The Rules Of Attraction

by Khardine Gray

  “What the hell!” I shrieked and looked around the floor in the dark. Whatever the hell it was skittered across the floor but I couldn’t see it.

  I straightened but soon realized my focus shouldn’t be on the floor but on the large thing moving under the sheet that covered my legs.

  Panic gripped me taking over my mind, rendering me useless to myself as I flapped around in the bed trying to get off but ended up tangling myself up in the sheet. I realized now that I’d trapped whatever it was moving beneath the sheet with me and it was panicking as well.

  And screeching!

  I screamed and dropped to the ground with the sheet still wrapped around my legs.

  The action undid the entrapment unleashing my worst nightmare.

  I would have taken Becca telling me that her and Tom were getting married any day over this. I would have taken being robbed and losing all my money over this.

  What came out of the sheets and ran over me was a truly disgusting rat. I was lying on the floor and the horrid creature ran straight onto my stomach, across my chest and then I felt the things claws brush over my face.

  It was like something from a horror film and in true horrific style I screamed a blood curdling scream that came from my soul and jumped up from the ground, running.

  I must have gotten down to the next block before I realized I was on the next block and I did the only think my brain told me to do in a state of panic and horror.

  I sought refuge. I hailed the first taxi that came rumbling down the street and jumped in.

  It wasn’t until the gorgeous blond man who I’d run from days ago opened his door that my senses came back to me, but I was a mess. My poor brain couldn’t even question my actions as to why I’d come here.

  Why did I run to him?

  Why was he the first person my brain chose to come to in my desperation?

  It was because I didn’t have anyone else.

  With Eilesh in San Francisco, there wasn’t anyone else I could turn to.

  I’d come to this big city on my own, leaving behind all I knew and who I knew in Ohio.

  Take Eilesh out of the equation of my life and I had no one.

  No one else besides the man I thought it was a great idea to have a one night stand with.

  Everything that happened had messed me up and I couldn’t even pretend to have things under control. Tears were streaming down my cheeks, my clothes were ruffled and I didn’t even want to know what my hair and face looked like.

  But, he still looked at me as if I was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

  “Angel.” He greeted me with a smile which fell on seeing my distress. “What happened to you?”

  I allowed him to cup my face.

  I’d been crying in the taxi on my way over. The driver had looked at me with pity several times and I saw him even trying to build up the courage to ask me what was wrong, but didn’t. It was fine I understood that most people, men in general, didn’t know what to do with a crying woman.

  But Alex seemed to, even though I might have lost the ability to talk.

  Maybe it was seeing a familiar face, or just the fact of seeing his genuine concern for me but I just broke down.

  “Please help me.” I could barely get the words out of my mouth. “There’s a rat in my apartment. It ran on my face. This whole day’s been horrible.” I shook my head.

  “Come here.”

  He pulled me into his arms and the strangest thing happened.

  I felt… comforted.

  I felt safe, but the kind of safety and comfort you feel when you had someone to look out for you. To take care of you.

  It was reassurance.

  I hadn’t felt like that since well before my father died. Before I knew what disappointment was.

  His heart beat steadily against my ear, and the strength of his chest added to that asserted feeling that I was so desperate for and hadn’t realized.

  “Don’t worry I’ll sort it all out.” He whispered against my hair as he held me.

  His words seeped into my heart, speaking to the person who was screaming inside, begging to be rescued.

  Forty minutes later we were back at my apartment.

  Alex took charge and walked ahead of me.

  I’d left the door open in my escape. He frowned when he saw that.

  I hung back as we went inside not wanting the dreadful creatures to suddenly run across my feet. I was wearing open toe sandals so that would have been a horrible feeling.

  The fact that I hadn’t been able to wash my face yet was killing me and after my wearied babble it dawned on me that the thing I’d felt brush across my face when I’d woken up earlier was another rat. It was of course what must have fell on the ground.

  So there were two or more of them.

  I could already hear shuffling near the bin in the kitchen. Anger swelled in me at the thought that I’d left the door open and they were still inside. Couldn’t they have left?

  Alex turned on the light and the shuffling increased. I yelped when I saw a mouse skitter around the bin.

  Rats and mice.

  “Oh my God.”

  Alex turned to look at me and grimaced. “Where are your things? Place looks different.” He glanced around the place.

  “I was robbed earlier, most of my things are gone.” I managed, pulling in a shallow breath.

  Concern filled his hypnotic eyes as he widened them.

  “What’s left is in that drawer.” I motioned to the little chest of drawers near the mess of the bed, and the crumpled bed sheet I left on the ground. I’d placed the rest of my stuff in there just so I could keep it together.

  Without any further instruction he walked over to my suitcase, grabbed it and then moved to the chest of drawers. I watched him open my suitcase and the top drawer and started putting my things inside.

  He was packing my stuff.

  “What are you doing?” I was confused as to why he was packing, or how this would help get rid of the rat and mouse problem I currently had.

  “Packing, angel.” He smiled when he came across my panties.

  “Hey.” I protested.

  I braved going closer to him as more shuffling and squeaking sounded just so

  I could stop him from going further, but he held up one of my pink sets. A lace bra and thong.

  “Jesus, why couldn’t you have been wearing this the other night?” His eyes flickered that dark liquid silver color.

  “Alex this isn’t funny. Give those to me.”

  I tried to grab them but he held them high so I couldn’t reach them.

  “I’m not joking.”

  I folded my arms and pouted. “Shouldn’t you be trying to catch the rats?”

  Rich laughter erupted from his lips. “Sweetheart do I look like the kind of guy who catches rats or any kind of vermin?”

  “What are you doing then? I thought that was why we came back here.”

  “I told you, I’m packing. You’re coming with me, to my place.”

  “What?” I couldn’t do that.

  “You heard me, baby.” He inclined his head to the side and gave me a dead serious look which enunciated the sharp chiseled features and angles of his handsome face. “I have a massive pent house apartment with three bedrooms, my fucking bathroom is bigger than this shit hole. And that’s just the bathroom in my bedroom. You remember it. Don’t you?” The seriousness faded from his expression and was replaced with a no mistake about it sexual one.

  Why couldn’t I have been the kind of person to get drunk and have that drunken amnesia most people talked about?

  Like the rest of my bad luck, I’d been fortunate enough to remember our night of passion in full detail. And I wasn’t likely to forget having sex with him in the said bathroom anytime soon. Or, even in the very distant future.

  My whole face burned at the memory and I felt like I needed air.

  “Good, let’s go.” His eyes flickered with that sexual haze and he grabbed t
he rest of my stuff, shoved it in the case and zipped it up.

  In the meantime I contemplated this.

  I was myself, under no influence of alcohol, yes thrown off my game by what happened today and my current situation with the job hunt. And, admittedly insanely attracted to him even with all that was going on.

  This was just like when he asked me if I would go home with him. I was aware that the PA role involved like he’d said the other day the need to live in but tonight hadn’t exactly happened with me saying I’d accept the position.

  “I can’t.”

  His shoulders slumped. “Why? You would seriously rather stay here than come with me?”

  “Alex you met me in a club, and we slept together. You don’t even know me, and I don’t know you. I shouldn’t have…” my voice trailed off when I saw the look in his eyes. It was just like the other day.

  There was a look of anticipation that seemed to fear me saying that I shouldn’t have slept with him.

  “Tell me. Finish the words. I’m a big boy I can take it. Are you going to say that you shouldn’t have slept with me, and it was a mistake?”

  I held his gaze and looked at him long and hard.

  The Summer of the past would have frowned up on my actions and questioned my sanity and she wouldn’t have believed the answer I was about to give him.

  “No.”

  Even he looked surprised. “No?”

  Damn it to hell one of the rats chose that moment to rush out. I jumped when I saw it heading towards us, towards me.

  My body took me straight to Alex’s arms as if it remembered what it was like to be this close to him. I wrapped my legs around his waist seeking higher ground, far away from the disgusting vermin.

  Placing my hands on wide shoulders I drew my head back and found the amused expression on his face.

  “No?” he said with emphasis placing his large hands to the small of my back, securing me to him.

  “No what?”

  “We were talking baby. Heated discussion that I really want the answer to. You don’t think we were a mistake?” Our eyes locked.

  “No. I … don’t.”

  At my answer mischief flickered in the depths of his eyes which now had me captivated by the intense color.

  “Then this thing with us is by no means finished, and we still have more exploring to do.”

  It was like he was speaking straight to my inner desires, melting my boundaries, or what I thought were my boundaries. How could he manage to do that while we stood in a room with the creatures I hated most in life?

  When I was younger I would faint at the sight of them. I’d toughened up but I still hated them.

  Alex had managed to diffuse my anxiety and awareness of them with his words, and his presence. I wished that I could deny feeling anything for this man, especially since the whole disaster with Tom but I couldn’t.

  “I can’t right now,” I said pressing my lips together. That was the best answer.

  It was better than a no, and closer to the truth. I really couldn’t put myself through anything emotional.

  I just needed things to be manageable.

  “Right now as in right now? Because I can think of several ways I could explore you.”

  I bit the inside of my lip to keep the little smile away from my lips. “I hate mice, rats and everything like that. Also, the sex talk isn’t going to make me move in with you any quicker.”

  He frowned then sighed. “Okay, here’s what we do then. We put this thing between us on the back burner and sort you out in the meantime. Take the job and stay with me. Sort yourself out. If Eilesh recommended you, you must be good. Can we do that?”

  That was the question of the hour, of the last two days.

  Could I do it?

  It would be perfect for me, all of it. Maybe Eilesh was right. No one at Sullivan’s had my records. They’d taken me on her word.

  If I didn’t say anything about Ashfords then no one had to find out. Besides, it wasn’t even as if I’d done anything wrong. I’d just gotten mixed in with the bad stigma that had been attached to the place.

  I needed my life back.

  It also didn’t hurt that Mr. Alex Sullivan was Hollywood gorgeous.

  A rat ran passed us and I winced leaning in to cling to him, my face only inches away from his.

  “I really hate being here.” I breathed.

  “Is that a yes?” He brushed his face against mine and as I twisted to look at him better our noses met.

  We could have easily kissed at that point. We were so close.

  “It’s a yes.” I replied, although I wasn’t really thinking. Butterflies filled my stomach and fluttered straight to my groin making my core pool with desire.

  “Don’t tell me I’m the only one that felt that.” He smirked with a cocky smile. “Are you sure we can’t just have break up sex? Just for like twenty minutes or so. Half an hour tops. Then we can get back to real life where your just my PA.”

  I didn’t have to wonder if he was being serious. I could see he was, but I surprised myself by laughing.

  I then shook my head, although the little minx inside who I unleashed the other night was actually nodding.

  “Fine, can I at least carry you to my car? You don’t exactly look like you want to get down.”

  “Won’t it look weird you carrying me like this?”

  “I don’t care what people think, angel.” He beamed.

  Somehow that didn’t surprise me.

  Chapter 9

  Summer

  I woke and panicked when I didn’t immediately recognize my surroundings.

  Confusion filled me and my brain felt foggy.

  Looking up at the chandelier that hung from the ceiling with its crystal shards sloping down confirmed I wasn’t in the grubby apartment I’d rented.

  I turned on myside and was met with sheets soft and silky and I sunk into the comfort of the cozy bed I lay on.

  I remembered now.

  Alex.

  I was at his place.

  This was his guest room, which like his bedroom, looked like it belonged in a hotel.

  I sat up and looked at the beauty of it, taking the moment to relax and not worry.

  Taking the moment to have a moment.

  I noticed an envelope on the edge of the bed when I straightened up. It had Angel swirled across the front of it.

  Since Alex had taken to calling me that I assumed it had to be for me.

  I shuffled over to it and opened it. There was a note inside that said:

  Hi Angel,

  Don’t get mad at me. I got you some stuff. Had to look through your suitcase to get the correct size, although I was going to get size perfect. Go into the room to the left. Hope you like the additional sets in the Victoria’s Secret bag.

  Knock yourself out. Also if you need help getting dressed just call me.

  Luv,

  A.

  I didn’t even realize I was smiling, but I was.

  This guy was something else. He really was. I felt like I was imposing enough just being here, he shouldn’t have taken the trouble to buy me anything.

  I did wonder though what he could have bought me.

  Victoria’s Secret was probably a dead giveaway for lingerie, which I couldn’t be squeamish about given our meeting and first night together.

  I wanted to see what time it was because I didn’t know how long I’d slept for but I was intrigued to see what he’d gotten me.

  I went to the door that opened to the room on the left. When I opened it I froze. It was a walk in wardrobe with the rails running on either side, but that wasn’t what made me freeze.

  There were four rails in front on me full of clothes. On top of the first rail was a sign saying:

  These are all for you, Angel

  My mouth dropped. One rail had Dior printed on the pole , the others were Gucci, Channel and Cartier.

  Was all this really mine?

  He couldn’t have bought
all of this for me. It was too much.

  I walked further in and stopped in my tracks again bringing my hands up to my cheeks. I couldn’t help the little shriek that escaped my lips.

  The man had also bought me shoes. They were all on a little platform, just like the kind you’d get in the actual shop.

  I loved, loved shoes. They were my guilty pleasure and to me it was like a sweet addict being in a sweet shop. I counted twenty pairs.

  All designer including my favorite, Louboutin.

  Those shoes costed so much I’d only eyed them up in magazines and wouldn’t torture myself by going to Nordstrom or Neiman Marcus to have them waving in my face with no option to buy.

  “God, this isn’t real.” I said to myself.

  I willed my legs to move, walked over to the platform and took those first. They had a six inch heel that was diamante encrusted on the back of the heel. I ran my hands over the smooth royal blue leather that was so beautiful and then I had to try them on.

  They fit perfectly.

  I twirled around in them enjoying the elation I felt from the moment. It had been a long time since I’d experienced this type of happiness. The happiness of just being a woman who loved to shop and had on amazing shoes.

  Walking over to the full length mirror I got a good look at myself.

  The shoes looked amazing indeed and immediately made me look like the woman I used to be. Fashionable and glamorous.

  Moving away from the mirror my eyes landed on the Victoria’s Secret bag. It was next to the shoe platform but in my excitement I didn’t see it.

  I had to laugh when I looked inside and found several pink bra and thong sets, all in varying shades of pink.

  If another man had done this for me I would have been shocked and offended at the insinuation. But, Alex seemed to live outside my hemisphere of what was acceptable.

  It was nice of him to do this for me but it really was too much. He must have spent a fortune and when in the hell did he have the time to go to the stores.

  Surely it was early, like before the shops opened early.

  I slipped out of the heels deciding I’d go and find him before getting ready.