“I’ll expect you this Monday.”
“I’ll be so there.”
The rest of the ride was done in silence.
---
When Alex woke the next morning, she remembered Logan’s challenge and groaned in her pillow.
Great. Looks like she was going to have to get up early again.
CHAPTER TWENTY SIX
On Monday, Alex was ten minutes late – a fact that Logan gladly pointed out before he went back to whatever he’d been doing, brows furrowed in concentration at his desk.
Lucy looked like she’d seen a ghost at first. When that was over, she quickly stood up and gave Alex a tight hug, immediately launching into questions about how she was, did she want food and chattering a mile a minute about missing her and not having any bright, cheerful spot in the office since she was gone.
Logan looked like he was about to scoff, but pressed his lips instead and merely gave Lucy a blank stare.
Squaring her shoulders, Alex strode straight to Logan’s desk.
“So. Care to tell me what I missed?”
“Just a lot.”
“Well, hit me with it,” Alex chirped. “I’m ready to catch up.”
“You sure you’re up to the challenge?”
What better way to get over a broken heart than this?
“You’d better believe it.”
----
Logan was a sadist.
That was the only explanation for stacking papers at her desk up to her elbows, giving her some fuzzy instructions and leaving the office with so-called errands for the day.
“He hasn’t changed one bit,” she grumbled as she read page one of the stack of papers – something about admiring Sam’s and Axel’s game (her heart swelled at that) and wanting to meet Sam in person to tie him up and strip him naked—
Alex blinked.
“What is this?” she blurted out.
“Fan letters,” Lucy replied promptly, not looking away from her computer screen.
“About wanting my brother naked?”
Lucy shrugged. “You should see the other suggestions. That’s pretty tame already.”
“Isn’t this supposed to be your job?”
“Oh, trust me, Alex, I’m doing it too. I’m handling emails and Logan’s handling snail mails – now passed on to you, miss marketing rep. Welcome back! At least you personally get to read your fan letters now. We send some funny ones to Sam, too. You know, to make him laugh.”
Wow. Frowning down at the letter, Alex continued reading, her eyebrows raising to her hairline until the very end.
“So how many times have girls promised to play with Sam like they play with their…sex toys?”
Lucy grinned. “You have no idea.”
Well. Then she’d better get started.
Thunder rumbled outside their window, as if in agreement.
----
When Logan came back two hours later, he had more stacks of papers in his hands and another person in tow.
“Well, look who the rain brought in.”
Jack Malone stood in the office with the confidence of someone who knew he was a movie star, and was not ashamed to flaunt it. Grinning his mega-watt grin, he walked straight to where her desk was.
“Mr. Ma—Jack,” Alex amended with a smile, remembering their last conversation. He’d kept her company while Nick failed to show up for a planned dinner, and had been a total gentleman the whole night. “How have you been?”
“I should be asking you that question,” he murmured, hazel eyes focused entirely on her. “How are you, Alessandra?”
“Alex,” she whispered in correction.
He gave her a wry smile. “Alex.”
“I’m great,” she said, unable to resist in returning the smile. “First day on the job and I’m pretty sure West here has already docked my pay.”
Logan merely gave them a passing look before dumping his papers on Alex’s desk.
“See? I’m his favorite,” Alex said sweetly.
“Get to work, Thompson,” Logan replied simply before heading for the meeting room.
“At your service, West,” she chirped.
Jack laughed at the exchange, a low timbre. “I look forward to seeing more of you…Alex.”
He nodded at Lucy charmingly, then winked at Alex before following in Logan’s footsteps.
When the door closed, Lucy grumbled. “Flirty ass.”
Alex stared at her in surprise. Lucy was usually the only reasonable person in the vicinity – but then again, she remembered the secretary not liking the action star since day one.
“Did he do something, Luce?”
“Nothing worth noting,” Lucy intoned mysteriously before going back to her fast typing.
With a continuous suspicious stare and a shrug, Alex went back to her task.
---
It seemed like fans not only wanted to tie Sam up – they had no mercy for Axel as well, wanting to do things like put whipping cream on her hair and lick every strand clean.
“Are these people insane?”
Oh, there were some sane ones – nice ones, in fact, with interesting questions about their game and some other suggestions for improvement. But there was a big fat lot of perverted ones, which Lucy promptly asked her to throw in the trash if it didn’t require any answers or were just too lewd. At the moment, the trash bin beside her desk was close to brimming.
When she finally finished them all with a successful cheer, the meeting room opened and out came the two guys. Again, Jack sauntered to her desk right away.
“You never did return my calls.”
Lucy shot him a look of pure disdain before shifting her eyes back to her screen.
“I was on…vacation.”
“Hmm. Any chance you’re free this Saturday night?”
“…why?”
“Marketing party in honor of Sam’s game and my movie collaboration. Since he’s still on vacation, we were hoping you could come – it’s Axel’s time to shine.”
It was Alex’s turn to shoot Logan a look – and she was surprised to find him already staring at her steadily.
“He’s right,” was his only reply.
Well. Well.
She thought it over for nearly two seconds before saying to herself, what do I have to lose?
“Sure. Count me in.”
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
The party was a colorful affair, thanks to the combined efforts of Lucy and Logan with the preparations and contact of proper media personnel. They had arrived early to make sure everything was in order, and Logan was satisfied that everything was now in full-swing, with the new band they’d contracted singing in the background of the chattering people and refreshments scattered everywhere.
Jack Malone was late, but that was to be expected with his penchant for grand entrances.
Surprisingly, Alex wasn’t late. She arrived some minutes before the start of the event and gave him a casual wave, before going to Lucy to help her with some last-minute setup. A lot of people recognized her and came to greet, obviously pleased to see her back from her so-called indefinite leave.
When everyone invited was finally there, Jack strolled in with a cocky grin on his face, obviously appreciating the surprised stares he was getting. Predictably, he went to Alex right away, a warm smile on his mouth as he said something to her (something flirty, Logan presumed), and gave Lucy a small nod before pulling Alex to where Logan was.
“Spritely affair here, West. Nice job.”
Logan nodded, eyes on Alex. She was wearing a pale gray flare dress with some matching tiny yellow belt thing. The dress color matched her eyes, a calm gray that were looking at him openly.
“Excuse me while I greet someone,” Jack said before exiting.
Alex and Logan stood in silence, taking in their surroundings.
“It is a nice event,” Alex admitted, smiling at him. There wasn’t a hint of sarcasm in her tone, and he gave her a more sincere nod than the one he’d given Jack.
“Thank you.”
Then, as if she couldn’t resist, Alex grinned. “Don’t you have anything to wear other than your stuffy suits?”
Ah, there was her sarcasm. Logan simply raised a brow. “My suits are not stuffy.” A hesitation, then… “Surprising, though, that you’re not wearing a short dress.”
“I burned them all,” she said solemnly, her eyes sparkling. It was the first time he saw anything resembling a sparkle in those eyes, and in a way, he approved of them.
He wouldn’t admit it, but there was something unsettling about seeing those gray eyes sad – just like on the day he’d caught her and her ex fighting, and him following up with an insensitive remark. He’d regretted saying that right after, especially when she didn’t come back to work.
Alex was a paradox that he couldn’t figure out –and he always liked his life in order, and things solved. He also liked his women the same – organized and no-nonsense, with no random fires and inconsistent fiery tempers thrown at him. Lucy would have fit perfectly for him, but oddly enough, there was no spark between them.
Shaking his head at his thoughts, he said, “I’ll get my non-stuffy suit now and mingle around. You might want to do the same?”
Alex’s laugh floated in the air as he left.
---
Jack’s announcement of the upcoming movie was met with roaring success, and Logan was in the middle of amicably discussing the announced details with an attractive female invited to the party when he happened to look in Alex’s direction, and he paused.
He had a moment to catch those eyes sparkle again as Jack said something that might have been funny, and her mouth had been ready to laugh, when her gaze shifted at something behind Jack and the laugh froze. The color drained completely from her face as her eyes turned dull, and blank.
He glanced in the direction she was staring at and found none other than her ex-boyfriend – a person they deliberately didn’t invite, staring at Alex intensely before proceeding to casually wander in her direction.
He cursed inside his head.
“Logan?”
“Excuse me,” he murmured to the female beside him, for the life of him not remembering her name.
He was about to walk to where she was, meaning to distract her or interrupt whatever drama was about to ensue –or maybe steer or knock the guy off if necessary – when something happened that made him stop short and breathe sharply.
Jack had taken hold of Alex and was kissing her in front of everyone.
---
She was being kissed for a long, long time, and Alex was aware that this was being done in front of everyone, and with a definite purpose in mind –but she couldn’t really concentrate on that as Jack’s lips moved over hers firmly, coaxing her own to respond. His kiss was warm, very warm, and he tasted exactly like she’d expected – a hint of candy, a hint of oranges. Tangy and sweet, an intoxicating combination.
Yet she felt nothing at all.
A rising anxiety caught in her chest as she remembered Nick’s kiss, ages ago – as unexpected as this, but twice as heat-inducing. She fought the downward spiral, feeling it unfair as Jack kept kissing her – as she responded, softly. Slowly.
Her mind didn’t blank.
In frustration, Alex deepened the kiss, feeling Jack’s hands on her shoulders steadying her as he accepted, as he moved his mouth in rhythm with hers.
It might have lasted minutes. It might have lasted seconds.
Alex broke away before it could last further, opening her eyes and staring at him. In turn, he stared back at her with what might have been amusement, and reluctance.
Like kissing a sibling.
The realization came to them at the same time, like a cloud clearing.
“I’ve always wanted to do that,” he murmured.
His hands were still on her arms. “And?”
Jack smiled again. “You taste good.”
Something in his tone made her aware he meant it in good jest. Alex smiled back at him, knowing exactly what he meant. His head turned to the right, and a suspicion popped in her mind at what exactly he was looking at (or who). But before she could ask, she remembered the reason they kissed in the first place, and her chest tightened again as she looked at the person she’d last seen in his bed with another woman.
Nick’s gaze was hard, his mouth set in a tight line as he noted down Jack’s hands on her.
“Don’t look sad, now,” Jack said lightly, keeping it a whisper. “Don’t let him get to you.”
“I won’t,” she replied, voice not really steady. Steeling herself, Alex nodded her head. “I won’t.”
“I’m leaving shortly. Want to come with me and stir things further?”
She hesitated.
“I promise I’ll take you home right away,” he mused.
Alex had been keeping her gaze on Nick the whole time, and with control, she broke it. He looked angry. He looked angry at her, like it was her fault.
Slowly, the ache went away, replaced by a simpler, more burning emotion.
What right did he have to blame her?
“Yes. Please take me home, Jack.”
He had no right at all.
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
The burning emotion that took hold of her the night before turned to righteous fury the next morning – an emotion that didn’t sit well with Alex as she vehemently scrubbed herself in the shower until her skin turned raw and pink from the abuse. Since that also didn’t sit well with her, Alex stalked outside her shower, brows furrowed as her mood took hold of her actions. She wanted to vent, but she didn’t know who to call.
Sam had his own things to deal with, and talking to him made her think of Nick and Rena more, since he was directly involved.
Tammy was a very good listener, but she didn’t want to launch into a self-pity rant in front of her friend – not when she’d already done so plenty of times right after the breakup.
Lucy wasn’t that directly involved in her life, however understanding the female was.
Jack? Nope.
No one. Unless she got hold of Nick’s number and called him to rant at him directly. But she wasn’t going to do that, because she wasn’t going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her affected.
Bloody arrogant cheater.
She turned on her gaming pc and stared at the start screen ofStar Light. Gaming was a type of venting, but she wasn’t in the mood for that at the moment – not when she had taught him how to play StarCross, the game she and Sam had the highest score of, andStar Light, the game she and Sam had developed.
Cleaning her new apartment was the best option. Maybe removing the contents of her stacks of boxes, something she had postponed for quite a while now. Resolutely, she went to the first box on top of her couch and opened it with fervor.
On top were books – books she had perched on a bookshelf in her old apartment. Books she’d purchased, books she’d borrowed, books that Nick had given to her as surprise presents.
She was not vindictive enough to throw those away.
Setting it aside, she opened the box beside it – and found dresses. Colorful, tiny dresses that she hadn’t worn because she had worn them while having sex with Nick – while making innocent, stupid love with him.
Her temper flared.
Mind in a frenzy, Alex grabbed a handful and stalked to the kitchen, intent on finding a bin and a lighter.
She could be vindictive where it counted. Dresses counted.
She was going to burn them all.
---
The knock came just as she was done sorting out half of the boxes. Annoyed at the interruption, Alex flew to the door without so much as a pause, and found Logan standing there, hand poised in mid-knock.
She blurted out the words that first came to mind.
“I’m not late for work.”
Logan stared at her. “I didn’t say you were. It’s a Sunday.”
Oh. Of course. Belatedly, she realized for the first
time that Logan wasn’t wearing his usual suit. Instead, he was wearing denim jeans that fit him well and a plain black shirt. The short sleeves shadowed the muscles that she’d seen on him before, when he’d taken off his suit in the office to fix the coffeemaker.
But back to the topic at hand.
“Um. What are you doing here?”
“I...just wanted to check how you were doing. Lucy asked me to.”
“I’m fine.”
“No need to be cheerful about it.”
She forced a smile on her face. “Really. I’m fine.”
“Jack took you home, I see.”
“He took me home and I’m fine.”
“Okay.”
She hesitated for all but half a second, then, “Want to come in?”
Logan kept his gaze on her, a reply that might have been a no almost out of his lips – then his gaze shifted behind her and she saw those black eyes transform from apathy to horror as he stared at her living room.
Her cheeks turned pink, but she kept her spine straight.
“I’m burning his stuff.”
He seemed to absorb that information in his head, and Alex prepared herself for his usual sarcasm. Instead, she was met with surprise as he settled his gaze back at her and nodded.
“Need any help?”
What?
“With...burning?” she croaked.
He lifted his hand in a gesture. “With...cleaning up all this.”
Oh.
This was a very unexpected offer, with a very unexpected person doing the offering. She should really refuse, because this cleaning thing was for her alone and he wasn’t Sam, her most trusted confidante in the world. He wasn’t even Tammy, second most.
But what did she have to lose? Maybe his sarcasm was what she needed. Maybe it was time to take risks.
“Well, since you enlisted...come in!”
With a grin, Alex opened the door wide and let the organizer in.
---
The first thing that Alex did when Logan came in was explain to him thoroughly why there was a mountain of mess in her living room, and why she couldn’t decide what to do with them.
Logan simply stared at her disorderly pile of dresses on top of her coffee table and scoffed. “And you said you burned them all.”
Best Friends To Lovers Romance Series: Complete Series Boxed Set Romance Page 27
