After Dark: The Complete Series

by Kahlen Aymes

  “You fascinate me. That dirty little mouth of yours is so sexy. And to find out it belongs to those amazing eyes…”

  She chuckled with an aloofness she was far from feeling. “I wouldn’t get too attached,” she said softly, pulling free of his grasp before moving around the table to hug Becca goodbye, leaving Alex standing there speechless. “Love you, baby. Sorry I can’t stay longer, but I’ll make it up to you. Darian, your ass is grass. Stay out of my studio tonight if you know what’s good for your balls.”

  Alex stood still as stone as Angel walked out of the bar. His eyes, like those of every other male in attendance, followed her every step.

  5

  Push and Pull

  Becca glanced at Alex Avery. He was standing, with his straight back to her, tall and elegant. Easily six foot two, and the way he carried himself; Egads. He was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome… with a dangerous edge. Not in a bad, criminal sort of way, but his demeanor screamed that he was someone with power, money, confidence, and not to be fucked with. Becca covered her mouth with her hand to hide a smile. Except her best friend… she fucked with him and fucked with him good.

  He stood motionless, watching Angel until she disappeared through the door and then finally turned back and sat down, picking up his glass and downing his drink in one gulp. He was clearly affected, and Becca’s eyes narrowed as she tried to figure him out. Her blue eyes shot over to Angel’s boss who was also studying his friend.

  What the hell? It was her birthday and she was sitting at a table with two men that she didn’t know. Shit, she thought. Happy fucking birthday!

  Alex was studying his empty glass with rapt fascination until Darian cleared his throat and spoke. “I’m sorry, Becca. I didn’t mean to chase Angel off like that. It wasn’t fair to you.”

  Becca sat back in her chair and folded her arms across her small bosom. “Well, it was interesting anyway.” Her attention turned to Alex, who was still sitting silently in quiet contemplation, but he shifted in his chair and raised his hand to flag the cocktail waitress. He certainly was gorgeous, and Angel couldn’t have been unmoved. Her eyes raked over the polished GQ perfection of the man sitting opposite her. She shook her head in amusement. She had to give Angel credit; whatever she was feeling, she hid it well, and Becca couldn’t wait to get out of there and call her.

  When the waitress made it to the table and eyed both men with undisguised interest, Alex pretended not to notice and was a perfect gentleman.

  “Miss James, can I offer you something? A chocolate martini, isn’t it?”

  When Becca nodded in the affirmative, he ordered a round for all three of them and took out his wallet from the inside breast pocket of his suit jacket and handed over some bills to the waitress without many words. Becca couldn’t help but notice the alligator wallet and the perfectly manicured fingernails on his long, elegant hands.

  For himself, Alex’s first instinct was to get up and follow Angel out of the bar. He was not in a place he was comfortable with or ever found himself in. His mind raced, and he was much more invested in the lovely Dr. Hemming than he wanted to be. What started out as intrigue and curiosity had quickly turned into a need for something more. He wasn’t sure if he was grateful to Darian for bringing him here this evening, or just plain pissed off.

  Admittedly, he wanted to meet her. Yes, he was insanely attracted to her beautiful face and luscious curves, and yes, her quick wit and intelligence were readily sucking him in. The smartass remarks falling out of those amazing lips made him laugh. She was funnier than hell, and he found that extremely intriguing. It was all good, but he would rather it have been under different circumstances so Angel wasn’t on an immediate defensive. He wanted her willing to allow him closer, and now, that possibility was royally screwed. He had some major hills to climb before he’d have the opportunity to know her better, but he was more than willing to do the work.

  His body quickened at the mere thought of her, but, before, when he’d seen her the first time, he’d wanted her body; now his interest went far beyond the physical. The realization was amazing and left him reeling. He wanted to talk to her, to learn about her, and to have time to get to know her.

  “So,” Darian began, and Alex shot him a sharp look over the top of his full drink as he took the first swallow.

  “Yeah, so. What the hell were you thinking, D?” Alex’s demeanor was cool and his expression relaxed, but there was a hard edge to his voice. To Becca, it seemed nothing more than a casual conversation. No big deal. But Darian knew Alex well, and he recognized the steel behind his gaze.

  “I thought you wanted to meet her. You did, didn’t you?”

  “Not like this. Now she’s pissed. Not exactly the result I was after.”

  “I don’t think she was mad at you, Alex, but, she was angry with you, Darian. Yep. Seriously pissed at you.” Becca pointed her index finger in Darian’s direction. “She’ll probably chew you a new one the next time she sees you. My advice would be to give her a lot of space.”

  “She can’t do anything to me. I’m her boss.”

  Becca laughed out loud. “That’s hilarious! You really believe that shit? Angel is her own boss. She’ll fire your ass and walk off the show. Just saying, give it some time.” Her eyebrow went up and her mouth thinned out in mocking consternation.

  Alex’s mouth lifted at the corners in the start of a smirk. He liked this girl. She was spunky. Not as feisty as her gorgeous friend, but he could understand why they were close. Both of them were beautiful, vivacious, and full of life. Alex found Angel utterly mouth-watering and the connection he felt was immediate. Dressed down or up… it didn’t matter, but now his interest was even stronger, and if it was possible, he found himself more curious than before.

  Darian had been dead-on in his description of Angel. Maybe she was too good to be true, but he’d enjoy finding out. Darian’s interference made it more difficult, but still, it didn’t occur to Alex for a second that he wouldn’t be able to overcome Angeline’s defenses. In fact, I think I might even enjoy the game of cat and mouse immensely. He was smiling to himself when Darian laughed at Becca’s warning.

  “Nah, Angel’s a pussycat. All hiss and spit on the surface, but underneath, I’ll bet she purrs like a kitten,” Darian retorted and picked up his beer.

  “Man, you don’t know what you’re talking about. She’ll put you down. Hard. She didn’t used to be that way, but well, she’s evolved. Don’t you hear that when she’s on air?”

  Alex sat listening intently to everything that Becca said and wondered what could have happened to change her. Did she used to be all soft and giving? Mmmm… Alex’s thoughts were very titillating, and he let his imagination run rampant, enjoying the fantasies that filled his mind about how he would indeed make her purr and what he’d do to get her to put those claws away.

  “Where did she learn to sing like that? She’s almost professional,” Alex asked, scooting his chair a little closer to the table.

  “Yes. Almost. I can’t tell her stories. They’re hers to share if she chooses, but don’t hold your breath.”

  “You make her sound harsh but she doesn’t seem that way to me. She just seems,” Alex searched for the right words, “strong and confident, but I do sense a softer side lurking underneath.” One I’ve glimpsed before. Alex was swirling the amber liquid around in his glass as he spoke, more to himself than the other two. “Very engaging. She’s really stunning.”

  Becca studied his face, taking note of his contemplative expression, and smiling softly at his obvious fascination, she looked down at her drink and nodded. He did have a good feel for Angel. He was pretty much right on.

  “Engaging and stunning, huh?” Her blue eyes snapped back up to lock with Alex’s. “Yeah, that she is. I sometimes think she takes on too much, but she’s Angel. Alex, I heard about you and your girl Whitney. The thing is, I like you, so I’m gonna cut to the chase. Angel’s no twit like that. She doesn’t give two shits about mate
rial things or superficial bullshit. Her outward appearance is for her job. She’d just as soon give every dime she has to charity, and your power or money won’t matter. She’s a great person, and she has the biggest heart of anyone I know, but she protects herself. She’s guarded.”

  Alex sat back in his chair and contemplated his words carefully. “I just want to get to know her. She seems… I enjoy…”

  “Yeah, I saw you enjoying her earlier. She’s better… more than most women, but she’s not invincible or ambivalent, even if she likes to give the impression she is. So don’t fuck with her. If you want to get to know her, then let her get to know you. She might play with you for a while, but make no mistake about it, it will be your chain that gets yanked, not hers.”

  A deep guttural laugh burst from Alex’s chest, and Darian looked embarrassed. “I think I might enjoy having my, uh… chain yanked, if you will.” Alex nodded his head in her direction and took another drink from his glass.

  “Whatever. If you think you leave ’em in heaps behind you, so does she. Don’t say I didn’t warn ya.” The pretty blonde pushed away from the table and stood up, both men rising with her. “I gotta go get my kid. Thanks for the birthday drink, Alex. And Darian, glad to finally meet you, but remember what I said. Give Angel her space for a bit if you don’t want to start singing soprano.”

  After the girl left and they sat back down, Alex’s hard gaze settled on Darian.

  “What the hell is your problem? I just gave you a gift.”

  “I can’t figure out your motivation for throwing us together. You want her. I can almost smell it on you.”

  “I can’t have her. It seems such a waste of a beautiful woman. And you want her more. She’ll make you chase her, and maybe I’m tired of seeing women fall over for you. She’ll teach you to appreciate the finer things in life.”

  “It isn’t like that.”

  “Yeah, sure it isn’t. Take a look around, for fuck’s sake! You’re a smart guy, Alex.”

  He glanced around nonchalantly and noticed three or four women openly sizing him up. “D, they’re looking at both of us.”

  “Man, give it a rest. Admit it. Everything I told you about Angeline is the truth. She’s beautiful and amazing.”

  Alex’s fingers of one hand traced around the top of his glass and his eyes followed their movement and his brow creased. “Incredible, yes,” he agreed.

  “You need someone like her. She’ll make you fall in love, and when you take her to bed, you can tell me what it’s like.”

  “It won’t happen.” Alex’s mouth turned down at the corners as he shook his head.

  “You have so little faith in your ability, bro’?”

  “Not that, asshole. When it happens, I won’t share the details. Every touch or thought about her, will be mine alone. But, I won’t fall in love.”

  “We’ll see.”

  “I should kick the shit out of you for doing this to me.”

  “No, you should thank me. But a steak dinner and a few beers will do.”

  * * *

  Angel’s mind was still reeling when she walked into the radio station two hours later.

  Damn Darian to hell!

  She didn’t know what she was thinking or feeling about the gorgeous man she’d met earlier, but she was sure of one thing: his confidence had a presence of its own. Was she pissed, excited, shaken, or stunned?

  Good. Fucking. Question.

  One thing was for sure, Alexander Avery wasn’t like anyone she’d met before, and it wasn’t because he was so dangerously good looking. It wasn’t because that face had haunted her, had become the fodder of every one of her fantasies, and pushed a bigger wedge between her and Kenneth. He was brilliant, successful, funny and probably a plethora of other things that would scare the shit out of her if she took the time to explore it.

  If I’m stupid enough to get sucked in, she told herself. He’s the type to leave them crying in the aisles, begging, while he walks away without a backward glance. Whitney was evidence of his reality, and Angel’s mental constitution and resolve were only intensified by her obvious attraction.

  She sighed and threw her purse under the desk as Christina bounded through the door in her usual youthful exuberance.

  “Hey! You’re here early!” she said, setting a full file folder in front of Angel. “Here are the real juicy emails from this week. I went through ’em and the top five are here. It seems like we’ve been so busy lately with live calls, you may not get to them all. These four hours blow by!” She shoved her hands into the pockets of her khaki shorts.

  Angel, having gone home and changed out of her business suit, was dressed in old jeans and a Habitat for Humanity T-shirt that she’d gotten the previous summer. She and Kenneth had taken a week off to help build a home for a woman with seven children whose house had burned to the ground in an electrical fire.

  She wound both hands through her long chestnut hair and looked around the desk, letting out her breath in a rush. “Yeah, okay,” she said quietly, clearly preoccupied and unfocused.

  Christina frowned at Angel’s uncharacteristic behavior. It was routine to go over the emails before the show went live, but clearly the other woman’s head wasn’t in the game. “Angel, do you need anything? Do you still want to go over these emails?”

  “Can you give me a minute or two to get organized, Chris? It’s been a really long day, and I’m a little scattered right now. I’m going to get some water, and then I should be good to go.” Angel looked up at the young woman briefly and then flipped open the folder before letting the flap fall closed again.

  “Will we be blessed with Darian’s presence tonight? He hasn’t called, so I’m not sure if he’ll show. Have you heard from him?”

  Angel rolled her eyes in disgust, huffing. “He won’t, if he knows what’s good for him!”

  Christina’s mouth fell open and her eyes widened at Angel’s shortness and tone. “What? Why?”

  “I’ve had enough of him tonight, that’s all.”

  “Ah… ” Christina began but it was clear she was filled with trepidation at asking the questions she wanted the answers to. “O… kay.” It was obvious to Christina that if she wanted more, she’d have to push.

  “Thanks,” Angel answered.

  The other woman’s brows shot up and she pursed her lips as she turned to leave the booth and take her place on the other side of the glass. Angel sat down and leaned back in the chair.

  Christina continued talking but Angel wasn’t listening. She nodded in response to something about Glenn, the scruffy jock who just ended his shift, and then moved out of the booth to get a bottle of water from the refrigerator in the small break room at the opposite end of the building.

  What the fuck is my problem? she asked herself with a slight shake of her head, glancing at her watch. Only ten minutes until she had to be on air.

  Alex Avery. The name bounced around in her brain along with images of the crooked grin and mischievous look in his deep green eyes as they sparred with each other at the bar. The contrast against his almost black hair was striking. And that fucking voice, even more mesmerizing in person than it was on the phone.

  “I should have known that bastard would be freaking perfect,” she mumbled as she made her way back into the booth again. Was it too much to ask that he’d be bald or fat with pockmarks covering his face? Did he have to be the dream guy? He was even more killer in a suit.

  Despite Alex Avery’s charisma or his incredible looks, Angel was more affected by how her body involuntarily responded, her heart racing and her skin flushing with heat. She sighed in disgust as she sat down at the desk once more. She prided herself on her self-control, in both her personal and professional lives. She sure as hell didn’t fall into a quivering pile of goo at mere words or sight of a man. Ever. So the events of the evening were leaving her somewhat shaken.

  She flushed as she remembered the electricity that raced through her as his heated gaze raked her body or h
ow he never took his eyes off her as she sang that stupid song. When he touched her while helping with her blazer, the tangible connection was impossible to ignore. It was all she could do to keep her voice under control. She felt vulnerable and unsettled.

  And, his body! Her imagination ran wild with pleasurable possibilities. The broad shoulders that tapered to the slim waist and narrow hips and those goddamned sinewy forearms were enough to make her mouth water, even without that glorious mane of hair that begged for her fingers to rake through. He was tall and rock hard. Rock fucking hard. Rock hard fucking, her brain protested. She huffed and pulled the file toward her and took out the top sheet of paper, trying to get her mind on anything other than Alexander Avery. At least she could understand the poor girl’s plight that had called in two weeks ago. No woman with hormones stood a snowball’s chance in hell against all that blatant masculinity and polished confidence. It was no wonder.

  Even as Angel tried to maintain her bravado and banter back and forth with him, there was a palpable undercurrent she couldn’t deny and it was obvious Alex felt it as well. He hadn’t tried to hide it, but she’d be damned if she’d allow him to reduce her to another notch on his very long list of conquests. No, she admonished herself; she would remain in control if it was the last damn thing she did. “Why do all the beautiful ones have to be pricks?” she said, still mumbling to herself, sorry now that her fantasy might be dashed. At least before, she could build him up as perfect and not some slick womanizer. She should be glad is happened. She hadn’t thought about that bastard Swanson’s court case since last week when Alex called into the program. She sighed. On the other hand, she wasn’t sure one bad boy was easier to deal with than the other. Just different.

  “What?” Christina had returned and overheard Angel’s quiet musings.

  “Oh, nothing. Darian lambasted me tonight, most likely thinking I’d go all wet and weak like his stereotype of the typical woman.”