by Locklyn Marx
“Hey,” Alexis said, “those are mine.”
He shook his head and ate another one without saying anything. Well. He had paid for them, so she supposed he was entitled to eat a few.
And then she remembered something. “Hey,” she said, “what about your meeting?”
“What about it?” He took another pretzel and put it in his mouth.
“Aren’t you supposed to be in it right now?”
He shrugged. “Mueller’s handling it.”
“Mueller’s…” she trailed off. “Mueller? The guy you hate? The guy you said was a shit-sucking vacuum?”
He frowned. “I didn’t say that. I don’t say things like that.”
“Yes, you did.”
“No. I said he was a shit sucker. Not a shit-sucking vacuum.”
“Oh.” Vacuum or not, why had he let Mueller do the presentation? Was it because he was so worried about her that he was willing to miss his meeting?
She looked at him.
He was sitting there in his expensive suit, hunched over with his elbows on his knees. His profile was strong, his lips set in a pensive line. God, he was gorgeous. She remembered what it was like to feel his mouth on hers. Her stomach flipped and tingles pulsed through her skin.
A voice came over the loudspeaker, alerting her to the fact that her flight was boarding.
Alexis stood up and shouldered her bag.
“Well,” she said. “I guess I should go.”
Reid looked up at her. “You’re seriously going to leave?”
She nodded. Tell me to stay, she prayed silently. Or tell me you want to go with me.
He’d basically said those things to her already, back in the hotel room, and she’d freaked out. But now that he was here, now that she’d had a little time to calm down, all she wanted was for him to gather her in his arms and take her away from all of this. But her pride wouldn’t let her say it.
“Okay.” Reid nodded. “Well. Good luck.”
“Yeah,” she said. “Thanks.”
She waited a beat, giving him another chance to stop her.
But he didn’t. And so finally, she turned on her heel and walked away, blinking back tears as she went.
***
Reid had tried to get on Alexis’s flight, but it was full.
Once he’d found that out, he’d searched the airport for her until he’d spotted her in the gift shop. She’d been frowning at the cashier and shifting her weight back and forth from one foot to the other. He’d watched as she pushed a strand of her hair behind one ear and then began thumbing through her wallet. He’d instantly rushed over and plopped that twenty down.
And now she was gone. He watched as she handed her boarding pass to the boarding agent and went through security. She walked confidently, not betraying any of the fear or insecurity he was sure she was feeling.
Reid looked down, realizing he was still holding her bag of pretzels. He shook his head, disgusted with himself. What the hell was wrong with him? He was acting completely crazy. How could he have just left that meeting like that? Especially after finding out Vista was meeting with another agency!
Richard Mueller had called while Reid was in the taxi on the way to the airport.
That asshole had been annoyed at first, but he soon turned gleeful as he realized what Reid’s absence meant – that Reid had basically just handed this whole project over to Richard, serving it up on a sliver platter.
If Richard Mueller landed the account, he’d be praised. If somehow they didn’t get it, even if it was because of Richard’s incompetence, Reid would be the one to get the blame.
Reid sat there for a moment, telling himself he should get back in a taxi and head back to the client’s office. If he hurried, he could probably get there before the meeting was over.
But he didn’t move. He couldn’t get Alexis out of his head.
He couldn’t stop thinking about her body, her smile, and the way she laughed. He remembered how much fun he’d had staying up late with her while they brainstormed ideas for his pitch. Anger surged through his body when he thought about anyone hurting her. If anything happened to Alexis, and he wasn’t there to stop it, he’d never forgive himself.
So he got up and walked over to the ticket counter. There had to be another flight to Philadelphia.
Chapter Ten
The flight was filled with turbulence, and by the time the plane touched down in Philadelphia, Alexis felt like she was going to jump out of her skin. She was a nervous flyer during the best of times, and bad conditions just exacerbated her anxiety. There’d been a layover in Richmond, Virginia, and her flight had been delayed for a couple of hours, giving her time to become even more nervous.
After she picked up her bags, Alexis took her time walking through the airport.
The sun was starting to go down, and she realized she didn’t have a plan about where she was going to stay. She would check into a hotel, she decided, and then first thing in the morning, she’d go and get her things while Leo was at work.
Except, she realized suddenly, she didn’t have enough money to stay in a hotel.
She’d used all the money in her checking account, and her credit card wasn’t working.
She checked her watch. It was eight o’clock. Assuming Leo was going to leave for work tomorrow morning at seven, she had eleven hours to kill. Alexis looked around.
There was a twenty-four hour coffee shop tucked away in the corner.
She dug through her purse and counted the money she had left. Thirty dollars.
That should be enough to keep her in coffee for the rest of the night, and then tomorrow, she’d use the rest to get a cab to her house. The thought of staying in the airport all night definitely wasn’t appealing, but what choice did she have?
She had books. And a magazine. She would have to make the best of it. And then what are you going to do tomorrow? a little voice in her head whispered. Where will you go after you get your stuff?
Don’t worry about that, she told herself. Just take it one step at a time.
***
When Reid got to Philadelphia, he had no idea what to do next. He knew where Alexis lived, thanks to a quick Google search. But he didn’t think she’d go to her house.
At least, not right away.
A hotel? She didn’t have much money, but maybe she’d figured out a way to get some. He sat down in the middle of the airport and pulled out his laptop. He’d call every hotel in Philadelphia if he had to, but he was going to find her.
He was just about to call the first one on the list, when he saw her.
She was sitting outside of the twenty-four hour coffee shop, bent over a magazine.
The relief that flowed through him was instant. She was there. She was safe.
Her hair was covering her face, and she was biting her lip as she read.
He just watched her for a moment, reveling in the fact that she was okay.
She looked up, meeting his eyes across the airport. Her mouth formed into an
“O” of surprise.
Reid got up and walked over to her.
“I think you’re stalking me,” Alexis said as he sat down at the table across from her.
He thought about it. “Not stalking,” he said. “Protecting.”
“Isn’t that what that creepy Edward did in those stupid Twilight movies?”
“Books.”
“What?”
“He did it in the books. And I guess in the movies, too, but they were books first.”
“I know.”
“Then why’d you say movies?”
“Because I didn’t want to admit that I’d read them.”
“Oh, I didn’t read them either,” he said. “I wouldn’t know anything about those books.” He coughed into his hand. “Renesmee.” Cough, cough.
She smiled. But then the smile faded, and she took her coffee cup and slid it back and forth between her hands on the table. “So what are you doing here?”
&n
bsp; “What do you think I’m doing here?”
“You wanted to catch an Eagles game?”
“It’s not football season.”
“You wanted to catch a baseball game?”
She was still moving her coffee back and forth. He reached out and took her hands, steadying them. “Alexis.”
She didn’t look at him, and instead kept her gaze on the table. “Why are you doing this?” she asked him, her voice soft. “Why are you being so nice to me?”
It was a good question. He thought about it. “Honestly? I’m not sure.” He tilted his head. “This isn’t how I usually act. In fact, I’m usually kind of an asshole.”
Alexis laughed, tossing her head back. It was the first genuine laugh he’d heard from her in a while, and he smiled. “No, I really am.” He was still holding her hand. “I don’t know why I’m being so nice to you, I just…” He shook his head. “I can’t explain it, but for some reason, I can’t get you out of my head. I know that sounds crazy.”
“Yeah,” she says. “It does.” But she was still smiling.
They sat there for a moment, holding hands and not saying anything.
“Hey,” Alexis said finally, her eyes sparkling, “you wanna get out of here?”
***
Reid got them a room at one of the most expensive hotels in the city like it was nothing. Alexis wondered what it would feel like to be able to do that, to just spend money with reckless abandon. Even before this whole thing happened with Leo, she’d always worried about money.
Reid only got one room, and Alexis pretended it was because she didn’t want him to have to pay for another, but really, she wanted to stay in the same room as him. Being back in Philadelphia and seeing the familiar sights was making her anxious, and Reid made her feel safe.
The room was gorgeous, with black and cream bedspreads, chrome light fixtures, and a breathtaking view of the city.
Alexis took a shower while Reid made some phone calls, letting the hot water slide over her muscles and wash away the day.
She dressed in a tank top and then pawed around in her suitcase. The only pants she had were jeans and yoga pants. She didn’t feel like putting the jeans on – too uncomfortable. And the yoga pants were in serious need of a washing. She found a pair of boy short underwear in the bottom of her bag, and pulled those on, deciding to forego pants altogether.
What the hell. It wasn’t like Reid hadn’t seen her naked.
When she got back into the bedroom, Reid was in the hallway on his cell phone.
She slipped under the covers, struggling to keep her eyes open.
And after a moment, she was asleep.
***
Alexis was in the shower when Reid’s boss, Thomas Parker, called. Reid sighed.
Thomas was the last person he felt like dealing with. Thomas was a bit of an asshole – he was completely hands-off, but didn’t hesitate to step in and take credit when things were going well. The only time Thomas really bothered to talk to his employees was when there was a problem, and then he could be ruthless. Which is probably why he was calling now.
“Reid Lawson,” Reid said, stepping out into the hallway so that Alexis wouldn’t hear.
“Reid!” his boss raged. “What the hell happened today?”
“Hello to you, too, Thomas,” Reid said, rolling his eyes. Why was everyone he worked with such assholes? Any normal person would have asked him if he was okay.
Reid had worked at The Lawson Agency for five years. His father owned it, for fuck’s sake. In that time, he’d never been late to work once, had never broken a rule, and had never given anyone any reason to think he was a bad employee. If he’d taken off right before a big meeting, did anyone even stop to think that maybe something was really wrong?
“Don’t get smart, Reid,” Thomas said. “Just tell me what the hell’s going on.”
“I had an emergency.” He was pacing up and down the hallway now, his body brimming with nervous energy.
“What kind of emergency?”
“An emergency with my family.” He felt a little bad for lying, but not really.
People were allowed to have emergencies. In all his years at the agency, he’d never even taken a personal day. When his grandmother had died last year, he’d flown to Florida for her funeral on a Friday night and was back to work on Monday. When he’d gotten a stress fracture from running the marathon a few years back, he hobbled into the office on crutches. He showed up. He was clutch. And now this asshole was trying to give him shit for it.
“Really?” Carl asked. “Because Mueller said you left because of some broad.”
“Mueller said what?”
“That you were with some woman. That you used company money to get her a room.”
“Oh, please,” Reid said. “People bring friends and family on these trips all the time.”
“Yes, they do,” Thomas agreed. “But I’d expect that if you were going to do something like that, you’d at least show up for the meeting.”
“What happened?”
“What happened? We landed the account, that’s what happened. Thanks to Richard Mueller.”
“Bullshit.”
“Excuse me?”
“You didn’t land the account because of Richard. You landed it because of me.”
“You weren’t even there!”
“No, but I was the one who came up with the whole campaign. They were going to sign anyway, Thomas. Today was just a formality.” It was true. Even though Vista had been meeting with another agency, it didn’t matter. The bottom line was that The Lawson Agency had landed the account with Vista because of Reid’s idea. Well, Alexis’s idea.
“Well, they weren’t pleased that you weren’t there.”
“I told you I had an emergency.”
“Well, when you get in tomorrow, I’d like to see you in my office first thing.”
“I’m not coming in tomorrow.”
“What do you mean you’re not coming in tomorrow?”
Reid pulled the phone away from him and looked at it in disbelief. Did Thomas not get it? “I told you, Thomas,” he said. “I have an emergency.”
“Well, when will you be back in?”
He thought about it. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?”
“No.” Suddenly the thought of going into the office was unbearable. He didn’t need that shit. “I might not be coming back.” He didn’t know where the words came from, but as soon as he said them, they felt right.
“What do you mean you might not be coming back?” Thomas yelled. “Reid, this is highly – ”
But now that he’d gotten the idea in his head that he didn’t have to take shit from anyone, he didn’t want to listen to Thomas anymore. “I’ll be in touch,” he said, and hung up the phone.
When he got back to the room, Alexis was sleeping.
He stripped down to his boxers and climbed into bed next to her. Immediately, she rolled over and moved close to him. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her against his chest.
She tilted her head up and blinked at him sleepily.
“Hi,” she whispered. Her mouth was only inches from his. He knew he shouldn’t kiss her – she was vulnerable, and he didn’t want to add to her confusion.
But her lips were full and perfect, and her skin was warm. Desire overtook Reid’s body, and he couldn’t help himself. He kissed her.
She tasted like spearmint. “God, you feel good,” he breathed. His hands slid up under her shirt, stroking the skin of her lower back, snaking up and over her shoulders.
Their kiss deepened, their tongues dancing against each other.
Alexis tilted her head back, and he kissed down her neck to the top of her breast.
He tugged the top of her tank top down and slid his mouth over her breast hungrily. Her nipple hardened under the touch of his tongue.
He wanted her so badly he couldn’t control himself.
She wrapped her arms around his ne
ck and breathed in deeply. His body was on fire, his cock rock hard in his boxers. He’d been with many beautiful women, and he’d never in his life wanted someone as much as he wanted Alexis right now.
“Make love to me,” she pleaded softly. “Please.”
He didn’t have to be asked twice.
Chapter Eleven
When Alexis woke up the next morning, Reid wasn’t next to her. She could hear the sound of the shower going in the bathroom. She rolled over and squeezed her eyes shut. She’d had sex with him again last night. She buried her head in her pillow, remembering. Why had she done that?
“Hey, sleepyhead,” he said, coming out of the bathroom. He was wearing a towel around his waist and nothing else. Her breath caught at the sight of his almost naked body. “Did I wake you?”
She shook her head.
“You missed it last night,” he said. “I got into a huge work fight and everything.”
He pulled a cup of coffee off a tray that was in the room and handed it to her. She took it thankfully, taking a long sip of the hot liquid. “Really? About what?”
“I quit my job.”
“You what?”
“I quit my job.” He grinned.
“But you… I mean, you can’t just go around quitting your job.”
“Why?” He shrugged. “I have plenty of money.”
“Yeah, but…” she shook her head.
“I got sick of taking shit. I’m going to start my own agency.”
“You are?”
“Yup.” He sat down next to her on the bed. Drops of water clung to his hair, and one dropped off and slid down his forearm. She flushed.
“Well, if that’s what you want, I think it’s great.”
He grinned. “I think so too. Anyway, you hungry?”
Alexis nodded. She was starving. “Good. I’m going to go next door and pick us up some pancakes. You can shower while I’m gone, and then when I get back, we can eat and then head over to your place to get your things. Sound good?”
“Sounds perfect.”
Reid kissed her softly on the lips, then dressed and left to get the food. Alexis took a deep breath. It’s going to be okay, she told herself, just get through the day and you’ll be fine.
