by Anthology
Now she felt worse. When the car came, she stepped in and turned to him. “Are you patronizing me?”
“No,” he said, twisting so he could look her in the eyes. “I thought I was helping.”
She averted her gaze. “No, you don’t. There are no criminals out there we can catch. No ring to break up and no hope of being anything but foolish in my attempt to be one up on my father.”
“I think you’re being a little rough on yourself, Laura.”
She looked at him to see if he was snickering. If he was, she’d walk home. Well, she’d actually call one of her sisters to pick her up. Her parents’ home was across town. “You know, since I was a kid my dad has found a way to show me that he was always going to be better than me at anything he put his mind to.”
“Thomas is pretty strong-willed, but he does love you.”
“Oh, I don’t doubt that. I doubt his willingness to call a truce and just be a parent.”
“He knows you have tremendous talent at everything. Why do you think he’s leaving his business to you? He gets offers every day. Hell, I’ve even thrown out a proposal.”
She crossed her arms. “I wish he’d sell the damn thing.”
“It’s his gift to you girls.”
“It’s a curse and you know it. We all do. Why can’t he see that?”
“The company is all he’s ever known. He served in the military then came back, worked in security, saved his money and opened his own firm. Avery Security Service is his life.”
“I wish my mother would’ve done us all a good service and provided him with a glorious son.”
Alex laughed and Laura found the sound pleasing to her ear. “He wouldn’t have his life any other way. Having a son would’ve been too boring. Besides, there’s no guarantee a son would want the business either”
She grinned at him. “Maybe you’re right.”
Alex pulled out of the parking lot and merged into traffic. “What do you say we check out a few malls?”
“Really?”
He glanced at her. “Yes, really. But, I don’t want you going in and coming out with a bag. We don’t need you to be bait. Let’s cruise around and see if anyone looks suspicious.”
“That might get us arrested.”
“No, all of us lurking around a parking lot hoping to get robbed would more likely get us put in jail. I’d be surprised if the cops aren’t at my door tomorrow after they review the cameras.”
They headed toward the suburb of Grapevine, and Laura enjoyed the festive decorations. It didn’t normally snow at Christmas in the Dallas/Fort Worth area, but that didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits when it came to holiday cheer.
They stopped at the Town Square and listened to the carolers dressed in costume. The massive tree was all red and silver with huge packages wrapped beneath the boughs. Frosty walked around handing out candy canes, and Mrs. Claus had a booth with free cookies and hot chocolate.
“This is nice,” Alex said, blowing on his drink. “I’ve never been here during the holiday season. It’s really festive.”
“You’ve never gone to the ice display at the Gaylord?”
He shook his head.
This guy really didn’t celebrate the holidays at all. She found that a little sad. “Is there just you and your sister?”
“Oh, no. I have a brother in Colorado, and another sister in Kansas City.”
“You don’t get together for Christmas?”
“No,” he said softly. “There was a bit of an argument the last holiday we all got together so now we avoid that kind of drama by just making a quick phone call or sending cards.”
“Why don’t you come to our house?”
“Your father asks every year. I felt I would be intruding, and I know I’m not your favorite person to be around.”
Embarrassment warmed her cheeks and she turned away. “That’s not true.”
“Sure it is and that’s okay. I don’t want to be where I’m not really welcome.”
“I’ve never said I didn’t like you.”
“No, but you sure do a good job of avoiding me.”
A little kid with a bright face ran between them to catch up with some other children.
“Do we still want to go looking for trouble?” she asked, trying to change the subject to something safer. How do you tell a man you’re not comfortable around him because he’s too attractive? That you’re sick of being rejected by the opposite sex? Or that all past relationships had failed?
She had a dating track record that would send anyone else to a therapist. For some reason she’d yet to meet the perfect man for her. Looking at Alex made her question her choices. She’d always claimed she didn’t like him because he was too buttoned down. Too tidy, too clean-cut.
Laura shook her head; they’d known each other for years, and yes, she’d avoided him and maybe that was for the best. She felt so inadequate in his company.
They strolled to his car then drove to the Grapevine Mills Mall. Going row by row in the parking lot, they didn’t see a single thing out of the ordinary. However, they did get stopped by a policeman.
Chapter 9
Alex knew it was going to happen. Those police perches were manned this time of year, and a car driving around the parking lot for an hour, bypassing coveted parking spaces was suspicious.
“Good evening, officer,” he said, taking out his driver’s license and reaching across her lap to the glovebox for his insurance and registration.
A flashlight was shinned in his face. “You’ve been observed driving around. Did you lose something, sir?”
“No, my girlfriend and I were just working out a few problems.”
Laura leaned down, looked at the officer and smiled. “We’re not doing anything wrong, are we?”
They weren’t but the policeman didn’t know that.
“No, ma’am, I’m just wondering why you’re driving around at such a busy time.”
The cop left to run Alex’s license.
“Please don’t tell me you’re wanted in five states for murder.”
“No, but there was that time in El Paso.” Alex grinned, hoping to break the tension. She was nervous and cops didn’t like it when potential troublemakers got antsy.
“I don’t think they can detain us like this. We’ve done nothing wrong.” The lawyer in her came out, and she reached for the door.
He touched her arm. “Don’t do anything. He’s going to give me my license and tell us to be on our way. This isn’t the time to make a point. After all, we can’t say we’re out here looking for criminals.”
He managed to change her mind, but the stubborn set of her jaw told him this wasn’t over. If the cop made one wrong move, she’d throw her attorney card on the table.
It wasn’t long before he came back. “Sir, it says you work for Avery Security Service and you have a permit to carry a gun. Do you have a weapon on you on in the vehicle?”
“No sir, I don’t.”
The man in uniform visibly relaxed. “Okay. That’s too much paperwork to fill out. Are you out here on a case?”
“No, not really. We just came from Main Street and thought we’d take in the sights.”
“My advice is to head on home now. You and your girlfriend have had plenty of time to see everything.”
“That’s exactly where we’re heading.”
They drove away and Alex let out a sigh of relief. He didn’t know who he feared would make the wrong move, Laura or the police officer.
“Where to now?” he asked. “You want to head somewhere else?”
“No, I think I’ll just check into a hotel and start my search in the morning after I rent a car.”
He stopped at the red light. “Why don’t you stay at my house and we can get an early start?”
She looked like he’d just grown two heads. “Your house? I can’t stay there.”
“Why not?” he asked, without giving it much thought. “I have a perfectly good spare bedroom. You’re wel
come to it.” He looked around. “I don’t think you’re going to find much available tonight with all the out-of-town guests.”
She must’ve realized he was right because she stared down at her hands. “I should just give up and go home. Maybe I am being stubborn, but Dad has pulled this kind of stuff before. He needs to stop and appreciate us for who we are.”
Alex didn’t want her to do that. He was enjoying her company too much to drop her off at her parents’ house. For an unknown reason, he wanted to help her defeat her father. If only in a small way.
He knew the odds of them finding a crook were small, but maybe they could witness something, find a lost item, or perhaps help someone out. Because she looked so damned pretty, he wanted to do something that would help to elevate Laura’s status in her father’s eyes.
“I think that would be a little uncomfortable, don’t you?”
“Not at all. My house is plenty big enough for both of us. And you’d be sleeping on the other side of the house.”
“I don’t want to impose.”
“The bed is empty.”
“You sure you don’t mind?” she said softly. “I just don’t want to go home tonight. Dad can’t help but gloat.”
“Let’s stop by the convenience store and grab a six-pack and some chips, and we’ll call it a night.”
“I’d rather have eggnog, homemade cookies and fudge.”
He turned to see if she was kidding. Thankfully, she tossed him a gentle smile. “But I’ll settle for beer, and chips and salsa.”
“Deal.” She looked down at her sweater and doubt clouded her eyes. “I have no extra clothing or even a toothbrush.”
“You’ll survive one night.”
Alex wondered what the hell he’d gotten into. While he had feelings for Laura, he didn’t know if her spending the night was a good thing for his heart. Of course, he knew nothing sexual would happen. Still, he wasn’t completely comfortable with her beneath his roof.
What would Thomas say? They’d never discussed him being with Laura. They could claim this was just a friendship thing. She didn’t feel comfortable going home, and he offered his spare bed.
There, plain and simple with no explanation needed. Unless Thomas pried, then he’d know that Alex had helped Laura in her pursuit of the non-existent robber and that they’d had dinner and she’d ended up in his home.
That wouldn’t sound good if Thomas became too inquisitive. He knew his job wasn’t in jeopardy and that Thomas trusted him with everything in the business. He hoped that also extended to his daughter.
She waited in the car while he ran inside the store and grabbed the drinks and snacks. Back in the vehicle, he drove to his house and inwardly thanked his lucky stars that his cleaning lady had been there today.
“We’re all set for a comfortable night on the couch watching Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” he said. “Doesn’t that sound exciting?”
“I guess.” Doubt gathered in her blue eyes that were remarkably similar to his own. “You won’t get into trouble with Father, will you?”
“We’re both adults. What can he say?”
She hefted a heavy sigh and said, “Okay, I’m game if you are.”
Chapter 10
Once inside Alex’s home, Laura’s discomfort grew to new heights. Being in her father’s employee’s house wasn’t exactly where she wanted to be. Suddenly this seemed like a bad idea, but she had no way to gracefully bow out and not hurt his feelings.
Damn her father.
While she stood in the middle of a very nicely decorated living room with an open, but chic décor, Alex disappeared into the kitchen. Standing at the counter, he opened the beer, poured the salsa in a bowl and grabbed the bag of chips
In the living room he cleared off the coffee table and put everything down. “Have a seat and get comfortable.”
Laura looked at the choices. There was a big comfortable couch, a leather recliner and a small accent chair. She opted for the farthest from the couch which meant the chair. It was also a long way from the coffee table.
He took off his suit coat, removed his tie and undid the top button on his white shirt. Then he slowly rolled up his sleeves, exposing muscular forearms dusted lightly with fine hair. He kicked off his shoes and pulled the end of his shirt out of his pants. For all the years she’d known him, never once had she seen him in such a relaxed state of dress. Instead, he’d been buttoned up tightly without a hair out of place. Meticulous was the word she’d use to describe him. Alex wasn’t your regular rugged, untamed stud. All his power was carefully hidden behind a façade of controlled temperament.
Looking away, she didn’t like when Alex pulled a reaction out of her, even when she stubbornly refused to acknowledge he was in the room. Standing in the middle of the floor, she crossed her arms. “This is a nice place.”
He eased down on the couch. “I like it.”
“You,” she said, licking her lips, “live here alone?”
He stilled and their gazes clashed. “You think I’d invite you to my home if there was another woman?”
“Well.” She swallowed. “We are just friends.”
“Yeah, but I wouldn’t do that.” He wrinkled his nose. “Too tacky.”
He was right and she’d been rude to bring it up.
She ignored the chair and plopped down on the floor next to the chips and beer. Dinner had been delicious, but she’d eaten very little. Being with Alex in a fabulous restaurant wearing her yoga pants and a sweater had made her more uncomfortable than she could imagine.
After watching TV for a while, they finished the last beers, and she stood up and stretched. “Where do I sleep?”
“Right through there.” He pointed to the other side of the kitchen.
“Goodnight,” she called out on her way to bed. “Thanks for letting me crash here.”
“Not a problem.” Maybe not for her, but Alex was having a difficult time being in the same room with her and not at least trying to steal a kiss. The only thing stopping him was the thought that she’d smack him.
He cleaned up the mess on the coffee table and went into his bedroom. He showered and crawled into bed naked, as usual. But he couldn’t stop thinking about her being so close to him. Having Laura in his house made him toss and turn.
He’d no sooner drifted off into a troubled sleep when he heard a bloodcurdling scream. He jumped from bed, slipped on his shorts, grabbed his gun and ran into the living room, right into the arms of Laura.
“There’s someone trying to break in.”
She hugged his bare chest and practically climbed up his body. Looking around, Alex noticed the French doors to the backyard were open. He peeled her off of him and placed her safely in a corner. “Stay right there while I look around. The alarm didn’t go off so I’m sure it’s nothing.”
“But there was a loud pop. Like a gunshot.”
When he tried the light, Alex realized why. The power was out. And the wind and trees swaying against the house made an eerie sound.
He walked over and looked around the bedroom. A tree limb had blown against the window, leaving a big hole. Rain had come in because he stood on a wet carpet. Outside, the storm stirred madly. A few limbs lay in his yard and his neighbor had lost a large tree.
He went back to her. “It’s a really bad storm. We’ve lost power, and I can barely see outside, but several branches are down, as well as a few trees.”
“That must’ve been what I heard.”
“No, the pop was probably from a transformer.”
“So what do we do?”
That’s when he noticed she wore nothing but her sweater. His mouth went dry as he squinted into the darkness to get a better look. Her long legs were beautiful in the dim light.
She grabbed his bicep. “What do we do?”
“We can’t go outside. Driving is out of the question. There might be live wires down.”
“So, we’re trapped here?”
“Not exactly trapped. We c
an easily ride out the storm.”
“You don’t think a tree will fall on the roof.”
He instinctively looked up. “I sure hope not.”
She glanced at the darkened living room. “I think I might sleep on the couch.”
He took a flashlight out of a kitchen drawer and led her back to the spare room. “Get dressed and we’ll sleep in my bed.”
She stopped in mid-step. “Are you kidding?”
“No, I’m not,” he said, turning to stare at her. “It’s the dead of winter, and we have no heat. The storm won’t blow over for a while. How do you suggest we stay warm?”
She quickly bundled up the blankets off the bed and grabbed her clothing. Dragging them to the couch, she stubbed her toes several times on the way, as well as walking into a solid wall before she tossed the covers down.
“I’m sleeping right here.”
“That’s fine with me, but you’re going to get cold.”
“I’m tougher than I look,” she said, shoving her long hair out of her face.
Funny, her standing there in his living room, she’d never looked so small and vulnerable. “Suit yourself. I’m putting my pants on should you get cold.”
He returned to his bed and scooted beneath the covers. It would get a lot colder before the night was over.
Chapter 11
Laura was as frozen as a Popsicle and her toes were numb. The couch was uncomfortable, and a mountain of blankets wasn’t enough to get her warm. She stood, slung the biggest blanket over her shoulder and braved the forbidden area.
Alex’s bedroom.
She didn’t dare walk in there. What would he think? Her thoughts were a mess as her body shook and trembled from the freezing temperatures.
Unable to feel her toes, she strode toward his open, inviting door. She tapped lightly. He rose immediately and grabbed the gun on his nightstand. “What?”