by Mia Carson
Mention of Sam made Alec think of his own brother and that he would be coming home to the house where Alec did not want him to be. Iris stood and started to gather her clothes, but he hurried to his feet and dragged her back to bed with him, kissing her as he cupped her bare ass in his hands, giving it a good squeeze.
“Alec,” she breathed but didn’t try to get out of his grasp.
“What if I told you I had an idea that would let you stay here with me all night long?”
“I’d say I’m all ears,” she said and crawled backwards on the bed. He moved with her, kissing her with each inch they moved until they were back on the bed together and he ran his hands down her sides in soft caresses. “Alec… the plan?”
“Right, plan,” he said with a grin. “I don’t want August coming home tonight, so why doesn’t he go stay with Sam? They’re only a few years apart, and I’m sure Sam could do with some guy time, no offense to his big sister.” He watched as her brow furrowed and her lips pursed, waiting for her to say no, but she fell back against the pillow and grinned.
“You know, I think we both could use some fun time,” she said. “You think August would mind?”
Alec barked a laugh as he rolled off her to the floor and dug through his jeans for his cell. “You kidding me? He’ll get some pizzas and movies, and they’ll be just fine all night.” He swiped his thumb over the screen of his cell. “Huh, guess you scream louder than I thought.”
She threw a pillow at his head, catching him off-guard, and he fell on his ass. She clapped a hand over her mouth to cover her giggling, but Alec picked it up and chucked it right back.
“Joe called. I’m going to give him a quick ring and let him know what’s going on.”
“Don’t tell him we had sex!” she yelped, her face turning three shades of red.
Alec waggled his eyebrows as the blush spread down her deliciously naked chest. “I’m not, but he’s a smart man. I’m sure he’ll figure it out on his own.”
She nibbled her lip in a way he was coming to love and hopped off the bed. He admired every curve of her body as she walked naked across the room to find her jeans. “Damn, my cell’s in my purse. I’m going to go grab it and call Sam.” She glanced around the room as Alec dialed Joe and listened to the ring.
“Yeah, it’s Alec,” he said when Joe answered, and Iris disappeared into his walk-in closet. He tilted his head, trying to see, but Joe was talking and he shook his head. “Sorry, what?”
“I asked if she’s calmed down,” Joe repeated. “It’s been several hours since she went after you.”
Alec let out a contented sigh. “She’s doing just fine.”
Joe chuckled. “Right then, I won’t keep you long.”
“Actually,” Alec said and asked Joe to hold a second. Iris stepped out of his closet wearing nothing but one of his longer button up-shirts. She only buttoned three, giving him a clear view of her breasts, and she winked, turning around to give him another view of her ass as she walked out the door. “Sorry, I didn’t want her to hear.”
“You want to know about the building?”
“Yeah, did you find out who owns it?”
Joe’s aggravated grunt was enough to give Alec an answer. “The Drayer family, of course. They own everything in this damn town, and they are selling it for a ridiculous amount of money.”
“Money isn’t an issue. How soon can we buy it?”
“You want to buy it, not lease it?” Joe asked to clarify.
“Wouldn’t be a very good gift if she had to worry about that bastard looking over her shoulder every other day,” Alec explained darkly. “I want her out from under his thumb.”
The sound of shuffling papers sounded on the other end. “Speaking of which, I think I’ve found something else of interest while I was at City Hall, but I’m not sure if I can explain everything over the phone and it doesn’t take a young man to know that you do not want to spend all evening chatting with me.”
An image of him tearing the shirt from Iris’s body as he took her in the kitchen and hearing her cry out his name shook him hard and his erection grew instantly. “Ah… no, but I can swing by in the morning when I walk Iris to work.”
“Good, that’d be great. I think I have found why the Drayers hated her family.”
Alec was moving towards the bedroom door, but his steps paused. “They hated them? I thought everyone in this town loved her parents.”
“Not everyone,” Joe said. “The mayor, especially, found them an annoyance. Their museum dedicated to the founders of this town was almost not allowed to open because of him, and he tried to shut it down several times.”
“Why? You’d think he’d be proud of his ancestors,” Alec mused quietly. “Right, too much to talk about over the phone. I’ll see you in the morning, Joe.”
“Of course… and Alec? Thank you.”
He leaned in the doorway, his body warming when he heard Iris humming loudly in the kitchen. “For what?”
“Pulling her back from that dark ledge,” he said and hung up.
Alec disconnected and called August quickly to tell him the plan.
“Hell yeah, I’ll hang out with Sam,” August said. “Sounds like a cool guy, and I’ll be the nice brother to give you the house for you and your lady friend.”
“Just don’t do anything stupid with him,” Alec warned. “He’s supposed to be regaining his strength, remember? And for God’s sake, don’t watch anything that Iris might whack you over the head for.”
August cackled. “No promises. Maybe we will plan that dinner I talked about. It’ll be fun. Tell Iris I said hi.”
“Will do,” Alec muttered and hung up, setting his cell on the dresser.
He tapped his fingers on the wood, the gears turning in his mind as he thought over Joe’s words. Jenson’s family never liked the Newtons, so why did he go out with Iris to begin with? He walked into his closet to find a pair of jeans to tug on and wandered downstairs, still lost in thought as he entered the kitchen and leaned in the doorway. His mouth quirked in a half smile as he watched the sway of Iris’s hips to music only she could hear.
To think she didn’t want him in her life for any reason was absurd. He fell for her their first night together when she’d opened up and told him about her broken life. He fell for her harder when he saw the love she had for her brother and why she fought so hard to hold on. Alec wasn’t perfect either—far from it—but now that he’d found Iris, the idea of not seeing her every day was intolerable. He worried for a moment that she would be pissed at him for going behind her back to buy her shop back, but he wasn’t going to let Jenson or his family win, not while he was in town. And he sure as hell wasn’t about to be chased out for any reason.
Iris stoked a fire deep in his soul that he’d sworn Nikki had squashed with her cruelty. It warmed him, and he strolled across the kitchen, slipping his arms around Iris’s waist, kissing her neck and loving how easily they fit together.
“Get ahold of Sam?” he asked, nuzzling her neck.
“Yeah, he was pretty excited,” she said on a sigh. He could tell by the tone of her voice she smiled. “I think he’s happier for me spending time with you than anything else.”
“Oh, so he does like me. Good to know.”
“Yeah, he wants you to be my boyfriend,” she teased, but Alec didn’t join in her laughter. “Alec?”
He turned her around so she faced him, trapped between the cabinets and the heat of his body, wearing nothing but his damn shirt. Every primal instinct in his body called out to possess this woman, and the carnal hunger reflected in her eyes moved his hands to clutch her hips.
“Do you want me to be?” he asked seriously.
Her hand reached up, and she traced his eyebrow, a sad smile on her lips. “I told you, I’m not a simple person. You’ve seen my life. You sure you want to be a part of that craziness?”
“Try and stop me,” he growled before he claimed her mouth.
He hoisted her up onto
the counter, and the second she spread her legs for him to fit right between her thighs, Alec knew he was lost in his ever-growing fondness for this woman.
August propped his feet up on the table, tightening his grip on the controller and biting his tongue as he hunted down Sam’s character in the shooter game he’d picked up on his way over. They’d devoured one pizza and were working on their second. He thought he was safe and reached for another piece when Sam yelled in triumph as August’s character blew up.
“Damn it,” August said through a mouthful of pizza. “I thought you’d been in a hospital for months.”
Sam shrugged and grabbed another piece for himself, too. “What do you think I did while lying in bed all day?” he pointed out. “I had to do something to stop myself from going stir crazy.” He chewed his pizza, leaning back on the couch. “My sister’s happy with your brother. Is he… He’s a good guy, right?”
August patted Sam on the shoulder. “Yeah, he is. Been through some rough times lately himself, but I think they’re good for each other.”
“Good, that’s good. She needs something to smile about. She… uh, she told me how bad things got while I was sick,” he said quietly, picking at the couch cushion. “I want to help if I can, and Alec said he might let me take a job at the range.”
“We’d be happy to have you around. What did your sister say?”
Sam cringed. “I haven’t asked her yet.”
“Well, maybe that dinner we’re going to plan will be a good time to bring it up,” he said and stood, stretching his arms over his head. “Going to grab another water. Want one?”
“Probably not a bad idea,” Sam said.
August was bending down behind the fridge door when the pounding of a fist hit the front door, and his head popped up. Sam stared at it, confused, until a man’s voice called out. Then his look turned into a glare, and he cursed, jumping to his feet.
“Wait,” August whispered. “Who is it?”
“Jenson,” Sam snapped and moved to the door until August rushed to intervene. “He’s looking for Iris.”
“I know, but you’re still recovering, so let me deal with him,” August insisted. He waited for Sam to agree and step away before he took a deep breath, threw on a smile, and swung the door open. “Ah, you are not the pizza man—or did you have to get a second job, Deputy?”
Jenson’s face twitched before his lip curled up in a snarl. “What the hell are you doing here, Wolf?”
“Hanging out with Sam,” he said casually. “What are you doing here? We didn’t get called on for a noise complaint, did we?”
He hefted his belt up higher, still wearing his badge and gun though he was probably off duty. “No, course not. I was looking for Iris. She here?”
“Hmm, Iris? Sam, have you seen your sister?”
“Nope, not for a while,” he said innocently. “Why do you need her?”
“She’s not answering my calls, and I have something urgent I need to talk to her about regarding a photograph.”
Intrigued, August tapped his chin and raised his brow. “Interesting. What photograph?”
Jenson took a step forward, and August’s hand automatically twitched towards his lower back, but he’d left his Glock at the range, locked up in the case. It probably wouldn’t be a good idea to draw it on the deputy, but the look in Jenson’s eyes was not comforting in the least.
“Nothing, just tell her I stopped by,” he growled and turned. He reached the porch step before he whirled back around. “Is she with that bastard brother of yours?”
August barked a laugh, bending over double and waving at Jenson. “Sorry. It’s just that I’m actually the bastard in the family—and I don’t know if she’s with him.”
“You do know, and you’re going to tell me.”
“Or what, you’ll arrest me?”
Jenson ground his teeth and pointed a finger in August’s face. “Tell your brother if he doesn’t start listening to me, he’s going to have a world of hurt coming down on his head soon enough.”
“Or maybe he and I will just buy this town out from under you,” August countered with a sneer of his own. “You do realize how much the Wolf family is worth, right? Sit with that for a while before you make idle threats, Deputy.” He slammed the door in Jenson’s face and locked it. “Call your sister,” he said as he turned around to Sam. “Give them both a heads up.”
Sam nodded and reached for his cell on the kitchen table. “What you said about buying the town… Could you guys really do that?”
“Ha, hell no, but sure sounded good, didn’t it?” August said, hoping the light tone of his words covered up his worry.
Jenson was turning into a bigger threat than he’d assumed. He hoped Alec knew what he was doing, getting involved with Iris. August watched Sam talk on the phone to his sister for a second then glanced around the rest of the small house. No matter what Jenson threw at them, August wouldn’t let his brother stand alone. Sam was a good kid, and he and his sister had been through enough. Besides, he thought to himself as he peered out the front window to ensure Jenson had left, I haven’t been in trouble with the law for a few years. Time to stir up some mischief with the local yokels.
August laughed quietly to himself and hoped Jenson gave Alec and him a chance to knock him down a few pegs. Quite a few. Hell, getting him fired would be a good goal to aim for.
Chapter 12
Sun streamed through the window, hitting Iris in the eyes, and she groaned, rolling over to burrow deeper against Alec’s chest and under the quilt. His deep chuckle vibrated through his chest to her cheek, and she smiled at the sensation of their naked bodies entwined. Most of the night had been spent exploring each other’s bodies in ways she’d never even thought of, and when she shifted, muscles whined in protest, ones she didn’t even know she had until last night.
Alec’s arms created a pocket of warmth, and he kissed the top of her head. “Morning, sunshine.”
“Hate mornings,” she mumbled. “Need coffee.”
“A shower would be nice, too,” he said and yawned loudly until she tilted her head back to stare at him. “I didn’t think it was possible, but you wore me out.”
“I wore you out?” she remarked and sat up reluctantly until he tackled her back to the bed, hugging her close. “I'm pretty sure you did the wearing out.”
“Is that a complaint I hear?” he mocked. “Guess I should go easier on you next time.”
She tugged on the scruff turning into a beard, and her lips found his. The kiss turned heated quickly, and she felt his arousal grow against her belly. “Don’t you dare,” she murmured. “Sadly, we do have to get up. I can’t leave Joe hanging at the shop since I ran out yesterday.”
“You’re probably right,” he said and his head fell back to the pillow with a muffled thump. “Shower first, then coffee?”
“Quick shower,” she said, poking him in the chest. “We can pick this up later after work.”
“Or maybe lunch,” he said. “I’ve been enjoying my lunch breaks of late.”
She kissed him again, knowing it wouldn’t be enough to tide her over for the day, and rolled out of bed. She hurried into the bathroom and turned the water to steaming hot before jumping in. Alec stuck a foot in and yelped.
“How hot do you have that?” he grumbled.
“Hot enough,” she said, loving the heat of the water cascading over her body. “I’m sorry, I hate cold water. Want me to turn it down?”
He sucked in a breath, puffed out his cheeks, and with a sigh, shook his head. “If I get in there with you, we’ll never get out and I have to get to the range at some point today. I’ll go put on a pot of coffee.”
Sheepishly, she smiled and leaned her head out of the shower. “Sorry.”
He kissed her, resting his forehead against hers. “Don’t be. You were just born in lava, apparently, and I am a cold-hearted cowboy.”
He walked out, and Iris hurried in the shower. She hadn’t bothered to check t
he time before getting in. She felt bad enough for running out on Joe yesterday and wanted to put in a full day’s work today, if at all possible. She used the soap Alec had, breathing in the manly scent of mahogany as she quickly shampooed her hair and gave her body a good scrub. As her hands roved over her soapy skin, her eyes slipped closed and she nibbled her lip, remembering all the ways Alec touched her throughout the night.
By the time she finished in the shower, she was hot and bothered again, itching to find him and tackle him to whatever flat surface she could find, but priorities came first. She would just have to tackle him later. Her shirt was a bust, but she found one of his t-shirts and rolled up the sleeves once and tucked in the front. It didn’t look as bad as it could’ve, and she had a sweater at the shop since Joe liked to keep it cold while he worked.
“Done,” she announced as she bounded down the stairs.
Alec set his coffee mug down, eyeing her choice of shirt as his lips twitched. “Not too shabby. Sorry about your blouse.”
“It’s just a shirt,” she said and brushed his hand as she passed him on the way to the coffee.
He said he’d be down in ten, and she poured herself a steaming cup of coffee before checking her e-mails on her cell. There wasn’t anything exciting, so she set her cell down and enjoyed the aroma of the hot coffee in her hand. She expected to feel worried now that she and Alec were officially dating, but no panic set in and the doubting voices in her mind were quiet.
“It might actually be a good morning,” she muttered to herself when the doorbell rang.
“Alec?” she called up the stairs. “Are you expecting someone?”
He didn’t answer so she assumed he was still in the shower. Thinking it was Jenson at worst and his brother and Sam at best, Iris set her coffee mug down and went to answer the door.
“Um… hi,” she said when she opened the door to find a bleached-blonde woman wearing five-inch, red heels, a tight, red dress to match, and a black leather jacket. She clutched a small purse in her hands, and her gaze said she was anything but expecting to find a woman here. “Can I help you?”