by K. M. Scott
“Pretty good, actually. First time in a long time. Whatever I did, I think I should do it more often. I don’t remember having a night as good as that in a long time,” she said with a sly smile.
“I think you should.”
“And you?” she asked with a slight giggle, looking around to see if anyone was listening to their conversation.
“I got a bit of a workout right before I fell asleep, but I woke up feeling better than I have in a while. Must be the new bed. Thanks for that, by the way.”
“You’re welcome.”
A second later, she leaned over toward him and whispered, “Thank you.”
“My pleasure. Anytime.”
A confused look settled into her features, and then she shook her head. “I didn’t mean for that. I meant for distracting everyone.”
“Oh. Well, anytime for that too.”
A blush came over her, making her cheeks turn a sweet shade of pink. Hunter watched as she sipped her coffee and couldn’t help think no one in the world knew how special Alexis Marchand truly was. Whatever they saw in her up on the screen couldn’t compare to what she showed him sitting cross-legged drinking her morning coffee.
He’d been wrong about her being a Hollywood diva. She was just the girl next door deep down.
Smiling to himself, he thought about how Gideon and Xavier would kill to see Alexis like this. Then again, he suspected they liked the movie star. For his fantasies, though, he’d take the person he knew she was.
Sensual, sweet, and even thoughtful. He’d take that Alexis any day.
Chapter Eighteen
Alexis couldn’t remember the last time she slept with a man and it didn’t feel awkward the next time she saw him. Of course, since Hunter lived less than fifty yards away from her, the situation with him was a little different.
Still, that they could sit in the living room together and drink their morning coffee without strangeness creeping in between them made her happy. She didn’t feel embarrassed about their time together, even though every time she thought about how incredible he made her feel as he slid in and out of her body, she blushed a little.
Her cheeks grew warm, so she placed her coffee cup on the table in front of her and covered her face with her hands. The last thing she needed was Lauren thinking she was getting sick. She’d hover over her like a mother hen, which would make getting to Hunter’s room again tonight difficult.
That she already had a plan in her mind for how she’d sneak down the hall to be with him made her feel lightheaded. She hadn’t experienced the thrill and exhilaration of a new romance in so long, she’d forgotten how wonderful it felt.
Looking across the room, she saw him pretending to focus on whatever was happening in the kitchen, but a closer look told her he was paying attention to her. She liked that. Alexis hadn’t forgotten what he’d said about her being perfect. She doubted she’d ever forget that. What woman could? The world probably thought she heard that compliment every day, but acting turned out to be more like living under a microscope. People always seemed to be looking for flaws and imperfections, so it ended up that not only had she never heard anyone say she was perfect, but she’d heard the exact opposite enough times to start believing the critics and naysayers.
“Alexis, did you hear me?”
She turned to see Lauren and Carla standing next to the couch looking down at her like they were waiting for an answer. Unfortunately, in her daydreaming about Hunter and their time together, she’d completely dazed out.
“I’m sorry. I was lost in thought. What’s up?”
“Are you okay?” Lauren asked in that concerned voice she used so often lately.
“Yeah. Why?”
“Your face looks red. You’re all flushed. Should I call the doctor?”
She and Carla leaned in as if to examine her flushed skin further. God, she loved them, but they really were part of that whole microscope life she could do without.
Reaching over, she grabbed her coffee cup and took a sip. “For a flushed face? There are people in the world who are on death’s doorstep who can’t afford to see a doctor. I’m not going to bother one because you two worry too much. I’m fine. I had a great night, and I’m feeling better than I have in a long time.”
Lauren gave her another long stare like she wanted to see if her claim would hold up and then sat down on the couch next to her. “Okay. That’s good. So what’s on the schedule today?”
“Well, I went out for a walk last night and the neighborhood is really great. I’d like to get out again today too.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Alexis saw Hunter smile as Lauren’s and Carla’s mouths dropped open in surprise.
“You went out last night?” Lauren asked in a shocked voice. “I thought you were in your room all night.”
Turning toward Hunter, she smiled. “I had a case of wanderlust, so Hunter was good enough to accompany me on a little walk. The neighborhood is pretty nice.”
Lauren looked over at him and then at Carla before turning back to face Alexis. “Wow! I’m so glad you got out. I thought after what happened outside that gym that you wouldn’t go out for a while.”
Alexis waved off her concern. “No way. I’m not going to spend the rest of my life scared.”
While her assistants seemed surprised by her newfound strength, Hunter wasn’t. All she saw was pride now as he smiled at her. She liked how it felt to see someone look at her like that for something other than acting. That she could do easily. Steeling herself and forcing down the fear in real life was much harder.
“That is so great!” Lauren said, genuinely happy to see her confident again. “See, I told you this move was going to be good for you. It just took a little time to get used to the place.”
“Well, maybe you’re right. I still miss the sun in LA, but maybe New York won’t be so bad. What do you say to checking out another gym today?”
She looked over at Hunter and chuckled. “You up for another run?”
His eyes lit up at her offer of another challenge. “Of course. Just say when.”
“Later this morning, then. I just need to get a shower and I’ll be ready to go.”
As the words left her mouth, she saw Hunter’s eyes grow wide. A split second later, she realized what she’d done as Lauren looked at her and shook her head.
“A shower? You told me you took a bath this morning.”
Quickly, she tried to cover up her mistake. “Oh, well, you know how baths feel great but then you never feel clean? That’s what I meant. I want to feel clean when I go for a run. That’s all.”
Yeah. That made sense. Showering before she went running. At this rate, she’d be lucky if Lauren and Carla didn’t want to rush her off to a doctor to have her head examined.
Thankfully, one of her bodyguards walked into the room at that moment and said, “Miss Marchand? Sorry to bother you, but you just got this special delivery.”
In his hand, he held an oversized manila envelope. Just seeing it made Alexis’s entire body tense up. She’d been having such a good day so far, and now this had to happen.
Hunter quickly took the envelope from Mark’s hand and examined it, gingerly holding it by the edge and turning it over to look at the back before saying to her, “It’s from a Melanie Dannon. Do you know her?”
As if the tension and stress of seeing that envelope melted away at the mere sound of her agent’s name, Alexis smiled. “That’s my agent.”
Holding out her hand, she added, “It’s okay. She probably sent something I need to sign. I think she mentioned something the last time we talked the other day.”
He relaxed and nodded as he handed it to her. “Okay. As long as you recognize the name. I didn’t think this would be from him anyway. None of the others had a return address on them.”
Alexis let out a sigh of relief. “Oh, that’s good. I didn’t think about that. I just got a little freaked out there, but once you said my agent’s name, I knew it was okay.”
She eagerly opened it and pulled out a sheet of paper. Suddenly, it felt like her coffee would come up as her stomach twisted into a tight knot. This wasn’t something from Melanie she had to sign.
“It’s…it’s from…” she stammered out, shaking her head in disbelief.
Her hands shook in terror as Lauren asked, “What’s wrong? What did Melanie say?”
The paper fell from her hands, and Alexis pulled her knees up to curl into a ball to protect herself. She’d promised herself she’d be strong, but now the stalker had come into her home once more and all she wanted to do was crawl into bed and hide.
Hunter hurried over and crouched down in front of her to pick up the horrible letter. She wanted him to take her into his arms and tell her he would protect her. That everything would be okay because he’d make it okay.
But he didn’t.
He stood up and said to Lauren and Carla, “You two take care of her. I’ll be right back.”
She watched as he walked out of the room, leaving her there with nothing but her fear and the helpless words from her two assistants. Closing her eyes, she hid her face in her knees and wished for this all to be over.
But would it ever end? Would she ever be free of this mystery person who tormented her with his letters?
Chapter Nineteen
Hunter made a beeline for his room and slammed the door shut behind him. In his bag, he grabbed a plastic baggie and slid the letter and envelope inside, knowing all too well that any check for fingerprints would find his and Mark’s. Hopefully, though, they’d find another person’s.
He called the estate and heard Gideon answer. “Hey man! What’s up?”
“I’m sending you a letter that just got delivered to Alexis. It was supposedly sent from her agent, Melanie Dannon. It’s from the stalker. I need you to check for fingerprints and see if there’s anyone around the agent we can connect to this. You’ll find my prints and one of her bodyguards’ prints, Mark Driscoll, so keep that in mind.”
Gideon blew the air out of his lungs into the phone, making a whooshing sound. “Jesus. She got another one? That was fast. What does it say?”
Sighing, Hunter read the letter through the plastic covering it. “I know. They’re starting to come more frequently since she got to New York. Damn, it sounds like this fucker thinks they’re best friends. Listen to this. ‘Alexis, I see you spent some time enjoying the beauty of the Upper West Side last night. Did you see me too? Someday soon, we’ll meet and you’ll finally get to know your #1 fan.’ Gideon, I was with her last night when she went out. How the hell did I miss this guy?”
“Hunter, you’re in the middle of one of the largest cities in the world. You can’t be expected to have eyes on every person in New York, for Christ’s sake. God only knows how many apartment windows you passed just getting a cab.”
His words were supposed to be helpful and supportive, but they weren’t working.
“We went out for a walk too. Fuck. He could have been anywhere. Damnit, I’m failing at this assignment.”
“Don’t do this to yourself, man. Just don’t. She’s safe, and he hasn’t gotten to her. Don’t forget that,” Gideon said sternly like he was scolding him.
Hunter began to pace around his room. “She’s practically a prisoner in her own home. I haven’t done a goddamned thing to fix that since I got here. Persephone should have sent someone else on this assignment. She chose the wrong one of us this time.”
He tossed the letter on the bed and lay back against the pillows, covering his eyes with his arm. “I’m sending the letter as soon as I get off the phone. Do me a favor and find whatever you can on it.”
“Okay. I’ll get on it as soon as I get it this afternoon,” Gideon promised.
“Thanks. Call me as soon as you have anything.”
His words were met with silence for a long moment before his friend said, “Hunter, you’re tying yourself into knots over this. I’ve never seen you like this on an assignment. What’s going on?”
He didn’t want to admit that what he felt for Alexis might be clouding his judgment on this case. Even if it was, that wouldn’t be so bad. Caring for a client didn’t hurt his efforts.
“Nothing’s going on. You try working on as many assignments as Persephone and Nick have dumped on me in the past few months. If I’m on edge at all, it’s because I’m fucking overworked. Call me when you get something.”
Before Gideon could say anything more, Hunter pressed END and threw his phone onto the other side of the bed. He should have found out who was behind these damn letters coming to Alexis by now.
And what the fuck was taking Gideon so long with checking out twenty fucking names? It wasn’t like he had much else to do other than watch football, and those games didn’t take up every minute of the damn day.
Hunter took a deep breath. This wasn’t Gideon’s fault. This wasn’t anyone’s fault but his own. He had to solve this case, not anyone else in Project Artemis.
The problem was he had no leads. Everyone who worked for Alexis either had a clean record or couldn’t be connected to the letters in any way, according to the LAPD and a private investigator Paul had hired. Even the ones Hunter had vague suspicions about might turn out to be okay when Gideon finished his search.
Fifteen minutes later, the envelope with the latest letter from the stalker was on its way to Gideon. Hunter stood in the lobby of the apartment building watching the security guard and the doorman as they went about their business and wondered how anyone had gotten into the building to leave the envelope. He understood how Alexis and Lauren could get out because they’d already been inside, but the doorman let no one in he didn’t recognize. Just in the time Hunter had been standing there watching him, Chambers stopped two people from coming in already.
Hunter walked outside to where the man stood helping a woman into a car. The October sun felt warm on his face as he waited for him to have time to speak to him.
Turning around, Chambers smiled. “Mr. McKary, can I get you a cab, sir?”
“No. I wanted to speak to you about something. Miss Marchand received an envelope today. It didn’t come in the mail, so how would someone have gotten in to deliver it to you at the desk? I’ve noticed you don’t let anyone in who doesn’t have a reason to be here.”
The doorman puffed out his chest in his very formal doorman’s uniform and nodded. “That’s true, sir. Unless it’s a courier service like the one you just used or someone who we know will be coming to see one of the residents, we don’t let anyone in who doesn’t belong, especially those damn photographers who seem to be lurking around all the time since Miss Marchand moved in.”
A sheepish look crossed his face, and he added, “I know we didn’t see Miss Marchand and her assistant leave the other day, but I can assure you no one gets in if they don’t have business being here.”
“Then how did she get that envelope this morning?”
Chambers looked confused. “What envelope, sir? Miss Marchand didn’t receive any deliveries this morning.”
“Yes, she did. One of her bodyguards brought her a large manila envelope. Didn’t he get it from you? Wasn’t he down here all night?” Hunter asked, his mind racing.
“I only work seven to seven, sir. At night, a security guard is in charge of the door and we keep it locked so no one can just wander in off the street. As for Miss Marchand’s guard, sir, I didn’t see him this morning when I came on. No one was down here.”
“They’re supposed to be on every day and night. When was the last time you saw someone stationed in the lobby, Chambers?”
The elderly man thought about the question. “Yesterday afternoon, sir.”
Hunter’s mind raced. Why hadn’t her bodyguards followed his explicit instructions to be in the lobby around the clock?
He thanked the doorman and rushed upstairs to find out what the hell had happened. All four bodyguards sat in the living room chatting like nothing important was happening. What the fuck
was wrong with these people?
Thankfully, Alexis had gone back to her room, so she wouldn’t have to hear what he had to say to the men. Folding his arms across his chest, he worked to keep his voice calm as he asked, “Why aren’t any of you downstairs like I told you to? I said that there needed to be at least one of you in the lobby at all times. Why isn’t one of you down there?”
The four men looked at each other and then back at him. Malcolm, the head of her security team, shook his head. “We were told not to do that, so that’s why we’re all up here in the penthouse.”
“Who told you to go against the very thing I told you to do?” Hunter asked in amazement.
No wonder this stalker believed he could get to Alexis.
“Paul. He said we needed to stick close by her at all times we’re in the building after she ran away to Atlantic City. That’s why we’re all up here.”
Hunter’s mind raced. Why would Paul go directly against his orders and tell the bodyguards to leave the lobby unsecured?
Lauren walked into the living room as he said to Malcolm, “Forget what Paul said. I want one of you in that lobby at all times. Round the clock! Do you understand me?”
The men nodded and Malcolm stood to leave. “Got it. I’ll take the day shift. Kyle, you take the night shift tonight.”
“Hunter, Alexis wants to speak to you. She’s in her room.”
As much as he wanted to comfort her, he needed to investigate that letter first. “I have work to do, Lauren.”
Frowning, she answered, “She wants to talk to you, Hunter. I think it’s important.”
“Fine. I’ll be right there.”
Lauren hurried off, but Hunter had one more person to question. He saw Mark walking toward the kitchen and yelled, “Mark, I need to speak to you.”
The man stopped, and as he turned around, Hunter saw his face told the story that he’d been hiding something. Damnit, they didn’t have time for secrets.
“Mark, who gave you that envelope to give to Alexis?”