AKA Lexi Frost (Lexi Frost Series)

by Tori Brooks

  Paul cupped her chin in his hand gently and kissed her. “We won’t, honey, don’t worry. I’ve spent the last week thinking over the same problem. I’m not going to keep dragging you away from home. It’s not fair to you or the kids.”

  The door opened and Teri saw Tim standing outside, looking as unhappy as Kenny and Dev when she left.

  “He’s upset with me, not you. I asked him to take you shopping today, and he would rather sit in on one of my meetings this afternoon,” Paul told her.

  “As a witness or bodyguard?”

  “Imposing presence. I’ll be fine, and I can still meet you for lunch.”

  “And tell me about your not flying back and forth all the time idea?” Teri asked.

  Paul smiled and kissed her, then turned to get out of the limo. Tim got in. The driver closed the door again. Paul walked away as Teri watched. As the limo pulled away from the curb, Teri finally turned back to Tim.

  “Don’t ask,” Tim answered before she could ask about the meeting Paul had today.

  “Hint?”

  “No.” Tim brought out a PDA and tapped on the screen. “I have a list of things to shop for, however.”

  “Just as well, since I don’t.” Teri sat back against the seat and let herself sulk.

  “New York is one of the shopping and fashion capitals of the world so we’re shopping for you and the kids. You first.”

  Teri listened with a sinking sensation as Tim rattled off fittings and designers for a new wardrobe of work suits for her. She groaned when he mentioned he’d picked out a few items for Cassie and Tiffany already that just needed her approval, although she didn’t mind as much when he mentioned making over the boys’ wardrobes. They needed it.

  Deciding it was simply easier to approve whatever Tim already picked out, they completely finished before lunch and headed back to the office instead of waiting at the club for Paul.

  The meeting Tim was concerned about was scheduled for the afternoon, so Teri’s idea of stealing Paul away early for a long, private, cozy lunch appealed to Teri and was strangely agreeable to Tim as well. She knew Tim kept secrets from her and, given she wasn’t part of Paul’s company, that was natural. Tim’s loyalty to Paul was absolute, but she could count on Tim as an ally if she could spin a suggestion to be presented as being in Paul’s best interest. Apparently a relaxing lunch was in Paul’s interest this time.

  Teri saw herself to Paul’s private office as Tim went to tell him they were back early. She was surprised to see a man sitting at Paul’s desk when she entered.

  “Oh, excuse me.” Teri started to turn around to leave, but stopped when recognition of the man set in. She looked again to be sure and examined him quickly. Short blond hair, slender, probably tall when he stood up. If he didn’t look so angry she might have thought he was a handsome young man.

  “Who are you?” he demanded.

  “Hello, Blaine,” Teri said, unsure where to go from there. Blaine seemed about to say something, but stopped as Teri closed the door behind her. He looked at a framed picture on the corner of Paul’s desk, then back at Teri.

  “You’re the new mistress.”

  “My name’s Teri.” She paced herself carefully as she walked to the sofa between the door and the desk. Going too slow would make Blaine believe she was afraid of him, but she didn’t want to seem to rush forward and startle the boy either.

  Blaine’s demotion from man to boy didn’t register consciously with Teri. He behaved like a child, therefore he was one. He might technically be older than the boys she had at home, but he was going to have to prove himself.

  “I know who you are,” his tone dismissed her as having any importance, but the way he glared at her told Teri a different story.

  “Of course you do. You spoke to Kenny a while ago. I understand he was asking questions about Paul. Did you have any questions for me?”

  “Stay away from my father. He’s married.”

  “Do you want your parents to work it out? Maybe reconcile after all these years?” Teri asked.

  Surprise crossed Blaine’s face, followed quickly by anger. His hands clenched in fists on the desk in front of her, knuckles white with the strain. Paul told her Blaine hated him, but she hadn’t really believed him. The idea of a son hating his father without some sort of abuse was beyond Teri’s comprehension, but the evidence stared her in the face.

  “You don’t seem to like your father much.”

  “He cheated on my mother.”

  “I know.” Teri noted the shock on Blaine’s face again. “Before me or Kayley, before they separated. Paul told me.” Teri waited. She couldn’t really say anything about Sara, it wasn’t her call. She didn’t even want to hint, so she just waited.

  “He’ll dump you too, you know,” Blaine sneered. “He even cast Kayley aside, and she was a model.”

  “Possible, I suppose, but I doubt it. Besides, Kayley helped Paul coax me into going out with him. If it hadn’t been for Kayley we never would have met.”

  “He’s still got pictures of Kayley in his desk drawer. Nudes that he had taken professionally. They’re bound in a leather photo album. Would you like to see?” Blaine pulled open a drawer and pulled out a black leather book. Teri was tempted to misbehave and let Blaine show her.

  “I’ve seen them actually. I can’t see Paul offering to show them to you though.”

  “He showed them to you?” Blaine dropped the book on the desk in astonishment.

  “As I mentioned, Kayley and I know each other. I remember when those pictures were taken. I’m not upset Paul has them, if that’s what you were hoping for.”

  The door opened and Tim walked in. Teri looked at him long enough for him to see that she was okay before she turned back to Blaine. Blaine’s previously flustered appearance paled now that his father’s assistant and enforcer was here.

  Teri wanted to kick herself for not realizing earlier. This was the meeting Tim was concerned about. Tim wanted to be nearby when Paul met with his son, but Paul didn’t want her anywhere near the building while Blaine was here. They returned early to pick up Paul for lunch, but Blaine was even earlier.

  Tim left the door open and his eyes on Blaine as he took one step back into the hall and signaled one of the secretaries to retrieve Paul from his meeting.

  “Oh, let him finish!” Teri called and stood up. “I’ll go in the other office if it’ll make you feel better.”

  Tim shook his head and motioned for her to sit again. Teri sat and waited while Tim spoke quietly to another secretary. Finally he joined them in the office and closed the door.

  “Paul will be a moment,” Tim addressed Teri first, and she noted Blaine seemed offended by the perceived slight.

  “Are we still on for lunch?”

  “Doubtful.”

  “He needs to eat and we can both attest my company does not make him lose his appetite.” Tim seemed intent on ignoring Blaine for now so Teri invited him into some friendly banter. He was too tense.

  “No, but you do tend to distract him from eating on occasion.”

  “I feed him eventually.” Teri playfully waved away Tim’s concern and she could almost swear his momentary smile was genuine. “Besides, I’m already here.”

  “Yes, if I’d had any idea that would be problematic I would have taken you back home first.” Tim finally faced Blaine as he said this.

  “Well, maybe it’s good that I got a chance to meet Blaine. I know how much the kids mean to Paul. I’d like to meet them.”

  “We already have a mother, you’re superfluous,” Blaine said coolly, eyes leveled at Teri. She wasn’t impressed. She did the impassive make-a-child-squirm-in-their-chair look much better, and she wasn’t going to take the bait. As it turned out, she didn’t have to.

  “That’s enough, Blaine.”

  Paul’s arrival seemed to chill the room. Teri turned to face him as he closed the door again behind him, surprised that she hadn’t heard him open it. He looked upset, which is to sa
y he appeared devoid of all emotion. Teri wasn’t used to seeing him like this and regretted now that she hadn’t left the office as soon as she recognized Blaine.

  Paul walked to the sofa first. Teri stood and immediately felt Paul’s arm circle her waist, his hand resting gently on her hip as he pulled her close. His lips brushed her ear gently in a darting caress Blaine couldn’t see from his point of view.

  “Are you all right, honey?” he whispered; concern tinged his voice with something else Teri could only guess was anger. She wasn’t accustomed to seeing Paul angry, so she wasn’t sure. If this was it, he was handling it remarkably well.

  “Yes, I’m sorry if we interrupted your meeting.” She placed a hand over his heart and slid it up along his chest to cradle the back of his neck in her hand, a motion that hinted slightly at the sensual caresses they shared the night before. Paul smiled in response.

  “Never mind that. I see you met Blaine.” He eased her back onto the sofa and briefly made eye contact with Tim. Teri caught the exchange, but didn’t know what to make of it.

  “Yes, we were just getting to know each other.”

  “I imagine,” Paul answered dryly. “Blaine, you’re usually so unhappy about coming out here to see me that I’m amazed you decided to show up hours ahead of schedule.”

  “I wanted to get this over with.”

  “So you came early, knowing very well that I was most likely otherwise occupied, on the slim chance that . . . what? I’d be able or willing to sneak you in between meetings? Or did you know Teri would be here?”

  “How would I know?” Blaine shrugged.

  “You’re resourceful enough.”

  “Well I didn’t. I told Mom about her of course. She knows.”

  “That’s fine. Sara always took an active interest in my private life. No doubt she’ll ask you all about Teri when you get home. That being said, I suppose I’ll have to lay some ground rules.”

  “Excuse me?” Blaine’s face was red with outrage.

  “I’m used to you, Olivia, and Chad doing what you can to make my life a little more colorful than I’d like, so I’m not surprised by your willingness to discuss my private life with Kenny. He asked, after all. Going forward, however, you’re going to start practicing discretion.”

  “You don’t want everyone knowing you have another mistress.”

  “Actually, I’m not worried about it. Other than answering Kenny’s questions, which wasn’t your place, you involved him in a conflict he shouldn’t have any part of. You’re more concerned about getting even with me for imagined infractions than in the immorality of hurting innocent people. My relationship with Teri is just that: my relationship with Teri. I’ll be talking to Olivia and Chad as well. I didn’t plan on introducing you yet. I was going to hold off a couple of months until after I’d had a chance to see how your brother and sister took it.”

  “Couple of months? But I won’t see you again until next year,” Blaine protested.

  “We’ll see. Since you’re on warning, you’ll be checking in a bit more often.”

  “That’s not fair, we agreed to twice a year.”

  “Which is more than you wanted and less than I did. Your behavior has consistently failed to impress me since you left New York, and I’m tired of it.”

  “I don’t have to.”

  “Since you haven’t seen fit to get a job and you’re living off the allowance I give you, I think you do.”

  Paul sighed and paused. When he spoke again his voice was softer. Teri recognized tones of regret now. “Blaine, I understand you’re not me, you are your own man. Showing some sort of interest in something or motivation to accomplish anything at all is the least of my expectations of any of you kids. It’s bothered me for years that you’re content to just float along and wait for me to die, assuming you’ll get an inheritance to carry you through life. I’m starting to realize the allowance I give you may not be the best thing for you. I’ll have to think on that.”

  “You’d cut us off? Just like that?”

  “As I said, I’ll have to think on it. Letting it go on as long as I have has left you three ill-prepared to make your own way so cutting you off isn’t really an option. Perhaps asking for something more productive than hostility in return is in order though.”

  Blaine looked at Paul in disbelief, then turned his attention back to Teri. She kept her face carefully neutral and watched as Paul stood and picked up the leather bound album on his desk.

  “Ransacking my office doesn’t help your case.” He walked around the desk and returned the album to its place in the bottom drawer. “And this isn’t something I’ve discussed with Teri so don’t bother blaming her.”

  Paul returned to sit beside Teri on the sofa. Once he was beside her again, Teri could see the tension in his posture. She slipped a hand into his and squeezed gently. He surprised her by shifting his attention from Blaine to her, bringing a hand up to softly caress her face.

  “Remember how upset Kenny was when I asked about backup plans?”

  “Yes, he’s pretty focused.”

  “I didn’t see it initially, but yes he is. He’s focused to the point that he might actually make it.”

  “I’m not sure whether I like that idea or not,” Teri admitted. Paul caressed her face again.

  “Don’t worry about them, honey. That focus in Kenny reminds me of myself when I was his age. What I miss seeing in my kids.”

  “Paul, not every kid is like Kenny. Cassie, Tiffany, and Bryan are pretty normal, thankfully. But Jess is only focused on girls, and Dev is dedicated to his skateboard and making mischief on his computer. Sometimes it’s not so great.”

  Paul smiled. “They’re all much younger. Jess floats from one dead end job to the next. At nineteen it’s one thing, at twenty-five it’s another. You can’t tell me you wouldn’t kick him in the pants before then.”

  Teri snuggled close and laid her head on Paul’s shoulder. “You’re right. Are we talking about my kids or yours?”

  “Both. Yours are probably easier to deal with. The boys have a pretty lofty goal, but at least they’re trying. The girls are smart and college bound, so they’re no problem.”

  Paul smiled and looked back to his son. Blaine looked back warily.

  “It’s a little late for the three of you to get into a college for this fall so I’ll continue your allowance until next term. At that point I expect you to be enrolled as full time students. I’ll pay reasonable expenses. You’ll get a basic allowance as befits a college student, extra is based on your performance, just like when you were kids.”

  Blaine sat behind Paul’s desk, silent and fuming. Paul turned to Tim.

  “Would you like me to write a memo for Olivia and Chad?” Tim asked.

  “Please, and remind me to talk to Kyle.”

  Teri was watching Tim but, at the mention of Paul’s attorney, Blaine moved behind the desk. She turned her attention back to him and had to fight the impulse to flinch at the look on his face. Blaine’s lips were thin and white with tension, emphasizing the rising color in his cheeks. He was holding onto the edge of the desk with a fierce grip and his eyes were focused on his father with a hatred Teri had never before witnessed. She subtly squeezed Paul’s hand again and he turned to follow her gaze.

  “Don’t worry, Blaine, I’m not cutting you out of my will. Kyle handles other things for me too. Sending you back to school isn’t revenge. I’m hoping to give you a purpose in life. Waiting around for me to die doesn’t count. Now, I know you never like to take advice from me, but I suggest you listen this time: don’t rock the boat. Stay away from Teri and her family, period. Until you’re ready to strike out on your own, don’t push me. Are we clear?”

  Blaine nodded almost imperceptibly.

  “Good. Perhaps I should have taken a firmer hand with you before. Now go home, I’ve had enough of this today.”

  Blaine hesitated only briefly. He stood suddenly, sending the desk chair crashing against the glass wall be
hind it. Without a glance at his father, Blaine Lovett walked stiffly past them and out of the room.

  Teri immediately slid up onto Paul’s lap. She put her arms around his neck and tenderly started kissing his face. She heard Tim close the door behind him as he left. Paul sought her mouth and pulled Teri into a passionate kiss. One hand slid down the front of her shirt and kneaded the breast that it inevitably found.

  “I’m so sorry, honey,” Paul whispered, dropping his hand to her waist and pausing in his kisses.

  “Don’t be. I’m fine. And maybe some good will come of it in the long term.”

  “I didn’t want you to be caught in this.”

  “I know.” Teri firmly pressed her mouth over Paul’s and shifted on his lap to straddle him. “You’re tense.”

  “God, I need you right now.” Paul’s lips pressed against hers as he laid her back onto the sofa, one arm supporting his weight to keep from crushing her. In the new position, Teri wrapped one leg around Paul and let the other hang off the side. He resumed kissing her as he struggled with the fly buttons on her jeans, then tried desperately to slide them down to allow him access. Swearing softly, he disentangled himself from her leg, stood, hooked his fingers in the belt loops, and gave a firm tug.

  “Damn it, why won’t these come off?” Paul stared at the offending jeans with a frown.

  Teri laughed and reached down to unbutton the last two buttons on her fly, then wiggled them down past her hips. Paul slipped off her shoes and socks. Teri eyed the telltale bulge in the front of his pants as he pulled her jeans off. There wouldn’t be much foreplay from the look of things. The speed at which her panties followed her pants to the floor confirmed that suspicion. Considering her options, she decided to go with it. She pulled her shirt off over her head and let it fall to the floor, then made quick work of her bra.

  Paul was on her again in an instant, unzipping his slacks and pushing them down just enough to expose his erection. He knelt between her legs and kissed her mouth first, then moved on to her breasts. He didn’t spend much time on either. Paul’s sense of urgency was too compelling. He sat back on his heels and pulled Teri’s ankles up to his shoulders. Hands on her waist, he held her hips and thrust into her.