He's Captured My Trust (Captured Series Book 2) (4 page)

He brings his hand up slowly and cups my chin, tilting it. His mouth is upon mine with softness and tenderness.

“This I have missed,” I say, pulling back from him slowly. “I’ve missed everything about you.”

“Miss Stewart, I can safely say I feel the same. I was kind of hoping I could keep you all to myself this weekend, locked up in the apartment, but my family has other ideas. My brother, Connor, got engaged a few weeks ago. There’s a party on Saturday night, and everyone can’t wait to meet you.” He pauses, his eyes searching mine. “And I should warn you, my mother is excited that you’re here.”

“That sounds good, but”—I sigh—“I didn’t bring any dresses with me, as you can tell from my case.”

“We can fix that. A shopping trip tomorrow it is then.” He smiles, taking my hand. “Come on. Let’s get you home. I want to show you how much I’ve missed you. Actually, we might not make it home.”

I gasp in shock and laugh. He laughs with me. We stroll out of the airport hand in hand, like any other normal couple.

Alex looks about anxiously and then sees what he’s looking for. A shiny black limousine pulls up, and the driver gets out and opens the door and takes my case.

Why does the car not surprise me? Flash git.

“Libby, this is Murphy.”

“Good afternoon, Miss Stewart,” Murphy says in a thick Irish accent. “It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.”

“Hi,” is all I can say as Alex walks around the car to the other door.

“Miss Stewart, all I can say is, I’m glad you’re here. Mr. Mathews might be a bit more bearable,” Murphy says out of earshot of Alex. He winks at me as I get in the car, and I burst out laughing.

“What? What is so funny?” Alex asks.

“Nothing, nothing at all.” I know it’s not my place to get staff into trouble, and Murphy seems nice. And anyhow, Alex might not see the funny side of that particular comment.

The car pulls into the steady stream of traffic away from the airport and straight to the city.

I settle in close to Alex, so close I can breathe his smell in. God, I’ve missed him. He smells so good. I relax in his arms—still my favourite place in the world. He has one arm firmly around my waist and, with the other, he clasps my hand gently, stroking my fingers. It’s such a simple gesture, but it sends shock waves through my core.

“I can only presume you had an enjoyable flight,” he says.

“Of course. I think I had the best sleep I’ve had in weeks. Uninterrupted. No long, late-night phone calls, no early starts. Just sleep. I feel refreshed.” I sneak a look in his direction to find him studying me cautiously.

“Miss Stewart, since you had such a good sleep, you won’t be needing much while you’re here.” He tightens his grip on my waist.

I giggle a little, and then stop. I’m sure I saw Murphy in the rear view mirror, smirking. If only Alex had put the privacy screen up, oh, the possibilities. He places a small kiss on my forehead.

“So what are the plans for the weekend?” I ask.

“You really want me to tell you?” he asks in a low, seductive voice. I nod. “Okay, well, first I’m taking you home, getting you out of those clothes, and taking you to bed where I will make love to you until you beg me to stop. And I do mean beg.”

“That sounds interesting,” I say in a lower voice as I move my hand from his and place it on his thigh.

I watch him with interest as his breathing changes pace and he is noticeably straining against his trousers. I move my hand slowly upward, caressing his inner thigh. He takes several deep breaths. I stop, remove my hand, and place it back in his.

He opens his eyes and raises his eyebrows at me, questioning. I smirk and shrug.

“Oh, my sweetest Libby, we are going to enjoy this weekend,” he says before his mouth crashes onto mine.

I am lost in this kiss. So much passion bubbles away under the surface that it’s only a matter of time before an explosion. I pull back slowly, reluctantly. The smile on his face tells me everything I need to know. He wants me.

I lean back into him and watch the outside world go by. As I do, his phone rings.

“Mom . . . Yes, of course, she’s right beside me . . . No, we’re heading to the apartment . . .”

He holds the phone out to me and shakes his head.

“Hi, Sarah.”

“Libby, sweetie, did you have a good journey? Are you tired? We wanted to take you out tonight. What do you think?” Sarah doesn’t stop for a breath.

I look to Alex for some kind of idea of how he wants me to answer.
Help,
I mouth, to which he replies with an amused expression, “Sorry, baby. You’re on your own with this.”

How can I tell her that all I want to do is fall into bed with her son and stay there for the rest of the day and night?

“Sarah, the journey was fine, but I am a bit—”

She doesn’t let me finish. “Oh, sweetie, no need to say anymore. I’ll see you tomorrow. Put Alex back on.”

I hand him the phone back.

“Yes, Mom . . . Of course I’ll look after her . . . Yes, I’ll make sure she eats, because to be honest, she has lost some weight . . .” He says the last part while looking straight at me. “Yes, Mom, we’ll both see you tomorrow. We’ll do dinner at my place for the whole family. Bye.”

“What do you mean I’ve lost weight?”

“You have, baby, and I can’t help but think that I am partially to blame for that.” He lifts my hand to his mouth and places a kiss in the middle of it. “And I know the hours you’ve been putting in at work, with the run-up to Christmas. I do know and understand this will be your busiest time of the year, so I can only presume you haven’t been eating properly.”

“Alex . . . we’re meant to be leaving the past in the past. With all the talking we’ve done over the past few weeks, I thought we had put this behind us.”

“Yes, so did I, but seeing you here, in person, has made me realise I shouldn’t have left when I did. I am so sorry for that.” I can see the anguish in his eyes.

“Alex, no more sadness. I’m only here for the weekend to see you and enjoy you. I’m happy and want you to be happy too.” I lean and give him a soft kiss on the lips. I have an urge to deepen it, make it something else. Then I remember where we are, sitting in the back of a limousine, and we’re not alone.

THE CAR COMES TO A
stop outside a tall building in what I know is in an incredibly wealthy part of Manhattan. The topic came up during one of our late-night calls. Murphy gets out and quickly opens my door. He gives me his hand to help me out. Alex has gotten out the other side and takes my hand from Murphy. I stand and gaze up at the impressive building in front of me. It goes on for miles, fading into the skyline.

“I don’t usually come in this entrance,” Alex tells me. “We usually come in from the parking lot, but I thought you might appreciate seeing the building in all its glory. Come on—let’s get you inside. We have a lot to catch up on.” I see the glimmer in his eyes, and I’m glad to see we’re both on the same wavelength.

“What about my case?”

“Murphy will bring it up when he parks the car.” Alex gently tugs my hand, indicating that I should start moving my feet, but they are stuck firmly in the spot as I take in the beauty of the buildings around me. Just how I imagined it would look.

“Come on,” he says. “If you’re enjoying this view, wait till you see it from up there.” He points upward. I already know he stays in the penthouse—so the views must be
spectacular.

“Okay,” I say as he leans down. His lips brush gently against mine.

“Mr. Mathews, miss,” the doorman says as we enter a grand hallway. This place could give my hotel a run for its money. It’s stunning.

We head toward the lift that’s farthest away. I don’t know what to expect of Alex’s place. He has been vague about it during conversations, but it won’t be long before I find out.

As soon as the elevator doors close, I turn and face him, throwing my arms around his neck, much to his delight. His arms go around my waist. I gently pull him toward me and smile.

“Miss Stewart, can you not wait until we’re inside?”

“No, but I’ll settle for a kiss.”

“If the lady wants a kiss, who am I to refuse?”

Our lips meet with passion and force. This is what I wanted to do in the car. I kiss him hard, taking him by surprise. I can feel his heart race at about the same pace as my own. I run my fingers through his hair, tugging slightly. He lets out a small moan—a moan of pleasure.
This afternoon is going to be interesting.

“We’re here,” he says, pulling his lips away from mine.

He takes my hand and pulls me out of the lift. He pauses as we enter his hallway, and he turns toward me and smiles. It’s stunning. Modern and contemporary. Bright and light.

I stand and stare, but Alex pulls me along. “Come on, we can’t stand here all day. I have other plans.” He grins. “Let’s give you a brief tour of this floor.”

I’m not sure what he means by
brief tour,
but he pulls me from one room to another. I don’t think my feet even touch the floor. I learn that on this floor, there is a staff accommodation for Murphy and his wife. Their accommodation is huge,
nearly as big as my flat back home. There are two offices, a formal dining room, a sitting room, a gym, a media and games room, and two guest bedrooms, and then there is the living room and kitchen.

What can I say about these two rooms? The living room is vast, with glass windows. I walk toward them. Breath-taking. Beautiful, unobstructed panoramic views of this wonderful city as far as my eyes can see. I love it. He has a black-and-white theme going on. Again, extremely modern.

The kitchen is where I meet Murphy’s wife.

“Joan, I would like you to meet Miss Stewart. Libby, this is Joan Murphy.”

“Pleased to finally meet you, Miss Stewart. I have lunch prepared for you both—a warm chicken salad. There is also some sun-dried-tomato bread. Alex said that was suitable,” she says in a strong American accent.

“Thank you,” is all I can manage as I take in my surroundings. I thought my flat was big. I’m going to need a road map to get from
A
to
B
here.

Joan sets two places at the breakfast bar, and Alex pulls out a chair for me—always the gentleman. He takes a bottle of wine out of the large fridge and gets two glasses from a cupboard.

“Mr. Mathews, is there anything else I can get for you?” Joan says as she places a large bowl on the counter.

“No, that will be all. Now go and spend some time with Murphy. Get him to treat you for a nice meal out,” he says with a warm smile. “And, Joan, thank you for everything today.”

“Mr. Mathews, you are more than welcome. Enjoy your day, Miss Stewart.” With that she is gone.

“Libby, some wine with your lunch?”

“Don’t you think it’s a bit early for alcohol?”

“Nope, not at all. We’re celebrating you being home with me.” He opens the bottle and begins to pour. “Would madam like to taste?” He laughs as he stands with a towel draped over the arm he is holding the bottle in, just as a waiter would do. I giggle.

“No. I’m sure it will be perfect.”

He sits down beside me and serves the salad. I sit, watching him intently. I’ve not seen him in four weeks and that’s been far too long
,
and I don’t want to take my eyes off him even for a second. I think I’m actually too excited to eat. When he finishes serving the salad, he picks up his fork and starts to eat. But then he stops and faces me. I’ve not picked up my cutlery yet.

“Libby, open,” he says in a soft voice before placing a forkful of salad in my mouth.

“Mm, this is good,” I say, unable to drag my eyes away from him. He looks too good—damn good.

“Of course it is. Joan is an excellent cook.”

I take the fork from him and put some food on it and turn to feed him. I move one plate out of the way. Alex looks slightly puzzled.

“Are you not hungry?”

“Yes, I am, and for a lot more than the food.” I smile, teasing. “But seeing as the food is so good, everything else can wait.” I get up from my chair and move the short distance to him. Much to his amusement, I sit myself down in his lap.

“You know,” he whispers in my ear. “Lunch. Is. About. To. Get. Much. More. Interesting.” He places soft kisses around my neck between each word.

“How about we skip lunch and go straight to dessert?” I raise my eyebrows, questioning him.
That sounds like the best idea I’ve had today.

“No can do. You need to eat. You’ve lost too much weight. And anyway, we have all day and night—just you and me and no interruptions.” I frown as he puts more food on the fork and begins feeding me again.

Lunch turns out to be a playful affair. We tease and feed each other with the most delicious salad and bread, which I learn is homemade. There is lots of touching and kissing.

When we are finished eating, Alex moves me from his lap and takes the dishes over to the sink. I follow. The least I can do is help clear up. He turns to me as I approach him, and takes me in his arms. The desire in his eyes is as plain as day.

“Miss Stewart, I think it’s about time we continue with a tour of upstairs.” He speaks with a teasing softness.

“Are we not going to tidy up then?”