Taking Lacey by the hand, another new experience he rather enjoyed, Cam pulled her along in search of Alex. They found him, prowling, just as Carmen had suggested. Cam saw the slight limp and tried not to let concern show on his face. Alex would have none of that and wouldn’t appreciate any mention of his physical infirmities.
He was on the rear patio, pacing back and forth beneath one of the two wide cabanas that flanked the enormous pool. As always, his big black Labrador Zeus was by his feet. He felt Lacey’s brief hesitation as she took in what he knew looked like a luxury resort. The pool area had been completely renovated several years ago to Alex’s precise specifications. Water therapy had been key to his rehabilitation and he continued to swim regularly as a way to keep the discomfort in check.
“G’morning Alex,” Cam barked as he dragged Lacey into the lion’s den.
Alex’s head snapped up at their approach and even behind the dark sunglasses he was wearing, Cam knew his friend was sizing up the woman at his side. Instead of dropping her hand, he held firm, sending a clear signal he hoped Alex heard. Squeezing her fingers for encouragement, he pulled her in front of him for an introduction.
“Lacey, allow me to introduce Alexander Valleja-Marquez. Don’t let the scowl scare you off. He just does that for effect.” Spearing Alex with a fuck you glare, he finished. “Alex,” the warning in his voice was unmistakable. “This is Lacey Morrow. Be nice bro. She’s not used to figuring out which hat you’re wearing.” He provided an explanation when Lacey glance at him turned to confusion.
“Some days he’s the Major. Other days, the Don of a Spanish Villa. Most days he’s just an asshole with a shitty attitude.”
When Lacey pressed her lips together as she bit back a smile, he felt some of the tension ease from her body. He had to hand it to her, she recovered quickly and, knowing she was undergoing an intense inspection, offered up a fabulous smile while stepping forward, out of Cam’s protective reach, to extend her hand in greeting to Alex.
“Good morning, Major. You have a beautiful home. Thank you for allowing me to stay in your guest house.” Short, sweet, and to the point. Smart girl.
Alex pushed the sunglasses up his head as he reached for her hand. Cam watched their exchange in gritty silence. If Alex so much as stepped a toe out of line he was going to let him have it.
“Ah. Lacey. What a pleasure to meet you! Welcome to the Villa. We could use a bit more female influence around here. I hope a bunch of crotchety old bachelors don’t ruin your stay.”
When Alex folded her delicate hand in his big one and held on, Cam almost jumped on him to separate them. Just like his reaction with Frank, a searing jolt of white-hot jealousy made his jaw clench. The smirk on Alex’s face let him know his reaction hadn’t gone unnoticed.
“Please, sit under the awning before the sun devours your pale skin.” Cam’s jaw clenched at his friend’s words, as well as his hands and gut. Devour, my ass. What game was Alex playing? He knew the suggestive power of the phrase he chose. Motherfucker was trying to get a rise out of him.
Before he could take back control of the situation, Alex stepped in and smoothly guided Lacey to a comfortable chaise placed at the rear of the cabana. Dude was in for a serious ass-kicking if he kept this up.
“Cam tells me you’ve signed on to clean up the mess we’ve made in the office now that Betty has taken a leave. Brave of you, I must say. Especially if all you’ve had to go on before now was the character and behavior of the dark one over there.”
Hearing him referred to as the dark one made Cam’s hackles rise. Lacey’s snort of amusement didn’t help. Mothergoddammfucker. He was definitely going to kill Alex when he got the chance. He thought Drae would be the fly in the ointment, not stuffy old Alex.
“Thanks for the warning. May I call you Alex?” she asked.
He nodded before pointing at the puckered skin on her arm. “What happened here?” he inquired.
Lacey glanced down at her arm and just stared for a moment as if the healing wound was something she’d never noticed before. “Oh, that.” She shrugged. “Had a bit of a run in with….well, with a couple of America’s troubled youth. They were what you would call, earnest.”
Smiling shyly at Cam she pulled her arm away from Alex’s inquisitive gaze. “Cameron saved the day, didn’t he tell you? Showed up in the nick of time and then did a fine job of stitching my little boo-boo.”
Alex fixed him with a look that could strip the paint off an old car. Shit. He was going to have some explaining to do, when the time came.
“Well, my dear, I for one am glad he intervened. Someone as sweet as you shouldn’t be subjected to such harsh treatment. It’s good to hear that my partners have the good sense to jump in when necessary, although it may have been more appropriate for Cam to have been the one who ended up sliced and diced.”
Apparently, his choice of words struck her as funny and she giggled at the sentiment. “Seriously? Those two morons didn’t stand a chance. The way he laid out the biggest guy with one punch was pretty impressive.” Her look of beaming approval struck him between the eyes and once again, Alex didn’t miss a thing.
“Hmmm. I see. Well, you’ll have to tell me more later. I’d love to hear all about our hero and his rescue of such a fair maiden. For now though, you’ll have to excuse me. I have a video call that requires preparation. I’m sorry to cut this short but you’re in capable hands with Cam.”
It was the Valleja-Marquez Don in all his noble glory that reached out and snatched Lacey’s hand for a chivalrous kiss on her knuckles. Cam stood by with a heavy glower directed entirely at Alex. What. A. Dick. The belligerent sneer sent his way from his old friend let him know that they’d be having a serious talk. Soon.
When Alex walked away, Cam threw himself down on the chaise next to the Ponytail. She searched his face with a question in her lovely eyes.
“Did I say something wrong? Why are you looking at me like that?”
Laying his head back against the cushions, he pushed on the pavement to get the chaise slightly swinging. Turning to look at her he sighed. “You handled him beautifully.”
“Well then why are you scowling at me? Did I miss something?” She jumped off the chaise and stood with hands on hips, as she practically shouted at him. “What was all that about? Is he always so…” She searched for a word with a grimace of confusion shadowing her face. “I don’t know. So, um….gallant?”
Gallant? Was she fucking kidding? Yeah, he really was going to kill Alex. Easing forward with his forearms resting on his thighs, Cam looked up at her where she stood fretting before him. “It’s cool, really. Don’t let his nonsense bother you. He just does all that suave European bullshit to get under my skin. No red-blooded guy would get caught going around kissing hands.”
“Oh, is that so?” The haughty look she froze him with and the way her eyes blazed told Cam he’d just experienced his first ever foot-in-mouth moment with a woman.
“Okay, wait. That came out wrong.” Was it possible to breathe back words that were already out there? Before he could get another word out, the tables turned on him so completely and with such ease that Cam was left speechless.
“Whatever. Don’t you have an office to show me? Let’s get this tour back in gear. I’d like to get started right away, if that’s okay with you.”
Her unspoken, you are a dick, hung out there in the silence between them. How the fuck had he so completely lost control of the situation? God dammit. This was Alex’s fault. He was going to strangle the asshole.
Knowing when to give in was a talent that had served him well over the years. This was one of those times. Determined to demonstrate that he too could behave like a gentleman, Cam motioned with his hand for her to precede him as he guided her through a series of courtyards and walkways that led to the converted barn housing the state-of-the-art office where Lacey would be working.
Why the hell was it that even when she was clearly annoyed with him, all he could think
of was getting his hands in her pants? He found her lovely and innocently sexy as hell with her baby blues and freckles. When she got all fired up, like she was right now, he could barely contain himself. Sexy didn’t come close to covering how he saw her right then. Screw keeping her at arms’ length. He wanted to absorb the sparks he saw shooting at him from her eyes. Wanted to tame some of that fire. Hell, he wanted to jump on her and make her come over and over before finding his own satisfaction. Now that’s what he called gallant.
Head in the game Cam, he chanted silently when they arrived at the wing of offices and conference rooms that made up the business center. She’d gone ahead up a short flight of stairs, giving him a tantalizing view of her sweet backside as she stomped along. How the hell was he supposed to stay focused when the woman had such a fantastic ass?
Betty’s inner sanctum was a large room with huge windows along one wall that looked out onto a magnificent desert vista. File cabinets and large pieces of wood furniture made up a seating area while a massive executive desk dominated the center of the room. Computers and an assortment of electronics were clustered everywhere. Lacey went immediately to the desk, hissing quietly when she found stacks of mail and papers covering the wide space.
Still acting the gentleman, Cam quickly ran her through some basics about the set-up. He showed her how to access the agency email, and even set her up with an email address of her own. He demonstrated how to operate the special window treatments that managed the relentless sun. Still silent, she took everything in, asking direct questions when necessary and nodding in understanding as he laid things out.
When finally there wasn’t any more reason to stay and he’d run out of excuses to keep talking, Cam looked around, surveyed the damage done through Betty’s absence, and silently made for the door. She was, after all, ignoring him completely so what was the point?
He liked this feisty side of the Ponytail. Liked the way her stubborn fire issued a challenge that the primitive beast inside him was chomping at the bit to accept. Maybe that was the reason he remained determined not let things get crazy between them. She was innocent and he didn’t imagine for one second that she was aware of the signals she was sending or the way she was turning him inside out. His primitive side almost got off the leash the other night making him cringe remembering the raw, demanding way he’d taken her. His conscience scolded that he should have at least tried to be gentle but fuck it if her responsive sweetness hadn’t set him on fire. All the more reason to back off. Every indication was that he couldn’t control his urges around her no matter how hard he tried.
Looking at his watch, Cam spoke up one more time before high-tailing it the hell out of there. “Ria puts out a small lunch around noon. I’ll come get you or you can try to find your way back to the big house. Whatever works for you.” Thank God, he’d managed to sound businesslike and casual.
His statement required a response from little miss icy freeze and he wasn’t disappointed when she lifted those baby blues and met his gaze. Oooh, arctic blast. Score one for the lady.
“I’d like to try and find the way on my own, thanks.”
Humph. Dismissed just like that. Taking the hint, he nodded and, with his tail firmly between his legs, slid out the door. He needed a workout after their encounter with Alex and the way she’d shut him down following his insensitive gaffe. He’d probably be picking his teeth up off the floor if he’d finished what he had been saying about Alex’s so-called gallant behavior. About to call him a fucking pussy for the unctuous hand kissing, he’d cut himself short when the sparks began coming off her.
Dammit. Enough. Changing direction, Cam headed to the gym complex and what he hoped would be some welcome relief from the turmoil Lacey’s presence in his life had wrought. Women!
Glad to see the back of him when he finally turned and left her alone. Lacey wanted him gone before she said or did anything stupid. She didn’t really know why she’d gotten so peeved at Cameron when he made that sarcastic remark about his friend. Maybe it was because his attitude was another layer in that emotions are bullshit nonsense he excelled at. What was the big deal anyway about Alex kissing her hand? She’d found the action charming and almost giggled like a starry-eyed teenager. Was the dark knight perhaps a tad jealous of other men? She’d picked up on something similar when they’d been talking with Major Frank. Go figure. Here she was, all but panting after the man like a bitch in heat, and all he reacted to was other guys being socially polite to her. What was she doing wrong?
Alex was cute and all, in that Ryan Reynolds meets Lumberjack Larry way. He was good-looking, solidly built with a messy haircut and a well-developed beard covering his face. Alex was one of those burly, sexy types that would make an uptight judge giddy, but that sort of appeal wasn’t her cup of tea at all. The man couldn’t hold a candle to Cameron’s smoldering hotness.
No, apparently she went for silent and brooding with a dash of it’s just sex, and a double dose of I’m unlovable. Sheesh. Nothing like making it difficult. Well, Mister Cameron Justice was a matter she’d just have to deal with later. Right now she had to dive in to the mess on Betty’s desk and try to figure out how bad things were.
An hour later she’d discovered that from the moment their office manager left, the Justice Agency hadn’t paid a bill, created an invoice, answered an inquiry, or opened an email in all that time. In other words, it was chaos. At least she’d found a starting place and with that thought in mind, Lacey threw herself into the immediate tasks that needed urgent attention.
Right before lunch, as if on cue, Alex wandered into the weight room where Cam was relentlessly punishing his body with a grueling workout. Covered in sweat, every muscle pumped up and a dark scowl plastered on his face, he stood in front of a mirrored wall swinging heavy hand weights, watching his friend’s approach.
He knew Alex would turn up eventually. It had been clear that Lacey wasn’t at all what he’d expected. She was younger, fresher, and a hundred times more girl-next-door than anyone Cam had ever been with before. Her explanation of his rescue and how she’d gotten hurt had painted a vivid picture for Alex to consider. Apparently, the contemplation was complete and now he would be expecting some answers.
Cam dropped the weights with a heavy thud and stripped off his lifting gloves while watching in the mirror as Alex came to stand behind him. His expression was impossible to read, making a frisson of unease wind through Cam’s nervous system. More than just friends and business partners, Alex and Draegyn were Cam’s family in every way that it mattered. Even though they were all close in age, Alex’s position as the eldest of the trio sometimes came off as a parental figure and it looked to him like Dad was about to issue a lecture. Sigh.
They all knew each other too well to bother with niceties or beating around the bush. Alex’s posture, with one leg cocked slightly, hand shoved in a pocket, and the other running back and forth through his perpetually mussed hair let Cam know he wasn’t entirely comfortable with wherever his thoughts had led. No surprise there because he wasn’t entirely at ease with what was going on either.
Turning to face the other man, Cam sank down on a weight bench, forearms on his legs with his hands hanging limp between his spread thighs. The workout had kicked his ass and he still wasn’t settled. This wasn’t a great time to have a heart-to-heart but it didn’t seem like he was being given a choice in the matter. Reacting to the inevitable, he raised what he knew were troubled eyes and waited.
Both hands shoved in his pockets, Alex grumbled, “Jesus Christ, Cameron. Please tell me you know what you’re doing. That girl is, well dammit if she isn’t just that, a girl! Do you wanna do a rewind on that story about her being just a friend? I’m not blind, dude. You’re practically eye fucking her every time you look in her direction.”
Cam winced at Alex’s indelicate words. He might be trying to pretend it was just fucking but he didn’t want anyone else thinking in those terms about his Ponytail. A new beast roared to life inside him
. One he’d never encountered before. This one was a snarling menace hell bent on protecting what was his. “Watch your mouth, Alex.” His reaction surprised them both.
“Ah. So that’s how it is, hmmm? You’ve fallen for her.”
“What? No!” The denial tasted bitter as it burst from his mouth. “Nobody has fallen, bro. I just don’t want anyone thinking that kind of stuff about the Ponytail. She’s not like that.”
Alex’s wide-eyed shock hit him square in the face. “Holy God, Cam! Ponytail? What the fuck?”
Realizing the mistake he’d just made, Cam twined his fingers together at the base of his skull as his head hung low. A deep sigh rumbled from his chest when he straightened and looked at Alex. “I know. I know,” he muttered. Nervous energy propelled him from the bench as he moved to stow away the weights he’d just dropped. Turning toward his friend he shrugged one shoulder, closing his eyes as he shook his head in confusion.
“I don’t know what happened, man. One minute she was an intriguing distraction to be watched from afar, just for the hell of it. The next minute I was punching the lights out of some kid and playing the fucking hero for all it was worth.” Chuckling at the absurdity of it once he said all that out loud, he fixed his friend and brother with serious look. “Haven’t had a sensible thought since then.”
Alex quietly considered what he’d said as a heavy silence fell between them. Discussing women and feelings wasn’t where they did their best work. This was virgin territory in every way. Cam was glad his other brother wasn’t there to complicate his thoughts even more. Drae’s ice-blue eyes matched his cold-blooded approach to the opposite sex. Women were for pleasure only. Nothing more.
After a long pause, Alex spoke. “Just be careful, Cam. You’re not…..well, what I mean is, you don’t have the best mindset when it comes to the ladies.”
Broken Justice (Justice Brothers) Page 18
