Alex rarely saw her mom anymore, so she knew what it was like to lose touch with a parent. “I’m sorry.”
He sighed. “It is what it is. How about we not talk about this?”
She nuzzled his jaw. “Will you stay tonight?”
“What? And miss out on my instant coffee in my hotel room?”
“I thought you Brits drank tea.”
“I’m a transplant.”
Something rumbled, and Spencer’s eyes widened. “Um . . . ”
“Was that your stomach?”
“Er—”
Alex sat up, bracing her arms on his chest. “Oh my God, we never did eat dinner, did we?”
Spencer shook his head.
Alex jumped out of bed and threw on a T-shirt and a pair of panties. “I can order a pizza. How does that sound?”
“You don’t have to do that, I’ll—”
“Oh, quit being all polite Posh on me. You’re hungry, and I want some damn pepperoni.”
He laughed. “Okay, then.”
Alex ordered pizza and forty minutes later, they sat in her kitchen as she systematically picked the pepperonis off her pizza, let her head fall back, and then dropped them into her mouth from greasy fingers. She caught Spencer watching her. “What?”
“I’ve never seen anyone eat pizza that way.”
“What way?”
“Like you could give a wank how you look.”
She dropped another pepperoni in her mouth and moaned. “I don’t. I take my pizza eating seriously. I have a system.”
“I see that.”
“Pepperoni comes off first, then I eat the crust, then I eat the cheesy-saucy bit.”
“That’s arse backwards, you know.”
“In case you haven’t noticed, I like to be difficult.”
He grinned at that. “Yes, well, call me a masochist, but that’s what I like so much about you.”
That warmed her belly more than the pizza, which was a hard thing to do. She ducked her head and began to tear off the crust.
“So,” he said. “I know you said you’ve been here a year, but it seems the Paytons are basically an extension of your family.”
She swallowed her bite of crust. “Yeah. They . . . really are. I had some issues last year and they rallied behind me like no one ever had in my life. For so long, it was just Ivy and me, so to have this . . . support system around me was incredible. I’d do anything for them.”
He spun his glass of water on the table. “What kind of issues?”
Alex bit her lip, not wanting to rehash, but she’d told him everything already, so one more thing didn’t seem to matter. “I heard . . . uh . . . that Robby was looking for me. Asking around my old job. Wanting to know where I moved, where I was working. I kind of lost it. Looking back, I’m not sure I was entirely rational, but it didn’t matter. I was terrified. I wanted to move to Florida or Siberia or anywhere that was as far away from him as possible.”
Alex hadn’t realized she was strangling her napkin with a white-knuckled grip until Spencer reached over and covered her hand with his. She took a deep breath and relaxed her muscles.
“So when I threatened to leave, they basically had an intervention with me. Sat me down and told me that they’d help me. And I think the clincher was Jack. Have you met Jack?”
“He was at the barbecue, yes? Although I didn’t speak to him.”
“So, he’s like, the big kahuna. The boss. The dad. He told me if he ever had a daughter, he thought she’d be like me, and then he asked me to stay.” Her eyes watered, remembering gruff, gravel-voiced Jack telling her he’d make sure Robby never breathed her air again. “So yeah. I owe them so much. This is my home, my family. And since I know what it’s like not to have that, I guess I value them all the more.”
Spencer wasn’t looking at her anymore. His gaze was out the back window of her apartment. He licked his lips and then stared down at his empty plate. “I, uh, know that feeling too. Not to have that.”
“I’m sorry,” was all she could think to say.
“Yeah,” he said softly. “Sometimes, I’m sorry about it too.” A brief, tense smile flashed over his face. “Not sure I’ve ever admitted that, though.”
Alex blew out a breath. “Look at us, sharing a heart-to-heart. Never thought I’d be doing this with you when we first met, huh?”
Spencer chuckled. “No, no, I didn’t either.”
She tore off another piece of crust and shoved it in her mouth. She’d avoided thinking about this, had pretended it wasn’t looming, and now that she’d bared her heart to this guy, she couldn’t pretend anymore. “How long do you think you’ll be in town?”
He flinched, like the question hurt.
He cleared this throat. “I, uh, don’t know. I already recommended where to build the hotel, and now it’s all just a formality to get the final approval.”
“Where did you recommend?”
He paused a minute, and something flashed over his face so quick, then it was gone. He met her gaze. “That area of land by MacMillan Investments.”
Alex nodded. She knew the place. Easy to get to and right near the highway. “That sounds perfect.”
“Yes, I think so.”
“And then you’ll . . . go home?” Her voice cracked at the end. Shit.
A muscle jumped in his jaw. “Yes, then I’ll go home to New York. I’m up for a promotion, actually.”
She couldn’t look at him anymore, so she looked down at her pizza. “Wow, that’s . . . that’s great. I really hope you get it.”
“Me too,” he whispered, his voice edged with something that sounded a little like regret.
Communicating and talking about this shit was her least favorite thing to do, but after today, after the date from hell and her outburst in the rain and the sex that was the best she’d ever had, they really needed to set some ground rules. “So, this lasts until you leave, right? We can handle that.” Even as she said it, she was only about 25 percent certain they could.
“We can handle it.” His voice was deeper than normal. “As long as you’re okay with it. But I’d like to see you more, while I’m still here.”
Alex nodded, part of her grateful for that deadline that would prevent this from becoming too serious, too much. But wasn’t it becoming that already? “Yes, of course. We can do that. We enjoy each other’s company and the sex is kinda good. I guess.” She grinned at him.
He barked out a laugh, the sound echoing off the walls of her kitchen, and Alex’s shoulders shook while she tried to hold in a giggle. “Bloody liar,” he said, smiling.
She launched herself at him, and then the pizza was forgotten, and so was his return to New York, as they lost themselves in each other again.
He’d leave. Of course he would. But for now, he was here, and she was going to enjoy it.
Chapter Twelve
ALEX LEANED BACK in the chair behind the counter of Delilah’s and dropped some peanuts into her mouth. She rattled the plastic bag and dug around for some whole ones.
“Hey, you could always help me, you know,” Ivy said as she hung up some dresses on the sales rack.
Alex held up her greasy, salt-covered hands. “I don’t think Delilah wants me touching the merchandise.”
“You do that on purpose, eat messy stuff when you visit me at work so you don’t have to help,” Ivy said with a scowl.
Alex grinned, then turned her attention to the door as the bell rung, signaling someone had stepped inside.
Alex saw the blonde hair first, and her body stiffened. She knew that her reaction to Penny was irrational. Spencer had assured her Penny was very much only a friend and very much married to another man. But this was a person who knew Spencer a hell of a lot better than Alex did, and Penny’s presence made her a little uneasy. She wondered what Penny thought of her.
The woman glanced around the shop, running her hand over a couple of tops on a rack, before approaching the front counter where Alex sat.
&nbs
p; “Hello,” Penny said, her smile warm.
Alex really needed to get over this feeling of inadequacy. “Hey, can I help you with something?”
“Alex, you don’t even work here,” Ivy said as she slipped a dress on a hanger. “Give me a holler if you need help.”
Penny’s smile never wavered. “Sure. Spencer told me this was a lovely place.”
Alex nodded. “It really is. Delilah is good at what she does.”
Penny hummed under her breath as she eyed some earrings. “I hear you’re good at what you do too.”
Alex raised her eyebrows. “Oh?”
“Aren’t you training a new hire?”
Spencer must have told her. What else did he tell her about Alex? “Uh, yeah I am.” Alex cleared her throat, unsure what else to say. She darted a glance at Ivy to bail her out, but Ivy seemed to be enjoying this, if the smirk on her face was any indication.
Perfume hit Alex’s nose as Penny leaned close. “I want to thank you for the invitation to your Sunday dinner the other night. And for making Spencer smile.”
“Smile?”
Penny’s gaze was steady. “I’ve known him for a long time. I don’t think he would have attempted that game—what did you call it, washers?—for just anyone. He likes to look in control at all times.” She paused. “I like who he is when he’s around you. And most important of all, he likes who he is when he’s around you.”
Alex admitted she’d judged Penny when she first met her, with her perfect clothes and hair and flawless skin. But Penny was anything if superficial. She was direct, and kind, and ambitious, as Spencer had told Alex.
Spencer wasn’t surrounded by brothers like the Paytons were. He didn’t have a large crew of guy friends who would voice their approval of Alex to him. All he had was . . . Penny. And she mattered, Alex realized. She mattered a lot and so did her opinion.
So instead of a snarky comeback, a sarcastic, “Thank you for your opinion,” Alex thought the best thing to do was act like a grown-up and give Penny the respect she deserved, as an honored friend of Spencer’s. “Thank you. I like who I am around him too.”
Penny smiled, then took a couple of bangles off the shelf beside her. “I think I’m going to get these for my daughter. She loves jewelry.”
As Ivy made her way to the counter, Alex fingered one of the bracelets. “Yeah, my niece is really into jewelry right now too. And dressing up. She keeps trying to steal my lipstick.” She glared at Ivy without heat.
Her sister rolled her eyes. “Oh, don’t act like you’re annoyed. You’d do anything for her.”
Penny was watching them closely. “Have you both been raising her?”
It was a direct question and if anyone else asked it, Alex might have told the person to shove it, but something about Penny made Alex want to be honest. “We have been, yeah. Her dad didn’t want to be involved, and I . . . well, I got out of a bad relationship, and being a good example for Violet is one of the reasons I had the courage to get out.”
Okay, so that was really honest, and Ivy was staring at her, hands poised above the cash register.
Alex bit her lip and went to duck her eyes when Penny reached across the counter and squeezed her wrist. “I did the same thing. I was married to a man whom I left because I didn’t want my children around the toxicity. And I know it’s hard, but it’s a good thing too. Forces you to learn to love yourself.” She smiled then and leaned back. “And that’s more important than the love of anyone else.” Then she turned to Ivy, as if she hadn’t just rocked Alex’s world. “Do you take MasterCard?”
CENTRAL PARK IN New York City was lovely but it was still Central Park. There were still tourists and people and the sounds of the city all around.
There was still the knowledge that right outside the park was the hustle and bustle of New Yorkers, the honks of the taxicabs, the smell of trash and food trucks and too many bodies.
Here, in Tory Park, Spencer didn’t feel anything but peace. Even as he listened closely, inhaled deeply, all he heard were the sounds of families in the park, all he smelled was fresh air. He let his head fall back and he closed his eyes, the fall air warming his face. He probably needed a jacket, but he didn’t care because the cool breeze felt good on his face, on his skin, the sun burning brightly behind his closed lids.
He inhaled the scene of the nearby lake, the newly cut grass.
He knew that outside this park was a small town, full of Alex and the Paytons and that was it. He’d been so ingrained in New York City life for so long, that he’d forgotten how others lived. He felt refreshed down to his bones.
The only thing preventing him from fully relaxing was the replay of the conversation he’d had with Penny and Nick that morning. They were leaving in a couple of days, having wrapped up the last of their studies. Penny still hadn’t mentioned which site her father was leaning toward, but Spencer had confidence.
He was the best, after all.
The sound of footsteps reached his ears and he looked up. Alex stood before him, sunglasses over her eyes, sipping some drink through a straw. Her eyebrows lifted behind her shades. “You’re early.”
He glanced at his watch. “I’ve been here an hour.”
She shifted her glasses to the top of her head so he could finally see her blue eyes. “Good God, why?”
He shrugged. “It’s beautiful outside.”
Alex didn’t look impressed. “You’re probably sitting in so much duck crap right now.”
He laughed at that. “You really know how to make the moment.”
She grinned. “My specialty.”
He wiped his hands together and stood up beside her. They were at the park to attend a cookout for MacMillan Investments employees. He had been invited, which he still found strange, but Jenna had told him he’d better be there.
Small-town hospitality. Nothing better.
Apparently the MacMillan parties ended up being attended by most of the town now that Jenna had taken the helm of publicity to improve the image of the company.
Spencer wasn’t complaining. It gave him another excuse to spend time with Alex.
It was Sunday and once they walked around the pond to the area where people were gathered, he noticed that a lot were wearing their Sunday best.
Alex, however, was in her standard uniform of jeans and a T-shirt.
He liked that, that she didn’t give a shite, that she remained herself no matter what.
If she had been a woman who wore dresses all the time, that would have been lovely too. But she wasn’t, and he appreciated her lack of fucks.
He reached out and squeezed her hand, then let go. She smiled up at him.
Penny and Nick had been invited too, but they declined. Which was fine with Spencer. He didn’t want questions about Alex. He and Alex had talked and planned to keep their rekindled relationship between them. Neither wanted to deal with the rumors and the questions, and since this would end eventually anyway, they decided to keep what they had in a small, insular vacuum between themselves. Ivy knew and that was enough for both of them.
It would be hard not to grab her and kiss Alex in public, but he could manage.
Although, with this family, Spencer wondered if any secret ever really stayed a secret.
He vowed to be good to Alex though, to follow her lead. This was her town, her life, and after what she’d been through, the last thing he wanted to do was cause her problems.
And he was really, really hoping karma came around and totally demolished Robby. Like, drawn, quartered, and beheaded. Maybe castrated too.
The man had to be insecure down to his bones. There was no other explanation why someone could look at Alex and treat her as anything but a queen.
“You know,” he said, as they approached the large group of people standing around picnic tables and under pavilions, “we’ll have to redo that date sometime. One where we don’t fuck up royally.”
Alex smiled and kicked a clump of grass. “I don’t know, I thought
naked pizza was kind of fun.”
“We weren’t naked.”
“We were shortly after ingestion of said pizza.”
He thought about that. “Okay, that’s true.”
A blur of purple rushed toward them, and then Alex was scooping up Violet into her arms.
“Where’d you go, Alex?” Violet asked.
“I had to go get Mr. UK over here. He seemed to be lost.”
Violet stared at him with big eyes. “You know, you can get directions on your phone.”
He poked Alex with his elbow and then smiled at the little girl. “I know, but luckily your aunt here found me before I had to resort to that.”
Violet gripped Alex’s face to make her aunt look at her. “They. Have. Hot dogs,” she said with wonder in her voice.
“Yes, I’m sure they do,” Alex said with a laugh.
Brent approached them, one arm slung around Ivy’s shoulders, the other extended to Spencer, who shook it. “How’s it going, man?”
“Going nicely, thanks,” Spencer answered. “The party looks well attended.”
“Yeah, Jenna puts on a good show.” Brent leaned in. “But no beer. Apparently Jenna thinks that’s tacky at a company party. I disagree with that wholeheartedly and tried to tell her, but Cal threatened to smack me so I let it go. I’ll work on it for next time, though.”
Spencer nodded gravely, because Brent appeared to take his lack of beer seriously. “Okay, then.”
“You’ll back me up, right?”
“Of course.”
Brent nodded. “Good man.”
Alex was watching them with amusement and when Brent turned around, Spencer rolled his eyes. She giggled.
ALEX SAT BY herself at a picnic table that had long been abandoned.
She watched Violet and Spencer throw a ball to Honeybear, who was delighted by the attention. They were all stuffed from paper plates heaped with hot dogs and potato salad and some caramel brownies that Asher had made.
Alex didn’t want to get up, and she certainly didn’t want to run around. A nap would have been great.
Dirty Deeds (Mechanics of Love #3) Page 13