by Tara Wyatt
Something hitched in Alexa’s chest, and she had to remind herself that he was making this up. That it wasn’t real, no matter how badly she wanted it to be.
“She just had this light about her. I was hooked, almost immediately.”
Her mother leaned forward in her seat, suddenly much more interested in the story. “But you said that was a year ago. What happened?”
Zack gave his head a rueful shake. “I chickened out. Alexa and I became friends, and I dated someone else. She dated too.”
“But this entire time, you carried a torch for her?” asked her mother.
Zack nodded and glanced over at Alexa, his eyes holding hers. “Yeah. The entire time.”
“So then what happened?” asked her mother as her father sighed. It was apparently his turn to be bored with the conversation.
Zack swallowed, hesitating ever so slightly, so Alexa jumped in and began recounting one of the countless situations she’d fantasized about. “I was having a shitty day, and he’d always said that I should stop by his bar for a drink. Didn’t matter that it was late, that it was raining, I decided to take him up on his offer. I think a part of me just wanted to see him, you know? I showed up, and we hung out and…just being with him made me feel better. We laughed and talked until like two in the morning, when his shift was over. I even stayed after the bar closed, and there’s this really cool old jukebox. He put on some music, and we danced. It was like after knowing each other for a year, we were finally right where we were supposed to be.” She looked up at Zack, whose eyes had darkened. “I knew he was for me.” His hand dipped a bit lower on her hip. “After that, I knew we had something. It was just so easy being with him.”
Her mother’s eyes took another walk down Zack’s body. “Hmm. I bet. Do you remember the song?”
Zack answered. “It was ‘Cry to Me’ by Solomon Burke.” He glanced at her again, and something passed between them in that moment, but she wasn’t entirely sure what. Maybe it was just the closeness that came with being complicit in a series of lies together. Although they had danced to that song, at Sierra and Sean’s engagement party. It was the first time she’d ever felt his arms around her, and she’d replayed that moment countless times because it had felt so good. So right.
Joe stepped into the room and nodded. “Dinner is served. If you’ll follow me.” They all rose from their seats, and as Alexa hastily slipped her feet back into her sandals, she shivered slightly, missing the warmth of Zack’s body against hers. She sat up, and her eyes fluttered closed as Zack pressed a kiss to her temple. She felt that touch of his lips spread through her, and she smiled. Her parents followed Joe out of the room, and she stood, feeling a little light-headed, despite the fact that she’d had only a few sips of wine.
“That was a good story,” she whispered, slipping her hand into his, loving how good his skin felt against hers. How natural her small hand felt tucked into his much larger one.
His jaw tightened, and then he smiled at her, a sadness pulling at his eyes. “Who said it was a story?”
* * *
Zack sipped his beer and hooked his ankle around Alexa’s under the table, pulling her leg against his. Not because anyone could see, but because he could and because he wanted to. The lies they’d told pounded through him, and he found himself wishing that they weren’t lies. To hold her close as they danced, to tell her the truth of who she was to him…Yes. He couldn’t deny that he wanted all of that.
And what he’d said, about the first time he’d seen her…Yeah. That hadn’t been a lie at all.
The truth sank into him like an anchor taking hold: he’d been at least halfway in love with Alexa for the better part of a year. It was a truth that made him feel inspiringly alive and despairingly lost at the same time, because fuck if he knew what to do with it. If there was even anything he could do with it.
Alexa tossed her napkin onto the table, and he noticed she’d barely eaten half of the salad, steak, grilled shrimp, and sweet potatoes they’d been served. Although he was slightly worried about making weight for his fight—he had to weigh in at 205 pounds—he’d devoured everything on his plate.
“I’d like to give Zack a tour of the house. Is that okay?” she asked, her gaze bouncing between her parents. Her mother had been friendly and chatty during dinner, her father much quieter. More than once Zack had felt the weight of his gaze on him and had ignored it. He had no idea if it was because he had the audacity to (pretend to) date Fairfax’s daughter or if there was more to it than that. He wished he knew. What did Fairfax know? Why had they been followed yesterday by someone with ties to the Brotherhood?
Her mother smiled. “Sure. Have a tour, and then we’ll have dessert in about fifteen minutes. Helen made crème brûlée.”
Given the amount of food still on Melanie Fairfax’s plate, Zack had a feeling she wouldn’t be eating the crème brûlée. While Alexa resembled her mother in terms of her features—same blue-gray eyes, same nose, same mouth—her body type was completely different. Alexa was petite but curvy, and felt damn good against him. He had the sudden urge to feed her, to cook for her, to watch her enjoy something he’d made. He knew he made a mean lasagna—his nonna’s recipe—and for some reason the idea of Alexa eating something he’d made for her turned him on. A lot.
Alexa stood and extended her hand to him. “C’mon, babe. I’ll give you the tour.” He rose and took her hand, loving how fucking perfect her small hand felt nestled in his.
She led him back toward the hallway and then silently began leading him up the stairs. The staircase was impressive, swooping off into two wings about halfway up. The high ceiling arched gracefully above them. The bugs were stashed safely in Zack’s pocket—Alexa had been worried that her purse might be searched at some point if she left it out of sight. And given that it was her parents’ home, it would’ve looked strange if she’d kept her purse clutched to her side all night when normally she just left it in the front hall.
“Library first?” she asked quietly when they were almost at the first landing, and he nodded. She tugged him toward the right. “It’s in the east wing, and it’s where he spends a lot of his time.” They climbed the stairs in sync, her hand still in his. “He takes calls in there, has meetings. We can start there and work our way back toward his office and bedroom.”
“Sounds like a plan.” He traced his thumb over the back of her hand. “You’re doing amazing, by the way. I’m really proud of you.”
She flushed, and he smiled, loving that his small bit of praise had made her blush. “This way.” She led him down a hallway and pushed open a door, then pulled him inside and closed it behind them.
The room was quiet and empty but still fairly bright thanks to the light from the setting sun. He quickly scanned the room, taking in the large windows, the floor-to-ceiling bookcases, the heavy, dark furniture. A desk dominated the space in front of the windows, and Alexa crouched down in front of it. She wiped her hands on the skirt of her dress, and he noticed that they were shaking.
Needing to comfort her like he needed to breathe, he crouched down in front of her and took her hands in his. They were cold, and her palms were damp. “You can do this. I know you can. I’m here with you, and I’m not going to let anything happen to you. I promise, princess.”
She closed her eyes for a second and then nodded. “Morales said to place the devices in central locations and not too close to anything that would interfere with the sound quality.”
He pulled a small sealed plastic bag out of his pocket. It contained several flat black squares, no bigger than postage stamps. They were sound activated, meaning they’d turn on only when someone spoke, giving them a much longer life than the average listening device.
Her hands no longer shaking, Alexa opened the bag and pulled a SIM card and listening device from it. She inserted the SIM card into the listening device and programmed in the appropriate code, just as Morales had showed her. Pride surged through Zack, not only at her bravery and
strength in the face of everything going on, but also at her proficiency with everything—their ruse, the self-defense techniques he’d shown her, high-tech surveillance equipment. She was damn capable, and it was extremely attractive.
She pulled out her phone and texted the code she’d used to Morales. Now anytime the device was activated, the audio would feed directly to Morales’s phone, thanks to the SIM card. Zack paced the room, eyes snapping back and forth between Alexa and the door as she peeled off the backing on the device and crawled under the desk to affix it.
Zack stood near the door, listening for any signs of activity, and Alexa appeared at his elbow. “One down, two to go.” With a quick twist of the knob, she opened the door and led him down the hallway, into her parents’ bedroom. Quickly, she set up another listening device, stashing this one on the inside panel of her father’s nightstand. The entire hallway was deserted, the wing silent as she led him to their last stop, her father’s office.
Morales had wanted to plant more bugs throughout the house, in places like the kitchen and living area, but it was simply too risky. At least these Alexa could plant and activate undetected. Placing the devices in higher-traffic areas would have been much harder. Morales would have to make do with what she was able to gather from these bugs.
Zack followed Alexa into the room, his heart kicking against his ribs. They’d already been gone longer than fifteen minutes, and he was anxious to get this part of the evening over with. He hadn’t said anything because he didn’t want to rush her—she was tense enough without him getting on her about the time.
Just as she had in the library, she activated the device and crawled under the desk to stick it on. Zack stood near the door, listening intently. An electric current worked its way down his spine when he heard a distinctive creak from somewhere down the hallway. In several long strides, he crossed the room to Alexa, who was just getting to her feet.
“Someone’s coming,” he said, his voice low.
Her eyes widened, and some of the blood drained from her face. The unmistakable sound of footsteps echoed down the hallway, approaching the office, and Zack did the only thing he could think of to keep Alexa safe.
He pulled her against him and kissed her.
Chapter 14
As Zack’s mouth closed over hers, Alexa gasped and then melted into him almost instantly. His lips were firm but gentle, warm and sweet as they moved against hers. His hands stroked her back, and as his tongue slipped into her mouth, she slid her hands up his chest, over his broad shoulders, and into his thick, soft hair. His tongue caressed hers, and a sparkling heat exploded over her skin. He groaned softly, and she opened more for him.
Never in her life had a kiss felt like this. It was so much more than a simple touching of mouths, of lips and tongues. It was need, and hunger, and lust. It was waking up after being asleep for far too long. Just this kiss was better than most of the sex she’d had, and the fact that it was Zack—the man she’d wanted for the better part of a year, the man she’d fantasized about and lusted after—took her breath away. She wanted more, wanted to somehow get closer, and she made a soft whimpering noise as she rocked against him.
Hot, heady desire spiraled through her when she felt his erection slide against her hip. So hard, so thick. God, he was huge. She shivered when he rolled his hips into her, sliding his hard cock against her a second time.
His hands slid from her back down to her ass, where he gave her cheeks a firm squeeze as he pulled her tighter against him. She clenched her thighs together, her clit throbbing and her panties wet as his mouth moved with increasing hunger against hers, the kiss morphing from warm and sweet to hot and demanding. She felt ready to burst into flame, everything inside her was so hot. She was kindling, and he was a match, sparking so much damn need through her she could barely stand it.
The door to the office opened, and Zack broke the kiss, still holding her against him. Joe stepped into the room and, as soon as he saw them, averted his gaze. She assumed Zack’s plan was to make it look as if they’d snuck off to make out, diverting attention from where they were and why.
“I’m sorry. Uh…dessert is served.” Joe quickly stepped out of the room but left the door open.
Zack’s fingers flexed against her ass again, and she trembled. She’d never been kissed like that before. She was aroused. Awake. Hungry. She clenched her thighs together again, trying to soothe the throbbing ache simmering low in her core. Her blood pumped hot and fast, lust and need and want all pooling together and shimmering through her, intense and vibrant.
“Alexa.” His voice was low and rough, and she forced herself to look up and meet his eyes. So dark they were almost black, they glittered down at her, and hot excitement swirled through her. “I’ve wanted to do that since the day I laid eyes on you. Fuck.” He dipped his head and buried his face in her neck, sucking gently just below her ear. “You taste so damn good, princess. I can’t stop.” His tongue grazed her earlobe, and she gasped, feeling that sweep of his tongue as though he’d touched her clit. He growled softly against her and did it again.
“I don’t want you to stop,” she sighed out, tipping her head back and giving him better access, and although she’d said those words before, this was the first time she’d ever really meant them. His teeth scraped against her earlobe, and she jerked against him, his hard cock rubbing against her stomach. Somehow she managed to get her mouth to form coherent words. “This doesn’t feel like pretending.” Her voice was shaky, her heart fluttering in her chest as she waited for his answer. She didn’t want to pretend. She wanted to be his, for real.
He raised his head and met her eyes, his hands caressing her face. “This was never pretend for me.” At the intensity shining in his gaze, she knew he was telling the truth. That somehow Zack wanted her. There was no going back. Not now.
“Me neither.”
In response he slipped his arms around her waist and brought his mouth back to hers, and Alexa moaned. His tongue stroked hers, the kiss hot and deep, and she felt as though he were claiming her. As though their shared admission had broken down all the barriers between them.
“Everything I said downstairs,” he said, speaking the words against her mouth, catching her lips in small, nipping kisses, “I wasn’t making any of it up.” Her heart beat faster, and she could feel her pulse everywhere, her entire body becoming one giant throb. He caught her lower lip between his teeth and tugged gently, swiping his tongue to soothe the bite and then kissing her again, deep and slow, their lips and tongues finding an easy, promising rhythm. His mouth felt so good, so right against hers, and she couldn’t think anymore. She could only bask in how good he was making her feel.
She broke the kiss, needing desperately to tell him the truth, even though they were wading into complicated waters. “I’ve…It’s been you, Zack. Since the day I met you, for me…it’s only been you.”
His eyes softened as his grip on her tightened. He pressed his forehead to hers. “I’m sorry.”
Her heart practically shuddered to a stop. “For what?”
“For choosing wrong a year ago.”
Up until now she hadn’t realized that he’d seen her as a choice at all, and while she wanted to know about everything that had happened a year ago, now wasn’t the time. Her heart resumed its rhythm, pounding so hard and so happily she thought it might shatter. The happiness filling her up was almost too much, so big and bright it hurt.
“You are so beautiful, Alexa. God, I…” He gazed down at her and then slipped his hands into her hair, kissing her again. She slid her arms around him, reveling in the feel of all those hard muscles hidden beneath his shirt. He groaned against her mouth as they tasted and explored, and she lost all sense of place and time as her entire world narrowed to Zack and his lips, his tongue, the warmth of his mouth, his body pressed against hers.
Her. He wanted her. He’d wanted her as much as she’d wanted him, this entire time. The realization felt like joy, except that joy wasn’
t a big enough word.
“What’s going on here?” Her father’s voice came from the doorway, and they broke apart. Zack dropped his arms and cleared his throat, glancing sheepishly at the floor. “Sorry, sir. I…we…got a little carried away.”
Her father stared at them with his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed. His gaze moved away from them and scanned the room. Once he was finished with his slow sweep, he returned his disapproving gaze to them. “Dessert. Downstairs.”
* * *
Zack sat with his arm thrown casually over the back of Alexa’s chair, although he felt pretty fucking far from casual at the moment.
He’d wasted a year not going after Alexa. A whole fucking year he could’ve been with her because she felt the same way he did about her. He’d wasted a year pretending he wasn’t halfway in love with her.
He wasn’t going to waste more time, that was for damn sure.
He smiled politely at something her mother said and shoveled some crème brûlée in his mouth, replaying that kiss. Again. Yeah, he’d grabbed her and kissed her to protect her, but the second his mouth had connected with hers, he’d been gone. Done. Game over. It had been fucking perfect and sweet and hot and a thousand times better than any of the hundreds of times he’d imagined it.
But he wasn’t stupid. He knew that they didn’t face a smooth, obstacle-free path just because they’d shared a hot kiss and admitted their feelings for each other. There was the complicated matter of her family situation. He had a feeling that the fact he’d dated Taylor would weigh on Alexa. He had his fight to focus on. Not to mention that it wasn’t exactly kosher for a bodyguard to date his protectee. Despite the circumstances of how Sean and Sierra had gotten together, Zack knew Sean would boot him from the case if he thought their pretend relationship had crossed the line from fake to real. The idea of someone else taking over, of someone else protecting her, made him want to punch something. No. She was his to protect, and he wasn’t letting that go.