I knew down to my bones that she’d love as fiercely as she now resented. That once I get her beneath me she’d be the perfect match for me.
I’d started thinking of her as a more long-term prospect these days and had accepted that I wanted her to be more than someone to warm my bed for a day or two.
There was something about her, starting from the day we met, that called to me. She had this air about her, like she needed me to take care of her, protect her.
It was so contrary to the tough exterior she wore that had fooled everyone. But I’d seen it and I mean to get to the bottom of it as soon as possible.
She didn’t know I watched her from beyond the door after I left. So I saw her flustered face and the way she fanned herself as if overheated.
“That damn man, why do I let him get to me? Don’t even think about it Giavanna he’s not for you.” I stumbled back away from the door speechless for the first time in my life.
I hadn’t expected that. I didn’t feel bad about spying on her either. At least I knew what she really felt. The little minx has been very good at hiding it. Let the hunt begin.
6
That whole week I made it a point to visit her in her office when I knew she was alone. The closer I got the more flustered she became until she was all but jumping out of her skin.
Yesterday I’d cornered her against her desk, getting as close as I could without being inappropriate. “What…?”
“You have something in your hair.” I pulled the little blossom from among her curls and showed it to her before moving away.
“I hear that you’ve finally finished the final blueprints for the hotel may I see them?”
“Sure, of course.” She cleared her throat and rifled through her desk for a disk. Why so flustered little one?
Yesterday in the cafeteria she’d done a good job of ignoring me even though we sat at the same table with my annoying brother. Now she’s as skittish as a newborn kitten.
“Don’t you have hard copies?” She opened a drawer and withdrew the paper copies of the plans. I moved around the desk, once again crowding her close.
Her body tensed as if expecting my touch, but I deliberately kept myself away from her. I could feel the heat of her body next to mine but I didn’t touch her.
I inhaled deep, taking her scent in and willing my cock to behave. My hands itched to feel the softness of her skin beneath them and I gritted my teeth hard.
I listened to the change in her breathing and studied that pulse in her neck before turning my attention to the blueprints.
Apart from my sudden attraction, she really is an asset to me, and the company. It’s a wonder that I never would’ve met her had it not been for this life-changing project.
When I think of how I’d fought my brother about hiring her it broke me out in a sweat. I could’ve lost her before I met her because of my stubbornness.
Our last architect had been with the company for a while and I was hesitant to replace him with someone so young and inexperienced after he chose to retire.
Now I know it would’ve been the biggest mistake of my life had I won that argument. The thought always makes me sick in my gut.
Thanks to the soft spot I have for my little brother and my trust in him when it came to things like this I’d avoided a disaster.
While she looked down at the paper I studied her. She’s naturally beautiful without the added gloss of too much makeup and other worldly enhancements.
Even the curve of her neck is sexy, and the way she brushes her hair over one shoulder leaving the other side of her neck bare makes me hard.
She was always buried beneath a suit, but there was no way to hide the curves of her body that filled out the skirt and jacket to perfection.
Her waist was slender and her legs long even though she was no more than five two at the most. Such a little thing to pack such a punch as to bring my six foot two self to heel.
She went on and on about the changes she’d made while I kept my eyes on her. I’d seen enough to know that she’d been right to make the call she did so I didn’t need to pay attention.
Besides, she’d just be going over the same thing tomorrow in our weekly meeting. Instead I leaned in closer as if reading the print, though in all honesty I was inhaling her scent.
A scent that follows me into my dreams at night. A scent that I would know anywhere from now on. A scent that makes my dick hard with just a whiff of it.
She always smells the same, like flowers in the sun after a spring rain. She looked up at me and I realized she’d asked me a question, which I didn’t hear.
“Say again?”
“I asked if these were to your liking or if there was something else you wanted changed.” Don’t hold back beauty. I could hear the restrained sneer in her voice.
I guess that was her dig at me for being a meticulous bastard but I never take chances with anything I build and put my name on.
“I’ll let you know if there is. You might wanna work on that temper of yours though, if we’re going to work together on this you can’t be so fractious.”
Now she looked at me and there was no doubt that she wasn’t afraid of me in the least. I’ve made grown men sweat with a word and here this little bit of a girl was shooting fire at me with her eyes.
She’s so fucking cute and adorable. The more time I spend around her the more the feelings in my heart grow stronger everyday.
I could already see her in my bed next to me while we slept. It was getting to the point where I hated getting into bed without her there.
I could see my arms wrapped around her after I’d taken her a time or two before rolling away in exhaustion.
Could feel the warmth of her supple body up close to mine for years to come. Shit!
I shook my head to clear it and made my excuses as I headed for the door.
I didn’t linger around outside this time, I’d had enough for the day. If I saw any more evidence of how much I affected her I might not be able to control myself.
I went back to my office and thought of that little show of fire from her today. Lately she’s been showing more and more of her true spirit and it won’t be long now before she told me off.
I needed her to do that so that I’m sure she’s not just falling into my bed to keep her job. I don’t believe for a second that she would, but it’s better to be certain.
How long has it been now since she came into my life? A little over two and a half months. I don’t think I’ve ever spent this much time working on a woman before.
Especially one who made it plain at every turn that she had no interest in me. But the more she resisted, the more she put up that front of disinterest the more I wanted her.
That alone was enough to tell me what it was, that I was beginning to feel for her. That and the fact that she stays on my mind constantly these days.
Even my mother has been singing her praises thanks to Gavin who’s always gushing about her like a love sick puppy, the little shit.
Mom is not the easiest woman to impress. As much as she wants grandchildren she’s very meticulous about the type of women who should bear them.
As her eldest son she has high expectations for the woman I will marry some day. And though she had high regard for Giavanna because of her work ethic, there was no guarantee that she’d accept her as my woman.
I didn’t care about that, once my mind is made up nothing can change it. And I’m pretty sure that I’d made up my mind to make her mine completely.
When you think of it, a couple months wasn’t really that long and knowing her she’s going to make me work longer and harder. I’m ready for her though, as long as I can keep my dick on a leash.
7
“Where is she, why isn’t she here?” It was our usual day and time for the weekly meeting. I’d been on tenterhooks all day waiting for her, but instead my brother showed up alone, looking worried.
“That’s what I came to tell you. She had a last minute emer
gency.” I didn’t like the look of misery on his face.
“What kind of emergency, is she sick?”
“Not her, her child is.” I felt a knife slice down the center of my heart.
“Child, she has a child? Is she married?” I felt like I was suffocating, like the walls were caving in on me. This can’t be happening, she’s mine. I know she is.
“She’s a widow, geez Evan where’ve you been? Everybody knows this.”
“I don’t listen to office gossip.” She’d been married. She’d loved someone else enough to want to spend the rest of her life with him; she’d borne him a child. It hurt like fuck.
The feeling of betrayal made no sense, how had I not known this? Because I’d refused to look into her past I’d left myself open to this hurt.
At least she was no longer married, but still I felt jealousy like a live thing in my chest. I’d fallen in love with a woman who had a child and a past with another man. How the fuck did this happen?
I got ahold of myself enough not to show anything in front of my brother. “How’s the child, what’s wrong with it?”
“It, is a girl and she has severe asthma, I think she had an attack.” So that’s why she leaves early every day, she has a sick child at home.
“Okay, leave this let’s go to the hospital and see what’s going on.”
“Huh? You’re coming with me?” I didn’t bother to answer him as I grabbed my jacket and headed out the door.
We drove separate cars and I followed him to the children’s hospital. I had to put my selfish feelings aside for now and concentrate on her.
If her child was in danger it’s obvious that she’d be upset. I’ll overcome my anger enough to take care of her, but later I’ll deal with her for deceiving me.
I didn’t stop to think that none of this was her fault; that she had no idea that I was in love with her. My mind hasn’t been right since I met her.
I let Gavin ask at the desk which room the child was in and followed him onto the elevator. “Is her family here with her?”
“She’s an orphan her only family is her daughter. If you remember she moved here for the job with us so she doesn’t really know anyone here.”
“An orphan?”
“Yes, both her parents died when she was young.” My poor baby, all alone in the world and I had no idea. Breaks my fucking heart.
“And the husband?” The word tasted bitter on my tongue.
“She doesn’t talk about him much, but he died before the baby was born.
“How old is the baby?”
“She’s four.”
“That old? Gia can’t be more than twenty-two-twenty-three.”
“She’s twenty-five she just looks young.”
Twenty-five and even with a sick child and no husband or family to speak of she’d finished her education and was able to reach the top of her profession. She truly is the woman for me.
We found the room and I stood outside looking through the glass while Gavin ran down to the gift shop to buy a toy for the child.
She looked so little and alone as she sat next to the bed holding her child’s hand in hers. They were both asleep, the child hooked up to tubes and a machine that was helping her breathe.
I couldn’t wait any longer. The slump of her shoulders that made her look like she was carrying the world on her back was a bit too much for me to take.
I looked down at her sad face for a few minutes before touching her shoulder. She came awake with a start and looked up at me.
“Evan, what are you doing here?” It’s the first time she’d called my name and I got lost for a second until reality kicked back in.
“Gavin told me what happened, he went to the gift shop he should be here soon.”
“Oh you didn’t have to bother, I told him it was fine. This happens a lot.”
“What exactly is wrong with her?”
She took a deep breath and released it. “Her lungs weren’t fully developed at birth so she has these attacks often.”
I looked at the child on the bed and saw a little bit of her mother, but it was obvious she’d taken after her father whoever he was.
She was light where her mother was dark and though she looked like an angel I couldn’t forget that she was the evidence of my woman’s love for another man.
Geez Evan, have you completely lost your mind? I’ve never given any thought to a situation like this. I’ve never dated a mother before and never thought I would.
I have also never felt this level of jealousy before in my life. I had nothing with which to compare it to. I knew though that none of this was the child’s fault.
“Have you had anything to eat?”
“I can’t eat, I’m not hungry.”
“If you’re not well you can’t take care of your child. As soon as Gavin gets here I’ll go get you something to eat.”
She didn’t argue with me so I knew she was really worried. Looking at the pitiful state of the little body on the bed I could well imagine how she felt. I’m a grown man and if I get sick my mother still makes a fuss.
Gavin showed up minutes later and I left the room to go see about getting her something to eat. She looked like hell and there was no way I was going to let her make herself sick by not taking care of herself.
After I found what I considered a decent restaurant and ordered her some soup and a salad, which I knew was her favorite lunch staple I headed back.
The doctor was in the room talking to her and my brother when I entered. The child was still asleep and her color was no better than when I’d left.
“Are you the specialist here?” He turned at my question.
“Not a specialist exactly. What she needs is a pulmonologist but the insurance…”
He stopped and looked back at Gia who looked like she was ready to scalp him. “What about the insurance?” I ignored her and stood between the two of them, blocking his view of her.
“Well, since she’s only just started working her insurance doesn’t quite cover.”
“Are you telling me that this child can’t get the proper care because of fucking insurance?”
“Evan…”
“Leave it Gavin.” I don’t think I’d ever heard anything more fucking disgusting in my life. “Fine, who’s the best specialist in the country?”
“That would be Dr. Mark Spencer, but he’s in LA.”
“I’ll be right back.” I left the room and made a call to the one person I knew could get shit done.
“Ma I need a favor. Gia’s baby is in the hospital…” I gave her the particulars and she promised to get back to me as soon as possible.
I went back inside to find her and my brother keeping watch over the child.
“Evan what have you got?”
“Mom is on it.” He relaxed but the room’s other occupant wasn’t looking too pleased.
“What does that mean what have you done?”
“Mom is going to get in touch with the specialist in LA and find out if we have to go to him or if he’ll come here.”
“What? I don’t have that kind of money.”
“I do and before you open your mouth to argue with me take a look at your child and don’t be stupid.”
I don’t know why I was pissed this time, but the thought of her being alone and scared with a sick child was beyond frustrating.
And the fact that no one was willing to care for the child because of the lack of money was worse than inhumane.
“Why didn’t you say something about the insurance?”
“What could I say? It’s normal when working for a new company for the insurance not to cover certain things until an acceptable amount of time has passed.”
“Her treatment cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, this is the best I can do for now and I’m doing it.”
“Don’t get me wrong I’m not blaming you, the whole thing is just too cruel for words.” And all the more so because it was happening to my woman.
“Here d
rink your soup before it gets any colder.” I picked up her food from the table where I’d dropped it before.
“I better get back to the office, we can’t both be gone today of all days.” She looked like she wanted to beg Gavin to stay when he made his way to the door but I cut her off.
“That’s fine, I’ll stay here.” I dared her with a glare to say anything about me staying and she had the good sense to keep her damn mouth shut.
8
“I thought I told you to eat, you need me to feed that to you?”
“Why are you angry at me?”
“Because you were in trouble and didn’t come to me that’s why.”
Her mouth fell open and she looked at me in shock.
“You’re a woman with a child, don’t play stupid. I’m sure you know when a man is interested in you.”
“You, what are you talking about?”
“You want me to spell it out for you?”
“Please do because I have no idea.”
“You’re lying and it doesn’t suit you. Don’t play games with me I don’t like them.” Her cheeks heated and I knew I was right.
She was as aware of me as I am her though she does a better job of ignoring what she really feels.
All these weeks I’ve been circling her she hadn’t missed my intentions, no more than I’d missed her attraction to me though she did her best to hide it.
Had I not overheard her that day I stood outside the office I would’ve gone on believing she was immune to my advances, but I know better.
She isn’t aware that I know though so if she wants to put up a fight she can. As long as I win in the end, as long as I have her in my bed under me in the near future, I don’t care how we get there.
“Nothing to say? Then I suggest you eat, it looks like it’s going to be a long day.” I pulled the only other chair over next to hers and sat.
She became flustered and her hands shook as she brought the spoon to her lips and drank her soup. It took her half an hour to finish half the soup and half the salad.
“Is that all you eat everyday?”
Jealous Alpha Page 3