by Lexy Timms
Alex had fixed the alarm but she couldn’t remember if they had set it after Mark and Kristen left. She’d been too interested in getting finger-fucked in the hallway. Fear rolled in the pit of her stomach and reached up, choking her for a few minutes when she realized that the voices she heard were distinctly male.
She quietly closed the door and locked it before rushing over to Alex and shaking him hard. He came up out of the bed with a loud grunt.
"What?"
"There are people in the house again. Two guys." Her voice was shaking, and she moved to the phone, calling the police once again.
Alex got up, leaned over, and pulled something from under the bed before unlocking the door and barreling down the hall.
"Alex. No!" She dropped the phone and ran into the hall, not thinking of anything but his safety.
He was on the ground, punching someone in a black hoodie over and over. The back door was open and the glass was splintered from someone breaking it. The second guy must have broken the window to get away.
Jamie picked up the gun that was on the floor near them and extended her arms, the scene having moved into slow motion for her.
"Alex. Get off of him. I have your gun." Her hands shook due to the chilliness in the house combined with the terror of someone being in the house again.
He moved back and got to his feet, his eyes wild, his lip busted. He took the gun and pointed it at the guy. "Don't move an inch. You sorry bastards have hit us up twice." He jerked his head at Jamie. “Go put some clothes on.”
Jamie glanced down, and then at Alex’s naked body. She grabbed his shirt from the hallway floor and the pants that he had shed earlier. She put his shirt on and tossed him his pants and then buttoned the top with shaky hands.
"Man, we're just trying to feed our families. You rich people and all your fancy shit." The guy was pale and chalky-looking, his blue eyes almost too blue, and his disdain for the rich written all over his face. He didn’t even seem to notice they had been naked; he was too pissed that Alex had money.
"Shut the fuck up. You don't get to talk. You don't know anything about me. I've killed myself for everything you see." Alex waved the gun.
The guy started to, and Alex jerked his hand to the right and let a round go off. The guy jumped, and Jamie yelped beside him.
"Go wait for the cops, baby. I'll stay right here." He didn't look her way, but he didn't need to.
* * *
There was no going back to sleep. The event had both Alex and Jamie jittery. They tried to lie down and just hold each other for a while, but finally decided that getting up was their best bet.
"Let's make some breakfast. You want to? It's been a while since we've cooked together." Alex rubbed her shoulders as she hovered over the coffee pot.
"Yeah. That sounds good. I'm going to need a nap later today."
"We talking a real nap, or one of those naps where you're just trying to get me into bed with you?" He pinched her butt and started to work on getting various items out of the refrigerator.
"A nap." She had no playfulness in her. The event had her shaken. She turned and pressed her back to the kitchen counter as she lifted her steaming cup of coffee to her lips. "You're calling the security people after we eat."
"Agreed. I'll call the guys who fix the door, and window, too." He ran his hand through his unruly chestnut hair and poured himself a cup of coffee. “I still can’t believe Mark didn’t wake up.”
A knock at the back door was accompanied by Mark calling out, his voice tight, "What the hell happened here?"
"Come on in." Alex moved into the living room, and Jamie followed.
"What the hell happened?" Mark repeated as he glanced back to the door and then returned his attention to them, his eyes wide.
"Another burglary." Alex shrugged and wrapped an arm around Jamie's shoulders as she moved up beside him.
"Did you hear the gun go off?" Jamie snuggled into Alex and grimaced at the sight of the cracked back door.
“Gun?” Mark shook his head, his eyes wide. It was then that Jamie noticed his hair was quite mussed and he smelled like—
She straightened and poured him a cup of coffee. “Do I need to pour another?”
“I’m good with one… oh! Yeah, uh, Kristen’s in the shower. I just called her a cab. She’s catching flight home at seven. I would have taken her to the airport, but my damn truck is at the office." He gave a boyish smile. "She's a great girl. I promised her that I'd take her out when she was in town again."
"You guys seemed to get along well." Jamie lifted her eyebrow at Mark and smiled, trying not to laugh as she tried to look innocent. "Did she stay the night?"
"Jamie. Jeez," Alex chuckled and released her. "Come on, bro. Coffee's hot and we're about to start cooking."
Jamie tugged her robe’s belt tighter and smiled at Alex's younger brother. "I have a feeling there’s a good reason you didn’t hear the noise above you."
“Yeah,” Alex answered for his brother, “it’s called triple insulation and noise-proof drywall.”
Mark chuckled. "She did, but she slept in the bed and I took the couch. I'm a bit old-fashioned, silly girl. No sex on the first date."
"What?" Jamie rolled her eyes dramatically and turned to walk in the kitchen. "No sex on the first date? I wish someone had told me that. My manual says it's expected every date."
Alex turned and pulled her against him, leaning down to nip at her lips. "Your manual is specifically for you. Sex is appreciated every day."
“TMI!” Mark called out, but laughed.
Jamie pointed a spatula at Mark. “I know you’re lying, by the way.”
“What?”
She sniffed the air and went back to the stove to check on the bacon Alex had tossed in. She took a seat at the kitchen table, and Mark joined her as Alex moved around the kitchen, humming something to himself.
Mark looked at the door again and frowned. "You're lucky you guys weren't hurt. Shit! These burglars have been both timid and violent from the news reports. I wonder the same bastards hit you up both times." He took a tentative sip of his coffee and flinched. "Hot."
"We are lucky. They didn't get the chance to hurt us or steal anything." Jamie got up and walked out of the kitchen, realizing that she hadn't checked on her puppy. He was snuggled up in his bed when she walked into the laundry room.
He poked his head up and tilted it, watching her closely.
"Come here, boy. Come to Momma." She knelt down and picked him up, cuddling him to her chest as she walked back into the kitchen. "I'm surprised he didn't come get us. Some guard dog he is."
Mark and Alex chuckled as Mark reached for the dog. "Let me hold him. He's getting big!"
"He's not a puppy anymore." Jamie sat back down and pulled her legs into the seat before picking up her coffee mug and letting out a long sigh. "What a crazy month."
"Shitty month. If it could happen, it did." Alex moved toward them with a plate of bacon. "Put the puppy down and go wash your hands. See if your girl’s hungry, too. Breakfast’s almost ready."
"Will do, Dad." Mark stood and saluted Alex before he walked out of the kitchen with the puppy.
Jamie got back up and moved to stand behind Alex. She set her coffee down on the counter beside her and slid her arms around his waist as she pressed against his back. "I love you. Are you okay?" She pressed a kiss to his bare back and slid her hands down to cup his package. "Yum."
He chuckled. "I'm doing okay. I guess we'll take it one day at a time. You just keep reminding me of the good parts of life while we get through this next little bit with Gina and Nicholas. And turn our house into a fortress."
Jamie jerked her hands back up as Mark walked into the kitchen, with Kristen right behind him. She blushed slightly, but didn’t look the other girl in the eye. "I can do that, baby." Jamie kissed Alex’s shoulder as she picked up her cup. "Do you think the trial will be soon, or is there more to the process than what I’m thinking?"
"What trial are we talking
about?" Mark leaned against the counter behind them.
"I'm going to file a lawsuit against Gina and Nicholas for theft and fraudulent activity." Alex pulled the eggs from the pan and carefully worked them onto a plate.
Jamie picked it up and nodded to the fridge. "Mark, grab the butter and jelly. Alex made toast, too."
"I like this 'Alex cooking' thing. We should do this more often," Mark chuckled and got the stuff before coming back to the table.
“I like it too,” Kristen piped up from beside Mark. “Mark told me what happened during the night. Sorry we didn’t hear anything.” She blushed a furious shade of red.
“Don’t worry,” Jamie reached for her hand and squeezed it. “It’s all sorted. Alex stepped up to be the hero.”
“He has a habit of doing that,” Kristen said, and beamed with respect for Alex.
"Don't get used to it, guys. I’m not a hero, trust me." Alex joined them at the table and let out a soft sigh. "I’ll be filing a lawsuit against my secretary and one of my investors. I’ll look like the bad guy, but wrong is wrong. Theft is theft. It's no different than us pressing charges against these robbers. Just sucks that we know who we’re going after and care about one of them."
"Did the guys steal anything from here?" Mark looked around as he pulled a napkin into his lap.
"No. Thank goodness." Jamie reached out and snagged a piece of bacon from the big pile that sat in the center of the table.
"So what happens from here?" Mark asked as he filled up his plate.
Alex shrugged. "We file the suit and go from there. It's just going to be a long month, but there’ll be some highlights to it."
"Like what?" Jamie took a few more pieces of bacon and filled up the rest of her plate with eggs and toast. "This looks great, baby."
"Thanks." Alex took a big bite of his buttery toast and chewed a minute before answering. "It's Valentine’s Day in two days. We're going out for dinner, remember?"
"Oh, yeah. That’ll be fun." She gave him a smile. He was trying to bring the mood up by making breakfast and remaining upbeat, but she knew he was hurting. How could he not be?
“Valentine’s? Ugghh!” Mark made a face.
“Tell me about it,” Kristen added. “Stupid money-making holiday. It’s just so retailers line their pockets with more money.”
Mark gave her a breakfast sausage. “I believe I just fell in like with you.” He wagged his eyebrows as he flirted with Kristen. “Let’s say we meet up for Valentine’s and do nothing. Refuse to buy anything or go out for dinner. We do nothing.”
Jamie kicked his shin hard under the table.
“Ow! What was that for?” Mark glared at Jamie while Alex burst out laughing.
“Mark, my brother, why don’t you just offer to give Kristen a shout in two days?”
Mark stared at Alex before shrugging, clearing confused as to why he was the bad guy. "Are you guys going into the office today, or you want me to take care of things?" Mark lifted his eyebrow playfully, and Jamie chuckled as he smoothly changed the subject.
"I'm going in after breakfast. I have to make a few calls first, but then I'll head in." Alex glanced at Jamie. "You can stay here to meet the security guys and the glass guys. Is that okay?"
"You're the boss." She shrugged and picked up her coffee mug. "I'll clean up a little and take that nap that I told you I needed so badly."
"Sleeping on the job. Someone needs to reprimand this one." Mark rolled his eyes and shoved another piece of bacon into his mouth.
“I hate to be a pain but my taxi’s going to be here in a moment.” Kristen carried her plate to the sink. “I left my watch downstairs. I just need to grab it.” She slipped out of the kitchen and outside before anyone could stop her.
"So I want to hear more about you and Kristen." Jamie swung around and leaned on the table. "Any chance of something starting between you guys?"
Mark shrugged. "No clue. I like her, but it's different. I know her from when we were kids and she was gaga over Alex."
"That's because I whupped that guy’s ass for bragging about raping her." Alex shook his head and ran his fingers through his hair.
"You didn't just whup his ass. You almost killed him. Why didn't you just tell Dad that? Let him know you were upholding a woman's honor? He would have accepted that." Mark tapped the table as his expression turned serious.
"I shouldn't have had to, Mark. I told him that I didn't get in the fight to show the size of my dick. He didn't believe me, and therefore didn't step in to help me when they hauled me off to juvie. Hell, it was mostly his idea." Alex set his cup down and folded another piece of toast in half. "It's all over now. She's safe, and the guy won't ever touch another woman."
"I understand, but...” Mark ran his fingers through his hair in frustration, a movement similar to his brother’s. “Dad had me believing you were just a thug, and look at you now. I know it might not mean much, but I'm proud of you. Really proud." Mark sat back and crossed his arms over his thick chest.
"It means a lot. More than you know. Juvie changed me. It made me better, and it set my life in the direction I needed to go. Plus, it made me super tough." Alex stood and flexed. "I can still kick your ass.” He grinned and quickly added, “On that note, I'm hopping in the shower and then going to the office. You guys clean up."
"What? That's not fair!" Mark yelled dramatically, the poor guy seemingly embarrassed by the soft moment.
Alex was, too, from what Jamie could tell.
"Yep. The cook doesn't clean, and the cleaner doesn't cook. You know the old rules from when we were kids. Get to it and stop playing like you're immune from work." Alex smiled and turned his attention to Jamie. "Does he act like this in the office, too?"
"Yep. All day, every day." Jamie laughed and got up as Mark's expression caused them both too laugh. He and Alex were going to be great friends one day. Jamie just hoped like hell that she would be right in the middle of them, able to witness it. “By the way, your girl is waiting for you downstairs. Her watch was on her wrist when she left.”
“Really?” Mark dropped his plate back on the table. “Sorry, bro, gotta go. Duty calls.”
Chapter 18
Jamie spent the day milling around the house, and then waiting for Alex to get back, which wasn't until later that night. They had a quick dinner, and he was out after ten minutes of watching TV on the couch. The security system cameras and everything were fixed and fully functional now. The glass in window and the backdoor were all patched up and looking brand new.
She stayed on the couch with him for the rest of the evening, brushing his hair with her fingers and dropping soft kisses onto his face as he slept. They crawled into the bed just after midnight, and Jamie made sure to move Jake into the bedroom with them and lock the door. She felt oddly safe, amazed because she was sure she would be terrified.
Everything was fine, but she wasn't going to be caught off-guard again. The cops had found the other guy involved in the burglaries in their neighborhood, thanks to Alex catching the first one and holding him until the cops could get there. She fell asleep easily as she curved her body against Alex’s.
He was gone when she woke the next morning, but there was a note on the counter that said he felt better leaving her with the alarm working. He told her to sleep in and head to the office whenever she felt ready.
After a quick shower and two pieces of toast, she was on her way to the office. The sun was finally out and shining, though it was still freezing, which was rather expected for mid-February.
"Valentine’s Day tomorrow," she grumbled as she parked in the garage. She needed to get Alex something for the holiday, but the man needed nothing. Christmas had been a pain in the butt, trying to figure out what to get him. She had finally settled on something sentimental rather than something expensive, but she was out of ideas for Valentine’s.
She would have to ask some of the girls in the office what they were getting their guys. It would have been great to bounce ideas
off of Gina, but...
Sadness rolled over her as she took the elevator up to their floor and walked out to find Gina's desk empty and Alex's door closed. They would need to get a temp to fill the position until they could hire someone.
She knocked on Alex’s door and popped her head in. “I’m home, sweetie.” She grinned as she caught him standing by one of the large windows looking out, a stack of files in one hand.
He smiled when he saw her. “Good to see you, Ms. Connors.”
Jamie’s gaze went instantly to the couch in his office. One of his lawyers sat there, a surprised look on his face.
“Oh! Hello!” She cleared her throat, trying to ignore the burn creeping up her neck and face. “If you need anything, Mr. Reid, just, uh, let me know.”
“Thank you.”
She nodded and quickly closed the door and headed to her office. She grinned. At least she hadn’t stepped in and said something dirty. She walked by Gina’s desk and sighed, hating that it sat empty and would soon be replaced with someone she didn’t know. She made her way to her office and dropped her stuff by the desk.
Mark turned from his normal position and smiled. "You doing okay?"
"Yeah. Just sad because of Gina. She was my only friend here." Jamie shrugged, not able to muster a smile or positive attitude at the thought of missing Gina. Things were going to get worse before they got better for sure.
"I'm one of your friends." Mark smiled and she couldn't help but return the gesture.
"This is true. What should I get Alex for Valentine’s?" She unwound her scarf from her neck and sat down at her desk, but kept her eyes on Mark.
"A nightie." He shrugged. "That's what I'd want."
"Really?" She glanced up as if thinking. "You think he would look better in white or red?"
"Red for sure. His complexion would be washed out completely with white." He kept a straight face until she cracked up.
Alex poked his head in the door, but stopped, lifting his eyebrow. "Why do I have a feeling that putting you guys in an office together wasn’t the best idea?"
"Because it's not. Get him out of here." Jamie stood up and moved to the door, wrapping her arms around Alex. "Morning, baby. Sorry about earlier."