“We own the gym next door and were just walking home when it happened and decided to check to see if she was doing better today.”
“So you said he was taken to jail?”
“Yes. We went to the station and were interviewed by the police last night, and they had brought him in.”
“I am going to call her again—excuse me.”
I tried again and still got no answer. I needed answers, and I wanted them now. If she was on her way to Chicago, it would make sense that she couldn’t answer her phone.
Marcus and I left the office and drove up to her apartment. Damn it, I had a meeting in an hour that I couldn’t reschedule. Hopefully the little fuck would be released on bond, and I could pay him a visit.
We checked with her landlord, and I was told that she did not plan to come back. Oh, she was coming back all right. I would see to it. I didn’t tell him that, though, because she wouldn’t be going back to live in that shit hole of an apartment. I had her leftover things packed for her and put in my storage.
I still hadn’t heard from her when I got out of my meeting, but my guys did get a hold of the little fuck for me and were holding him for a little bit. It was dark by the time I reached the old farmhouse; I guessed this was my place for doing dirty deeds.
They had him tied to a chair and gagged. I ripped the fucking tape right off his mouth; the gag was the only thing that had prevented the scream from echoing through the rafters.
“See, buddy, you really fucked up. Not only did you hit a woman, but you hit my woman.” The first blow to his face had caught his ass off guard. “Don’t like that you can’t defend yourself, do you?”
I punched the fuck again. I wasn’t going to kill him yet, but I wanted him to know that I would be watching and waiting.
“My guys tell me you called her and left her a message. Well, pussy, it isn’t going to work. There is no way in hell she is going back to you. You had better take this as a lesson. Never contact her again, or I will slice your balls off.”
I punched him in the gut for good measure and left my boys to toss him at his parents’ house.
Now it was time to prepare to see her. My flight would leave tomorrow morning since I needed to wrap things up here to spend two days away. Douglas’s people already had a plan together and wanted to set up a presentation for me and my board. It was a pretty nice little deal, but I wanted to make certain that there would be no kinks in the process. I had a feeling I would become more like Dr. Phelps, spending less time in the office and more with my family. She didn’t know it yet, but she would be the center of my family along with all the little McCains we were going to make.
Patricia and I had a two-hour conference call so I could set up everything I would need for at least a week. I loved having her on my team. She was ever the professional, and it helped that she wasn’t into me sexually, or any guy for that matter. Women were more organized and great multitaskers, so they made great PAs— the problem was when they wanted to become the boss’s wife. It happened sometimes in our world, but most of the time they were just used and tossed to the side. I never fucked any of my assistants. I never wanted a lawsuit on my hands, so no fraternizing with the help.
Once we had everything in place, I explained that I had found my future wife.
“Wow. You get your eyes fixed, and now you find the one. Are you sure you’re not doing this because your eyesight has improved or that she isn’t doing it now that you can see well?”
“I met her the day before the Lasik. She was the one I hit on the expressway. I thought she was amazing then. I wanted to do things to her I haven’t done in over ten years.”
“So you’re lusting after her. Just fuck her and move on. She is probably looking at dollar signs since you hit her car.”
“She isn’t like that. She just finished college and had a boyfriend until last night.”
“Yeah, when she thought she could do better with you, she ditched the other guy.”
“Stop being a bitch, Patricia. She is sweet, and she ditched the prick because he put his hands on her and sent her to the ER. If she wanted me so much, she would have called me when it happened and not waited until I found out from her boss that she fled back to her family in Chicago.”
“Sorry, Max. You know I am just looking out for you. We have been friends for what seems like forever. Tell me you kicked his ass.”
“Of course I did. That’s why we are having a conference call. I needed to get the blood off my clothes. Fucking pussy… he’s lucky I didn’t kill him.”
“I want to meet this sweet beauty.”
“Hey, hey, hey. No trying to steal her away from me.”
“I can’t make any promises, but you haven’t been with a woman yet that was worth even bothering to try and take.”
“Well, I was an idiot before. This one is special, and I am going after her.”
“Good luck!”
We hung up, and I ran down to the limo and made it to the airport to my private jet before the sun set.
I checked into the Fairmont Hotel—my favorite when I was in town. It was my fifth time in the city and hopefully the most important. The other times had been strictly for business; this was all personal.
Chapter 6—Alexandria
I woke to my mother playing with my hair. “Mom, it’s so good to see you. Please don’t cry. I will be fine.”
“My poor baby, I am sorry that this happened to you. Your father is on a rampage down there. Some of his buddies are ready to take a trip to Texas.”
“Oh no, they can’t. They could lose their jobs and go to jail!” I cried out.
“Oh, sweetheart, the men are just letting out their frustrations. They know they can’t go down there.”
I calmed down. It would be my fault if they did. I mean, I knew it was stupid to date a guy like Trevor. He had an overinflated ego and was a total ass most of the time. What I saw in him, I didn’t know. But like they said, hindsight was twenty/twenty. Sight; it made me think of Max. I needed to call him back to let him know I was safe; better yet, I should just text him. I pulled out my cell phone and sent the message.
Max, I am sorry to worry you and to leave without saying goodbye, but it’s for the best.
My mother helped me put some concealer on my face—not that my dad didn’t know what happened, but just so it wasn’t so noticeable. I never could understand why a woman could put up with an abusive man. It was just once, and I would never take him back. The humiliation alone was enough, not to mention the pain. I went downstairs reluctantly but was greeted with nothing but love.
Dinner was takeout for tonight since there were so many guests. It was delicious, and it was great that no one brought up the situation that brought me back to Chicago. After dinner, we all sat around and discussed what we could do for the summer. The whole time, all I could think about was not seeing Max again. It was eating at me, and I was sure everyone was thinking I was just miserable with what happened to me. My dad introduced me to some of the guys on his force, including a really cute rookie detective who couldn’t take his eyes off of me.
Officer Dean Baldwin was really sweet; we talked throughout the whole evening. If I hadn’t met Max, I think I could really be interested in him. He told me that at present, he wasn’t emotionally ready for a new relationship. His ex-girlfriend had dumped him because she couldn’t be the wife of a cop. Dean knew I wasn’t available emotionally either, but he didn’t know it was because of Max. They all assumed that Trevor had really done a number on me since I had been mostly quiet. Despite the shock of being attacked, nothing regarding Trevor bothered me anymore.
Everyone started to scatter, and Dean told me he would stop by before his shift tomorrow with my dad. I was looking forward to it. He was a nice guy and could be a really good friend. I went to bed wondering if it was possible to go back to Texas and back to my life that I’d been creating. I hadn’t gotten a response from Max, and I was anxious. Sleep seemed to elude me as I had thoug
hts as to why he didn’t respond. Perhaps he took my words as final. I wanted to cry, but I was normally not a crier, and I’d already done that now twice in less than twenty-four hours.
∞
The next morning, there was still no word from Max. I ate breakfast, but I couldn’t tell you what it was or what it tasted like since all I could think about was the fact that he thought I wasn’t worth the effort. Not that I expected him to do so, but as I thought about him last night, I couldn’t help but picture us together living a nice romantic and loving life. I pictured a man I didn’t really know and who probably had no need for that in his life, but what did you expect from a nearly twenty-two-year-old virgin?
I got ready and waited for Dean to show up. Once he came, we went to the store for my mom, and he was helping me put away the groceries when the doorbell rang. My dad was about to go on duty at the same time since Dean was shadowing him. All of the sudden, I heard shouting and what I thought sounded a lot like Max. Goodness, my mind and ears must have been playing a trick on me.
Chapter 7—Max
“Can I help you?” This was obviously her father. He looked just like the picture that was in the file. He didn’t seem too friendly.
“I am here to see Alexandria.” I stood tall. He wasn’t going to intimidate me.
“You piece of shit. Are you fucking insane to come here after what you did to her? I ought to kill you right now. Get the fuck off my porch, and stay the fuck away from her.” He was going to shove me off the porch, but I stepped back.
“I think you are mistaken,” I said, pissed off.
“The hell I am. Your Texas accent and busted knuckles—you used your fists on my little girl. You have ten seconds to get gone, or I will forget that I am a law-abiding official.” He reached for his gun.
“Officer Davis, I am not that sorry excuse for a man that touched your daughter. I am Max McCain. Your daughter and I just met last week, and I came to make sure she is well.”
Another officer walked to the front door, and this dude was as big as me, about six four and about two hundred and twenty pounds of muscle.
“Jack, is this the bastard?” he asked her dad. Then the buff ass turned to me. “You touched someone who was not yours,” he snarled out, ready to strike.
Then from out of behind him came Alexandria. I instantly ignored the beefed-up police officer. My girl looked like she went three rounds with Mayweather. “Alexandria, I should have killed him.”
“Max, what are you doing here?”
Did she think I was going to just settle for her lame excuse and ignore our attraction? “I told you I was coming. I keep my promises—always.”
I looked at what she was wearing, and my cock sprang to life. She had on a cute little summer dress with a little sweater over it and some sandals. She reached for the other jackass’s arm and put her hand on it. Damn. That did not sit well with me. Her father eyed my reaction and didn’t approve.
“Dad, Dean, this is not Trevor. This is Max McCain. Dad, the one who sent me the voicemails yesterday.”
“I remember, sweetheart. I just didn’t expect a man who you said was a billionaire business owner to come here sporting freshly busted knuckles.”
“Oh my God! Max, what happened to your hands!?” Instantly, she let go of that jerk and grabbed my hands. Damn, I was going to get my ass kicked if I didn’t behave right now.
“I dealt with the pussy. It’s nothing in comparison to what happened to your face, my beauty.” I reached for her and caressed her face. I didn’t care who was watching, apparently. I pulled her into me. “Please tell me you are okay, baby.”
“I am fine. I just don’t know why you came all the way here.”
“You don’t?” Both cops said at the same time, and we turned to them.
“Well, don’t let us interrupt,” the young ass said.
“Sweetheart, a man doesn’t travel across the country just to say hi,” her dad added, then directed his next words at me. “Mr. McCain, I want to have a talk with you tomorrow at eleven in the morning. Understood? By the way, if she has so much as another scrape on her, you will turn up missing.”
“Alex, it was good spending the morning with you. Let me know if you want to hang out together another time,” the ass said with a smile.
“She won’t, but thanks for looking after my girl for me. Now, don’t do it again,” I said brusquely.
“Max, don’t be mean. First, I am not your girl, and Dean is still getting over his breakup.”
“Fine. I apologize for my rudeness, and Alexandria, you will be my girl and so much more, so you might want to get used to it.”
I turned back to her father and said, “Sir, I’ll just be having a conversation and lunch with your daughter and maybe dinner as well. You can call her at any time. Here is my card as well.” I pointed to my main number on the card. “I can be reached at this one here the fastest. This one is the number to my assistant. I understand your concern and await our conversation tomorrow.”
I shook his hand out of respect and the other cop’s as well just because I didn’t want to upset Alexandria.
We went inside their bungalow home, and her dad and his sprout left.
“Did you think your little excuse for a goodbye with a text was going to deter me? My sweet girl, I wasn’t deterred when you had a boyfriend; though I can say I was less than pleased with that scenario. But I do have to ask you something before we go any further. Did you leave him only because he hit you, or did you consider being mine?”
“The truth…” She blushed at the possible revelation, and I hoped it was in my favor. “I was planning on leaving him. I was just waiting for a time when we could talk, but it had been hectic and he had been making excuses to cancel on me like he expected it and was trying to prevent the breakup.”
“Well, it’s over between you two. I know what you are thinking and what your father is thinking too. I am a man, and like any man, I don’t like anyone messing with what is mine. No, I will never hit you to hurt you unless you deserve a spanking, but you are a grown woman and don’t need to be treated like a little girl. I would never hurt you in a fit of jealousy. I can’t promise not to knock a fucker out, but I would never raise my hand to you, and you need to understand that. It has been eight days since we met, and you have completely changed my outlook on women in general.”
“What about your mom?”
“I don’t consider her a woman like that. She is just my mom. I am talking about the women I have been with or those who want me to be with them. I never thought highly of those kind of women, and I am sorry I wasted any time or energy on any of them.”
“How have you changed? I have seen you with all those models.”
“Well, most I was never with. They were just my dates for the night. I have changed because with the others, I wanted nothing more than five minutes of their time for one thing. I hardly ever saw them more than once and couldn’t care less if I never saw them again. With you, I see a future. I want a future. I want to look at you while I am buried in you. I don’t kiss women. I don’t make love to a woman. I want that with you. I want to look into those beautiful eyes and worship you. I haven’t really kissed a woman since college. All they ever got was a peck on the cheek when I greeted them.”
She sat there quietly with her mouth open, and all I could think about was I hoped I could remember how to do this. I bent down toward her pretty pink lips and gently tasted them with mine. The electricity I felt was making my heart pound out of my chest. I deepened the closed-mouth kiss. I hadn’t done this in forever, and it never had this effect on me before. I wanted more. My hand reached around her neck and gripped it roughly as I licked her lips. She opened willingly, and I took what she was giving. The taste of her was heavenly. The hint of coffee and sugar and Alexandria. My cock was leaking in my boxers. I had to slow down, or I would be embarrassing myself. Her phone that was on the table started ringing, so she pushed away from me to answer it. Normally I would not
be thankful for an interruption and her dismissal, but right now, it would help cool my rising ardor.
I thought it was her dad double-checking on me, but it wasn’t.
“Dr. Reeves, I am well. Yes, I am sure you learned what had happened after I left. No, I will not be back to work there. I have no plans as of yet to return to Texas.”
I looked at her like she had lost her marbles. She sure the hell was going back to Texas. Permanently.
She hung up quickly, and it was obvious she was not happy to talk to him, and that had me wondering why.
“What’s wrong?” I stated brusquely.
“Nothing. I just didn’t like being interrupted.” She tried playing cute—wasn’t working, though.
“Baby, don’t start off our relationship lying to me.” That was something I wasn’t going to put up with.
“Well, it’s just that he makes me uncomfortable. He was overly flirtatious. It was what set Trevor off that night.”
“Now I really want to fuck his ass up. I saw his reaction to the past receptionist and to you too. I didn’t like it. Not only is he flirting with what’s mine, but he is also a married man.” I growled as the tension in my body grew. I calmed down because my anger would do no good with her, so I changed the subject.
“So why are you under the assumption that you are not going back to Dallas?” I was curious what lame-ass excuse she was going to give me.
“It’s not what I thought it would be. And I am not under the assumption. I am not going back.” She tried to act tough, cute, but not going to work.
“Alexandria, I live in Texas, and you will be going back with me.” There was no other option. “What did you expect it to be like?”
“I thought I would have a great job already and be on my way up, not being just another statistic.”
“Sweetheart, you are not just another statistic. You are a young and beautiful woman who had to learn the hard way what a piece of shit that ex-boyfriend was of yours.”
Conquering Alexandria Page 4
