Alessandro (Members From Money Book 21)

by Katie Dowe

  “I am not leaving you alone, Em. You can stay in my guest room or I can stay on your couch. Your choice,” he had told her. Even though Emily had ended up staying over at his place, she had never wanted to be alone more. Every time she saw him she wanted to jump into his arms and what she didn’t know was that he wanted to do the same thing.

  “Emily?” Alex called her out making her come back to the present.

  “I really don’t want to talk about this, Alex. This is not the time or the place,” she said.

  “It has to be because the only way I am leaving is when you let me know what is going on. So this has to be the time and place,” he said in a low voice.

  “Alex, you know this cannot happen,” she started in a low voice.

  He looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

  “And why not?”

  “You are my brother,” she answered in an urgent whisper.

  “Step brother.”

  “Still, it’s not right,” she argued.

  “We have no blood ties and if I must point out, our parents have been separated for years,” he said as he drummed his fingers on the arm rest.

  She looked up at him and wondered what she was supposed to say next. Nothing she seemed to say was proving to have any effect on him. She took a deep breath and shook her head.

  “Alex, please,” she said the only words that would dare come out of her mouth. She was looking at him with pleading eyes and the look he was giving her was making her almost sad. She hated the fact that she couldn’t express herself the way she wanted to. She looked at him and felt relieved when he stood up and began walking to the door but when he got there, he stood with his back to me for a long minute. Emily gasped silently when he suddenly locked the door and then went ahead to draw the blinds. “Alex, what the hell do you think you are doing?” Emily asked as she stood up and walked around the desk. She began walking towards him as he turned around and leaned against the door. She suddenly stopped. He wanted her to walk to where he was.

  “Come here.” It was more of a command than a request.

  She could feel her heart beating harder and faster as she did what he wanted her to. She was breathing hard as she approached him and he, sensing how nervous she was, took a few steps towards her. He looked into her eyes and held the side of her face making her gasp silently. He brought his other hand up and held the other side of her face.

  “Do you know…do you have any idea how much I have missed looking into these beautiful brown eyes?” he asked before bringing his head down to meet her lips in a long sensual kiss that left her weak.

  It was the kind of kiss she had always thought possible with him. Light but at the same time so intense, soft and searching. She was almost breathless when he finally pulled back.

  “Tell me that is wrong, Emily,” he said as he looked at her.

  She wanted to speak so much but more than anything she wanted to feel his lips on her again.

  “Alex,” was all she managed to whisper.

  “Tell me when you want me to stop,” he said in a whisper before he brought his head down to kiss her again.

  This time she allowed her tongue to seek out his and he angled his head, allowing her tongue to go wherever it wanted. She didn’t even realize when she brought a hand up and held a lock of his thick mane. One of Alex’s hands went down her body and held her back, pressing her hard against him as if he was afraid that she would disappear if he let go. She gasped into his mouth when he suddenly picked her up and walked her to her office couch. She was actually a little surprised that he had picked her up so easily. She had always considered herself a little heavy or such theatrics. She looked at him as he gently laid her down on the couch. He kissed her again as he hovered over her. One hand was on her thigh.

  Emily found herself thanking her lucky stars for her skirt’s stretchable capabilities otherwise she would have needed another outfit and she never kept a spare in the office. She gasped into his mouth when she felt him pushing his hand under her skirt caressing her bare skin. He pulled away from her and looked down at her face as she bit her lip and gently writhed under him. She loved the way he was caressing her soft thighs. It was like having a sexual awakening…without the sex.

  Her breath caught in her throat when she felt him get close to her core, so dangerously close. He looked at her and she could have sworn she saw a smile on his lips as he pulled his hand away. She was breathing hard when he kissed her again.

  He brought his other hand to her jacket and undid the single button that held it together before he looked at her inviting chest. He wanted to rip her shirt open so much but instead he brought his head down and began kissing her neck. She whimpered when she felt his tongue and lips making their way down to her chest. He was undoing her shirt buttons slowly as he made his way down to her chest. When his lips got to her chest, he pulled back and looked at her breasts’ inviting cleavage. Her breasts were concealed in a sexy balconette bra that had a beautiful satin bow that was almost begging to be pulled open even though opening it would not really make a difference.

  Alex found himself wondering what she would look like standing in front of him in nothing but her bra and panties. That thought alone was enough to give him a full on hard on. He brought his hand down again and pushed up her skirt before he laid his full weight on her. She looked up at him when he filled his hand with her breast making her whimper. He was kissing her neck and nibbling on her shoulder, a place that got her so hot it scared her.

  Without knowing it, she was moaning. Alex pulled away from her neck and kissed her softly.

  “Sshh,” he said as he looked down at her. She bit her lower lip and tried as much as she could to stay quiet as he kneaded her breast and kissed her neck and chin. He suddenly pulled back and pulled her to a sitting position. He then got off the couch and swung her legs to one side and then knelt in front of her. Her skirt had now been hiked all the way up to her waist. She looked down at him as he leaned in and then pulled off her panties. He then leaned in and kissed her as his hand found its way up her thigh to her center.

  She gasped when he pushed his finger into her, making her gasp almost too loudly. She was already so wet, so ready for him. She was shivering as he began fingering her to a feverish point. She spread her legs wider and held on to the couch as he fingered her long and hard until she couldn’t take it anymore and Alex knew it.

  He suddenly brought his lips to hers and kissed her deeply swallowing the imminent moan that followed when she suddenly climaxed. He so wished he could have sunk himself into her at that very moment, as she shivered and moaned. It took a long minute before she finally calmed down. He pulled his finger out of her and brought it up to her lips. “Taste yourself, Emily,” he whispered when he pulled away from her. She looked at him and then took his finger into her mouth hungrily. The way she was sucking on his finger was making it hard for him to put himself in check. She looked at him as he pulled his finger out of her mouth.

  “God, I want you so bad,” Alex whispered in her ear. She looked at him and felt her cheeks flush as she pulled her skirt down. “Now, tell me that felt wrong.” He looked at her and she had a blank look. He could tell that she had absolutely nothing to say.

  Chapter 4

  When Alex invited Emily to his house later that week, she was not sure whether she should have accepted or turned him down. But he had already proven to her that he never took no for an answer. It was always going to be his way or no way. And as much as she hated to admit it, she loved his way. She was not sure about him. She was not so sure about anything anymore. She was staring at a blank laptop screen in her office when Chase and Cadence walked in. She never even heard them walk in.

  “Emily?” Chase asked as he looked at her.

  She looked up, startled.

  “Earth to Carter,” Cadence said as Emily ran her fingers through her hair.

  “I’m sorry…I just…,” she looked up at her boss and assistant and then shrugged. “I’m sorry,�
�� she finally said when she realized she had absolutely nothing to say. She took a long deep breath and looked at them. “What can I do for you?”

  Chase had a worried look in his eyes.

  “Emily, are you sure you are alright?”

  “I’m fine,” she said dismissively.

  “Because if you need some time off, I would be more than happy to grant you a paid leave of absence. I wouldn’t want a repeat of what happened at the Lithium IPO.”

  “I’m okay, Chase. Really,” Emily said.

  Chase took a long breath and sat down.

  “These are the quarterlies, everything seems in order but I think we could do better,” he said as he put his iPad on her desk.

  She looked at the iPad and shook her head. “What am I looking at?”

  “Dillinger Incorporated. New in the field and extremely loaded. Think of them as the new Microsoft.”

  Cadence forced out a laugh.

  “There is only one and will always only be one Microsoft,” she said.

  “I agree,” Emily said without looking up.

  “Well, tell that to the many zeroes he is getting developing software. Sometimes I wonder why I never went into IT. All you have to do nowadays is develop an app and you are loaded,” he said.

  Cadence shook her head and Emily looked up at him and shrugged.

  “I don’t understand, Chase. What am I supposed to do with this information?” she asked.

  “Well, I hear that he is looking to go public. And I want that account,” Chase said.

  “We are a stock managing firm, Chase. Not a hedge fund management firm.”

  “I know that but the bigger the companies we represent, the bigger our firm grows.”

  “So, Carter is just supposed to move mountains and get that account?” Cadence asked. She looked at him and then at Emily.

  “Actually, yes.” Chase said without thinking twice. “I have already emailed you the details of that particular company. I look forward to seeing what you come up with.” He stood up and reached for his iPad before he began heading for the door. “And Emily, you have minions to do the groundwork for you. Don’t allow yourself to get stressed out over this.”

  Emily smiled at him and Cadence rolled her eyes before he walked out. Emily put her laptop in her bag and then pulled her seat away from her desk before putting on her coat.

  “You have a story to tell Carter and I want to hear it,” she said as she sat down in front of Emily.

  “Don’t you have a home to go to, Caddie?” Emily asked.

  “I do but I am in no particular hurry to go since someone needs to find something to wear for her date with Alex Brewer,” she said.

  Emily rolled her eyes. “Don’t.”

  But Cadence was not about to be so easily silenced. Emily then looked at her and raised an eyebrow.

  “How did you even know about that?” she asked as she looked at Cadence.

  “I might have overheard a conversation between you and one Mr. Brewer,” she said.

  Emily then took a long deep breath and shook her head.

  “Well, I hate to disappoint you but I am not going,” she said as she went on putting on her coat.

  “You can’t do that…wait, it’s tonight isn’t it?” Cadence asked and Emily nodded. “You most definitely cannot stand him up,” she said.

  “I really don’t want to talk about this. It’s a long story that…”

  “…that I haven’t heard yet.” Cadence interjected.

  Emily looked at her and wondered why she had always felt so free around her yet she was so damn young. But this, this was not something she felt like she wanted to share with her. Not yet.

  “You know what, Carter, I am taking you home.” Cadence grabbed her keys.

  “Caddie, please,” Emily started.

  “What? You keep everyone at arm’s length and when you finally meet a great hot guy you are trying to push him away?” Cadence asked.

  “It’s more than that,” Emily said.

  “More than what? What reason could you possibly have for…”

  Emily could not take it any longer.

  “Alex is my stepbrother, Cadence!” she suddenly blurted out making Cadence shut up.

  “What?”

  Emily took a long deep breath.

  “He is my stepbrother, was. Our parents were married once,” she said.

  “Were. Which means that one, you are not related by blood and two they are not married anymore so…what’s the big deal?” Cadence asked. Emily knew that she was right. She looked at her and shook her head. “You know very well that look right there means that I am right.”

  “I can’t…I don’t know Cadence.”

  “What don’t you know exactly? He is hot, you’re gorgeous. He wants you, you want him.”

  Emily raised an eyebrow and looked at her assistant.

  “Hey, no one wants anyone…where are you getting your information from?”

  “Oh come on, there is no rocket science here, Carter. I have seen how he looks at you and I have seen and heard how you talk about him. You want him,” Cadence pointed out. Emily sighed again. “You know you want to go. It’s just dinner. Give this thing…whatever it is, a chance.”

  Emily leaned on her desk and sat on the edge of her desk.

  “Give it a chance, whatever it is,” she thought.

  “What now?” Cadence asked when she shook her head.

  “I don’t have anything to wear…I haven’t been on...” her voice trailed off. She was about to say a date but she didn’t want to label that thing she had with Alex. She looked at Cadence and shrugged.

  “You have had a million client dinners and parties and you have more black tie dresses than Kate Middleton,” Cadence said as she grabbed Emily’s keys and bag.

  “What are you doing?” Emily asked as she followed Cadence out.

  “I am going to get you ready for your date,” Cadence said.

  “It’s not a date,” Emily pointed out as they stepped into the elevator.

  “Yeah, keep telling yourself that.”

  When Emily finally got ready to go to Alex’s place, she knew that letting Cadence dress her was the best personal decision she had made in a long time. Cadence had picked out a black strapless A-line dress that was just long enough to show off her beautiful sexy legs. She had on nude colored pointy toed heels and a silver set of jewelry. She then straightened her hair out and Cadence put on the lightest of makeup, just enough to make her brown eyes and pouty pink lips pop. She then put on a red two button trench coat and looked at Cadence who was smiling.

  “If he doesn’t do you tonight, I will,” Cadence said.

  Emily smiled and grabbed her keys.

  “Wait, how are you going to get home?”

  “I’ll take an Uber. Go on, I’ll be fine,” Cadence said as they walked to the door. “Trust me, you’ll be fine too,” she added when they got to the ground floor.

  *****

  When Emily got to Alex’s place, she was nervous. She felt the same way she did when Marty Bishop had picked her up to go to the dance when she was in high school. She was almost shaking when the elevator doors opened to Alex’s apartment. She walked in and she could immediately smell something delicious.

  “I wasn’t sure you were going to come,” Alex said as he walked towards her.

  “I wasn’t sure I was coming either,” she said in a small voice. She looked at him for a long minute before he walked round to her back. He helped her out of her coat and put it away on the coat rack. He gasped when he saw her.

  “You look amazing,” he said in a low voice. She smiled as she looked at his shirt and pants. Still official but good enough to pass for casual.

  “Thanks, you look great too,” she said.

  He looked at her and slowly led her to the dining room which was beautifully set for two. There were candles and a bottle of wine in the middle of the table. He pulled her seat for her and poured her a glass of wine.

&nbs
p; “You realize I would have been okay with a pizza and beer, right?” Alex frowned as he sat down.

  “That is definitely no way to treat a lady of your stature, Emily. I need to treat you like the lady you are. Wine you and dine you as the world intended,” he said.

  She looked at him and inhaled the sweet scent of the wine before she took a long sip. The steak dinner Alex had waiting for her was more than perfect and as they ate, she found herself wondering if perhaps Cadence had been right to push her to come. She might have been young but she was wise.

  After dinner, Alex walked her to the balcony and they looked down at the lit city as they shared a slice of white cake.

  “I have to ask,” Emily started as she took a bite of cake. “Did you bake this as well?”

  “As well?”

  “Well, I assumed that you made dinner today and…” her words trailed off when Alex laughed.

  “Actually, there is something I need to come clean about.”

  “You didn’t bake,” she smiled.

  “Yes and I also didn’t cook. I had a friend of mine…a chef prepare today’s food,” he said. She shrugged and looked at her cake before having another bite. “I did give him very specific recipes though,” he added quickly.

  “And he did a great job, If I must say,” she said. “The white cake, it’s exactly the same as mom used to make it.” He watched her as he took a sip of his coffee.