’t business as usual for either of us. Maybe you think that’s not possible given our rivalry. But I think you’re wrong. So…you need to handle this current situation yourself? Done. I need to handle you afterward. It’s all about compromise.”
Her eyes narrowed. “You’re lecturing me about compromise.”
He shrugged. Best not to touch that now. “I’ll meet you at your place.” His tone didn’t allow for argument.
After Anastasia overdosed, he’d believed he was done with the mess and pain of caring for someone who could rip him apart.
But then he’d met Lily Bennett.
“This…this is a bad idea.” But she didn’t tell him no.
“Maybe. But I’ll be there anyway.” He shot her his usual cocky smile as he walked backward, each step away from her a kick to his gut—a kick he was willing to endure—because that was what she wanted from him now.
And somehow along the way, what she needed was becoming what he needed, too.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Exhausted, frazzled, Lily stumbled out of the elevator.
She’d bought this apartment to be close to work. She hadn’t realized it would prove convenient for late-night disasters as well.
The whole of her office was damaged by fire, smoke, and water. Repairs would have to be made. Programs, files, and plans replaced. It was an unquestionable hit. One she definitely couldn’t afford right now.
Who was behind it remained a mystery, though the two men who immediately benefited were clear—Paul and Kazankov. The former, though, was being heavily investigated and, thus far, had come up clean, and the latter…the latter, she refused to believe was involved.
“Finally.” As if conjured from her thoughts, Alexi charged across the hall, a dark blur as his big hands framed her face, and he claimed her mouth in a toe-curling kiss that sizzled straight to her core.
By the time they came up for air, she was against the wall, her hands tangled in his hair, her body on fire.
The back of her head plunked against the plaster. “Well, hello.”
“You’re freezing. You should have come home earlier.”
“Bossy already?”
Unpredictable as ever, he smiled. “Good point.”
The man was always outrageously, frustratingly gorgeous, but tonight he truly wasn’t fighting fair. He’d ditched his suit for old jeans that hung low on his hips and a white T-shirt that clung to every inch of his wide, sculpted chest. It was the kind of casual, intimate look that had her swallowing hard. Longing for something that could never be.
He pressed his forehead to hers. “Did they get everything cleaned up to your satisfaction?”
“Why do you even ask? I saw Morales reporting to you on the phone the whole time.”
The cocky lift of one eyebrow was pure Kazankov. “I like to hear your version, too.”
Threading her fingers more fully in his silky hair, she drew his smart mouth toward her. “I’ll give you my version later. Right now—I don’t want to talk at all.”
He’d come. He’d stood by her side.
No one had done that for her in a long time.
Then, even more astonishingly, he’d backed off when she’d asked.
Maybe they were rivals, but he was right. Somehow along the way they’d become more, too.
For tonight, it was enough.
“You sure you’re okay?” His lips hovered inches above.
“I honestly don’t know what I am right now,” she admitted. Too worn out from all that had happened today to be as circumspect as she should. Too raw over the fact that Paul still hadn’t surfaced and the police were looking for him more urgently than ever. “But I do know that the idea of coming apart in your arms is the only thing holding me together.”
“Then get ready to be shattered.” His breath whispered across her ear as he pressed his
mouth to her temple. “Because I’m going to fuck you until you scream and writhe and break apart and then…I swear, I’ll pick up every piece.”
Her heart stuttered and then started back up.
“Thank you.” Raising up on her tiptoes, she peppered his jaw with kisses, her hands tugging at clothing, her need a sudden raging inferno. “Thank you for tonight and today.”
His grip tightened. “For you.” His words were a near growl. “Only for you.”
…
Hours later, Alexi shifted on the bed, his gaze never wavering from the limp woman lying with her back to him, the sheets a tangle around her, her gorgeous hair spread out on the pillow. The curve of her waist and the gentle dip of her spine calling to him even now.
He should be long gone. He had a million contracts to examine, deals to close, and Lena to see.
“Alexi?” Lily’s soft voice cut through the darkness surprising him. He’d thought she was asleep.
“Hey, solnyshko.” Unable to resist, he stroked a hand down her spine. She truly was the sun. Such power and beauty—and the ability to burn him right up if he wasn’t careful.
She rolled to face him, her eyes shadowed. “You going?”
His hand stilled.
The real question was entirely different, and they both knew it.
“No.” He pulled her against him, sliding his thigh between her legs so they fit just right. “I’m not going anywhere tonight.”
Not when the police still had no idea where Paul was or who was behind these attacks.
He and his rival might be nowhere near a viable solution. Their objectives still in complete conflict. The debts they owed others totally at odds. But for tonight he was putting that all aside. Tonight, he was pretending it was just the two of them, no other obligations, no competing loyalties. Just his shining sun and the chance to soak in her light.
“Good.” Eyes sinking shut, she burrowed in, her breathing slowing to match his, her voice growing sleepy once again. “This is nice, actually. Always…slept alone before. With all the beeping and the machines…Russell preferred his own space…and Francoise…” She shivered. “I slept elsewhere as much as I could…until Russell got me away…” Her voice drifted off, her breathing heavy as sleep dragged her under once more.