Bedeviled

by Madison Michael

  “I did talk to Regan Howe though, and she was very helpful. Between us, we guessed you are a size 4 or 6, so I got two of everything, just to be safe. I got you a couple nightgowns, but mostly I bought jeans and tops and dresses, even some business attire. Mr. Gaines never explained your injuries or I would have selected differently and bought more for comfort. I will buy more for you later today, or if you prefer, I can get things from your apartment.” Charlotte could see that she took every aspect of her work very seriously and that she was disappointed not to have gotten everything right.

  “I am positive your selections will be perfect,“ she reassured the young woman, “but sweats and tees are all I will be able to wear for a few days, if that.” She was trying to see everything in the closet. Even with her limited view, Charlotte quickly comprehended that little in the closet was appropriate with her injuries.

  “Sorry, he just said buy clothes,” she repeated again awkwardly. Joanne was holding a diaphanous, white nightgown in her dark hands, clearly designed for seduction, not recuperation. Behind her, the closet was jammed with designer dresses and business suits, classic trousers, stunning blouses and a few skirts. The floor showed heels and strappy sandals beside four pairs of running shoes, all in a neat row.

  “It’s fine for now, but a robe might be the first order of business,” Charlotte offered. She nodded at the running shoes with frustration. She couldn’t even wear those now, at least not both. Some changes would have to be made. It explained the consternation Joanne was showing and Charlotte set out to make the young woman feel comfortable. “Regan would normally be right about the shoes you got, so I can tell that a lot of thought went into your work. I appreciate it. I should get you to shop for me all the time. I have zero fashion sense, but I can see you picked beautiful things.”

  Appeased by Charlotte’s kind words, Joanne went to work helping her remove the borrowed scrubs. Charlotte was self-castigating as she regaled Jo with her story of insisting that she should wear her running clothes home from the hospital. When she had barely made a hand into the dirty, ripped clothes, the hospital staff had offered the scrubs. The pain of getting anything on, Charlotte admitted, was exceeded only by the pain of removing it. It took several minutes, but eventually the two women had Charlotte in the wispy nightgown and tucked into the queen-sized bed, a pile of down pillows supporting her back and smelling faintly of lavender.

  Joanne fussed for another moment before Alex entered the room with a tray and she excused herself. Charlotte was propped against the pillows, her dark hair framing her pale, scraped face and pained eyes. Alex took in the sight of her long neck, creamy shoulders and the hint of breast showing through the nightgown despite her best efforts at modesty. Charlotte watched, gratified to see Alex’s eyes take on a smoldering gaze before he turned away.

  Even through her fog of pain and painkillers, Charlotte had a moment of triumph at that look. Although she had resisted Alex’s offer to host her for quite a while before giving in, she was glad he had won the argument. She would get excellent care in a luxurious and secure location and a chance at the elusive Alexander Gaines, too.

  Except for these damn ribs, this might be perfect.

  Smiling at the ridiculousness of seducing Alex in her present condition, Charlotte gave herself a mental shake and turned her expressive eyes up to meet Alex’s as he gingerly sat on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle her.

  “Marty prescribed some pain meds. You are to take them no matter how you feel for the next two days, then as needed. I had them delivered so you will start them in a couple hours. I brought water, tea and orange juice since I wasn’t sure what you might want. Food too. You never got breakfast so I brought cereal and yogurt. You pick.”

  “Tea, please, and the yogurt, and then rest. I just want to let these meds do their trick and sleep through some of this discomfort.”

  “Of course, of course.” He placed a starched linen napkin across her chest and handed her the yogurt, along with a fine silver spoon. He apologized for the flavor, although she did not complain, and added a Splenda to her tea before handing it to her. He quickly realized she couldn’t hold the cup with her bandaged hand so he tipped the cup carefully to her lips as she took a sip. His eyes stayed there, until she nudged him to indicate she was done. He fed her yogurt and tea in silence, their eyes speaking volumes.

  “Can I get you anything else? Anything at all?”

  “I’m fine, Alex.” Charlotte nibbled at the yogurt until the carton was empty, surprised by her hunger until she remembered she had been running earlier. “Go take a shower. Go to work. I just need to sleep. I don’t want to be an imposition. Go about your day. I will be fine.”

  “Char, you are anything but an imposition. But you do need to rest.” He placed a light kiss on her forehead, as if she were a child, and used a small remote control on the bedside table to close the blinds over the multi-million dollar view.

  “Holler if you need anything at all. Joanne and I will be here all day.” He looked at her, clearly torn between staying with her and letting her get the sleep she needed.

  “I will, Alex. Go.”

  Charlotte was left in the quiet darkness. Using both hands awkwardly, she sipped the last of the tea slowly and revisited her morning.

  Oh, God.

  That had been no ghost she saw in the stand of trees, Charlotte remembered with a shudder. All she had left behind when she escaped to Chicago appeared to find her early this morning. The hospital had brought back bad memories, not that she needed any reminders. He haunted her sleep almost every night, caused her to look over her shoulder every day. But she been less vigilant lately, believing the miles between them were enough.

  I am so stupid. Jail, the police and restraining order after restraining order had not stopped him. Why should a plane ride?

  She knew that if he could find her running in the park, he had been watching her. What else did he know? Did he know where she lived? Where she worked? All her running had clearly not been enough. She needed a new game plan before he cost her everything she worked so hard to achieve or worse, everyone she loved.

  Putting the cup back onto its saucer with a rattle, she rested her sore and shaking hands trying to get their tremors to subside. Charlotte allowed her eyes to droop shut. Her problems would just have to wait. She would need a much clearer mind to make all this go away because, she realized with startling clarity, she didn’t want to flee again.

  CHAPTER SIX

  There was moonlight filtering through the blinds when Charlotte awoke. She lay in bed, disoriented until her mind cleared and she remembered she was in Alex’s guest room. She wiggled her fingers and toes, gently moved around, checking her pain levels. She was happily surprised to find she didn’t hurt as much as earlier. When she tried to sit up to get out of bed, her body told her another story entirely. Her ribs really hurt like hell.

  Sliding her way out of bed awkwardly, protecting herself from the stabbing pain, she hobbled to the bathroom on one foot and a tiptoe. Where had Joanne put that stupid boot? Charlotte limped her way back to the closet, found the boot on the floor under some of Alex’s shirts and suits that had been pushed off to the side to make room for the new things Joanne had hung up. Grabbing a faded blue work shirt, Charlotte held it to her nose, hoping for a sniff of Alex - expensive aftershave and man. Nope, nothing. It had been too well laundered. She put the shirt on, made sure it covered her private parts, then bent painfully and wrapped the boot tightly around her leg with the Velcro closures and wandered out of the room to find her host.

  Once she opened the door and entered the hallway, she could hear the sounds of the apartment that had been muffled by the thick door. Moving unsteadily in the direction of Alex’s murmuring voice, Charlotte passed priceless art pieces along the wide hallway.

  He has excellent taste.

  The work was mostly modern, large canvases, huge sculptural pieces and oddly, an African wood carving as tall as she was that worked i
n the space somehow. There were artists she recognized, museum quality pieces that she assumed were the real thing.

  This man has way too much money.

  Following his voice, walking carefully to avoid reaching a hand against the walls or tripping on the edges of priceless Turkish rugs, Charlotte found Alex in his office, back to the door, talking business on his speaker phone and running a pen through his fingers like a card sharp might a playing card.

  She stood quietly, taking in the surroundings, a large wood paneled room with floor to ceiling windows on one wall and a large telescope poised to look out of them. The two remaining walls were built-in bookshelves covered in hardback and leather-bound books interspersed with small paintings, pottery, wooden objects and a beautiful stone orb. The desk was wood, with clean lines and an efficient lamp with a moveable arm. Currently the desktop was scattered with files, papers and a small laptop computer set on one corner. There were several straight-backed leather and wood chairs scattered about the room with small tables set beside them in intimate conversation groupings. She selected one and dropped into it carefully.

  Charlotte sat, waiting for Alex to turn and notice her. The ceilings were very high for a modern apartment building, the rug laid over the carpeting absorbed sound and overall the space felt very peaceful for a functional room. She allowed her mind to wander, thinking about the last few months while she waiting for Alex who was winding up his call.

  How strange to find myself here.

  Charlotte remembered meeting Alex at Sloane’s party. She had just decided to say her goodnights when the sexy man had struck up a conversation. She had been uncomfortable before that, felt out of place with all these strangers, but Alex quickly had her laughing and enjoying her evening. He had drawn others into their conversation at times, helping her make new friendships, as if he sensed she needed them. She remembered thinking she was monopolizing the time of someone else’s husband or boyfriend. This brilliant hunk of man couldn’t possibly be available.

  At first, Charlotte had been concerned that her boss, Regan, was either with or interested in the gorgeous blonde but her new colleagues quickly set her straight. Regan was circling another friend of her brother, Tyler Winthrop. The two had been dancing around each other for years and both had eyes only for each other. Once she understood she would not offend her, Charlotte had outright asked Regan about Alex, getting that cryptic response about him being elusive. But she didn’t discourage Charlotte from pursuing him and that was all the sanction she needed. Regan had made it clear that the field for Alex was wide open.

  “But very competitive, Charlotte. If you are interested in him, it is only fair to warn you. He plays the field aggressively. He dates both here and in L.A. and is rarely seen with the same woman twice.”

  Despite the warning, Charlotte had been relieved. She might be new to the job and the city, but she had met an interesting and attractive man. She would have stepped aside reluctantly but it would not be necessary. She would have no interference from her boss.

  She wanted to heed Regan’s warnings, but her attraction to Alex had been instantaneous, a new sensation for her. Sure, she hadn’t reached the age of 31 without plenty of opportunities to meet men, but she was dedicated to her studies, then her work and dated infrequently. She had been involved with only one serious boyfriend, and that relationship had ended disastrously.

  Since then, she guarded her heart, preventing herself from feeling too much. Never before had she experienced such an immediate, visceral reaction to another human being. Instead of being her overly cautious self, she had thrown her hat in the ring for Alex – Charlotte style – slowly but steadily.

  “With my studies behind me and the landing of my dream job, I feel like I finally have some time to breathe and enjoy life,” she had told Alex with exuberance. “I am in a new city, making a fresh start.” What she didn’t say was that Alex offered a chance to achieve all her dreams for an exciting personal life with a special someone.

  The charming man had remained a mystery. He spent time with her on the track, escorted her to an occasional business event, took her for coffee and smoothies after a run, even called just to talk once in a while. The friendship had formed naturally and comfortably, at a relaxed pace for her. Until recently she had been content with that. Now she wanted him to make a serious move.

  Charlotte believed she was making headway finally, that the man was just as cautious as she was about jumping into something with a virtual stranger. He was right to be careful. After all, Alex was a major catch - handsome, smart, funny, successful and extremely wealthy. He was actively pursued by women, some who wanted him for his charm, and many who just wanted the material things he could provide. She could understand why he might be hesitant.

  At first, she had actually tried to talk herself out of being interested, reminding herself that she was new to town and needed some time to get the lay of the land. Charlotte reminded herself that she had just landed a plum job and should do nothing to risk it. But logic gave way to desire, and as the attraction grew she continued to subtly pursue Alex, waiting for him to reciprocate. She was an old fashioned girl, so even in a modern world, she preferred that he make the first move.

  She was patient with him and frankly concerned that he was so secretive. But he was so damn attractive. She felt so good around him. She countered her fears about his mysterious demeanor by telling herself that she knew his friends, where he worked, where he lived. Alex might keep to himself but with his childhood friends surrounding him, she at least knew he was no threat. Except to her heart. She never felt the need to run a background check. He remained suave and sophisticated even if he didn’t share his secrets. She was able to pick up bits and pieces about who he was and how he lived from the things said around him, from being with him. She wanted him to trust her. She wanted to trust him.

  When he had flown in that gorgeous bimbo from L.A. last month she had been crushed. The woman was stunning in a barely-there dress and hanging all over Alex. Charlotte got a dose of reality as if she had been doused in ice water, and with cooler blood, she stepped back from Alex. Jealousy was a new and miserable experience for her. She longed for a friend to talk to about her emotions, about Alex, but Regan was still her boss, so she remained miserable and alone.

  Charlotte had fought for everything in her life, but she had never fought for a man. She was no quitter. She didn’t get a scholarship to Harvard, then remain at Harvard for an MBA, by being easily dissuaded. She earned her high grades, did everything necessary to join the right clubs, and she deserved everything she achieved. Tapping that fighting spirit she had redoubled her efforts with Alex. All leading up to today when she had decided she was done with slow and steady, with waiting to be pursued.

  She had intended to make a move at coffee just that morning and now, here she was, with a golden opportunity to get close to the man at long last. She intended to take every advantage of the situation.

  Well, once I feel like I can breathe comfortably again.

  “Well look who’s awake.” Alex turned to punch off the speaker button on the business phone buried under his haphazard papers, seeing Charlotte at last. “You startled me. I didn’t realize you could move so quietly on that,” he pointed to the boot. He was openly pleased to see her.

  “Clever,” he mumbled under his breath on seeing her attire. She had to admit it worked well as a robe. She could see his disappointment, reassuring her that she was discreetly concealed. “How are you feeling?”

  “Surprisingly better,” she told him with relief. “Except the sore ribs, nothing seems to hurt too much.” She lightly fingered the bandage on her face with a scowl. “The tape is bothering me more than anything.”

  “Well, it has to stay on another day or two, doctor’s orders.”

  “Yes, sir,” she smiled. “I am starving.”

  “I bet you are,” he agreed. “It is already after 6:00.”

  “You’re kidding? I slept the whole day away.�
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  “Not the whole day,” he corrected, “but half of it. You didn’t get settled here until almost noon. Can you walk? Want to follow me to the kitchen and I will get you some food?”

  She nodded yes and slowly moved to stand. Alex was at her side instantly, helping to lift her out of the chair, then hanging on while they walked through the living room and into the enormous kitchen.

  “This place is huge,” she remarked, looking about her. “How much space does one man need, Alex?”

  “Yeah, it’s a lot, but I like the open feel. Really, I just bought it for the pool.”

  “The building has a pool?”

  “I guess it does, but I meant my pool – out there,” he gestured vaguely toward the wide outdoor decks and manicured gardens surrounding his condo. She could see a large pool surrounded by deck chairs hidden behind a hedgerow.

  “A pool of your very own?” Charlotte asked in wonder.

  “Yep, with a cover to use in the winter, so I can take advantage of it almost year round. I like to swim.”