by Alexa Wilder
“Okay,” I said, unable to come up with a reasonable argument against his plan. I picked up my half drunk tea, rinsed the cup in the sink, and replaced it in the breakfast tray display set up on the counter. Sam waited by the door, prepared to be patient now that he was getting his way. As we left, he locked the door behind us and said,
“Grab your things from your car. I’ll have someone bring it to you tomorrow.”
“I can follow you,” I started to say. Sam gave a sharp shake of his head.
“No. You have unknown guys with guns looking for you. You aren’t out of my sight until we resolve whatever’s going on. Do you understand?”
I nodded. Sam was usually an easy going guy. Fun. Relaxed. Not too many people knew he also had a temper. It took a while to blow, but when it did, it wasn’t pretty. And I’d been there enough to know that he was getting close to his limit. It surprised me. Sam had been pissed since the moment he’d seen me in the model home, but I was fine. What had him so close to the edge so fast?
3
Sam
It was taking everything I had not to drag Chloe to Axel’s safe room and lock her up until we could find her idiot of a brother. I should have known Nolan was going to cause Chloe trouble. Or worse trouble than he already had. She thought I didn’t know about the money she’d paid for the ticket and lawyer when he got his DUI. Chloe thought I didn’t know a lot of things.
I glanced over at her in the seat beside me; her face tired, head tilted to lean against the truck’s window. She looked tired and sad. And still the most beautiful woman I’d ever seen. I knew she wouldn’t agree. She’d say she was plain. She wasn’t as showy as a lot of the women around Vegas, but she was something more.
Chloe was luminous. She glowed. Her smooth, perfect gold skin, her gleaming chestnut hair, her warm brown eyes. I wanted to kill anyone who upset her. There wasn’t a word for what I wanted to do to the men who had broken into her home and threatened to take her away.
I drove us home in silence, not trusting myself to speak. I was too pissed at her. She was so careful with everyone else and then careless with her self. She should have called me right away. Or gone straight to Axel. She had his number in her cell. She had all my important numbers. She practically ran my life. At least the business side of it. I would have had her in every part of my life if I wasn’t such a chicken shit.
I hadn’t always felt this way about Chloe. She’d joined Desert Vistas Construction just over three years ago as her second job out of college. For a while she’d worked as the assistant to the head of construction, but when my admin retired, she interviewed for the job. I’d hired her for her skills and her calm but focused personality. I’m embarrassed to say I hadn’t really noticed her yet aside from her job performance.
It happened gradually, and at the same time, all at once. I’m a guy, so I knew that she was pretty. But oddly, I noticed her body last. Mostly because she dresses like she thinks she’s ninety. Or she hates her body. She always looks neat and presentable, but her clothes aren’t designed to get you to notice them, so I didn’t.
What I did notice was her personality. How sweet she is, always remembering who’s sick or who’s having a birthday. She figured out that I skip a lot of meals when I’m on the go and then end up eating crap. Suddenly I was finding home-made granola bars in my briefcase, or a plate of pot roast she’d brought from home would appear on my desk in the middle of a conference call. She was always there. Always thinking of me. Not just taking care of my business, but taking care of me.
I was a little on guard at first, but she wasn’t playing an angle. It didn’t take me long to learn that this was just who Chloe was. She took care of people. After a few months, we were eating lunch together every day. Ostensibly for the purpose of going over work, but most of the time we’d end up talking. In the past few years Chloe had become one of my best friends. I loved her quiet sense of humor. The way she’d tell tiny fibs about unimportant things like what she thought of Alice in accounting, or if she was on another diet. Then she’d look to the side with such obvious guilt over her white lie I couldn’t help but call her out.
That was the gradual part, the way she went from being my assistant to my partner in everything. My girlfriends gave me shit about not being able to commit, but why would I want to? I spent all day with Chloe, who was pretty much the perfect woman. The only reason I even bothered with other women was for sex. Honestly, I hadn’t thought it all through that clearly. I was just living my life and enjoying myself.
Then it happened. Chloe and I were on site for a meeting. We’d gone out to look into some problems with a plumbing contractor. It was something I’d normally handle on my own, but she was setting up an event at the clubhouse on site and she needed to check the kitchen. We’d been crossing the site, headed from one of the spec homes, when a sudden spring rain shower had hit. Both of us took off for cover, but the water came down in sheets and we were soaked to the skin before we got to the clubhouse.
I’ll never forget what happened to Chloe’s boxy yellow shirt-dress under all that rain. Her hair was plastered to her face, and she was trying to pin it back up, but all I could see was her body. Holy Jesus, where the fuck had she been hiding that body?
Soaking wet yellow cotton was plastered to every inch of the curviest, most luscious shape I’d ever seen. Her tits alone were worth a portrait. Lush, round, and full, they almost overflowed what was probably a plain, serviceable bra. Her waist curved in, not tiny, but an hourglass compared to the flare of her hips. And her thighs, full but firm, her calves a smooth handful tapering down to her ankles.
My cock had hit full throttle after one look and it refused to go down. I had to drive back to the office with my jacket in my lap and made some excuse to get out of there for the rest of the day. My brain felt like it was going to explode.
Chloe was a goddess. A fucking goddess. I spent the rest of the day and the night planning how I was going to seduce her. Then I walked in the next morning to see her in another of her dull, boxy suits, all trace of that magnificent body gone, and realized that if I touched her I risked losing the best thing that had ever happened to me.
I’m not usually a pussy with women. To the contrary, getting a woman’s attention has always been easy for me. I’m good looking, charming most of the time, and usually not an asshole. It doesn’t hurt that I own my own company and do well financially. I’d had an active social life since I was fifteen and the neighbor’s daughter decided to take me under her sexual wing during her summer off from college. Since then, I’d had no problems getting any woman I wanted. And thanks to that same neighbor’s daughter, I knew what to do with them once I had them.
But Chloe was something else entirely. She wasn’t some random lay. I couldn’t fuck her and then forget to call her. She’d become more than just a friend. She was my touchstone. The one thing in my life that I could always depend on. She knew me inside and out. When she heard me start to get annoyed in a meeting she could just look up from her notebook and slant me a look, or send me a wink, and I’d calm down. I had no idea what I’d do without her. And no clue if she was even interested.
She’d never given me the slightest hint she might think of me as more than her boss and her friend. After the incident with the wet yellow dress, I’d watched her carefully, trying to read more into every move and gesture. But she was always proper, always correct. I got nothing more than the same easy affection combined with professionalism that Chloe had always given me.
In the end, I’d decided it wasn’t worth the risk. If I came on to her, or made her uncomfortable, she might leave. Then what would I do? I thought about telling her how I felt, but I wasn’t even sure what to say. I want you? You’re my best friend? It all sounded so inadequate. Was it love? Was that what I’d been dancing around? Who the fuck knew? I kept my mouth shut and tried to pretend I had no idea what she looked like under those unattractive clothes.
For six months I’d been playing this ga
me with myself. Pretending I didn’t want Chloe while secretly spinning dreams of being with her in the back of my mind. I didn’t do it on purpose. But I’d find myself thinking about her in random moments. Wondering what she’d think of the sofa I was buying, or if she’d want a pasta maker in the kitchen. Now I was at a crossroads. I had to make a decision one way or another.
I was going to help Chloe find her brother, there was no question about that. Then I was going to take the little shit aside and tell him to man up and stop hiding behind his sister every time he got his dumb-ass in trouble. In my opinion, her brother and her father were a good part of the reason I had to be so careful with Chloe.
Nolan leaned on her for everything and, as far as I could tell, their father pretty much checked out after their mother left them when they were little. So the men she’d grown up with were either users or they walked away. She didn’t have a lot of history that taught her she could trust a man with her heart. And my track record wasn’t that great, either. I had no problem getting women, but I’d never bothered to keep one. Not for long, anyway.
Now things had changed. She was going to be living with me until we dealt with Nolan. I had a real shot to get to her after work. To make her see me as a man, not a player with a different girl each week, but as the man I was inside. And I wasn’t going to let her go. We were too close for me to believe she couldn’t want me. I’d just have to show her how it could be with us before she got a chance to get scared. It was high time I stopped being such a wuss and made a move.
I looked over at her again, not liking the shadows under her eyes. While I thought he was an ass, I knew she loved Nolan. She must be terrified. I reached over to take her hand.
“We’re going to find him, Clo. I promise.”
Chloe gave me a wan smile and said, “I hope so.”
4
Chloe
Sam held my hand all the way back to his house. He wasn’t usually so touchy, but I needed the anchoring warmth and I was grateful for it. The more I thought about Nolan, the more worried I got. What could he have done to have those men looking for him?
We pulled into the drive at Sam’s house, a sleek, modern home he’d built himself based on the design of a renowned architect. Desert Vistas had built the whole community, but in my opinion Sam’s house was the best. It sprawled out across the desert looking more like a sculpture than a home, all sleek lines and contrasting textures. Before I saw it I would have said that modern architecture wasn’t my thing. In general it still isn’t. Sam’s house managed to be both art and a home at the same time. Still, it was huge, over eight thousand square feet, and in comparison to my small apartment it could be a little overwhelming.
He parked the truck in the four car garage and came around to help me down from my side. He always did that when we rode in his truck. It was jacked up with huge tires. Perfect for construction sites, terrible for a short woman. Usually he gave me his hand. This time he leaned in and lifted me out of the truck, sliding one arm behind my back and the other beneath my knees. I was so surprised I didn’t even ask him to put me down.
When he didn’t, but started into the house instead, I finally got my head in gear.
“Sam, what are you doing? I can walk,” I said, squirming to get to my feet. His arms tightened, keeping me where I was.
“No,” he said. “You scared the hell out of me tonight. I’m keeping you right here until I feel like putting you down.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. Sam walked at a sideways angle to ease us down the long hallway from the garage to the kitchen. I was just wondering how to handle this when we entered the kitchen and came face to face with Daniel, Sam’s Dad.
I knew Daniel well. He was a construction foreman with Desert Vistas and he was in and out of Sam’s office all the time. A gruff but kind man, he looked like an older version of Sam, except with dark hair. I’d always thought he liked me well enough, but he’d never seen me being carried into the house he shared with his son. Awkward.
“Hi Daniel,” I said with a little wave. Looking up at Sam I said, “Will you put me down now?” He dropped his head and met my eyes.
“No. You’re exhausted, just relax.”
“Are you finally getting your ass in gear, kid?” Daniel inexplicably asked. I felt Sam shrug.
“Working on it. Chloe’s having some problems. Her brother is missing, and some men broke into her place tonight. They said something about taking her if they couldn’t find Nolan.”
Daniel swore under his breath. I squirmed in Sam’s arms again. “Put me down,” I said, “so I can make some tea or something. Daniel, do you want a snack?”
Sam set me on my feet. “The tea you like is in the cabinet over the electric kettle. And I think some of those muffins you brought to work are in the pantry. We could probably all use some tea and something to eat.”
Sam was being sweet. He hated the herbal tea I drank. Daniel liked it, which was why they had a box in the house. But Sam would prefer decaf. Glad to finally have something constructive to do, even if it was only making a light meal, I got busy in the kitchen. I loved Sam’s kitchen.
It was spacious, with tall windows looking out over the swimming pool grotto on the lower level behind the house and out into the light of the city beyond. Long counters, tons of cabinet space and an oversized island perfect for a quick meal made it homey when it could have been too cold. Not to mention the state-of-the-art appliances. I’d drooled over the Viking range. Since I’d be staying here for a few days, I’d have to cook something in the kitchen just to get my hands on that Viking. I’d always wanted one of those.
I’d been here before a few times, mostly when we were having company parties. But making tea and toasting muffins felt oddly intimate. I got a mug of decaf going in the single cup brewer and listened to Sam fill his father in on the situation with Nolan. He hadn’t gotten very far when I brought the drinks and toasted muffins to the table and took a seat. Daniel accepted his tea, pinned me with his Dad eyes and asked,
“So what’s your plan to find your brother? Are you going to call the police about the break-in?”
I looked away. I should have called the police. I wanted to. Putting into words what I had barely admitted to myself, I said, “No. I can’t. I’m afraid Nolan is in trouble and if I call the police I’ll just make it worse.”
“Then you need to call Axel,” Daniel said with a slight nod. “Or let Sam do it.”
“I’m not comfortable with that,” I said, sipping my tea and looking away from both men.
“Chloe, you’re not being reasonable,” Sam said. “Axel can handle this. This is what he does. Explain to me why you won’t call him.”
“I know I should, but I have this feeling that if Axel gets involved this is all going to spin out of control.”
“Honey,” Sam said in a gentle tone I’d never heard before. “It’s already out of control. Nolan is missing. From your description, the men in your place were armed. They’re after you, not just Nolan. You’re in danger.”
“I want to handle this on my own,” I said, my voice small.
I always handled Nolan on my own. I’d been solving his problems since he was in grade school and getting sent home for fighting and cheating on his homework. Our mom had walked out on us when Nolan was three and I was six. Our father had never been that interested in his children when our mother had been around. Once she left, he mostly forgot about us, lost in his own anger over her desertion and happy to leave us with a succession of babysitters. I’d been looking out for Nolan for so long, the idea of handing his problems over to someone else was terrifying.
As if he could read my mind, Sam took my hand and tugged, prompting me to look up and meet his clear blue eyes. They were kind and patient, all his earlier anger drained away. He watched me, seeing my panic and fear.
“Chloe, trust me, okay? Let me call Axel in and we’ll let him help us.”
“I still want to look for Nolan on my own,” I said.
I knew he was right. I needed help. But I wasn’t willing to hand my problems to Axel and walk away. “We’ll call Axel. But I’m not sitting here and letting him take over while I go on like nothing’s wrong. I can’t do that.”
“Fine,” Sam said. “But you have to promise me one thing. You stick with me. You don’t go anywhere without me until we find out what’s going on. Can you do that?”
“But we have work. You have meetings this week-”
“We’ll reschedule what we can and work around the rest,” Sam said, rubbing the back of my hand with his thumb. “We’ll keep at it until we find Nolan. Okay?”
“Okay,” I said doubtfully.
We had a lot going on in the office that week. We always had a lot going on. Sam and I couldn’t both disappear at the same time. But I’d worry about that later. Taking a bite of the blueberry muffin in front of me, I looked up to see Daniel watching Sam’s hand around mine. Suddenly self conscious, I tried to pull away, only to feel Sam tighten his grip. Not wanting to struggle with him in front of Daniel, I gave up and left my hand in his. To be honest, I liked it there. I liked it way too much.
Maybe he sensed that I was at my limit, because Sam changed the subject to the development project Daniel was currently supervising and I zoned out. My worry for Nolan was exhausting, but under it was a new awareness that Sam was being weird. He called me ‘honey’ occasionally, but not often at all. Only a few times that I could remember. And he never held my hand. Why was he doing it now - in front of Daniel no less? It was odd. Maybe he was just trying to calm me down.
Except he hadn’t let go when I’d pulled away. Or put me down when I’d asked him to. That wasn’t like Sam. He could be forceful. And he liked to get his way. But he was generally pretty easy going unless he dug his heels in over something. It didn’t make sense.