Mr. Alpha: A 6 Book Alpha Male Romance Collection

by Alexis Gold

  “Goodnight Calvin,” she said letting him walk away.

  “Goodnight Morgan.”

  ***

  “What the hell happened to you?” Steven asked in open mouthed amazement, taking in Calvin’s new look.

  “Okay, who the hell are you,” Randy asked in mock outrage, “And what have you done to Calvin?”

  Calvin rolled his eyes at the both of them. “Shut up,” he said, sinking into his swivel chair.

  “Seriously man,” Steven said. “This is crazy.”

  “I don’t look that different,” Calvin said, knowing it was a lie.

  “It’s as if someone removed all the ugly from your face,” Randy said, laughing at his own joke.

  “So guess this Morgan chick has lived up to her reputation?” Steven asked with a smile.

  “She certainly has,” Randy agreed. “I mean… you’re almost as good looking as me now.”

  Calvin smiled, “I think I’ve surpassed your looks actually.”

  “I will come over there and slap the handsome right off of that face Calvin,” Randy said in mock seriousness.

  Calvin laughed.

  “How do you feel?” Steven asked, letting his tone falling into seriousness.

  “Really good actually,” Calvin admitted. “I feel—”

  “Sexy like a fox?” Randy suggested with a wink.

  “Maybe not that good,” Calvin replied. “But close.”

  “Does this mean that a real conversation with Sasha is going to take place soon?” Steven wondered out loud.

  “That’s what I’m hoping,” Calvin admitted. “I think I may actually be able to hold one with her now.”

  “You should, you handsome devil,” Steven said, throwing a wink his way. “I seriously can’t believe how different you look.”

  “And perfect timing too,” Randy put in.

  “Perfect timing?” Calvin asked in confusion.

  “Yeah, we have a couple of events to go to remember?” Randy reminded him. “Galas and charities. We have to rub shoulders with a couple of people to make sure this company stays on top.”

  “Oh right,” Calvin said.

  Since starting Maximus Enterprises, Calvin had left it to Steven to be the company figurehead. He was content to wallow in the backdrop, making the apps and perfecting them. Those parties and charity balls that Randy and Steven insisted were important to attend, Calvin tended to avoid studiously. He had no idea how to engage in small talk and he had no sense of what he should do at one of those parties. So he would wave off Randy and Steven and listen to how it went the next day in the office. This time however, Calvin actually wanted to join them.

  “Are you going to join us this year?” Steven asked pointedly.

  “Actually I am,” Calvin nodded. “It’s about time I experienced one of these things.”

  Randy and Steven exchanged a look of surprise.

  “This is gonna be interesting.”

  “That it is,” Randy replied, and then he turned back to Calvin. “The first official charity of the season is this weekend.”

  “I’ll be there,” Calvin said, feeling the confidence begin to glow in him.

  “It’s black tie,” Steven informed him. “And you have a plus one.”

  “This may be your chance,” Randy said.

  “My chance?”

  “To ask Sasha out you dimwit,” Randy told him.

  “Oh, right,” was all Calvin was capable of saying to that.

  He did feel more confident than he had ever felt his whole life, but somehow he needed to let his new look settle. He needed to get used to it, so that he could better prepare himself. He wasn’t sure he was ready for a date with Sasha yet. The thing that weighed most heavily on his mind was if she would even accept a date with him. He flashed back to Morgan’s question from their Saturday night. “How does she treat you?” Morgan had asked.

  Calvin knew he might have stretched the truth somewhat. He wondered if he was overestimating his recollections of the moments he had shared with Sasha.

  “Actually,” Calvin said abruptly, bringing himself out of his thoughts. “I think I’m just going to ask Morgan to be my date.”

  “You’re image consultant?” Steven asked in surprise.

  “Yes,” Calvin replied. “I need a little more work before I can work up the courage to ask Sasha out.”

  “Hmm…” Randy’s expression was suspicious.

  “What?” Calvin asked, suspecting what was behind the expression.

  “Do you like this girl?”

  “Sasha?” Calvin asked incredulously.

  “Morgan, you nimrod.”

  “Oh. She’s a fun girl,” Calvin admitted. “She’s easy to talk to and fun to hang out with. I see us being friends, but I don’t see anything more with her.”

  “Is that because you genuinely don’t see anything more with her?” Steven asked seriously. “Or is it because the only thing you’re capable of seeing is Sasha?”

  “Both,” Calvin replied safely.

  Both Randy and Steven were giving him looks that told him they didn’t quite believe what he was saying.

  “I’m telling you guys the truth,” Calvin insisted. “I have no feelings for Morgan. She’s a great girl, and she’s a beautiful woman. She’s just not the right woman for me, that’s all.”

  “If you say so,” Steven said finally.

  “Guess we’ll be meeting her in a few days then?” Randy asked.

  “Guess you will.”

  Calvin turned to his window, instinctively searching for Sasha. She was not at her desk, and Calvin tried to recall her image to his mind. He kept trying to bring her features into focus, but somehow, no matter how hard he concentrated, his image of Sasha would slowly morph into an image of Morgan.

  ***

  “What do you mean you snapped at him?” Leslie asked.

  Morgan dropped her head into her hands and shook it, “I’m such an idiot.”

  “What happened exactly?” Leslie asked, reaching out and stroking Morgan’s arm to comfort her.

  “He started talking about the girl he has been in love with for the past… I don’t know… like four years.”

  “And that made you snap at him?”

  “I just got….” Morgan trailed off, searching for the right word.

  “Jealous?” Leslie offered helpfully.

  Morgan sighed, “I guess I did. Oh my God. I got jealous!” she was mortified.

  “Don’t be so hard on yourself,” Leslie said gently. “I saw him walk out of the store the other day. I had no idea that under all that hair and beard, there was an actually Greek God hidden there.”

  “This may be hard to believe,” Morgan said. “But his looks have nothing to do with it.”

  Leslie rolled her eyes.

  “No, I’m serious,” Morgan said. “I felt this way about him before his physical transformation. I just didn’t admit it to myself at the time. Or anyone else for that matter.”

  “It really has nothing to do with his looks?”

  “Really,” Morgan replied. “It’s him. It’s just the way he is. He’s so…. I don’t know. It’s hard to describe, but I just feel this strange pull towards him. Which completely stinks, because he feels a pull for someone else entirely.”

  “You told me he’s barely said two words to this other girl?” Leslie questioned.

  “It’s true,” Morgan answered her. “But he’s basically worshipped her from afar. Love at first sight Leslie, he claims to have fallen in love with her the moment he met her. I mean come on… how can I compete with that?”

  “Do you want to compete?” Leslie asked pointedly, making Morgan aware of what she had just said.

  “No,” she said quickly. “No, I don’t want to compete. Calvin and I… we just… we’re not right for each other.”

  “Why do you say that?” Leslie asked curiously.

  “For one, he’s my client,” Morgan said as though that settled the matter.

 
Leslie rolled her eyes, “It’s not like you’re his therapist Morgan. If you wanted to date him, you could. There are no professional ethics you’d be breaking.”

  “It’s a personal rule of mine not to get involved with my clients.”

  “Bull!” Leslie called immediately. “You just made that rule up right now, on the spot, and you know it.”

  “It’s still a good rule,” Morgan shrugged her shoulders.

  “If you were a doctor, a teacher or a shrink, then yes, but you’re not any one of those things.”

  “Okay fine, there are still other reasons why we’re not right for each other.”

  “Enlighten me,” Leslie challenged.

  “I don’t think he likes cats.”

  “You don’t think he likes cats?” Leslie repeated with obvious disdain and disbelief in her voice.

  “It’s a valid worry,” Morgan defended her reasoning.

  “It is not,” Leslie countered.

  “Yes it is!” Morgan fought back. “How can I be with someone who hates cats?”

  “I hate cats,” Leslie said bluntly. “You haven’t refused to be my friend as yet.”

  “That’s different.”

  “How?”

  Morgan wracked her brains for a real reason. She came up with nothing, with a sigh of defeat she hung her head, pulling Mowgli onto her lap so that she could stroke him.

  “Okay, you want to know why I’m not going to fight for Calvin?”

  “Yes,” Leslie replied.

  “Because,” Morgan said with a deep breath. “I know I will lose.”

  Leslie’s face fell back into sympathy.

  “You don’t know that for sure.”

  “Trust me, I do. He’s watched her for three and a half years Les, he’s put her up on this pedestal and she’s this shining beacon of beauty to him. He’s not about to take her down to make room for me.”

  “You might be more important to him than you think,” Leslie said.

  “Les, I’m a realist,” Morgan replied. “I know how things work. Calvin and I, well we’re just not meant to be. I’m going to have to deal with that.”

  “So what exactly is your plan?” Leslie asked.

  “I’m going to do the best I can for him,” Morgan replied. “As fast as I can, and then once we’re done, he’ll go his own way and I’ll go mine.”

  “And you’re all right with that?”

  “I’ll admit it won’t be easy,” Morgan replied honestly. “I haven’t ever felt like this with another guy before. It’s ironic really.”

  “What is?”

  “Well, all this time I never looked for love because I assumed it would happen when it happened. I never stopped to question whether the guy I would fall for, would return the favor. Pretty cocky huh?”

  “Not cocky,” Leslie replied kindly. “Just hopeful, and you had every reason to believe that would be the case. You’re a beautiful, intelligent woman. Any man would be lucky to have you.”

  “Except apparently,” Morgan said sadly, “the guy I happen to like.”

  “I don’t think it’s too late Morgan.”

  “Meaning?”

  “Tell him how you feel,” Leslie suggested.

  “Nope,” Morgan said immediately. “No way. Not a chance.”

  “Why not?” Leslie asked. “Is this just fear of being rejected?”

  “I just don’t want to hope.”

  “You may not have a choice. Hope doesn’t always wait for you to call it.”

  Morgan was spared from having to counter that claim with the sharp ring of her phone. She picked it up, recognizing Calvin’s number right away. She kept her face straight and walked outside to her patio, closing the sliding door behind her so that she would not be overheard.

  “Hi, Calvin?” she said into the receiver.

  “Hi Morgan,” his soft voice came from the other end. “I called to ask you for a favor.”

  “Tell me,” Morgan said at once.

  “There’s this charity benefit party thing coming up this Saturday,” Calvin said. “I was hoping you would come with me?”

  “As your date?” Morgan couldn’t help asking.

  “Well yeah,” Calvin said. “I mean there’ll be lots of opportunities for you to give me pointers and things. So… two birds as they say.”

  Morgan nodded, then realizing that Calvin couldn’t see her she said, “Yes, okay. I’ll come with you.”

  “Great. That’s great. Thanks Morgan.”

  “You’re welcome,” Morgan replied. “Where should I meet you on Saturday?”

  “I’ll come and pick you up.”

  “You don’t have to do that,” Morgan said.

  “No, I want to,” Calvin replied convincingly. “Really.”

  Morgan felt herself smile. “Okay then, what time should I expect you?”

  “I’ll pick you up at seven thirty.”

  “I’ll be ready,” she said with a small smile.

  After she had hung up with Calvin, Morgan stared down at her phone for a couple of minutes, trying to compose herself. Despite everything she had said to Leslie, Morgan found still herself hoping.

  Chapter 8

  Calvin thought Morgan looked a little nervous as she climbed into the passenger seat of his car. The only reason he noticed it was because she was usually so calm and collected that her nervousness seemed to stand out, as though someone had cast a spotlight on her. He wondered what had brought on the change, or if somehow his nerves had rubbed off on her. Apart from that, Calvin saw how beautiful she looked. Her skin was as flawless as ever and it almost seemed to glow. A pair of pearl earrings dangled from her ears and the subtle makeup on her face enhanced her exotic beauty.

  He couldn’t see what she had chosen to wear for the night. She was wearing a long white coat that she had cinched in at the waist by a large, studded black belt that made the white pop.

  “You look very handsome,” she had said to him when she had gotten into the car, but she had said little afterwards.

  Calvin was so used to having Morgan take the lead in everything that he found himself floundering for ways to start a conversation.

  “I caught this documentary on cats the other day,” Calvin said, remembering suddenly.

  Morgan looked surprised, “You did?”

  “Yes,” Calvin replied. “And it led me to the conclusion that cats are not so bad.”

  She smiled, “Really?”

  “Yup,” Calvin said. “I can maybe see why you like them so much.”

  Morgan laughed. Calvin noticed it was not her usual laugh; it was a little higher today, a little more practiced. Morgan was aware of the fact that she was behaving differently than she usually did. She couldn’t seem to control it. It was as though in finally admitting to herself how she felt about Calvin, her professionalism had abandoned her completely and left her with the impulses of a teenager.

  She was so aware of Calvin that it made her feel young. Her feelings, her movements, her words; everything was unpredictable. She decided that the best course of action was to simply say as little as possible. She was sure that Calvin noticed, but she appreciated his attempts to make conversation. He was actually doing really well, and she felt a small surge of professional pride.

  He looked particularly good that night, all dressed up in his tuxedo. He wore a black tie and silver cufflinks. His hair was combed back, and the hazel in his eyes seemed so much brighter. Morgan wondered if she could trust how she was seeing him, or if she was “looking through love goggles” as they put it.

  “This is the first time I’ve been to one of these things actually,” Calvin told her, attempting to engage her in conversation.

  “Really?” Morgan asked. “The first time? How did you manage that?”

  “Steven has always been the figure head, and Randy was happy to be his right hand man. That was the way I wanted it.”

  “Why?”

  “Social events like this always made me nervous, I just preferred t
o avoid them altogether.”

  “What made you change your mind this time?”

  “This time,” Calvin looked at her pointedly. “I have a beautiful woman on my arm.”

  Morgan reminded herself that he was probably only teasing her. Joking, that was what he was doing. Her heart and her mind couldn’t seem to coordinate with one another however. She found herself spinning wildly between hard reality and juvenile fantasy.

  “Don’t you meet a lot of business contacts at these events?” Morgan asked, trying to distract herself more than him.

  “Yes,” Calvin replied. “Which is why Steven and Randy have never missed one.”

  “You must be really close,” Morgan observed. “The three of you.”

  “We are,” Calvin replied. “I trust them both implicitly.”

  “That’s a wonderful thing to have,” Morgan observed. “You’re lucky.”

  “I know.”

  “So Maximus?” Morgan asked. "Why did you choose that name?”

  Calvin laughed, “It’s an unusual name for a company isn’t it?”

  “It’s brilliant too, though. It gives off a powerful connotation.”

  “Maximus was my grandfather. Steven’s too. Our mother’s father.”

  “I gather you were close?”

  “Yes we were,” Calvin told her. “He died when I was fourteen.”

  “That must’ve been hard.”

  “I had Steven,” Calvin said with a shrug.

  Calvin pulled into the hotel’s parking lot and he and Morgan made their way into the dazzling lights of the hall where the charity was being held. It was dressed up the likes of which Calvin had never seen. He was so taken by the opulent space that he didn’t see Morgan take off her coat and rest it over one arm. He turned and his breath caught in his throat. She was standing there framed by the light, wearing a turquoise blue evening gown. It was cut in a dominant V shape at her breasts, baring her fantastic shoulders and arms. A black silk bow fanned around her tiny waist, highlighting her hourglass figure.

  “Wow!” Calvin breathed. “You look… breathtaking.”

  Morgan smiled, “Thank you.”

  Calvin couldn’t help staring at her.

  “Calvin!” Randy’s voice came from the crowd. “You made it.”