by AE Jones
Setting them both on the table, he pulled out a chair for her, but she shook her head. He shrugged and sat down, facing her. If she wanted to pace, he was fine with that.
He picked up the glass and threw the vodka back, the cold liquor turning to fire as it rushed down his throat. He took a deep breath.
“Do you feel better now? Am I allowed to speak?” She marched over and stood in front of him.
He looked up into her caramel eyes while she leaned over him, arms crossed. He didn’t allow himself to smile, although he was no stranger to body language tactics. She was trying to intimidate him.
“I think you’ve done enough talking for the moment. Your diatribe in the car was very educational, although one suggestion you made is, as far as I know, physically impossible.”
She pinkened.
He continued before she had a chance to speak. “Why did you lie to Gizmo and the rest of the team?”
“I heard you and Peggy talking in the conference room. You were going to shut me out, so I decided to take control of the situation.”
He laughed, although it was harsh sound. “You decided to take control? You are not the person in control. I am. If I think something is too dangerous, I make the call, not you.”
She shook her head. “You were listening to my grandmother. She doesn’t even know what’s going on.”
“Which makes it worse. If she did, she would be even more upset. This has escalated way past a ruined business, Alex.”
“I know that! It’s about making sure this gang can’t hurt anyone else. I want to help.”
“It’s my responsibility as team lead to ensure your safety.”
“I’m not your responsibility.”
“Yes, you are!” he erupted, jumping out of his chair and grabbing her shoulders. “I won’t let anything happen to you!”
Why didn’t anyone understand? He was responsible for all of them. He wouldn’t fail again. Failure meant death.
* * *
Alex’s breath caught in her throat when Devin grabbed her shoulders. His green eyes darkened, and the muscle in his jaw flexed. His anxiety became a living, breathing animal in the room. Every protective instinct she had flooded to the surface. He was hurting and lashing out at her. What could she do to help him?
She could handle this. She was strong, and she refused to allow the fear that had suffocated her for years to stop her now. Alex reached up slowly and ran her hands along his arms, felt the muscles in his biceps quiver under her fingertips. For a split second, Devin’s eyes filled with pain, but just as quickly the emotion was gone, shoved back underneath the surface.
“Do you remember when you said not to let anyone tell me when it’s time to stop grieving? Well I’m going to tell you the same thing, Devin. You are allowed to grieve for Marina and Thomas in your own way and in your own timeframe. Just know that I’m here if you need me.” She continued to lightly run her fingers along his strong arms while she tried to calm him down.
He loosened his grip on her shoulders and she took that as a sign he was relaxing.
She pointed her chin to the chair. “Sit.”
He shook his head, and she pulled gently on his arms to get him to comply. He plopped down in the chair, as if his energy evaporated in one great burst. She stopped rubbing his arms and lifted her hands to touch his jaw with one hand while running her fingers through his hair with the other.
He watched her with the eyes of a spooked animal, wary and tense.
“Close your eyes,” she spoke softly.
He opened his mouth to protest and she placed her fingers over his lips.
“Trust me.”
After a second, he closed his eyes. She leaned down and whispered in his ear. “Let me take care of you for a while.”
He let out a ragged breath and she interpreted it as a yes.
She kissed him on his eyelids and down the side of his face, skittering along his jawline. After thoroughly exploring his face, Alex bit his earlobe and then sucked it lightly into her mouth. He gasped and reared back in the chair, staring up at her.
“What are you doing?”
“Isn’t it obvious? If not, I need to burn every romance novel I’ve ever read.”
“This isn’t right.”
“Don’t,” she blurted.
“What?”
“Don’t shut me out! I want to be with you. Haven’t you figured it out yet?”
Devin shook his head. “This is a mistake.”
She placed her hands on either side of his face, the stubble of his jaw scraping her fingers as she tipped his face up. “Then it’s my mistake to make.”
She leaned down and covered his mouth with her own, kissing him lightly. His lips were soft and tasted of coffee and mint. When she pulled away a bit to see his reaction, he protested the separation and hugged her to him, burrowing his face into her chest. She rested her arms on his back and then tightened them, hugging him. The intimacy of simply holding each other was too much. She was losing control of the situation.
They stayed that way for several seconds, his warm breath heating her while she ran her hands up and down his back. When he released her, she staggered a little and he held her arms to steady her.
He pulled her to him slowly, like a dance, and captured her in a demanding kiss. There was no hesitation as there had been with the last kiss they’d shared. He took charge, and when she gasped, he took advantage and plunged his tongue into her mouth. She responded in kind, twisting her tongue around his. His answering groan assured her she was doing something right.
When they both came up for air, she backed away from him toward the door. “I think it’s time to move this upstairs.” She smiled. “Since you’re the team leader, it’s your call. I don’t want to overstep my bounds.”
He growled at her and lunged, throwing her over his shoulder.
“What are you doing?” she squeaked in a most unladylike fashion, since she was having trouble breathing.
“Taking Charlie’s advice.”
“What advice?”
He slapped her lightly on the butt. “No more talking,” he commanded.
For once she was okay with not talking, but that didn’t stop her from laughing while he hurried through the living room and bounded up the stairs.
He carried her into a bedroom and laid her gently on the bed. Then he took a giant step over to the door, closing and locking it. At the click, she gulped. This was finally going to happen. He reached into the bedside dresser and pulled out something from the drawer and set it on the bed. Condoms. More than one. She gulped again.
Devin lay down next to her and ran his fingers lightly over her face, tracing her nose and eyes and cheeks, like an artist would a drawing. He stopped on her lips, moving his index finger back and forth over her lower lip until she opened her mouth and touched the tip of her tongue to his roving finger.
He groaned and leaned down, brushing his lips over hers ever so slowly, and she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him to her. She would not be afraid anymore. It was time to start living again.
She gazed up into his green eyes and smiled. “Do I have your permission, team leader, to ramp up the kissing?”
“Absolutely.”
She ran her tongue along the seam of his mouth, and he opened immediately, allowing her to play. He didn’t even break the kiss while he divested her of her clothes. What a talented elf he was.
They finally had to stop kissing for a moment when he yanked his shirt over his head.
“You know there were buttons on the front of that shirt, right?”
He bit her chin. “That would have taken too much time.”
She ran her hand down the bulge in his pants. “I think you forgot to take something off.”
He groaned. “You’re killing me, woman.”
“Not yet, I’m not.”
She unzipped his pants to delve inside, and he arched at her touch. “Let me know, oh fearless team leader, if I’m doing anything w
rong.”
“Alex,” he moaned.
“Yes?”
“Hush.”
And she did, until she couldn’t anymore.
* * *
Alex opened the refrigerator, the light inside illuminating the dark kitchen. She rummaged through it quickly. She’d left Devin upstairs asleep and slipped down to the kitchen. She was starving and needed some type of nourishment or the rumbling in her stomach was going to wake Devin and anyone else in a five-mile radius.
She closed the refrigerator and opened the freezer. Jackpot! Ben & Jerry’s Chunky Monkey! Once she’d finished inhaling the pint, she threw it away, eager to get back upstairs to Devin. He was an amazing lover, gentle one second, demanding the next. It would take weeks before her toes uncurled.
There was a flash of light by the kitchen table, and she wandered over to it. A laptop was running and to her surprise, the screen showed a picture of the living room. Gizmo, Jack and Connor walked through the front door and all three plopped down on the couch.
Alex watched them for a moment in fascination. She was becoming a regular voyeur. Their tired expressions reminded her more of unruly teenagers then grown men. Her smile disappeared when she caught sight of her shoes lying on the steps leading upstairs. She had kicked them off earlier when Devin bounded up the stairs with her over his shoulder. Maybe they wouldn’t notice?
Her hopes were dashed when Monster walked over to them and started to bat at the strap of her sandals.
Connor stretched his legs out, yawned, and then sat up. “What you got, Monster?” He walked over to the stairs and picked up her shoes.
Gizmo smiled. “Alex’s shoes. She must be upstairs with Devin.”
“It’s about damn time. I thought he was going to self-combust.” Connor announced. “So who won the bet?”
“Which one?” Gizmo asked.
“The date when they finally had sex?”
Alex gaped. Those evil shits.
Gizmo pulled out his phone and clicked the screen. He started laughing. “Jack.”
Connor swore. “How in the hell did my antisocial brother win?”
Jack shrugged. “I listen and don’t run my mouth nonstop like you do. It pays off.”
Gizmo threw his phone on the table. “So how do we find out who won the other bet?”
“You mean who initiated the lovin’?” Connor asked. “I’m sure in the hell not asking Devin.”
Alex glared at the screen. How was she going to get back upstairs without walking past them? What made the situation worse was that she was wearing Devin’s button-down shirt.
She glanced down. The shirt covered all the pertinent parts. She shrugged and pushed open the dining room door. As soon as she sauntered into the living room, the talking ground to a halt. All three gaped at her, and Jack and Gizmo actually blushed. Connor grinned like an idiot.
“Why don’t you just ask me who made the first move?”
Connor and Jack both turned on Gizmo. “Did you leave the camera on?” they demanded in unison.
“I, ah, must have.”
She shook her head, walked over to Connor, and held out her hand. Connor handed over her shoes and she headed toward the stairs.
Foot on the first stair, she turned around and smiled super-sweetly. “Oh, and I made the first move.”
Gizmo moaned. “We all owe Charlie. He said from the beginning it would be you.”
“Smart man.” She walked up the stairs and stopped at the landing. Once they probably thought she was out of earshot, she peeked through the banister.
Connor said, “She’s the best thing that’s happened to him. I hope he doesn’t screw it up.”
Alex turned away and tiptoed up the rest of the stairs, gasping when she saw Devin on the top stair. Had he heard what Connor said?
He ran his eyes over her body, smiled at the shirt, and held out his hand to her. She grasped it, letting him lead her back to the bedroom.
Lorinda’s Wedding Tip: Most wedding drama occurs within the bridal party, but don’t assume the groomsmen are immune to petty disagreements.
Chapter 31
They were finally getting somewhere. Devin stared at the mug shot on the computer screen. Gizmo clicked the picture on his laptop and an arrest record appeared. “Curtis Richards, age fifty, has been in trouble since he was a kid. Recently he’s had a couple of drunk and disorderlies and several domestic disputes.”
“A real winner,” Charlie chimed in from across the kitchen.
Devin nodded. “Why would the gang bring him into this?”
“He used to work maintenance at the country club. According to the club manager, Richards has intimate knowledge of the grounds and the protocols used,” Gizmo answered.
“Do we know where he lives?”
Gizmo smirked. “Yep.”
“Good work,” Devin said.
“Alex was the one who got the name for me. After that it was a piece of cake.”
Devin frowned at Gizmo. The last thing he needed was to have his men supporting her deception. He seemed to be the only one upset about her tricking them into letting her visit the simian.
Gizmo stood up and headed for the dining room. “I’ve got a couple of things to do.”
“Where’s he going?” Devin asked.
“If I had to guess, I would say keeping out of sight until you’re elsewhere.”
He ignored Charlie’s comment. “Who’s guarding the simian right now?”
Charlie walked over to the coffee pot and poured a cup before responding. “Jack relieved me an hour ago.”
“You were up all night. Grab some sleep while Connor and I check out the address.”
“No way. I’m coming with.”
“Fine, we’ll leave shortly.”
Charlie took a sip from his mug and leaned back against the counter with a crooked grin on his face.
Devin’s radar went up immediately. “What?”
“Where’s Alex?”
He picked up his own mug of lukewarm coffee and took a sip. “She went home to change before going to the office.”
“Things must not have gone too badly. She didn’t kill you in your sleep.”
Devin glared at him. “Don’t start.”
Charlie chuckled. “I’m just glad you finally came to your senses.”
Devin didn’t respond.
Charlie’s grin melted away. “Don’t screw this up, Devin. Alex is not Marina.”
Devin bristled. “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about.”
Charlie straightened. “I know you slept with Marina, and now you carry the guilt like an albatross around your neck.”
“How the hell do you know that?”
“Marina told me. She wanted me to talk to you about giving her a second chance.”
Devin stomach clenched. “Christ. I should have never slept with her.”
“You’re right.”
“Then how can you say it’s okay to sleep with Alex?”
“Marina was an insecure control freak. She couldn’t handle you breaking it off with her. Alex is nothing like that.”
Devin set his coffee mug down. “I’m going to get Connor.” He didn’t need to hear this crap right now.
Charlie continued talking before he could escape. “You’re not running from Alex to protect her. And if you keep being stupid, you’ll lose her.”
* * *
Could a stakeout be any more painful? Nothing had stirred since they arrived hours ago. Devin, Charlie and Connor sat in the team van down the street from Richards’ house. According to Gizmo, Richards drove a red Ford pickup, and it was sitting in the driveway.
The usual camaraderie the team had was missing. Devin wanted to slug Charlie for what he’d said earlier. Even Connor was quiet. Apparently his wolf senses were picking up on the animosity and realized small talk was not a viable option at the moment.
After another twenty minutes of not seeing anything move behind the curtains, Devin decided it was
time to investigate. “Connor, go check the place out first.”
Connor crawled into the back of the windowless van and stripped. He knelt, closed his eyes, and changed into his wolf form in the blink of an eye. If Devin still possessed his powers, his elven eyes would have been able to watch the transformation—hair sprouting from his back, and his face elongating as he changed into his wolf self. But it was too fast for his currently human eyes to see.
Devin opened the door and Connor scrambled out of the van. The wolf ran around the building, checking for scents. After a couple of minutes, he ran back to the van and placed his front paws on the door, just below the window.
“Are we good to go in?” Devin asked.
Connor nodded and then waited for the men to exit the van. Once they were both outside, Connor took the lead, turning once to make sure the two men were following him. They moved silently around the house to the back door.
Devin and Charlie pulled their guns. The door was slightly ajar.
Nodding to Charlie, Devin waited, listening for any sounds inside the house. It was eerily quiet. Connor whined. Devin pushed open the door slowly, and both he and Charlie moved into the kitchen, weapons at the ready. They covered each other’s flanks and surveyed the room.
Connor went down the hall leading to the bedrooms, and Devin followed him, motioning for Charlie to check the living room.
Connor stopped at the closed door at the end of the hall and then butted his head into Devin’s free hand. He didn’t need a wolf’s nose to catch the metallic scent of blood. “I know. I can smell it too.” For that much blood, someone or something had to be dead. He twisted the doorknob slowly, steeling himself against what he would find.
* * *
Alex turned at the sound of her name.
Sheila hurried down the hall of Bennett Bridal to catch up with her. “There you are. I was wondering where you’ve been. I texted you last night, but you didn’t respond, which is so not like you.” She stopped in front of Alex and stared her up and down. “Well I’ll be.”
“What?” Alex asked, tucking her hair behind her ear.
