by S. K. Ervin
And he gave it, after a tormentingly slow wait.
"Well, Ms. Monroe, you do indeed have a very detailed and solid business plan; however, there’s one major detail that I'd like to discuss. The area you plan to have this business. Why did you pick Tampa instead of here in Miami?"
Releasing a deep breath she didn't know she held, she smiled. Finally! It is happening. Yes!
"Well I chose Tampa because I was planning on buying a house there and wanted it to be as close as possible to my business."
"I see." Noah didn't know why, but, he didn't like that idea of her moving away. He shoved that thought aside swiftly and nodded.
"Will that be a problem?" she queried, nervously, tucking a long curly strand behind her ears, just for it to pop out again.
Flexing his fingers, he retained the urge to reach over and tuck the unruly strand behind her ear.
He wanted to run his finger down her smooth cheek to feel if it was as soft as it looked.
And her creamy complexion beckoned his lips to taste every portion.
What in the hell is wrong with me? Alexis Monroe was a temptation...a distraction that he had no time for in his life. The best thing to do in this situation was to get her as far away from him as possible. Three hours away, in Tampa, would have to do.
He couldn’t have her traipsing around in his domain, tempting him with her perky breast and the cock swallowing lips of hers. No, he didn’t need that at the moment. She was trouble.
He would give her the business loan and send her to his cousins’ office, to continue with the architectural design plans for a building in Tampa.
"I have a building here in downtown Miami that I am selling. I would like you to consider buying it for your business. It's in a prime and ideal location. It would be perfect for a spa of this size. You would have tons of clients and there isn't any other spa close by to compete with."
What the hell? Where did that come from?
Alexis looked at him in surprise. A building here…in Coral Gables? She immediately shook her head with regret, "I don't think I can afford the price you would ask for that building. And I am not interested in leasing. I want to own my building." She clearly stated with conviction.
Noah heard the regret in her voice. Let her go Kane! "Well, let's come up with an agreement. How about I accept your amount offered here in your plan for the downtown building and I get free spa services for two weeks?"
You fucking fool! Leading by your cock never ends well.
Alexis gave him an incredulous look that almost had him laughing out loud. She really was a breath of fresh air. She wasn't stuck up, or faking her emotions, like the majority of women he’d come in contact with on a daily basis.
No, she was refreshing. It felt exhilarating to be in her presence. It was a high feeling. Like he was inhaling Cannabis sativa again, only this time, he wasn’t a junior in college…and it wasn’t a plant he inhaled. It was the interesting and tempting Ms. Alexis Monroe. But that feeling wouldn’t do either. He would never get mixed up in the emotional rollercoaster of any type of relationship. Never. He had plenty of amorous attentions and they would have to do, no matter how hollow and empty he felt inside.
"Ah, I don't know what to say...are you being serious?" Alexis whispered excitedly, fairly bubbling with joy and excitement; but, also trepidation. Could he be playing with my emotions?
"Yes. I’m being serious. Besides, we could use a spa here. And I can use a daily massage to unwind from the work day. What do you say? Do we have a deal?" He posed the question, as he stood and reached out to shake her hand.
Fuck it, take my hand baby, and make this deal with me.
Alexis stood, as well, but didn't take his hand. She eyed it warily and suddenly felt like she was making a deal with the devil himself. Her mind cautioned her on making this deal, but her heart wanted this more than anything.
A downtown Coral Gables Spa! Yes, it would do very well.
But seeing this sexy man standing before her, with his hand still out and a glint of something dangerous in his eyes, told her that he would be expecting her to give him those daily massages.
And honestly, a part of her wanted to.
As if he could read her thoughts, he slowly grinned. A swoon-worthy, jelly-legged grin that would've made Mother Mary give up her virginity! Shaking her head at her thoughts, she reached out and took his hand.
Immediate awareness of him took over, his large hands engulfing her smaller one and she tried to pull away.
He held tight, 'You have very soft hands, Ms. Monroe; and I truly look forward to your massages."
Alexis pulled her hand again and was relieved when he released it. She didn't want to make a fool of herself and moan out loud as she pictured a highly possible scenario. She imagined running her hands along his bare skin and swallowed nervously. Yes, he would be too tempting. Alexis would have to make sure she wasn't available when he came in. She didn't need any distractions; she had a new business to run and no doubt she would be busy, especially in the first year. Alexis looked back at Mr. Barbaric.
"When do we start?" She was proud that her voice sounded strong instead of weak.
"How's tomorrow? I can have my cousin, who’s an architect, come and take a look at the building and advise you on changes of the structure and so on, if you don’t have anyone else in mind. Does that work for you?"
"Ah, yes. I'll just have to get off of work again tomorrow."
Her boss wasn't going to be happy about this.
"No worries, you'll be your own boss soon enough. Where do you work anyway?" A curious look on his face.
"I work at Heavenly Massage Spa about 25 minutes from here." No reason not to tell him the truth. He could probably find out at the snap of his perfectly strong, manicured fingers, anyway.
"And do you enjoy being a massage therapist?"
"Yes, I actually do. If I ever became a billionaire, I'd still want to come into work. As you saw in my folder, I am fully qualified for every job that will be offered in my spa." Alexis spouted proudly, her chin lifting with undisguised pride.
He nodded, "Yes, I noticed. That's quite a resume for one so young."
Alexis smiled at the compliment. He might not be so bad after all!
They concluded the meeting and Alexis exited the office, leaving him staring after her in silent contemplation. What was he going to do now? Did he really request a daily massage? He’d never had a massage a day in his life. He was a man for god sakes. A hard-working, manly man. He didn't get massages. But, he supposed he would start now. And he would make sure that Ms. Alexis Monroe was available...every time. Noah Kane grinned mischievously.
Chapter Three
It was almost lunch time when Alexis's phone rang; it was her darling younger sister Mackenzie.
"Hey Kenz!" she bubbled excitedly, putting her phone on speaker, as she warmed up leftovers in the microwave.
"Hi Lexi, how did it go? Did you get approved?" Mackenzie asked, feeding off of her sister's excitement.
Alexis was the oldest at 25 and Mackenzie followed four years later. They were very close and shared every moment of their lives with each other, no matter whether it was a tiny moment or a huge moment.
"I got it!" Alexis shouted happily, doing her little dance and shimmying her shoulders.
"Oh my god! I'm so happy and excited for you Lexi. I knew you could do it." Mackenzie gushed.
"Yea, well Mr. Barbaric was actually not so bad."
Mackenzie laughed, "Oh? So who's this Mr. Barbaric?"
Alexis told her sister about the morning jog and the events that took place, leading up to the agreement.
Mackenzie remained silent over the phone and Alexis knew that her sister didn't approve on the daily massages agreement. "It just seems a bit too...well...weird. Too shady. Don't you think? I mean the CEO of Kane Enterprise agreeing to give you his building, practically for half the price it could go for and all he wants in return is a massage? He didn't ask to become
part owner?"
Alexis grinned. Leave it to Kenz to analyze the situation thoroughly.
"I thought about all of that Kenz, but, truthfully I couldn't have had a better deal. It's not like he would be using me. If anything, I kind of feel that I’m using him in a way," She admitted to Mackenzie.
"Yea, well, somehow I don't think he will see it that way. Not when he's having your hands rubbing all over his bo...”
"Kenz! I will not be giving him any services. He’s way out of my league and not to mention, I don’t think he particularly likes me. No, I will make sure one of the other massage therapist are available for him. Don't worry, I have everything planned out."
"If you say so Lexi. Just be careful, making deals with the devil often leaves you out of luck in the end."
Shaking her head, Alex sighed. Her sister could be right, but, she didn't see where or how things could go wrong. Her business plan had been accepted and her loan approved. Mr. Barbaric’s even having his cousin do all of the architectural work. Things would progress smoothly with his help and though she was loathe to admit it, his help was needed. She wouldn't give this opportunity a chance to run away, she was going to take the bull by the horns and tame it.
Alexis chatted with her sister for a while longer, before Mackenzie had to leave for class. She was in her senior year at University of Miami and intended to go to their medical school, once she was finished with her bachelors. Kenz always had a knack for science of all types and was very intelligent. Alexis loved science too, but, her heart was into business; owning her own spa. And now that was happening! Their mother would be proud of the both of them.
Alyssa Monroe, their mother, was a well-loved person everyone adored, and then one day, she was taken away from them by a drunk driver. Alexis was 12 and Mackenzie was 8 when they learned their mother had died. It was as if the world had stopped spinning and life was no longer important to them. Their father was just as devastated. Alyssa Monroe was his soulmate, his high school sweet-heart.
But, even as broken up as he was, he never forgot about his little girls. He made sure they had everything they needed and more than enough of what they wanted. He helped them through months of grieving; nurtured them through the long nights filled with nightmares and pulled them back into the semblance of a normal life…at least as normal as it could get without their mother. He glued the pieces of their broken hearts back together, leaving only the tiny fissures that would always be there. The tiny cracks that only one knows, when a loved one was gone. But, he was a great father and Alexis couldn't have asked for a better one. He was always there when she needed him and she thanked her lucky stars for having him in her life.
The phone rang loud and Alexis answered.
"Hey LoveBug. How did everything go? Do you need me to come down this weekend to go over some of the outlines and help you scout for buildings? You know you only have to ask."
Speaking of the most amazing father in the world.
"Hi Daddy! And yes, I know. But everything went better than expected and tomorrow, I'll be touring the building I bought. I did it dad. We did it!"
"Oh, wow, honey that’s great! I’m so proud of you and you now your mother would be too." His voice cracked.
"Dad, you know I couldn't have done any of this without you. You've been my rock, the shoulder I’ve cried on and my encourager whenever I needed one. And I’m so proud to be your daughter. I can't wait until it's all completed! I want you there for the ribbon cutting ceremony, when it's opened."
"Of course, LoveBug. I'd be happy to, just let me know when and I'll be there."
They continued talking for another minute and Alexis asked how he was enjoying Pennsylvania. Every year, he would go to the timeshare and spend a week with his old buddies up there. He enjoyed that week and she wouldn't ask that he interrupt his yearly vacation. She could handle things.
"I will daddy, continue having fun and tell Joe and Mike I said hi."
"I sure will honey. Call me if you need anything. Love you."
"Love you too."
Later that night, Alexis prepared for the following day and finally crawled into bed. She had met up with her best friends Cadence and Ryan for dinner and went over everything with them. Cadence loved Mr. Barbaric's agreement and thought he was 'oh so dreamy', but, Ryan didn't like it one bit. He said the same thing Mackenzie had told her and told her to be careful not to fall into his trap.
She would be careful. She had no choice.
Sighing deeply, Alexis let out a long yawn and rolled onto her stomach, falling asleep in seconds.
She dreamed of hot skin covering hard, sculpted muscles beneath her hands and her lips. A sexy deep voice urging her to move her hands lower...and lower, to kiss a trail down the path following her hands. Right when she was getting to the good part, she woke in a heated sweat.
Damn it!
Looking at the time, it was 6:58 am. Her alarm would be going off in exactly 2 minutes.
Well, time to get up and make the best of my day.
A half hour later, she drove to the address Mr. Kane gave her. The address of her soon to be spa!
Alexis parked outside the front of the building and got out. This couldn't be it. He must’ve given her the address to the wrong building. It was magnificent! Too good to be true.
"I see parallel parking’s not your best attribute." That sexy, deep voice she was getting used to replied from behind her.
She turned to find him staring at her car, looking appalled. Alexis stifled the giggle bubbling up in her throat. She agreed with him; her parallel parking skills were atrocious. She settled for a smile, "Good Morning Mr. Barb...um...Kane." She squeaked, cheeks brightening.
Ugh, get it together Alexis!
It was funny how her brain became mush, whenever she was around him.
He finally turned to look at her, assessing her with what looked like approval shining in his blue eyes and maybe a hint of annoyance.
“What were you about to call me?” He asked softly, eyes narrowed.
She shook her head, “Nothing!”
He stared for another second before commanding her, “Give me your keys."
"Bossy much?" Her eyes rolled, then returned his annoyed look as she handed over the car key.
“You have no idea.” He smirked at her before heading around to re-park her car. Their eyes met briefly over the top of her car, before he disappeared into the driver’s seat.
Damn, he redefined the word sexy! Noah made it look so effortless and damned erotic. His hands gripped her steering wheel as he started her cars’ ignition, then turning the wheel perfectly. She wondered how his hands would feel on her, turning her on.
How could a man parking a car be considered sexy? And parking her car, at that.
Not a man. This man. Noah freaking Kane!
He can park my car anytime...maybe I should park crazy, on purpose, from now on.
Coming back from the perfectly executed parallel parked car, Mr. Kane gave Alexis her key back and told her, “You should really learn how to parallel park, since this will be your permanent parking spot.”
Alexis grinned, “Or…I can just let you park my car…every morning.”
The sides of Noah’s gorgeous lips twitched, “I’d be willing to teach you everything I know about…parking. You’d have to be able to park in all weather conditions.”
She laughed, “I bet you would, then again it wouldn’t take long, since I’m a very fast learner.
With a devastatingly devilish grin, he offered his arm. "I have no doubt about that Ms. Monroe. May I escort you into your newly owned building?"
Alexis laughed happily and looped her arm through his, and then they proceeded inside.
Yes, it was a magnificent piece of architectural work. The building had shiny marbled floors, floor to ceiling windows in the front, warm lighting that leant a cozy vibe and was very spacious. Alexis didn't think there was much she would have to change. She looked around at the magnificent l
obby, the receptionist desk and wondered what this building was used for before she bought it. She turned toward Mr. Barbaric, to ask that same question and found him staring intently at her. He was close. Very close. She didn't notice the distance between them lessen...but it did.
“What do you think?” her murmured, through his sinful lips.
"He’s perfect. Um…that is, the building...is perfect."
She stuttered breathlessly, her tongue darting out to lick her plump bottom lip nervously.
“Your building’s a he?” His eyes darkened, as they followed her tongue; Alexis was slammed with an intense desire to give into her wanton yearnings for once in her life! But she couldn't...they were too different and no doubt he was a womanizer. Nope, she couldn’t. She wouldn’t jeopardize this business offer.
Someone cleared their throat from behind her.
Shit!
Alexis whirled around to greet the timely disruption and let go of Mr. Barbaric's gaze. Her fingers tingled at the notion of touching his masculine heat, so she clasped her hands in front of her to stop herself from reaching out to him. He was too damned tempting for her peace of mind.
"Hello beautiful, you must be Ms. Alexis Monroe, the new owner of this building. I am Harper Kane." He reached for her hand and kissed it.
Ugh! Another handsome heartthrob! She blushed, when his lips brushed across her knuckles. "Nice to meet you, Mr. Kane."
"Please, call me Harper. It'll help differentiate which Kane you're talking to; though I’m not sure why you’d talk to him…I’m the more handsome and affable one." Harper replied silkily with a heart-stopping grin and wink.
Alexis smiled her acceptance, "Harper."
"Let the lady breathe Harp. Ms. Monroe, let me introduce you to my cousin, the architect, who will be in charge of redesigning the building, however you like. If you have any specific descriptions or locations for the rooms, sitting areas, etcetera, then Harper's the one to go to."
Nodding, Alexis looked back at Mr. Barbaric. He was scowling at Harper, but the younger Mr. Kane paid no attention as he continued to smile down at her.
