When I finished, I tilted my head towards Gavin. He swirled the remainder of his drink, and then tossed it back.
“What are you thinking?”
“I’m thinking that’s some series of events.” He pushed to his feet and walked over to the bar trading his wine glass for a bottle of water. “But there’s one thing you left out.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Oh and what’s that?”
“Where’s the problem?” he asked, extending his arms out. “You’ve mentioned all these wonderful things along with some crazy hot sex, but you haven’t stated an issue.”
I leaned forward, placing my elbows on my knees. “Isn’t it obvious? He’s my bodyguard, it’s wrong on many levels.”
“Wrong, right, what the hell does that matter?”
“I’m supposed to be here on business, not screwing around.”
“Why not have both? The guy wants you, you said so yourself. And, I know for a fact, it’s not the wine that’s making you blush right now.” Gavin lifted the bottle from the table and poured me another drink. “Just thinking about Alex has you all hot and bothered.”
Perhaps Gavin was onto something. I couldn’t believe I was entertaining advice from a notorious playboy. Casual sex was fun, so why not? As long as Alex and I discussed what we wanted, and laid the ground rules, there wouldn’t be any blurred lines.
Suddenly, I was having déjà vu. Wasn’t that what we’d discussed the night we met?
Rules. Those didn’t seem to work for Alex and me.
THE NEXT MORNING I found myself sitting at the coffee shop around the corner from my hotel. Sunday mornings were a regular thing for me and Nabila back in London. If we weren’t hungover from the prior evening, we’d hit the gym and then pop around the corner for brunch at the cafe.
Sober and very clear-headed, but nonetheless confused over my Alex situation, I sat at a table near the front, enjoying my coffee and gluten-free croissant. I caught myself reading the same paragraph again from a book I picked up at Heathrow before my flight. I’d left London a few days before I told Ronan I was coming to the States. It wasn’t my intention to purposely lie to my brother, but I wanted to have a few days to myself.
“You’re making my job very difficult, Ella,” a low voice whispered in my ear. “I haven’t learned all your hangouts yet.”
I lifted my head from my book and turned to see Alex standing there with a coffee cup in hand, wearing a pair of denim jeans and a black V-neck t-shirt that clung to his muscles. His hazel eyes were bright, and the way he looked at me sent my heartbeat racing. It’s unfair how good-looking he was.
“A girl needs her morning latte and sweet treat.”
“Aren’t you British?” he asked, sliding into the chair next to me. “Where are your tea and crumpets?”
I laughed and closed my book. “Well, I’m not like most Brits, although I do love afternoon tea. I’m English, Irish, Russian, and Swedish.” I tugged on my blonde hair and pointed to my blue eyes. “A mix of cultures, as I’m sure you are.”
He chuckled, and his lips pulled into an amused smile. “I’m part Irish, and Robertsen is Scottish. Somewhere along the line, they changed the ‘o’ in son to an ‘e.’ My grandfather joked that the Robertsen’s that spelled their names with the ‘o’ were the brains of the family. He had an awkward sense of humor.”
He leaned back in his chair, and stretched out his long legs under the table. His arm reached for his coffee cup and the fabric of his t-shirt inched up over his muscular biceps and defined triceps. Jesus Christ, he is so damn hot. My mind retreated to the subject of casual sex.
Sex.
Sex with hot as sin Alex.
“So, about last night,” he said, leaning forward.
I waved him off. “We don’t have to talk about it. Clearly, we were caught up in a moment and made a mistake.”
Alex’s hand covered mine. “Ella, I don’t feel what happened was a mistake.”
The feel of his touch, coupled with his admission, returned me to the same place I was last night and the overwhelming emotions I felt. When I’d met David, I had these same feelings; it was instant and burned white hot. Then everything around me, around us, was extinguished and I’d vowed not to let another man get close enough to burn me.
“What about all the stuff you said about bad things happened when you allow your dick make the decisions?”
He laughed. “I think what I said was allowing my dick to interfere with my job. It’s true, I’ve made many bad decisions in my life, but this doesn’t feel like one. Besides, you fired me. Remember? So technically, you aren’t my job anymore.”
Crap. I’d felt embarrassed and dreadful for the way I’d spoken to Alex.
“I apologize. I shouldn’t have been cruel. I didn’t mean any of it. You were just doing your job and I should respect that.”
“I was a bit of jackass myself,” he admitted. “I’m sorry, too. You might be trouble, but only the best kind. I like you, a lot in fact, and I’d like to get to know you better. So, for today, I’m still fired and we’re just Ella and Alex. Is that okay?”
Warmth flowed through me at his words. “Okay.” My heart pounded in my chest and I was sure he could see my pulse racing. Alex was observant, trained to read people. At his request, I’d agreed to just be me. This was going to be interesting.
“Come on, let’s get out of here.”
“What?”
“I want to show you something,” he said, nodding towards the door.
“Alex, I have work to do this afternoon and I need to be ready for my appointments this week.”
I was certain that when he said he wanted to get to know me better, he’d meant that we’d just hangout and have a coffee and a chat.
“It’s Sunday. You’re allowed some relaxation.” He wiggled his eyebrows and flashed that cocky smirk of his. “You know you want to.”
Alex was adorable. Try as I might, I couldn’t resist his offer. “Fine, I’ll go with you.”
“Good.” His fingers brushed my hair away from my face.
I pushed to my feet as Alex pulled out my chair and I gathered my things. His hand fell to the small of my back and he guided me towards the doors of the coffee shop. The sun was hotter than I was used to, but I loved the way the heat felt upon my skin. We walked back to the parking garage and Alex took my hand in his. I liked this feeling because he was the reason I was having these feelings again.
The valet pulled his Range Rover around, and I slipped into the passenger seat and buckled up.
“Are you going to tell me where you are taking me?”
“Nope,” he answered with a wry smile. “But I’m sure you will figure it out in no time.”
Alex put the vehicle into gear and we drove out of the parking garage. Once we hit the Long Island Expressway my guess was that we were on our way to the Hamptons. I recognized the route from our first trip out here.
“Is the temperature in here okay?”
“Yes,” I answered, settling back further into the seat. Alex took my hand in his, tracing circles against my skin with his thumb, it felt wonderful. My eyes took in the sky, painted the most incredible shade of blue with streaks of white clouds. I didn’t want to close my eyes, but exhaustion took hold, or maybe it was pure contentment. Finally, I let myself relax, and I worried less about the rules.
“Ella,” Alex’s voice rasped warmly in my ear. “Wake up.”
I shifted in my seat and managed to smack my knee against the dashboard.
“Ouch,” I bellowed, rubbing at the biting pain in my knee. Damn long legs.
“Are you okay?”
Nodding, I cracked my eyes open, and looked out the window. I smiled at the sight of Alex’s beautiful beach house. This was a lovely surprise. Alex hopped out of the vehicle and opened my door. He helped me out and I hobbled over the stones as we made our way to the porch.
“You said you had something to show me, and I’ve already seen your house. Did you just bring me here
to show off?” I teased, nudging his arm.
Alex drew his hand to his chest, pretending to wince that I’d offended him. “I would never do such a thing.” He unlocked the door, and pulled me inside. I stood in awe, feeling my jaw drop at the sight before me, the place looked quite a lot different from the last time. There were no workers milling about, and the scent of fresh paint replaced the smell of sawdust. The house was stunning unfinished, but seeing it now had rendered me speechless. My gaze was fixed to the vintage wheel mounted over a French zinc console table, simply gorgeous, and this was only the foyer. Alex tugged my arm, pulling me from my trance and I followed him down the hallway towards the living room.
Nearly everything was white, with splashes of deep blues, greys, and rich tan accents. Soft, airy drapes hung from wooden rods, and sisal rugs covered the hardwood floors. We walked from room to room, each more stunning than the previous. I wouldn’t have imagined a man like Alex would have such impeccable taste in home décor. But then I remembered how he looked in that suit, and today, even as casual as he was dressed, Alex was handsome. If his personal style of dress was any indication, maybe I shouldn’t be so surprised.
“What do you think?”
“It’s stunning, and I think it suits you.”
He shrugged. “My interior designer said the house needed to have subtle feminine touches. I wasn’t sure about the curtains, and some of the candles. Do you think it’s too girly?”
My heart swelled at his concern. Nothing about this place screamed gender to me one way or another—it had ideal balance. The house was amazing, and as I looked around, I could see it reflected his personality in many ways. For me, I saw a strong, safe structure that offered warmth and tranquility.
“Everything is perfect,” I said reassuringly. “You don’t need a neon beer sign above the mantle to say, ‘I’m a man’s man.’”
He laughed. “Damn it. Are you sure? I was thinking of hanging one in the dining room.”
I jabbed my finger at his chest. “You better not, Alex Robertsen. I’ll be furious with you.”
“I’ve seen you get angry with me and I kind of liked it.” His voice was husky with desire.
I laughed. “You only liked it because of the end result.”
He stepped closer to me, cradling my face in his hands. “Ella, that’s not true. I mean sure, I liked that, too, but I also enjoy just being with you.”
I smiled. “I like being with you, too.”
“Now that we understand each other, I’m going to do the thing I’ve been dying to do since I saw you at the coffee shop earlier.”
Before I could reply, his lips pressed against mine. My arms came around his neck as he deepened our kiss. Our tongues thrashed against each other and I felt weightless, abandoning all my rules and reservations. A low moan resonated from his chest, sending a chill down my spine. My fingers tangled in his hair, tugging the strands hard as his hands smooth up and down my back. Warmth tingled everywhere we touched. His fingers skimmed under my blouse, inching their way up my ribcage.
“Ella,” he whispered, breaking our kiss. “I want you to stay the night.”
“You want me to be your first house guest?”
He shook his head. “I want you in my bed . . . all night.”
“Okay,” I breathed. And once again, I let go and agreed to whatever it was Alex asked of me.
“But first, we have some business to take care of, because I didn’t just bring you here for a roll in the hay. Earlier, when I said I wanted to get to know you, I meant all of you. With that said, will you have lunch with me?”
“I’d love too.”
Alex tilted my chin, and his lips met mine once more. He gave me a tender, lingering kiss. It was soft and sweet, full of passion, but not the need to fuck or claim me. It was meaningful on its own, it was about connecting and it spoke volumes.
I was the girl who’d sworn off men, at least the part where I allowed myself to seek comfort or find true companionship. Now it seemed the wall I’d built around my heart wasn’t as sturdy as I once thought. With each kiss, the bricks just might tumble one by one. I only hoped it didn’t crush me in the process.
ALEX AND I RETURNED from grabbing takeaway . . . takeout at one of the many seafood restaurants in town. The choices were endless, but we finally settled on a place that had the largest option of gluten-free dishes. Alex stocked his place with a few groceries, mostly dry and canned goods, nothing fresh that would spoil. He’d hired a housekeeper to take care of things while he stayed in the city. When he had told me, a twinge of guilt rolled through my chest knowing I was the reason for keeping him from living in his gorgeous new home.
He pulled a bottle of white wine from the refrigerator and I watched as he reached up for a wine glass, his t-shirt lifted showing his chiseled back and I thought of his tattoo. I made a mental note to ask him about it the next opportunity.
Once he’d poured my glass and handed it to me, he popped the top off a bottle of beer for himself. We gathered our plates of food and settled at the table outside.
“So tell me how you managed to pull all this together, your house I mean.” I scooped up a bite of my grilled shrimp and vegetable dish.
“I had some time on my hands while you were locked away in your room after our kiss,” he recalled with a smirk.
“Oh, by the way, thank you for the lovely basket of goodies. I’m sorry if I didn’t mention before.”
“You’re welcome. When Gary called and said the house was ready for a final inspection, I flew out here that evening and we went over the details.”
Stunned, I dropped my fork to the plate. “You flew out here? How is that possible?”
Alex winced. “Careful with the dishes, sweetheart, they’re brand new. Flying, it’s no big deal. I have connections.”
“Connections, huh?”
“My brother is part owner of a small aviation company. Actually, it’s not that small anymore. You could say that I’m a frequent flyer,” he replied, and then took another bite of his shrimp and avocado taco.
“Your brother, the one who has offices in the city and that you used to work with? You two must be particularly close.”
Breathing a deep sigh, Alex closed his eyes and shook his head. His gaze returned to me.
“We aren’t that close anymore, and I’m the cause for the strain on our relationship.”
I covered his hand with mine, offering comfort the best way I knew how. Crap! I didn’t mean to make him upset.
“It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it, but if you do I am here to listen.”
A smile tugged the corners of his mouth, as he intertwined our fingers. “I needed to hear that, I hope what I am about to tell you won’t shatter the pedestal you hold me up on.”
I laughed. Actually, I think I snorted. “Oh please, you’re not that wonderful.”
“Again, you’ve crushed my very fragile ego.”
“Doubtful, but I can see that we might be broaching a rather delicate matter.”
Alex nodded. “There is something and I’m not going to beat around the bush or sugar coat—I had an affair with my brother’s girlfriend.”
My eyes popped wide. “Oh.” It was all I managed to say.
Moments of silence passed between us, but it seemed to go on forever. A thousand thoughts swirled inside me at his admission. Alex gripped my hand a little tighter.
“Ella, say something.”
My heart raced and my throat went dry. I couldn’t seem to form any words. This must be related to the “bad things happen when his dick does the thinking” matter. He was in obvious pain over the affair and my heart ached for him. I grabbed my drink and took a huge gulp, and then another, finishing the glass. I cleared my throat, and met his gaze. “If there is one thing I know to be fact, there’s always more to the story. Why don’t you start at the beginning?”
The beginning . . . that seemed simple enough. As I pulled my thoughts together, I took our empty cartons fro
m lunch and threw them into the trash. I wasn’t expecting to have this conversation with Ella today, but she asked, and I refused to be one of “those guys.” The guy too afraid to ruin a good thing by not being straightforward, that’s not who I was.
Even though Vince has since forgiven me, the affair strained our once close relationship. There were times I still hated myself for sleeping with Amanda. She was his and I wasn’t supposed to have those feelings for her, but the two of us spent so much time together and Vince was rarely around. I was lonely and she was lonely, and the entire thing was stupid. Not once did I try to stop it, and when Amanda would, I’d always convinced her that I was the better man.
I grabbed the wine and another beer for myself and walked back to the deck. Ella had moved to one of the lounge chairs and I joined her.
“I want you to know that I’m not a cheater,” I said, as I refilled her glass.
She cocked an eyebrow, flashing me a small smile.
“Okay, I get it,” I said, before taking a giant swallow of my beer. “You have to know that Vince, my brother, isn’t . . . wasn’t always the greatest guy. He was a classic workaholic who ignored his kids and was barely a husband to his ex-wife. Their family was unraveling and Vince was too wrapped up in his business ventures to care.”
“You know that his shortcomings are his, not yours, to amend.”
“I do understand that, and it wasn’t like that for Amanda and me. We were friends and I’d come to care about her. She was down on her luck and Vince picked her up and offered her a fairytale life. He’d given her everything but the one thing she needed—him.”
“So you thought you’d be her prince charming instead.” Ella eyed me with a mixture of annoyance and compassion. At least it wasn’t disappointment.
“My brother asked me to look out for her. He trusted me and I fucked him over. She was his, for Chrissakes!” I blew out a deep breath, and rolled to my feet. “I took my job of protecting her too personally. She was in such emotional pain and asked me to take it away. I should have been a friend to her, but I saw something that wasn’t there and . . . I just fucked it all up.”
Bound to Me (The Harbour Series Book 1) Page 8
