Alluring (4 page)

As Jack stared at the beautiful creature in his arms, he noticed his heartbeat raced, and his gut felt tight.  He realized he was afraid.  In all of his thirty years, he'd never felt fear for another human being before.  This woman was doing something to him.  He wasn't sure what.  All he knew for sure was, he wanted to be the one to protect her, always.

Before he could ponder that uncharacteristic thought more fully, the elevator doors opened into his penthouse suite.  He crossed the marble entryway into the living room, flicking on lights as he made his way to the stairs.  Once in his bedroom, he carefully laid her on his bed. 

The irony was not lost on him that a few days ago this was all he could think about, her in his bed.  He wasn't a total saint.  He still wanted her in his bed, just under different circumstances.  He saw her bag laying on the bed.  He opened it, pulling out her ID.  He memorized it before putting it back.  He noticed her cell phone was lit, indicating a text.  Without hesitation, he pulled it out and tapped on the screen.

Steph: I'm waiting by our table  Where r u?

Jack scrolled through Alexis's contact list, finding Steph's number.  She answered after only one ring.  "Where the hell are you?  Please tell me you've met some hot looking guy and are about to have some mind blowing sex."

"I assume this is Steph,"  Jack said, into the phone.

There was a slight hesitation before a barrage of questions.  "Who the fuck is this?  Where's Alexis?  Why do you have her phone?"

"This is Jackson Cole.  Your friend was drugged tonight.  I've taken her to my penthouse and have called a doctor."

"Drugged?  And did you say Jackson Cole?  The Jackson Cole, owner of this hotel?" 

Jackson held the phone away from his ear as her voice got louder and more shrill with each question.  "Yes to all three questions.  Now I must get off the line.  The doctor should be here momentarily, but I wanted to inform you of her whereabouts."

"Wait!  Shouldn't I come get her or something?"

"Alexis will stay here until she awakens.  I'll take her home when she fully recovers."  Jack ended the call and put her phone back in her bag.  The buzzer for the elevator sounded.  Jack walked to the wall panel by his bedroom door and hit the talk button.  "Jackson."

"Jack, it's Stevens."

"Come on up.  I'm in the bedroom," Jack said, hitting the button to send  the elevator down.

The doctor did an examination and took some blood.  "He probably gave her Rohypnol.  I'll know more after I get this tested," Stevens said, holding up the vial before tucking it into his bag.  "She should sleep through the night.  She'll wake up feeling hungover, but there should be no other ill effects.  If she starts acting funny or doesn't wake up by morning, call me."

Jack walked the doctor out.  He made a few phone calls then gave his statement to the police, promising them the lab results by the following day.  He turned out the lights downstairs and made his way back to his bedroom.  He stared down at the woman asleep on his bed.  He memorized every feature of her face, even the tiny freckle by the side of her ear and felt a sense of possession overtake him. He liked seeing her in his bed. No woman had ever slept in his bed before, for sleeping or any other purpose.  The penthouse was his home, his sanctuary.  He had a suite on another floor that he used when he was in the mood to take a woman home for the night. 

Jack walked into his closet, stripped off his clothes, and changed into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt.  He moved a chair to the side of the bed, sat back, and watched Alexis sleep.  He might be unsure about the emotions tugging at his heart, but he knew one thing for certain, Alexis Rose Taft was now his.

CHAPTER FOUR

Alexis came awake with a groan.  A beat, to rival the loudest drum solo at a rock concert, pounded through her head.  She slowly opened her eyes, trying to remember what happened last night.  She remembered sitting at the table waiting for Steph.  No wait ... that guy from the bar showed up, then she remembered Jack, and arguing ..., and ... nothing.

Where was she?  The room was dark, but patches of moonlight shone through the windows, enough for her to see that she wasn't anywhere familiar.  Her eyes stopped when they landed on Jack slouched in a chair at the side of the bed.  His eyes were open and locked on her.  "Where am I?" she whispered, not wanting to anger the pulse throbbing in her head.

"At my penthouse.  Here, take this," he said, putting two brown pills into her palm and handing her a bottle of water.

"What is it?"

"Ibuprofen.  It will help with your head."

Alexis tossed the pills into her mouth.  She was thirsty and almost drank the whole bottle of water before setting it on the nightstand.  "Why am I here?"

"Tell me what you remember from last night."

Alexis sat up against the headboard.  As the covers slipped down to her waist, she noted (with relief) that she was fully dressed.  Only her shoes were missing.  She walked Jack through her evening and came to a stop when she couldn't remember anything else.

"That guy from the bar, his name is Peter Finchman.  At some point during the night he slipped Rohypnol into your drink."

"Rohypnol?  Isn't that some kind of date-rape drug?"

"Yes,"  Jack hissed through his teeth.  "The police found more of the drug on his person, and once they get the lab results from your blood, it should be an easy conviction."

She sat up straighter.  "I had blood taken?" 

"I had a doctor come take a look at you.  I wanted to make sure you were okay."

"And were you here when all this happened?"  Alexis felt extremely vulnerable at not knowing what had happened to her while she was unconscious.

"Yes," Jack said, sitting up straighter in the chair.

"By here, I mean, with me?"  She stressed, trying not to panic.

"If you're asking whether I ever left you alone with anyone, then the answer is no."

Alexis sagged in relief.  She could understand why the thought of being alone with someone while being unable to defend herself, making her anxious.  What she couldn't understand was why she didn't feel any anxiety at the thought of being alone and vulnerable with Jack.  She didn't know why she felt so comfortable in his presence. 

Maybe, it was the fact that he could have any woman he wanted and wouldn't have to resort to trickery to get one.  Yes, he was a womanizer but with his good looks and charm, she was sure women threw themselves at him, so how could he not be one?  Who would turn that down?  And he seemed honest.  He spoke his mind whether you wanted to hear it or not.  All that led her to believe, he wasn't the type to take advantage of an unconscious woman.

Jack relaxed back into the chair.  "Why don't you try to get some more sleep.  We'll talk more in the morning."

"Okay."  Alexis realized she was still exhausted.  She slid down in the bed, snuggling her head into the pillow.  She was asleep in a matter of minutes.

The bedroom was empty when Alexis next awoke.  She carefully got up and was relieved her head was no longer pounding.  In the bathroom, she used the facilities, washed her hands and face, removing all traces of last nights make-up, and brushed her teeth with an unopened toothbrush she found laying on the counter.  She grabbed her bag from the bed and checked her phone.  One missed text from Steph.  She would call her when she got home.  She found her shoes by the side of the bed and put them on while calling up the GPS on her phone.  She had no idea where she was and was surprised to find herself at Allure. 

Knowing where she was made her feel more confident as she went downstairs.  She heard a female voice somewhere off to her right.  She tiptoed quietly to the elevator being extra careful not to make noise with her heels when the flooring changed from carpet to marble, in the foyer.

Hitting the call button for the elevator, she looked over her shoulder while she waited, expecting at any second to get caught leaving.  She wanted to get home, and she didn't want Jack stopping her.  The elevator doors opened.   She stepped in, turned, and pushed the button for the lobby.  She breathed a sigh of relief when the doors closed, blocking her view from the penthouse.  She wasn't sure why she felt the need to make such a hasty escape.  She only knew, the less time she spent in Jack's presence, the better.

Alexis was on the couch reading when a knock hammered her front door.  She looked at the clock on the DVD player and saw it was one o'clock.  She'd been home for about two hours.  She stood and looked down at herself.  After coming home in a cab, she had taken a long, hot shower before throwing on an old pair of cutoff sweats and a tank top (sans bra).  She'd left her hair to dry naturally in curls and waves down her back.  She wasn't expecting anyone but figured it was probably Steph.  She'd tried calling her after she had arrived home, but it had gone straight to voice mail.  She'd assumed, after a late night of partying, that she had still been asleep. 

The knock sounded again, louder this time as she made her way to the door.  She didn't have a peephole, but she did have a side window that she looked through.  Jack stood on the stoop.  Surprise must have been written on her face, for when he caught sight of her, he gave a dark scowl.   She unlocked the three locks before pulling the door open far enough for only her head to appear.  "What are you doing here?"

He looked angry.  "Why did you leave?"

Alexis watched as he took a step closer to the door.  She backed her head away.  "What?"

"I had a meeting this morning that I couldn't get out of.  When I came home, you were gone."

At the word home, a tingle slid down her spine, and her breathing sped up.  She didn't understand her reaction around him.  She'd gone twenty-three years of life and never felt anything like it. 

Her eyes absorbed everything about him.  He was dressed in a dark suit and a light-blue shirt with the top buttons unbuttoned.  He was missing a tie.  Did he wear a tie to his meeting and took it off before coming here?  For some reason, she had to know.  "Where's your tie?"

He looked down at himself.  "It's in the car.  Are you going to let me in?"  He was losing patience.

Alexis stepped back from the door and pulled it open but didn't close it after he walked over the threshold.  She stood by the open door, her arms crossed over her chest (very aware she didn't have a bra on) as he scanned the room.  She looked as well, to see it as he would.  He obviously had money if he called a penthouse at the Allure home.  Her apartment was small, and her furnishings were old, but everything was tidy.  She didn't make much of a mess living alone.  Especially since, working two jobs, she wasn't home much.

He turned facing her.  When he noticed the open door, he walked over, closed it, then took her by the arm and led her farther into the room.  "Now, are you going to tell me why you left?"

She stepped out of his hold putting a good three feet between them.  "I didn't know I was supposed to stay."

"Where was Becky?  She was supposed to keep you there, tell you I was at a meeting and would be coming back, and feed you breakfast while you waited."

Alexis shook her head.  "I didn't see anyone."  No way in hell was she going to tell him about the female voice she heard in the other room as she snuck out.  And yes, she can admit to herself that she did sneak out, trying to avoid the confrontation she was having right now.  She hoped she didn't get that poor, Becky person, in trouble.

He took the step that separated them and brought his hands up to cradle her face.  His thumbs rubbed her cheeks as she watched the anger vanish from his eyes.  "I wanted to make sure you were okay."

She felt silly, standing there with her arms crossed aggressively over her chest.  She brought her hands up and placed them on his upper arms.  "I'm fine," she whispered, responding to his mood.  She felt his biceps flex. 

She tried to take a step back, but he held her tight.  "Why do I always feel as if you're trying to run from me?"

Alexis needed some space.  Being this close to Jack made strange feelings flutter in her stomach and made her breathing erratic.   When she tried to take a step back again, he held on tighter.  She felt his fingers dig into the back of her neck, not to the point of pain, but almost.  "Please let me go." 

He sighed, closing his eyes and leaning his forehead to hers before releasing her.  She stepped back, recrossing her arms, and turned her back to him.  "Now that you know I'm all right, you can go."

"Let me take you to dinner."

She gave him a perplexed look over her shoulder.  "I thought you didn't do that?"

He let out another sigh and ran his hand through his hair, creating that disheveled look she loved so much.  "I don't."

"Then why?"

He looked deeply into her eyes, searching for something before he responded, "I don't know."

She turned her head back around so she was no longer facing him.  "This is a bad idea.  You don't date.  I don't date.  Let's just leave it like that."

"Why don't you date?"