by Alexa Riley
Claimed: A For Her Novel
By Alexa Riley
From New York Times bestselling author Alexa Riley, a friends-to-lovers romance that will bring you the happily-ever-after you’ve been waiting for
Jordan Chen is the man behind the screen. As part of the elite security team for Osbourne Corporation, he has an iron grip on protection, all without having to make close connections with people. Until he meets the beautiful Jay, and suddenly his quiet life doesn’t seem so perfect anymore. He needs more. He needs her.
A workaholic to her core, Jay Rose doesn’t have a lot of men in her life. Smiling in the face of her enemies gets her the results she wants at work, but doesn’t exactly project a warm, welcoming vibe. So she’s surprised when the enigmatic security expert strikes up a friendship with her—surprised but flattered, and maybe a little bit turned on.
A company as powerful as Osbourne Corporation has powerful enemies, and when Jay becomes a target, Jordan realizes there’s nothing he won’t do to bring her home safe.
This book is approximately 95,000 words
One-click with confidence. This title is part of the Carina Press Romance Promise: all the romance you’re looking for with an HEA/HFN. It’s a promise!
Edited by Angela James
Praise for Alexa Riley
“Alexa Riley delivers their signature steamy, alpha feel-good romance with addictive helpings of secrets, suspense, and revenge!”
—The Rock Stars of Romance on Everything for Her
“Everything for Her was the ultimate tale of love and obsession, with one man willing to move heaven and earth for the woman he adored. Throw in some dirty, sensual love scenes and a ton of secrets, and you have an insta-winner.”
—Harlequin Junkie
“Alexa Riley’s debut full length novel is everything a fan can ask for. A mix of over the top sweetness and downright naughty moments.”
—Polly Matthews, The Review Loft, on Everything for Her
“A cracktastic delight from start of finish.”
—Romance Novel News on His Alone
“His Alone is a sweet, sexy and hot romance with an OTT love story and the bestest epilogue I’ve read in a while.”
—Edgy Reviews
“Stay Close will please many diehard Riley fans with its sweet but steamy romance.”
—ReadAlltheRomance.com
“Like all books by this author-duo, I inhaled the story of Penelope and Ivan.... A great addition to the series that is still growing.”
—Night Owl Book Reviews on Stay Close
“Hold Tight is another sweet, sexy instant love romance by one of by favorite writing duos.”
—Paige, Guilty Pleasures Book Reviews
Dedication
For Heather Sage...
Diamonds are unbreakable.
Contents
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Epilogue—Jordan
Epilogue—Jay
First Meeting
Excerpt from Rough & Tumble by Rhenna Morgan
Acknowledgments
Also by Alexa Riley
About the Author
Prologue
Jordan
My breath echoes in my ears as I grip the gun in my hand. Adrenaline is pulsing through me, and it takes all of my control to focus, to turn the panic into action.
My legs burn, and my feet feel like they’ve got lead weights strapped to them, but I ignore it all because I can’t fail. Someone has taken what belongs to me, and that was their final mistake. I’m going to rip their world apart and make them pay for daring to touch her.
I shake my head, unable to think about them putting their hands on my love. I can deal with that later. First, I have to make it to her while her heart still beats. There is no alternative.
“Stay alive,” I whisper as I make it to the edge of the compound.
She owned me the moment I first saw her, and there’s nothing I wouldn’t go through to get her back. I close my eyes and picture Jay on her side, looking at me, the sun shining behind her. The way the light on her neck and shoulder made her look like an angel. It’s the final image I hold in my heart as I step through the tree line and take back what’s mine.
These guys don’t know, but you can’t steal what’s already been claimed.
Chapter One
Jordan
“Yo, Pop!” I yell through the house as I close the front door behind me.
I can see through the kitchen out onto the back porch where he’s sitting. I make my way out to him and glance around the place as I go.
This was my childhood home, so this place is more familiar to me than anywhere. Walking down the hall, I automatically kiss my fingers and touch the picture of my mom hanging on the wall as I pass, silently saying hello to her like every time I enter the house.
I grew up in Brooklyn, New York, in a small suburb on the edge of Queens. It was safe and clean, and when I was a kid I played for hours on the streets outside the house with my buddies. So many good memories surround this place, and I always feel safe when I come home.
My mom and dad were second-generation immigrants, so tradition is the most important thing. When my mom died when I was seventeen, I thought it might be the end of my dad. Hell, I’d thought it might be the end of me, too. She was the light of our lives and the center of our trio. Her death was also the reason for the scar on my face.
“There you are. Where’s my scratch-off?”
My dad smiles, and the lines around his eyes crinkle. He’s sitting on the back deck with the newspaper and a cup of coffee, his standard spot for Sunday afternoon. I finished up sparring with the guys and Paige, and headed out to spend the rest of my day relaxing with Dad like we do every Sunday.
I hand him his ticket, and he pulls a coin out of his pocket, kissing it before he starts scratching the ticket. I smile at him and shake my head. I guess we’ve both got our superstitions.
He doesn’t buy the scratch-off tickets himself, so I have to do it for him. I think it’s his own way of restraining himself, and this way he’s not responsible if he loses, I am. I come out to see him every Sunday, and this is always our routine. Sometimes I come home in the middle of the week, but he’s so busy that most of the time he’s not even home.
I’m lucky that my
dad is still healthy and has a solid group of friends who keep him on the go. He’s got more going on his social calendar in one week than I do in a month. It’s nice not having to worry so much and to know that at least part of him is happy. I know he’ll never get over losing Mom, just like I won’t, but he’s been able to live his life, and that’s what she would’ve wanted.
When he’s finished scratching, he’s got a winner and slides it back to me. Then he puts the coin away and winks at me. “Press it for next week.”
I put the winner in my pocket and nod, knowing he’ll probably hit another then, too. The old man has more luck than anybody I’ve ever met.
Pop leans forward and looks over the top of his bifocals. “How’s our girl?”
I glance down at my watch and then roll my eyes. “That only took about five minutes this time.”
His smile widens as he waits for me to answer him. I ignore him and try to change the subject. He’s been on me about her for a while, knowing that I’m already in love with her. If it was up to him, we’d be married with grandbabies on the way.
“Your tomatoes are coming in.”
“Oh, she’s got you all twisted up today.”
I grip the edges of the chair and try not to let him bait me. Pop can be like a dog with a bone when he wants.
“Already got her eyes on someone else?”
“No,” I snap, and then realize I walked right into his trap. I let out a sigh and drop my head in my hands. “She’s fine. Still the same.”
“Ahh. You know, Jordan, I remember the first time I saw your mother.”
“I know, Pop. You were at the middle school dance and spotted her on the other side of the room. She was the new girl in town, and you wanted to go over and introduce yourself. The rest was history.”
He nods, then smiles and looks away, reliving the memory in his mind. There were times when he couldn’t recall it without tears, but the older he gets, the more the memories stay happy ones. I wonder if it’s because he thinks he’s getting closer to the time when he can see her again.
Once he comes back from the stroll down memory lane, he shrugs one shoulder. “There’s nothing wrong with being friends first. It just means the first steps will be the strongest. Take your time. But don’t take too long.”
Pop picks up his crossword and goes back to it while I sit there, silently brooding. He’s right, but he doesn’t know the whole story. Or who I’m even hung up on.
I love my dad, but I don’t tell him everything. He knows me well enough to know I’ve got my eye on someone. But I haven’t told him her name. He also knows me well enough to know that I haven’t made a move yet. But I haven’t told him why.
How can I explain it? I guess I could come out and say that I work with a woman so beautiful I can hardly look her in the eyes. That before she spoke a word to me, every cell in my body ached to reach for her. That she’s so utterly perfect, I’m not sure she even notices me like that.
I rub my temples and think about how I’ve been locked in the friend zone, with no means of escape.
Jay is the administrative assistant to Miles Osbourne, so essentially, she’s the gatekeeper for the entire company. If you need Miles, you go through her, but as the old saying goes: though she be little, she is mighty.
She’s small and perky, friendly to everyone she meets. But there’s a pit bull inside of her, and I’ve seen her take a grown man down a few pegs on several occasions.
The first time I saw her, I’d had to run up to the top floor to deliver some intel to Miles. Ryan, my boss, had asked me to run some documents upstairs because he was on his way out. It wasn’t anything above my security clearance, not that there wasn’t something I couldn’t find if I wanted to, so it was an easy drop.
When I stepped off the elevator, I saw her. And that was that.
One look at her and I heard the voice of my father echoing in the back of my mind. When you know, you know. That first glance at Jay, and boy, did I know.
It was all a blur, but I’ll never forget her chestnut-colored hair in a knot at the nape of her neck. The way her glasses slipped down her nose to reveal big, round, chocolate eyes looking at me expectantly. The way her top lip was fuller than the bottom, and how her fingers held her pen. All of that is burned into my brain, yet it feels like a dream.
Without realizing it, one second I was dropping off papers, and the next she was asking me if I wanted to eat in the cafeteria with her. I don’t even think I answered her, I just followed along and got a tray of food. She was friendly and talked nonstop, but nothing beyond that. She kept her distance, and I’m pretty sure I only said about three words the whole time, but it was nice. The nicest meal I’d ever had.
“You’re overthinking,” my pop tuts, and I ignore him.
He’s right, but it’s complicated. Isn’t it? I don’t want to mess things up. I’d rather be in the friend zone with her than be nothing at all.
“I’m going to take a look at your computer and make sure you haven’t turned that virus software off yet,” I say, pushing away from the patio table and going in the house.
“The damn thing slows down my solitaire game,” Pop yells from the porch, and I shake my head. That’s all he thinks a computer is good for.
I spend the afternoon cleaning up his software and then walking with him to the market and helping him bring groceries back home. We cook Sunday dinner, and some of his friends come over to eat and give me a hard time about not being married or having any kids yet.
Old men are almost as bad as the ladies. But these widowers are old softies to the core, and they all want grandkids. Some of them have their own, but apparently a lot is never enough.
When they break out the cards, I call it a night and head back into the city. I’ve got a place on the Upper East Side that I got for a deal when I was twenty-five. I’ve fixed it up, and though it’s simple, it’s palatial by New York standards, and it’s all mine.
I take the subway back home and think about Jay the entire ride back. I always think about her this time of night. I wonder what she’s doing, who she’s with, and if she’s thinking of me.
It’s the worst part of the weekend, being away from her. And the reason why I love Mondays so much. Another chance to see her, another chance to be near her. It’s the day I look forward to the most.
Chapter Two
Jay
I stare at my emails, willing Mr. Stein to respond. It’s been two days and I haven’t heard a peep from him on the Lannister reports he was supposed to turn in Monday. I’m starting to wonder what’s really going on. This shouldn’t be taking this long. I know my boss, Miles Osbourne, will ask me about the project soon, and not having a response isn’t an option. This was supposed to be cleared up before he even left on his honeymoon. I hate not knowing an answer when asked a question. Picking up the phone, I call Mr. Stein’s number for the third time this morning. This time it goes straight to voice mail, and I know he turned his phone off. I grit my teeth, placing the phone back down.
Normally I would go down to Mr. Stein’s office and stand outside his door until I got what I needed. But he’s been working from home for the last two weeks. It never fails that when I need something, there’s no one to be found, but when people want Mr. Osbourne’s attention, they’re banging down the door. I wonder if there’s a way to get his home address, but I change my mind thinking I can’t just show up at his house. Can I? That might be a little too pushy, even for me.
Leaning back in my chair, I look at the clock and know my boss will be in any moment. I pull up his schedule and look at the seemingly endless list of things that need to be done. Mr. Osbourne has been out of the office for weeks on his honeymoon. I scan his agenda and debate what to go over with him first. I have a feeling it’s going to be hard to get through the list. He didn’t respond to any of my emails while he was gone. I wanted to keep
him up to date on things, but I guess he took his honeymoon seriously.
I pull out my notebook and open it to where I’d left off. I want to enjoy the last few free moments I’ll likely have today. I like coming in early and writing at my desk while it’s quiet. It beats sitting at home in my tiny apartment, where my only window faces a brick wall.
My phone dings, and I see a text from Jim, one of the security guards who monitors the front entrance to the building.
Jim: Incoming.
Hopping up from my chair, I make my way to the break room on our floor and hit the start button on the coffee machine in case Mr. or Mrs. Osbourne would like something to drink. I’m guessing Mallory may not, since she’s pregnant. Mr. Osborne hasn’t come out and told me she’s expecting, but with some of the purchases I’ve been making for him, she has to be.
The office has been different now that he’s married. He’s slowed down a lot. Things are shifting to a snail’s pace, and I’m not sure how I really feel about that. Too much free time is starting to make me think about how pathetic my social life is. Or maybe it’s watching my boss fall madly in love that’s doing that to me. I thought men only fell head over heels like that in books.
Something is missing in my life, and I don’t mean the Stein report. Stomping my foot, I head back to my desk just as Miles and Mallory exit the elevator.
“Sir,” I say in greeting. “Coffee?” I ask. Mr. Osbourne reluctantly pulls his eyes away from his wife. Both of whom look like they spent most of their honeymoon in the sun. Their skin is sun-kissed, and they look pleasantly relaxed. He smiles at me, something he’s been doing more and more since Mallory came around. Smiles had always been a rare thing on his face before her.
It looks good on him. The man who was always known to be ice-cold isn’t so much anymore. I’m happy for him. I’ve been working at his side for years, and while others have thought of him as unfriendly, I knew otherwise.
“Morning, Jay, and no, thank you.” He pulls his wife to him. “Maybe we should look into getting decaf,” he says, making Mallory roll her eyes.
“I’m not drinking decaf. One cup of coffee in the morning isn’t going to kill me.”
