Hard and Fast (11 page)

That’s all it was. Anything else would be incredibly inconvenient and just plain stupid. Alex had spent the last day and a half running that dialogue in her mind, willing her body and wayward thoughts to cooperate with her rational mind. Even now, while looking through her bag on the floor to pull out nightclothes, Alex tried to look casual and unaffected. Like this wasn’t the same hotel room that she had seriously contemplated hooking up with Lucas in less than a week ago for some much needed stress release.

“I’m going to order room service,” he told her from where he was now sitting, at the desk in the living room area with his laptop open. “Do want anything?”

Alex straightened up holding an oversize T-shirt, loose cotton shorts, and her toiletry bag.

“No, thank you.”

She quickly went into the bathroom with her things and took a long hot shower. It helped her relax and put the situation in perspective. It also allowed Alex to come to a fairly simple realization. Lucas Johnson was a very sexy man who was now in close proximity for a limited amount of time. Rather than ignoring her attraction to him, it would be far more productive to embrace the opportunity for a bit of meaningless, satisfying sexual gratification.

If she questioned her new way of thinking, it was strongly reinforced the moment Alex stepped out of the bathroom again. At some point in the last thirty minutes, Lucas had removed his black shirt, revealing a white, ribbed cotton undershirt stretched tautly over his tight, rippled torso. He was talking on his cell phone but seemed to pause for a few moments once he saw her. His eyes trailed up her body slowly from her toes to hover somewhere around her lips.

“I have to go,” he finally stated into the phone before ending his call.

Alex wondered if she was so transparent that he could see everything she wanted written clearly on her face. Lucas placed the phone on the desk next to him and started walking toward her at a pace that felt like dramatic slow motion. His chest muscles rippled with every step, his arms were strong and cut. His shoulders were lean and broad, marred only by a small square of white gauze taped over the right deltoid. Her heart rate increased in anticipation for what was to come once he reached her. She bit her bottom lip, and his jaw clenched.

“Be careful what you ask for, Alex,” he stated, stopping beside her close enough to speak low near her ear, making it clear that her physical attraction to him had been well communicated. “You might get more than you can handle.”

Then he continued past her, brushing her hip with his fingers and leaving a light wake of his male scent behind. Alex closed her eyes and let out a deep breath. From behind, she heard Lucas open the door to let someone in. It was a hotel attendant delivering his room service meal.

Alex pressed the heels of her hands into her eye sockets and wished the floor could swallow her up. Instead, she pulled back the sheets of the bed and crawled under them. Too bad she hadn’t drunk more alcohol through the evening. Then perhaps she could have been too inebriated to remember the last five minutes.

CHAPTER 11

It felt like forever before Alex fell asleep. Lucas ate his burger in the living room while watching television, and tried hard not to look over at her small form curled up at the far end of the king-size bed, completely buried under the bedding. He worked on his laptop for another couple of hours, crawling through all the data they had taken from Timothy Pratt’s computer, trying to uncover any useful intel. At about one o’clock in the morning, he stretched out on the large sofa to try to get a good night’s rest. His Beretta pistol was tucked under a seat cushion within easy reach.

In the morning, he was up by six o’clock. Alex was now spread out on her stomach in the middle of the bed, hugging one of the down-filled pillows and with the sheets twisted around her hips. He walked past her to the bathroom, resisting the urge to smile at the adorable image. The last thing he needed right now was to encourage this insane attraction to her.

The rest of the morning went as planned. Lucas checked in with the team on-site at Magnus, and all was quiet. Alex was up and in the shower before nine o’clock. He ordered a coffee and a few pastries for her, oatmeal for himself. They alternated eating and getting dressed in the bathroom with very few words exchanged. At about ten o’clock, Lucas escorted her back to Shawn Hampton’s room, then to the site of the ceremony in a banquet hall forty-five minutes later. Lucas found no sign of any hidden threats or suspicious behavior.

He took a spot standing at the back of the small banquet hall where he could monitor all people and activity. His gun was secure in a shoulder holster under his jacket, and a knife was strapped to his ankle as a backup. It was a small, intimate wedding with about forty people, which made it much easier for him to control. Most of the guests were on the bride’s side, with only twelve for the groom, not including Alex. It was soon very obvious that half of Shawn’s guests were Alex’s family. Three big, young guys sat up front, with an older man at the end. All four shared one or more facial features with Alex. Noelle was one row back with her boyfriend and another three guys who seemed to be from the same group of friends and each had a date. In contrast, Kate’s supporters were a mix of family members of Filipino heritage of all ages and a handful of female friends.

The ceremony started at eleven o’clock sharp. While all the guests watched the maid of honor then the bride walk down the makeshift aisle with emotional excitement, Lucas was focused on Alex. She was standing at the front of the room next to Shawn and the officiator, wearing a navy blue pantsuit matching the groom’s. But it was anything but masculine. The jacket and pants were slim-fitting and well-tailored to fit her body, wrapping every curve and limb perfectly. She wore high, sparkly sandals on her feet, and a bit of jewelry around her neck and in her ears. Her hair fell in spirals around her face and she looked sexy a hell.

It was a simple and brief ceremony. The guests were then ushered outside into the hallway to congratulate the newlyweds and take pictures, while the hotel staff set up the room for a sit-down lunch. Lucas stayed close behind Alex to ensure she was in arm’s reach, and tried to look more like a date than protective detail. Eventually, Alex casually introduced him to her father and brothers as a “friend,” garnering a few raised brows. Lucas remembered the youngest of the brothers, Alex’s twin, Adrian, from the group at the hotel restaurant last Sunday. Adrian seemed to remember Lucas also, staring him down in an effort to look menacing. Lucas ignored him.

A light three-course lunch was served in the banquet room, and the atmosphere was casual and festive as soft music played in the background. Alex seemed relaxed and happy surrounded by family and friends. She laughed freely with everyone, exchanged teasing barbs with her brothers, and talked intently with her father. She and Kate even shared an awkward embrace that seemed genuine and heartfelt.

Occasionally, her eyes met his and clung for a few moments. Lucas wondered to what extent she knew the physical effect she had on him. Her gaze was bold and intense, yet not readable enough for Lucas to know exactly what she was thinking about him, his words last night, and the attraction between them. He could only hope that she would heed his warning and refrain from looking at him with such blatant sexual invitation again.

Soon enough, the bride was tossing the bouquet, caught by Noelle, and the groom was escorting her out of the hotel to a limo to start their two-week honeymoon in Costa Rica. Alex joined the remaining group in a round of farewell hugs and kisses. Her father and brothers shook Lucas’s hand, and Adrian seemed to have relaxed a little bit.

By three o’clock, only Noelle and her boyfriend, Nicholas Carter, were still in the hotel lobby.

“Are you heading back home now?” Alex asked her cousin.

“Not right away,” Noelle replied. “Nick has a couple of errands to do before he drops me off. What about you? Will you be home later?”

Alex glanced at Lucas quickly.

“Yeah, I’ll be home.”

“’K, see you later,” stated Noelle.

“See ya, Lex,” Nicholas added, elbowing Alex on the shoulder like a buddy.

“Yeah. We’re still on for the strip club next weekend, right?” she asked him with a face that looked serious.

“Nick!” Noelle demanded, glaring at her boyfriend.

He rolled his eyes and tried to punch Alex, but she easily stepped back out of his reach.

“She’s just bugging you, Noelle. I told you, I’m not going to the club with the guys anymore.”

His protests and Noelle’s agitated questions continued as they walked through the lobby to the front entrance. Alex laughed out loud, clearly pleased with her efforts. Until she turned to find Lucas standing patiently behind her. Her smile faded, but the sparkle of mischief lingered in her eyes.

She turned and started walking to the elevators, her high heels clicking loudly on the marble tiled floors. Lucas fell in step beside her. Their silence continued through the ride up to the top floor and into his hotel room. He walked ahead of her to the far end of the room to start packing up his laptop and other supplies.

“Once you’re all packed up, I’d like to stop by Magnus before we . . .”

Lucas stopped midsentence as he turned to see Alex toss her suit jacket on the chair in front of the desk. She was now in the center of the room wearing a thin white camisole with a white lacy bra completely visible underneath. Her fingers reached for the button at the waist of her pants.

“What are you doing?” he demanded.

She tossed her head to the side, and a mass of curly locs tumbled seductively around her shoulders.

“I’m changing into something more comfortable,” she replied as though it was a perfectly natural thing to do in front of him.

Lucas clenched his jaw hard, perfectly aware that she was baiting him.

“Perhaps you should do that in the bathroom,” he suggested as politely as he could.

She shrugged and lowered the zipper. The sound seemed unnaturally loud to his ears.

“I’m good. Unless I’m making you uncomfortable, Lucas.”

Alex held his gaze as she wiggled the pants over her hips until the fabric fell to her ankles. Then she walked out of them, still in those sparkly sandals, one step closer to him in just her underwear.

“Alex, stop this,” he grumbled, clenching his fists tight.

“Stop what exactly?” she whispered, leaning forward slightly as though waiting for an answer.

Lucas knew she was pushing for a reaction, proof that the image of her wearing next to nothing, displaying delicious curves and coppery skin was making his blood boil. He forced himself to hold still, breathe deep, and not fall for it. That attempt lasted seconds.

“What exactly do you want?” he asked, allowing his eyes to freely travel over her body.

Maybe if he called her bluff, she’d see that he shouldn’t be teased. She walked closer and his nostril flared.

“I want you to know that I don’t respond well to threats,” she replied softly, sweetly. “And I like a challenge.”

She reached out to touch the front of his jacket, but Lucas grabbed her wrist in midair before she could reach him.

“And I don’t play games,” he snapped back, frustrated by how much she tempted him.

“Neither do I.” She tugged hard and he let go of her. “But maybe that’s more than you can handle.”

Alex turned away from him, but Lucas could not stop his reaction. He reached out with one arm around her waist and pulled her back to him with his hand flat against her stomach. She let out a puff of breath as her back slammed into his torso. He felt a heady sense of dark satisfaction. But if he intended to teach her a lesson, it backfired. With her body molded against his, that sweet round ass was perfectly nestled against his groin, completely sabotaging his ability to think clearly. He breathed in deep, surrounding his senses with her intoxicating amber scent.

Shit,
she was making him crazy.

He took a few more deep breaths trying to get a handle on his ranging desires. Then, any chance Lucas had to resist the temptation in his hands was eliminated when Alex reached high with her right arm and ran her hand over his head. Lucas looked down at the luscious round breasts pushed high, with puckered nipples teasing him through the sheer fabric covering them. Every valid and coherent objection or concern was quickly overridden by pure carnal need.

Lucas pressed his lips to the elegant line of her neck and cupped her breasts with his large hands. They were the perfect handful of soft plump flesh. He squeezed them, loving the sound her breathless groan. Their hard tips pressed against his palms. He scraped his teeth along her neck, then bit the sensitive flesh. Alex shivered, arching her back, and rubbed achingly along the length of his now pulsing erection. Almost all of the blood in his body was now pooled in his lower limbs, making Lucas feel powerful and weak at the same time. Whatever was left was pounding his ears.

He needed more of her.

“Is this what you want?” he demanded roughly as he slid one hand down her stomach and under the lace of her panties.

His fingers ran over inches of smooth, silky skin then a rim of soft fur along the valley of her lips. Alex gasped. Her hips rotated, telling him almost everything he wanted to know and needed to hear.

“Yes,” she gasped, digging her fingers into his scalp and adding dangerous fuel to his raging arousal.

Lucas slid his fingers deeper between her thighs, dragging them within the seam of her core. She was slick and moist, just as he’d imagined. He circled the swollen bud with a light teasing brush, and Alex gasped deeply. He dipped the tip of his middle finger into her hot well. So perfectly snug. All he could think about was how incredible it would feel to slide into her, slowly, deeply.

He was throbbing so hard it hurt.

“Jesus, Alex,” he muttered, losing the little fragile restraint he had left.

He pulled her a few steps over to the low television credenza then turned her around to face him. While unbuttoning his shirt, Lucas looked down at the incredibly sexy image she made. Bright, glittering eyes and flushed cheeks. Full pink lips, open and inviting. He wanted to kiss her, devour that mouth to remind himself how sweet and intoxicating she was. Intoxicating enough to easily get lost in. He resisted.

“Don’t move,” he demanded, keeping his eyes locked on hers.

Alex nodded. After he quickly shrugged off his jacket, Lucas carefully unclipped his Beretta from the shoulder holster and placed it safely on the surface beside them. He then reached over to his small duffel bag sitting open beside the television and pulled out a condom. She bit her bottom lip, but stayed put.

Lucas undid his pants and pushed down his sport briefs with one hand, then tore open the packet with his teeth. He almost groaned with arrogant satisfaction as Alex looked down at the thick thrust of his arousal and watched him roll on the thin protection. When she looked back up, her eyes were even brighter, reflecting the heavy arousal that he felt. The only sound in the room was of their rough, shallow breathing.

“Lean back,” Lucas instructed, taking her by the hip so she was sitting on the edge of the wood surface. He slowly, deliberately spread her legs and bent her knees. She was now reclined on her elbows, hands splayed open with the palms down, watching his every move. Lucas yanked aside the damp crotch of her panties to uncover her delicate folds. With his hand cupping her ass, he slid hard and deep into her tight sheath.

Alex groaned low and deep, her eyes closed and her head falling back. With a firm grip to hold her still, he stroked into her again, savoring the intense feel of her snug, wet grip. It was the most incredible feeling. Eyes squeezed tight, jaw clenched hard, Lucas stroked into her again deeper, rougher. All of his senses seemed completely focused into the sweet spot where his rigid length slid perfectly into her soft flesh, over and over. All too quickly, he fell into a frenzied rhythm that was driving him to the edge of completion. Damn, he wanted it so bad. Needed to relieve the maddening tension that was creeping up his legs, clawing at his back, hard and fast. Too fast, too uncontrolled.

Sweat was now trickling down his back. Lucas took a breath, opened his eyes in the struggle for a small amount of control. With his heart beating like a wild drum in his ears, he looked down at the woman who was able to destroy his willpower and self-control without even a touch. Her eyes still closed, full breasts bouncing, she gasped with delight with his every stroke. The juices of her arousal glistened on her lower lips.

She was so incredibly sexy that Lucas felt mesmerized, enraptured. The need to come was now tempered with the desire to savor her arousal, watch it build until she climaxed tightly around his cock.

As though feeling the heat of his eyes, Alex raised her lids and met his gaze. Everything suddenly got hotter, more intimate and feverish. Lucas felt his heart jump and slowed his rhythm in surprise. Then he watched with anticipation as she shifted her weight to one side, using her now free hand to slide down her torso and over her clit. She began a slow rub in small circles, her body vibrating from the added stimulation.