by Layne, Ivy
I could have guessed how she spoke to Alice when they were alone. Hearing it was worse than I’d imagined. I stepped into view and my mother blanched.
Angry words threatened to spill out of my mouth. I clenched my jaw and inhaled slowly before I said, “When you finish drinking all of that, let me know, and I’ll send someone to restock. Do not ask Alice to run errands for you again. Understand?”
My mother jutted her chin in the air. “I don’t see what the problem is. It’s her job.”
“It is very much not her job,” I corrected. “Alice manages the office. She was kind enough to take time out of her day to stock your pantry and get the apartment ready, but keeping you in liquor is not on her list of responsibilities. If you need something, call me. Not Alice. Tell me you understand, Mom.”
My mother lifted her chin even higher, until, for a second, I thought she’d lose her balance and fall backward. Without a word, she walked back into the apartment, the door open behind her.
Relieving Alice of her burdens, I said, “Stay here.”
I followed my mother into the apartment and set the paper bags on the kitchen counter.
Digging into my reserves of patience, I said, “Mom, we need to be careful. Tsepov said he’d leave us alone, but we can’t trust him. I don’t want anybody going out at night by themselves. Not you. Not Alice. We’re trying to keep you safe. Please don’t make it harder.”
My mother didn’t respond, too busy pulling out a bottle of gin, slicing a lime, and pouring tonic. Her drink assembled, she lifted it and took a long sip, giving me a cool, appraising glance.
“I never knew what your father saw in her. She’s odd and not particularly pretty. Now she’s got her hooks in you. Be smart, Cooper. If you want to be the head of this family, you can’t get trapped by some nobody. Get what you want from her if you have to, but don’t be a fool about it.”
I stared down at my mother, my teeth clenched hard enough to crack, holding back the words I wanted to say. Words I couldn’t speak to the woman who’d given birth to me.
Finally, I managed, “I am the head of the family. And who I get involved with is none of your business. I meant what I said before. Don’t ever talk about Alice that way again.”
My mother rolled her eyes in exasperation “This is what happens when I try to live a life of my own. I leave town and the next thing I know your brother’s with a nobody who has a criminal for a father. Knox is off with some woman who has a child.” She raised her eyes to the ceiling as if praying for the strength to deal with such an assault on the family honor.
Taking another sip and pinning me with her bloodshot eyes, she accused, “I don’t know how you could have let that happen to Knox. That woman is not our kind. And now here you are, sleeping with the help. It’s so trite, Cooper. I raised you better than this.”
No, I wanted to say, the nanny raised me. You were too busy being Maxwell Sinclair’s wife to bother raising anyone.
Instead, I said, “Sleep tight, Mom.”
I left, shutting the door gently behind me. The hall was empty, but Alice’s door was open a few inches. I found her in the kitchen stirring honey into a cup of herbal tea, her clothes discarded in favor of a fuzzy pink robe. She shoved the mug of tea in my hand when I walked in.
Before I could open my mouth, she said, “I’m sorry. I should have called. She was agitated. I figured dinner was rough and you needed a break. But I should’ve called.”
I took a sip of the sweet, fragrant tea, the compassion in her eyes easing the knot in my chest. “No, I’m sorry. You shouldn’t have to put up with that. The way she talks to you—”
“Cooper, you don’t have to apologize for your mother.” She turned to put away the honey and box of tea bags. “I don’t know why she hates me so much, but it doesn’t really matter. The list of people she likes is so short, I don’t mind not being on it.”
I stared at her back and wanted to ask, How can you not know why she hates you? More than anyone, Alice should know exactly why my mother hated her. The tone of her voice was so guileless, it was as if she really, truly had no clue.
It was so long ago, maybe she’d forgotten. God knows I’d decided to forget years ago. If it didn’t matter to me, why should it matter to her? Except that it still clearly mattered to my mother. Either way— “She can’t talk to you like that.”
“Cooper,” Alice slipped her arms around my waist, tipping her head to look up at me. “She’s a lonely, bitter, unhappy woman. Should she be less of a bitch? Of course. No one should behave that way. I don’t have the mental energy to hold it against her. She’s never going to like me. That’s fine. I don’t particularly like her either.”
I set the mug of half-finished tea on the counter and dropped my mouth to the top of her head, kissing her hair. I had no words. Thank you was inadequate. My chest was tight with a swirling mass of need, and affection, and something so big I wasn’t ready to give it a name.
“How was class?” I asked.
“A little boring. I don’t think I’m a ballet kind of girl. I might go back to Zumba. Or kickboxing. I liked kickboxing.”
“I’ll give you a kickboxing class,” I offered, my mind latching onto the picture of Alice in tight workout gear, grappling with me on the mat.
Reading my mind, she laughed. “Somehow I don’t think we’d end up doing much kickboxing.”
“Maybe not,” I agreed.
I slid my hands beneath her robe, trailing the backs of my fingers over the tops of her breasts, her soft skin warm against mine.
“Are you sore?” I hadn’t needed Alice to tell me it’d been a long time since she’d had sex, never mind that much sex in two short days.
“A little. Pliés were not fun.”
I slid my hand around to cup her ass, leaning over to reach down that far. I loved her size, but the difference in our heights was awkward when we were both standing. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, I hooked the other beneath her legs and scooped her up.
“I can do something about that. But I’m going to have to take a closer look.”
“Whatever you say, boss.”
Yeah, my cock liked it when she called me boss. It liked it a lot.
Chapter Eight
Cooper
The week before Labor Day lasted an eternity. I called Knox in New Hampshire, where he and Lily were visiting her family, and told him to get his ass home. There were three of us in Atlanta, but juggling my mother was turning into a full-time job.
We all owed Axel and Emma big time for the weeks she’d spent with them in Vegas. Trapped in the apartment with nothing to do, she was out of sorts, restless and irritable, and drinking more because of it. We tried to make sure she had company for every meal. Emma stopped by once a day, usually in the morning before my mother had more than a few drinks in her.
The second the clock hit five on Friday afternoon, I dragged Alice from her desk, locking her in my place and doing every dirty, luscious thing I’d fantasized about. By the time Monday night rolled around we were both sore and exhausted but very well satisfied.
Which is why, when I strolled into the office Tuesday morning, a satisfied grin on my face, I stopped short at the sight of the extravagant bouquet of flowers on the front desk.
Alice gave me a secret smile when she saw me, a smile I rarely saw in the office with so many other people around. I braced my elbows on the tall counter in front of the desk and leaned over, snagging a mini scone off the plate in front of Alice. I recognized those scones.
“Who went to Annabelle’s?”
Before Alice had a chance to answer, I took a closer look at the flowers. Lilies and roses. The arrangement was huge, wild and gorgeous. “Who got the flowers?”
Shooting me a look I couldn’t decipher, Alice said, “I did. Flowers and a gift box from Annabelle’s.”
Somethi
ng sour washed through me. Was that jealousy? Was I jealous? Fuck. Yeah. I was jealous. Who the fuck was sending Alice flowers?
I spotted the card from the flower shop face down on the desk, but Alice anticipated me and snatched it up, tucking it behind her.
“Who sent you flowers?”
“None of your business,” she said primly, a wicked tease sparkling in her sky-blue eyes.
I wanted to play the game, to let her tease me, to tease her back. That’s what she expected. Another look at the flowers and all urge to tease dissolved in the sour pit of acid in my gut.
Whoever sent her those flowers knew Alice. Knew her. They weren’t generic roses or a friendly pot of Gerbera daisies. These flowers were bright and wild, quirky and perfect. Whoever sent this arrangement knew my girl better than I wanted any man to know my girl.
“Show me the card,” I said, trying to keep it light. Alice cocked her head to the side and studied me before glancing down the hall on either side of the reception area.
No one was in sight, but we could hear voices coming from both directions. We were very much not alone.
Alice grinned. “Don’t worry about it, Coop. Play your cards right, and maybe I’ll tell you later.”
Her reassurance fell flat. I‘d decide whether I wanted to worry about the fucker who was sending her flowers and a box of treats from Annabelle’s.
I stole another scone, the taste dust in my mouth. I should have played her game, said something flirty and excused myself, then tracked down the delivery from my office if I had to know that badly.
I could beat Alice at this game any day, but instead of sending her a flirtatious grin and stealing the rest of her scones, I rounded the desk and reached for the envelope tucked securely between her lower back and her desk chair.
Alice let out a surprised screech and stood, the chair flying backward, the envelope falling to the ground. We both reached for it at the same time, Alice laughing, me anything but amused. My head clunked into her jaw.
“Cooper,” she exclaimed, stepping back, the card clutched in her hand. Concern knitting her brow, she reached to smooth a finger across my forehead where I’d hit her jaw. I stood, pulling away from her hand, and glared down at her like a sulky child.
“Let me see the card,” I demanded, holding my hand out imperiously.
Stepping back slowly, the realization that I wasn’t playing dawning at last, Alice shook her head. Her voice barely audible, she said, “Get it together, Cooper. You’re being weird.”
I closed the space between us, reaching behind her to get the envelope. She gave it up without a fight, her eyes flaring with alarm as I wrapped my arm around her back and pulled her flush to me right there at the front desk.
Dropping my head to her ear I murmured, “You want flowers? I’ll send you flowers. I’ll send you fucking flowers three times a day. Me. No one else.”
The heel of Alice’s wedge sandal came down on my instep in one quick stomp. Between my dress shoe and the dull sole of her sandal, it wasn’t enough to hurt. It was exactly enough to shake loose the inner Neanderthal currently in control of my brain.
I dropped my forehead to hers. “Alice, I’m sorry. I don’t know what—”
“Cooper—”
The sound of a familiar voice had us both jumping back as if scalded. I straightened, trying to pretend I hadn’t just had Alice in my arms, my mouth inches from hers.
“Well, isn’t this interesting.”
I turned, my body blocking Alice from view, to narrow my eyes on Griffen. One of my senior employees and a friend so close he might as well have been another brother, Griffen Sawyer was one of the few people who knew I had more than a professional interest in Alice. He also knew how to keep his mouth shut. I stepped away from our office manager anyway.
“There’s nothing interesting here,” I said. “I was just joking around with Alice, that’s all.”
“Since when do you joke around in the office?”
“Since never,” Alice said, acerbically. “He was trying something new, but he’s not going to do it again because it’s weird and irritating.”
I wanted nothing more than to claim her in front of Griffen, to end this secrecy, the farce that this was a fling, but doing that in front of a co-worker would make me the world’s biggest asshole.
I handed Alice back the card without opening it. All these years I’d wanted her, and still, I’d kept my shit together. I never got distracted at work, never did anything inappropriate.
I’m Cooper Sinclair. I don’t fuck up, and I don’t fuck around.
Two weeks into making my fantasy a reality and I was fucking up right and left. Distracted. Losing my touch. How had I let fucking Griffen sneak up on me?
My situational awareness had gone to hell. Everything had gone to hell, my need for Alice expanding until it filled every space inside me, pushing everything else aside.
With a curt nod to both of them, I walked away. Behind me, Griffen asked, “Who sent you flowers?”
I slowed, waiting for Alice’s answer. To Griffen, she gave it easily. “Knox. A thank you for hooking him and Lily up with that hotel suite when they were in Maine.”
Relief bloomed in my chest. Knox. My fucking brother. Of course, he would send Alice flowers. Partly because she deserved them, and partly to yank my chain.
I’d been a dick about Knox hooking up with Lily. I can admit it. It wasn’t personal. I like Lily. I like her kid. I like her with Knox, but when they first started up, she was a client and a target.
Lily was off-limits on two fronts and possibly mixed up with our dad and the Russian mob. We already knew her dead husband had been involved up to his neck. It wasn’t reaching to think Lily was as well.
I hadn’t liked the way my little brother headed up to investigate and ended up falling head over heels. So, I was an asshole, not that it did any good. Alice, annoyed and exasperated by my attitude, booked them in an expensive suite on the company account to push my buttons. Knox had dropped a few hundred bucks on flowers and treats to do the same.
Wouldn’t he be amused to know his shot hit the bull’s-eye? I sent him an annoyed text telling him to stop giving Alice presents and get his ass home. He set back a laughing emoji, bright blue tears of hilarity streaming from the smiling yellow face.
Brothers. Assholes, every single one. Me most of all.
My phone chimed with a text a minute later. I picked it up, thinking it was Knox yanking my chain again. Not Knox.
Alice.
That can’t happen again. Please. If we can’t keep it quiet we can’t do this anymore.
The simple words were a blade in my heart, stealing my breath.
No. I wouldn’t give her up now. I couldn’t give her up now.
I knew Alice had reasons she wanted to keep her behavior in the office circumspect. My father’s inability to keep his fucking mouth shut nine years ago had made her first months at Sinclair Security difficult. I wasn’t the only one who’d given her a wide berth back then.
She’d settled in, mostly because she was fucking excellent at her job. Efficient, a creative problem solver, and always, always focused on work. After she turned down the first few propositions, no one bothered her. I understood why she didn’t want me to ruin that. I did.
We didn’t have an official policy against intra-office dating. Our team tipped heavily towards men, but we had women on staff. Almost half of Lucas Jackson’s hacker division was female. We had some female bodyguards who kicked ass.
I wouldn’t tell my people who they could date, but we did have an ironclad policy against harassment. No suggestive comments. No flirting. It could be hard blending mixed-gender teams, way harder if my employees had to be on guard against each other.
I’d been out of line earlier. I owed Alice an apology. I had to think of something to say to salvage this. Some
thing better than just I’m sorry. I started with that anyway.
I’m sorry.
I thought about what else to say, considered making an excuse, hiding behind sarcasm, or flirting. If Alice wanted to keep this undercover, fine. I’d give her that for now. I could hide from everyone else, but I wasn’t going to hide from her.
Feeling a little sick at being so exposed, I told her the truth.
I was jealous. I don’t want anyone sending you flowers but me. I’m a caveman and I overreacted. I won’t let it happen again.
Nothing. Not even a read notice. I set my phone on my desk, trying not to stare at it, waiting for those three dots that would tell me she was typing a reply.
Nothing.
With every second that passed without a response, I grew more distracted. I didn’t have time for this. Too much was in play. I needed to stay sharp.
Special Agent Holley was coming in next week to discuss our options if we found my father. My brothers and I needed to come up with a game plan before then. The more information we could put together, the better off we’d be.
Andrei Tsepov was still out there, hunting our father. Tsepov had promised he wouldn’t come after us, but he was a liar and a criminal.
On top of all of that, I still had a business to run, clients who had their own problems and depended on me to solve them.
I didn’t have time to be distracted.
There was a part of me that didn’t fucking care.
For once in my goddamn life, I wanted what I wanted.
Alice.
Something had broken loose inside me at the sight of her splayed on that basement floor, blood pooled under her head.
In that moment, I’d realized I might have lost her before I ever had her. Standing over her, her eyes closed, body so still, I’d watched a dream die.
For years I told myself we had time.
Between one breath and the next, time ran out.
I’d buried the part of me that wanted her. Needed her. Now that it had broken free, I couldn’t put it back. I didn’t want to.
I was so close to having everything I’d ever wanted.
