Passing by the reception desk, I nod towards Bea, who is smiling radiantly as always, and wave towards Steven as he heads into the break room. Sitting at my desk, I make notes on my calendar for deadlines I need to prepare for.
“Coffee?” Steven asks, peering at me from my door as he rests against the door frame, offering a mug. Spirals of steam rising from the hot liquid look and smell comforting. I accept his offer and suggest he take a seat across from me.
“Yes, please,” I reply gratefully, accepting the drink and taking a sip. “Tell me how the rest of Saturday went. Was the charity upset over the drama I caused?”
“Don’t be silly, I told everyone you were getting a bad migraine and no one questioned it. The rest of the evening went well. In fact, I have a few meetings scheduled for us with potential clients.”
“Great! Thank you for handling all that.”
“My pleasure. Now, are we going to talk about what happened?”
“I’d rather not.”
“Understood,” he says, then adds gently, “But, just so you know, he didn’t move from his table the entire evening. He looked rather upset if you want my opinion.”
I nod my head in recognition of his words, at an utter loss for what to say.
“Well, what’s on the agenda today?” he says briskly, and I am appreciative of the subject change. “We may want to buckle down because there is a major winter storm headed our way at the end of the week, even though that is a rarity here. It’s supposed to drop a few feet of snow and last a couple of days. Since it is unusual, the city will practically go on lock down.”
“Great,” I say sarcastically, trying hard to keep my eyes from rolling upwards. “I guess Mother Nature is out to get me too.” I sigh, “I probably should review our weather policy and release it to the staff. As far as I’m concerned, everyone can work from home if they can’t make it in.”
Popping her head around the door, Bea speaks to Steven, “Steven, you have a guy asking for you on line three. I transferred the call to your office. It sounded urgent.”
“Thank you, Beatrice.” He heads towards my door, and before he leaves, adds, “Lunch later, Mallory?”
“Sure thing.”
I quickly lose myself in work, responding to various emails before attending a weekly meeting with my four other directors to see where they are with their projects. As the final person leaves my office at the conclusion of our meeting, the last thing I expect is to see is him holding the door open behind him. Looking up from my paper work, I feel my jaw inadvertently clench at the sight of a much unanticipated, uninvited guest.
Standing before me in a lavender lace dress, black boots pulled over her matching black tights, Abigail smiles warmly, a delicate jacket draped effortlessly across her arm. When she notices my unenthusiastic reaction to her arrival, the smile fades from her lips and she hovers awkwardly by the door. As I rise from my chair, she rushes forward.
“Please don’t be angry,” she begs in a hurried, frantic voice. “He doesn’t know I’m here, I swear. I needed to come see you.”
Moving rapidly around my desk, I grab her arm – not as gently as perhaps I should have - and pull her behind me, heading towards the elevators.
“Mallory, please let me explain,” she cries as I tug her into the empty cart.
“I am letting you explain.” My voice sounds strangely cold and clipped, even to my own ears. “That’s why we’re leaving. I can’t do this here.”
Exiting the building, I walk briskly to the coffee and pastry shop across the street. Slouching into an empty booth, I stare blankly at Abigail.
“You have five minutes, Abi. I have a lot of work to finish.”
“I know, I’m sorry,” she says meekly, voice barely above a whisper. “Congratulations by the way. You’ll do a great job.”
Nodding my head at her compliment, but with that awful tension still in my jaw, she continues.
“I’m not here to fix things between you and my brother. I don’t know what happened and I really don’t want to know what happened. But I do want you to know that Samantha’s baby is not his. They don’t really talk about it, but I know my brother well enough to know that he’s doing this ‘fake relationship’ thing to help her. Her parents assumed it is his child and he and Samantha haven’t bothered to correct them. They would be appalled to have a divorced daughter turned single mom,” she says, her eyes begging me to understand. “My brother will be an amazing dad someday and I can tell you right now, if that was his child, he would be shouting it from the rooftops.” My chest begins throbbing at her exclamation and I can feel the tears building behind my eyes, but I refuse to let her see. I have cried one too many times over Alex.
“Abigail, he loves Samantha, I know that. I’m just disgusted that he took it farther than the kisses that Will and I witnessed.” The words fall harshly from my mouth and I barely recognize her hurt expression before adding, “Will is going to be devastated, by the way. He would walk through fire for her and she’s just throwing it in his face.”
“My brother would never cheat on you!” she cried, clearly distraught by the notion. “That man loves you more than anything, even if he is too stupid to see it. He was so upset when he heard about your kidnapping that he hopped on the first flight back to Maryland.”
The neighboring booths glance over in our direction at her outburst.
I pause for a moment, wanting desperately to believe her, almost afraid to.
“He was there?” I hear the slight quaver in my voice and, hating it, clear my throat slightly. “I figured he sent Gregory. How did he find out?”
“He was there, Kyle called him. The doctors wouldn’t let him stay because he wasn’t family. Apparently he fought them tooth and nail just to see you in your room.” She glances down at her manicure for a moment before continuing softly, “He hasn’t been the same since then. Look, back to the reason I’m here. I know Samantha and Alex aren’t together, and I have proof that the baby isn’t his. After seeing you so distressed on Saturday, I gave them an ultimatum: fix it, or I’ll release my evidence to the press.”
“Why would that matter to the press?” I ask, completely baffled at the notion that it would matter to the tabloids.
“Everything Alex does fascinates them. He was named one of the most attractive bachelors in the world. He’ll hate the attention this could bring.”
Glancing down at my watch, I see that the five minute mark is approaching. Needing to wrap up the conversation, I ask the one question that has been burning in my mind.
“Abi, why didn’t Alex tell me he was a Lord, or whatever?”
“He’s an Earl, actually, and I’m a Countess. Lord and Lady are just titles,” Abigail explains matter-of-factly. “And you’d have to ask him why he didn’t tell you. I can’t answer that for him.”
“It doesn’t matter.” I sigh, “I’m sure he had his reasons, but I need to get back to work. Enjoy your day, Abi.”
As I rise to my feet and walk to the door, making every effort to appear nonchalant, Abi shouts to me, “Aren’t you going to ask about him or me? How we’ve been? What we’ve been doing?”
My head is throbbing.
“No, Abi, I’m not. It hurts too much to think about. Alex has moved on and I need to focus on my job right now. Please understand that. And I believe what you said, but don’t hurt your brother because he’s trying to help his friend.” She looks like she is about to speak, but before she can, I place my hand on the door. “Bye, Abi.”
Running across the street and into my building, I duck into the bathroom to dry my eyes from the tears that have finally begun to fall. I do miss Alex and I dream of him every night. Guilt gnaws at my insides when I think of dating Bradley, knowing full well the entire time that I couldn’t ever love him. Though I tried to deny it to even myself, my heart belongs solely to Lord Alexander Stone. Despite my tears, I chuckle a bit at the thought. A Lord, seriously? As if our relationship couldn’t get any more complicated.
After lunch with Steven, I spend the afternoon sorting through ideas for the store’s campaign. I’ve set aside three ideas I think will work best to meet their goal and schedule a meeting for next week to go over the proposals.
Then the work day is finally over, I grab some Indian take-out and resolve to stay inside and relax. Curled up on the corner of my couch, I lose myself in some reality show marathon. About a quarter of the way into the second episode, a knock on the door interrupts my languor. Without bothering to look in the peephole, I open the door to find Bea, standing there with a box of hot chocolate mix cupped in her hands.
“I thought you may want some company.” She says, holding forth the cocoa mix, “Do you mind if I join you?”
“Not at all,” I reply, touched by her gesture. “Please come in.”
Walking into the kitchen, I warm some milk for our drinks while Bea divvies out the packets with extra marshmallows.
“You’re awesome, Bea. Thank you for this.”
“Don’t mention it.”
A second knock on the door startles me, causing me to spill some of the warm milk onto the counter.
“I’ll get it, Mallory. It’s probably Steven. I saw him in the hallway on my way in,” Bea says, already on her way to the door.
“Ok thanks. I’ll get this cleaned up.”
While I’m wiping the counter with a paper towel to clean up the milk, Bea shouts to me, “Mallory, are you expecting anyone?”
Confused, I set down what I’m doing and head towards the door, rubbing my damp hands on my pants, as I say “No…”
Turning the corner, I glance up to find Alex standing outside my door.
“What do you want to do, Mallory?” Bea asks as she sees the startled expression on my face.
Risking another glance in his direction, his eyes are begging me to let him inside. They also betray a hint of vulnerability and – to my surprise - love. This last realization scares me more than it should.
Gulping, I try to take a deep breath, hoping my voice isn’t as shaky as the rest of me.
“Um, I…you…”
So much for my voice not shaking.
Stepping back, Bea looks between the two of us and then winks in my direction.
“Mallory, I’m going to head back to my place. I’ll see you tomorrow. Call me if you need anything.”
Tugging on the hem of my shirt, trying and failing to mask my nervousness, I nod my head slightly as she leaves. Alex releases a quick breath and moves forward, shutting the door and locking it behind him. Turning to face me, I can see him contemplating his next move before deciding his next course of action. I stand stock-still, unsure of how to react, as he dashes toward me. Stopping a mere few inches away, he pauses for a moment before darting forward and passionately grasping my face in his hands. He looks into my eyes for what feels like forever, but is only a few seconds, before drawing his face closer to mine and sealing our lips in a powerful kiss. Still in shock, I can only lose myself in the moment and give myself over to him. My body comes alive as it recognizes his scent and his taste. Nothing else has ever felt as good as being pressed up against Alex: we fit together like puzzle pieces.
Taking a chance, I snake my hands up the front of his shirt, grasping the material tightly in my fists. Drowning in his punishing kiss, I allow him to dive into my mouth as I part my lips, releasing a moan. Twisting my hair around his wrist, he tilts my head back and at a slant, opening me up more to him. Forgetting about Samantha, his nobility, our breakup, and even about Seth, I let Alex sweep me away in his arms, where I want to stay forever.
A buzzing sound coming from Alex’s pocket breaks our heated moment and he steps away from me slightly, but keeps one hand on my face, the other wrapped in my hair. Desperately searching his handsome face, I take a moment to drink him in before the reality of our messed-up situation ensnares my thoughts. My fluttering emotion turns to hurt.
“Mallory,” he begins, his voice husky and deep.
“What are you doing here, Alex? How do you know where I live?”
“I just…I needed to see you, to hold you, so I called around until I located you. I have missed you more than I would ever like to admit.”
Stepping away from him, creating as much distance between us as possible, I rest against the back of the couch.
“You have an odd way of showing your feelings, Alex. Does Samantha know you’re here?” I feel the temperature in the room drop several degrees.
“I don’t care if Samantha knows that I’m here,” he insists before I cut him off.
“Yes, well I care. You shouldn’t leave your pregnant girlfriend alone to visit your ex,” I reply bitterly, raising my voice as my anger escalates.
“Mallory, stop. I know you saw Abi today, so you know that Samantha and I aren’t together.”
“You play the part of doting father-to-be so well Alex. How should I know whether it’s real or fake? You convinced me and I only saw you for fifteen seconds.”
“It’s not my baby, Mallory. I have never, nor have I ever wanted to sleep with Samantha. I don’t feel that way about her. She’s terrified of Will finding out and trying to gain full custody. I knew it was stupid, but I played along because I haven’t been thinking straight since I left you in Maryland.” His golden eyes shimmer like pools, begging me to dive in to his heartfelt words. “You have to trust me, Mallory.”
“I don’t have any reason to trust you. You kept who you are hidden from me. I don’t know you at all.” Full of anger, I dole out a proverbial blow below the belt, shouting, “God, Alex! I loved you so much and you couldn’t even stay at the hospital and wait for me to wake up. You weren’t there when I needed you the most and now I second guess every decision I make! I can’t even look at myself in the mirror anymore.”
Moisture begins to blur my vision, threatening to spill down my face.
“Mallory, please,” Alex pleads, reaching for me.
I pull away.
“I hate you, Alex. You ruined my life. If we hadn’t gotten together, Seth would have left me alone. If you hadn’t left, Seth wouldn’t have had the chance to come after me. Don’t you understand? You took everything from me when you left! Everything!” I scream as tears drip down from my jaw line and chin.
Reaching forward, Alex tries again to brush the tears from my face, but I swipe at his hand.
“Don’t touch me, Alex,” I snarl.
“Mallory, please. I can’t bear to see you this way. I didn’t tell you that I am an Earl because I liked that you didn’t know who I was. As for the reason I left, I honestly was trying to protect you,” he says earnestly. “The press is relentless in following me, and I went to Maryland to relax. It usually takes the paparazzi a few weeks to figure out where I am, so I only stay for a short period of time. I couldn’t have anticipated Seth’s attack, Mallory. He was crazy. You can’t blame me for that, but you can be angry at me for not staying in the hospital with you.” Guilt causes his eyes to drop momentarily before he raises them back to my face. “I stayed as long as I could, but my brother needed me back home and the hospital wasn’t very keen on non-relatives hanging around.” He whispers, “I’m sorry that all of this has happened to you. You don’t deserve any of it. But you can trust me, beautiful. I love you too much to do anything to hurt you.”
Shocked by his admission, I suddenly forget my anger. Staring blankly at him, the voice that leaves my mouth is hoarse, “What did you say?”
Trying to ease some of the tension, Alex says teasingly, “That I’m an Earl?”
“No.” A smile tugs at the corner of my lips, but I will it to vanish.
“That you’re beautiful?”
“No. You love me?”
“Yes I do, more than anything in this world. I realized it that night we had sushi and I gave you the leash, though I think I fell in love with you the first night I met you.”
A blush creeps up my cheeks as visions of our playful scenario with the sushi flash in my mind.
“I want to make this right between us, Mallory. I want to fix us. I need you in my life, beautiful.”
“I can’t, Alex,” I say, shaking my head.
“Why?” he asks, desperation coloring his words. “Please. My life is meaningless without you in it.”
“You don’t know what you’re saying.” I insist, “I’m not that same girl I was when I met you over the summer. I flinch every time someone touches me. I have flashbacks when I’m being intimate, and I can’t even sleep at night without having nightmares. I came here to start over… to find a way to forget.”
I brush hastily at the tears that trickle down my cheeks again.
“Let me help you.” Alex begs, “I hate that you’re going through this, but I want to help. I need to help. I will be patient, Mallory.”
Trying once more, Alex reaches forward to dry the tears from my reddened cheeks and I refrain from pushing him away this time. I can see the despair on his face that our conversation has caused.
“Can I take you out Wednesday night? Nowhere fancy, just someplace local.”
“What if I say no?”
“Then you say no and I keep trying until you say yes. You’re my everything, Mallory. I won’t give up without a fight.”
I can’t resist a tiny smile.
“Why do you have to be so charming?” I ask, both exasperated and amused. “Wednesday? Yes, I’ll have dinner with you.”
As a broad smile spreads across his chiseled features, I can’t help but mirror his emotion. With a quick kiss and pep in his step, Alex moves towards the door.
Turning around as he steps out of my apartment, his glance leaving me heated all over, Alex says, “I love you so much, Mallory. You won’t regret this. I’ll pick you up at 7:00pm.”
Not waiting for my acknowledgement, he closes the door and leaves.
Mad at myself for grinning like a lovesick fool, I call both Madison and Bea and explain to them everything that happened. Though I am hoping that at least one of them will talk some sense into me, after going through the evening in complete detail, to my chagrin they both say that they thought it sounded romantic. Madison also chimed in that the date on Wednesday may help bring some closure to our relationship if I decide I’m not ready. I ponder this for a moment, asking myself if I am ready. Then I think of the way I felt in his arms tonight, how it truly felt like he would make everything better, and I seriously doubt that I will ever be able to turn away from him again.
Stone Unhinged (The Stone Book 2) Page 6
