“Well, I don’t know if Hunter and I are serious.” Alexandra said, ignoring Elise’s snort. “Normally I talk to Simon. It’s just… email or phone, it’s so impersonal.”
Elisa laughed, her brown eyes focused even as her mirth echoed through the practice room. “You sound like my sister.”
“Thank you for not saying mother this time.” Alexandra grimaced, then attacked.
“I’m just saying,” Elise blocked twice, landing another hit right before the instructor blew the whistle to mark the end of five minutes. They both relaxed, dropping their guard instantly and bowing. “To someone his age, finding out through email is way better than finding out two months late.” They stepped from the sparring ring. A new set of sparring partners took their place as they trotted to the water cooler for a five minute break. “I still find out late about important news because my family clings to the face-to-face chat tradition. Don’t do the same to your kid.”
After another half hour of class, they trudged toward the locker room. Alexandra wiped back the hair plastered to her forehead. The showers always sprayed cold water, which sounded fantastic right now.
Elise walked beside her, her dark skin only slightly flushed and a grin plastered across her face. There should be a law against being so happy when other people were about to drop from exhaustion. Elise flashed a smile at Alexandra, getting her a drink from the fountain before filling her own cup.
“So how’s the remodel going?” Alexandra asked.
Elise nodded slowly. “It’s going fine.” Her low voice was much higher than usual, and her nose twitched as she sipped from her cup.
“No it’s not.” Alexandra muttered into her own cup, watching her friend.
A mirthless chuckle escaped from Elise. “It’s not.” She admitted. “Delay, delay, delay. I can’t tell if the work crew is dragging this out on purpose. I’ll talk to the foreman today. Again.”
Alexandra didn’t envy the man. Elise was fun to be around, but she had a bottle rocket for a temper. She ran her library like a warship, though, and had carved it into one of the best tiny libraries in Portland. “Well, until you’re back in there, you should feel free to come to the hospital for story time whenever you want.” She drained her cup. “You really make the kids happy when you come around. Parents, too.”
Her mind wandered to Kailea and her family. The girl was still in recovery from her recent surgery. A visit from Elise would brighten her mood. It always had before. Alexandra would make sure to steer Elise in her direction next time she visited.
They entered the crowded locker room together and gathered their shower supplies. “I’m glad to hear it. I’ve enjoyed reading to the kids.” Elise hesitated. “I was thinking of asking; maybe I could keep doing it, even after my library renovation is over?”
Alexandra smiled. “Sounds like a wonderful idea. Let me clear it with the hospital, but I’m almost certain they’ll say yes.”
Elise whooped, making the other women around her jump and slap their hands over their hearts. The two of them hurried to the showers, ducking glares and giggling.
Clean and refreshed, they hurried out of the gym before the cardio class started. “I’ve never understood cardio class.” Elise muttered, reaching into her bag to find the key to her bike lock. “All that energy on nothing.”
Alexandra laughed. “Oh, it wasn’t that bad.” She’d cajoled Elise into trying cardio once, back when Alexandra was still focused on weight loss instead of protection. “You’re just upset because you didn’t get to punch anyone.”
“Guilty,” Elise grinned, yanking her keys from her bag. “Have a good afternoon!”
Alexandra checked for cars before stepping from the sidewalk to the parking lot, then gave her friend a wave. As she scooped her keys from her purse, the growl of an engine roared in her ears, along with the squeal of tires. She looked up, and her stomach dropped. A big yellow truck. Speeding right for her.
She dove back to the sidewalk as the yellow truck shot past her, missing her by inches. Alexandra could barely hear Elise’s yells over the engine’s rumble.
“Are you all right?”
“Yeah.” Alexandra coughed. The smell of burning oil stung her throat. Had she seen that truck before?
Elyse huffed angrily at the empty air where the truck had been. “Jerk. I didn’t get a look, or catch the license plate number. Did you?”
Alexandra shook her head, both to clear the daze and to tell her friend she hadn’t seen anything. “I checked for cars before I crossed the lane.” The parking lot was full, with no nearby empty parking spaces to indicate where the truck had come from. Her stomach felt like a mass of jello, and her hands shook.
“Yeah, he came out of nowhere,” Elise agreed. Her dark braid swung as she looked toward the gym. “And of course there’s no security cameras to show what happened. Come on.” She helped Alexandra to her feet, then hurried to pick up her discarded bike. “I’ll walk you to your car.”
Too shaken to disagree, she walked beside Elise. The car seemed shrunken, like it was hiding among the others. Little white lines still adorned the driver’s side door, souvenirs from that night in the hospital parking garage. Alexandra squinted at it, then muttered an oath under her breath.
“What, do you see the truck?” Elise’s brown eyes flew wide as she searched for ninja cars poised to strike.
“No.” Alexandra groaned as she pulled out her cell phone. “I have a flat tire.”
“Oh.” As they got closer, Elise got more tense. “Actually, I’d be willing to bet you have slashed tires.”
All four tires, flat as pancakes. Alexandra let her head fall back. “That’s it, someone has a vendetta against my car.” Her voice wavered in her attempt to lighten the mood. After the events of today, her car was the last thing she was worried about.
CHAPTER NINE
Hunter
Hunter surveyed his yard work. The hedges were still untrimmed, but the yard was smooth and green, thanks to long hours with fertilizer and grass seed. That part near the driveway didn’t count. Neither did the one near the fence. Or the part right in the middle.
Sooner or later, he would face facts. He was terrible at lawn care. He kept trying, but no matter how many tips and tricks he read, landscaping around the eight-plex was an eyesore. He was almost ready to try the trick the old guy at the hardware store had suggested, and pour beer on it.
He considered getting the trimmers to start on the hedges, but was saved by the buzz of his cell phone. The caller I.D. read “Alexandra.”
He swiped the accept call button before he thought of something to say. “Uh,” He started lamely, then grimaced. Smooth.
Alexandra didn’t seem to care. “Hunter, are you busy? I can call a taxi, but if you’re not busy I could really use a ride.” She sounded nervous.
Grass stains covered his jeans, his shirt was soaked through and he probably smelled like a wet puppy. “Sure. Can I get five minutes to change?”
“Hey.” A woman’s voice in the background, sharp and brash, interrupted, crackling over the line. “Is that Mr. Hotness?”
Warmth settled in his chest, much more pleasant than the sun’s oppressive blaze. “Mr. Hotness?”
A brief rustling and a “Wait, what are you-” came from the other line.
“Hey, I’m Elise. You should come get her, she might be in trouble and needs someone to stay with her. Bye!”
Alexandra’s voice came back before he had a chance to answer. “Sorry.”
He shrugged, then realized she couldn’t see it. He was already running into the apartment, the shock of cool indoor air chilled his sweat-drenched skin as he took the stairs three at a time. “No problem. Where are you?”
It didn’t take long to reach her, especially when he raced through his shower and bent a few traffic laws. Hunter had found the two women huddled in the mechanic’s waiting room. Their explanation was short, but Alexandra’s pale cast was all he needed to tell him something was wrong.
The drive back to the apartment was silent, and Hunter didn’t rush her to speak.
When they got to the apartment, Hunter threw the truck into park and hurried around to help Alexandra from the passenger’s side. “Are you sure you’re alright?”
Alexandra shrugged, taking the hand he extended. “I’m not even sure it’s a big deal. Elise was really nervous, and I was too, but now I feel a little silly for getting all worked up.”
Hunter crossed his arms over his chest and leaned against the brick apartment wall, comfortingly warm against the chill which hadn’t left him since the call that afternoon. The near miss and slashed tires on the same day might be just coincidence, but he didn’t think so. Judging from how pale Alex was, she didn’t either.
“I’ve been looking for a chance to kidnap you anyway,” he joked. When she turned her wide cinnamon-brown eyes to him, he held his hands up and gave his best teasing grin. She really was on edge. “That is, if you’ve got room in your schedule. Do you have work today?”
She shook her head. “Today is Dr. Muller’s day. He’s finally back from paternity leave, and I’m taking the weekend off to recover from the extra workload.” She grimaced. “My plans were to do nothing all day, maybe take a walk tomorrow.”
“We can do that. If you don’t mind me lurking in the background.” At her dubious look, he pretended to lock his lips shut and throw away the key. “I’ll be quiet as a mouse. You won’t even know I’m there.”
Laughter echoed from the wall beside them, and Alex jumped. The redhead from Unit C stepped out the door, followed by a tall, handsome man with sharp features and his hair combed straight back. She didn’t seem to notice them, still laughing loudly at something her escort had said.
Alexandra’s frightened stare turned to frustration, and Hunter caught her hand before he could stop himself. “Come on, you shouldn’t be by yourself when you’re this jumpy. Let’s watch a movie, maybe have some pizza or something.”
Her breath hitched, then sped up. He should let go and let her make her own decisions, but he couldn’t drop her hand. The way she moistened her lips sent all his sensation south, and he unconsciously tugged her closer.
The warm weight of her hand settled on his chest as she stepped toward him. Her eyes trapped his, dark with desire. He held his breath as she leaned in with glacial slowness.
Then she was gone, walking away from him. Before he could protest, she pulled on their joined hands, dragging him behind her like the wake of a speedboat.
“Alex?” He barely managed to ask, trying to keep up with her as they flew through the door and up the stairs. He imagined the doors in the hall would fly open with the wind of their passage. She unlocked her apartment door and motioned him inside after her, letting the door slam behind them. Then she froze, still turned away from him.
Silent seconds ticked away until he cleared his throat. “So that’s a yes to hanging out, then?”
Alexandra took a deep breath and turned toward him. “We need to talk. This attraction has gotten out of hand. Neither one of us can hold a normal conversation without wanting to… kiss the other.” Flaming red had colored her cheeks, but her chin was so high she was almost looking down her nose at him.
“Oh, I want to do more than kiss you.” Hunter didn’t move closer. He didn’t want to scare her away, especially now. Not even when her body’s lush curves called to him under her casual t-shirt and jeans.
“We need to get this out of our systems,” she said, her voice crisp and businesslike as she approached him. “If you’d like, we can do that now, so we can each move on.”
A slow smirk curled his lips. “How romantic.”
She answered with a smile of her own as she reached out and traced his collarbone with one finger. The gentle pressure of her touch sent his pulse pounding. “What, you want flowers and chocolates, maybe a card?”
“Maybe.” Hunter encircled her with his arms, pulling her closer and enjoying the feel of her soft body against his. “Can’t a guy wish for a little wooing?” He let his hands rub up and down her back, enjoying the way she felt under his touch.
“Hm. You may have a point.” Alexandra appeared to consider his words, then straightened. “All right, I’ll go to the store and get those, I’ll be right back.” She pretended to pull away, reaching for the door handle.
His bark of laughter rang through the apartment. “Maybe next time.”
Alexandra’s eyebrows bunched together, and she opened her mouth to say something, but his lips met hers before a sound escaped.
CHAPTER TEN
Alexandra
Alexandra returned his kiss with all the pent-up passion and adrenaline of the last few days. Her hands slipped up under the hem of his shirt, brushing over his hard chest. She pulled it over his head, then turned her attention to the broad expanse of muscle she’d uncovered.
Hunter flipped open the button of her jeans, unzipping and stripping them down her legs to a puddle on the floor. She yelped in surprise as he swept her up and lifted her high against his chest, even as her heart raced with excitement.
The feel of his hot skin against her bare legs was strangely intoxicating. As he turned toward her bedroom, Alexandra laid her hands flat against his chest, pushing away enough to look at him. “Tell me you have a condom.”
“Yep. In my wallet.” He answered, pulling her against him and feathering kisses from the hollow of her throat to her earlobe, each touch of his lips sending jolts of electricity down her spine. A rush of moisture dampened her panties as she closed her eyes and leaned eagerly into him.
She let her hands rove over the width of his shoulders. “Always ready, are you?”
Hunter laughed shortly as he sat on the bed, arranging her so she straddled his lap. “Not usually, but I got some after our last encounter. Just in case.” Alexandra could feel the solid heat of him pressing through his jeans into her thin panties, driving her crazy. She couldn’t help pressing her hips into his. The soft moan which escaped her lips sounded inhuman, almost feral.
He ran his fingers across the sensitive skin between her panties and the hem of her shirt before pulling the shirt over her head and tossing it away. Her white lacy bra followed soon after. Alexandra shivered as her bare nipples peaked in the cold air. She covered herself instinctively, hiding her breasts and the long vertical scar from her c-section.
Hunter caught both her hands in one of his, easing them away before tilting his head to admire her. “I can’t tell you how many times I’ve imagined this.” He told her, his voice almost reverent. He ran the fingers of his other hand between her breasts and down to her belly button, sweeping over her scar before retracing.
His light caress left a scorching path in its wake, and she arched into his hands unconsciously. A small smile quirked his lips. “You’re even more perfect than I pictured.” His fingers swept over one shoulder. “I never knew you had freckles here.” He kissed each one of them, nipping at the top of her breast before directing his attention to the other shoulder.
Alexandra freed her hands, then ran them down Hunter’s shoulders to the bulge of his biceps. “You don’t have to say things like that, you know. I don’t need flattery.”
She broke off into a gasp when Hunter palmed her breast, his thumb flicking over her nipple. “I’ll keep that in mind,” he chuckled. “For the record, I mean every word of it, and I intend to show you just how much.” He leaned her back over his arm, dipping his head to nip at the other breast before taking her aching nipple into his mouth. She bucked against him, heat shooting from her nipples to her clit as he laved the sensitive bud with his tongue.
He pulled away, and she whimpered at the loss before he turned his attention to the other breast, scraping his teeth over her nipple before pulling it into his mouth. Another rush of moisture dampened her panties as she laced her fingers through his hair, spiraling higher as his fingers and tongue flicked and teased. She pressed herself against the bulge in his jeans, rocking her hips against him an
d crying out with frustration when she couldn’t get the friction she needed on her swollen clit.
He looked up at her, never stopping his attention on her taut nipple. She had no idea how hot she looked right now, yanking on his hair in needy little tugs while she rubbed herself against him. He had never been so hard before, and when she opened her delicate lips and panted his name he almost came in his jeans.
“Poor baby, do you need to come?” He purred, his hand sliding under the waistband of her panties and slipping between her soft folds. She lifted herself to her knees to meet him.
He moaned against her breast as he slid a finger inside her, feeling how tight and wet she was for him. His thumb stroked her swollen nub, causing her inner walls to quiver and clench around him. He let her set her own pace, riding his finger and digging her nails into his shoulders as her head fell back.
“Oh, Hunter, you’re so - ah, that feels good. I can’t stop…” She gasped, her breath coming in short pants.
He smiled, sliding another finger into her to join the first and enjoying the shiver which rocked her body. “Then don’t, baby. Damn, you’re so responsive.” He pulled her lips to his, and as his tongue swept inside she shattered, the waves of pleasure overtaking her as she screamed his name against his lips.
She collapsed against him, little shudders of pleasure rolling through her as he stroked her back. Finally he rolled her onto the bed and stood. He pulled his pants off, grimacing when she covered herself almost immediately.
“Turn off the light, Hunter.” She told him, a nervous quiver in her voice. Hunter shook his head. How could such a beautiful woman be so insecure about her body? Especially when she seemed so confident in all other areas of her life.
“I want to see you,” he told her, pulling a condom from his wallet and rolling it on. “You’re every fantasy I’ve ever had come to life, why would I want to miss seeing all there is of you?”
She was distracted from his answer by the sight of his erection, flat against his stomach. She gasped at the sheer size of it, and it seemed to jump just from her attention. A rush of moisture wet her thighs and made her ready for him.
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