by Alice Ward
I tugged it away and chuckled. “Hands to yourself, sir. I’m working for you. We’ve discussed it, and I was not wild. I was a free spirit.”
He laughed loudly, and the sound filled my insides with a warmth that I’d almost forgotten could exist. “You were too wild. I’m surprised you didn’t say you weren’t horny. I was going to get you good for that one.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and glanced over at him, giving him a look. “Why would I say something like that? I could lie to anyone else, but you’re the guy I wanted to sleep with. Of course you know how horny I was. Jeez.”
“And were you still that way after I left?” His enthusiasm dimmed just a little.
“No. It wasn’t about sex. It was about you.” I tugged at my seatbelt and sat up a little straighter as we pulled into the airport parking lot. Something about sharing too much with him left me feeling open and raw. It was exciting and yet terrifying.
“And then the next guy was your ex?” He pulled into the parking lot, turned off the car and turned toward me.
“Why are we playing twenty questions?” I gave him a sideways look and reached for the handle as he grabbed my other hand.
“Just answer the question. I’ll answer any that you want to ask me.” He squeezed my fingers softly and waited until I put my full attention on him to speak again. “Please?”
“There were plenty of guys, Zek. I was a young girl with too much energy and not enough focus. I realized my junior year of college that none of them were going to measure up. None of them were going to matter or be enough. None of them could be...”
“Be what?” He released my hand as I let out a painful sigh and turned my face away from him.
I opened the door and got out, not sure why he had so much power over me, but it was useless to over think it. He simply did.
“Be what, Alisa?” He moved to the back of the car and popped the trunk. His stare was intense, but not in a way that made me feel the need to answer him. He knew the answer, and he was baiting me. I wanted him to feel the rush of knowing that every man in my life had somehow been compared to him. He needed a bright light in the middle of the darkness he was trudging through, but I couldn’t tell him. Not yet.
“Why did you let go of Lindsay, or why did she leave you?” I asked, not even thinking twice about why I was asking.
“Because she was a bitch after my money. I wanted her to love me, and she didn’t. It’s simple really. I haven’t found anyone willing to love me for the man I am. It’s always about my wealth. The story isn’t going to change. It’s the truth.” He pulled my bag out and sat it on the ground beside his.
I reached for it, but he carefully pushed my hand away and pulled them both as we walked toward the large airport terminal.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I can’t imagine someone not caring about you.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a reoccurring theme. It’s all good though. The right woman is out there. I just need to circumvent going to jail twice, rebuild my company, fix the tarnish on my good name, and then I’ll look for her.” There was no sarcasm in his voice, but I could feel the heaviness sitting on him.
We stopped to let the cars pass in front of us, and I turned to face him. “None of the guys in my life could be you. That’s what I was going to say, but it seemed like a bit too much. You were a boy, and I was a young girl. We’re different people now, and no matter how many times I imagined us being more than you let us be... we weren’t. We aren’t.”
“We could be.” He winked and moved across the walkway. “Another conversation for another time.”
Somehow I wasn’t looking forward to diving into that discussion anytime soon.
CHAPTER FOUR
Zek
The attendant at the check-in desk glanced up as we approached, and I had to work to find my voice. I hated how much Alisa affected me. Her admitting to comparing all the other men in her life to me left my heart racing. It was silly, and there was no way anything would become of us, but I sure as hell wanted to try. I’d wanted love for far too long... I was almost desperate for it, though no one would ever know.
She was right about one thing. I was a boy back then with dreams of success and power. I didn’t even notice what was right beneath my nose. There was too much to prove having been poor most of my life. I wanted to show everyone that I wasn’t just a jock with a pretty face.
I did it too... but at what cost?
“Hi there. Let me see your identification and I’ll get started processing your ticket information.” The attendant smiled at me, but didn’t turn to Alisa, which was a bit odd.
I pulled mine out of my wallet and took Alisa’s to hand to the woman. “We’re headed to Austin. Flight twelve-fifteen.”
“Got it. Are you both flying first-class with us today, or just you, Mr. Kellington?” She typed on her computer as she spoke, her words mumbled and hard to hear.
“Both of us, or neither of us. The seats should be together.” I slid my hand on the counter and tapped it lightly.
“Of course. We can get you both in first-class for an upgrade fee.” She glanced up.
“That’s not necessary, Zek.” Alisa wrapped her hand around my upper arm and squeezed. “I can take coach and you can fly first-class. I really don’t mind. I sleep most of the flight anyway.”
I glanced back and lifted my eyebrow at her. “Right, but I’m not going to appreciate some other guy getting to hold you up while you’re resting.”
“And you want to?” She gave me a quirky smirk, and I nodded.
“Damn right I do.”
“We got you both in. It’s nice to see couples who still fuss over each other.” She gave us a warm smile, and I didn’t correct her. Surprisingly enough, Alisa didn’t either. We got our tickets and I reached out and took Alisa’s hand, tugging her close to my side.
“Just play the part. Couples get a discount. Help me save some money?” I squeezed her hand and smirked as she stopped at the back of the security line and turned to me, pulling her hand from mine.
“You’re so full of it. If you wanted to hold my hand, you could have just said so.” She crossed her arms over her chest and gave me a playful smile.
How we turned back into silly teenagers with simple conversations and chips on our shoulders was beyond me, but somehow we brought out the best in each other, or so it seemed.
“No, I couldn’t have.” I bent over to untie my shoes, barely missing her breast as I tugged off my dress shoes. “You can’t wear shoes for security. Pull yours off, or I can get them while I’m down here.”
Her cheeks flushed a slight pink as I looked up at her. She was every wet dream I’d ever had as she stood there glaring down at me playfully.
“I can get my own shoes.” She took a step back from me and took them off, accidentally bumping a businessman behind her. He didn’t seem to mind, but I did.
“Come on, honey. Stop flirting with strangers.” I picked up our bags and gave her a warning look as she moved into the long line of people just beside us.
“Watch it,” she mumbled, giving me a strict look. The sexy smirk that pulled at her lips wouldn’t find its way onto her face, but the fact that it wanted to was more than enough.
After we made it through security and got our shoes on, I moved back up beside her and pointed to our terminal. “We’re down there. Let’s grab a coffee and we can talk a little about the interview later today. I’ve been in several private meetings with the SEC just because of my line of work. They’re not all bad, and the guy on the phone yesterday actually sounded pleasant.”
“It’s all part of their game. They’ll draw you in to believe you have an ally, but you don’t. You never do in an investigation when you’re the subject under review.” She pointed to the coffee depot and glanced back at me. “I’ll get it. My treat.”
I nodded and pulled out my phone, turning the ringer off and letting out a slow sigh. I wanted to go out of town with the beautiful woman in front of me,
but part of me knew it was a horrid idea. I couldn’t focus when she was around simply because of my attraction to her.
If I could just maintain a professional relationship with her throughout the day and get through the interview, then I could relax. The evening could be about us going to dinner, talking late into the night, and making love.
I groaned unintentionally, and she turned, pinning me with an inquisitive stare.
“You okay?” Her blue eyes moved about me as if trying to assess the source of my discomfort. She would need a mirror for that.
“Yes. I’m just hungry, and the smell of the coffee is making matters worse.”
“Let’s get you something to eat then.” She lifted to her toes and glanced around.
I reached out to steady her as she wobbled a little, and our eyes met once again, but this time I could sense the heat behind her gaze.
“I’m good.” I released her, letting my fingers slide from her lower back. I made sure to brush the top of her pert little ass as I did. “Let’s head to the first-class lounge and I’ll get a muffin there.”
My phone vibrated, and I checked the e-mail that came in on my personal account. The SEC wanted to meet the next morning instead of that afternoon. I was almost relieved, and yet disturbed all at the same time.
Keeping my hands off Alisa for the morning would be easy, but a day and a half? There was no way. I was looking for any possible way I could to get my hands on her and show her that I didn’t need to search the world for the right woman. I had her right in front of me. I’d been an ignorant boy before and thought I could find a woman like her around every corner. I was wrong, and knew good and damn well that this was my one and only shot with her.
The cases would be over in a few months, and regardless of the outcome, she would be out of my life. Maybe this time for good.
***
“What do you mean you only have one room? Is this a joke?” Alisa’s voice was pinched and her face flush.
“I’m really sorry, Mr. Kellington.” The hotel attendant turned his attention back to me. “We had you down for two, but reservations bumped one of them. The conference that’s meeting here this week is much larger than we expected.”
“It’s okay.” I reached over and rubbed Alisa’s upper back, trying to calm her a little. I wanted to be offended over her acting childish over the room, but I couldn’t. She was working to save herself from me as much as I was working to save myself from her. We needed our space to make sure that nothing happened between us, or at least she did. I was almost giddy inside with the dilemma.
“It’s not okay. We’re not together, Zek.” She turned to me and narrowed her eyes.
“Does the room have a couch bed in it? A pull-out maybe?” I tore my gaze from her and tried to focus on the clerk.
“Yes, I can put you in one of those. If anything changes, I’ll make sure to let you know.” He handed me two keys and gave a sorrowful smile to Alisa.
The beautiful girl beside me huffed, snatched the key and walked to the elevator, mumbling under her breath.
“I’m so sorry, sir.” The guy shook his head. “This rarely happens.”
“I’m going to thank fate for it. No worries.” I smirked and walked off to the sound of him chuckling. He knew what I meant, and Alisa would get over it.
“Unbelievable.” She turned to me as we walked into the elevator bank.
“Hey, it’s going to be fine. If you’re really this upset about it, I’ll find us another hotel. Besides, it’s not like I’m going to attack you in the middle of the night.” I drew my eyebrows in tight, letting her know by my expression alone that she was starting to hurt my feelings.
The door opened and she moved off after rolling her eyes at me. “Really? You think that’s my concern?”
“Is it not?” I pushed the key into the lock and opened the door for her.
“Yes, actually it is, but the bigger problem is that I want you to.” She let out an angry growl and walked into the room, leaving me to stand in shock at the door.
One minute she was forcing us into something professional, and the next she was tugging at the deepest strand of desire I had living inside of me.
“I’m gonna let that go.” I walked in and put my bag near the window before pulling the drapes back and staring out across the city. “Let’s change into something comfortable seeing that we won’t be meeting with the SEC today, and we can grab something good to eat.”
“Okay.” She dropped her bag on the queen-sized bed and worked to unzip it. She let out a soft sigh and looked up at me as I watched her from over my shoulder. “I’m sorry. I’m really trying to keep my head above water right now, and I’m just—”
“No need to apologize. We’re friends under all of this stuff, Alisa.” I turned to face her and pulled my jacket off, loving the way her eyes followed my movements. She was still the horny rebellious girl I knew... I just needed to tap into that side of her again, to help her remember.
“I know. Maybe I just need to focus on that, and leave all of the questions I have about us alone. I’m not going to get anywhere with it.” She walked toward me and pressed her forehead to my chest, but kept her hands to her side. “I feel like I’m fifteen again when you’re around.”
I slid my hands into her hair and cupped her face, tilting it until she was forced to look at me.
“Good. You need to remember what it’s like to have a little bit of fun. We both do. Let’s focus on that tonight, okay?” I kissed the tip of her nose and released her, though I wanted to push my luck with a deep, sensual kiss. She didn’t need it right now, even though I could tell she wanted it. She wasn’t the only one.
“Alright. You’re right.” She turned and rolled her shoulders. “Where are we headed?”
“Let’s find a good steak house. It’s Texas. They should be everywhere.” I unzipped my bag and pulled out a pair of jeans and a button down shirt that needed ironing. She wouldn’t care how I looked, and being in an eclectic city like Austin meant that no one else would either. “You want the bathroom or the bedroom to change in?”
“I’ll take the bathroom.” She grabbed a dress and a pair of sandals and walked past me.
I turned to watch her go, and let my eyes move down the long line of her legs, the subtle muscles flexing as she moved. Every inch of her was a tease against my senses, but I wasn’t willing to think too much more on it. I’d mind her boundary line as long as I could, which was most likely through dinner, and that was it.
After making quick work of my clothes, I walked to the door and pulled out my wallet, checking for my cards and ID.
She walked out in a pretty pink dress with flowers all over it. She hadn’t done anything, and yet I was struggling to breathe. She had pulled up her thick blond hair into a ponytail, which left the sensual slope of her neck on full display. My mouth watered to lick at it, to suck softly just below her ear and taste her as she twitched below me.
I couldn’t remember wanting a woman so bad in all of my life, but it was Alisa Beeler in front of me. Turning, I readjusted myself so it wouldn’t be too obvious that I was sporting a hard-on all damn night. It was inevitable when she was around.
“Okay. Let’s go.” She moved past me, turning to smile as she walked into the hall. “Those jeans look really good on you. You should dress casual more often.”
“How do you know that I don’t wear jeans all the time?” I moved out into the hallway and let my eyes run across her. “You look good enough to eat.”
“Stop it.” She pushed at my shoulder with hers and gave me a cheeky grin. “It’s warm here even though it’s the early spring. I figured a dress and sandals would do me right.”
“I couldn’t agree more, but you’ll need to stay close.” I pressed the button to take us back down to the lobby and tried hard not to watch her like a starving man might a filet mignon.
“Why is that?” She moved out and I followed just behind her, quickly taking note of the eyes that turned to
check her out.
“Because with the way you look, I’ll be beating men off of you all night.” I slipped my hand into hers as she stiffened. “We should really make sure people know we’re together. Even if it’s just as friends.”
She pulled her hand from mine and laughed. “You’re corrupt.”
“I realize that. I’m praying hard that you figure out how to prove to the world that it isn’t true though.” My eyes moved around her face as she gave me a silly look. “You’re stunning. I want to go on and on about how good you look, but I’m afraid I would find myself eating dinner alone.”
“You’re bias, and you’re right. Hush about it, and let’s go find ourselves a great steak, a good beer and have some deep conversation.”
I chuckled, loving her persona more than I cared to admit. “Deep conversation? What are we going to talk about tonight? Should I prepare notes?”
“Nope. I have enough for the both of us.” She winked and moved across the street and I jogged to keep up. No other woman in the world would have been able to keep me on an invisible leash. I was too dominate for that, but she was doing it without effort, and I liked it.
No, I loved it.
CHAPTER FIVE
Alisa
He was being far flirtier than I expected him to be, and yet I should have known better. We were away from our lives in the big city and only had each other for company. It was good and bad. We walked into an ornate steak house with various animal heads staring down from the walls at us. The place was almost overly decorated, but it had a warm feeling to it, oddly enough.
“Two please.” Zek’s hand touched my lower back and I stiffened.
“I’m going to run to the women’s room. I’ll meet you over there.” I didn’t wait for his response, but walked as relaxed as I could to the bathroom. The flight or fight syndrome I had a couple of nights before at his place was threatening to choke me out once again.
I pressed my hands to the cool marble counter top just in front of the sink and leaned in, examining myself and trying to work through the source of the fear swirling inside of me.
