“A couple of Swanson’s stores are in strip malls in the ’burbs. So, eviction notices to only his business?”
Alex’s expression hardened, his lips forming a firm line. “Only him.”
“And the other locations?”
“It depends on how long this trial takes. We might be able to hurt his cash flow enough by closing down the rentals, but start looking for locations close to the ones he owns that we can convert. We’ll start by hiring his employees away from him. He’ll be scrambling at the very least.”
“What will you do with them?”
“Put them on the payroll, find them jobs here; I don’t care. Mrs. Dane will work with HR to do it. I’ve looked at his financial statements and he doesn’t have enough liquidity to pay what Avery can. If he wants to make better offers, he’ll have to try getting loans, and that would take collateral that he doesn’t have.” The smile on his handsome face spoke volumes.
“Alex, why don’t you just tell the prick you’re going to ruin him if he threatens Angel?”
Alex shook his head. “Because it would tip my hand, and it wouldn’t be nearly as much fun. It also might make it more dangerous for her. The guy is bad news. Just consider what we’re doing a community service.”
“Okay, I’m gonna go over there and hang around, just in case.”
“I appreciate your diligence, Cole. Really. But don’t get creepy around her; she’ll probably kick you in the balls.” Alex was kidding, but only barely; the amusement that danced over his features told Cole more than his words.
“Well, she must have a way with yours.”
Green eyes sparkled with laughter. “If you only knew.”
“So, I’ll go, then.”
Alex stopped him. “No, I think I’ll go.” He leaned forward and pressed the button on his phone that connected him to the outer office. “Mrs. Dane, please reschedule the rest of my day.”
* * *
“Angel, Mark Swanson is here.” Liz’s voice was soft on the other end of the line. She didn’t use the intercom, knowing Angel wouldn’t want the man privy to her response.
“Fine. Take him into the conference room. You remember what I told you?”
“Yeah. I got it. But he asked to speak to you first.”
Despite her bravado, she was frightened. The man made her skin crawl; the way he looked at her was filled with hatred and lust. She’d use it to her advantage, but she’d have to keep her focus. She stood, smoothing down the wool crepe of her skirt before reaching into her desk drawer for lip gloss. “Fucker is going down,” she murmured to herself as she applied it, and then threw it back into the drawer.
“Send him in, Liz.”
He was dressed impeccably, his dark hair slicked back with some sort of gel that made him look more menacing. As always, he wore that same self-satisfied expression that Angel wanted to slap right off his face. She struggled to control her face; to keep her loathing for the man to herself.
“Good afternoon, Mr. Swanson.” Angel extended her hand and he took it between both of his, pulling her toward him just slightly.
“So, we meet again. I take pleasure in it, even though I know what you’re up to, Angel.”
She itched to pull her hand away as he began to stroke her fingers with his. “Dr. Hemming, if you don’t mind,” she insisted.
“Ah, come now, Angel. You know you want to know me better. Why don’t we just stop this nastiness, hmmm?”
She tugged her hand free and moved behind her desk, indicating that he should take one of the chairs in front of it. “Mr. Swanson, the nastiness is not my doing. I’m only here to see justice done.”
His eyes narrowed, anger sparking in them. Angel flushed. The man was a hideous monster behind the polished and refined exterior. If she didn’t know what lay behind his eyes, she would have bet money he wouldn’t hurt a fly.
“My secretary is going to administer the tests this time. I appreciate that you came in. It was unfortunate that I lost the flash drive containing the first set.”
“Cut the crap. We both know you didn’t lose those results. They just weren’t the results you wanted.”
Angel’s back straightened and she pursed her lips. “Okay, if we’re being frank, I know you’re guilty as hell. I think you are the lowest form of slime and I’m going to do whatever I can to nail your ass to the wall. Happy now?”
Mr. Swanson laughed, tenting his fingers in front of him as he studied the way Angel’s chest rose and fell, his eyes drifting down over the full swells beneath her pale mauve blouse. “Your fiery disposition only makes you even more alluring, Angel. If that’s possible. You are stunning, and I bet you’re a real tiger in the sack.”
“Ugh!” Angel was disgusted and scowled at him, her mouth thinning into a firm line as she tapped the end of her pen on her chin. “Now it’s your turn to cut the crap, Mr. Swanson. I find you nothing less than repugnant, as I’m sure most women do. I wish I could say that’s why you force yourself on innocents, but we both know you do it because you’re a sick coward and can only feel like a man when you are controlling someone weaker. Coupled with a complete lack of conscience and your narcissistic tendencies… it adds up to a morally retarded sociopath. Textbook.”
“You’re crossing a fine line, Dr. Hemming,” he said coldly, seething as the steel of his gaze bored into her as he moved forward in his chair.
“The truth hurts, I guess,” she said with bravado she didn’t feel. She squared her shoulders for the attack that would surely come next.
“You’d do well to remember who you’re dealing with. It isn’t just you who will suffer, little lady.”
“No, you crossed the line when you hurt that young woman. I want to remind you that if you lay one finger on me, or anyone I care about, you’ll be making the biggest mistake of your life. I have no time for your over-inflated, over-compensating ego, and absolutely zero interest in your teeny little weenie, other than to make sure it’s behind bars!” She smiled brightly at her nemesis. “Did you know that inmates are notoriously hostile to sex offenders?”
Mark Swanson’s face turned a mottled red. “I can do more than hurt you or teach you a lesson, you stupid little bitch! It won’t be here or when you’re expecting it, but don’t underestimate me.”
“Aspirations are always good, but I’m certain you don’t have the balls to come after me yourself.”
“Don’t. Fuck. With. Me.”
Angel forced a sly smile as hate welled up inside her. “Words to live by. You should practice what you preach.”
“I’m warning you to back off.” His tone was deadly quiet.
“Warn away.” Angel sighed lightly. “Are we through? I really do have a busy day,” she quipped, nonchalantly dismissing him with a wave of her hand and slight smile.
As if on cue, the intercom sounded. “Dr. Hemming?”
Angel watched Mr. Swanson as he worked to regain control of his temper. His face was red and contorted and his eyes blazed a trail of hatred. Angel inwardly blanched. She’d done what she needed to do. “Yes, Elizabeth?”
“Mr. Avery is here, and I’m ready for Mr. Swanson to join me in the conference room.”
Shit! What is Alex doing here? It was a classic case of bad-timing. The last thing she needed was Mark Swanson knowing more about her personal life than he already did, but there was little she could do about it now, other than try to remain professional.
“Mr. Swanson and I are finished. Send Mr. Avery in, and let me know when you’re finished with the testing. I’ll be in my office.”
Mark Swanson stood and buttoned the blazer of his grey suit. “Remember what I said, little miss,” he said, pointing a finger at her warningly.
“No, you remember what I said, asshole. You have no idea what the first set of tests showed, the second could only be to reinforce what we found.”
The door opened and Liz popped her head in. “Mr. Swanson? Please follow me.”
“We expect full disclosure,” the man
said as he moved toward the office door.
“That’s between you and the District Attorney’s office. Now, if you’ll excuse me?”
She watched him exit the office as Liz held the door. Alex passed the other man on the way into her office and, instantly, Angel’s mood changed. He was impeccably dressed in a dark, expertly tailored navy suit, crisp white shirt, and a silk tie in shades of silvery grey and navy. She raised her eyebrow and grinned.
“To what do I owe this honor?”
Alex glanced around her office, registering the same elegant style that graced her condo: dark woods, sleek but plush upholstery, fine art, and a Persian rug that covered the majority of the floor in dark teals, ivory, and light mauves. He walked around her desk and took her hand, pulling her up and into his arms.
He’d recognized the bastard he’d just passed in the reception area. After seeing his face, he did recall the billboards and commercials for his dry cleaning business. Alex sighed. His determination to ruin Swanson’s life renewed as he pulled Angel closer. He hated her job, hated the risks that came with it, hated the way it made him feel, and really hated the fucker that just left. If he had his way, he’d never let her out of his sight. But, he couldn’t tell Angel any of that.
“It’s simple. I wanted to look at you. You’re beautiful.”
Angel calmed as his arms wrapped around her and hers slid around his neck of their own volition. His green eyes burned over her face, the intensity out of place for a casual visit. “Well, you’re seeing me,” she said softly. The fingers of her right hand ghosted over his jaw as she met his gaze before her lids dropped and her chin tilted, silently asking for his mouth to find hers.
His lips hovered above hers as he breathed in her sweet scent; he moved the tip of his nose slowly around hers. “Are you okay? Who was that?” Alex wanted to see if she’d tell him the truth.
“Just a subject. Are you gonna kiss me or what?”
He laughed quietly as he teased her mouth with light licks and gentle brushes. “Depends on the or what.”
Angel giggled. “Oh, baby, don’t tease me.”
“Oh, I will. You can count on it.”
“Promises, promises.”
Alex’s hand moved up her back to thread through her silken hair that was falling in soft waves down her back. His pulse quickened as his mouth finally found hers in a hungry kiss, his tongue invading her mouth until she had no doubt how she affected him. Angel’s heart thrummed in her chest and heat pooled in her core; she could almost feel her blood rushing in her veins.
“What are you doing to me?” he asked as his mouth dragged across her cheekbone. “I think of nothing but touching you, my mouth on yours, being inside you… just being able to look at you.”
She clutched at his shoulders, his words and his kisses leaving her breathless. “It’s no different for me,” she admitted softly. Her statement was so true; it physically hurt. “But, I’ll deny it if you ever repeat it.”
2
In the Dark
Alex’s heart was pounding rapidly, his breathing shallow and fast. Words were impossible. The pleasure Angel was giving him was more than he’d ever experienced. That mouth on his body, her kisses, her voice, and her words were beginning to rule his world. It didn’t matter that he’d known her less than a month, the emotions she generated were foreign but more amazing than he’d ever thought possible.
The fingers he’d wound in her hair tightened as his climax approached. The pleasure was unbearable, but he never wanted her to stop pushing him toward the explosion he knew was coming. Her beautiful mouth wrapped around his cock, sucking and licking in obvious mission to make him cum hard, was what his dreams were made of. His muscles coiled and stiffened, his balls tightened until his head fell back against the pillows and he finally couldn’t fight it any longer.
“Ahhhh!” His cry of release echoed into the room, his body jerking with the intensity of his orgasm. Angel lightened her pressure as she swallowed, but kept the suction constant, her lips and tongue caressing gently until Alex relaxed. “Oh, baby…” He glanced down. The sheet was draped over her lower back, her hair wild and full around her satisfied expression. Alex sat up slightly and slid his hands over Angel’s shoulders and down her arms to pull her up and across his body until she was lying with her head still resting on his stomach. “Oh, Angel… Oh, my God, that was so hot.”
Angel tightened her arms around him, and he stroked over her hair and back over and over as his breathing slowed. Emotion overwhelmed her and she closed her eyes. She wished time would stop and the world would go away. In this man’s arms, she found solace and ecstasy like she’d never known. In this man’s arms, she wanted to give like she never had before. Giving pleasure was a way to be in control, to bring him to his knees, but it wasn’t playing out as she planned. This was different. She cared about him against her will and pleasing him was a manifestation of her feelings. Her heart ached with it.
“You’re so perfect,” he whispered in the darkness, his fingers searching for her skin, never seeming to get enough. “Every goddamned thing about you is so fucking amazing.”
“I’m not perfect, Alex.” Her voice sounded like music, the syllables skittering over his skin like electric rain.
“Yes, you are. I never want to stop touching you, tasting you. I can’t stand to be away from you.” He inhaled deeply, surprised at his own admission.
“Is that why you didn’t go to Greece today?”
“Yes,” he admitted without hesitation, his chest still heaving.
“Who would have thought you’d be such a romantic?” she asked softly.
“Believe me, I’m as shocked as you are. Maybe you bring it out of me.”
Angel’s face was turned as she rested her cheek on his chest, but her breath fanned out over his skin and her fingers played gently, roving over his chest and down over the muscles on his lower abdomen.
“Hmmm,” she sighed. Her throat tightened and her eyes welled. If only this could be real. If only it could last. She blinked away the tears, unwilling to let them fall, trying to concentrate on the warmth of his hands—in her hair, on her back—both caressing gently.
“Angel?” he asked after a few minutes.
Her arms tightened around his body again and she nodded. She wasn’t sure she could trust her voice yet.
“That was him,” Alex stated.
Angel’s stomach fell, certain she couldn’t lie convincingly enough.
“That was him, the guy… the case,” he said again.
“Who?”
“That smarmy bastard in your office today.”
“He’s part of one of the cases I’m working on right now, yes.”
“The case. The guy who raped his stepdaughter.”
Angel lifted her head to look into his face. Despite the shadowy blanket of night, he could still see her brow furrow. “Yes. But why are we talking about this now?”
Alex ignored her question, determined to get some information out of her. The more he could get her to tell him, the more open he could be about protecting her. “I recognized him. He owns that dry cleaners, doesn’t he?”
Angel moved off of Alex’s body to lie next to him, propping her head on her hand.
“Yeah, but it doesn’t matter what his business is. He’s a creeper.” The urge to tell him everything about the case consumed her. If only she could. She wanted to allow the protectiveness she heard in his voice to take root and make her feel safe.
“Has he threatened you?” The ominous tone in Alex’s voice commanded a response.
“Please stop this, Alex. Don’t ruin tonight.” She reached out a hand and ran it down his chest, her eyes imploring.
He sighed again; this time, his impatience growing, exasperation lacing his low tone. “You might as well tell me. I have the resources to find out anything I want to know, babe.”
She stiffened and, as she pulled away and sat up, looked into his face. “It’s late. I should go.”
> He leaned up against the headboard, knowing it was an inane attempt to move the conversation in another direction.
“Why are you hiding this from me? I mean, what the hell is going on between us?”
She shifted, pulling the sheet closer beneath her breasts. “We agreed to live our own lives, and these questions, all the time we’re spending together—” she motioned between them, “—this… it’s getting out of hand. I want to keep it casual.”
Under any other circumstances, with any other woman, Alex would have rejoiced at those words. “What are you afraid of, Angel?” His green eyes blazed in the darkness, sparkling pools trained on her face.
“Nothing. Why do you always assume I’m afraid of something?” Her voice took on an angry tone and he sighed, more heavily this time.
“I thought we worked through this last night.”
The silence hung between them like the calm before a storm as she picked at the sheets, not looking Alex in the face. Her heart hurt and her throat ached. The emotions he caused were glorious, amazing, and so fucking painful. She swallowed hard, trying to get words beyond the lump in her throat. “I surrendered; you won. Do you have to rub it in?”
“There was no surrender. There is no escape in this,” he said with quiet urgency and reached for her hand. His fingers were warm, his thumb rubbing over the smooth skin on the top of her hand. “For either one of us.”
Her eyes lifted to his face… so incredibly handsome, his hair pushed back over his forehead by numerous trips of his hand, the strong jaw, straight nose, the slight cleft in his chin, and his soft expression, all added up to leave her breathless. She had to admit it to herself: she was in love. So in love she could barely function without him consuming her every thought. But she was a realist and loving him would leave her empty-handed.
“For now. Until you get bored.”
Alex’s mouth tightened into a thin line, anger and frustration filling him. “That’s nonsense. I’ve never been more motivated, both in bed and out of it.”
After Dark: The Complete Series Page 32