by EM Gayle
I grasped the lock of my collar and fingered the thick, cool metal. “I can’t believe this is how things turned out. It’s like a fairy tale. If I wake up tomorrow and this is some kind of dream I’m going to be really pissed.
Alex leaned forward and tweaked my nipple until I gasped. “Nope, not dreaming, you little minx with the magic pussy.”
I closed my eyes and let the joy and happiness take me over. If he’d let me go through with my plans, I’d be sitting on some beach alone at the moment nursing a broken heart and some unnamed fruity drink guaranteed to make me sick after I drank too many of them.
Unless my test results had been different…
Alex pulled me closer and pressed my ear to his heart. “Why are you crying, Harper?” He pressed his lips to my hair.
“I’m sorry. It’s been an eventful day. But thanks to you I’m really really happy.”
“You wanted to be pregnant, didn’t you?”
I stiffened in his arms. How was he able to see inside me like that? “I didn’t think I did until I thought it was true. The idea of part of you growing inside me did something weird to my heart.”
Alex growled. Really growled.
I pulled back and met his gaze. “Does that bother you?”
“Fuck no.” He lifted his hips and I got a feel of his hardening cock. “You’re making me hard again.”
My eyes widened when I got a glimpse of something feral in his gaze. I couldn’t believe his reaction.
“Don’t look so shocked, baby. It’s a primal thing. And sometimes no amount of education and money can overcome human nature. Are you still taking birth control?”
I shook my head. “I stopped as soon as I thought I was pregnant.”
“Good.” He scrambled to his feet and lifted me with him. “Wrap your legs around my waist.”
The moment I did as he asked I felt him nudging at my slippery folds. “Alex, what are you doing?” I gasped.
“Exactly what I want to.” He pushed inside me. “Haven’t you learned by now that if I can’t get what I want, then I’ll just take it? Right now I’m taking you to bed so we can make our baby.”
Epilogue
Harper
* * *
“I cannot believe you didn’t just marry him on the spot. Girl, you need to have your head examined. Have you seen your man? You do not say no to that!”
I turned and glared at Zia, my best friend and now co-conspirator for the party I was hosting for Alex’s birthday tonight. I knew I was taking a significant risk considering I had not met anyone from Alex’s family other than Ronin, but despite Alex’s adamant demands that it wasn’t time yet, I disagreed.
“How about we call it temporary insanity and leave it at that,” I laughed knowing full well Zia would not leave it at that. Not after I’d just shared most of my secrets with her.
Zia looked up from the vegetables she was chopping and even though I was avoiding eye contact, I could feel her looking at me with her I-can’t-believe-you look.
“What?” I tried to wave her away and failed as she moved closer to my side. “I didn’t say no exactly. I was just shocked. I mean I thought we were on the verge of a break up. I DID tell him I loved him and got nothing but silence after that.”
Zia shook her head and this time I saw it. “Yeah. You should have known better than that, cara. Men are finicky about such things. If a woman says it first they almost always run.”
I nodded my head. “It was all his fault though. He is too good at driving me crazy. I definitely lose my head when I’m with him.”
“I know exactly what you mean.” Zia’s words were spoken so quietly I almost missed them. Something about them, though. I had a feeling she wasn’t thinking about me and Alex anymore.
“Who is he?” I asked, determined to find out what was going on with my friend. God, I was going to miss this when she left.
Her head jerked up, but I saw a look cross her face instantly before she hid it away. “I was talking about you,” she said.
“Uh huh. Sure you were. Do I know him?”
“Seriously, Harper. There is no one in my life right now. If there were, you’d be the first person I’d tell. Besides, I don’t have time for anything complicated right now. When I arrive in Las Vegas tomorrow I have to hit the ground running. My restaurant opening is in less than a month and there are a million things I have to take care of before I’m ready.
Yeah. Like clear your head of whatever man is currently taking up space. I didn’t say that out loud because I didn’t want to add to her stress. I could see from the tight lines around her mouth and the rigid stance of her spine that poor Zia was worrying about everything.
I decided to let it go for now. With my best friend leaving town tomorrow for an indeterminate amount of time I didn’t want to spend our last hours pushing at her to talk about something she apparently didn’t want to discuss.
“So, what do you think I should do?” I asked. “Wait for him to try again?”
The sudden burst of Zia’s laughter filled Alex’s ginormous kitchen. One of the spaces in his fancy penthouse apartment I’d started to actually make more mine. While I hadn’t officially given up my apartment yet, pretty much most of my things had slowly crept over here. Particularly all the goodies from my kitchen.
I did miss my butcher block prep space though. Enough so that I often wondered what Alex would say if I suggested switching out some of this exquisite marble for a slice of butcher block.
“I think you should get your head out of the clouds and take matters into your own hands—For good this time,” she amended. “I mean, how in the world can you expect him to top something as romantic as a deserted tropical island? That’s a lot of pressure.”
I sliced into another pepper, quickly mincing it as I considered Zia’s suggestion. I was pretty sure I was going to be in a vat of hot water after tonight’s surprise party, not sure I wanted to add anything else on top of that. I was all too aware of the tension between Alex and his family because he disapproved of his mother’s choice of husband.
But dammit. I didn’t have a family and he did. At some point he was going to have to appreciate that. There had to be a way to have an occasional family get-together while leaving all the dangerous criminal activities out of it.
“Maybe,” I finally answered. “I guess I should see how tonight goes and then see where I stand. This probably isn’t going to go over really great at first.”
She paused her chopping knife. “Then why are you doing it? Does meeting his mother mean that much to you? Wait. Never mind. I know the answer to that. You miss yours and you don’t want Alex to take what he has for granted.” Her voice had softened right along with my heart.
I did miss my mother. Although I couldn’t imagine what she would think of all this. Her life had been hard with no give whatsoever. But maybe if she were still alive, my life with Alex could have been the change she needed.
“You’ve been back to see Dr. Wilson, haven’t you?” This time Zia put down her knife and crossed over to me. “Are you okay?”
I nodded, clamping my lips together and widening my eyes until the threat of tears passed. I wasn’t usually this much of a crier, but a lot had happened in a short amount of time. Sometimes it overwhelmed me.
“I’m really good actually. But to answer your question, yes, I have been seeing my therapist again. Everything with Alex is going so well, I just want to keep it that way, you know? He encouraged it actually. But we both agreed that considering the kidnapping, the emotional letdown of not being pregnant and the constant worry that the ongoing case with Bill Bennett was going to cause trouble for me—well—it just seemed like a good idea. It’s nothing to be freaked out by.”
Zia wrapped her arms around me and pulled me in with a tight hug. “God, I love you, cara. I can only wish I was as half as well adjusted as you are. I think being in love with a man like Alex suits you perfectly. Although I kind of did want to wring your pretty little neck at
first for keeping me in the dark about so much of your life.”
“I know you did. I even told Gerard to keep an eye out for you. I wish you could have seen his face. He looked kind of freaked about that. I think you scare him.”
Zia laughed again. We both did and damn if it didn’t feel terrific. If talking things out with an objective third party made everyone this happy, I’d certainly made the right decision.
“The kidnapping though. Why didn’t you call me when Alex rescued you? And what about Ronin? Any news on him yet? You still think he’s alive?”
Zia’s sudden barrage of questions gave me pause. There were parts of my ordeal I still didn’t want to face. Namely the outcome for Ronin. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you sooner. Things were a little messed up. As for Ronin, I don’t know what to think. Alex seems confident that he somehow got out, but honestly, I don’t see how. That ship—what happened—it was insane.”
Zia touched my hand. “I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to bring up what had to be a traumatic event. I just wish I could have been there for you.”
I smiled. “You didn’t do anything wrong. And you’re here for me now. I really just don’t know what to do about Ronin. As much as Alex says he hates his stepbrother, I think he might be in denial. Why else would he be so insistent? The boat blew up. Even we barely got out. It might be time for him to face facts.”
Zia nodded, her fingers squeezing mine. “Whatever happens, it’s not your fault.”
I lifted my shoulders in a shrug, but the clench in my stomach belied my nonchalance. There were some days I couldn’t get Viktor’s words out of my head. I knew all his references to me as a pawn in Alex and Ronin’s game only referred to the ongoing feud between the two men, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it anyway.
“If Alex believes his brother is alive maybe we should listen to him. He seems to have pretty good instincts. But why does he hate him so much? I don’t know much more about Ronin Kavanaugh than what I can read in the tabloids, but other than he’s an arrogant pain in the ass, why is Alex so pissed at him?”
“I—uh—” I wasn’t sure how much I could safely say, but I owed Zia the truth this time. “He’s a—”
“So, what do we have here?”
I jumped at the question from behind me and spun around to find Jeremy leaning against the archway into the kitchen. His tall, broad frame filled a lot of space and the air he gave off with his arms crossed over his chest and a half smile formed on his lips was enough to make a woman melt. As for me, I still got a little flustered around Jeremy because it was a little hard to just forget that one night.
“Getting things prepared for the party tonight,” I answered, hoping I didn’t sound as weird as I felt. Although based on the wide-eyed look Zia was throwing me, I think I’d failed.
“Still wanting to go through with it, huh?” He stalked forward, his eyes locked on the various trays we had partially prepared.
“Of course, I am. Why wouldn’t I?”
He stopped and turned his gaze back to me. “Because I know he’s going to hate every minute of it.”
I frowned. This wasn’t the first time that Jeremy had warned me that my plan would backfire. “Ye of little faith.”
He laughed. “What can I say? I tend to lean a little on the pessimistic side. Plus, his mother isn’t exactly what I would call fun. In fact, I think most would call her a bitch. We could definitely have a lot more fun tonight if this wasn’t a family thing.” He waggled his eyebrows and I immediately felt the blush crawling up my neck.
“Stop trying to freak out my girl with your flirty hotness and tell us something good. Is Alex’s fancy jet on schedule? He did offer it for my trip tomorrow and I’m really looking forward to that.”
His face grew hard at the question and my high hopes deflated. I also saw tonight’s big event going up in smoke.
“About that…”
Alex
* * *
Alex stood on the balcony of his hotel room and looked out over the city of Singapore. The bright lights flashed, the constant noise of the busy streets below filled his ears and the unmistakable scent of a hot, crowded city enveloped him.
If he closed his eyes, he could almost imagine he was back home in New York. But not in his high-rise penthouse overlooking the best of what the city offered. No, this city evoked a different time altogether. He might have always had more money in the bank than he could possibly want, but he didn’t always live like that. Not right after his father died.
At the time he wasn’t quite sure how to handle the loss or his mother, so he’d walked away from his parent’s palatial home in search of something else. He’d taken a small apartment in a low-rise building in the heart of Greenwich Village and gotten lost for a few months as he drank himself from one bar to the next while soaking up the local music scene.
That little indulgence had backfired and given Constantine Kavanaugh the opening he’d needed to move in on his family. Something he never saw coming. By the time he sobered up and returned to the fold, Constantine and his son Ronin were deeply entrenched. He tried to help his mother see the problem with getting involved with a Kavanaugh, but she refused to listen.
Thus began his unquenchable need to sabotage both Constantine and Ronin every chance he got. And over the years there had been plenty. Business deals stolen, events ruined and family get-togethers that more often than not ended in fights. All for what?
The danger remained. That much was clear.
Now that he had Harper in his life there were facets of his world that would touch her as well. Of course she argued that she could take care of herself and she might be right. But he didn’t take risks that involved other’s lives. Unlike Ronin.
“With the way your hands look like they’re about to rip that railing off, I’d bet that you were thinking of me.”
Alex didn’t turn. He didn’t have to. He’d been waiting for two solid days for this moment as he prepared his trap for Viktor Sokolov.
“I’m surprised it took you this long to show up.”
Ronin laughed. “True. You haven’t exactly been subtle.”
He turned and faced his stepbrother. “Bullshit. Viktor has no idea I’m here or what I have planned for him.”
“Are you sure about that?”
He was and he didn’t need Ronin playing games to get inside his head. “The only trail I left was for you, dearest stepbrother. I needed to confirm you were alive.”
“I know. And I really wanted to make you sweat a little longer. Constantine has been trying to reach me for weeks and his patience has run out. So this plan of yours had better work because otherwise I’m going to kill Viktor and get this over with.”
“Harper asked me not to.”
The rough bark of laughter that erupted from Ronin scraped against his spine.
“You and Constantine and your attachments to pussy. What the fuck, man? Am I the only one left in the family with some balls?”
“Look, if we’re going to make this work we need to pay attention to the plan. Picking at each other isn’t going to get the situation with Viktor resolved.”
Ronin rolled his eyes and shoved his hands in his pocket. “My part of the plan is already set. I made sure everything was in place like you said in your message. The Singapore police are already raiding the shipyard as we speak. However, that bastard’s new yacht is still sitting offshore in international waters. Are you sure he is going to come in?”
“Oh, he’ll be here. That man has vices just like the rest of us. It so happens he has more than most and I’m going to nail his ass to the wall with one of them.”
“Which one?”
Alex laughed, a dark sound that carried no real humor. “Which ever one he chooses. I’ve prepared a smorgasbord for him. Care to wager which one he falls for first?”
Ronin took a stand next to him on the balcony. “If this doesn’t work, we’re doing it my way. I don’t care what you say. One way or another he is not leavi
ng Singapore.”
He didn’t respond to his stepbrother’s ominous words. What would he say? No, let him go? Fuck that. Ronin was right. Viktor wasn’t leaving alive. Had Viktor not set that bomb on his yacht that could have killed Harper if they hadn’t gotten there in time, he might have given leniency. As it was he felt nothing but pure hatred when it came to Viktor Sokolov.
Death however, felt like the easy way out. He wanted Viktor to suffer for a very long time. Then whatever Ronin decided to do was up to him. Either way, after today’s events went down, his enemies, both known and potential, would all understand the severe consequences of messing with his family and his zero tolerance policy.
“So before I take your bet, what are my choices? What do you think is going to lure Victor off of his yacht?”
A tight smiled formed across his face. “There were a few things I debated on, but when a certain musical event in Singapore popped onto my radar, I knew this country would be our best shot.”
Ronin wrinkled his forehead. “You think he’s going to risk a public appearance for music? That sounds asinine.”
“Ahh, but this is not just any event. This is a huge showcase for one Lina Dupa, the twenty-three year old internet video sensation turned superstar that Viktor is currently obsessed with. An association that took a little digging, but proved extremely fruitful.” He crossed back into his room and picked up the file folder on his research before walking over to Ronin and handing it over. “See for yourself.”
He went back to his spot against the railing and pointed to a large building not far from the hotel. “That venue there is where she will be performing tonight.”
A low whistle sounded from Ronin and Alex guessed that he’d found the pictures. They were both erotic and obscene, but it was painfully clear to him that Viktor wouldn’t pass up a chance to see Ms. Dupa again.
