by Dez Burke
He glanced up and saw her staring at his torso which had some scars crisscrossed over his skin, both old and recent, especially the blood on his side. And then she suddenly took off her robe and placed it over his shoulders, her expression worried. “You need to have a doctor look at that…”
Cane felt his brain getting glazed over with the now familiar mist as he got a full frontal from the barely clad Alexandra, her sweetly feminine scent and heat driving him crazy for a second.
His jaw hardening, he growled, “Actually what I need is for you to at least get fucking dressed – because right now the sight of you in those see-through underclothes is getting my heart to pump even quicker. And that’s not going to help the fucking bleeding, is it?”
“Oh. Right,” she muttered, her eyes darting as her cheeks went hot. She was out of there in a flash and this time, returned with a long kimono-type robe tied securely around her slim waist. The other guards appeared wanting to help him up but he brushed them away with gruff thanks.
“It’s nothing - just some superficial bleeding. It doesn’t even hurt though it does need to get cleaned and sewed up again,” he said calmly, deciding to stay put in the bathroom instead of going into the rooms and risking his blood spotting and ruining the carpets or furniture.
Eventually the doctor showed up and handled the injury which turned out to be as trivial as Cane had said. Cane refused the pills the doctor offered; the last thing he wanted was any wooziness especially when there’d actually been an intruder. Alexandra insisted on sticking around till the doctor was done and then Cane in turn insisted she return to her room. “You’ll be safe. I’ll be having a tactical meeting with the others tomorrow so we can figure out what the hell happened. The surveillance cameras will...”
“Cane.”
Alexandra’s soft voice cut him off, making him vaguely aware of how one part of his brain was still thundering with visions of him fucking the shit out of her. She was thankfully covered up now but the image of her juicy-looking nipples beneath the wet bra and the way her body had felt over his…it would be indelibly set in his subconscious for a long, long time to come. Now, hearing her say his name like that, probably for the first time ever, stiffened his loins and made him grit his teeth against the urge to slam her hard against the wall and kiss her senseless while his hands roamed hungrily over her lush frame.
There’d always been the sparks; all that sexual tension between them though neither one had wanted to acknowledge it nor act on it. Which was wise considering that now that an intruder had somehow managed to get through the security and then out again, it was now clear that Alexandra’s father had been right and that she wasn’t safe on her own.
“You don’t have to be scared,” he told her quietly when she stood there, her arms wrapped around herself. He rose to his feet, keeping his hands clenched by his sides. Either that or he’d be making a grab for her which just wouldn’t do.
“I trust Marcus and Dirk; they wouldn’t let anyone harm you and neither would I,” Cane added, and saw her eyes flicker to the small bandage at his side. He saw the look of worry and added deeply, “And you needn’t be concerned whether I’m fit for the job. It’ll take a whole lot than an opened scratch to get me off my game.”
She shook her head firmly. “No; I’m not worried about that. And I’m not scared,” she said, meaning it. “I just…I guess I owe you an apology. I did all I could to make things difficult from the start. I haven’t been that cooperative –”
Her voice broke off and she seemed hesitant, almost as if she wanted to take a step forward, reach out her hand. But the almost imperceptible motion was stopped even before it could be acted upon.
“You’ve always done enough to make this job go as easy as it could for both of us. That’s all I would have asked. And it’s all I need,” he said stiffly, his whole body rigid in warning to him as well as to her. Whatever he saw playing on her expressive face, Cane didn’t want either of them to act on it. Their little physical brush earlier hadn’t really been perilous because the intruder got spooked and ran off. But she was probably a bit shaken inside and perhaps in shock now that she realized the danger was real.
That suddenly seemed enough to intensify the tension between them, making it solidify until Cane could almost feel it on his bare skin, causing a familiar throb in his treacherous cock.
Cane was alone with her in her bedroom, shirtless and filled with hormones raging too hard to be ignored for long. He had to get out, right now.
“You have a funny way of accepting my apology,” Alexandra said drily, before throwing her hands up in exasperation. “Okay; so I can imagine I haven’t given you the best opinion of me, but I do appreciate what you did tonight, what you’ve been doing since you started working as my bodyguard. Just…thank you.”
He nodded curtly, went to the now secured balcony doors and pulled the blinds closed. “It’s my job,” he said in a gentler tone as he walked up to her again. Not wanting to think about it first, he took her arm and turned it over, his eyes running over her smooth skin. “And if I was rough with you back there…when I grabbed you and tugged on your hair…I’m sorry.”
“You acted like a caveman,” she suddenly snorted on a laugh, but then there was a smoky glow in her eyes that suddenly made his throat catch. A part of him wanted to ask if she liked cavemen. If she liked it rough..liked to be dragged around, held down, her hair pulled….
Fuck. Now anything she said had him thinking about sex. With her.
Rough, passionate, red-hot sex the whole night long. No one or nothing holding them back, just the need of a man for his woman. Alexandra was right there, within his reach. Lord knows he’d wanted her bad enough almost from the minute they’d met.
That didn’t make her any less inaccessible though. And yet the more he shouldn’t want her, the more Cane seemed to crave her.
The moments ticked by and somehow he felt like she was waiting – they both were. It would take just one gesture to trigger something off and Cane knew he’d be body-slamming her on that bed, pushing her knees back up against her shoulders and sticking something – his tongue, fingers or cock – inside that sweet-looking pussy he’d merely glimpsed beneath her wet panties earlier.
Common sense however prevailed from somewhere beneath the blankets of lust. “You need to change,” he said calmly, remembering she still had her soaked underwear on beneath the kimono. “And then you need to get some rest. You have classes early tomorrow.”
Did he imagine the flash of disappointment that briefly crossed her eyes? Cane knew he’d probably imagined it. It didn’t matter. Whatever she thought she wanted, he couldn’t give it to her. He daren’t.
She stood there staring silently after him and Cane couldn’t get out of the room fast enough.
Chapter Six
A loud moan woke Alexandra up and it took moments to realize it had come from her.
She straightened from the pillows as she recalled the events of that night which still haunted her. This time she’d slept more soundly than she thought she would. Maybe because her dreams had been full of Cane…
God, he was so hot. So freaky sexy it made her ache to have him near her. Sometimes she couldn’t stand it. The way he moved; the jewel-like gleam in his eyes; the way his silky dark hair rested flat on the back of his head that made her want to smooth over it with her fingers…
That fateful night days ago had been frightening in a sense, especially when someone had grabbed her from behind. She felt stupid now, realizing she should have known it was Cane.
And yet instead of focusing on the fact that it was now confirmed there was someone after her, all Alexandra could think of was how she had felt, lying against Cane as the shower had poured over their bodies. He’d held her tightly against him and she’d felt it…his arousal.
Alexandra remembered now that in those moments, she hadn’t felt afraid of whatever was waiting beyond her room. She hadn’t even understood what was happening but one thing
that had really registered was how hard it had become to fight the way she felt around Cane.
But still, nothing seemed to have changed. Well, the security at her place was now tighter, and her dad had almost gone berserk about it when he heard the news.
“Dad, whoever it was never got the chance to get close enough. It was like he got surprised and ran off. He probably hadn’t known I wasn’t alone. So you needn’t worry; I’m well looked after,” she’d told him reassuringly.
“I shouldn’t have left,” Donel Duke said angrily. “I turn my back for a second and they come after you. I’ll make that bastard Vincent pay…”
“Dad, we don’t know for sure it was him. It could have easily been just a burglar. The police have come over and checked things out. If there’s anything they’ll let us know.”
Her father had been hard to convince; he’d wanted to leave the one week conference and fly straight back. But Alexandra had let him know she’ll do okay. She had her bodyguard. She had all the security she’d ever need. No one would get to her.
Yep, she was sewed up tight while she was home, and every time she left the house, Cane was with her. But the fact remained, nothing much had changed. He didn’t treat her as anything else but a client. He stayed professional, sometimes so aloof it chilled her to the bone.
Alexandra knew what he was doing. She understood it. He’d probably felt it too; she was almost sure he knew. Sensed that something was different between them. In a way it was so annoying that he was back to being stiff and formal after what had happened that night. She could still remember the sensation of his rigid member digging into her back, the girth and length surprising her to say the least. Also surprising was the way he’d reacted to her semi-nude body and even the words he’d confessed about her appearance causing his heart to beat faster.
Knowing that on some level, he desired her, had flipped her belly upside down. She desired him too – on all levels. Wanted him in ways she couldn’t even count. But he was her bodyguard; he had a job to do and damn him, he did it well. Sometimes she hated that he could stay so detached. She wanted him to lose it. She wanted to see his control snap, just for her. And she felt like a dumbass for wanting what she shouldn’t.
***
Malia thought she should get a man. “You need some distraction. Ever since Lame Lamar, you never got your shit together. And now you’re in close quarters with this gorgeous specimen and your hormones are imploding. Can’t blame them, can we? You need an outlet. Let’s go clubbing, partying – anything. Maybe you’ll find yourself some hunk to get your mind off your troubles.”
“So what do you suggest? I find some man and bring him back home? I just don’t see how it would work. Not with my bodyguard in the next room. The other alternative would be going over to the guy’s place and…No, it just won’t do. Ever since this crap with my dad’s business rival, I can’t even have a freaking one night stand,” Alexandra said grumpily as they met for their usual lunch appointment. Somewhere in the crowded restaurant, Cane was close, watching. She tried to remember that she was supposed to be in danger, but none of that really worried her.
What seemed to preoccupy her the most was how to stop Cane from getting to her this much. It would never work. They were too different. And it wasn’t the race thing; it was more of the fact that she could sense beneath all his detachment that he was one big ball of fire. He’d engulf her; make her lose herself. The way she hadn’t in a long time. Not since Lamar, who’d broken her heart when she found out he never really cared about her, just her money. Lamar West had been so mad when she’d told him it was over – like she’d want a damned gigolo in her life. No freaking way. She was glad she’d walked away, though even after so many months, it still hurt to think how she’d played the fool.
She wasn’t ready to make the same mistake again. There was no space in her heart for emotions. But damn, she was a woman - with needs. And just thinking about Cane reminded her how long ago it had been since she’d fulfilled them. Was she crazy to be thinking of him that way when they had this big wall standing in between them? And yet, walls could be broken down, couldn’t they?
Looked like Malia was thinking the same thing. The woman’s dark brown eyes twinkled as she murmured, “Well, there’s a saying I remember from my granny…about how you don’t need to go looking in the pond for something that’s right in your pocket. I mean, you do happen to have a red-hot man right within your reach like, um, twenty four hours a day…”
Three weeks ago, Alexandra would have told Malia to forget that. Hell no. Her and Cane? But now…she didn’t know. It was crazy. She wasn’t in love. She knew that. But he made her feel things…things that no man had. The touch of his hand made her sizzle. One look from him and she was all a-puddle in her panties. She’d tried, so freaking hard to fight it but it only got worse the more she turned her back on the way she wanted him.
Quickly changing the topic, Alexandra had reminded Malia about her birthday coming up in a week. Malia loved birthday parties, especially hers, and the topic distracted her enough to shift her attention from Cane.
Now here I am, thought Alexandra; waking up from another dream with her bodyguard in the starring role. Cane…doing things to her body that would actually be illegal in some countries.
Knowing he was right in the next room was making it even worse. Because there was nothing she could do about the big fat ache coiling in her belly.
Or maybe there was.
Food. That was it. She couldn’t sleep, it was the middle of the freaking night – but one thing she knew could mellow her down from her sexually charged high, was hustling a bite. There had to be something in that fridge that could take her mind off sex.
Alexandra padded barefoot into the unlit kitchen and it wasn’t until she opened the refrigerator that she first noticed the figure sitting at the kitchen bar in total darkness. She almost jumped a foot till she realized it was Cane.
Alexandra cursed underneath her breath. “You almost scared the shit out of me!” She heaved a breath, her hand on her throat.
“Sorry,” he murmured. “I guess I couldn’t sleep. Looks like you have the same problem.”
Man, you have no idea, thought Alexandra, reaching into the fridge and trying to distract herself from the fact that there was a bare-chested Cane seated in semi-darkness in her kitchen. She’d caught a glimpse of those rippling abs of his that folded almost in half as he sat hunched over the table, his lower half dressed in loose gym pants. Alexandra poured out a glass of milk and contemplated firing up the stove for some eggs or maybe fixing a cold sandwich. Suddenly though, all interest in food fled as she swept her gaze to Cane. Suddenly, she thought of Malia’s words and the next thing she knew, she was sitting at the table.
“So why don’t you tell me why you couldn’t sleep,” she ventured, knowing she surprised him when he cocked an eyebrow at her.
“Maybe I’m just keeping watch,” he replied, and Alexandra quelled the urge to press her knees together as she felt him slide his gaze over her. Even in the dimness, his jewel-like eyes pierced just as intensely.
“Yeah. Maybe you need to lighten up with that. The security system has this place on lockdown,” Alexandra said with a teasing smile, before she added lightly, “Do you ever relax? I mean, enough to actually have fun?”
Cane huffed. “Tell you the truth, I’m not a firm believer in ‘fun’, Alexandra. Work is my play. It’s all I know. I’ve been in combat situations since before I turned twenty. And after I left active service, I went straight into the line of work where I knew my skills would be of best use.”
Alexandra had liked hearing her name on his lips. It gave her a squishy feeling deep where she lived. She also liked that they were talking one on one for the first time. She’d ponder the wisdom of that much, much later. Right now though, she was curious about him; wanted to know what made him tick. “I still think there’s a part of you that’s not all about the live action. There’s got to be other ways you can
get that…adrenalin rush you seem to enjoy so much.”
Cane’s eyes grew hooded; he watched her take a gulp of her milk and then place the glass down before she carefully licked off her white moustache. Shocked by the way his eyes turned almost black just then, Alexandra drew in a sharp breath, which caused her breasts to tilt forward as the nipples hardened to coins beneath her tank top. She could almost swear her pussy buzzed in response to the laser-beam gleam from his steady, penetrating gaze.
Suddenly, Alexandra felt so breathless with want that soft, short pants escaped her lips. Just like that, the atmosphere in the kitchen crackled, giving off sparks she was sure he couldn’t pretend to ignore.
“Oh, there are other ways,” Cane finally murmured. “I’m sure you can imagine the kinds of things that’ll get a man’s blood pumping just that much faster. But then there’s always the issue of the right time and place.”
A thrill shot down her spine as she held his darkened gaze. “Is that an invitation, Mr. Hutchinson?” Alexandra tried not to think Cane was flirting with her. He never flirted. Nevertheless, she felt her body react to the possibility with alarmingly joyous expectation.
“No, Alexandra,” he said softly. Her head shot up when he rose to his feet, and then he leaned over her. Now their faces were so close their foreheads almost touched. Alexandra stared into his gorgeous eyes and couldn’t look away, mesmerized. She bit on her bottom lip, telling herself she could already taste their first kiss…
Her eyelids involuntarily fluttered down, her heart rate increasingly disturbingly. The spring in her belly tightened, sending a spiral of longing in between her thighs. If he so much as touched her now, she’d ignite.
His lips were close…so close. Alexandra could feel his warm breath fan her face, and her own lips parted in helpless anticipation.
But nothing happened. Suddenly, he was pulling away. Alexandra’s eyes popped open and she stared into his inscrutable face as he straightened, shaking his head.
