by T. C. Clark
T.C. Clark
Alex: Beauty and the Greek
Copyright © 2019 by T.C. Clark
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission.
This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.
T.C. Clark asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.
T.C. Clark has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate.
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The Wallflowers Series
Nikos: The Greek’s Mistress September 2018
Luca: The Italian’s Secret October 2018
Dmitri: The Russian’s Christmas Baby November 2018
Julian: Taming The Fighter December 2018
Alex: The Beauty and the Greek January 2019
Mak’s: The Mountain Man’s Crush February 2019
Aidan: One night with the Doctor March 2019*
The Sanctuary Series:
The Librarian and the Sandman March 2019*
The Surgeon and the Hunter April 2019
The Forecaster and the Mechanic May 2019
Contents
Acknowledgement
One night in paradise...
Forget about me and save yourself...
Love is hard...
The time for running is over...
Sneak peek at: Maks: The Mountain Man's Crush
Acknowledgement
I want to thank each and every one of you who decided to pick this book up. I hope you enjoy it. I love writing these monthly stories and I hope they entertain you.
Also, a big thanks to my mom and dad who have been my biggest cheerleaders. I’m amazed at how much support I’ve had on this journey, I’m truly blessed.
One
One night in paradise...
Alex Stravanos was working overtime to keep his expression neutral as his intoxicated client tried to explain the difference between men and women. He’d heard that Mr. Mitchell was an ass to deal with and decided it would be better to take on the task himself. His junior associates had been grateful, and now he understood why. The aging CEO was not only incompetent when it came to his business, he was also a sloppy drunk. As soon as they’d taken their seats he’d started in on the drinks.
Alex waited patiently for him to get his shit together. He would let him play for another hour or so and then he would banish him back to the safety of his hotel room, where men like him belonged. He sighed and took off his glasses to wipe them down. He didn’t know why the bar owner hadn’t stopped the people in the booths from smoking, but if they didn’t stop soon, he would handle it himself.
At well over six feet tall, he towered over most men. He had a body covered with well-earned muscle and he wasn’t afraid of confrontation. If other people couldn’t handle things correctly, then he would take over. He had no problem making his position clear to anyone. His brother’s interest in MMA had sparked his own obsession with karate. He was a red belt. The martial arts style had taught him self-discipline, and it had also given him the confidence to step up to any challenge in front of him.
Derek, the bartender, noticed his scowl and hurried to talk to the people in the booth next to theirs. Alex smiled wryly. Some people thought he had a temper. But he didn’t believe he did. He just didn’t take bull shit well.
His green eyes surveyed the busy jazz club with disinterested eyes. More than once he’d caught the gaze of a woman on the prowl. But he didn’t have it in him to seduce someone tonight. The last few days had been brutal for him. He just wanted to go home and relax. But that wasn’t in the cards for him.
When he turned to call for a waiter, he saw her. His body reacted immediately. That had never happened to him before. He wasn’t an instant attraction kind of guy, or at least he hadn’t been until now.
She was a beautiful woman. A beacon in a sea of drunken people. She sat alone at the bar, banishing every man who worked up the courage to approach her. She was kind in her refusal, always dismissing them with a smile. But despite the gentle rebuff she offered there was no denying that she wanted to remain alone. She looked like she was thinking about all the problems in the world.
Everything about her screamed. Stay Away.
But men in bars like this couldn’t read signals. It didn’t help that she was the most attractive woman here. Hell, she was the most attractive woman he’d ever seen. She was wearing an expensive suit. He could tell by the cut that it was tailored to emphasize her femininity, not hide it. Small pearl earrings and a dainty gold watch were the only jewelry she wore. Her shoulder-length jet black hair called to his fingers. Her almond colored skin begged for his touch.
As another man approached her, he tensed. He shook his head to clear the possessive thoughts that littered his mind. Alex was a logical man, but no amount of reasoning could explain his extreme reaction to her. He could blame it on lust… but he’d never felt it so strongly.
He needed to test this.
Had he been too long without a woman? Was that why he felt this overwhelming urge to carry her out of this bar? He needed to know who she was. He leaned forward and signaled the bartender for the tab. It took him a few moments, but he got his annoying client squared away with one of his company drivers. With that settled, he turned his attention to the sexy woman.
He walked over to her slowly. For the first time in years, Alex had to utilize his infamous self-control. He knew when she sensed him because she sat up a little straighter and took another sip of her drink. When she turned to him with a refusal on her plump lips, he raised a hand to stop her.
“I know you don’t want to be bothered, but I can’t help myself. I have to know, why are you here?” He pulled out a stool, sat down, and turned to face her.
“What do you mean?” she asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise at the blunt question.
“Well, you aren’t here to get drunk; you’ve been nursing that same drink for a while, as it’s mostly filled with melted ice. You’re definitely not here to get laid, you’ve sent a variety of men away, and you don’t seem to be waiting on anyone. Why are you here?”
“Why do you want to know?” she asked, while her eyes examined him. He wasn’t sure what she was looking for but her shoulders relaxed when she found it.
“Because I’m interested in the answer,” Alex said, signaling the bartender for a drink. She looked at the bartender, who jumped to do his bidding, and then back at him.
“And I should answer your question because…” she replied with a bland smile.
&nbs
p; “You will answer it because you’re nice. I know people, reading them is what I’m good at, and your manners won’t allow you to ignore me.”
She was quiet for a while, clearly wanting to make him sweat a little. She didn’t know him though. He was a patient man; he would sit here all night to wait for the answer. He’d learned a long time ago that anything of value took time.
“I’m here because I wanted to relax in a place where no one knows me,” she finally said. ” I’ve had the worst week and I need to be out among people instead of cooped up in my hotel room going over everything that happened.”
“Ahhh you’re here to forget,” he said, nodding and taking a sip of his drink.
“Yes.” She sighed.
“How is that working for you?”
“Honestly, not that good. Apparently, this isn’t the right place to relax with a drink,” she said, gesturing to the people around them. The entire club was staring at them. He was sure they were placing bets on how quickly she would cut him loose.
“No, this club is where people come to hookup or pass out. Sometimes both depending on their mood,” he explained.
“So, why are you here?”
“Unsurprisingly, this is my client’s favorite spot in town,” he said dryly.
“Okay, where is this interesting client?” She perked up and looked around.
“He is safely tucked away in a company car heading back to his hotel. But let me say he did not go quietly into the night.”
“Well, it was nice meeting you…” She was clearly fishing for a name.
“Alex Stravanos.” He gave her a wolfish smile.
“But this club is really not doing a thing for me. I think I need to relax somewhere else,” she said, pulling out her wallet.
“How about the bistro across the street,” he said, putting his card out first. She looked at him and shook her head.
“I can pay for myself.” She ignored his suggestion for food.
“I know you can, but I’m trying to endear myself to you, so you don’t just walk away. Paying for your drink is step one,” he explained.
“Okay, now I have to ask…what is step two?” She tilted her head to the side as she waited for an answer. For a second he just stared into her eyes, caught up in the mystery of them. When she finally looked away he answered.
“Charm…I’ve definitely got to charm you.”
She turned back to him. “And how are you going to do that?”
“Well, first I’ll take you to a nice dinner with excellent service. They make the best apple pie a la mode. Then I’ll get you some coffee so I can have you focused on our conversation, and then I’ll start in with the jokes.” Alex paused and took another sip of his drink while she contemplated his words.
“Oh, so you’re funny?” One perfectly arched eyebrow went up.
“No, no I’m not. I don’t have any sense of comedic timing but you’ll like me because of how hard I’m trying and you’ll think to yourself, he’s not such a bad guy.”
“You’re sure I won’t pity you for trying so hard?” she asked.
“No. You’re too nice for that. The redhead to your left now she would pity me.” He pointed to the sexy redhead with the hardened eyes wearing a skimpy dress, who was watching their interaction with a scornful expression.
“Ouch, yeah, she would definitely pity you,” she said, letting the issue of him paying for her drink pass. She stood up, thanked the bartender, and turned to Alex. She looked at her watch with a thoughtful expression.
“What the hell, why not. I’ll go with you to this place that serves fabulous apple pie. But just because I’m going to eat with you does not mean that something will happen between us. I don’t want to deal with an angry man if I walk away.”
“I’m a gentleman if nothing else,” Alex said standing as well.
“You’re not gentle,” she said, shaking her head.
“How do you figure?” he asked, interested in her answer.
“You walked over here with a confidence that most men lack. You were intent on getting me to open up. You ordered a drink but you only took one sip, so you clearly wanted to remain focused on me and you wear your power. Look around, no one has dared to approach me since you walked up, and the bartender is watching you carefully as if your opinion is all that matters. A gentleman doesn’t cause that reaction in other people.”
“And yet you are still going to go with me,” he said with a grin, enjoying her breakdown of him. No one had ever admitted what they thought of him, at least not to his face.
“Honestly, you’re one of the sexiest men I’ve ever met and I’m enjoying talking to you. So yeah, I’m still going to go with you. But whatever happens next is my choice and sexy or not. I will still walk away,” she said, and he had no doubt she was being honest.
“I am all of those things that you just said. But I’ve never pushed a woman to stay with me. If you still want to walk away after we eat, I won’t stop you. But be forewarned, I want you. I want you with an intensity that I can’t describe and I’m a man who goes after what I want.”
“So we both know our intentions, may the best person win,” she said, moving back to let him lead the way.
Alex’s blood started to heat up. He let his control slip for a second, and for a brief moment, she looked concerned. He smiled to ease the tension building between them and she relaxed. He forced his face to remain expressionless as he led her from the bar. People always said he was too intense. He didn’t want to scare her off.
Outside, she pulled her coat tighter as the wind picked up. They walked huddled together across the street to the small restaurant. It was a French bistro that he loved. They were open later than other places because of an open mic night he’d discovered by accident.
He watched her closely, trying to decipher what she was thinking. He would have to control his desire for her. She still seemed unsure about her decision to come with him. His jaw clenched as he caught the eyes of passing men and a scowl formed on his face.
He almost laughed at the unfamiliar feeling of possessiveness he had for this woman. Maybe he needed to be worried about spending more time with her. She was clearly affecting his self-control and no one ever did that. Maybe that’s why he felt this desperate need to get to know her. He would figure out what this feeling was and release her back into the world. She was too dangerous to keep with him for long.
* * *
As they got closer to the building, Tara sneaked another look at the mysterious man at her side. He was sexy in an intense sort of way. He had an athletic physique, which was easily noticed in his expensive tailored suit.
The glasses emphasized the fierceness of his eyes. Normally glasses made someone more human but in his case, they just gave his hawk-like eyes an almost unnatural feel. It was like he could see into her mind.
He was tall, very tall…at least to her. She was average height at best, but she constantly wore heels to make up for it. He had thick brown hair that was slightly longer than most men she knew in the business world. It was his words that intrigued her the most. He seemed to know exactly what he wanted and she was in no doubt that he wanted her. He must feel it too, this electricity that existed between them.
She had never been examined so thoroughly by anyone. Her body reacted instantly sending her all sorts of hormonal messages. She was surprised at how easily he impacted her. She was tingling. What she needed was to get laid or find a man, that’s what this was. Her dry spell had gone on for too long.
The little bistro was the definition of cozy, with its warm Christmas style lights decorating the windows. She could just make out the faint sounds of jazz music as they got closer, and through the frosted window she could see someone standing on stage playing music with a sign that signified an open mic night.
When they walked inside, Alex signaled a waiter and then guided her to a seat. He didn’t wait for anyone to direct them to it. He led them to the opposite side of the restaurant, far away f
rom the well-lit stage. She turned to him with a frown.
“So we don’t wait for them to seat us?” she asked as he helped her remove her jacket.
“If we let them tell us where to sit, where will the rules end? Forgive me but you still haven’t given me your name.”
“Its Tara Marshall,” Tara said using her ex’s last name. She didn’t know why she felt the need to lie, but she couldn’t take it back. Something about this man felt dangerous, not as it related to her physical safety, but her emotional one. Whatever happened tonight would not bleed over into other areas of her life.
She didn’t think she would go home with him. She had a strict rule against one night stands. They were too messy and dangerous for her taste. But she couldn’t ignore the way her body was responding to him and she was realistic if nothing else.
After examining a serial killer this morning, her mood was all over the place. She’d been called in by the Chicago PD to determine his ability to stand trial. Their interview had been chilling but she’d gotten through it. Before she’d walked out of the room to type up her recommendation, he’d leaned forward and casually whispered, “I finally found you. My missing angel. Don’t worry, when I get out I’ll find you and set you free.”
As her mind drifted back to the interview, a shiver touched her spine. Josh Boehm had killed a lot of people before the police finally caught him. Being in the same room with him and listening to his side of the story had really shaken her composure. It was surprising, she’d met a lot of monsters in this world but somehow she knew he was different.
Someone bumped her chair jolting her back to reality. She forced herself not to fidget as Alex’s steely eyes watched her from across the table. How long had she spaced out? Had he asked a question? She had a feeling he was trying to figure out how to deal with her. If he was feeling even a little bit of what she was then they were in trouble.
