by Rhonda Lott
“Damn, we didn’t get the sippy cup.” She said to herself, standing on tip toe inspecting one cabinet for a cup.
“You’re a little too old for one of those aren’t you?” David asked from behind her.
Alex stilled. That sexy southern drawl of his rolled over her body like a sweet slow intro to a soul stirring love song.
“You’re never too old for a good sip.” Alex replied with what she hoped was a saucy come back, flirting was never her thing.
Alex swung around to face David and her tongue almost fell out of her mouth. He was standing there in his pajama bottoms and nothing else. Holy moly was this dude yummy. Alex’s eyes ate up his well-defined chest muscles before they traveled to his powerfully enticing abs. Her gazed lowered, past a drool worthy bulge in his pelvic area, to end up at his shockingly adorable bare feet. Alex closed her eyes and sighed, help me father, the man has adorable feet.
“You see something— “He started.
“Please don’t finish that line Mr. McAdams. It is hella cheesy.” She said, making a face at him.
David brought his large body in close, his smoky eyes taking her in from head to toe.
”Yes, it is cheesy. But might I say, I see something I like very much.” reaching out, David ran his fingers down her arm.
Alex breathed deep. Her girly parts clenched, then throbbed.
“Right, but you’re a stranger. Stranger danger is real.” She joked.
David laughed. “Do I feel dangerous to you?”
“No…um yes. You feel safe and scary all at the same time.” Alex could smell the fresh aroma of soap and aftershave on his skin as he angled closer still, running his fingers up her arm to her neck. His thumb rubbing slow circles on her pulse point. Alex moaned softly.
“Alex, I’ve wanted to do this since the moment I saw you on stage last night.” He groaned, pulling her into his arms.
David brought his lips to hers. His kiss stole her breath away, took her brain hostage and flame torched her entire body. His tongue swept inside her mouth teasing hers. His big hands gripped her hips and molded her to him. Alex felt a hard drum beat of pulsing heat hit her right between the thighs.
The chill of the stainless steel fridge at her back and the overwhelming heat of him pressed to her front sent shivers through her and made her heart gallop. Alex feet left the floor as David lifted her up. His rock hard cock was aligned snuggly with her hot core, grinding steadily, hitting her in just the right spot.
Alex gasped as his lips left hers to nibble her neck and bite roughly on the pulse point. She cried out, throwing her head back in pleasure, in pain, but mostly in fucking hot, sweet pleasure. Alex tilted her hips to feel him better. He was incredibly hard and hot, even with the layers of clothes separating them, Alex felt him throb along her clit. Her body vibrated with the need to feel him even closer. Grabbing his ass she tugged him in. The tingling between her legs intensified to a blinding hunger.
The rocking rhythm of his hips sped up, Alex gripped him and rocked to match his pace. She couldn’t get enough of his taste. She kissed the thick cords of his neck, the side of his clean shaven face, he was addictive. Her poor heart couldn’t take much more.
David plunged his fingers into her curls, bringing her lips back to his. He drank from her, giving a raw “um” humming sound deep in his throat, as if she was the sweetest of treats and he couldn’t get enough of her. Alex felt his one hand travel from her ass up to her breast squeezing gently. He pinched her pebbled nipple and Alex groaned loudly.
“Oh, shit.” Dawn gasped from the entrance of the kitchen.
Alex and David both groaned. Alex pushed at David’s chest to be put back on her feet. He did, reluctantly and agonizingly slowly. His focus on her face never wavered.
“I’m so sorry. But you know how Jordan gets in the mornings for his breakfast.” Dawn said, her face firecracker red.
Alex peeked around David’s chest “No problem,” she pushed her hair away from her hot face, breathing heavy, and tried to smile at her friend. “I’ll bring it in one second.”
“Ok, yeah sure.” Dawn gave a little laugh and headed back to the room.
Alex looked up at David and there it was again, that unexpected, mesmerizing smile. Alex closed her eyes against its effects. Even so, her heart swelled instantly.
He moved her slightly to his side as he found a cup, filled it with milk, and handed it to her. David leaned in and placed a soft lingering kiss on her lips. Alex marveled at how calm he appeared. While, her body was still pulsing and her heart fought like a caged animal to be free.
“We need to talk song bird.” Rubbing her bottom lip with his thumb, David’s face turned from sexy to serious. “After breakfast, you will tell me everything.” He turned and with one last measured full body perusal, went to his bedroom.
Alex fell back against the fridge again. Ok, that just happened, she thought. David McAdams was most definitely dangerous. He brought out the deepest desires in her and Alex knew she should get the hell away from him as fast as she could. She had to think of protecting Jordan and Dawn before her own wants and needs. It had been so long since she felt anything for a man. It would be exciting to explore the possibilities of having David make love to her. Running her fingers across her kiss swollen lips, Alex gave a little chuckle. Well, one thing was clear. Country boy’s kisses are hot enough to incinerate a girls undies. Who knew?
*DAVID*
This was bullshit. No kid could be that damn adorable. David sat back and observed. Alex and Dawn laughed as Jordan stuffed pancakes into his mouth, smearing syrup on a good portion of his face. He had a healthy appetite for such a little person, but what did he know about children. He didn’t come in contact with them at all in his life. Jordan was a handsome child though. Same Carmel skin tone and topaz eye color as his mother. He had a joyful smile and seemed to be well behaved. Happy. Alex made sure he was happy, even with the apparent danger they were in. Jordan wasn’t fussy or confused by being in a strange place. David believed all children at this age were a terror. Apparently not all two year olds.
“Jordan, this is David.” Alex told her son. “He is a friend. Can you say hi sweetheart?’”
“Hi.” Jordan tilted his head to the side and studied him. “You big.” He giggled.
David gave a short laugh, he couldn’t help himself. This kid was going to be trouble for sure. David felt the first stirrings of something down deep. He never thought about having children. Now the idea didn’t seem so outrageous. Would his son be as engaging as little Jordan?
“Hello, Jordan. I’m glad you can stay with me for a while.” David looked him in the eye and damn if the little man didn’t look him square in his eyes right back.
“We play?” He asked, reaching his arms out to David.
“No Jordan, David can’t play with you right now.” Alex said and shot David a quick glance.
“I have to talk to your mommy now, but we’ll play soon.” He promised. Why did I say that, David thought, I don’t play.
Alex looked anxiously at him, she certainly didn’t want to have this conversation. It was written all over her face.
“I’ll take Jordan and get him cleaned up while you two talk.” Dawn said. Hefting Jordan onto her hip, wiping his face and hands with a paper towel as they headed back to the bedroom. Alex got busy putting away the breakfast dishes, avoiding eye contact of any kind with him, as she scurried around in the kitchen.
David let her work. The last thing he wanted to do was make Alex uncomfortable. Making his way into the living room, he sat down to wait for her. The sounds of her nervous fidgeting made him feel like this was an inquisition. Hell, he wanted to know her facts, to help her, that’s all. He wanted her to tell him her story in her own way, and yet he felt almost afraid to hear it. His background check on her turned up nothing exceptional. There was something about her sister going missing. Nothing about Jordan or Dawn. He needed something more to go on.
David was drawn fr
om his thoughts when Alex sat next to him. She was so damn beautiful. Alex possessed the face of an angel with big soulful eyes that spoke of comfort and love. Her flawless skin and slender frame were misleading. There was a core of steel within her. Alex’s curves were laid out perfectly for him. Breast so luscious it made his pulse race. This attraction he felt for her was so powerful, if he wasn’t careful, he might rush headfirst into trouble. He did not have time for any of this but, he be damn if he could walk away from her now. He simply wanted her too much. That kiss this morning was ever present in his mind. The lingering heat of it made him want to toss her on the couch and finish what they started. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to hold myself back from this woman, he thought.
“David, hey you in there?” Alex asked.
“Just thinking.”
“Well, stop thinking. You’re making me nervous.” She smiled, what he was now recognizing as the thing she did when she didn’t quite know what else to do.
“Will you tell me who is after you, Alex?”
“No, David. It would be best if we left here. We will without a doubt bring trouble to your door. I don’t want that. I appreciate what you did for us, but you don’t need the type of problems we bring.” She held herself stiffly, hands clasped in her lap.
“The men in front of your house were cartel. They don’t give a rat’s ass about killing women or children you know that right?” David arched his brow.
“How do you know who those men were?”
“I have people whose job it is to get me any information that I need. Now, tell me what do you think will happen to Jordan when, notice I said when, not if, these people get to you?” David took her hand, her eyes remained steady on his.
“We have been hiding for two years David.”
“But you can’t hide forever. They will find you eventually Alex. That’s the absolute truth.”
“Why David? Why do you care so much what happens to us?” She pulled her hands from his grasp, her brows dipping down.
“I can’t explain it. There was an instantaneous attraction to you the night of the Gala. I wanted to get to know who you were, so I followed you to the parking lot.” David looked away, an embarrassed flush crept up his neck. He hadn’t actively pursued a female in years, but like some oversexed teen, he had searched for her behind stage then went after her in the parking lot.
“David, you don’t seem like the type of man to chase a woman down. You more than likely have them running behind you.” Alex gave a little shake of her head. “I feel attracted to you David, I couldn’t handle it if something happened to you. That’s the main reason I don’t want you involved in my problem.”
Alex started to stand, but David stopped her with a hand to the arm.
“I go for what I want, and Allie, what I want is you.” He said.
“For sex?”
“Maybe if you ask nicely.” David said with all seriousness, watching her face. Her dark brows and nose scrunched. Then those golden eyes lit up.
“Ha, I knew you were out for something.” She pointed a finger in his face. “But sex, seriously? You can’t be that damn hard up. For fuck sake. I have a kid to protect but I’m not selling pussy to do it. Go to hell, you—“
“That was a joke, songbird.” David cut in.
“You. Joke?” Alex gave him a skeptical sideways glance. She was strung pretty tight.
“Not very well it would seem. Yeah, I guess you bring out the lighter side of me.”
She gazed into his eyes for a long time, then sighed deeply.
“Perhaps I should tell you who and what I’m running from. Maybe then you will see, I can’t bring you anything but trouble.”
“Tell me and let me decide.” He said.
“Where to start? My sister Ann and I grew up in Miami. We were three years apart. Dawn was our best friend since kindergarten. She grew up right next door to us. We were inseparable. Until I got accepted into The College of Preforming Arts in New York.”
Alex rose and walked to the window. The rain of last night had passed leaving behind a clear fall day. The spotlight of the sun’s rays washing over her took his breath. Yet, it didn’t quite breach the shadows of her eyes.
“I was so happy and excited about going to The Arts School and Ann and Dawn were happy for me. It was more than a year before I went back home, not because I wanted to but because our mother and father were killed in a car accident. “
She wrapped her arms around herself. Standing as if frozen in place by the devastating memories.
“After the funeral, Ann was withdrawn. She wouldn’t talk to me, or even cry, you know. I thought it was a normal reaction to our parent’s death. Anyway, she went to live with Dawn and her mother. I went back to school. God, I was such a selfish ass. I knew she was suffering but I didn’t even take the time out to help her. She was in pain and I couldn’t handle it. So I ran back to school.” Alex hung her head, shoulders slumping.
David moved to the window and took her into his embrace. He tilted her face up. No tears in her eyes, those striking eyes of hers swam with guilt, but no tears, not his Alex. Pain slashed across her lovely face. It hurt him to see that. She was so brave, with a ready smile at all times. How deep were her wounds of the past? No one would ever know, could ever guess. His Alex would never show it. She would muscle through it all. Bury the agony for the sake of her family. Exactly what he did in the past. Exactly what he still did.
“We kept in touch through letters some but not much for the next couple of years. She never talked much about her life and she never told me she was pregnant. At the beginning of my senior year the cops notified me that my sister and Dawn were missing. They disappeared after a movie one night. I went straight home to try and help find them. I had never been so scared in my whole life.”
Alex stepped out of his embrace to pace back and forth. The soft tapping of bare feet on hardwood was the only sound in the room.
“They showed up three weeks later in Dade County Hospital. Ann had delivered Jordan and Dawn was beaten and broken. When I got to the hospital, Ann was in distress. She had hemorrhaged while delivering the baby. By the time they were found on the side of the road and brought to the hospital all the doctors could do was save the baby.”
“I am so sorry.” David told her. He was tempted to stop her story. Her sorrow ate at him.
“Ann had gotten involved with a guy named Mac Blanco, a cartel boss. When Ann realized how dangerous he was she tried to break up with him. That pissed him off. So he took her. Dawn got snatched because she happened to be there.”
“Where were they taken?” David asked.
Alex shrugged. “Things got a little sketchy after that because Ann passed away and Dawn refused to talk about it. Before my sister died, she begged me to keep Jordan away from Mac. I hid out with Jordan until Dawn could leave the hospital and we ran. We ran and ran and never stopped.”
“Has Mac tried to contact you since then or does he send his goons?”
“He sends his men once he sniffs out where I am. I assume he thought Ann would die along that road and take the baby with her. I cannot understand what he wants with Jordan. After all, he left Jordan and Ann to die in a ditch. He doesn’t love him. I know that I would die before I let him put one finger on Jordan.” Alex stopped pacing, hands balled into fist at her side.
David felt a flash of complete understanding. Come hell or high water this little power house of a woman would survive and so would the ones she loved. What a force of nature this one.
“I should have been there for both Ann and Dawn. I let them down but I will not let Jordan down. I see him as a strong man doing great things for people. I don’t see him as a member of Mac’s fucked up cartel family.” She stopped in front of David.
“I know you feel responsible for what happened. But you are not.” He ran a finger along her jaw line tilting her face up. “We have all done things in our youth we whole heartedly wish we could change. Who’s to say if you ha
d stayed home things would not have ended up exactly how they did anyway.”
“I know but I still feel like crap. While I was going out with my new college friends, my sister and Dawn were being…” tears made a slow slide down her face. “I hate fuckin crying.” Unexpectantly, she grabbed him around his waist and buried her face in his shirt.
“I got you song bird, its ok.” He soothed.
David held her close rubbing his hand down her hair and rocked her. He picked her up and carried her to the couch, sitting down, he cradled Alex in his lap. Her body was still and stiff. His heart swelled in his chest. To hold her like this and keep the world from touching her, hurting her again, became the single most important thing in his life. She stood up against harsh odds, but now she would no longer stand alone. His song bird, with the spectacular heart and sweet soul was his and he protected what belonged to him.
“My parents would be so ashamed of me David. I was supposed to take care of my baby sister.” Alex said, her voice sorrowful like plea of a lost soul.
“You’re taking care of their grandchild. They are proud.” He assured her. She relaxed slightly against him.
“David, I like you. You have done more for us than anyone has in a long time. Dawn’s mom disowned her after what happened so we were totally on our own. “
“Why?”
“In some backwards way Dawn’s mom blamed her for what happened. I don’t understand it. Her mother has always been weird.” She pushed up from him.
“Now you see, my shit is colossal, it’s dangerous having me around.”
