“Alexander.” She moaned his name.
* * *
He bit the fleshy part of her breast visible from the top of her bra hard enough to cause a gasp from her and to leave a mark. He wanted and needed to brand her as his. His rough tongue licked across the spot several times before her hands framed his face, pulling his head away from her chest and bringing his mouth back to hers. Pure, destructive, white-hot passion erupted between them.
His hands moved to her waist, lifting her so that she was sitting on the edge of his desk. Hands on her inner thighs spread her legs wide, and he positioned himself between them. He kissed her erotically and growled against her delicious lips when she hooked a leg around his waist and pulled his lower body into closer, more intimate contact with hers. His hands sought out her bare back while he slowly lowered her to the desktop.
He didn’t know whether to thank or curse the shrill ringing of the phone, which snapped him back from the brink of insanity just in the nick of time. The instrument rang a few more annoying times before silencing, but it had achieved the same effect as a douse of cold water. Alexander pulled them upright, tore his mouth from hers and took a step away from temptation.
“Fix your dress,” he ordered tersely, and she pulled the garment back on her shoulders, stood and presented her naked back to him so that he could zip her up. “You can use my bathroom to repair your lipstick.” And give me some time to regain some semblance of control.
He pointed to a door to the right of his desk. Without a word, she walked into his bathroom and made sure she was presentable to her fellow coworkers. When she returned, he was standing gazing out of the window with his back to her.
“You’d better get back to work,” he suggested without turning around.
“Yes, you’re right.” She started toward the door but stopped and turned around again. “Alexander?”
He sighed heavily before turning to glance at her—his beautiful Nicole. His? What the...? Oh, boy! Even as he berated himself, he knew there was no denying it; that was exactly the way he thought of her—as his. Damn!
They worked together. They shouldn’t start anything—but could they stop it? Could he ignore his powerful unexpected feelings for her? Did he even want to try?
“Alexander?” She called his name again, rousing him out of his contemplative state.
“Yes?”
“I know neither of us expected this.”
“No,” he agreed. That was an understatement if he ever heard one.
“I’m very attracted you—” she paused and confidently added “—and you feel the same way about me.” At his silent agreement she concluded, “I don’t think we’re going to be able to contain this passion between us much longer.”
Without waiting for his response—which was good because he didn’t have a satisfactory one—she turned and exited, leaving him to ponder her wise words and his alarming feelings.
Chapter 11
Alexander wasn’t in the next day. Nicole wondered if he was trying to avoid her but quickly dismissed that. He wouldn’t boycott his own company because of the sexual tension between them. She deliberately walked past his open office door several times, and on her third pass found Victor standing behind Alexander’s desk poking in drawers.
“Hi, Victor.” Nicole stuck her head through the doorway and walked fully into the office when he waved her inside. “What’s going on?”
“Hey, Nicole.” He glanced up from stuffing a bag with Alexander’s belongings. “How are you?”
“I’m fine. Where’s Alexander?”
“At home, sick.”
“Sick? He was fine last night.”
“Please don’t mention last night.” Victor groaned. “I’m trying to forget it ever happened.”
“What happened?”
“I borrowed Alex’s beloved Ferrari, and I offered to drive him home, but he said he’d take a cab and ended up in a fender bender.”
“Oh, my God!” Nicole placed a hand to her heart. “Are you sure he’s okay?”
“He’s fine. He just aggravated an old back injury. His doctor told him to stay home for a few days.”
Nicole glanced at him skeptically. “Alexander listened to him?”
“Nope.” Victor chuckled at the memory. “I threatened to come to work with him and follow him around all day if he came in.”
“That would do it.” Nicole laughed.
“That was the idea.” He winked and then sighed. “He’s such a baby when he’s sick.”
A skeptical eyebrow rose. “And you’re not?”
“Of course not.” At her doubtful glance he added, “You know I’m always a joy to be around.”
“And I also know that all men turn into big babies when they’re sick,” Nicole teased.
“We just hate feeling helpless.”
“Mmm-hmm.”
“I’m gonna leave that subject alone,” Victor wisely decided. “Why don’t you quit a little early today and drop by the house to see him?”
“I don’t think I should, Victor.” She wanted to, but wasn’t sure how Alexander would react if she did. “We’re so busy now. I’m sure Alexander wouldn’t approve of me leaving early.”
“Hey, I’m part owner and I say you should and can.” His stern order made her smile. “Besides, he’d love to see you, and it would be a big favor to me.”
“To you? How?”
“He’s driving me crazy.” Victor made a choking imitation with his hands, and she laughed. “You can laugh, but poor me! The guy can hire a nurse or anyone else he needs, but he has to have me wait on him hand and foot, like I don’t have a business of my own to run.”
“Maybe it makes him feel better having you around.”
“Oh, no, that’s not it,” Victor denied, laughing. “He’s punishing me for causing his accident—as if I was driving the cab. Forget the fact that I offered to take him home. He’s so illogical.”
“You two are such siblings.”
“I know.” Victor sighed dramatically and then glanced at her hopefully. “So will you stop by?”
“Sure, and I’ll even bring him dinner.”
“Thank you, thank you!” Victor kissed her cheek and hugged her tightly. “An hour or two off, oh, thank you!”
“You’re welcome.” Nicole laughed. “You’re a nut.”
“A tired nut.” He sighed, releasing her. “You don’t know how demanding my brother can be.”
“Say what?” She placed her hands on her hips, and he laughed heartily.
“Sorry, I forgot you work with him.” He gave her an understanding one-arm hug. “I won’t tell him you’re coming by tonight. The surprise will do him good.”
“Okay. I’ll be there around six.”
“Perfect. Do you know where his house is? Do you want me to pick you up?”
“Yes, I know where he lives. I’ll take a cab.”
“Are you sure that’s not too much trouble?”
“No, it’ll be fine.” At his skeptical look she continued, “I insist. Besides, you need your few hours’ rest.” At her laughing reminder, he nodded vigorously in agreement.
“I’ll leave the key under the mat for you.” He picked up his laden bag and sighed. “Back to do my penance. See you later.”
“Bye, Victor.” She waved him off.
* * *
Nicole left work around five, stopping to buy some groceries before heading to Alexander’s house. She arrived a little after six and let herself in with the key Victor had left for her under the mat. She glanced around expectantly when the hall light flipped on, but she was alone in the huge foyer. It was quiet, and she was just about to announce herself when Alexander beat her to it.
“Victor, is that you?” Alexander’s voice bel
lowed from the bedroom. “Where have you been? I’m hungry! Victor?”
Nicole smiled, walked toward his angry voice and opened the door to what she realized was his bedroom. The room was huge, making his king-size bed with polished hardwood headboard seem small. His bed was set up on a platform, and he looked like royalty lying there looking down on whoever entered his private domain. Matching mahogany hardwood cabinets took up one entire wall, and gleaming hardwood floors were the finishing touch to the gorgeously decorated room.
Alexander lay on the bed, bare-chested, covers over his lower body. She naughtily wondered if he was as naked below the covers as he was on top. Fine hairs sprinkled his muscular chest.
“Hi.” She smiled, setting the groceries down in a chair and removing her purple jacket. She noted his eyes rake over her in appreciation. She was dressed in a sleeveless white dress covered in purple and lilac flowers.
“Nicole!” He pulled the covers up to his chest, and her smile widened. “What are you doing here?”
“I came to see how you are.” She walked toward his bed.
“My no-good brother deserted me.” His hands fisted at his sides. “This is all Victor’s fault.”
“He didn’t desert you, Alexander.” She fought a laugh at his dejected countenance. “I told him I’d stop by and check on you after work.”
His eyes grew stormy. “Don’t tell me he asked you to do that.”
“It’s not a problem,” she quickly assured him. “When he stopped by to get your work things, we talked and he told me you were sick.”
“Yeah, sick because of him.”
“Oh, Alexander.” She fought against running her fingers down his furrowed brow. “He feels really bad about your accident.”
“He should,” he quickly agreed, glancing at the bags in the chair by the door. “What’s that?”
“Dinner.”
“You don’t have to cook me dinner, Nicole.”
“I know I don’t have to. I want to.” She walked closer. “How are you feeling?”
“Stir-crazy, put-upon, fed up.” He paused and frowned. “Will those adjectives do?” Her laughter coaxed a tiny smile out of him.
“Those will do just fine.” She returned to the door and picked up the groceries again. “Let me get dinner going, and we’ll see what we can do to improve your mood.”
“What do you have in mind?”
“You’ll see,” she mysteriously replied. “Where’s the kitchen?”
“Go back out to the foyer and take the hall to the left, keep straight, then make a right at the end of that hall. Follow the circle, and you’ll be there.” As she digested his directions, he started to get up. “It’ll probably be better if I show you.”
“Stay where you are. I can find it.” Her stern voice kept him in bed. “Do you need anything?”
“No, I’m good.”
“Okay, be back in a flash.”
She left to prepare dinner. When she returned thirty minutes later he had put on a white T-shirt and black pajama bottoms and lay on top of the white down comforter.
“Alexander, did you get out of that bed?”
“Yes.” At her accusatory stare, he defended himself. “I can get up. My doctor just said do it as little as possible.”
“Mmm-hmm.” She placed a tray on his lap. “Maybe food will make you feel better.”
“It smells and looks delicious. You went to too much trouble.”
“It was no trouble. I love to cook, and this is a quick but filling recipe. I hope you like shrimp.”
“Does a hog like slop?”
“I’ll take that as a yes.”
“You could have brought takeout.” He ravenously eyed the plateful of shrimp scampi pasta, tossed salad on the side and fresh fruit for dessert.
“My mother would fly to Paris and scold me beyond reason if I dared bring someone who wasn’t feeling well anything other than homemade food.” She rolled her eyes heavenward, and he laughed. “I’ll be right back.” She left and returned a few minutes later with her own dinner tray and placed it on a bedside table. “And for entertainment.” She took her notebook out of her bag.
“What are we watching?” He used the remote to switch on the TV, and she walked over and hooked up her notebook.
“You’ll see.” She smiled and sat down in the chair beside his bed with her dinner tray on her lap.
Soon the sounds of I Love Lucy filled the air. He stared at her with a big grin, and they both laughed.
“Great food, beautiful company and Lucy.” He smiled happily. “What more could a man want?”
“If Lucy can’t lighten your mood, nothing can.”
“You’re doing a bang-up job all by yourself.” The look he gave her stole her breath away.
“Eat up while it’s hot,” she ordered, and he picked up his fork, twirling spaghetti and spearing a plump piece of shrimp.
“Oh, God, this is delicious.”
“Thank you.” She picked up her own fork.
“That lousy brother of mine has been feeding me nothing but takeout.” He dug into his meal with gusto. “Meal after meal of lousy takeout.”
“Alexander, you’ve only been in bed since last night.”
“Well it seems longer,” he complained. “Especially since I haven’t had a decent meal since yesterday, thanks to Victor.”
“You leave poor Victor alone.”
“Poor Victor?” He scowled. “Do you know what he did to me?”
“Yes, I heard, but Alexander, you know your accident really wasn’t his fault.”
“If he’d stop being cheap and buy his own Ferrari, this never would have happened,” he grumbled, refusing to give his brother a break. “It’s not like he can’t afford it.”
“Alexander.” She tsked her tongue at him. “Be fair.”
“All right. I know it was a freak accident,” he slowly agreed around a smile. “But I have to give him a hard time, or I’ll lose my big-brother card.”
“We can’t have that,” she teased.
The episode started, and their eyes were glued to the set. They laughed, recited lines and made bets on who remembered the episode better. It soon became apparent that neither had been joking when they said they were die-hard fans. They made it through two episodes when Nicole took their clean plates into the kitchen. When she returned, they settled in to watch more Lucy.
“How long can you stay?” Alex asked when she removed her shoes and curled up in the plush chair beside his bed.
“As long as you want me to,” she automatically promised.
* * *
Alexander’s heart soared at her words. What was it about Nicole that he found so appealing? Why did he want to take hold of her and never let go?
“Good,” he finally responded, and her soft smile informed him she somehow knew what he had been thinking.
The phone rang, and Alexander automatically reached for it without thinking and cursed under his breath when pain shot through his lower back. Damn, he hated being helpless!
“Are you okay?” At his nod Nicole picked up the phone and handed it to him. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” He took the phone and answered. He listened before responding, “Yes, Nicole is here. Good thing, too, since my own brother deserted me.”
“Alexander, be nice,” Nicole whispered, and he winked at her.
“No, you don’t need to come back tonight. I’m fine. Nicole made me a real dinner. Yeah, I know takeout was safer than your cooking.” He laughed. “I’ve gotta go. We’re watching television.” He paused and then added drily, “Yes, Victor, that’s all we’re doing.” Nicole blushed, and Alex shrugged apologetically. “What do you expect me to do with a hurt back? I’m hanging up now.” He listened, chuckled and then said, “
Yeah. I’ll deal with you tomorrow—and take care of my baby, or I’ll take care of you when I’m up and about. Okay, bye.” He rang off and handed the phone back to Nicole. “Sorry about that.”
“It’s okay.” She replaced the phone in its cradle. “Your brother is...”
“Something else,” he finished, and she agreed with a nod.
“And then some.”
“He’s always been this way—bad to the bone,” Alex said.
“He’s not bad—just mischievous,” Nicole corrected.
“You can say that again.”
“I’m sure you spoiled him rotten growing up—and probably still do,” she guessed. “So you can’t blame him for expecting you always will.”
“I suppose.”
“I thought so,” she responded after seeing his guilty smile. “Now, you leave Victor alone.”
He liked the way she took up for Victor, which was something he had done his entire life—especially when his parents’ marriage had started to fail many years before their deaths. They had metamorphosed from two loving parents into two strangers he and Victor couldn’t stand to be around for more than five minutes; thus, he had moved out when he was nineteen and had fought tooth and nail to convince his parents to let him take Victor with him. They had given in eventually, and he had literally become Victor’s parents in addition to being his brother.
She touched his arm. “Is anything wrong, Alexander?”
“No.” He shook his head. “Let’s get back to Lucy.”
“Sounds good to me.”
Though she agreed, he could feel her curiosity. He knew she had questions, and he appreciated her restraint in giving him his space by not asking a single one. He didn’t want to talk about his parents—he had put too much time into trying to forget.
They were on the ninth episode when Nicole yawned, prompting Alex to glance at the bedside clock. It was late; the hours had flown by in Nicole’s great company.
Our First Embrace Page 11