by Lexy Timms
If it was Alex knocking, then he would break down the door if she didn’t answer. She had spent half the night crying, then, when she had enough of her tears she let anger simmer through her. At least being angry was easier than being hurt and heart broken. She would talk to Alex on Monday about her job. She didn’t want to give it up, and the more she thought about things, the more confused she grew. She finally decided that if Alex wanted to keep her on, he would have to find her a place that was not at his house. She wouldn’t be at his beck and call, and when work finished at the end of the day, that would be the end until the next morning. She believed that if they set up boundaries, they would be fine. The only problem was that she wasn’t sure if it was Alex she needed to convince or herself.
She groaned and sat up as the door knocking continued. “I’m coming!” she shouted. She got up, groaning, and grabbed a light robe to put on over her nightie, which showed way more skin than she was comfortable with in front of other people. She cinched the belt tight and then stepped over the pile of books at the bottom of her bed, only to trip on her throw rug.
The knocking continued. Whoever you are, you’re dead to me! “Stop knocking!” she shouted as she tried to regain her balance. “I said I’m coming!”
The knocking promptly stopped. Okay, it’s not my mother. She wouldn’t have stopped knocking. If anything, she would have started shouting at her through the door. That meant it was either Alex or Murray. Please, let it be Murray.
She opened the door to find Alex standing on the other side wearing black trousers, a crisp, white button down shirt, and holding two travel mugs of coffee. He smiled apologetically at her. “Hey,” he said, handing her one. “It looks like you need this.”
Jamie took it, not in a position to turn down free coffee. She sipped it. Pumpkin spice latte, her favorite. He must have had Murray make it special because it was out of season. “What do you want?” she asked, sighing as she moved aside so he could come in.
“I’ve been thinking,” he said, sitting down on her couch, all confident and oozing sex appeal. “I think you should go to your sister’s wedding.”
“Alex, I’m not going.” She moved to stand in front of him after closing the door. “I don’t want to see them. And besides, I have nothing to wear.” That wasn’t exactly true, though. The red dress in the back of her closet tempted her every day. She was sure she could fit into it now.
“I know you don’t want to go right now,” Alex said. “But some things you just have to go to. I know you will regret it for the rest of your life if you don’t go. Just like I would have regretted it if I didn’t go see my father during those last few days. You helped me then and, despite my mistakes and you wanting to resign, I’m going to help you now.” The determination on his face told her he wasn’t going to accept no.
She smiled. He was playing her game. And she knew, deep down, that he was right. “You didn’t have to wake me up so early, you know,” she muttered. “It’s not for several more hours and there’s no way in hell I’m showing up early to help out.”
“No, of course not!” Alex grinned. “You want to re-establish relations with your family, not resume your role as their slave, Cinderella. How about your chariot driver takes you out for a nice breakfast before we go to the wedding?”
Driver? “You’re coming?”
He hesitated before answering. “I owe you. Big time. Plus, you need someone in your corner who isn’t scared of your mother.”
She smiled. “Thank you, Alex.”
He watched her and for a moment, he let down his guard completely, showing all of the desire and happiness in his expression as well as something else that Jamie wouldn’t let herself acknowledge. “I’m not perfect. I’m sorry I’ve disappointed you so many times, but I’m going to be there for you like you were for me.”
She blushed and sipped her coffee, not sure what to say.
Alex didn’t seem to mind. He drank his own as well, watching her. Studying her. She felt her body warm up to his gaze. She still had feelings for him. It was impossible not to. And suddenly, the wedding didn’t seem like the worst thing in the world if he was going with her. She had the weekend, on Monday they could talk business and her moving out, or moving on.
“So, when are we leaving for breakfast?” Jamie asked.
“Now? Whenever you want,” Alex said. “I didn’t make a reservation on purpose so you have plenty of time to get ready at your leisure.”
She giggled. “You don’t need reservations for breakfast. You hit a local dive and dig in.”
“Okay,” he said. “You choose the place.”
Her stomach growled, as if controlled by him. She ignored his cocky smile. “Give me five minutes.”
“Jamie?”
“Yeah?”
“Maybe you should take your time getting ready and change for the wedding. I can just wait here for you.”
She pressed her eyebrows together. “Why?” She imagined bacon grease dripping on her dress, or egg yolk.
He cleared his throat and fiddled with the top button of his shirt. “I might have made reservations. Take your time.”
She hesitated and watched him. Alex was up to something. Instinct told her to do as he asked. She nodded slowly. “Okay.”
She left him in the living room and hopped into the bathroom for a shower. She took her time, shaving her legs and enjoying the hot water to wake her up. She blow dried her hair and styled it, debating if she should wear the red dress or just go in a work outfit. As she did her makeup, she put it on to go with the red dress. Then decided she would wear a plain yellow one she’d bought as a backup. Towel around her, she peeked out into the living room and saw the back of Alex’s head. She moved to her wardrobe and reached for the yellow cotton sundress before glancing at that red dress. It hung there, incredibly sexy and perfect for the wedding and warm weather. What did she have to lose wearing it? The little devil on her shoulder told her to do it. Even the little angel on the other side encouraged her. Screw it! I’m freakin’ wearing it!
She took it off the hanger and snipped off the tags before slipping it on. She sucked in her tummy and zipped it up. She turned to the full-length mirror and grinned. The dress wasn’t too snug. It fit her perfectly. She stared at herself in the mirror and twirled around. She looked like a sexy, badass princess. All she needed was the garter and a little gun. Damn, Jamie, you can clean up nicely! Show Alex what he’s missing out on! Do it!
Before losing her courage, she walked out into the living room to Alex. “I’m ready.”
His eyes widened when he stood and turned to her. His gaze darkened immediately with lust. His lips parted as he sharply took in air. “Jamie! You. Look. Amazing.”
“Thanks,” she said, staring down at the floor as heat spread all over her body from his look. She wondered if her own desire was as obvious as his. She was sure it was. Probably worse.
“Are you ready to go?” Alex asked, his voice thick with desire.
She nodded. “Yes, let’s go before I change my mind. I think I’m going to need a mimosa.”
He chuckled. “I’ve sworn off those things. They leave you with a bloody, terrible hangover.”
They walked out to a long, black limo waiting with a driver.
Her jaw dropped. “For us? For breakfast?”
“I knew you were going to hate going to your sister’s wedding, so I wanted to make it as pleasurable for you as I possibly could.” He grinned, happy to have surprised her. “I figured a limo and breakfast would be a good start. My plan is to try and make you forget you’re even going to the wedding.”
“Or we could just skip it.”
He laughed. “Nice try.”
“What about the coffee?”
“That was to get me through the door.” He grinned at her and Jamie couldn’t help but smile back. He broke his gaze away from hers, only to open the limo door for her. He helped her in by holding her hand as if he needed any excuse to touch her. She got in and r
elaxed against the plush seats. It was the most comfortable car seat she had ever sat on. He slid in beside her and grabbed her hand again. As soon as the door closed, the limo pulled out onto the long drive.
“Alex, can I ask you something?”
“Anything,” he said, but his face grew guarded.
“Are you doing this just because I helped you through your father’s funeral?”
He hesitated, swallowed, and then shook his head. “No,” he said finally. “I have plenty of selfish reasons as well. Some include what you said to me that day we…” He squeezed her hand but didn’t finish the sentence. “It also has to do with what you said last night. I don’t want you to quit your job. I don’t want to lose you. I may have fucked up the chance to be with you, but you are the best damn personal assistant I ever had, and I’m a businessman. I’m not going to let you go that easily. I’ll do whatever it takes.”
Was he talking about his heart or her job? She couldn’t seem to see the line between the two of them. Her heart rate stuttered as she forgot to breathe. She didn’t want to hope, but she couldn’t stop herself.
They ate breakfast in a lavish restaurant by an upscale local inn in the area. While they ate, they bantered and made lighter conversation, neither mentioning relationships, romance or business. Alex kept the conversation revolving around everything, from the weather, to style trends, and sports. He played his part perfectly, keeping Jamie distracted with thoughts of the wedding.
However, his eyes travelling down her body, hesitating over her cleavage, grew distracting, and despite keeping the conversation strictly platonic, Jamie couldn’t ignore the sexual tension between them. It grew so thick she was sure that if someone tried to cut it with a knife, the blade would break clean off. She was sure he felt the same by the way his hand lingered whenever it accidentally brushed hers and the way he held her gaze with his own intense stare.
When he held open the car door for her, Jamie’s stomach clenched tight with nerves, not just because of the wedding, but also because Alex was so close to her. Not wanting him to know what he was doing to her, she babbled nervously, “My mother is going to have a coronary when she sees this dress. I’m not sure going to the wedding is a smart idea. It’s Christine’s day.”
“And she’d want you there.” He opened the limo door and reached for her hand again. “Relax,” Alex squeezed her hand gently, “it’s going to be okay. I’m going to be at your side the entire time. You also know your father’s also on your side, even though he might not show it.”
She nodded. She couldn’t blame her father. He had to live with his wife every day. “My mother is freakin’ scary.” When Alex’s eyebrows popped up, she laughed. “You know the evil stepmother in Cinderella?”
“Jamie!!” He tried to look horrified but the corners of his mouth curled up. He joked, “She’s not that mean.”
“No.” She squeezed Alex’s hand tightly. “I think she’s worse.” She laughed and winked at him. She straightened her shoulders and looked straight ahead, the fun of the moment fading. “Okay. Let’s get this thing over with.”
Chapter 18
The limo drew plenty of stares when it pulled up in front of the little church. Almost immediately, guests from inside started meandering out to see if it was the bride. Jamie spotted her dad in the crowd and took a deep breath. Instead of letting Alex open the door, the driver went around to let them out.
“If we’re going to put on a show, we might as well do it right,” Alex murmured in her ear.
She giggled nervously. “We’re not supposed to show up the bride.”
He kissed the top of her head. “Relax. You look incredible. Unbelievably, undeniably, hard core sexy.”
The door opened and he slid out first, smiling politely at the crowd with all the confidence of someone who had done this a million times already, or owned millions of dollars. He held out his hand and helped her out of the limo.
Jamie kept her eyes on the ground and focused on not doing something mortifying, like tripping or accidentally giving the crowd a peek of her undergarments. Shit! I’m not wearing any. Murmurs rippled through the small crowd as they stared at Jamie and her rich date.
That’s right. The prodigal daughter returns… without panties. She smiled defiantly back at all of Christine’s and Stephen’s friends. They could judge her all they wanted. She wasn’t going to care what they thought.
Her eyes rested on her father, who had a grin on his face, but he wasn’t looking at her at the moment. He was looking at Alex. She looked at her escort, who was smiling back at her father, and she immediately became suspicious. What the hell did they know that she didn’t?
Alex kept a firm grip on her hand as they approached the church. The onlookers parted, whispering behind their hands like middle schoolers.
“She actually had the nerve to show up her sister.”
“I heard she tried to seduce Stephen. It looks like the poor, desperate thing couldn’t contain herself.”
“It’s so sad that she had to hire an escort just so she would have a plus one. Is that an escort? He’s awful hot.”
“Idiot, that’s her boss,” some guy said loudly to his wife. “Why don’t you wear a dress like that?”
“Ignore them,” Alex whispered in her ear. “They’re all idiots. Except the guy muttering about the red dress. He’s right on that one.”
Jamie laughed and relaxed slightly.
Her father joined them on Jamie’s other side, acting as a shield between her and the other guests. “You look beautiful, Jamie,” he said, grinning at her. “I’m glad Alex could make it as well.”
“What are you two up to?” Jamie whispered. “Are you guys planning a robbery? You’re thick as thieves.”
“Your father and I have reached an understanding,” Alex said, a smile obvious in his voice.
Jamie stared hard at him. One thing for sure: she was not going to stop until she figured out what they were up to. When had her father and Alex started talking? And when had her father started liking Alex?
If her father noticed Jamie’s inner conflict, he didn’t let on. “The wedding is just about all set up. The wedding planner was very efficient with everything.”
“Son of a bitch,” Jamie said. “They hired a wedding planner.”
“Yes,” the older man rolled his eyes, “apparently, Christine thought it would be less stressful on Scarlet, the new maid of honor, if a wedding planner took care of it all.”
It would be less stressful on Scarlet, who had been planning parties since she was twelve and didn’t have a job and all the time in the world with her workaholic husband constantly fleeing the country to avoid her, but heaven forbid Christine think about hiring a planner when her sister, with a full-time job, was the maid of honor. She took a deep breath. “That was nice of Christine to help Scarlet.” She tried to sound sincere and hoped it didn’t come out sarcastic. She hadn’t come here to get angry. Jamie and Christine would never see eye to eye on most things, but this wasn’t the day to argue about it. For better or worse she would support her sister today and not ruin anything. This wasn’t about her. “Where is Christine?” Jamie asked. “Is she still getting ready?”
Her father smiled. “Your mother’s in there with her now. Personally, I’d join the Marine Corps before walking into that room.” He shuddered.
Jamie smiled. “I know,” she said, kissing him on the cheek. “But I’m going to brave it. I want to wish her luck on her wedding day.” She left both men staring at her as she walked to the side room of the church meant for the bridal party.
“I will never fully understand her,” she heard her father say to Alex.
“I’ll spend the rest of my life trying.”
Alex’s words warmed her, but she pushed that aside and focused on the sound of sobbing coming from the other side of the door. “My wedding day’s ruined!” Christine wailed. “Completely ruined! How could this happen?”
“Shh, it’s okay sweetie,” her
mother said soothingly. “Nothing’s ruined. It’s just a small rip.”
Jamie knocked on the door.
“Not now, Scarlet!” Christine hissed.
“It’s me, Jamie.”
Silence.
Jamie waited a couple of seconds and then sighed. “May I come in?”
“It’s a free country,” Christine growled.
“Come in, Jamie,” her mother called out.
Jamie cautiously opened the door, half expecting a bouquet of flowers to come flying in her direction. Christine sat on the floor in her gigantic wedding dress that looked like a cupcake at the moment. Her makeup was still perfect, even as tears coursed down her cheeks. On the side of her dress was a split seam that exposed part of Christine’s hip. It looks like her sister had succumbed to the thing she had always criticized Jamie for: stress eating. Jamie could see the roundness in her sister’s face from the weight gain.
Her sister and mother stared at her. She had no idea if it was because she was there or because of what she was wearing.
Her mother slowly came forward and threw her arms around her daughter. “It’s nice to see you,” she whispered.
Jamie smiled and savored the hug. She tried to swallow the lump in her throat as she looked at her misty-eyed mother. “It’s nice to see you too, Mom,” she said. “You look lovely.”
“Hello! I’m the one walking down the aisle in fifteen minutes and I’m about to cancel the freakin’ wedding,” Christine pouted at them, her arms crossed over her chest.
She looked like a spoiled brat. “I can fix it,” Jamie offered. “It shouldn’t take more than a couple of minutes to stitch up and no one will even notice. But I’ll need a sewing kit.”
“I’ll get one,” her mother said. “There’s a craft store down the street. I’ll be back in five minutes.”
Jamie could have sworn she saw her mother breathe a sigh of relief as she raced out of the room. She took a deep breath and turned to her sister. Jamie grabbed the make-up kit off the dressing room table. “Let’s get you cleaned up,” she murmured and carefully started to touch up the few spots on Christine’s face. “It’s amazing how they do the mascara these days. Your eyes are perfect.” She started dabbing at her sister’s face.
