Frenemies With Benefits (Geek To Chic Book 2)

by Brinks, Nikki

  “No, you have that wrong. I was the one swooning over that beautiful woman. I am heartbroken she already has a ring on her finger.” Alex spoke in that charming voice Izzy hated. She hated that voice because it made her insides go mushy.

  Mr. Guzman laughed a deep, joyful laugh. He truly found Alex’s charm amusing. He shook his finger at Izzy, the way a father would, warning her jokingly. “Ms. Newport, you watch out for this man. He is a flirt someone needs to tame. Have a good day you two.”

  Izzy stood in place, jaw open. Alex had even charmed the security guard. Great. She noticed Alex had strolled off to the elevators without her. “Good bye, Mr. Guzman.” She hurried to catch Alex. They stepped into the elevator, Izzy pressed the button for her floor. “You even flirt with older married women now? Is your charm no longer effective on women in your own age bracket?” She asked, staring at the elevator door instead of at him.

  They went to the ninth floor, without him answering her. She walked out, refusing to look back to see if he was following her. She walked down the beige hallway with the soft carpet, to her new apartment. Still, he did not speak. She would have thought Alex not speaking would be the best gift he could give her, instead it was making her anger grow.

  She opened the door, holding it for Alex. He walked in, pausing next to her. “Let’s see how the day goes and I will answer your question.” Without warning he leaned over and kissed her. The kiss was not a ‘hey nice place’ friendly kiss, it was an ‘I want to see you naked in the very near future’ kiss. Izzy’s body refused to listen to her brain, which was insisting that she break the kiss and kick him in the balls. Instead, her body fell into the kiss, her tongue meeting his, her hands pulling him closer, well, as close as she could with the boxes in his hands.

  Finally needing air, she pulled back. Luckily the movers arrived a second later. Saving her from making a mistake. A mistake, like tackling Alex to the ground demanding he screw her brains out right there on the floor.

  Lust made her stupid, plain and simple.

  ~*~*~*~

  Alex never expected Izzy to kiss him back. He only made the move to annoy her. It was part of the game they were playing. Now that he knew her walls were crumbling, the game was going to change. He was no longer going to be happy stealing a touch here and there while they played pool or were in a crowded bar. No, now he was going after exactly what he wanted from Izzy. Everything.

  Not that Alex had any idea how to go about that. Most women he met were easy targets for his charm and wit. Unfortunately, he already used those qualities, quite successfully, on Izzy all those years ago. He had never gone back for seconds after breaking up with a girl, let alone trying to get back together with someone whom he had devastated, in the way he had done to Izzy.

  She wouldn’t listen to his apology, wouldn’t even talk about the past with him. Alex would have to come up with a new approach, one that provided them with enough alone time for him to show her that he wasn’t that stupid kid who left her naked and vulnerable in the hotel room all those years ago.

  The movers brought in her entertainment center and TV. He could see the cable box and her beloved Xbox box sitting in the corner of the living room, waiting to be installed. Women think it’s romantic when guys did things for them without being asked to, right? Alex thought, he wondered if connecting all the wires to the TV and boxes counted. No time like the present to find out.

  Izzy was busy in the bedroom, directing the movers on where all the furniture went. After digging around in the boxes around him, he finally found the one marked “wires.” He pulled the box open and started to sort the wires. One of the guys helped him to scoot the entertainment center away from the wall so that he could reach the outlets.

  A wire here, a wire there, within a half an hour he had the TV and game system working. Deciding he earned a break, he dug in another box marked “games”. Shit, she has more games than I do! He chuckled. Izzy was even more competitive than he was. The first time he beat her at pool, he was sure she was going to go slash his tires.

  Grabbing a beer from the fridge, he quickly placed a pizza order and kicked back on the couch to play a little Borderlands 2. The movers looked as though they were about done, which would give Alex time alone with Izzy. After all he had to stay for the pizza he ordered.

  “Why are you still here?”

  Pausing his game, Alex turned to see Izzy standing behind the couch, hands on her hips and a cute little scowl on her face.

  “I am testing the Xbox, making sure I hooked everything up right.” Alex took a pull of his beer and went back to his game.

  “And where did you get a beer? I haven't gone shopping yet.”

  Here was the opening he had been waiting for all day, the moment he got to tell her how close they lived now. With all the chaos of moving, Mr. Guzman greeting him today had slipped her mind. Time to bring it up again. Without missing a beat in his game, Alex held in his smirk and in a monotone voice explained, “I went to my place real fast and grabbed the beer and some bottled water.”

  “Your house is on the other side of town, why would you go all the way over there instead of to the store down the block? Or how about you go home to have your beer?” Izzy had moved around to sit on the coffee table, the farthest spot away from Alex. “And I could have set up my own TV, I'm not helpless you ass.”

  “I figured you were busy unpacking, friends do things for each other, chill. As for the beer,” Alex took another pull on his beer, “my place was closer than the store.”

  “What are you talking….” Alex knew Izzy was a smart woman and would piece together what he was saying. “Alex, why did Mr. Guzman know you?”

  Putting down his beer and controller, Alex leaned forward, resting his forearms on his knees. “He knows me because he is excellent at his job. He knows every resident of the Spire.” As he spoke the last word, he leaned further into her space. “Hello, neighbor.”

  Jumping up, away from Alex, Izzy paced. Pointed her finger at Alex, she growled a little and paced some more. Alex figured it would take her awhile before she was able to rein in her anger. He would wait, he would pass the time blowing things up on the Xbox. He leaned back in the couch, put his feet up on the coffee table and went back to playing his game. Which was hard to do with her pacing in front of the TV, but he managed.

  After a few minutes, and Alex’s game character dying a horrible death, Izzy stopped pacing. Her hands continued to wag a finger at him. “You never thought to tell me, or any of our other friends that you moved?”

  He shrugged, restarting his level. “The guys knew.”

  “So Derek knew and he still let me sign my lease?” Mumbling something under her breath about making Derek sing soprano, she pulled her phone out of her pocket, hit a few buttons and placed it to her ear. “Roni, put Derek on right now! Yes, he is in deep shit. If you are any kind of friend you will not let him see you naked for the rest of the year for what he has done!” She listened for a minute. “When he asked me where I was moving to, that night he was over, and I told him the Spire building, he neglected to mention Supreme Douche Bag lives in this building!” More silence. “Roni, stop laughing. This isn’t funny stop laughing and tell Derek to stop laughing. Roni?” She hit the end button and threw the phone onto the couch.

  “Conversation didn’t go well?” Alex goaded her.

  “Ugh, no she thought it was funny. So tell me what floor do I have to avoid? And can we put together a visitation schedule for the gym?”

  Putting down his controller, picking up his beer, Alex stared at her. He stood and held out his hand for her. She gave him a look that said she would rather bite it off than take his hand. “Come on, I’ll show you my place.”

  Chapter Eight

  Izzy couldn’t believe that she was standing in Alex’s new penthouse condo, which happened to be a few floors above her own. Derek was going to get a swift kick in the ass, next time she saw him, not warning her she was living in the same building as Supreme
Asshole.

  Turning to her, Alex looks at her as though she had gone mad. “Why are you growling?”

  “Just day dreaming about hurting someone, and for once it’s not you.” She pushed past him moving further into his large condo.

  The fact that the guys of CPST lived in normal neighborhoods in normal sized homes always amazed Izzy. Due to the success of their business, these men were all worth a sizeable amount. Yet, none of them flashed their money, well other than on cars. Living in Denver, they were able to fly under the radar of the gossip rags and live normal lives.

  The penthouse was bright, with floor to ceiling windows in the living room. The open floor plan allowed for the entire space to be in view from any spot of the condo. The kitchen cabinets were cherry, the appliances were stainless steel and the countertops a dark granite. Pictures of his parents, Caroline, Netty and Derek, lined the fireplace and other surfaces. The man even had house plants scattered about, real house plants.

  “This looks nothing like your bachelor pad house, I made you dinner at.” Izzy commented. That house was all masculine and dark. No designer touches at that house.

  Laughing, Alex shook his head. “No, that place was awful. I never took the time to decorate the house. I guess because it never felt like home. I bought that house for its resale value not because I liked the house. My penthouse, I love. So I took the time to make it look nice and feel like a real home.”

  She was shocked at his insightful view on why he never decorated the last place. “I had ordered pizza at your place while you were unpacking. I need to call Mr. Guzman really quick and tell him to send the delivery guy here instead.”

  “No, you can’t do that! Then he will think we are dating or worse that I am one of your conquests. No, I will just go wait for the pizza at my place.” Izzy freaked out. Not wanting anyone to think they were anything more than friends.

  Before she could make it two steps, Alex stepping in front of her and wrapped his hands gently around her shoulders. “Izzy, honey, he won’t think anything other than we are two friends hanging out. As for him thinking you are one of my conquests, I haven’t had any girls here.” Only moving one hand from her, he dialed the security desk and gave Mr. Guzman the instructions to send the pizza delivery guy, to his place instead.

  Shoving the phone back in his jeans, he wrapped his arms around her waist this time. Pulling her closer to him. She had to look up, way up to look in his eyes. Resting her hands lightly on his chest. His smell and touch enveloped her senses. Caressing his chest, she stood on her tip toes, bringing her mouth within a whisper of his. With a sardonic smile on her lips, she whispered. “Is that what we are now, two friends hanging out?”

  Before he could answer, a knock at the door stopped him. Shaking his head, he pulled away from her. She instantly felt the loss of his body heat. Again her lust had got the better of her, if not for the pizza boy arriving she would have thrown herself at her nemesis. Rolling her eyes at her own drama queen ways, Izzy walked into his kitchen to gather plates and drinks.

  She knew she should leave. Or make a few painful spot on smart ass comments to him to get him to back off. Instead of doing the smart thing and heading back down to the safety of her own apartment, she stayed to fight her enemy head on. Her goal was to get him to stop coming on to her, stop being nice to her. Rolling her shoulders back, she began mentally preparing for her bitch off with Alex.

  Up on her tip toes to reach a cup in his high cabinets, Izzy was suddenly picked up by two masculine arms and thrown over his shoulder. “I know I say this to you all the time, but Alex what the fuck?” She yelled, grabbing the back of his shirt for stability.

  Alex didn’t bother to answer her. The only sign that he had even heard her was his small chuckle. He carried her down his hallway, her flip flops falling off her feet as they went. Suddenly he stopped, dropping her from his shoulder and onto his bed. Sitting up on her elbows, Izzy was all fired up in a few different ways. Her mind was so cluttered, she honestly didn’t know if she wanted to beat the crap out of him for bringing her into his bedroom, which screamed his intent, or pull him on top of her and lick every inch of him.

  The man is truly making me lose my mind!

  Holding up his hands in surrender, Alex cut her off before she could decide which option to this situation she was going to go with. “Ok, before you threaten to rip my testicles off and feed them to me, hear me out.” He waited a few beats, until she settled back on the bed. “So we know that we can barely be in the same room as each other without wanting to kill, maim, or otherwise do bodily harm to one another. Unluckily for us, our best friends have fallen in love. The two of them are most likely heading down the aisle, which means we are stuck with each other.”

  At some point, Alex had moved to the bed, and laid next to her on his side. His hand moved to her belly. “This means we have two choices. One, try very hard not to be at the same social events, or two, get the anger out of our systems.”

  “Somehow I doubt you are suggesting we throw on boxing gloves and go a few rounds.” Izzy reasoned, turning on her side to face Alex. His hand moving from her belly to her hip with her movement, pulling her close to his body again. Her hands resting on his chest. “The idea does have merit, however, I would hate to have to explain to Derek why his CFO is in a coma.”

  Giving her that damn panty dropping smile of his, he shook his head a little and laughed. “No, I can’t say I am into those types of sports in the bedroom. I am suggesting that there is a thin line between hate and lust.” Pulling her leg over his hip, he leaned in close to her, whispering, “I think you and I have some unfinished business. I say we finish that business. Fuck each other's brains out a few times. When we feel we have crossed that line from hate to friendship we stop the bedroom activities. Parting as friends and allowing the rest of our group the luxury of not having to worry about bloodshed every time we share space.”

  Rolling them, so that she was now pressed under his weight. She wrapped her legs firmly around his waist. “We end as friends?” His touch and the offer to have care free, mind blowing sex with him was sending her hormones skyrocketing.

  “Friends, that’s the goal.” Alex’s hands cradled her head. His eye fully dilated. His mouth, so close to her own, she felt his lips move along hers as he spoke. “Baby, I’m going to need either a green or red light here, because being cradled in your legs like this, is sweet torture.”

  Biting her lower lip, Izzy answered, “green.”

  “Thank God!” That was the last thing she heard him say before his lips took hers. His tongue thrusting into her welcoming mouth.

  Chapter Nine

  “Wait, wait.” Izzy said on a breathy exhale, attempting to push him off of her.

  Wait? Was she serious? His cock was attempting to tunnel through his jeans and hers to get to her sweet core. Months, hell years, of yearning for this woman made it difficult for him to acknowledge her signal to stop. Pulling his lips from her mouth, he rested his head in the crook of her neck. “You changed your mind already?” He mumbled into her neck.

  “No, you still have the green light, ok yellow light right now. I think we need to establish some ground rules first.”

  Lifting his head to look her in the eyes, he could tell she was completely serious. “Ground rules are probably a good idea. What kind of rules did you have in mind?” Alex loved how smart Izzy was. Her intelligence was what made her fun to get a rise out of. However, sometimes the girl got stuck in her own head. Over thinking situations, never simply enjoying the moment. Right now would be one of those times.

  “First, we tell no one. Not Derek, not Roni, no one. Agreed?”

  “Agreed. Next?”

  “We need to put a time limit on this thing. Either we get whatever it is between us out of our systems in that amount of time or we figure out plan B.”

  Shifting to rest his weight on his elbows, he looked down at her. Alex would agree to this of course, since it was the only way Izzy was
ever going to agree with his insane impromptu plan. He would take the time she allotted for the two of them. During that time, he hoped to make himself a permanent fixture in her life.

  Licking her bottom lip lightly, he asked, “How long were you thinking, because I want to take my time with you?”

  A visible shiver ran through her body. Alex loved that he had that effect on her. She swallowed, “How long do you think?”

  Kissing her as he thought about his answer. If his answer was too short of time, she would assume he was using her. Too long of a time, she would assume he had ulterior motives. “One month.”

  Pushing her glasses back on her nose, she thought for moment. “A month, ok. But we limit the times we see each other during the week to two times.”

  He took her glassed from her face, setting them on the night stand. “Three.” He countered.

  Scrunching her face at him in displeasure, she huffed out, “Fine. Last rule. This one may be a deal breaker for you.”

  Unless one of her rules was that he had to set himself on fire or something along those lines, there was nothing she could say that would make him want to back out. “Nothing you say could be a deal breaker, honey.”

  Sucking in a breath, Izzy whispered, “You can’t sleep with anyone else during our month together. If you can manage going on an innocent date without the evening ending in bed, or a heavy make out session, feel free to date. If you can’t then no dating either.”

  Alex knew she didn’t believe he could be faithful to one girl for a month. Any other girl it would be a struggle, if not impossible. However, with Izzy it would be a breeze. He had lost interest in other women the moment she slapped her way back into his life. “All I want is you, Izzy. Now, since I agree to all your terms, can we go back to having the green light? I really need the green light.” Grinding his hard cock into her sex for emphasis.

  Moaning as she spoke, “Yep, we're done talking. Green light Alex.”