by Chanta Rand
“Humph!” Viola grunted. “I don’t think you’re afraid he’s going to break the door down. I think you’re afraid he’s going to break you down!”
“That will never happen,” Alexa vowed.
“You two aren’t fooling anybody. All that yelling earlier today was just pent up sexual frustration waiting to be released.”
“Viola!”
“It was me, I’d be flattered to have a man like him chasing after me.”
“Goodbye, Viola.”
“I’d be melting in my panties every time he looked at me.”
“Don’t make me hang up on you.”
“Okay. Make us proud, girl. Put the ole Kennedy charm on him.”
Alexa snapped the cell phone shut. It was time to end this nonsense with Tristan once and for all. She would just tell him that she had an emergency at the hospital and she had to leave. What could he say about that? Nothing! Then, they could part and go their separate ways. She took a deep breath, checked her lipstick in the mirror and marched boldly out of the bathroom to give him the news.
When she returned to the table, it was crowded with people requesting Tristan’s autograph. She immediately lost her nerve. She couldn’t just leave him here with all of this going on. So, she waited patiently while he indulged them. He smiled the entire time, accepting their praise and scribbling his signature on whatever precious articles they’d brought for him to sign. As she watched him, she began to notice a subtle difference in him. His laugh was not the same genuine, throaty laugh he used with her. It was a polite, almost rehearsed chuckle. She realized this was his public persona. He was not giving these autograph hounds a taste of the real Tristan Rexford. He was merely giving them a glimpse of T-Rex the celebrity. He was actually two people. He had to be if he wanted to keep any part of himself private.
After the crowd dispersed, she gave him a sympathetic look. “Is it like this everywhere you go?” she asked.
He shook his head. “Yeah, but I take it all in stride. Without the fans, I wouldn’t be where I am today.”
“I disagree,” Alexa challenged. “Fans or no fans, I think you would still be an incredibly gifted athlete. No one can take that from you.”
He grinned. “I thought you weren’t into football?”
“I’m not. But I recognize talent. Like you said, you’re the best at what you do.”
“Oh, so now you want to start believing all the stuff I say?”
She smiled. “Some of it.”
He laced his hand with hers. “You like me.”
“No, I feel sorry for you. All this attention would irritate the hell out of me.”
“After a while you get used to it. It comes with the territory.”
Their eyes locked and for a brief moment, she allowed herself to reconsider his proposal. He seemed so vulnerable to her right now. She knew there were still unexplored sides of him that she’d yet to see. Part of her wanted to know more about him. Would he reveal more of himself if they were intimate? Should she take the chance?
One moment, she was looking into his dark, sinful eyes. The next, she was blinded by the white-hot light of a camera flash. Someone had taken their picture! The person had run off by the time she could see clearly again.
“What was that all about?” she asked.
Tristan gritted his teeth. “Paparazzi.”
“Does that come with the territory as well?”
“Let’s get out of here,” he said, ignoring her question. “My car is right across the street.”
“Oh no,” Alexa shook her head. “I’m not going anywhere with you.”
“Alexa, don’t be crazy. Let me escort you home. It’s not safe out there.”
She put her hands on her hips. “Mr. Rexford, the only thing I’m not safe from is you. I know my way around Dallas a whole lot better than a California Predator.”
He gave her a stern look. “Alexa, there is no way I’m letting you leave alone. No way!”
* * *
Hours later, Alexa was back in the comfort of her own apartment. She’d left Tristan standing on the curb of the Melrose Hotel. He had a lot to learn about her. Just because he was going to donate money to Mercy didn’t mean she was part of the deal. When the valet pulled up with her car, she’d jumped in and quickly took off, waving goodbye to Tristan as she drove away. Now, she’d changed into her pajamas, snuggled under the covers, and turned on her bedroom television to watch Lifetime.
Ten minutes later, her doorbell rang. It was late, and she wasn’t expecting anyone. She grabbed the baseball bat that she kept by her bed and tiptoed to her front door. This was a safe neighborhood, but she wasn’t taking any chances. When she looked through the peephole, she saw Tristan standing there. She was shocked, but also pleasantly surprised to see him. She opened the door. “You are unbelievable.”
He flashed his brilliant toothpaste smile. “Ah, there you are, Cinderella. You left so quickly I thought maybe your coach had turned into a pumpkin.”
She gave him a grim smile. “I didn’t want to stick around to see the prince turn into a frog. Besides, like I told you, I’m perfectly capable of driving myself home – or anywhere else.”
He wagged his forefinger at her. “That may be, but it was still rude of you to just haul ass out of the parking lot.”
She looked him up and down, taking in the full measure of his six-foot-three frame. “Speaking of rude, isn’t it a little late for you to be camped on my doorstep? How’d you know where I lived?”
He gave her a lazy grin. “I called Viola’s receptionist. She gave me your address.”
Alexa was shocked. How dare that woman give a complete stranger her home address? Then another thought occurred to her. “Was she at the hospital at this late hour?”
“Nope, I called her on her cell phone,” Tristan admitted. “She gave me her business card earlier today.”
Alexa smirked to herself. I’ll bet she did. The only two things bigger than that woman’s sex-drive were her fake tits. And apparently, she had a libido to match Tristan Rexford’s.
“Do you always get what you want?” she asked.
“You tell me.” His voice was deep and sexy, stroking her like velvet. “Am I going to get what I want?”
She felt as though his dark eyes could see right through her – and the paper-thin nightshirt she wore. “How can I tell you when I don’t know what it is that you want?” she asked.
“I thought I made it clear what I want.” He licked his full lips.
She shifted uncomfortably. “Look, Tristan–”
“Alexa,” he interrupted. “I can’t get you out of my head. I like the way you look. I like the way you talk. I even like the way you give me the brush-off. I’ve never met anyone like you. I told you I wanted to see more of you and I meant it.”
She struggled to calm her racing heartbeat. Who would have thought the great T-Rex was capable of such romantic utterances? Who would have thought any man was, for that matter? Especially one who could have any woman he wanted. “I bet you say that to all the girls,” she said.
He leaned his chiseled form against the doorframe. “Alexa, you’re a trip. You don’t trust anyone. Is it so hard to believe that someone like me could have legitimate feelings?”
“Yes!” she answered truthfully.
He chuckled. “You weren’t supposed to answer that. It was a hypothetical question. You were supposed to think about it, marinate on it when I’m not around.”
“Marinate on it?” She watched him confidently cross his arms over his muscled chest. He seemed right at home lounging in her doorway. “You think you’re all that, don’t you?”
“Nah. But I think you’re all that.
Her heart continued to pound in her chest, like an errant child, demanding to be noticed. “You are entirely too pushy,” she told him. “I guess this is what’s meant by ‘offensive interference?’”
He gave her a look of sensual promise. “Let me come in and I’ll show you.”
“Perfect.” He stood up straight and clapped his hands with enthusiasm.
She laughed. “Let me rephrase that. I’m going to sleep.”
“Then let me tuck you in.”
“What are you going to do, read me a bedtime story?”
“No, give you a geography lesson.” He moved closer and reached out to touch her. His finger boldly traced a path from the soft skin at the hollow of her neck to the tender flesh between her cleavage. “We can discuss the hills and valleys of your anatomy,” he said.
Her skin was on fire where he’d touched her. Her smile vanished. “You should have been a politician,” she advised, gently pushing his hand away. “You’re so slick.”
“Yeah, but unlike a politician, I keep my promises.”
“What promises?”
“I promise I can make you scream.”
His voice was thick with desire. Alexa felt a dull throbbing began to spread between her legs. She believed him. She would bet her salary he could make any woman scream.
As if to prove his point, he leaned in and captured her lips with a hungry kiss. She readily accepted him, surrendering to her own carnal desires. His stroke was demanding, as his mouth enveloped hers in its intense heat. Their kiss was like their playful banter—erotic, scintillating, and filled with the promise of what might come next. He held nothing back, greedily sucking her tongue and taking full possession of her mouth.
She felt his hands cup her face, the rough pads of his thumbs softly caressing her cheeks. This gentle gesture was in stark contrast to his domineering kiss. When he moved his hands lower and he pulled her body close to his, she melted against his hard muscles, grinding her pelvis against his. A wild heat sparked through her body and nestled between her legs, demanding to be quenched. Tristan’s touch was bold, foreshadowing his lovemaking and leaving her starving for more.
She lost all inhibition as she felt herself caught up in his passionate kiss. He’d promised to make her scream and she would have, had his full lips not been covering hers, effectively making her scream die in her throat. His hands freely roamed her body, and she went limp as she savored the erotic feel of his skilled fingers. She’d never been kissed like this before, their tongues entwined and dancing to a rhythm of their own. Tristan was all-consuming, holding her hostage with his warm mouth. Only in her wildest fantasies could she have imagined this. And now, dreams had become reality.
The baseball bat she’d grabbed earlier fell from her hands and landed on the floor with a loud thud. She jumped in response to the unexpected noise, immediately breaking contact with him. The magical spell was broken, abruptly bringing her back to reality. Tristan stared at her with yearning.
She bent down and retrieved the bat. It had served to protect her after all, although she never thought she’d needed to be saved from herself. If she hadn’t dropped that bat, they might be screwing right now with the front door still wide open! Thank God she had come to her senses before it was too late. What must Tristan think of her? Easy lips, loose hips.
He moved toward her, but she backed away. She was in full control now.
“C’mon Alexa, I know you’re feeling me,” he entreated.
“I’m sure you have your pick of hoochies to choose from,” she breathlessly accused.
“True,” he admitted. “But I don’t want any hoochie. I want you.”
Once again, she was shocked by his raw sexuality. He didn’t bother to deny he had his fair share of booty calls. But she wasn’t ready to be just another notch in his belt. She knew when it was over she would never see him again. So why torture herself? She pointed toward the door. “You can leave now, Tristan.”
“You don’t really want to send me away,” he said. His dark eyes mirrored her own feelings of deep longing and regret.
You’re right. I don’t want to, but I need to. “Yes, I do,” she insisted.
He stared at her for what seemed like an eternity. It took all the resolve she had not to melt into a puddle at his feet. She bravely stood her ground, trying desperately to ignore the throbbing inside her wet panties. Please don’t test me. It’s all I can do just to stand here without my knees buckling.
He finally relented. “Okay. I’ll play by your rules tonight. But the next time –”
“There won’t be a next time,” she heard herself say.
“The next time, you start a fire,” he continued, all the while slowly scanning her body like a hunter stalking his prey, “You’d better be ready to put it out.” His eyes met hers and a lazy smile crept across his full lips. “Good night, Alexa.”
She quickly closed the door on his retreating back. She didn’t want to make a fool of herself by calling him back and begging him to soothe the ache that was building inside her. Her lips were tingling, and the flesh between her thighs was now swollen and moist. It was going to be hard as hell to get to sleep tonight. And even harder to forget about Tristan Rexford.
* * *
The next morning, Tristan had the displeasure of finding his picture splashed across the front page of the Dallas Morning News. He sat in the passenger seat of Lou’s Beemer and read the short article aloud. ‘“T-Rex Enjoys Southern Hospitality. So who was the mystery woman that California Predators quarterback Tristan Rexford was escorting about town yesterday? It’s none other than Dallas native, Dr. Alexa Kennedy. Rexford and Kennedy, who is a burn specialist at Mercy Hospital, were seen cavorting about at the Library Bar last night.’”
Tristan stopped reading for a moment. Cavorting? They’d each had two drinks. That could hardly be considered cavorting.
He continued, ‘“T-Rex was in town for the annual charity bachelor auction held at the W Hotel. Sources reveal that executives at Mercy took the winning bid for a date with the much sought-after football player. T-Rex will be a free agent in nine months. With millions of dollars at stake, some are wondering if this was just a casual date or possibly a publicity stunt to increase his profile.’” Increase my profile? My profile is just fine! ‘“Whatever the case, we all know one thing: Tristan Rexford has no problem giving himself over to the highest bidder.’”
Tristan crushed the newspaper into a crumpled ball. Both he and Alexa had made the front page. And the press had the gall to include a picture of them at The Library Bar, gazing into each other’s eyes. They made him seem like he was selling out to whoever could afford him. Ruthless imbeciles. Didn’t they respect anyone’s privacy? He tossed the paper ball to Lou, who was driving. “Burn this,” he said.
Lou nodded. “Don’t let that shit upset you, man. Focus on your family. Today, you’re Uncle T, not T-Rex.”
“I know, but it pisses me off when people get the facts twisted like that.”
Lou joked, “They say it’s better to be pissed off than pissed on.”
“It’s one thing to talk about me, but Alexa’s an innocent person.”
Lou gave him a strange look. “You always liked the spotlight. Stuff like this never bothered you before.”
“Well, it does now.” He didn’t want anyone meddling with his private life, especially with Alexa involved. What he did with her was nobody’s business. For about the hundredth time that day, he thought about the kiss they shared last night. His body got hot just remembering her response to him. She wanted him, and God knew he wanted her. He wanted her right now. If it hadn’t been for that damn baseball bat… He chuckled to himself. What was she doing with that thing anyway? Most people had a gun or an alarm system. Leave it to Alexa to carry a bat around with her.
He sat quietly as Lou drove through an exclusive neighborhood in Los Angeles. As he watched the tall palm trees sway in the breeze, he couldn’t help but compare them to the vast, cactus-filled landscape of Texas. He looked at his watch. It was almost noon. That would make it two o’clock in Dallas. The perfect time to fry an egg on the sidewalk. He wondered what the temperature was today. Probably somewhere between hot as Hell and hot enough to melt steel.
And what was Alexa was doing? Was she checking on her patients? Was she thinking about him? Had she seen the newspaper? His jaw tightened at the last thought. He needed to take Lou’s advice and focus on his family. Otherwise, he’d be miserable all day.
At last, Lou turned onto a wide street and pulled up to the circular drive of Nick’s palatial home. It was a Spanish style stucco house with a red tiled roof. Nick had picked it because he thought it would remind his wife, Carmen, of her home in Puerto Rico. Tristan wasn’t sure, but he didn’t think Puerto Rico had any homes like this. It was so large, even the four-car garage had its own bathroom.
As they traveled the long distance from the driveway to the front door, they passed a variety of well-manicured hedges and flowerbeds. The landscaping looked like it was maintained by a crew of professional gardeners, but it wasn’t. Gardening was Carmen’s hobby, and although she did much of the work by herself, over the years Nick had become her willing servant. On weekends he could be found lugging big bags of dirt around, digging holes to plant orange trees, and pruning Carmen’s precious hibiscus plants.
Tristan had offered to hire someone who would come in once a week to do the pruning and watering, but Carmen refused. She liked getting her hands dirty. She said it was her way of relieving stress. Maybe she had a point. Looking at these plants had always made him feel peaceful. Even now, he felt his stress fading away. His family was here. There were no reporters and no cameras. The only thing he had to fear was the wrath of his mother, who would no doubt lecture him about his late arrival.
When he opened the front door, the party was in full swing. He could hear the high squeal of the triplets laughing. The clown must have already arrived. “Tristan!” His dad appeared out of nowhere and gave him a bear hug, greeting him with his usual booming voice. That loud voice had always made him jump as a kid. As an adult, he found it amusing.
“Hey Pops.” Tristan hugged him back.
“Glad to see you made it safely back from Dallas. How was the trip?”
