by C. Shell
"Thank you, Alice," he replies.
I feel my cheeks blush red with embarrassment. Taking steady breaths I try and calm my rapid heartbeat as my heart hammers a fast temp in my chest. I have not felt this helpless since I was a child. I refuse to be a victim. That asshole does not have the right to continue to torment me now that I am safe and back home. I did not get where I am in this world by lying down and letting others walk over me and I refuse to start now.
Turning in Alex's arms I burrow my head against his shoulder breathing him in and inhaling his unique smell. "Thank you. I am sorry I freaked out on you." I murmur against his shirt.
"Don't you dare apologize," he hisses sweeping a kiss against my temple. "I should not have snuck up on you like that. I am sorry baby and I promise I won't do it again." Racking a shaky hand through his hair he looks down at me through thick, black lashes cursing under his breath. "I hate that that motherfucker scared and hurt you. I swear I will hunt him and anyone connected to him down and make them all pay."
"I know you will and I love you for wanting to protect me," I say kissing him softly on his cheek. We stand there in the living room holding each other in silence for what seems like hours but is honestly more like ten minutes when my stomach interrupts our snuggling time by rumbling loudly.
"It sounds like I am slacking on my duties and need to feed you," Alex laughs pulling on my hand so I follow him to the kitchen.
Gazing out of the large wall of windows in the dining room, I am surprised to see the sun already setting. Since we got home we have been so consumed in our own little world making up on lost time together that I totally lost track of how late it is. When we returned I had planned on getting updated on emails and upcoming jobs hoping to help out Jane as much possible from here but I guess I will need to add those things to my rising list of things to do tomorrow.
"I took the liberty of having some meals made up for us for the coming week. How does parmesan chicken and rice sound to you?"
"Sounds yummy," I say pulling myself up onto a bar stool so I can watch him as he works at warming up the food and pouring us two glasses of white wine.
"The doctor said you are allowed one glass of wine a day while you are taking your medicine. No more than that." His warning and harsh tone does not go unnoticed but is totally unnecessary. I have decided to slow down on the alcohol intake. Recreational or not this last weekend scared me and I can't help but wonder if things would have been different if I had not been drinking.
"Don't we need to make a plate for Alice and George? I am sure they are just as hungry as we are."
"Good idea love. It is going to take some time getting used to having company I suppose. They have been instructed to where everything in the house is located and to treat this place as their own while they are staying with us," he says thoughtfully. "Why don't you invite them to join us while I finish up in here?"
"Sure. Be right back." Hopping off my stool, I quickly walk towards the set of spare bedrooms in the back of the penthouse. Knocking lightly on each of their doors I invite them both to join us for dinner while secretly hoping they accept so I have a chance to try and get to know them better.
If we are all going to be confined to the same space for however long than I would feel more conformable if we could break the ice and get to know each other. Anything to try and make our time together less formal and more friendly. To my delight, they both agree and my overzealous mind instantly begins thinking up questions to ask them.
My timing is perfect as I return to find Alex already finished with plating our food and placing the last glass of wine on the table. Being back home and in our old routine is exactly what I need to heal. Our eyes lock and the heat that transmits between us melts me all over again. Alex helps me to feel whole when normally I feel like nothing more than a bunch of odd puzzle pieces that quite don't fit together.
George and Alice walk into the room breaking our connection and I accept the interruption and play hostess and get everyone seated and settled. The food smells delicious as we all dig in. I forgot what it was like to have real food and not that fake stuff the hospitals serve claiming that it is good for you. For the past few days I have managed to live off nothing but chocolate pudding and strawberry Jell-O. It was the only thing they served tasted halfway decent.
I refill everyone's drinks then sit down and play with the remainder of my food on my plate while silently observing my two new hired friends. "Alice tell me a little about yourself," I ask nonchalantly.
She glances over at Alex before speaking, "I was previously in the Army for four years and did two tours in Iraq during that time. I have been working as a specialized bodyguard for over five years now and have worked with George on three jobs before this."
"That is amazing. What about you personally? Have any brothers or sisters, married or single, kids or no kids?" I ask wanting to know more about who she is and not a list of her resume requirements.
I smile noticing that my questions seem to have surprised her. She actually seems a bit nervous as she glances around the table taking a moment before answering. "I have two older brothers; I am recently divorced and never had any children. Don't want any to be honest."
I was hoping for a little more in-depth answers than that but I will take what I can get for now. Ignoring Alex's reprimanding stare I turn my attention to George. "So George what about you? If you two are going to be shackled to me for a while I would like to know a little more about you."
His answers are more relaxed than stuffy Alice's. Out of the two of them I can tell he is going to be easier and more fun to be around. I quickly learn that George is an only child and from the stories he tells he seems to be a momma's boy. He also was in the Army and did one tour in Iraq but not at the same time as Alice. He has never been married, loves kids but does not want any of his own either. He is infatuated with ice cream, enjoys country music, his favorite color is blue, and he has never broken a bone. Yes, I definitely think George and I will get along perfectly.
After dinner the goon squad retreats back to their rooms while I help Alex clean the table and put away the dishes. While filling the dishwasher, I feel Alex move behind me. His hands begin kneading my tense shoulder muscles and I close my eyes as my whole body relents to his touch and my body relaxes.
"Oh God, that feels good," I moan as he continues his heavenly assault on my shoulders and arms.
Batting my hands away from the dishwasher he tries pulling me behind him towards the bedroom. "I will finish this in the morning, baby. You have had a full day and need your rest. Doctors orders," he adds with a chuckle.
I happily relent, not needing to be told twice. Drying off my hands I follow him wondering if he really has sleep on his mind or something more interesting. No matter how much he pushes I don't feel right calling it our bedroom. I have my own place and my own bedroom and until we are free of Lexy the Wicked Witch of the West, I don't think it is right to go push our relationship any further than we already have. I might hate this decision later on but deep down I know it is the right choice.
Standing me in front of the bed he carefully peels off my clothing before taking off his own and laying me down on the bed. To my utter disappointment, he really only has sleep on his mind. He climbs in be beside me pulling me against him while tucking me into the crook of his arm. I reach for the covers and tuck them tightly around us.
My body is wired and the last thing I want is sleep. I lay still, silently pouting like a petulant child before taking matters into my own hands. Stretching my body out beside his, I move my hand to his chest making sure to graze his nipples as my hand lightly rubs large circles over his tight abs. He stiffens beside me and makes an odd coughing sound but does not say or do anything to encourage me on or to stop me for that matter.
Irritated, I move my hand further down his body hoping to excite a response out of him. I ruffle the sparse hairs on his chest, outline his belly button with my fingers and then allow my hand to drif
t on down to his engorged cock, which jumps and pulses in my hand. That did it. Just the response I was hoping for.
"Stop trying to push me into taking you or I will tie your hands to this bed and make you stay that way the remainder of the night," he growls in frustration. "You need to rest baby. You have been through so much in the past week your body needs time to heal."
Turning over onto his side he rearranges us, pulling me back against his chest and wrapping his arms around me tightly like a vise. With a kiss to my temple and a sweet "I love you" the discussion is ended. He falls fast asleep while I lay in his arms listening to the beat of his heart and steady breathing. I try and stay mad but I have never been very good at holding grudges. I reluctantly cave and fall asleep.
Chapter 5
My hand repeatedly slams down on the side table trying to shut up the stupid alarm that is not there. Annoyed I sit up rubbing at my tired eyes as I try and figure out where the hell my alarm has gone. It dawns on me that I am not at my condo. The blaring noise is from Alex's alarm, which he strategically placed across the room leaving him no choice but get out of bed to turn it off.
I not so gently nudge him in the stomach a few times urging him to get up and take care of it. When he is not looking I plan on moving that damn thing to a much easier to reach location, preferably on my side of the bed. He must have missed the memo that alarm clocks are to be hit and thrown in the mornings. Cursing under his breath, he takes my not so subtle hint and staggers out of bed silencing the beast on his way to the bathroom.
"Why are you getting up so early?" I mumble, noticing the sun is not even out yet.
"I have a big meeting this morning with some advertisers and I need some time to prep for it." Kissing my cheek he breathes," I will be back by lunch to check on you. Be good!"
I don't have the energy to respond so I do the next best thing and pull the warm covers over my head as I cuddle back into the warmth of the bed and fall soundly back to sleep.
I will never openly admit that Alex was right but unfortunately he was. I am not sure exactly when he left for work, but it was long before I am finally climb out of bed right before noon. I never sleep this late but my body obviously needed the extra down time.
Right or wrong I am still sour on the fact that he blatantly turned me down last night. I laugh silently, promising sweet revenge. The next time I have Alex hard and ready, he won't know what hit him as I plan on returning the favor to see how he likes me denying him what he longs for.
Running my fingers through my matted hair, I decide a shower is a must before anything else. The powerful spray of the hot water feels amazing and does the trick to fully wake me up. Climbing out I wrap a fluffy white towel around myself and search around until I find my hairbrush and other toiletries packed away in my bag.
As I brush out my tangles, my mind drifts back to my stepbrother Daniel and the promise I made to contact him today. The thought of meeting him makes me feel excited yet scared at the same time. What if he hates me? It is not that I need his approval but with my mom and I doing our best to ignore each other, I can't deny liking the idea of have a close connection to someone who is family. Oh my, I really sound pathetic.
My hand absently traces the fading bruises around my arms and collarbone from my attacker. A few more days and they should be nothing more than horrible memory, a memory that I need to find a way to get past and move forward from.
Throwing on my favorite pair of jeans and a light sweater, I wander out of the bedroom towards the kitchen to find me something to eat. I am a bit surprised to find Alice and George gathered at the breakfast bar with an array of newspapers spread around them while working on their respective laptops.
"Good morning," I say hesitantly. I have to find a way to get over my shyness around them. They have not done anything to warrant me feeling uncomfortable but for some odd reason I have a hard time relaxing in their presence.
Alice waves her hand at me not bothering to look up from the screen in front of her and George, being his cheerful self, jumps up and begins making me a cup of coffee. "You are looking well and rested today, Ms. Grayson," he says while adding my usual amounts of sugar and milk in my coffee before sliding it over the bar towards me.
"Thank you, George. I am feeling much better." I take a tentative taste of my coffee then give him a reassuring smile letting him know he succeeded in making it to my liking. Seems as though my sneaky man has been updating my two new friends on my likes and dislikes. Speaking of which. "George have you spoken with Alex this morning? He said something about checking in around noon, but I was really tired and did not pay much attention to his exact words."
"Yes, he called earlier and said for you to take it easy today. Once his meetings end, he would sneak back up here to check on you." Taking a seat beside me he gives me an apologetic look then adds," I am instructed to also tell you that your car has been returned to your condo. You are not allowed to leave unless you have spoken with Mr. Harlow before hand and gotten his permission."
"Permission? You have got to be joking!"
Poor George. He looks as though he would rather be anywhere else than having to stand here having this conversation with me. Alex has lost his mind if he thinks he has total control of my comings and goings while I stay here. I heard the doctor's orders myself and yes they cautioned me to take it easy and give myself at least a full week to heal, but they never said I needed to be handled like a child or that I might break if left unattended.
I thank George, grab a few pieces of toast and head back into the bedroom needing a few minutes to think and gather myself before I do or say something I might regret. Alex's heart is in the right place but his way of thinking is way off. There is no way I will be able to last a full week locked up in his place. I will surely go postal. Finishing off my breakfast I brush off the crumbs that have accumulated on my shirt and go change into some work-out clothes with the plan on hitting up Alex's home gym and working out some of my frustrations before he returns and gets the brunt of it.
I feel around my sprained ankle making sure it is well enough to withstand some running. The swelling has gone completely down and it is only a bit tender so as long as I wear my supportive ankle brace, I should be fine. Grabbing my Ipod I head towards the gym excited about doing something productive for a change.
The days of lying around have made my muscles tight. It does not take long running on the treadmill before I am cursing under my breath and sweating puddles. The long warm-up I did before did very little to help with enduring the pain and strain I feel flooding my joints and muscles. Switching to a more upbeat tune on my IPod I switch gears and push through the pain determined to finish the course I am on and not give up.
I am only ten minutes into my newly found gate when I feel strong arms wrap around my waist hauling me off the machine and pinning me up against the back wall. A loud scream breaks from my throat as panic grips me. I quickly calm as I take in my surroundings and the seething gorgeous man in front of me. I am thankful he is still holding me up because my tired legs have no more strength left in them.
"What the hell is wrong with you? You scared me." I shout confused and ticked off.
"What the hell is wrong with me? I am wondering the same question about you," he growls. "Alice informed me that you have been in here running hard and heavy for the past two hours. One day back home and you are already overdoing it. What part of take it easy did you not understand, Jessica?" He asks while plowing a frustrated hand through his beautifully thick black hair. My fingers tingle wanting to help him out and feel the silky strands glide through them. "Keep it up baby and I will delight in tying you to our bed and leaving you there each day while I work."
Despite my growing irritation I shutter inside thinking about the many ways he could take me while being tied up and at his disposal. Shaking off the flutter of arousal dampening my panties I try and push his hands off me but my feeble attempt is useless against his strength.
I open
my mouth ready to defend myself- then close it realizing yelling back at Alex will not win any points with him. "I am sorry Alex." I mutter, running my tongue suggestively over my bottom lip. "I was not trying to hurt myself. I just needed to work off some extra energy and since you were not around to help me with the task I thought running was the next best option."
He blinks back at me and I can tell he is processing my words. His eyes drop down taking in my tight, pink sports bra barely concealing my perky, hard nipples to my short, clingy black bike shorts. Leaning down he grasps my head between his hands and kisses me hard. This is not a sweet kiss but one with passion and longing for more.
My thighs rub together in anticipation of what is to come. The air around us changes as we both rid ourselves of our restricting clothing while our lips continue to crash together. I run my hand down his chest to his jetting hard cock. My finger wipes away the pebble of juice leaking out of the top of him and uses it to help my hand easily glide up and down as I stroke the length with my hand.
"Fuck," Alex shouts panting hard. "You are killing me baby." His body is hard and taunt as I continue my assault enjoying watching him fall apart in my hands. For a brief moment I feel powerful watching this Adonis of a man come undone at the seams for me. I swipe my finger back over his weeping cock then pull my wet finger up to my mouth and lick it clean. His eyes widen and he shudders through clenched teeth.
"You taste good," I breathe against his ear. He lifts me up digging his hands into my ass and I respond wrapping my legs around his waist. Bracing me between him and the wall, I whimper as his cock rubs fluidly against my swollen clit.
"Hold on love this is going to be hard and fast."
My fingers grip his shoulders as he lines our bodies up and pushes his hips forward. I cry out as he fills me completely with a hard thrust. He captures my hard nipple between his fingers kneading and rolling it around while continuing his fast rhythmic thrusts, slamming back into me again and again. I moan in response, my body soaring higher and higher towards an epic release. My insides begin to quiver and I hear Alex moan low in his throat in response.
