Nauti Intentions (28 page)

against a barrier raised between them, one Dayle Mackay had placed there. Natches had taken the beatings until he was twenty, to ensure Dayle never

abused Janey. And she knew it. Her guilt was like a cancer eating inside her. Natches had watched out for her from afar, bul ied friends into helping him

when she went away to school, and general y made himself crazy because Dayle had stil managed to hurt her six months before. He hadn’t been

able to protect her, and his guilt added to that barrier.

“I know I have to deal with this on my own.†Janey shook her head. “If it gets too bad, then I’l leave.â€

“And when you do, whoever it is wil fol ow you. And there wil be no one to protect you,†Alex bit out. “Is that what you want?â€

He thought of the child he’d almost bet she was carrying. His baby. The hel she was leaving.

“You have a better choice?†Janey asked, that damned remote mask of hers slipping into place.

“Exactly what we are doing,†Alex growled. “Whoever it is wil mess up. When he does, I’l be here.â€

The look she gave him made him hard as hel . There was the barest flicker in her gaze of heat, of knowledge. She knew exactly what they were doing.

Fucking themselves to death if they kept up the way they were.

“Enough!†Natches snapped. “Enough of the looks, okay?â€

“Natches, you seem to have a problem with me having a life. Period.†Janey surprised him. Him and Alex.

There was the barest edge of stress in her voice, just the lightest hint of mockery as she stared back at her brother. “I’m over eighteen,

remember?â€

“And we both remember how we failed to protect you six months ago,†Alex told her as he rebooted her computer and moved to counter whatever

was distorting her programs. “We don’t intend to let that happen again.â€

Natches scowled at him. “Yeah, what he said,†he growled, then muttered, “Didn’t ask his opinion, though.â€

Janey narrowed her eyes between the two men. “Is this normal?†She final y asked.

“What?†Natches scowled.

“The way you two are bickering?â€

“I bicker with Dawg constantly,†Alex told her absently as he worked at the computer. “Crista lets him get away with too much. Someone

needs to point it out.â€

Natches’s scowl deepened.

“Okay,†Janey said slowly. “Tel you what, I’m going to go to the kitchen and let Desmond know the veggies are definitely a go.†She

rose from her seat.

“Janey, why don’t you have the cash to cover the deliveries?†Natches asked softly. “You get a salary as manager.â€

“Locked in the computer.†She shrugged.

“She’s lying to you,†Alex stated, frowning at the computer as she whipped her head around to glare at him. He knew her too wel .

“Janey.†Natches’s tone was warning. “What’s going on?â€

“I had bil s to pay. I paid them.†This was a discussion she didn’t want to get into.

“Your apartment is free.†Natches began ticking off her bil s. “No car payment; I gave you that car. Electric, water, et cetera, are in with the

restaurant, so that’s covered. Groceries are your main concern.†He raked his gaze over her. “You’re not exactly eating a lot.â€

“Go to hel .†She moved for the door.

“When Alex gets that computer up, I’l check your salary,†he said lazily. “Maybe we need to discuss what you’re making.â€

“I hope you have a daughter,†she muttered, jerking the door open and slamming it behind her as she stalked into the hal .

Natches glowered at the door, then turned to Alex as he chuckled.

“I thought she loved me.†Natches sighed. “I real y thought she loved me.â€

Alex sat back slowly from the computer. “She’s been hacked. A virus was inserted and al her information wiped from the surface. I think I can

retrieve it, but someone knew what they were doing. This is serious, Natches. Someone wants to destroy her.â€

Natches stared back at Alex and breathed in heavily.

“I’l kil them,†he said softly.

To which Alex replied, “You’l have to beat me to it.â€

SIXTEEN

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“You’re going to have to talk to your brother eventual y, you know.â€

Of course, Alex was waiting on her when she trudged back into the office after making certain everyone was finished for the night and locking up. It was

almost midnight. The late crowd hadn’t dwindled out until after eleven, and the restaurant had stayed busy.

“Did you get my computer fixed?†She ignored his comment about Natches.

“Everything’s running smooth.†He pushed back from the computer. “I even worked up the payments you had listed for today and have

everything ready for you to sign. I input your invoices, listed your deliveries, and you should be good to go for the night.†He laid to the side the stack of

papers awaiting her signature.

“Regular little secretary, aren’t you?†She eased into a chair, slid her heels from her feet, and stretched her arches.

She was exhausted. She needed another manager. It was obvious she was going to have to open the extra dining room if she wanted to increase

profits from the popularity of the restaurant. And the newspaper was refusing to run the ad without Natches’s okay. That pissed her off.

“I try to please,†he drawled, leaning against the table on the other side of the desk.

A minute later, a steaming cup of fresh coffee was at her elbow. Janey stared at the coffee, then up at Alex.

Before she could turn her head, his palm cupped her neck, and the way he did that was too dominant and too sexy for words. Then his lips stole a long,

melting, tongue-licking kiss that just about stole her mind.

When he lifted his mouth and moved back, a confident smile on his face, she frowned back at him.

“I’ve detected a pattern here.†She sighed. “You kiss me and give me coffee before you start harassing me.â€

“Janey, I never harass you,†he said mockingly. “I merely state my opinions.â€

“Wel , tonight I don’t want to hear your opinions.†She lifted the cup and sipped, almost moaning at the rich, dark taste. But it stil wasn’t

as good as his kiss.

She turned back to the computer, going through her accounting program, checking the work he had done that day. Not that she didn’t trust him. She

was anal; she admitted it.

He’d of course done everything perfectly.

“Tabitha mentioned you were talking about opening the banquet room for reservations in a few weeks,†he stated as he poured his own coffee.

“You can’t handle it alone.â€

No kidding. She almost snorted at that statement.

“I’m not begging Natches to approve a general manager,†she told him with an edge of anger. “The newspaper won’t even run my ad

now.â€

“Talk to him, Janey,†he stated again. “He thinks you’re going to leave. And that thought is your fault.â€

“Staying here might not be an option.†She lifted her shoulders negligently. “Either way, the restaurant needs to stay open. To take advantage

of the popularity right now and continue to grow into the future, it needs to maintain a daily reputation. Poor service or shutting it down for a period of time

wil only destroy any future earnings for it.â€

“I have a feeling we both know Natches doesn’t give a damn about this restaurant,†Alex said. “I’m wondering why you do.â€

“Income.â€

“Bul shit.†His tone was sharp. “Don’t lie to me, Janey. I don’t like it.â€

She wanted to know how he knew she was lying, but she refused to ask. She was almost afraid to know.

“I always loved the restaurant,†she final y said, hating to admit to anyone that anything was important to her. “Every time I came here I could

see how to make it work. I knew what it needed.†She stared at the computer screen. “And it ate inside me because it was nothing but a means to

an end for Dayle. I hated him for that alone.â€

The restaurant became a symbol to Janey, and she knew it. Something that could endure with the proper care and staff. Something she could build her

life around.

“Does Natches know how you feel?â€

She turned and looked at him curiously. “Why do you care? Why are you suddenly so damned concerned about my relationship with my brother?â€

“Because he’s going to end up hitting me out of frustration,†he growled. “He can’t figure shit out with you, so it makes him even more

pissed that I’m sleeping with you, because he thinks he’s losing the sister he never had a chance to know, before he has a chance to get to know

her. It’s a male thing.â€

She stared back at him suspiciously. “A male thing?â€

He rubbed at his jaw. “I would real y hate to have to fight Natches, Janey. But you’re his baby sister. The baby sister he was never able to be a

brother to. He doesn’t know things that brothers think they should know. Now he’s getting even more pissed that I’m sleeping with you,

because he thinks I’m coming between the two of you.â€

“And this is a male thing?â€

“It’s a male thing.†He nodded. “We’re not just possessive over our lovers or wives, but we have this thing about our baby sisters, too.

It’s our job to make sure they don’t get hurt. Physical y or emotional y.â€

“And you’re aware that’s total y asinine, correct?â€

He grinned. “Oh yeah, we know that with our heads. But our hearts are another matter. That’s where it’s our baby sister’s responsibility

to figure out the problem and fix it.â€

Janey bit her lip. Hard. It was that or tel him exactly how ridiculous the whole baby sister/older brother thing sounded.

“So, I’m supposed to what?†she final y asked. “Ask him nicely to let me hire another manager? Beg him, maybe?â€

“Or sit down and tel him that restaurant means more to you than some fly-by-night hole-in-the-wal you can walk away from. Because we both know

you won’t walk away from it short of death. Be honest about that much, Janey.â€

“I would walk away from it before I’d see you or my brother hurt because someone wants to hurt me,†she stated, staring around the office,

thinking about the dining rooms outside. “It’s not worth that.â€

“You’re not going anywhere.†He crossed his arms over the white shirt he wore and stared back at her implacably. “Admit it.â€

“Why are you harassing me? Go away, Alex.†She turned back to the computer and shut it down. “I have paperwork to do.â€

She was lifted from the chair and tossed over his shoulder.

“What are you doing?†she screeched, bracing her hands above his butt and staring down. “Let me down.â€

His hand landed on her ass in a quick little slap that had her eyes widening.

“You’re done for the night,†he told her, striding to the door.

She heard him setting the alarm, then the lights flipped out and cold air was swirling beneath her skirt as he stepped outside.

“You’re crazy.†She throttled the yel that the accusation should have been. “Certifiable. Dammit, Alex, I have work to do.â€

“Yes, you do,†he drawled, moving up the stairs. “You have a hel of a job ahead of you and it involves my hard dick. I’d rather take care of

that in a bed if you don’t mind.â€

Arousal should not have slammed inside her. She shouldn’t have just let him cart her around like a sack of potatoes because his dick was hard

and he wanted a bed to fuck in.

But she did. Because she wanted him. She loved him. Because she wanted as many memories as she could build before she had to force herself to let

him go.

“Here we go.†He set her on her feet at the door, then moved in front of her to unlock it and push it open.

It was silent as a tomb inside. He flipped the kitchen light on and moved inside, pul ing her into the kitchen and closing the door before punching in the

code for the security system.

Janey stayed in place as he pul ed the handgun from the holster he wore behind his back and moved through the apartment.

He flipped lights on and off as he moved through each room, final y returning to the kitchen, his tal , broad body moving with a male grace and power

that never failed to make her heart race.

“It’s clear?†she asked as he pushed the gun back into its holster.

“Clear.†His gaze flickered over her. “Those short skirts are kil ing me, you know. Knowing what you’re wearing under them. Smoky

stockings and a black garter belt. It makes me hard, Janey.â€

“Everything makes you hard.†She pul ed the gray silk blouse from the band of her skirt and began unbuttoning it slowly.

“Everything about you makes me hard,†he agreed, his expression beginning to tighten as he loosened the reins on his arousal.

“Just me?†She leaned against the wal , watching him closely, knowing she was pushing, and in pushing would most likely end up with a broken

heart.

She couldn’t just let things ride, could she? No, she had to have more. She had to push for an emotion she knew he didn’t feel.

“Just you,†he surprised her with his answer. “I haven’t wanted another woman since you came home, Janey.â€

But was it enough?

She left her blouse unbuttoned as she moved her hand to the little clasp and zipper at the side of her skirt.

“Do you give me al of you?†she asked him softly, promising herself that she was not going to mention love.

His hands fisted at his side. “What do you want?â€

“The one thing you want to give me the most,†she whispered.

“Do you know what that is, baby?†His voice roughened, lowered. “You don’t know what al of me can be.â€