by Susan Stoker
And she certainly liked what she was looking at as well. He was wearing another short-sleeve T-shirt today. Black. Alexis hardly noticed the design on the front—her eyes were drawn to his arms—his forearms garnered her attention, as usual.
Blake held out one arm and gestured to the space next to him at his desk. “Pull your chair over here, and we’ll go over the schedule for the week.”
Alexis took a deep breath. What she’d give to have him wrap that huge arm around her. She’d dreamed about standing in front of him and looking down to see that muscular forearm wrapped across her chest as he pulled her into his body.
She forced her silly fantasies from her mind and tried to concentrate on work.
A couple of hours later, her burner phone vibrated. She’d gone back to her own computer after sitting next to Blake reviewing the schedule for thirty minutes. He’d smelled delicious that morning, and she would’ve sworn he was purposely torturing her by twirling a pen in his fingers, making the tendons and muscles in his forearm dance right in front of her eyes. She’d gotten wet, not able to pull her eyes from his arm for several moments.
Alexis had been following up on Google alerts for the Inca Boyz and several other cases when the phone vibrated. Her eyes immediately went to Blake’s for some reason. Reassurance? Comfort? Help?
“It’s okay, Alexis. We’ve gone over what you’re gonna say. Go ahead and answer it. Put it on speaker,” Blake said in a calm tone, pushing back from his chair to walk over to her. He put one hand on her upper back and gently rubbed, showing her that he was there and was supporting her. It was all she needed.
Nodding, Alexis took a deep breath. She could do this. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if channeling the rich-bitch Alexis, then opened them, reaching for the phone.
“Hello, this is Alexis,” she chirped happily into the speaker.
“Yo, this is Kelly,” the voice on the other end of the line said, her raspy voice echoing into the large room.
Blake’s hand pressed harder against her back, showing her his support. Nathan hadn’t moved, but he was looking over at her from his spot behind his desk.
“Hi! I was hoping I’d hear from you,” Alexis told her, wiping her sweaty hands on her jean-clad thighs.
“I talked to my friends, and they’re looking forward to meeting you,” Kelly told her without much enthusiasm.
“Goodie,” Alexis exclaimed. “Although something came up this weekend. My mom and dad are having some fancy party that I can’t get out of, so I can’t get to the bars. But I’m free for lunch. Wanna go somewhere and get something to eat? You’re welcome to bring one of your friends if you want. My treat.”
There was silence on the other end of the line for a beat, and Alexis hoped she hadn’t blown it. She’d done exactly what they’d all discussed, but for some reason it felt like the entire operation was all on her shoulders.
Until Blake shifted behind her, bending over and wrapping one arm around her chest and put his head next to hers, rubbing his rough cheek against her own. He’d never touched her in front of his brothers before. The kiss they’d shared last night was seared into her brain, and Alexis turned her head to look at the sexy man standing behind her chair, completely in her space, and shivered.
“I guess so,” Kelly whined. “Although I thought we were gonna drink together.”
“We will,” Alexis confirmed happily. “There’s nothing I like more than throwing back some shots and letting loose.” Her voice dropped to a sickly sweet, disappointed tone, “But not this weekend, darn it. But I’m happy to meet you for lunch. Where do you want to go?”
“You coming over here?”
Knowing Kelly meant her side of town, Alexis was quick to reassure her. “If you need me to.”
“The bar we like to go to serves lunch. We could do it there next week.”
Alexis swallowed hard. She’d thought Kelly would suggest a restaurant of some sort. She wasn’t sure how to answer.
Blake turned his head so his lips were at her ear as he whispered. The warm air of his breath tickled her ear, and goose bumps zipped down her arm as she once more grew wet between her legs at the delicious sensation. “Tell her that’s fine. There will be a lot less people around for lunch at a bar. You can give her an excuse about why you need to leave after an hour or so. I’ll keep you safe, Lex. Trust me.”
Without looking up at Blake, Alexis nodded. She was nervous to go to a bar in gang territory with Kelly, but going in the light of day would be easier than showing up at night, when it was sure to be more dangerous.
“Great idea,” Alexis gushed to Kelly. “I love bar food. When and what time?”
“How about next Tuesday? Eleven?”
It was soon, but the more Alexis thought about it, the better she’d feel to get it over with. Having to wait a week would be torture, but it was better than going the next day. It would give them time to scope out the bar and the area and come up with a contingency plan just in case. It would also give the guys a chance to tell her what the hell she should be doing to stay safe. This so wasn’t in her comfort zone, but if she could have a hand in taking down the Inca Boyz, she’d do it. She looked up at Blake and raised her eyebrows in question. He, in turn, looked over at Logan. Alexis didn’t take her eyes off Blake, knowing Kelly was waiting for a response.
Blake got the okay from Logan, and his eyes came back to hers and he nodded.
Alexis licked her lips, liking the way Blake’s eyes dilated at her unconsciously sexy actions, and swallowed hard before answering Kelly. “Awesome! I wasn’t sure you’d be able to get together so soon. I can’t wait to hear all about what you’ve been doing since we graduated. I know it’s been a while, but I’ve missed hanging out with you, Kel. I want to hear about everything you’ve been up to and if you have kids and if you’re dating or married. It’ll be so fun.”
“Yeah, right. So, next week. Snake’s Bar. You know it?”
Once again, Alexis looked to Blake. He shrugged and his eyes went to Nathan this time. Alexis followed his gaze to see the other man typing quickly on the keyboard in front of him. He nodded and gave them a thumbs-up.
“I’m sure I can find it,” Alexis told Kelly. “This is so great. I’m so happy I ran into you.” It was getting harder to keep up the chirpy, happy voice, but she did her best.
“Later,” Kelly said decisively, and disconnected.
“Bye,” Alexis told the other woman unnecessarily, as she’d already hung up, and clicked the “Off” button on the phone.
“Snake’s is on Thirty-Fifth and Wabash,” Nathan told them. “It’s smack-dab in the middle of Inca Boyz territory, but at eleven on a Tuesday not too much will be going on.”
“Right. She probably did that on purpose. They want to check Alexis out before getting their club too involved. Want to see if what Kelly says about her is true or not,” Logan guessed, heading back to his desk.
“You did good,” Blake told her, standing up but keeping his hand on her back. He’d propped himself up with his other hand on the desk top in front of her. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Why wouldn’t I be?” Alexis asked, her eyes glued to Blake’s arm right next to her. She could feel the warmth of his hand against her back, and she wanted to close her eyes and lean into his touch, but with Logan and Nathan there, she didn’t dare.
“You’re tense. Your fist is clenched and you’re gripping your thigh with your other hand. I know this is new to you, and you’ve got some bad memories when it comes to Kelly. You don’t have to do this, you know. We can stop it now, before this goes any further. It’ll be easy for you to tell her something came up and you can’t make it. Just say the word.”
Alexis looked up at Blake. She could see the sincerity in his eyes. There was no judgment in his face, just concern, which made her relax. He’d make sure nothing happened to her when she met with Kelly. “I’m good, Blake. Promise. I want to take them down as much as you guys do.”
“You have a history
with the Inca Boyz other than that thing with your brother?” Logan asked severely from his desk.
Stiffening at his tone, Blake stood and put himself between his brother and Alexis and answered his question. “With the bitch, Kelly.”
Logan looked at Blake and then at Alexis with his eyebrows raised.
Alexis kept her lips shut. It was one thing to share with Blake her pathetic attempts to win friends when she was younger; it was another altogether to share with his brothers.
“Not your business, Bro. It’s nothing that will hinder our investigation,” Blake answered for her, keeping his eyes on his brother’s, not backing down.
“It better not. It goes against all my better judgment letting you get involved, Alexis,” Logan stated firmly. “I’m a hard son of a bitch sometimes, but because you’re important to Blake, you’re important to me. I certainly don’t want you getting hurt.”
“She’s not going to get hurt. Lex is one of the most competent people I’ve worked with. You have nothing to worry about, Logan.”
Blake’s compliment wound its way around her heart, but she couldn’t help but be confused. It seemed that somehow her status at Ace Security had changed at warp speed from merely being an employee to being “important to Blake.” It felt good, but since the relationship would certainly be temporary, it didn’t make much sense either.
Logan nodded at his brother and put down the paper he’d been reading before Kelly had called. “Looks like we got some shit to talk about then. Let’s figure out how this lunch will go down. We can scope the area out and get the lay of the land before you have to meet. Alexis, Grace and I would be happy if you joined us sometime for a meal. I should’ve asked before since you’ve been an employee of Ace Security, but now it seems especially important that we get to know you better. We all”—Logan motioned to Nathan and Blake, then continued—“try to get together at least once a week outside of work.”
The invitation surprised her. She’d been working there for months, and as much as she wanted to get to know Grace better, she hadn’t wanted to push herself somewhere that she wasn’t wanted. Grace probably had to work through what had happened with Bradford and her family, so she hadn’t pushed. “Oh, um . . . I don’t want to intrude.”
“You wouldn’t be. If nothing else, it’ll be a good time to talk about what we find out about the bar, and if it’s after you meet with them, we can talk about that too.”
Alexis nodded. “All right then, I’d love to. Thank you.”
Blake’s hand moved from her back to the nape of her neck. He massaged the tight muscles there.
Alexis blushed in mortification because she could feel the damn goose bumps that rose way too easily every time Blake touched her with his palm. And if she could feel them, he had to as well. But he didn’t mention them. He only said, “We might talk business, but that’s not why my brother asked you to eat with us.”
Alexis waited for more; when he didn’t say anything else, she tilted her head back, looking up at him, trapping his hand against her skin. “It’s not?”
The heat in Blake’s eyes was intense, and she felt his thumb caressing her nape as he stared down at her. It wasn’t Blake who answered, but Nathan.
“No. It’s because we made a deal that if we are seriously interested in a woman, we’d make sure to include her in our lives so everyone could get to know her and approve.”
Alexis swallowed hard. Jesus. That felt good. She wanted to get to know Blake’s family outside the office. It was fast, but she certainly wasn’t going to complain. Not at all.
“The Anderson brothers don’t fuck around when we want something,” Blake said quietly, his face close to hers. “Nathan and I learned that from Logan. It took him ten years to come back to town and claim Grace, and it was almost too late. We aren’t gonna make that mistake.”
Alexis couldn’t think. Her mind was completely blank. All she could think of was how much she wanted to be claimed by Blake Anderson. It wasn’t very modern of her, but for the first time in forever, she didn’t feel as if she had to buy someone’s friendship. She knew without a doubt that Blake couldn’t give a shit how much money she had. He’d made it more than clear in the many times she’d tried to pay when they were on jobs. In fact, he probably hated the fact that she was loaded . . . which was something she’d never dealt with. Ever.
The hand at her nape tightened, and Blake leaned down into her space once more. She felt his lips brush against hers, felt his hot breath as his words brushed against her as he spoke. “It took me months to see what was in front of my face, but mark my words . . . I see you now, Lex.” Then he moved the scant millimeters it took to touch his lips to hers. It wasn’t a short kiss, but it wasn’t long either. His tongue swiped along the seam of her lips, and Alexis opened to him immediately. He swept inside her mouth, and she tasted the coffee he’d been drinking before her phone had rung.
He was delicious, and he pulled away too soon for her liking. Alexis opened her eyes slowly as if she’d been drugged and blinked up at Blake. For once, she had no comeback, but luckily he didn’t seem to care. He moved his hand from her nape to the side of her face and gently swiped his thumb along her bottom lip, wiping the moisture from their kiss away.
Nathan’s voice broke the spell between them. “Who do you think Kelly is going to invite? Do we have any ideas about how this should go down?”
Alexis watched as Blake backed away from her and strode back to his own desk a few feet away. She took a deep breath and cracked her knuckles, trying to get her mind back to the task at hand and how nice Blake’s lips felt against her own. She needed to figure out what she was going to ask Kelly and how the lunch next week would go. She’d worry about hanging out with the Anderson family after she made it through lunch with Kelly and her friends who were most likely members of the Inca Boyz gang.
But she couldn’t keep the butterflies in her stomach from whirling. Blake had kissed her . . . in front of his brothers. Had made it more than clear he was interested in her. As nervous as that made her, it also made her deliriously happy.
She, Alexis Grant, virgin extraordinaire, had apparently managed to catch the attention of one of the sexiest men in Castle Rock.
Oh shit.
Chapter Six
A week later, after they’d gone over every possible scenario and driven around the area where Snake’s Bar was located, Alexis still wasn’t sure she was ready.
Logan, Blake, and Nathan had done their best to give her a crash course in what to look for and how to protect herself. She’d tried not to freak out as they instructed her how to knee a man in the balls and stick her fingers in his eyes before running like hell, how to tell when the situation was going to get out of hand or to make sure she didn’t drink anything that she didn’t see poured, with her own eyes—but it wasn’t easy. The scenarios they’d discussed made her almost physically ill: from shoving her in the trunk of a car, locking her in a room before bringing in more of the gang to subdue and hurt her in ways no woman ever wanted to be hurt, to smacking her around just to see how she’d react. With each and every scenario, Alexis had wanted to call the whole thing off, but she couldn’t.
She needed this. Needed to feel as if she was making a difference. And backing out now wouldn’t make her feel that way . . . not at all. The other reason she didn’t say anything was because it was obvious that all three men weren’t all fired up to be putting her in danger. That alone made her feel better, because it meant they cared about her. They weren’t using her. She realized that all three Andersons were doing everything they could to make sure she was protected.
She was by no means an expert after their lengthy prep session, but she felt a lot more confident about handling whatever might come up . . . and if she couldn’t, she knew how to look for an escape and get the hell out of there. It was enough to give her the confidence she needed to get through the lunch meeting.
Alexis stood at the entrance to Snake’s Bar. She resisted the u
rge to turn around and run back to her Mercedes. Blake had met her at her apartment earlier in the morning with not only the wireless transmitter, but also a small video camera. It was well hidden in a gaudy pendant she wore around her neck. It wasn’t something she’d normally wear, but it looked expensive, and that was all Kelly and her friends would care about.
Knowing Blake, and ultimately his brothers, would see and hear every single thing that happened was both soothing and disconcerting. She didn’t want to screw anything up, especially not after all their patient instructions and training. She wanted to get more information on the gang, but she was also scared something would go wrong. The last thing she wanted was to be caught. Alexis wasn’t an idiot. She knew exactly what would happen if they figured out what she was doing. But this needed to be done. The people in the gang were assholes. They needed to be stopped. And at the moment, she was one of the few people in a good position to try to do something about it.
The plan had been for Blake to arrive at the business across the street first. He was using Nathan’s piece-of-crap car, so it would blend into the surroundings better than his Mustang. Blake would monitor every second of her lunch with Kelly, and if things got out of control and if for some reason Alexis wasn’t able to put into practice what she’d been taught, he would intervene. The gang most likely knew who Logan was because of the media coverage of the Masons’ and Donovan’s trials, but the brothers were pretty confident that Nathan and Blake were still relatively unknown to them.
Blake had assured her that he didn’t give a shit if they did know exactly who he was. He wouldn’t hesitate to intercede if it looked like things were going south, which was all the reassurance Alexis needed. Between her newfound self-defense knowledge and knowing he was nearby, she was as ready as she was going to be. Blake wore a pair of jeans that were molded to his legs and a plain black T-shirt. He’d fit into the surroundings of the bar and, if needed, would pretend to be Alexis’s jealous boyfriend in order to get her out of there. It wasn’t ideal, but in a pinch it could work . . . especially in the middle of the day when hopefully the bar wouldn’t be full of people who either supported the gang or would look the other way when violence occurred.
