For the last two weeks, he’d only seen her twice. Once they had gone to Club Destiny for drinks, which he’d practically had to beg her to do, and the other time, he had convinced her to go horseback riding.
If he never got on the back of a horse again, it would be too soon. Although there weren’t any mishaps, thank goodness, Alex much preferred to keep his feet planted firmly on the ground. Not have his ass perched on top of an animal that could crush him if his mood changed.
She had laughed at his obvious distaste, which as it turns out, only made him want her more. And hadn’t that been a swift kick in the ass. The staying away from her part was what got him the most.
Thankfully he’d been a little preoccupied with other things. First of all, work. CISS was eating up all of his time which had led him to finally reach out to Cole Ackerley. Admittedly, he needed help and Ackerley was one of the best in the PR department. Having him come onboard would reduce some of the stress on Alex.
Since Dylan wasn’t quite pulling his own weight, Alex was trying to cover that as well, which was beginning to pull him under. It wasn’t that Dylan didn’t have the necessary skills to succeed, but the man seemed to be lacking the motivation. And that was the reason Alex was taking the time to meet with Dylan for lunch.
“Table for two, please.” Alex told the hostess when he entered the restaurant.
Due to their conflicting schedules, Alex had opted to meet for a late lunch so they could be on neutral ground for the conversation that was inevitable. Since the restaurant was more or less empty, Alex didn’t need to request a table that would offer a little privacy.
The hostess seated him promptly, and he advised that he was expecting someone. When the waiter stopped by, he ordered two beers and then began checking his email on his phone while he waited.
Prompt as always, Dylan joined him a few minutes later.
“Hey.” Alex greeted his friend and business partner as Dylan took the empty seat across from him.
“Is it just the two of us?”
Nodding his head, Alex grabbed a menu from the holder on the table. “I ordered you a beer.” Then he found himself stalling.
Earlier that day, the idea of this meeting had been a good one. The conversation had played out seamlessly in his mind while he drove to the restaurant, but now that Dylan was sitting across from him, he was beginning to have second thoughts.
The two men perused the menu, drank their beers, chit chatted about nothing significant and otherwise avoided the issues at hand. When the waiter came back around they ordered then waited for him to step away again.
“Spill it.” Dylan stated in his laid back Texas drawl so much like his grandfathers. “I know you have more appealing choices in lunch companions, so why don’t you just cut to the chase."
“Alright.” Alex said, downing the rest of his beer before signaling the waiter to bring another. Dylan was right, Alex just needed to come out and say it. “I don’t know any other way to say this, but when I asked you to come onboard, I wasn’t looking for a receptionist.”
Dylan’s reaction wasn’t one of surprise, or even anger, which was what Alex originally expected. Instead, he glanced down at the table briefly before meeting Alex’s eyes once more.
With a resigned sigh, Alex elaborated. “When I asked you to be a partner in CISS, I didn’t mean a silent partner. I didn’t need money, and I don’t need someone to answer the phones.” Alex told him, all of the pent up frustration coming to the surface. “You sit around the office answering the damn phones like it’s what you were born to do.”
“Someone has to answer the phones.” Dylan remarked without heat.
“But not you. Fucking hire someone. Or just have them forwarded to my phone like they’ve always been.” Alex told him, sitting back in his chair. “Look. We’ve been friends for a long time. I know what you went through, and I’m still so very sorry, but, Dylan, she’s been gone for eight years.”
“I know.” The sadness in Dylan’s eyes shone bright, making Alex feel like a jackass.
“Meghan wouldn’t want you to stop living. Now that the kids are older, you’ve got the rest of your life ahead of you, man.”
“Preaching to the choir, brother.” Dylan said, taking a long swallow of beer. “I’ve heard it all before, and I’ll tell you the same thing I tell everyone else. You don’t know what it’s like. You don’t know what it’s like to go from one day having the love of your life and your best friend right there beside you, only to have her taken completely away the next. She’s gone, and I feel like I died right along with her. The only thing that has kept me going was taking care of my kids. Now that they’re old enough to take care of themselves, I don’t have anything else.”
“Bullshit, man.” Alex bellowed, sitting forward in his chair, resting his elbows on the table. “You know that’s a load of shit, Dylan. You’ve got Stacey and Nate, Xavier, Ashleigh. Every one of them depends on you. Needs you.”
“I get it.”
Alex knew he wasn’t telling Dylan anything he didn’t know already, but when it came to CISS, he needed to take it to the next level. Bringing on Samantha and now Cole meant they were equipped to branch out. Something Alex had dreamed of. And he wanted Dylan to be part of that.
“Cole accepted my offer,” Alex said, changing to a less sensitive subject. “He’s officially onboard starting next week.”
“That’s great news.” Dylan stated, picking at the label on his beer bottle. “I think he’s just what we need to help divert some of the strain off of you. And yes, I know I need to do more.”
Alex wanted to hear how Dylan planned to do that.
The waiter interrupted, bringing their food and offering them a brief reprieve. Alex took the opportunity and let Dylan breathe for a minute.
When Alex finished, in record time no doubt thanks to not eating that morning, he pushed his plate away and downed more of his second beer. “What’s your plan?” He prompted.
Dylan pushed his plate away, then leaned back in his chair, propping his elbow on the empty chair beside him. “Since the residential security services are growing astronomically, I think I’m going to focus on that. I’ve got some ideas, and I want to bring on a couple of people – sales people.”
Alex noted the renewed interest in his partner’s eyes. Dylan needed something to focus on and bringing him onboard had been one of the best decisions he’d made. Once Dylan took off, there would be no stopping him, Alex knew.
Dylan continued before Alex could contribute. “We’ve got all the installers we need, and I want to hire someone to manage them, but I need some folks driving sales. What do you think?”
“I think this is the reason I wanted you to go in business with me, man. You’ve got great ideas and the direction you’re going is one I wish I had time for before now. Do you have any candidates for the sales positions?”
“I’ve got one. Guy named Jake. I went to school with his aunt. If you know of anyone, send them my way. I’d like to get them hired by the end of next week if possible.” Dylan’s voice had gained a significant amount of confidence.
“I’ve got a couple, actually.” Alex added.
This was the Dylan Thomas he had known before his wife had succumbed to cancer eight long years ago. The man who stopped at nothing to accomplish his goals. The man who was like the Energizer bunny… kept on going because each idea was bigger and better than the one before.
“Alex, I want to thank you.” Dylan interrupted Alex’s thoughts, surprising him.
“For what?” Alex asked. “I should be apologizing –”
“Don’t.” Dylan stated adamantly, his tone containing none of the laid back country boy that Alex was used to. “I needed this. I need to get on with my life. Moving was the first step, which I can thank my sister for. Speaking of…”
Oh shit. Alex hadn’t expected the sudden topic change, and he wasn’t quite ready to talk to Dylan about his little sister.
“I’ve heard you and
Ashleigh are seeing each other.” The laid back, country drawl was present once again. Alex wasn’t deceived by his friend any more than he was by Xavier when he pulled the same stunt.
“We’re seeing each other.” Confirming Dylan’s statement, Alex wasn’t willing to go further. “Trust me, man. You don’t have to warn me off of her. I’ve been doing it for years. I can only promise you that I won’t intentionally hurt her. As for anything else, I don’t know, but I’m going to see where it goes.”
Dylan laughed, making Alex’s back straighten.
“Man, I was just gonna ask whether you were taking her to Luke’s reception.”
Fuck. Way to speak out of turn, McDermott.
“But now that you mention it,” Dylan began, “I trust you have her best interest in mind. She’s my little sister, and I’m protective of her, but you already knew that. I don’t want her hurt, but she’s also a big girl who can take care of herself. You won’t see me trying to interfere.” Another laugh. “But I can’t say the same for Pops. You know he’s going to be all over this as soon as he gets word.”
Oh, Alex was more than aware of what Xavier would have to say as soon as the news got out. Even if Xavier did have a hand in pulling the two of them together, he’d still have something to say.
Alex didn’t look forward to that day.
Chapter Nine
*** ~~ *** ~~ *** ~~ ***
Ashleigh no longer had to worry whether her cell phone was working or not. The call from her agent proved that it was. Even though her original excitement over who might be on the other end had been doused when Madeleine’s sweet voice echoed through the speaker, it had been renewed after five minutes on the phone.
Her agent was clearly satisfied with her last submission, the book about the horse and the barn owl that Ashleigh had pondered over for far too long. At least now it was out of the way, and she could move on to her current project.
This one was keeping her up at night, but not with worry. Her bout of writer’s block had long since moved on, and she was writing furiously, the pages all but writing themselves.
She had one man to thank for her renewed burst of creativity. At least where the sex was concerned. As it appeared, her hormones were roaring like wildfire, and she was able to conjure up some juicy, erotic scenes, which worked out well for her hero and heroine.
At least someone was getting laid these days because it certainly wasn’t her. But then again, she and Alex had come full circle in the dating game.
She had committed herself to making just as much of an effort as Alex, although, at times, she wondered if maybe she should resume life as she knew it before moving back to Dallas.
For the last few weeks, she’d been busy. Her social life had taken off like a jet airplane, which meant the time she wasn’t spending with her grandfather and niece and nephew, she was spending with Sam and Sierra. As for Alex, well, she hadn’t seen nearly enough of him in the last two weeks for her wellbeing, but more than enough for her sanity.
Apparently he had gotten a look at her list of things she wanted to do, and he was bound and determined to check off each and every one. There were a few items she hadn’t written on her list, and sometimes she wondered whether they just might get around to them as well.
To top it off, he was being a perfect gentleman.
Too perfect in fact.
So much so that they hadn’t shared another kiss since the night he’d invited her over for dinner. Ashleigh had no idea what was going on with him, but something was. He was cordial, friendly, but nothing more.
On top of that, something or someone was taking him away frequently. She didn’t think he was going far when he left, but he was obviously going somewhere. One afternoon when he had taken her fishing, something she had on her list, she’d thought about asking him, but instead chickened out.
That had been an interesting day, but not one she cared to relive. Apparently fishing was not her forte. Too much down time in her opinion. But hey, to each his own and all that.
Delving back into her work, Ashleigh was trying to work out a scene that she was having trouble with. A sex scene. Imagine that.
Lunch with Sam and Sierra earlier in the week had provided her a little insight, but not nearly as much as she hoped for. She’d gone with the intention of getting some hopefully discreet details of what it was like living the ménage lifestyle. Since she didn’t have any idea about the subject matter, she was hoping for details from the experts so she’d gone out on a limb and asked for their help.
So how she ended up sharing way more information with the two of them than they had shared with her, she had no idea. Although she got a brief glimpse into what it was like to be the focal point of two men, Ashleigh had found they were way more interested in understanding how she was still a virgin.
And no, maybe a twenty eight year old virgin wasn’t the norm these days, but it wasn’t unheard of. By the look on Sam’s face, Ashleigh would’ve thought she was the oldest living person yet to have ever had sex. It was comical actually. Kind of.
Much to their dismay and her own, Ashleigh couldn’t answer the question as to why she’d never had sex. There had been a couple of men in her life who had sparked her interest, but they’d never made it that far. Could’ve been cold feet on her part, or it might’ve been the hope that had been burning bright and obnoxious in her chest for ten long years.
Either way, Ashleigh would admit to having harbored some crazy, mixed up feelings for Alex through the years. Anger, admiration, hurt, love. Pick one.
If she thought about it – which she did... a lot – she could almost put a name to those feelings. Infatuation. The man encompassed everything she hoped to find in a lover – he was gorgeous, intelligent, and dominating. Yes, the last one unquestionably had caught her interest when she was old enough to know what it actually meant. Or what it could mean.
Ashleigh remembered the day she met him. It was at her grandfather’s house and she’d just gotten home from school. She’d been a high school senior, she remembered that much. And in her teenage mind, he’d been much older than her, although she didn’t know by how much. At the time, it hadn’t mattered one single bit. She had fallen head over heels in love the moment she laid eyes on him.
It didn’t take long for Alex to become a regular fixture at the Thomas household and in her teenage dreams. He quickly began working as the head of security for XTX on a contractual basis. Then he’d established a friendship with Dylan, which had Alex coming around when her brother was home. He and Logan were friends – college roommates if she remembered correctly – which meant Alex was invited anytime Logan was present.
Needless to say, she saw as much of Alex as she did her grandfather there for a while. At first, she’d been smitten.
It wasn’t until he started treating her like she had a contagious disease and if he came anywhere near her, he’d be stricken with it. That didn’t stop him from sneaking glances of her from time to time. She was aware of each and every one, but over time, she grew irritated with his aloofness and she moved on.
Looking back on it now, Ashleigh had been far too immature for him, especially considering the age difference. At twenty eight, twelve years didn’t mean a thing. But at eighteen or even twenty, it meant everything. They had absolutely nothing in common. Other than a little physical attraction.
Then there was the small detail of his marriage. By the time she met him, he’d been divorced for years, but knowing he had been married, Ashleigh had accepted the fact that he wasn’t likely going to be a one woman man, though she had no idea why they had split up. She still didn’t know.
Not knowing the story, she didn’t care to be enlightened back then, although now she was more than a little curious. Just the fact that he had been married put him in an entirely different category than any boy or man she’d ever met. Suffice it to say, she kept her distance. And so did he.
Until that one night.
The week before graduation, Ashlei
gh had convinced Pops to let her stay in the guest house for a few weeks while she got ready to go off to college.
Since Dylan didn’t live at home at the time – he’d already gotten married to Meghan, and they had even had both Stacey and Nate by then – Ashleigh had wanted to see what it was like to live on her own as well. Reluctantly, Pops had given in to her request.
To celebrate her graduation from high school, Pops had thrown a party the likes of which Ashleigh had never known before. There had to have been one hundred or more people in attendance, yet out of all those people, she’d never seen Alex. Not until he stopped by the guest house a couple of hours after she went home.
Being eighteen and finally out of school, Ashleigh had a misconception of what it meant to be an adult. And adults had visitors, so she’d invited him in.
That was her first mistake.
He was more than a little intoxicated, barely able to stand on his own, but she was all grown up, she could handle anything he could dish out. Or so she thought.
They had talked for a little while, neither of them having much to say because it was blatantly obvious, they had absolutely nothing in common. Likely the dwindling conversation had led to what happened next.
They had been sitting on the couch, not much space between them, when Alex leaned over and kissed her lightly on the lips. Her first kiss.
Ashleigh remembered it like it was yesterday.
“What was that for?” Ashleigh asked, shocked by the intensity of her body’s reaction to the feel of Alex’s lips against hers.
“It was just a kiss.”
Just a kiss? There was nothing “just” about that kiss. She knew she shouldn’t push the issue because it was evident Alex was intoxicated, but Ashleigh couldn’t seem to stop herself. “Why’d you kiss me?”
“Don’t know.” He said, leaning in a little more.
Ashleigh knew it was going to happen again and despite the intense feelings that one kiss had ignited she knew she shouldn’t want him. But the intelligent side of her brain was being suffocated by her hormones and she found herself hoping he would.
Seduction (Club Destiny) Page 6
