Summoning every last ounce of control she possessed, Beth reported the crime. She held out absolutely no hope of getting her belongings back, but making the call was the only thing she could do. The dam finally broke when she replaced the receiver; tears stung her eyes, her vision blurred, and then the icing on the cake appeared before her—Alex, and he was frowning at her. Again.
Getting changed to go to Aegis, Alex had just unfastened his shirt prior to shaving when he heard noises outside in Beth’s office. What the…? The office was closed for the weekend, so who the hell was that he could hear? He tensed, ready to take on whoever was out there, and opened the door a crack, so as not to alert the intruder.
No, not an intruder, but Beth, who must have left a good fifteen minutes earlier. What on earth had brought her back to the office? He was about to go to her when it dawned on him that she was on the phone. She finished the call and promptly burst into tears—not great dramatic floods but heartbreakingly stifled, half-swallowed sobs that spoke volumes about loneliness and despair. He hated the thought of her knowing first-hand what those emotions felt like.
Something ugly twisted in his gut. “Beth, what’s happened?” He moved swiftly to confront her, his state of semi-undress forgotten.
She looked at him, and he was struck immediately by her valiant attempt to regain her composure. “Nothing. I…I –” Her lovely mouth trembled for a moment. “I’m sorry. I know I shouldn’t be here. My bag was snatched, he pushed me and I fell. My shoes…” She looked down at the scuffed heels, sitting untidily to one side. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know what else to do.”
It was then that he saw the torn nylons and the grazes to her knees—her palms were probably skinned too. “Let me see,” he commanded gently, hating seeing his so-capable assistant looking so bewildered and at a loss—so vulnerable.
And trusting. She offered her hands to him. He pushed aside the mental image of those wrists enclosed in soft leather cuffs, disgusted with himself for thinking such a thing at a time like this. Her injuries needed to be cleaned and cared for, and in his office he had just what he required for the job.
Her hands were one thing—her legs were a different matter entirely. There was no point in starting while the ruined nylons still adorned her far-too-tempting limbs, but when she stood to remove them at his request, her gasp of pain snagged his attention immediately. “What is it?”
“My ankle.” She pointed to the offending limb. “I think it might be sprained.” Her teeth bit into her lower lip.
“Here.” He stood in front of her, holding out his hands, palms up. “Let me help you up, and then put your hands on my shoulders.”
He’d undressed women before—more times than he could count—but this time was sorely going to test his self-control. He tried not to think about where he was going to have to put his hands, how she’d feel beneath his touch—there was a time and a place for that, and this wasn’t it.
“Tights or stockings?” His gaze held hers as he asked the question. Surely the rising tide of intimacy was just a figment of his imagination?
“Tights.” Her voice was little more than an embarrassed whisper.
She gasped as he lifted her skirt. Focused on his mission now, he hooked his thumbs in the waistband of her tights and gently pulled them down over her hips, crouching so that he could ease the nylons over her injured knees. There was an intimacy to the task that caught him off guard; the warm, feminine scent of her was weaving a spell around him, even like this. He smoothed her skirt back into place.
“Sit.”
Her instant obedience zinged through his bloodstream. Any other time and—No! Time and place, Lombard! Time and place—remember that! With the utmost care he finished removing the hosiery, trying to ignore the alabaster perfection of her skin and how smooth it looked, and failing miserably.
However, kneeling before her, he could get a proper look at the injuries she’d sustained in the assault and it made him seethe anew at the thought of some low-life causing her such anguish and pain.
“I’m sorry, Beth, but this is going to sting.”
Even though he’d warned her, he still heard the sharp intake of breath when the pad, soaked in hot water and antiseptic, made contact with her raw flesh. “Are you all right?”
Although she nodded, Beth was biting her lower lip; Alex suspected that she was hurting more than she was prepared to admit. Although they looked as if they’d smart like hell, the grazes were relatively minor. Her ankle, however, was a greater cause for concern. She could barely put any weight on her right foot. Nor could he rule out the possibility of shock from the mugging itself. There was no way he was letting her out of his sight tonight.
“At least he didn’t get the office keys,” she murmured, her hand closing on the bunch of keys she’d left on her desk.
Alex made an impatient noise. “Sod the bloody office keys! What about your own keys? And your credit and debit cards? What else did you have in your bag?”
No cards—she’d left her purse at home by accident this morning, and her keys were still in her coat pocket. “My mobile phone.”
After the theft was reported to the mobile phone company, Alex continued with his questioning. “Was there anything with your address on?”
She thought for a moment, and when she told him that there was, it sealed the deal for Alex. She was going home with him, whether she liked it or not. Furthermore, he was going to get Cam to check her place and make sure that everything was all right.
Beth listened with more than a touch of disbelief as her employer called his friend to ask him to check her home. With the robbery already reported to the police, all of a sudden home was the exact place she wanted to be.
“Not just yet, love,” Alex said absently, concentrating on cleansing her hands. “I need to finish getting you cleaned up and comfortable first. I’ll get dressed again, and then you’re coming home with me.”
No! She couldn’t possibly do that. “Mr. Lombard, please.” Beth tried to regain her composure and some sense of control. “I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself –”
“Normally, of that I would have no doubt, Miss Harrison,” he agreed, with additional emphasis on her name. “However, would you care to explain why you’re shaking like the proverbial leaf?” He took her hand in a firm but gentle grasp, carefully avoiding the grazed area.
All of a sudden, Beth was close to tears again. He was being so nice to her, but her knees were hurting, as were her hands, her ankle was giving her hell, and all she wanted was warmth, comfort and familiarity.
Her employer’s chest wasn’t helping, either. She knew he worked out and it showed in the hard, sculpted muscles that moved so enticingly as he worked on her injuries. Then she remembered something he’d said earlier in the day.
“You were going out this evening,” she recalled, quietly appalled that she’d ruined his plans. “I’m sorry. Look, I can get myself home –”
“And then what?” His voice was neutral. “You can’t walk. You need someone to take care of you.”
He straightened up. “Stay here, I won’t be long.” And with that, he disappeared back into his office once more.
Beth sighed. She wasn’t used to being taken care of like this. A solitary tear trickled down her cheek; she swiped it away with the back of her hand. Now she was just feeling sorry for herself. She had her Transport for London smartcard, it was in the same pocket as her keys, and she was sure she could get to the bus stop under her own steam, if she was careful and watched where she was putting her feet.
She slipped her feet back into her shoes, wincing when it came to the right one. Somewhat gingerly she stood up, braced herself and took her weight on her left foot. Now for the first step…
Her brief cry of pain and collapse back onto her chair were timed beautifully for Alex emerging from his office. He was pulling on his suit jacket; the shirt was buttoned now, although he had left it undone at the c
ollar, and his tie was looped loosely around his neck.
“What the hell…? Beth, for once in your life, will you stop being so bloody stubborn and independent, and let me take care of you? You’re staying with me tonight, and that’s final! And stop bloody apologising!”
The words died on her lips—how had he known what she was about to do? Was she so predictable? Predictable as in boring?
“Take these.” He held out his keys—office, car and, she presumed, the keys to his apartment. “I need you to lock up—I’ll have my hands full.” And with that, he slipped one arm under her legs and the other around her back. Automatically, her arms went around his neck.
Her face inches from his, Beth almost stopped breathing. Her senses were overwhelmed: the feel of his arms around her, holding her effortlessly to his chest, the clean, masculine scent of him…and then all the visuals. She was mesmerised by his dark eyes, framed by thick black lashes that women would kill for; the clear skin stretched taut over cheekbones that would challenge the skill of a master sculptor, and the rugged hint of five o’clock shadow clinging to the firm lines of his jaw.
And his mouth. What she wouldn’t give to be the woman entitled to place a gentle kiss to those lips…
The office secured for the weekend, they took the lift to the underground car park. Beth expected Alex to let her down while they were in the lift, but no—she remained securely in his arms. Although neither of them spoke, she felt that there was a whole subtext going on. It had to be her imagination working overtime, painting Alex into the role of the Dom in her manuscript again.
At this time on a Friday night, it wasn’t surprising to see only a handful of cars in the underground lot. Alex installed her in the passenger seat of his black Aston Martin and moments later the car’s powerful engine roared into life, taking them out of the subterranean cavern and into the busy streets of London.
3
There was something surreal about travelling through the bright lights of the city, in a breathtaking car driven by an equally breathtaking man. That being the case, it was hardly surprising that Beth’s mind was a million miles away, in a secret place that was warm, dark and intimate—and she’d taken that man to that place with her.
In the darkness, her imagination was in danger of running wild. No one could see the way she moistened her suddenly dry lips, or the subtle changes in her expression that reflected what was going on in her mind, the visions of a wild interplay of a male body and a female one, tasting, touching, exploring… fucking.
Thankfully the journey didn’t last long. An expert driver, Alex guided the expensive car through the traffic with cool confidence, heading for an equally expensive part of town. Beth stole the occasional glance at his hands on the steering wheel and the gear stick; flying in the face of good sense, she couldn’t help but picture those hands on her own body, his touch arousing her and giving her pleasure such as she’d never experienced. The effort to drag herself out of the fantasy required a huge intake of breath that finally broke the silence.
“Are you all right, Beth?”
Not trusting herself to speak coherently, she nodded, then realised he probably wouldn’t be able to register such a response in the darkness—she had to speak. “Fine, thanks.” How she managed to sound so relatively normal, she had no idea.
“How’s your ankle?”
She flexed the offending joint, wincing as pain shot up her leg. “Still sore,” she muttered, at the back of her mind more than a little relieved to find that speech was getting easier.
“It’ll probably get worse before it gets better. When you’ve had a shower, I’ll get an ice pack on it and strap it up for you.”
Shower? Who said she was having a shower? Obviously his perception of her visit to his apartment was vastly at odds with her own. But Lord, she thought as she flexed her stiffening shoulders, she could really do with standing under a cascade of hot water to ease the aches that were setting in—when the bag thief had sent her flying, parts of her body had moved in ways they just weren’t designed to.
She got to Alex’s apartment the same way she’d got from the office to his car—in his arms. And whatever she’d imagined that apartment to be like, it was nothing like the masculine statement of the reality—wide open space, decorated in black, brown and cream with the odd rich, dark-red accent, all ultra-modern in style.
The largely open-plan apartment was on two levels. The central sunken area—Beth remembered an article in a design magazine that referred to such a feature as a conversation pit—provided a focal point, with comfortable seating arranged around a large chunky coffee table that could almost have been a piece of modern art.
The raised outer area was almost like a wide walkway around the perimeter of the apartment. Straight ahead of her there were two doors to the left, while on the opposite side to the doors, the walkway was wide enough to accommodate an open-plan kitchen and dining area.
Alex carried her down to one of the huge, comfortable-looking sofas and gently lowered her to it. She quickly took in other features around the room: the modern flame-effect fire on the wall, the bookcases, the impressive-looking sound system, all very masculine. There were only two other doors, one of which had to lead to Alex’s bedroom.
The man himself looked down at her, his expression unreadable. “Right—first things first. The guided tour can wait. There’s not that much to see. Can you tolerate aspirin? Good; stay there and I’ll bring you some.”
She watched him covertly as he moved around the kitchen. He’d divested himself of his jacket and tie, and in the fitted white shirt she could appreciate the play of his powerful muscles. With a slight shiver, she remembered how it had felt to be in his arms, cradled carefully against that broad chest. When he turned to bring her the medication and a glass of water, she saw that he was also carrying a plate of crackers and cheese.
“You need to eat,” he said, his expression unyielding. “You can’t take aspirin on an empty stomach, and since we haven’t had dinner yet, you have to have something.”
Beth waited for him to leave the plate on the coffee table so she could help herself; the last thing she expected was for him to sit beside her and actually feed her the snack. Was he really sitting there, large as life, presenting the cracker and Brie as if he were feeding a child? Wide-eyed, she looked at him, and in return received a raised eyebrow and a stern look.
“Eat.”
Her eyes never left his as she took a bite, chewed and swallowed. If she’d thought that that would satisfy him, she’d have been sadly mistaken. He let her take a sip of water, and then watched as she took a second bite. When she went to take the cracker from him, the look in his eyes was enough to stay her hand. The process continued until both crackers were finished. He then dropped the aspirin into her hand.
“And make sure you have all the water. Good girl.” He took the glass from her when she’d finished it. “I think we could do with a drink. Tea or coffee?”
“Coffee—thank you.” Again, she was unable to meet his gaze—why did the image of a sub thanking her Dom for attending to her needs come so easily to mind? Beth took a deep breath—she really was getting far too involved in her writing. Then again, given her intense personal interest in the subject…
Trying not to stare, she watched Alex again while he made the coffee. He truly was irresistible as a spectator sport. Seeing him in his home environment was…educational. Try as she might, she was finding it more difficult to remember that he was her employer and that was the beginning and end of their relationship. She was only human, and the part of her that acknowledged he was a highly attractive man clamoured to be heard.
Highly attractive. The words simply didn’t do him justice, now more so than ever. She’d seen him with a day’s worth of stubble before, in the office, but here, in the informal environment of his home…Beth couldn’t really explain it, she just knew that she was responding to his more rugged appearance in a way that had a
lways lurked beneath the surface at work, but wasn’t so easy to hold in check here. Here he was dangerous, his military past somehow more visible…or maybe she was just more aware of it without the camouflage of mundane business activity to conceal the truth.
She gave herself a mental shake. Trying to dissect her responses wouldn’t help anyone. What would help was remaining in control until the current situation passed. Which it would. Tomorrow at the latest. Not. A. Problem.
The distinctive ringtone of Alex’s smartphone caught her attention. Beth couldn’t hear his side of the conversation, but something made her think it was connected with her predicament, a feeling that Alex confirmed when he returned, bearing a tray laden with elegant white mugs, sugar, cream and a large pot of coffee.
“That was Cam. He’s checked your place out himself. Everything looks okay at the moment, but he’s going to have someone keep an eye on things for you over the weekend.”
Beth’s eyes widened. Suddenly a thought occurred to her—how could Cam Fraser have checked her home when she still had her keys?
“Beth, my sweetheart, he’s an expert in his field—you’ll never even know he was there.”
Stunned, she stammered out her thanks. Even so, she was still taken aback by the watch being put on her humble apartment.
“Cam said it’s the least he can do for all the fantastic cups of coffee you’ve made for him over the last few years, quote, unquote,” Alex cut in. “Beth? Are you all right?”
No. No, she wasn’t. All of a sudden, the way Alex was taking care of her, the way his friend was making sure everything was all right…it all combined to make her hands tremble and her eyes fill with tears again. Even though it was only a temporary situation, it had been so long since her life had included someone with whom she could share the burden of responsibility.
The Velvet Ribbon Page 4