Alluring

by Curtis, Sarah

  "She's resting comfortably in the private room you ordered. She's stable enough to have visitors, but keep it to a maximum of two at a time."

  Jack gave him a slight nod. "What room is she in?"

  "Room 212, right down the hall."

  Jack gave him another slight nod. "Thank you, doctor." He left the room, not caring if anyone followed. His primary goal was reaching Alexis.

  * * * * *

  Alexis slowly opened her eyes to a room filled with sunlight. She must have made a noise because Jack was instantly hovering above her, lightly caressing her face and smiling down at her.

  "How are you feeling, love?" He lightly kissed her forehead.

  "Thirsty." Her voice sounded like a family of frogs had taken up residence in her throat.

  Jack held a cup with a flexible straw to her lips. "Sip it slow."

  After a couple of sips, Alexis indicated she was done. Jack took the cup away and placed it on a side table. He sat on the edge of the bed, near her feet and held her hand.

  "What time is it?"

  "It's eight o'clock Sunday morning. You've slept through the night."

  Alexis ran a hand over her face, wincing from the pull of the IV.

  "We have to talk about what happened. Are you feeling up to it?"

  Alexis gave a slight nod. "I don't remember much. I went to the gym and worked out, for a ridiculously short time," she gave him a small smile, "then wanted to see the pool. I remember looking around, saw the hall that led to the sauna, I'd never been in one and wanted to see it. I went inside. The heat was relaxing, so I laid down for a few minutes. I got too warm and I decided to leave." This was the part were her memory got fuzzy. She rubbed her head, trying to remember.

  "Take your time." Jack gave her hand a squeeze.

  "I remember trying to open the door, but the handle wouldn't move. I yelled and banged, but no one heard me." She remembered it getting so hot. "I started feeling dizzy and sat on the floor. The air felt cooler there so I laid down." Alexis closed her eyes. "That's the last thing I remember."

  Jack recited the events that happened after he found her. "The police discovered the main unit control box on the outside of the sauna had been tampered with. The heat setting was turned up to maximum.

  "I have never been so scared." Jack gripped her hand tighter, but Alexis didn't complain, the look on his face caused her greater pain. "When I was holding your limp body in my arms ... I don't think you realize what you mean to me Alexis. If I lost you, it would break me. You're my whole world."

  Alexis felt tears running down her cheeks. Jack tried to sweep them away, but they kept coming. "Don't cry, sweetheart."

  "I love you too, Jack. So much."

  He leaned over and kissed her, gently at first, and then with more intensity. A throat clearing in the room broke them apart. When Jack leaned away, Alexis saw a doctor standing at the foot of her bed.

  "Well, I guess you're feeling better," he said with a smile. "I'm Dr. Kaplan, in case you don't remember. You were pretty out of it yesterday." He picked up a chart at the end of the bed and flipped through it. "If everything checks out okay, I'll release you today, but only if you promise bed rest for at least two days. Also, you'll need to stay out of the sun for about a week. Your body will be sensitive to the heat for a while. And finally, no exercise and plenty of fluids." He looked up from the chart his eyes meeting Jacks. "There's a couple of officers outside wanting to take a statement from Miss Taft. Shall I let them in?"

  Jack looked over at Alexis. "You ready for that, sweetheart?"

  She gave him a nod.

  "Send them in," Jack said, to the doctor.

  "Jack, the doctor said two days and it's already been three."

  "I'm not taking any chances with your heath, Alexis. You almost died."

  They were fighting about Alexis staying in bed yet another day. She would go stir crazy. She understood she couldn't leave the hotel, knew she couldn't go outside, but she had to get out of the penthouse. She wanted to get out, walk around, go shopping. Hell she didn't care if she just stood in the lobby, as long as she was out of this room.

  Alexis rolled her eyes. "I did not almost die. I've got to get out of the house. I feel like a caged animal. You of all people must know how I feel."

  "Why do you say that?" Jack inquired.

  "Really? Being told you had to stay in one room and that you couldn't leave. That would drive you insane. Now I've humored you for a whole extra day, warden. You have to let me out."

  Jack ran his fingers through his hair. "Fine, but I'm staying with you. From now on you don't go anywhere alone until this person is caught. I mean that, Alexis. I'm not taking any more chances with your safety. I can't go through that again."

  Alexis stared at Jack while she processed what he said. It wasn't that he wanted her to stay in bed because of doctor's orders. It was because he didn't want her leaving the house and getting hurt again. "I promise not to go anywhere by myself even in the hotel if that makes you feel better."

  Jack gave a sharp nod. "It does. I'll assign a security guard to you, when I can't be around." Alexis started to say something, but he held up a hand. "Please don't argue with me about that."

  Alexis giggled. "I was going to say, if that makes you feel better, then that's fine."

  He gave her a sheepish smile. "Alright, get dressed. You've been pardoned."

  "Yeah! Thank you." She popped up, gave him a quick kiss and ran to the bathroom.

  "You don't know how wonderful this feels." Alexis turned her head to look over at Jack. She sat in a pedicure chair getting her toes done. Jack was in the chair next to her (not getting a pedicure) and looking bored. "You know, I'm sure I'll be perfectly fine here if you want to come back in about an hour."

  He looked over at her, took her hand and gave her a kiss on her palm. "No, love. I'm not leaving you."

  The nail tech sighed.

  Alexis smiled on the inside. God she loved her man. "Well, what do you want to do next? Your choice."

  "Don't leave it up to me. You'll end up back in bed."

  The nail tech giggled.

  "Maybe we can go shopping. Emily is coming next week, and I want to get her some presents."

  Jack sighed. "About that. Maybe it would be better if we waited for your sister to come after this mess is cleared up."

  "No, Jack. No way. This crazy person is not interfering with me seeing my sister."

  Jack held up a hand. "Okay, but the same rules apply while she's here. If I'm not with you, security follows you wherever you go inside and outside the hotel."

  "I can live with that."

  "Good." He kissed her palm again. "Now after we go shopping, I say we play doctor. With all this activity, I say you're looking a little peaked and need a thorough examination."

  "I do, do I?" Alexis gave him a big grin. "I guess we can always wait until tomorrow to go shopping."

  The nail tech walked away, laughing.

  * * * * *

  Jack sat at his desk, angrily tapping a pen against its top. He was on the phone with Stan and so far the news he'd received pissed him off. "How could no one have seen her?" He growled into the phone.

  Stan's voice echoed over the line. "I know how she got in and out of the gym undetected. There are no cameras in or around the entrance. I've spent the last three days going through countless videos from all areas around the hotel at the time of the incident and didn't spot her. But even if I catch sight of someone who I think might be her, we still don't know who she is.

  "I ran the door handle for prints. Yours were the only
ones on it. That means she wiped the handle down after she touched it because Alexis's weren't on it either. Believe me, I'm just as frustrated as you, Jack. Just try to be a little more patient. Keep a good watch on Alexis. Don't let her go anywhere alone. This woman is going to slip up soon and we'll be watching."

  Jack hung up the phone feeling more frustrated than before the phone call. The thought of some crazy person on the loose, out to hurt Alexis, was close to driving him insane. The only thing holding him together was Alexis herself. He needed to protect her and to do that he needed to keep a clear head. He couldn't let his emotions for her override his instincts and abilities to keep her safe.

  He picked up his phone once again. He had one more phone call he needed to make before going up to Alexis.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  "She's here!" Alexis yelled, flying down the stairs, cell phone in hand, and running through the living room.

  "Whoa. Slow down, sweetheart. You're gonna hurt yourself." Jack came out of the kitchen, wiping his hands on a towel. He wrapped an arm around Alexis's waist, halting her mad dash for the elevator.

  Alexis tried pushing at his chest to break free of his hold. "Jack, Emily's here."

  "Don't worry. I've already sent the elevator down. She'll be up in a minute."

  "Tell me again why we couldn't pick her up from the airport?"

  Jack shook his head and chuckled. "I told you. She wanted to rent a car at the airport so she had her independence while she was here. She has some old friends she intends to visit with."

  "How is it you know more about my sister's plans, than I do?"

  "We had a long chat while you were in the shower the other day. By the way, I totally agree that Billy deserved that black eye you gave him in the seventh grade."

  "Oh my God, I can't believe she told you about that." Alexis covered her mouth on a giggle.

  "If I try to get a peek at your panties will you give me a black eye too?"

  "Well, I guess that depends on what you plan to do after you peek," Alexis said batting her eyelashes.

  The elevator doors opened and Emily stepped out followed closely by a tall, attractive man-boy, with sandy-blond, shaggy hair, blues eyes, and a dimple in his right cheek.

  Jack released Alexis so she could rush her sister and enfold her in a close embrace. They held onto each other for a full minute before Alexis pulled away. Her sister looked good. She'd dyed two large chunks of her hair that framed either side of her face a deep burgundy color. She wore too much make-up, but it looked good on her. She had on a faded T-shirt, ripped, jean shorts, and flip flops.

  Alexis turned to the boy beside her sister. He was dressed similarly in flip flops, holey jeans, and a T-shirt. He had gauges in his ears and a lip ring. "And who's this?" She asked, sounding uneasy. Emily hadn't mentioned that she was dating anyone, and she defiantly didn't say anything about bringing someone with her for her visit.

  Emily wrapped her hand around the arm of the boy standing next to her and said, "Alexis, this is Reese. Reese, this is my sister, Alexis."

  Reese held out his hand. "Nice to meet you ma'am."

  Alexis's eyes widened at the word ma'am. She was probably only a few years older than he was. "Please, call me Alexis."

  Jack came up behind her and extended his arm over her shoulder, hand out. "Jack."

  Reese shook his hand. "Nice to meet you, sir."

  Alexis couldn't fault his manners. "So did you two meet at school? How long have you known each other? Are you dating?"

  "Sweetheart," Jack said, from over her head, "why don't we let them put their stuff down. We can get some drinks and go sit in the living room and talk."

  She saw Emily give Jack a grateful smile. She guessed she was acting a bit overbearing. But Reese did come at her out of left field. She thought her sister told her everything.

  They moved into the living room, and Jack came in with four waters that he passed around before sitting next to Alexis on the couch. Emily and Reese sat in the two chairs on the other side of the coffee table.

  "Alright Emily," Jack said, after taking a swig of his water, "put your sister out of her misery. Spill."

  Emily sat up in her chair. "Well, we do go to school together, but we met at a party about a month ago. I didn't say anything because I wasn't sure there was anything to tell. We went on a couple of dates. But Reese came to me a few days ago," she turned to him and gave him a smile, "he said he really liked me and wanted more than just a few dates with me." She turned back to Alexis. "I said yes and here we are." She took a sip of her water, leaning back in her chair again.

  Alexis looked over at Reese. His cheeks were slightly red. He looked embarrassed at having his personal life aired so openly, but other than that, he didn't say anything.

  Jack broke the silence. "I'll call down and book you guys a suite."

  Alexis looked at Jack. "What?"

  "Sweetheart, I know you planned for Emily to stay here, but they need their own space."

  Alexis looked over at Emily and Reese. They were both adults. Just because she was a repressed virgin, at twenty, didn't mean her sister was one. She had to learn to think more like a sister and friend and less like a mother, even though, she was the one who raised her.

  She gave Jack a silent nod, and he pulled out his phone and called the front desk.

  "So what's the plan for the 4th of July?" Emily asked, leaning forward to put her water down on the coffee table.

  Alexis shrugged. "I don't know, but I guess it is coming up soon."

  Emily nodded. "Day after tomorrow."

  Alexis looked over at Jack. He hung up his phone. "Do we have plans for the 4th of July?"

  Jack tucked his phone in his back pocket, then said with a nod, "Yeah."

  "And."

  He gave her a smile. "It's a surprise."

  Alexis looked over at Emily. "We have plans, but it's a surprise," she deadpanned.

  Emily laughed. "Well, I love surprises."

  Jack stood. "Let's get you guys situated in your room then we'll go eat."

  They all stood to go. Alexis linked her arm through Emily's on the way to the elevator. She heard Reese behind her asking Jack, "Do you really own this hotel?"

  "This among other things," he replied.

  "Wow."

  Jack just chuckled.

  That night Alexis laid sprawled out on the bed. She was exhausted. After they'd finished eating, Jack took Reese for a tour of the hotel then some other manly things. Alexis took Emily shopping. She had fun splurging on her sister. She could never afford to do it before.

  Hank, Alexis's bodyguard, was a constant presence that Emily commented on right away. "What's with the John Cena look-alike?"

  Alexis laughed. He did look similar to the famous wrestler. "Jack doesn't like me to go out unprotected. He likes to keep me safe."

  Her sister gave her a quizzical look, as if she wasn't entirely buying her story, but she let the subject drop and for that, Alexis was grateful. The last thing she wanted was for her sister to worry about her when there was nothing she could do about her problem.

  After shopping, Alexis took Emily and Reese to the pool while Jack did some work. Later, they all went out to dinner then decided to call it a night. It was late, and they'd had a long day.

  Jack was in the shower. Alexis was still in her dress and heels. She was trying to work up the energy to change, when Jack's phone, sitting on the end table, dinged a text. She glanced over at it, making sure it wasn't someone important, like Stan, when the words on the screen froze her heart for a few beats before starting again, beating hard and
fast in her chest.

  Grace: I'm ready whenever you are

  The screen on Jack's phone went dark, but she still couldn't manage to pull her eyes away. She stood from the bed, thinking on the way to the closet. She either trusted Jack or she didn't. Simple as that. Jack promised he would never cheat on her. It was the only condition she had given him. The only thing she'd asked was for him to walk away from her if he found someone else he wanted to be with.

  Alexis leaned over and pulled off her shoes. He had never once given her any reason to doubt him in any way. He was a man of honor and integrity. He did not lie. She slid down the side-zipper on her dress, slipped it off, and hung it on a hanger. If she confronted him about the text, he would tell her the truth. But did she really want to know? Was it better living in happy ignorance? Of course, it wasn't. What was she thinking? This whole thing was driving her crazy already. There was no way she could let these doubts stew. Better to throw it out there, get it out in the open, so she would stop obsessing over it.

  She unhooked her bra and threw one of Jack's T-shirts over her head. She heard the water turn off. She crawled up on the bed and sat, legs crossed, in the center of it. Waiting for him.

  He came out of the bathroom, followed by a cloud of steam, a towel tucked firmly around his waist. Water droplets still trailed down his chest. Alexis licked her lips. The sight he presented was not conductive to her having an intelligent conversation.

  He walked to the end of the bed, watching her. He didn't say anything, only continued observing her. He knew something was wrong. She looked down at her hands in her lap. She was fidgeting.

  He walked around to the side of the bed, sat on the edge and captured her hands. "What's wrong?"

  Alexis wasn't sure where to begin. She looked down at their joined hands. A few curls fell over her eye partially blocking her view. What happened if she didn't like his answer? She loved him so much. Would she survive his loss? She'd like to think she would, but he held her heart so firmly, that the thought of losing him made her heart beat faster. Her stomach was in a knot, her breathing was growing more shallow, and her mouth was filling with saliva. She felt as if she may be sick. She swallowed hard and gripped his hands tighter.