The Avoiding Series Boxset

by K. A. Linde

  As the music changed, he guided her hips to match his and she followed easily. He liked that. Meant good things for later. Or now.

  “Do you want to get out of here?” he questioned into her ear.

  She leaned her head back against his chest and swayed to the music. “I’m here with a friend. I can’t leave without her,” she told him.

  He sighed. Seriously? She was going to pull that?

  Suddenly she was going to get all guilty on him. He hadn’t heard of any friend up until now. Seemed a bit suspicious…like she was trying to find a way out. Not sure why. She had been throwing herself at him all night.

  The girl immediately started describing her friend who apparently was gorgeous. He could appreciate exotic beauty, but he was really just ready to take this one home and have his way with her.

  Now he had to ditch her friend, who he hadn’t seen all night. It would be easier to just pick someone else up, but this girl had him intrigued. She looked like Parker and didn’t care about his trust fund. He had never met anyone else like that. He had wanted to sleep with her with only the first criteria. The second was a fucking bonus.

  Ramsey located her friend much more quickly than she would have been capable of alone. His height gave him a distinct advantage.

  “Chyna, time to go,” she commanded, peeling her friend, Chyna, off of some guy she had locked lips with. Whoever he was didn’t look too pleased, but after seeing Ramsey, he quickly backed off and vacated the premises.

  “Alexa,” she shrieked, “the love of my life!”

  Alexa giggled as Chyna tackled her, forcing them both back into his hard chest. He could appreciate this. The friend was pretty fucking gorgeous. She was probably a model though and self-absorbed. Now that he had what he was looking for, he had no interest in the other. A threesome would have been icing on the cake, but he kind of wanted this Alexa to himself. And she probably wouldn’t be up for it. They looked too close.

  “Oh, excuse us,” Chyna trilled, batting her long lustrous eyelashes.

  He nearly rolled his eyes. This was what he had been expecting. “It’s not a problem. I was just helping, Alexa, find you,” he said, smiling politely at Chyna.

  “Ohhhh,” she said. Her eyes moved from Alexa back to him. “Well, thank you for that. She’s hardly ever able to find me on her own.”

  “So, she told me,” he said dryly, glancing back over at Alexa. Really. Time to ditch this chick. She wouldn’t have even noticed if they had already left. What was the hold up?

  “It is time for me to go,” Chyna said faking a yawn. Yes, go! “I guess I should check out. I’m sure you can find your own way home, right chica?”

  Alexa glared at her friend, and Ramsey wondered why. They were going home together. It was time to leave.

  “Can you excuse us for a minute?” Alexa asked him.

  As he nodded reluctantly, she yanked Chyna out of earshot from him. God, he hoped she was telling her to get the fuck out and quickly. His place at the Plaza was calling his name, and he was pretty much ready to fuck her in every room in his suite. Maybe multiple times in one room. After all he had the bed and the floor in the bedroom, there were two chairs in the den, a shower and bath…

  He wasn’t sure how long their conversation lasted as he envisioned what he had planned for her, but they soon returned. Alexa looked sheepish. What was that about?

  “Sorry, we have to get out of here,” she said as she turned toward him.

  “We?” he asked incredulously. She pointed between her and Chyna, and his face transformed at the realization that she was going to leave without him.

  Fuck! She had to be joking! He had put in all the effort. He had done all the right things. Okay, so maybe wanting to fuck her because she looked like Parker wasn’t exactly the right thing, but she had been after him anyway. It wasn’t like she was all sweet and innocent. And now she was going to leave him hanging? What the fuck!

  “Sorry. I know you have that meeting,” she added quickly. He knew she was lying. She didn’t care about his meeting and neither had he. “Maybe we can meet up some other time.”

  “I’m leaving the city tomorrow,” he told her, trying to keep the sexual frustration out of his voice.

  He couldn’t push her. She was pretty set even if she did look sorry. He didn’t need her regret. He needed her in his hotel room. He responded warmly anyway, “But maybe I could get your number and the next time I’m in town we can meet up.”

  Chyna grumbled something in her ear, but she swatted her away. She clearly didn’t want to hear a voice of reason. “Sure. Here’s my number,” she told him.

  She quickly punched her digits into his Blackberry and then dragged Chyna to the door. He watched her walk out of the club in a state of shock.

  How did he keep letting Parker just walk out of his life without a fight?

  STARVING

  Ramsey had to remind himself that whoever that girl was, that Alexa, she wasn’t Parker. She just happened to look like her. And he had been about to use her. Man, he was fucked up.

  He glanced down at the screen, where she had put her phone number under just the name Alexa. He smirked as he recognized the Georgia area code. She did have a Southern accent.

  He should probably delete the number. He wasn’t going to call her anyway. When he sobered up, he would realize how big of a mistake this all was. If he was already recognizing it now, then it would be ten times worse tomorrow. Or maybe he wouldn’t care. He didn’t normally care about anything, especially not some girl who had refused him a one night stand.

  Ramsey sighed, running his hand back through his blonde hair, and walked back to the bar.

  “You look like you got hit with a ton of bricks,” Lacy said, pushing a drink toward him, “and you probably need that.”

  He nodded not acknowledging her statement.

  “Did that girl actually turn you down?”

  Lacy sounded disbelieving, and he didn’t want her to think that. He very rarely was turned down. Actually, when was the last time that had happened? He couldn’t remember. Maybe it hadn’t happened. Not until Alexa.

  “I could go for that pie,” he said, swirling the drink around, but not indulging.

  Lacy turned and looked at the clock. “It’s only two.”

  “So, get out of it.”

  “It’s Saturday, and it’s swamped,” she told him. “I’ll make another couple hundred in tips alone tonight. No chance.”

  “Lace, the money. Really?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

  “I’m not letting you pay.”

  “I’ll be buying the pie.”

  “You have such a way with words,” she said, rolling her eyes.

  He smirked wishing he could put more effort into it, but he was glad he didn’t have to with Lacy.

  “Fine,” she said, giving in. “I’ll meet you out front.”

  Ramsey nodded, relieved that at least something was going as planned, and left the club. It was surprisingly nice to leave the ever-present din behind him. After Alexa’s departure, all he wanted was to forget ever thinking about Parker. Thinking about Parker only stirred up old feelings and old memories. It brought up why he had bought the clubs in the first place, and didn’t let him escape in them as easily. After what had happened tonight, he needed a bigger distraction than that.

  Since he figured he had awhile to wait for Lacy, he pulled out his phone and dialed Bekah’s number. He wasn’t sure if she would be awake at this hour, but he might as well let her know about the interview…or lack thereof.

  She answered on the first ring as if she hadn’t even been sleeping. Strange. “Hey,” she said, her sugary sweetness melting through the phone.

  “Hey, your interview never showed,” Ramsey told her.

  “Yeah, he called and said he had to cancel. Something came up,” Bekah told him. “Did I not mention that?”

  “No, you didn’t,” Ramsey said through gritted teeth.

  “I hope you didn’t wait lon
g for him,” Bekah said in her sugar sweet voice.

  “I didn’t. Is he rescheduling? I’m only here until tomorrow.”

  “No. I think I’ll make him wait. He has promise, but he’s going to have to come to Atlanta if he wants the interview this time. Maybe I’ll give him a month,” she said with a giggle.

  “It gives you some sick pleasure torturing this guy, doesn’t it? You don’t even know if you want him for the company, and yet you’re going to make him wait a whole month before another interview,” Ramsey said not even sure why he was bothering with Bekah. She never listened to him. And he didn’t want to be a part of the company. Sometimes he just wanted to shake some sense into her.

  “If he wants it bad enough, then he can wait. It’s not like we’re dying to fill the position anyway,” she said off-hand.

  “Then why did you have me take time out of my vacation to do this?” he all but yelled at his sister.

  “Because I knew you would,” she said. He could almost see that characteristic smile cross her face. Her mask of innocence attempting to conceal her controlling ways. He was so tired of it all.

  “Can you try to keep me out of your plans next time, Bek?” he asked knowing it was futile.

  “Sure, Ramsey,” she said. “I’ll try.” Bekah hung up again without another word and he sighed. She needed to quit doing that.

  He ran a hand back through his hair, frustrated about everything that had happened tonight. He had been so…cheery earlier. This Alexa girl had fucked him up.

  Luckily, Lacy rounded the corner at that moment. A thankful reprieve from his thoughts.

  “Hey, you ready to go?” Lacy asked, stubbing out a cigarette with her high heel and walking up to him.

  “Very ready,” he said, helping her into a waiting cab and sliding in next to her.

  “Still hungry?”

  “Starving,” he told her, resting a hand on her thigh.

  The End

  Thank you so much for everyone who encouraged me to write from the point of view of my two males leads. Ramsey’s point of view came out of a fun contest I did with Mollie Harper at Tough Critics Book Blog. I appreciate everyone who voted and participated in her contest that gave me the opportunity to write Ramsey’s POV.

  Also, I would like to thank Kallysten for allowing me to participate in the Shades of Pink anthology to raise money for breast cancer awareness. Without you and the urging of Madeline Sheehan, I wouldn’t have ever written Jack’s point of view.

  Additionally I would like to thank early readers of each novella: Jessica, Bridget, Rebecca. And as always my boyfriend Joel, who suffered through me writing from a guy’s point of view and making sure it sounded realistic.

  To History and Fairy Tales

  August 25th

  PRESENT

  The phone buzzed noisily on the nightstand.

  Lexi groaned. She wasn’t ready to get up and go to work yet. Throwing her arm out to the nightstand, she tried to switch off the alarm, but it continued to ring. Peeling her eyes open, she grabbed the phone off the nightstand.

  “Who is it?” Ramsey murmured, pulling her back against him.

  The screen flashed in her hand—Jack Howard. It was too early for that. She had to be at work soon, and she had far better things on her mind.

  “Jack.”

  “Too early,” Ramsey whispered, kissing her shoulder.

  “You read my mind.”

  Lexi clicked the Ignore button and let it go to voice mail. “I’ll call him back.”

  “Mmm…” His lips traveled up to her neck. “Time for you to get up anyway.”

  “No,” Lexi said, pulling the white covers up over her eyes.

  “Come on, you’re going to be late for work,” Ramsey said, prying the covers from her hands.

  She squirmed against him under the sheets, tangling their legs together.

  “Can’t make me,” she quipped, turning over and burying her face into his toned chest.

  “Oh…I can make you late,” he murmured into her mass of curly brown hair.

  His nose found her ear, and he lightly brushed against it, causing her to squirm for all new reasons.

  “Good,” Ramsey said. His hand trailed lightly down her spine before resting comfortably at the small of her bare back.

  She hummed into his chest as he kneaded the tight muscles. Lexi’s hands wound up into his hair, and she slowly peeked back up at him. The smile on his face was lazy, comfortable, and so incredibly endearing. She couldn’t believe that after everything they had been through, he could still look at her like she was the greatest prize he had ever won.

  “You’re so distracting,” she grumbled, pulling lightly on his blond hair.

  “I’m the one trying to get you out of bed even though all I want to do is keep you in it all day,” he said before kissing her forehead.

  “You’re going to make me late,” she teased, tugging harder on the locks of blond hair and pulling his lips down to her.

  He didn’t argue with her as their lips melded together. She couldn’t figure out how he always tasted so unbelievably delicious. She hadn’t felt him get out of bed to brush his teeth, but the faint taste of peppermint lingered on his breath.

  Nibbling slightly on his bottom lip, Lexi sucked it into her mouth. His breathing hitched, and he grasped her hips forcefully between his hands. She could feel the indents he was making in her lower back, which only fueled her forward. Sliding her leg across his body, Lexi straddled his hips and slowly started grinding herself against him. He assisted her in the movement, rocking her hips and pushing her harder against him. She could feel him growing for her through his green boxers. She wasn’t far behind him.

  “You can’t go into work,” he groaned into her ear. “I’m not letting you.”

  Lexi responded by pressing her lips to his. He smiled against her lips, encouraging her onward. He tried to push her harder, but she resisted, teasingly licking his lips as lightly as she could manage.

  He growled deep in the back of his throat and grabbed her head, crushing their lips together. Lexi opened her mouth, allowing their tongues to connect, and she responded with her own enthusiasm. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she relaxed into his eager embrace.

  He broke from her lips to kiss across her jawline, and she happened to take a glance at the alarm clock.

  “Shit!” she cried, rolling off of him.

  Ramsey groaned, reaching back for her. “Are you serious?”

  “I’m actually going to be late if we continue,” she said, lying on her side next to him. She watched his chest heave up and down. A smirk crossed her face as she realized how turned-on she had gotten him.

  “If you keep looking at me like that…” He trailed off, running his hand seductively down her side.

  She giggled and swung her legs off the bed. “Sorry, I still need to shower.”

  “I need a cold shower,” he mumbled, watching her stand up in nothing but peach lacy underwear.

  “Well, you can go after me. Must be nice being your own boss,” she said with a shrug as she walked to the bathroom.

  “I’ll let you boss me around.”

  Lexi twirled around, her hair swishing over her shoulder, to look at Ramsey. Her expression was scandalized as if she couldn’t believe he would say such a thing. She tried to remain serious for as long as possible, but the devilish look on his face as he stared at her like he was going to eat her up broke her resolve.

  “Get your ass over here,” he demanded, scooting up on the bed to get a better look at her.

  “You can watch my ass as I walk out the door,” she said, popping open the bathroom door.

  Ramsey’s playful expression faltered and then fell off his face. When Lexi realized what she had said, she anxiously pushed her messy hair behind her ear. She hadn’t meant it the way it sounded, but with their history, it hadn’t been exactly the best phrasing.

  Gulping hard, Lexi ducked her embarrassed face into the bathroom. She knew it
was stupid to get so flustered about her statement, but some habits were hard to break. They’d had too many ups and downs to take her comment lightly—even if she had meant it that way.

  Two years just hadn’t been long enough for them to completely forget about their breakup—at least, not with everything else that had happened since then.

  Especially not with what had happened last month…

  She knew their relationship was strong, but sometimes, it didn’t feel as strong as it should. Sometimes, it felt like too many other things got in the way of their relationship.

  Sighing at her thoughts, she flipped on the shower and stepped inside, letting the water pour over her head. The water beat down on her as she tried to block out the heartbroken look on Ramsey’s face. Taking a deep breath, she held it in as she slowly counted to ten and then blew it out. The boiling hot water helped clear her head and dissolve the concerns that she still harbored. She couldn’t beat herself up about everything in her past and his past—their past.

  A knock on the glass door broke her out of her thoughts. Cracking the door open, she stuck her head out to see Ramsey standing before her, still wearing nothing but his green boxers. She smiled at him, thinking he was going to join her.

  “Jack keeps calling,” he said, holding up her phone to show her the two missed calls on the screen.

  “Why is he calling this early?” she asked, her brows furrowing.

  “Who knows?” he said with an easy shrug. “I thought you’d want to call him back when you’re done.”

  “Yeah, I will. Let me just finish.” Just as she said that, her phone lit up again with Jack’s name on the screen. “Damn it.”

  “Do you want me to answer?”

  Lexi immediately started shaking her head. “Nah, I’ve got it,” she said, reaching back and turning off the water. “Can’t even finish my shower.”

  Ramsey smiled at her and handed her a towel. She dried off as fast as she could.