Captured by the Bodyguard

Copyright 2013 Dez Burke

Chapter One

Alexandra Duke could not believe what her father was telling her.

“What do you mean, you’ve hired me a bodyguard? Why on earth would I need one?” she asked in amazement as she stared at the tall, distinguished and darkly handsome middle-aged man standing in front of her in the plush study.

When Alexandra had been summoned to the house to see her father, this was the last thing she’d been expecting.

Her father, Donel Duke was a man of many sides when it came to business. Takeover ace, whiz entrepreneur, property maven, commodities specialist…Whatever he was labeled, he was good at making money and he had loads of it – more than he could ever possibly know what to do with.

Ever since his wife, Alexandra’s mother had died when Alexandra had been seven, he’d thrown himself into the business of reaping from the many portals of wealth available to a man fueled by ambition and determined to make use of every opportunity. But even with all his business concerns, he always made time for family. Alexandra could never fault him that. If he couldn’t be there, he paid someone to do it. And that person was always the best even though for the growing Alexandra, the best staff, be it chauffeurs, maids, nannies or other types of caretakers had never been good enough to replace a father’s undivided attention.

Now, at twenty four, she’d long broken from the protective wings of her father and had moved out to stay at her own place- and now she felt a stinging irritation at the thought of being imposed upon by some bodyguard she didn’t need.

Her father let out an impatient sigh. “You know I’ve always been security conscious, and ever since you’ve started living on your own I’ve been feeling more and more uncomfortable. Especially with the recent acquisitions I’ve made concerning a few key companies. There are many disgruntled parties involved – dangerous people and I’m worried there might be an attack on you to get to me.”

Alexandra frowned in confusion. She already knew her father made a huge amount of money with his corporate bidding but nothing had ever put him or her in danger. Being very rich it was no surprise he’d have security detail and she always remembered how carefully guarded the house was. But was there really enough of a threat to her safety to warrant the need of a personal bodyguard for her?

As she paused, she felt her father take her elbow and lead her to the adjoining living area of the house. A man rose from the couch when they appeared, and Alexandra’s eyes immediately pinned to him.

“Alexandra, meet Cane Hutchinson. Cane, this is my daughter Alex,” she heard her father say as they advanced into the living room.

The man stood there in the middle of the room and Alexandra took a few moments to study him.

Chestnut brown hair cut almost military short, and very tall – at least six three. He was quite good looking, early or mid-thirties with a smooth jaw and piercing green eyes.

He had to work out because even in his smart black suit and tie with a white shirt, his shoulders looked hard-packed, his waist trim and his hips tapering. He had a striking, tanned face, full of sharp angles and features that hinted at high intelligence, wit and interest. Good looking? Heck, the guy was freaking hot, thought Alexandra. Far too hot to be a bodyguard. Her bodyguard. He looked more like he belonged in GQ than working as a close protection agent.

He nodded politely in greeting when Alexandra appeared. Now, she promptly turned to her father.

“I don’t want him,” Alexandra said with a brisk tone.

“Alex, this isn’t a day at the toy store,” her father said impatiently. “You can’t send someone back like an order of shoes you don’t like. Hutchinson stays. He’s the best in the business, highly recommended. I considered that only the top man would do for your personal security.”

Alexandra rested one hand atop the curve of her hip. “I can’t help but be surprised my bodyguard happens to be white. Wouldn’t a black guy have been more inconspicuous next to me?”

“Hutchinson is trained to keep a low profile. It’s not going to be so obvious to the outside world, not when he knows how to stay in the background,” her father said, before glancing at his watch. “Look, I have to make an important conference call in ten minutes to my links in China. Talk to him, he’ll tell you about your security details. This could be just for a little while, until I can be sure there’s no threat to you. Till then, just play nice,” Donel Duke told her, saying the last three sentences under his breath as he leaned forward to kiss her cheek.

He gave the bodyguard a nod, and then walked out in direction of his study, shutting the double doors after him.

***

Cane couldn’t blame her for wanting to send him back. Hell, he didn’t want this job either. Chaperoning or babysitting – whatever he was supposed to do on this assignment, he wanted out. Now.

For one thing, he’d thought he’d be handling some billionaire business man’s wife. Instead, he’d been assigned to Alexandra Duke, the daughter. Who looked every inch a bodyguard’s nightmare: the spoiled, daddy-wrapped-around-her-finger type.

Oh, and one other thing. She was going to be one hell of a damn distraction.

Alexandra Duke was a classical beauty, with a heart-shaped face, pretty nose and big, melting brown eyes. And lips so puffy and soft-looking a man started to ache in places just looking at them. Her skin was a toasty caramel, and smooth – free of make-up except for the tint of bubble-gum pink lip gloss on those man-killer lips. She was tall, well above five feet but still not reaching his shoulder even in her heeled sandals. Her long hair was straightened and done up in an elegant topknot which was in contrast with her casual attire of snug blue jeans and a white t-shirt. The kind of body she had in those clothes, Cane noted, would make a porn star envious.

A tiny waist set off her generously rounded breasts straining against her shirt, and then her hips seemed to explode, in a nice way that put a whole new spin on the Coke bottle shape. Long, shapely legs ended in a pair of high-heeled brown sandals that showed off her pretty feet with the powder blue nail polish.

It had taken Cane all of five seconds to take all this in, his expression schooled into a polite, calm mask. She took far more time in looking him over, a fact that unlike him, she made no pretence of hiding. He took her scrutiny in his stride, finally holding out his hand.

“It’s nice to meet you, Ms. Duke,” he said, opting for friendly with just the right hint of formality. He had to make an effort, he knew. Noah, his best friend who owned the protective services firm was well known and respected. Cane wasn’t about to do anything that would jeopardize that reputation. He might not like the situation he’d been placed in, but he was going to make the best of it till a solution could be found.

Alexandra Duke ignored his outstretched hand. Her beautiful deep brown eyes swept over him once again. “You don’t look like a bodyguard.”

Her factual words made his lips tilt in a tiny smile. “Let me guess; you’ve got this image of someone huge and towering like in the movies? Guys who look like they’d just fallen out of a bean stalk?” He huffed, adding mildly, “Those are the type of guys that in my trade, we call crowd controllers. It would take seconds for a man with my training to bring a guy like that down. The bigger you are, the slower your reflexes.”

She turned away to admire a colorfully arranged bouquet of fresh flowers making the centerpiece on the nearby ornate table. Cane took this chance to examine her in more detail.

He was still trying to figure out why Noah had set him down for this job. With his expertise and field experience, Cane was used to getting hired for high-risk clients. Those who were under some kind of major hazard, such as kidnapping, stalking, death threats, or if they had to visit a dangerous location. Cane’s services didn’t come cheap, so how come he was getting paid a truckload of money just to babysit some billionaire’s princess?

“I don’t want a bodyguard. I’m pretty certain I don’t need one,” Alexandra Duke told him in that same factual tone. Cane found that he liked hearing her talk. She sounded sexy even without knowing it; cultured with a musical intonation that stirred him in the gut. Was there nothing about this woman he didn’t find outrageously attractive? Even her irritated expression intrigued him, made him want to smudge the tiny frown away from her beautiful forehead gently with his thumb.

“You’ll just be in the way,” she added with an angry sigh. “I’m a very social person. My lifestyle demands it and I generally just am. I have school, friends. The one thing that would ruin my perfect existence would be knowing there was some handler watching my every move. Breathing down my neck.”

“Keeping you safe,” Cane added sensibly, keeping his tone neutral. He was a professional; it would take more than an impolite young lady to get on his wick. He was pissed off but mostly not at her, but at the guy who’d fixed him up in this.

“I’ve taken care of myself for the past three years living on my own. I don’t need a babysitter.”

“Which is great, because I’m your bodyguard, not your babysitter. And I wouldn’t be here if your father didn’t think it was absolutely necessary,” said Cane, reining in his temper. 

She spun her gaze from the flowers and back to him. Cane had to snatch in an inaudible breath as he was almost struck down by the fresh, alluring beauty of her face. Her eyes…they could set a man on fire. He wasn’t sure how she did what she was doing, but even Cane knew she didn’t really have to do anything. Women like Alexandra Duke had that gift of being incredibly beddable even without an effort. If he stayed on this job, then she’d definitely be more of a distraction than he cared to risk.

But then again, it was a job. And one thing Cane knew how to do, was get the job done. That was why he was, as Donel Duke had called him, the top man.

“When you said something about crowd controllers, you meant for famous people, right?” she was asking curiously, her beautiful neck curving to the side as she regarded him with a tipping of her head. “Like A-list actors or big-time music stars and all those other kind of people who’d pull crowds or something.”

“Exactly. For instance, we do a lot of security detail for a movie company and we have men who handle normal crowd control duties for the major stars.”

She nodded with interest. “So if you don’t handle those, just what’s your specialty, if I may ask? I’m assuming there hasn’t been much babysitting of spoiled rich girls in your work history.”

A smile of humor he fought hard to hold down slanted Cane’s lips. He liked her turn of phrase. Hell, he liked her – or he would have if she wasn’t going out of her damned way to be difficult.

Cane wasn’t about to disavow the ‘spoiled rich girl’ allusion; she’d probably read his mind and knew what he was thinking about her attitude. Instead, he went straight to the point of her question.

“My specialty? Politicians. Heads of state, the occasional oil sheik or tycoon. I have experience guarding women, but mostly those who’ve received a definite threat.” Cane paused, thinking of his last assignment.

It wasn’t two months ago he’d got out of hospital after an assassination attempt on his former client. A certain former senator’s wife had taken it upon herself to provide relief materials in a predominantly Muslim village off some West African coast. Cane had been assigned as her bodyguard when someone tried blowing her up with a pipe bomb. Cane had got in the way, rescuing the senator’s wife but getting injured in the process. He still had a few metal fragments in his body but he’d got right back on his feet as soon as possible. However, some stitches still remained that would completely heal in a week or two. Other than that, he was doing great.

And now this? Cane owed Noah a lot of favors after Cane had left active service with Special Ops. But now Cane had to shake off the thought that Noah had got him this gig because he was worried Cane needed to slow down after that last accident in western Africa.

Once again, Cane decided he’d do what needed to be done for now but as soon as he could, someone else had to take on this job. He didn’t relish the prospect of escorting some over-pampered female who’d give him more lip than he could be bothered to deal with.

Watching her suddenly spin on her heels and walk to the door, Cane cursed his best friend and boss for the umpteenth time. Noah had to know just how gorgeous Duke’s daughter was, and still he’d sent me up here, thought Cane. Well, that was one hell of a vote of confidence. Noah trusted him and obviously, so did her father Donel Duke. Cane could only hope he trusted himself just as much.

Cane had always had a take-it-or-leave-it stance when it came to women. Meaning, that he’d never really had to do the chasing. And if a woman played too hard to get, he got bored. No one woman had ever sparked his interest enough for him to make the extra effort.

He’d taken one look at Ms. Alexandra Duke, and knew he was in deep trouble. He wasn’t sure how, but this assignment was going to put a strain on his hard-won control. Not just as a bodyguard used to the whims and caprices of the rich and spoiled, but as a man having to be in close contact with a very beautiful, sexy and attractive young woman. His charge. Under his protection.

Shit.

Chapter Two

It was a very classy restaurant, newly opened that served a high end seafood menu. Alexandra walked into the dining area done in welcoming design and heaved a sigh when she saw the friendly face send her a happy wave.

She made her way through the spacious tables and took her seat next to her best friend, Malia whom she’d known since middle school. They embraced quickly and then Malia hissed, “Now who is that gorgeous hunk?”

Alexandra stiffened, drew in a slow breath and then turned to glance over her shoulder. Cane had taken a seat just a couple of tables away. Even in the restaurant half-filled with other guests, she could make him out with his clear-cut good looks and impeccable attire. Inconspicuous to others perhaps, but never to her, thought Alexandra with an angry sigh. He didn’t look their way but she was certain he could feel their gaze on him.

“I saw you both come out of the same car so I know he’s with you. I just don’t know why,” Malia murmured, sitting forward, her dark brown eyes dancing. She was the epitome of the pretty full-figured woman comfortable in her own skin. She had on a wrap-around silk dress which showed off her very ample assets. She was the same age as Alexandra and had a deep cocoa skin tone that was set off by her tinted gold short locks. Her expression was full of curiosity and Alexandra pursed her lips as she quelled her deep annoyance.

“That’s my bodyguard. Cane Hutchinson.”

Malia’s eyes widened, and her eyebrows rode way up. “Since when?”

“Since two hours ago,” Alexandra muttered. The waiter appeared and courteously handed them menus. Alexandra barely scanned through the lines, still far from happy with the way her day was turning out. She gave her best friend a brief rundown on the new state of events since she arrived at the house in answer to her father’s summons. Alexandra Duke officially now had a personal bodyguard to follow her around 24/7 because her father thought she’d be harmed or kidnapped by some mean, disgruntled corporate competitor. How screwed up was that?

She posed the question to Malia who looked rueful. “Well, it is a cut-throat world out there,” Malia said with a shrug. “I think your father would know better about the kinds of people he’s dealing with. I heard about a magnate who had some employees laid off and they got pissed off enough to try and take down his wife and adolescent twin sons. It was all over the news. The perps got caught before they could get away with it though. The fact is, maybe it’s best to be safe than sorry.”

“Well, I’m already sorry if that’s what you mean,” Alexandra said angrily. “I thought I’d distanced myself from my father and his issues. I moved out, got my life on track. Now I’m doing my Masters at FIT and on my way to realizing my childhood dreams of designing wedding dressings with the top fashion houses. I really don’t need any of this boardroom melodrama.”

Alexandra cut off when she saw Malia was hardly listening but craning her neck beyond Alexandra’s shoulder, obviously still checking Cane out. For goodness’ sake!

“Really?” Alexandra quipped, staring at her friend who suddenly pouted, sitting up and removing her gaze from the bodyguard sitting calmly a few tables away as he glanced through the menu in his hand.

“Hey, girl, don’t look at me. If I’d known you’d be showing up with Bruce freaking Wayne, I’d have been better prepared. I mean, damn. You know I have a thing for those brooding John Statham types. And this guy is hot enough to make even a Greek god feel inadequate.”

“Malia, he’s my bodyguard,” Alexandra reminded her exasperatedly as she flung down her menu. “What part of that doesn’t spell off-limits to you?”

Malia smiled mischievously. “He might be off-limits, but you can’t stop a sister from fantasizing. Imagining getting rescued in those big, strong arms…”

“Just forget it,” Alexandra snapped, looking away with an angry shake of her head. Malia was no help at all. Everything in life was just one big joke to her. No one would guess she was a highly qualified psychiatric nurse; she acted and looked so hip and cool and never seemed to take life seriously. But once she was at work, she was all professional.

Right now she was acting just like a woman and Alexandra couldn’t really blame her. Alexandra had already made the observation that she was stuck with a very sexy, possibly irresistible bodyguard. Though why on earth she’d think she’d ever be in a position to need to resist him was beyond her. Alexandra was never going to be in any of those cliché situations regarding a female and her bodyguard. She was too grown for that.

“Can we just order, please?” Alexandra finally said, done with the whole bodyguard topic. For now at least. Malia and Alexandra always met at least once a week for dinner at any nice restaurant they felt like trying out. This place had come highly recommended with its soft, subtly lit dining room and slanted glass windows running the length of one wall. The food was ocean fresh and she’d heard of the stand-out shellfish ravioli, buttered leeks and lobster sauce, angler and lobster pie with button mushroom and mashed potato as well as the yellow fin tuna tartare with lime and chili. She looked up in surprise when the waiter appeared and Malia proceeded to make a robust order.

“I’m on a seafood diet,” Malia explained lightly as the waiter walked away minutes later. “See food and eat it, I mean.”

Despite herself, Alexandra chuckled. She loved hanging out with Malia. Malia Wade was good people; they’d gone to the same schools and stuck together through thick and thin. Malia’s parents had died when she was just a kid, and she’d been brought up by her aunt and uncle. Wanting to be independent early on in life, she’d gone straight into nursing school, qualified within a few years and now, had a successful career at barely twenty-five. She was the one person in her sea of friends that Alexandra could really trust. With a father as rich as hers, Alexandra had always been able to tell who was with her just for the fortune she represented as Donel Duke’s daughter. Even romance had taken a back seat after a few failed attempts at finding love. It was hard to find genuine feelings when all anyone saw when they looked at her were dollar signs. So she worked very hard to keep her real identity on a low profile. She never offered information about herself especially when meeting new people. How her father could assume she could be in any danger was still beyond her. She shivered slightly as she recalled the briefing she’d received from the man called Noah Preston who ran the security operations Cane worked with.

She was to have two guards stationed at her place to watch the house, while Cane was to be her personal bodyguard living with her in close quarters. After dinner, she would be returning home where the two guards would already be found waiting. Then she had to worry about having a man in the house with her, for heaven knew how long. Alexandra bit on her lip, and not for the first time, wished herself having someone else’s life. Just anyone. Any normal person on the street that didn’t have to worry about such things as being safe from imagined corporate kingpins out to get her.

And then Alexandra felt instantly guilty for thinking that. Many people would be grateful to have the kind of life she lived. A loving, generous father who’d made sure she went to the best schools, had the best opportunities in life. Holidays in exotic places when she was growing up. All the good things money could buy. But she still wished she could hold on to at least one aspect of her life she had been so sure she’d won for herself when she’d reached of age. Her independence, her privacy. All of that was shot to hell with this new addition to her existence: a sinfully gorgeous bodyguard called Cane who wasn’t going to just go away no matter how much she wished it…

***

Alexandra lived in a two-bedroom house she’d inherited from her mother. It was certainly no stately abode but it did have two gorgeous marble bathrooms, hardwood floors and a stainless steel kitchen with granite counter tops and every cooking appliance known to man. She loved the engaging and warm décor and always felt glad she hadn’t allowed her father to convince her to stay deep in the city in some penthouse apartment. Her home was just a little on the outside of the city and she’d always liked the idea of being surrounded by serenity. Now, she wasn’t so sure.

She reluctantly invited Cane in and pursed her lips as he strode past her into the foyer. He’d taken off his suit which was slung over one arm while he had his suitcase and duffel held in his hands. He set them down before closing and locking the door behind him.

Trying to quell the sensation that she was now trapped in with a lethal jungle predator, Alexandra had to remind herself he was here to protect her. No matter how much she resented his presence in her formerly well-laid-out existence, she knew he was just here to do his job and she suddenly vowed to give him no reason to confirm his suspicions about her being the spoiled little rich girl she might come across as.

“I’m sure you’ve been briefed about the house – you’ll be taking the guestroom which is the only other room apart from the master bedroom where I sleep,” she informed him calmly. “Would you like to check it out?”

“Sure,” he said, and when he bent to reclaim his bags Alexandra had to choke on a gasp at his backside so loving cupped by his snug, well-fitting dark pants. Cane Hutchinson had a world-class ass and she was vividly reminded of how her best pal had been drooling as much over Cane as her food during dinner. Once again, no way Alexandra could blame the other woman. Dude was a walking freaking sex symbol and now she was all alone with him in her somewhat cramped but beautiful home. Alexandra was so not prepared for this, on any level.

There were two other men stationed outside manning the gates and the next day the security company was going to install the cameras, panic buttons or whatever else was needed to keep her safe and secure from…what exactly? Alexandra still felt this was just total overkill on her father’s part, having her guarded like she was some president’s daughter or something. For now though, she’d play along but she was definitely going to have a talk with her father again and convince him this was just too much.

But first she had to get over the fact that she’d be having another man sleep with her in the house for the first time in…well, ages. She’d only ever had one real boyfriend and though the relationship had lasted more than a year it left no fond memories for her and she pushed the thought aside quickly.

“I still can’t believe this is happening,” Alexandra muttered, lifting fingers to her throbbing temple as she stood in the open doorway of the guest room, watching Cane place his bags in a corner and scan his environs. It was a large room with a balcony next to hers which overlooked the gardens surrounding the house.

He went to the French windows and pulled the curtains closed before turning to her. “Maybe if you got a good night’s sleep, you’ll feel better about everything,” he suggested lightly.

Alexandra bristled, his calm exterior beginning to irk her for some reason – perhaps because he could so easily get under her skin. “The only way I’d feel better is if I woke up to find you and your team of babysitters gone,” she snapped.

Cane remained unruffled, his face unsmiling as he regarded her speculatively. “I think I can understand how you feel – about the babysitter part at least. I mean considering that most kids of wealthy parents are spoiled brats that require babysitting, perhaps your description is apt after all.”

Alexandra’s eyes opened wide and she glared at him. “Did you actually just refer to me as a…?”

“Brat?” was his calm reply. “For starters, ignoring my hand when we were introduced earlier doesn’t seem like the attitude of a mature adult, or does it? And then being difficult all through and complaining every five minutes about being placed under close protection smacks to me of an overgrown little girl too used to getting her own way.”

Alexandra’s chin lifted defensively as she met his scornful gaze. “Well you’re wrong.”

“Am I?” Cane scoffed, before turning away impatiently. “Look, Ms. Duke, it’s my job to look after you and make sure you’re safe. We don’t have to get along, if that’s your preference, but I’ve been told I’m in your life for the foreseeable future so maybe you need to get used to it.”

For some reason, his chilly and distant tone pricked her sensitivity. “Or maybe I should just call up my dad right now to call your boss to send me some other bodyguard and that way you won’t be in my life.”

Cane didn’t look in the least perturbed. “That’s your choice. Personally my idea of fun isn’t looking after a spoiled brat,” he said pointedly, making Alexandra’s eyes spark with anger as he added, “But my military experience trained me to do a job properly whatever the circumstances. If you really aren’t happy with me then it’s up to you to make that phone call, or not. I’ll wait right here while you make up your mind.” He leveled his gaze at her and then at the phone sitting on the table just beside the open door.

“Well?” he probed as Alexandra just stood there, her annoyance growing as she debated doing just what he expected. But she wasn’t about to give him that satisfaction.

“Go on. Do it.” His taunting tone made her want to stamp her feet. It was like he wanted her to make good her threat. He already pointed out he didn’t want to be here either which Alexandra told herself was fine by her.

“You don’t tell me what to do,” she said coldly. “Besides, it’s late. I’d rather just go to bed and pray for this to be over as soon as possible.”

Cane merely smirked, walking up to the door which compelled Alexandra to back out of the room as he advanced. Once she was out in the corridor, he nodded politely. “You do that. Have a good night.”

The door shut in her face and Alexandra muttered a few choice curses as she stalked to her room next door. She felt a grim satisfaction in slamming the door shut even as she berated herself for being childish.

Alexandra locked the door securely and rested her back against it, letting out a long drawn out sigh that felt like she’d been holding it in all day. Her anger arose as she thought of the infernally vexing man in the next room and told herself that though he might think he’d won this round, she was going to put him in his place the first chance she got and it wouldn’t be too soon.

Chapter Three

Alexandra was awoken the next morning to the smell of bacon. She stumbled out of bed, her eyes squinting in the brightness coming through her windows. She made her way out of her room, following the sounds of crackling as well as the delicious smells coming from the kitchen.

Seriously? He’s making breakfast? Alexandra wondered as she came to a stop inside the kitchen. Catching sight of Cane in front of the stove, she felt a mighty snag grab at her chest.

Cane. In blue jeans and a dark muscle shirt. Sweet heavens above.

This morning he seemed a whole lot different from the mean machine in a suit he’d looked like yesterday. The dash of sunlight that hit right on him from the nearby window gave her a detailed view of his casually dressed body which looked ripped as hell in his casual, snug-fitting clothes. He hadn’t noticed her yet so she could unabashedly drink in the utterly sexy image of him standing there looking like a young stud with his broad shoulders and pecs, washboard abs evident beneath the thin shirt and his narrow hips encased jealously in those sinful jeans. There was not an ounce of spare flesh beneath his clothes and to top it off he was barefoot which was sexiness personified since he happened to have the most gorgeous feet. Alexandra blinked as she realized it had been a hell of a long time since she’d woken up to a hot, virile man – black or white – standing making breakfast in her kitchen.

Whew. Either the delicious scents from the food or the equally delicious sight of Cane was making her mouth water and her head swim. Whichever it was, Alexandra was torn between dashing away from the kitchen in confusion or advancing and giving in to the urge to run her fingers along every inch of his awesomely fit body.

Realizing what she was thinking and asking herself what the hell she thought she was doing, Alexandra was however precluded from bolting when he suddenly looked up and found her frozen just inside the doorway. He broke into a grin that almost knocked her off her feet. He looked years younger when he smiled like that and his amazing green eyes caught her in a trance she had to shake off as she berated herself for being so silly. So he was sexy as sin. She was well over that. Or she should be since he could also be an infuriating male specimen who never seemed fazed no matter what she said or did.

His gaze flickered over her for a moment and she only just noted she was dressed in nothing but a pair of cotton shorts and a loose sleeveless crop top. Hardly seductive but she couldn’t help feeling somewhat self-conscious being so scantily clad, with her hair in a mass of curls around her face. Not that he seemed to notice with the way he nodded amiably, wiped his hand on a kitchen towel and held it out to her.

“Good morning. I can’t help but think we got off on the wrong foot yesterday. Truce?’

Thrown off by his pleasant demeanor, so different from his aloof persona of the day before, she slipped her hand in his and felt his warm, firm grasp. Moments later he let her go and Alexandra couldn’t help but expel an inaudible breath.

He swiftly returned his attention to the frying pan which was filled with sizzling goodness. Alexandra normally couldn’t work up an appetite so early in the morning but today her taste buds were itching to savor whatever had led her nose from the bedroom to the kitchen.

“Um…it all smells really nice,” she ventured, and he gave her a quick smile that sent tingles coursing through her. Damn! Alexandra told herself she had to stop acting like a schoolgirl with a crush and view Cane as exactly what he was, an employee paid by her father. Nothing more. It didn’t matter how freaking fine he was or that he seemed to know his way around a kitchen which was normally a plus in her books when it came to men.

“I wasn’t sure what you liked so I made a bit of everything. Bacon, toast, eggs, pancakes. I’ve plated yours already, by the way,” Cane added, gesturing his head in direction of the dining bar where a plate was set along with a glass of orange juice.

“Thanks – but you really shouldn’t have,” Alexandra said, even as she gravitated irresistibly to the laid table. “I could have made my own breakfast.”

“Like I said, it’s a peace offering,” Cane told her with a sideways grin. “And hopefully you’ll decide I’m not a total ogre when you try my fantastic cooking.”

“Fantastic? Maybe I should be the one to judge,” Alexandra said drily with a raised brow, her lips curving reluctantly in a smile. She saw his look of triumph at her banter, and sighed inwardly. Okay, so she couldn’t fault him for buttering her up, so to speak. They didn’t really need the acrimony and as much as she wanted her life back, she wasn’t really the kind to be difficult or snotty. In fact, she was known for her easygoing nature but around Cane, she couldn’t understand why she was always so on edge.

One thing was for sure, the man was right about his cooking. She wasn’t sure what, but he had to have put some kind of extra touch to the bacon and eggs which happened to taste insanely good. Far better than what she could hustle up which was saying a lot. No doubt Cane was full of surprises but what other tricks did he have up his sleeve in his bid to win her over? Whatever it could be, Alexandra swore she wasn’t falling for it. Letting down her guard around a man like Cane would be lethal. She’d sworn a long time ago never to give in to her baser instincts when it came to men. She’d tried it once before and it had ended really, really badly. No freaking way she was going to make the same mistake twice – not even when the man had all the ingredients of a sweet temptation the way Cane did…

***

Cane could sense her putting up her ice maiden wall again. She’d eased up enough to accept his olive branch of sharing breakfast with him but he sensed he was a long way from getting her on his side. He couldn’t help but pin his gaze on her over his coffee cup, thinking that she had to be aware that she was driving him insane in those pajamas or whatever it was she had on.

There she was perched on that bar stool in that to which was half off one shoulder, revealing her deliciously smooth and dusky skin. The top was cropped and hardly covered her ass, and if she had on any underwear in those maddening shorts, it would most definitely be a tiny thong. She was killing him. Really. Barely twenty four hours around her and he was like a tiger in heat. He’d never seen a woman look so lovely right out of bed, her hair a tempting mass of curls he longed to fist in his hand as he tugged those sweetly full lips of hers beneath his.

Just the thought of kissing her made him stiffen in his jeans. He didn’t think she had any idea what she did to him – what she’d do to any man looking the way she did, a stimulating mix of angel and temptress in her soft brown eyes. No way Cane could let her guess the things going through his mind right then, but they had a lot to do with chocolate sauce being spilled and then painstakingly licked drop by drop from every inch of her delectable flesh…

Forcing down his raging arousal and cursing himself for staying too long without a woman’s thighs wrapped around his hips, neck or shoulders, Cane finally joined her at the table with his plate and they talked easily over her plans for the day. Not long after, she rose to wash her plates and said she was heading off to shower and get ready.

Cane found himself almost tipping off his stool as he stretched to the side just to catch the final glimpse of her bouncy ass as she glided out of the kitchen. Damn but he was getting to like watching her leave. He still thought she was going to be a handful duty-wise but there was no denying that he was looking forward more and more to this assignment. Cane knew he just had to keep reminding himself that the maddeningly sexy Ms. Alexandra Duke was out of bounds and he’d do just fine. Yep, the look-but-don’t-touch policy was fully in force here and no matter how much his attraction to her was growing, rules were rules. He’d never broken them and had never been tempted to.

Until now.

***

Alexandra found herself taking more time than normal styling her hair, picking out what to wear and even applying some makeup which she never really bothered with apart from lip gloss.

She looked at her reflection and regarded herself critically. She wasn’t sure about Cane’s tastes when it came to women and she told herself she didn’t much care. But she couldn’t help wanting to make the extra effort and not be caught slipping. She wasn’t even sure where the urge came from to want to ‘wow’ him but maybe it was just the female in her. What woman wouldn’t want to look her best now that she was being shadowed by a bodyguard with a face and body of a sex god?

Alexandra sighed and shook her head, not really liking the direction of her thoughts. It was so unlike her to get tripped up by a handsome face. But something told her it was more than Cane Hutchinson’s hot looks that got to her so easily. More reason, she told herself, that she should keep on her guard. Alexandra had learned the hard way never to let people too close, especially when it had anything to do with her father. She could never be sure of their motives and the more she felt drawn to them, the more she pushed them away.

It was a defense mechanism that had spared her further heartache so far and she didn’t want anything finally cracking through her shell. And although Cane making her breakfast had been a nice touch, she was determined to keep her distance. Anything but that would turn her bodyguard into a risk factor she couldn’t very well afford.

Chapter Four

After a few days, Cane was well into the routine of Alexandra’s everyday life. Whether it was her early morning run, the gym, her classes at FIT, or her social events, he was getting more and more insight into what made her tick.

Not that she ever let down her guard enough to ever really have a real conversation with him. All their interaction remained on a professional level - but he was still able to see beyond her remote façade to glimpse how vulnerable she really was inside.

Yes she had friends; had a highly sociable life when she wasn’t working on her designs or taking classes, but there was no doubt that beneath it all, Alexandra wasn’t all she seemed to be. The confident, talented and beautiful young woman held a secret that flickered just behind the chocolate orbs of her soulful eyes. Had she been hurt in the past? Was that why she seemed to have no love life to speak of?

Not that he was the one to judge. He hadn’t been in a serious relationship in years, and he wasn’t going to count those few flings that had been all physical and no substance. No woman held first place in his heart; all Cane cared about now was his job. He had no real family; he’d been adopted as a child and had lost his adoptive parents when he was sixteen. By seventeen he’d signed up with the Navy and it was the military that had shaped him into the man he was today.

He wasn’t looking for love or romance and wasn’t sure he even believed in it. And yet there was a part of him that wondered if out there was a woman who could make him feel complete; fill the void that even his successful career in the Navy Seals as well as his job in close protection could never do. He knew something was missing but he just couldn’t be sure he’d even know it when he found it.

He settled in the back of the hall where Alexandra was taking her classes that day, keeping busy on his laptop with the news updates and current affairs online while the class discussed about the history of worsted wool or some such. His eyes kept getting drawn to Alexandra, and he couldn’t help but notice that although she seemed as engrossed in the class as the others, there were times she scribbled in her notebook and let her mind wander. A part of him wished he knew what she was thinking and if she’d ever let anyone close to the real her. The Alexandra she hid away from the outside world, kept well wrapped in protective covering.

Only yesterday he’d called Noah for a progress report.

“Still want out of the gig?” Noah had asked a few minutes into the call. “Because Halliday is back from his assignment traipsing around Europe protecting that rock star’s son on vacation. He wouldn’t mind taking over for you.”

Instead of giving a direct answer, Cane asked, “Do you really think there’s any authenticity in the belief that Alexandra could be in danger?”

“Her old man seems to thinks so,” was Noah’s thoughtful reply. “It was something about what the competitor said when they had their last negotiations. The man’s name is Pat Vincent and to some he’s considered no more than a hood dressed in a Saville Row suit. The guy’s bad news and isn’t always known to play by the books even in the confines of corporate gentility.”

“So what have we got?” queried Cane.

“Well, according to Duke, Vincent made a few offhand comments advising Duke to start to pay more attention to family and not just the business since everyone knows how driven Duke is when it comes to his corporate pursuits. Duke wasn’t comfortable with those statements and he’s not taking chances. Vincent could use underhand means to see to it that Duke loses his winning stance on a recent billion-dollar merger and acquisition their companies were competing for.”

“I’ve heard of Pat Vincent; Duke’s right to be cautious,” Cane replied. When money and power were involved, he wouldn’t be surprised how far some people were willing to take their business rivalry. Vincent was every inch a gangster who’d shouldered his way into Wall Street and now was doing his best to win respectability within the esteemed commercial environment.

Which meant that going after the daughter of his business rival would not only prove a stupid move, but detrimental. Cane didn’t think that even Vincent would be that dumb.

“Duke’s got private investigators following it up on Vincent, just in case. In the meantime, Alexandra is to be closely watched,” Noah said.

Cane had wanted to assure his friend and boss that he had no problems at all watching Alexandra – all day. But he wasn’t sure it would sound appropriate. If Noah got even an inkling of the things that went through Cane’s mind where Ms. Duke was concerned, Cane knew Noah might just be shocked.

Alexandra was nothing like the women Cane had dated in the past. Since he didn’t really put much stock in love, he’d never really been that discerning when it came to his female liaisons. So long as she fulfilled his physical needs, he required nothing else. And offered nothing more. Why was he now beginning to see how shallow that existence seemed? What was it about his new job as Alexandra’s bodyguard that was opening his eyes to new, dangerous possibilities?

Alexandra was beautiful in ways unique from what Cane interpreted as beauty in the past. The skinny, blonde types or those whose assets mostly came from silicone implants usually found their way into his bed way too much. Alexandra could in no way be called fat but she did pack some serious curves. And boy did they make his fingers itch for things he’d never known he could wish for. Like grabbing that luscious ass in his palms and squeezing so hard he’d leave imprints.

Her body oozed sensuality even when she was just in a t-shirt and jeans. Her solid, toned hips and magnificently formed grapefruit-sized breasts told him she was all woman; but when you looked into her big, brown eyes you could almost believe she was like the girl next door just on the verge of going from nice to very, very naughty.

He wasn’t sure how long he could play the game of acting immune to her looks. Even her dismissive attitude could not really keep him from wondering what it would be like, having a woman like Alexandra Duke tumble into his arms – or into his bed.

Cane could toy with the idea as much as he wanted in his head, but even he knew it would never work out. For one thing, she probably hated his guts. And for the other, he never mixed work with pleasure. Everyone in his line of work knew that distractions were a recipe for disaster. Cane just had to decide how long he could keep himself within line of temptation, and still manage to keep his hand out of the cookie jar…

***

Alexandra was staring steadily into the camera at the top edge of her laptop as she addressed the image of her father who was presently halfway across the world at some business conference. “Dad, seriously. I don’t need to be so closely watched. You and I know I’m in no real danger. It’s been two weeks now and I still maintain that the last thing I require is a personal bodyguard cramping my style and making me look like some over-pampered twat.”

“Language, sweetheart,” her father said warningly, then sighed. “And we definitely don’t know for sure about anything – so I’m not about to take any risks when it’s so easy to be careful. Hutchinson stays.”

Alexandra muffled a curse. “Dad, please! It’s really becoming unbearable. I can’t handle this on top of everything else especially this being my last few months before I finish with my Master’s program…”

“Alex, it’s not my wish that you should feel in any way stressed. But this is necessary to my peace of mind if nothing else. You’re all I have in this world and it’s my duty to ensure that no harm comes to you.”

Alexandra sighed; there it was again. Her father liked playing that ‘you’re my baby’ card too much. She was a fully grown woman, and he had to stop treating her like a kid. “I know I’m your only child but I hardly think I’m all you have,” she said wryly. “I mean, considering you own a third of the city and have your finger in every pie from energy to manufacturing and computers…”

“You know none of that means anything compared to you, my dear. You will always be my daughter and so long as I have the means to keep you safe, then I will. What’s the problem you have with Hutchinson anyway? Has he acted in any way that’s inappropriate?” Donel Duke asked with a sharpened tone.

Alexandra rolled her eyes, turning away slightly. “No Dad; he’s been the consummate professional at all times,” she said with a thin smile. Which was the truth; Mr. Ice Cube had never done anything out of place or even looked at her the wrong way even once. She had to have imagined the few times his moss-green eyes with those amber flecks had darkened when they fell on her but that was it. He was always cool, calm and collected.

No; the problem’s all me, Alexandra thought with inner self-anger.

If she was in any danger, then it was the danger of falling in hot, pounding lust with her damnably attractive bodyguard.

He only had to get within five feet of her and her body started humming. And even when he touched her lightly, be it to guide her with his hand planted on the small of her back, or taking a gentle hold of her elbow, the impression of that contact lingered on for hours after. Alexandra had never ever felt so drawn to a man and it was frustrating- and quite frankly, pathetic.

Especially when she had no clue what went on in his mind about her. Did he feel the same pull? Judging by the way he acted around her, probably not, she mused with hidden annoyance mixed in with amusement at her conflicting thoughts.

Her father looked pleased after her last statement, rubbing his palms together. “Then we’ll have no more talk of letting go of your personal bodyguard. Cane Hutchinson will remain in charge of your security and you’ll listen to him and do just as he tells you. You’ll be under his control until I can be sure there’s no more threat to you.”

Alexandra’s eyes were snapping as she declared angrily, “I agree to let him do whatever he needs to do as far as the job is concerned but no way will I be under his control!” She knew she was acting childish a bit but she was getting sick of not getting her way. Bit by bit she was losing hold on her own life and it was irksome. “And why on earth did we have to Skype instead of talking on the phone like regular folks?”

Her father merely shook his head at her tantrum. “Just don’t put yourself in danger, that’s all I ask.” He paused, then added quietly, “You do know I love you?”

Alexandra sighed, the anger in her chest easing. “Yes, I do. And I love you too.”

Her expression was sober when she finally spun from the blank screen. She had to go with the mess her world had become and hoped it would get back to normal, and not too soon.

Chapter Five

Cane stepped out on the balcony his room shared with Alexandra’s, doing some last checks and catching the soft breeze. He found himself looking to the side at Alexandra’s windows - when he noticed her walk into her room and turn on the lights.

Outside was dark so he was sure she couldn’t see him. Cane paused as he realized he had a clear view through the big windows thanks to the open blinds. How many times had he warned her about closing the fucking blinds?

He bit down an angry sigh as she walked into her bathroom and he could hear sounds of her turning on the shower. Then she returned to the bedroom, sat in front of her dressing mirror and was soon taking off her jewelry.

Cane was about to walk back into his room when Alexandra stood, quickly unbuttoned her white jeans and wriggled out of the clinging fabric.

Suddenly, Cane’s brain misted over.

Alexandra was facing the mirror with her back to him which gave him the perfect view of her ass bared by the skimpy white lacy thong. Her fleshy orbs were ripe and smooth, and the most rounded bottom he’d ever seen. She kicked the jeans off her feet carelessly as she tugged her white shirt over her head. He had a glimpse of her incredibly tiny waist and a hint of side boob as she tossed the shirt on a nearby chair.

Fuck and double fuck! Cane knew he should move, walk away from the sight of Alexandra in just her bra and panties as she gathered up her springy curls into a band at the top of her crown. But Cane found himself rooted to the spot. This woman with the sexiest body he’d ever seen was no more than thirty feet away and giving him the most painful hard-on he’d ever had. Shit! She had flawlessly even-toned café au lait skin and the figure of a goddess; ample curves where he liked them yet slender in the middle coupled with long, toned legs he was twitching to place on either side of his head as he…

Something moved in the corner of his eye. Cane’s head snapped around but he could hardly see a thing. He swore under his breath; here he was acting like a rookie by staring into a lit room from his dark position which made it harder for his vision to adjust as he scanned the quiet, dim grounds around him. His mind raced.

Not wasting time to think further, he slammed a fist on the panic button just inside his room. And then he swiftly swung over the partition between their balconies and sped into Alexandra’s bedroom through her balcony entrance. His shoes made his movements silent and the young woman only became aware of him when he gripped her from behind, wrapping an arm around her waist as he swiftly backed her into the bathroom with him.

Cane could feel her body go rigid in shock at this sudden invasion. Before she could speak or let out a scream, Cane closed his hand over her mouth while he kept his ears trained for any sound from outside. What he didn’t see coming was Alexandra turning the hell cat on him, twisting her body and ramming her elbow into his side. Normally a woman landing him with a body blow wouldn’t rattle him for even a moment – but as luck would have it she caught him just on the almost-healed injury still covered with stitches.

Cane’s teeth gritted as he felt it split, and just for the one second that he released his hold, she shoved off him and made a run for it. He could hear her scream beginning to form and he swore, lunging forward and catching her before she could get past two feet. The sharp bite in his side didn’t slow him down as he was able to catch hold of her hair and pull her back with enough force to have her freezing from the sudden pain. Her legs were trailing forward in front of her as he drew her upper body back towards him into the now steam-filled bathroom.

The running shower got even the tiles slippery, so when Alexandra’s frame connected heavily with his it got Cane losing his balance as they both fell backwards into the open shower with her on top of him.

They landed in a heap on the shower floor and Cane felt another stinging pinch in his side impact as they both hit the floor of the shower. Unable to hold off another bout of swearing, he quickly placed his hand over her mouth again and whispered in her ear through gritted teeth, “It’s me, Cane your fucking bodyguard! Now shut it, there’s an intruder outside – “ 

He let out a muttered curse as she actually had the audacity to bite his flipping hand. But still he could feel her body go limp as she calmed down. Cane strained his ears to listen above all that falling water even as he suddenly became aware that Alexandra’s underwear had become transparent.

He glanced down at her whole body stretched out atop him, and he could clearly see the shape and color of her areolas and the shadowy, plump patch beneath her panties. With all that water rushing down on them, they were both getting soaked to the skin and with her spine pressing into his chest and her ass against his groin, there was no way he could conceal his erection. She had to feel that rigid stalk prodding her in the back and Cane swore to himself at his lack of self-control.

The next moment, he heard one of the house security calling from the next room. Cane quickly yelled back that they were okay and that he was here with Alexandra.

It was only then that Cane put Alexandra from him before helping them both to their feet. She snatched her hands from his immediately and stalked out of the slippery, steam filled bathroom as she quickly shrugged into a robe before the other guards could come in.

Cane could hear Marcus enter the bedroom and Cane shook his head as Alexandra immediately began to rave about the crazy bodyguard who nearly had her killed and so on. Cane straightened only to feel the stitches beginning to open up further, so he leaned back against the wall and simply turned off the water. He could hear Alexandra going on and on in her rant about how she wanted Cane gone, and it was only when she finally took a breath that Marcus was able to inform her that someone had broken into the grounds but had got away, which cut off her swearing.

Moments later, Marcus moved into the bathroom obviously checking where the heck Cane had vanished to. Marcus found Cane seated on the edge of the bathtub close to the shower, the floor wet. At the sight of Cane slightly hunched over with blood streaming down the sides of his soaked clothes, Marcus was stunned into silence just as Alexandra walked back in and then nearly went into a faint at the sight of the bloodied Cane. Marcus was already radioing for the other guards to come into the bedroom while he ran out of the bathroom to call the doctor.

Cane wasn’t hurt, he was just really mad. Someone had broken in. How the fuck did that happen? He didn’t even feel the annoying twinge from the stitches in his side anymore, so he was surprised to see Alexandra walk in looking concerned but keeping mute.

Deciding to ignore her, Cane started to take off his wet, bloody shirt. Once again she surprised him and without a word, she helped him out of it.

He glanced up and saw her staring at his torso which had some scars crisscrossed over his skin, both old and recent, especially the blood on his side. And then she suddenly took off her robe and placed it over his shoulders, her expression worried. “You need to have a doctor look at that…”

Cane felt his brain getting glazed over with the now familiar mist as he got a full frontal from the barely clad Alexandra, her sweetly feminine scent and heat driving him crazy for a second.

His jaw hardening, he growled, “Actually what I need is for you to at least get fucking dressed – because right now the sight of you in those see-through underclothes is getting my heart to pump even quicker. And that’s not going to help the fucking bleeding, is it?”

“Oh. Right,” she muttered, her eyes darting as her cheeks went hot. She was out of there in a flash and this time, returned with a long kimono-type robe tied securely around her slim waist. The other guards appeared wanting to help him up but he brushed them away with gruff thanks.

“It’s nothing - just some superficial bleeding. It doesn’t even hurt though it does need to get cleaned and sewed up again,” he said calmly, deciding to stay put in the bathroom instead of going into the rooms and risking his blood spotting and ruining the carpets or furniture.

Eventually the doctor showed up and handled the injury which turned out to be as trivial as Cane had said. Cane refused the pills the doctor offered; the last thing he wanted was any wooziness especially when there’d actually been an intruder. Alexandra insisted on sticking around till the doctor was done and then Cane in turn insisted she return to her room. “You’ll be safe. I’ll be having a tactical meeting with the others tomorrow so we can figure out what the hell happened. The surveillance cameras will...”

“Cane.”

Alexandra’s soft voice cut him off, making him vaguely aware of how one part of his brain was still thundering with visions of him fucking the shit out of her. She was thankfully covered up now but the image of her juicy-looking nipples beneath the wet bra and the way her body had felt over his…it would be indelibly set in his subconscious for a long, long time to come. Now, hearing her say his name like that, probably for the first time ever, stiffened his loins and made him grit his teeth against the urge to slam her hard against the wall and kiss her senseless while his hands roamed hungrily over her lush frame.

There’d always been the sparks; all that sexual tension between them though neither one had wanted to acknowledge it nor act on it. Which was wise considering that now that an intruder had somehow managed to get through the security and then out again, it was now clear that Alexandra’s father had been right and that she wasn’t safe on her own.

“You don’t have to be scared,” he told her quietly when she stood there, her arms wrapped around herself. He rose to his feet, keeping his hands clenched by his sides. Either that or he’d be making a grab for her which just wouldn’t do.

“I trust Marcus and Dirk; they wouldn’t let anyone harm you and neither would I,” Cane added, and saw her eyes flicker to the small bandage at his side. He saw the look of worry and added deeply, “And you needn’t be concerned whether I’m fit for the job. It’ll take a whole lot than an opened scratch to get me off my game.”

She shook her head firmly. “No; I’m not worried about that. And I’m not scared,” she said, meaning it. “I just…I guess I owe you an apology. I did all I could to make things difficult from the start. I haven’t been that cooperative –”

Her voice broke off and she seemed hesitant, almost as if she wanted to take a step forward, reach out her hand. But the almost imperceptible motion was stopped even before it could be acted upon.

“You’ve always done enough to make this job go as easy as it could for both of us. That’s all I would have asked. And it’s all I need,” he said stiffly, his whole body rigid in warning to him as well as to her. Whatever he saw playing on her expressive face, Cane didn’t want either of them to act on it. Their little physical brush earlier hadn’t really been perilous because the intruder got spooked and ran off. But she was probably a bit shaken inside and perhaps in shock now that she realized the danger was real.

That suddenly seemed enough to intensify the tension between them, making it solidify until Cane could almost feel it on his bare skin, causing a familiar throb in his treacherous cock.

Cane was alone with her in her bedroom, shirtless and filled with hormones raging too hard to be ignored for long. He had to get out, right now.

“You have a funny way of accepting my apology,” Alexandra said drily, before throwing her hands up in exasperation. “Okay; so I can imagine I haven’t given you the best opinion of me, but I do appreciate what you did tonight, what you’ve been doing since you started working as my bodyguard. Just…thank you.”

He nodded curtly, went to the now secured balcony doors and pulled the blinds closed. “It’s my job,” he said in a gentler tone as he walked up to her again. Not wanting to think about it first, he took her arm and turned it over, his eyes running over her smooth skin. “And if I was rough with you back there…when I grabbed you and tugged on your hair…I’m sorry.”

“You acted like a caveman,” she suddenly snorted on a laugh, but then there was a smoky glow in her eyes that suddenly made his throat catch. A part of him wanted to ask if she liked cavemen. If she liked it rough..liked to be dragged around, held down, her hair pulled….

Fuck. Now anything she said had him thinking about sex. With her.

Rough, passionate, red-hot sex the whole night long. No one or nothing holding them back, just the need of a man for his woman. Alexandra was right there, within his reach. Lord knows he’d wanted her bad enough almost from the minute they’d met.

That didn’t make her any less inaccessible though. And yet the more he shouldn’t want her, the more Cane seemed to crave her.

The moments ticked by and somehow he felt like she was waiting – they both were. It would take just one gesture to trigger something off and Cane knew he’d be body-slamming her on that bed, pushing her knees back up against her shoulders and sticking something – his tongue, fingers or cock – inside that sweet-looking pussy he’d merely glimpsed beneath her wet panties earlier.

Common sense however prevailed from somewhere beneath the blankets of lust. “You need to change,” he said calmly, remembering she still had her soaked underwear on beneath the kimono. “And then you need to get some rest. You have classes early tomorrow.”

Did he imagine the flash of disappointment that briefly crossed her eyes? Cane knew he’d probably imagined it. It didn’t matter. Whatever she thought she wanted, he couldn’t give it to her. He daren’t.

She stood there staring silently after him and Cane couldn’t get out of the room fast enough.

Chapter Six

A loud moan woke Alexandra up and it took moments to realize it had come from her.

She straightened from the pillows as she recalled the events of that night which still haunted her. This time she’d slept more soundly than she thought she would. Maybe because her dreams had been full of Cane…

God, he was so hot. So freaky sexy it made her ache to have him near her. Sometimes she couldn’t stand it. The way he moved; the jewel-like gleam in his eyes; the way his silky dark hair rested flat on the back of his head that made her want to smooth over it with her fingers…

That fateful night days ago had been frightening in a sense, especially when someone had grabbed her from behind. She felt stupid now, realizing she should have known it was Cane.

And yet instead of focusing on the fact that it was now confirmed there was someone after her, all Alexandra could think of was how she had felt, lying against Cane as the shower had poured over their bodies. He’d held her tightly against him and she’d felt it…his arousal.

Alexandra remembered now that in those moments, she hadn’t felt afraid of whatever was waiting beyond her room. She hadn’t even understood what was happening but one thing that had really registered was how hard it had become to fight the way she felt around Cane.

But still, nothing seemed to have changed. Well, the security at her place was now tighter, and her dad had almost gone berserk about it when he heard the news.

“Dad, whoever it was never got the chance to get close enough. It was like he got surprised and ran off. He probably hadn’t known I wasn’t alone. So you needn’t worry; I’m well looked after,” she’d told him reassuringly.

“I shouldn’t have left,” Donel Duke said angrily. “I turn my back for a second and they come after you. I’ll make that bastard Vincent pay…”

“Dad, we don’t know for sure it was him. It could have easily been just a burglar. The police have come over and checked things out. If there’s anything they’ll let us know.”

Her father had been hard to convince; he’d wanted to leave the one week conference and fly straight back. But Alexandra had let him know she’ll do okay. She had her bodyguard. She had all the security she’d ever need. No one would get to her.

Yep, she was sewed up tight while she was home, and every time she left the house, Cane was with her. But the fact remained, nothing much had changed. He didn’t treat her as anything else but a client. He stayed professional, sometimes so aloof it chilled her to the bone.

Alexandra knew what he was doing. She understood it. He’d probably felt it too; she was almost sure he knew. Sensed that something was different between them. In a way it was so annoying that he was back to being stiff and formal after what had happened that night. She could still remember the sensation of his rigid member digging into her back, the girth and length surprising her to say the least. Also surprising was the way he’d reacted to her semi-nude body and even the words he’d confessed about her appearance causing his heart to beat faster.

Knowing that on some level, he desired her, had flipped her belly upside down. She desired him too – on all levels. Wanted him in ways she couldn’t even count. But he was her bodyguard; he had a job to do and damn him, he did it well. Sometimes she hated that he could stay so detached. She wanted him to lose it. She wanted to see his control snap, just for her. And she felt like a dumbass for wanting what she shouldn’t.

***

Malia thought she should get a man. “You need some distraction. Ever since Lame Lamar, you never got your shit together. And now you’re in close quarters with this gorgeous specimen and your hormones are imploding. Can’t blame them, can we? You need an outlet. Let’s go clubbing, partying – anything. Maybe you’ll find yourself some hunk to get your mind off your troubles.”

“So what do you suggest? I find some man and bring him back home? I just don’t see how it would work. Not with my bodyguard in the next room. The other alternative would be going over to the guy’s place and…No, it just won’t do. Ever since this crap with my dad’s business rival, I can’t even have a freaking one night stand,” Alexandra said grumpily as they met for their usual lunch appointment. Somewhere in the crowded restaurant, Cane was close, watching. She tried to remember that she was supposed to be in danger, but none of that really worried her.

What seemed to preoccupy her the most was how to stop Cane from getting to her this much. It would never work. They were too different. And it wasn’t the race thing; it was more of the fact that she could sense beneath all his detachment that he was one big ball of fire. He’d engulf her; make her lose herself. The way she hadn’t in a long time. Not since Lamar, who’d broken her heart when she found out he never really cared about her, just her money. Lamar West had been so mad when she’d told him it was over – like she’d want a damned gigolo in her life. No freaking way. She was glad she’d walked away, though even after so many months, it still hurt to think how she’d played the fool.

She wasn’t ready to make the same mistake again. There was no space in her heart for emotions. But damn, she was a woman - with needs. And just thinking about Cane reminded her how long ago it had been since she’d fulfilled them. Was she crazy to be thinking of him that way when they had this big wall standing in between them? And yet, walls could be broken down, couldn’t they?

Looked like Malia was thinking the same thing. The woman’s dark brown eyes twinkled as she murmured, “Well, there’s a saying I remember from my granny…about how you don’t need to go looking in the pond for something that’s right in your pocket. I mean, you do happen to have a red-hot man right within your reach like, um, twenty four hours a day…”

Three weeks ago, Alexandra would have told Malia to forget that. Hell no. Her and Cane? But now…she didn’t know. It was crazy. She wasn’t in love. She knew that. But he made her feel things…things that no man had. The touch of his hand made her sizzle. One look from him and she was all a-puddle in her panties. She’d tried, so freaking hard to fight it but it only got worse the more she turned her back on the way she wanted him.

Quickly changing the topic, Alexandra had reminded Malia about her birthday coming up in a week. Malia loved birthday parties, especially hers, and the topic distracted her enough to shift her attention from Cane.

Now here I am, thought Alexandra; waking up from another dream with her bodyguard in the starring role. Cane…doing things to her body that would actually be illegal in some countries.

Knowing he was right in the next room was making it even worse. Because there was nothing she could do about the big fat ache coiling in her belly.

Or maybe there was.

Food. That was it. She couldn’t sleep, it was the middle of the freaking night – but one thing she knew could mellow her down from her sexually charged high, was hustling a bite. There had to be something in that fridge that could take her mind off sex.

Alexandra padded barefoot into the unlit kitchen and it wasn’t until she opened the refrigerator that she first noticed the figure sitting at the kitchen bar in total darkness. She almost jumped a foot till she realized it was Cane.

Alexandra cursed underneath her breath. “You almost scared the shit out of me!” She heaved a breath, her hand on her throat.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “I guess I couldn’t sleep. Looks like you have the same problem.”

Man, you have no idea, thought Alexandra, reaching into the fridge and trying to distract herself from the fact that there was a bare-chested Cane seated in semi-darkness in her kitchen. She’d caught a glimpse of those rippling abs of his that folded almost in half as he sat hunched over the table, his lower half dressed in loose gym pants. Alexandra poured out a glass of milk and contemplated firing up the stove for some eggs or maybe fixing a cold sandwich. Suddenly though, all interest in food fled as she swept her gaze to Cane. Suddenly, she thought of Malia’s words and the next thing she knew, she was sitting at the table.

“So why don’t you tell me why you couldn’t sleep,” she ventured, knowing she surprised him when he cocked an eyebrow at her.

“Maybe I’m just keeping watch,” he replied, and Alexandra quelled the urge to press her knees together as she felt him slide his gaze over her. Even in the dimness, his jewel-like eyes pierced just as intensely.

“Yeah. Maybe you need to lighten up with that. The security system has this place on lockdown,” Alexandra said with a teasing smile, before she added lightly, “Do you ever relax? I mean, enough to actually have fun?”

Cane huffed. “Tell you the truth, I’m not a firm believer in ‘fun’, Alexandra. Work is my play. It’s all I know. I’ve been in combat situations since before I turned twenty. And after I left active service, I went straight into the line of work where I knew my skills would be of best use.”

Alexandra had liked hearing her name on his lips. It gave her a squishy feeling deep where she lived. She also liked that they were talking one on one for the first time. She’d ponder the wisdom of that much, much later. Right now though, she was curious about him; wanted to know what made him tick. “I still think there’s a part of you that’s not all about the live action. There’s got to be other ways you can get that…adrenalin rush you seem to enjoy so much.”

Cane’s eyes grew hooded; he watched her take a gulp of her milk and then place the glass down before she carefully licked off her white moustache. Shocked by the way his eyes turned almost black just then, Alexandra drew in a sharp breath, which caused her breasts to tilt forward as the nipples hardened to coins beneath her tank top. She could almost swear her pussy buzzed in response to the laser-beam gleam from his steady, penetrating gaze.

Suddenly, Alexandra felt so breathless with want that soft, short pants escaped her lips. Just like that, the atmosphere in the kitchen crackled, giving off sparks she was sure he couldn’t pretend to ignore.

“Oh, there are other ways,” Cane finally murmured. “I’m sure you can imagine the kinds of things that’ll get a man’s blood pumping just that much faster. But then there’s always the issue of the right time and place.”

A thrill shot down her spine as she held his darkened gaze. “Is that an invitation, Mr. Hutchinson?” Alexandra tried not to think Cane was flirting with her. He never flirted. Nevertheless, she felt her body react to the possibility with alarmingly joyous expectation.

“No, Alexandra,” he said softly. Her head shot up when he rose to his feet, and then he leaned over her. Now their faces were so close their foreheads almost touched. Alexandra stared into his gorgeous eyes and couldn’t look away, mesmerized.  She bit on her bottom lip, telling herself she could already taste their first kiss…

Her eyelids involuntarily fluttered down, her heart rate increasingly disturbingly. The spring in her belly tightened, sending a spiral of longing in between her thighs. If he so much as touched her now, she’d ignite.

His lips were close…so close. Alexandra could feel his warm breath fan her face, and her own lips parted in helpless anticipation.

But nothing happened. Suddenly, he was pulling away. Alexandra’s eyes popped open and she stared into his inscrutable face as he straightened, shaking his head.

“Not an invitation,” he added with a calm tone. “More like a warning. Girls like you need a diversion once in a while…something to spice things up when everyday life gets tiresome. And much as I’m tempted, I’d rather not be used for sport. I’m not here for your amusement, Alexandra. I’m sure there’ll be other willing candidates waiting for you to give them the time of day. As for me; I’m not quite ready to be some billionaire’s daughter’s pastime.”

“You flatter yourself,” Alexandra said coldly, jumping to her feet with blazing eyes.

“Do I?” he murmured, his eyes growing hooded. Not touching her, he moved in close enough so that his cheek brushed hers. Alexandra stiffened, sensing the way he inhaled deeply, as if savoring her scent.

“I know that smell, Alexandra,” Cane said softly in her ear, making the tiny hairs on her lobe tingle as her breasts grew heavy with arousal. “It’s always on you now; and it’s maddening. Driving me crazy. It calls to me every time I’m near you, making me so hard I could explode. I want to give you what you need. God, I want to. But I can’t.”

He hadn’t even put a hand on her, but Alexandra was melting. Literally forming a puddle deep in her core. The tortured sound of his voice in her ear made her senses swim as she thought of what could be. If only they took it to the next level.

“Stay away from me, Alexandra. Please.” His harsh words slashed her through the middle, baring her to the torment that rasped in his tone. “You don’t even want to know the things I wish I could do to you. But I can’t let my desires override my duty. That’s not how I operate. So just do what I say, and keep your distance. And maybe one day, you’ll thank me for having enough self-restraint to stop us both from making the biggest mistake.”

“I’m not sure that’s solely your decision to make,” Alexandra said huskily, torn by the attraction she felt for him, and also by the fact that he might be right.

“Well, I’ve made it. Now, unless you want me to walk away from this assignment – which believe me, is just as tempting as my desire to stay and see this through, then don’t start something we’ll both regret,” he told her in that low, warning tone.

“You know, for a tough guy, you really surprise me. Whatever happened to the sense of adventure?” Alexandra couldn’t help taunting, inwardly filled with the fury of a woman scorned and all that. It burned in her eyes as she spun around with a toss of her messed-up curls. Throwing over her shoulder, she added, “I should have known you couldn’t handle all this jelly.”

She paused at the doorway to glance at him and could feel her heart skip a beat at the darkly feral glint in his eyes. Despite herself, she couldn’t hide the sudden consternation that snatched at her heart. She wasn’t sure then if he wanted to wring her neck, or freaking violate her where she stood. Either way, she was going to be served up a load of pain and Alexandra knew she would more than deserve it.

“Run really fast to your room, little girl,” Cane said in a voice dangerously low and thick. He took a step forward in her direction, and Alexandra involuntarily jumped.

Sending him a furious glare, she however chose to listen this time. Resisting the urge to make a childish face at him and poke out her tongue, she dashed up to her room, not forgetting to carefully lock the door. Alexandra wasn’t sure she felt safe enough, not even when she lay huddled deep beneath her covers. She felt exhausted from her emotional rollercoaster ride where she couldn’t decide if she loathed Cane Hutchinson or was becoming infatuated by him. Either way, she couldn’t win, was the last thought before she drifted into sleep.

Chapter Seven

Her father wasn’t happy about the idea of her going to Malia’s birthday party.

“It’s going to be at some crowded nightclub,” Donel Duke said disapprovingly on the phone. “There’ll be lots of unsavory characters. I don’t like it.”

Alexandra was glad her father couldn’t see her exasperated eye roll. “Dad, you got me this fancy bodyguard just for occasions like this one. I’ll be in public; I’ll be safe. Even Vincent or his goons wouldn’t be so dumb as to make a move on me there.”

“I still wish you wouldn’t go,” her father said with an angry sigh. “Just yesterday I was in another round of negotiations with him regarding the company we’re both bidding after. He had the gall to ask how my family was doing.”

“Maybe he was just being courteous,” Alexandra said drily.

“No, baby, he was yanking my chain,” Donel Duke said angrily. “If and when I find out he was behind that intruder of three weeks ago, I’m going to…”

“Dad, please,” Alexandra cut into her father’s furious words. “We have to figure out a safe and sane way to handle whatever threat I may be under. In the meantime, I want to still be able to feel like I’m living a normal life. Meaning there’s no way I’m missing my best girl’s birthday party, okay?”

It took several minutes of emotionally wrangling, but she did remind him once again that he’d hired the ‘top man’ to handle her personal safety, which made him sigh in defeat as he finally told her to have a good time.

Oh, I intend to, though Alexandra with a devious smile on her lips as she tossed her cell phone aside. She had just a few hours to prepare and she felt filled with bubbling excitement which had nothing to do with the upcoming festivity.

After the most luxurious of soaks in her bathtub, she headed for her closet and tossed open the walk-in doors. She’d never felt so good about going to a party in a long while. Apart from the fact that she’d helped Malia organize it, she felt like for once she could really let her hair down. She’d been so wrapped up in her classes and of course, this whole new agenda with having a bodyguard and being in danger. Well, she wasn’t going to let that get in the way of her fun tonight.

It was a week since that night in the kitchen when Cane had given just a glimpse of what went on inside his head. So, the guy was a workaholic who didn’t care much for hanging loose. I don’t believe in fun, she mimicked to herself as she made fun of his comment. He was stiff-necked, infuriating, and detestably sexy.

All this while she’d been determined to put him in his place the first chance she got, only to be taken down a peg herself when he told her they could never be lovers. Not like she’d even made him an offer, fumed Alexandra as she plucked her designer dress from its hanger and tossed it on the bed. She stared critically over the lines of shoes in her closet. She’d spent a long time considering what to wear tonight to get the desired effect.

In the past several days, Alexandra knew she’d gone out of her way to look her alluring best. Just to let Mr. Self-controlled know exactly what he was missing.

Needless to say, the past week had been hell. Not that they’d ever been the type to chatter, but besides giving orders, Cane said little else to her. Spending so much time around him, especially when she was at home was putting more of a strain on her than she expected. Why was she so obsessed with him anyway? He never seemed interested in breaking the ice wall he’d placed between them. It would have been nice if they could have been able to talk – if not about fashion which was her favorite topic, then about literature or politics or whatever he liked to talk about. Couldn’t they at least be civil with each other?

Apparently not, Alexandra thought with a smirk as she pulled on her panties over her garter belt hooked to sheer black tights. The last time they happened to be in the same room – the living room – there’d been a silly sitcom on TV and she’d tried to draw him into at least having a laugh with her. But he seemed to have no wish for any ‘bonding’. The moment she started up a conversation, he decided he had something he needed to see to in some other part of the house and excused himself.

Alexandra thought he was taking his professional stance too far. What did he think she was going to do if he just got a little bit closer to her? Ravish him? Or maybe he didn’t want to risk her falling for him. Like she’d ever be dumb enough to do that. He might be the most desirable man she’d ever met, and he might be the reason she was having the hottest fantasies on a nightly basis, but there was no chance of her growing any real feelings for him. Heck, she didn’t even know him. And just as quickly as he’d surfaced into her life, he could vanish from it without a trace.

Maybe it was best to keep him at arm’s length the way he did her, thought Alexandra. That way, he could focus on his job and she could pretend she didn’t care either way.

Shoving him firmly from her mind, Alexandra stared at her reflection in the bedroom mirror, the product of more than an hour of primping. Yep, now she looked and felt ready for some after-dark excitement. She’d had to tone down her social activities ever since that mess with the intruder whom they still hadn’t caught or identified. But tonight was Malia’s night and it was happening in the trendiest nightclub in the city, Club Déjà vu. She’d been there a few times and it was definitely an A-lister late-night playground with state-of-the-art everything.

Malia’s fantastic boyfriend Carl, who worked in the entertainment industry as some kind of talent agent, had been great about fixing a few live performances with some major hip-hop star to go with the club’s cutting-edge DJ who’d be providing all the R & B, rock, hip hop, house and mash up music they’d need to really get down.

Alexandra for one was looking forward to the flowing cocktails as well as the chance to soak in the exhilarating ambience that came from being part of an energized crowd. She was sick of being cooped up like a frightened chicken, anxious about her own shadow and unable to have any real fun. Well, none of that tonight. She was going to go wild for the next few hours and nothing had better stand in her way…

***

When Alexandra finally emerged from her bedroom, Cane took one look at her and said in a carefully schooled tone, “No way you’re going out like that.”

Alexandra glanced down at her tight-fitting white halter mini dress with its deep low plunge cowl neck. It featured an entirely backless design with a hem which barely skimmed underneath her bum. She’d been gunning for her club dress to have a risqué factor to it and she felt sure it wasn’t that bad as to elicit that terrible scowl Cane had on his face. Rihanna had worn the exact same thing just last week to go clubbing in London after her last concert. It had cost a pretty penny with its designer price tag but Alexandra had been in the mood to pamper herself which she didn’t always do. And in her opinion, she was pulling off the freakum dress look quite well tonight.

Ignoring Cane’s dark stare, Alexandra twirled and tossed her sleek hair over her shoulder, giving him a view of her exposed back, the dress held up by its halter necktie. She knew how much skin she was displaying and how little was left to the imagination especially since the dress obviously allowed for no bra. Alexandra had nothing to be ashamed of when it came to her body and if she wanted to flaunt it tonight, then Cane or no one could tell her differently, she fumed to herself.

“Please be reminded that you’re just my bodyguard, not my fashion advisor,” she told him primly as she turned back to face him. “I’m sure I look good.”

“Oh, not simply good,” Cane told her in a mild tone that contrasted with his thunderous gaze, adding, “More like whorish and extremely fuckable.”

Alexandra flinched as if slapped. It took a few moments before she could find her voice. “How dare you speak to me that way?” she breathed in anger.

He shrugged his broad shoulders. “I’m only saying what I’m thinking. And if you were to go anywhere dressed like that, men would be thinking the exact same thing. The last thing you want is to come across cheap especially not at your best friend’s party. So why don’t you choose something more appropriate?”

Alexandra stared at him in helpless fury. Oh man, he was pushing it. She didn’t care how fucking tough he was. She was so ready to scratch his eyes out for talking to her like she was a dumb seventeen year old trying to sneak out to an 18 to 21 club. She knew if she searched deep down, she’d admit to herself that she’d worn the dress to get his attention. She’d wanted to blow his mind with her sexy outfit and ready-to-fuck heels. Okay, so she knew that on a celeb who normally got away with wearing the raciest attires in public, this dress might look quite the thing, but on someone like Alexandra... Still, she didn’t think he had the right to say she looked cheap because she knew she didn’t.

He, on the other hand, looked the freaking bomb. No surprise there, thought Alexandra with grudging approval. Faultlessly neat as ever, he looked breathtakingly stylish in his smart shoes, collared shirt and trousers topped with a matching jacket. She felt struck down by such effortless brawn blended in with so much masculine appeal it actually hurt to look at him. Damn he was fine.

But she’d still maul him if he didn’t stop talking to her like she was some bug squirming underneath his thumb.

And then, she chanced a look at him only to briefly catch a peek of raw, stormy lust streaking across his gorgeous face before it got iced over almost immediately, replaced by that irritably dispassionate look he favored. Hmm, no doubt the dress was doing something for him, Alexandra decided smugly as she pinned him with her darkening gaze.

“Maybe you’re right and the dress is a bit over-the-top for a friend’s birthday bash,” she said with a careless shrug. Her arms lifted as she worked on the fastenings at the back of her neck. “So fine, I’ll just take it off then.”

“Don’t,” Cane rapped out sharply, causing her fingers to still, her eyes wide with innocent surprise. Her body was thrust forward by her raised arms, and she felt her breasts grow heavier beneath her skimpy bodice, the nipples tautening to buds as she felt his gaze seem to sear a laser beam through her clothes. “Alexandra, don’t fucking push me.”

Alexandra loved the sound of his voice getting so gruff and thick that it was almost unrecognizable. Biting sensually on her bottom lip, she advanced on Cane, her eyes never leaving his face. She came to a stop in front of him till her face was just a whisper from his, and she could feel him staring down at her parted lips, which she licked to an inviting level of moistness that seemed to turn his green eyes almost black.

“Or what?” she crooned, her hands resting on his broad chest for a moment. She felt the harsh breath he drew in at her touch, and she fluttered her eyelashes as she walked her fingers down his impressively padded pecs till she was brushing the front of his pants. “Does it excite you to have me shivering in fear, Mr. Hutchinson? You really think I should be afraid of you?”

Her eyes teased him, taunted him as much as her playful words did. He caught her wrists in hard fists before she could venture any lower, and she pouted at being thwarted as he tugged her arms up out of temptation’s way.

“If you were wise, you would be afraid – very afraid,” he said huskily. He flicked his eyes over her face with her invitingly parted lips, and then down at her equally tempting body which he had to know was melting for him. Alexandra shivered with longing for him to finally snap, lose that grip on his control that held him back from giving them what they both wanted.

“Maybe if I’m lucky, you’ll spank me really hard for being bad,” she said hopefully, her eyes glittering as they held his. “I think you know you can make me do whatever you want…if you use the right kind of persuasion.”

His grip on her wrists tightened and Alexandra felt heady from being this close to him, their chests almost touching. She could see every detail of his face; his deliciously smooth, tanned jaw, the golden flecks in his eyes, the strong point in his nostrils and the manly curve of his lips. She couldn’t understand what came over her when she was around him. Maybe she was obsessed. She needed to get him out of her system somehow and if that meant having to lure him into doing what they both knew they shouldn’t, then so be it.

Cane was shaking his head at her, his smile somewhat mocking. “You like playing with fire, don’t you? You like to think this is a game…something you can do to pass the time. After all, we’re stuck together, right?”

He let out a grunt of anger as he let her go abruptly, almost making her stumble. “You’re just doing this for fun, Alexandra. You don’t really know what you want. You enjoy the thrill you get from being desired by me but I don’t think you’re ready for the reality of being fucked by your bodyguard.”

Alexandra’s cheeks stung as she involuntarily rubbed at her aching wrists, only just realizing how strong his grip had been. “Oh, I’m sure it wouldn’t be so bad,” she murmured with a careless shrug of one shoulder. “I mean, I’ve always been one for trying new experiences. I know we may not have much in common but something tells me we can find a mutual…satisfaction in giving in to what we both want.”

“You could be right,” he said lightly, which caused Alexandra’s heart to lift for a moment before he added in a firm tone, “But I still say it’s too much of a distraction. And that’s dangerous for a man in my position. I can’t let anything happen to you, Alexandra. That’s why I have to stay focused on the purpose of why I’m here. Your father entrusted you to my care and I’m not about to betray that trust. Any other circumstances and believe me nothing will stop me from taking you so hard, again and again until walking normally will be a problem for you for the foreseeable future.”

Oh heavens, yes please, thought Alexandra as her belly flipped and flopped. Alexandra felt like moaning out loud even though she knew he was only speaking hypothetically. But at least now she knew that if it wasn’t for the situation, then he wouldn’t even be hesitating. He wanted her very, very much and was only holding back because of how it might possibly disrupt his function as her bodyguard. She’d just have to convince him that nothing could be further from the truth, but for now, she was mollified enough to remember she had a birthday party to go to.

“I guess I can be good – for now,” she finally said with a small, wicked smile that warned him that in her heart, she was still much too intent on being very bad. Spinning on her heels, she went back to her wardrobe and picked out one of her favorite club outfits, this time in black. It was a leather and mesh mini dress which she knew flattered her hips with its girly flared skirt which was leather while the mesh upper gave a super-sexy contrast. It was stretchy and flirty with the hint of black bra just underneath. When she reappeared Cane had an approving glint in his green eyes.

“Black leather, Ms. Duke?” he murmured with a small smile as he crooked his arm for her to place hers within. “How very Kim Kardashian.”

Alexandra laughed deeply, slipping her arm through his offered arm and trying not to feel too pleased about the gesture. It almost felt like he was acting as her escort for the night. Wouldn’t that be sweet? But she knew he’d keep to the background as usual once they were in public. She’d have to devise a way to get him out of his shell to really have some fun. After all, it was Malia’s party and he might not know it but her best pal had a really bad crush on him.

“You know, that’s actually a compliment, Mr. Hutchinson,” she told him daintily. “Thank you. Now shall we go?”

Chapter Eight

Cane had to keep reminding himself, like a mantra in his head, just why the sexy woman he couldn’t take his eyes off, was out of bounds.

Stay focused, Cane. Focus, he kept saying over and over as he watched Alexandra have fun at Malia’s party. Despite what he’d told her the other night, he did like to have a good time once in a while. But his idea of that was leaning more to mountain hiking or deep sea fishing whenever he had some free days off work. And yes, he wasn’t averse to a bar crawl with a few of his Marine buddies, but he wouldn’t say he was much for the club scene.

He had to admit though that if he was, then this club would be a good spot to hang out. From the sound and lighting systems, to the aerialists and dancers doing their thing in different sections of the cavernous club, the whole atmosphere felt alive and pumping. Even the music wasn’t so bad, and the hip hop star hired to ramp things up gave some good live performances that got the crowd jumping. There were loads of pretty women in hot little mini club dresses and sexy heels, gyrating and screaming at the handsome star with his corn rows and diamond chains that looked heavy enough to give his tatted neck a crick.

But for all the excitement, all Cane really had eyes for was Alexandra. She was more than popular, a regular social butterfly and seemed to know everyone in the club. Cane had caught sight of her talking with a couple of stars whom even he recognized, and then that other young buck singer/rapper whose popular dance moves reminded Cane of Michael Jackson and whose last name was Brown or something. Cane couldn’t remember, but from the stars in Alexandra’s eyes when the cute light-skinned star leaned forward to say something in her ear, he could tell that Alexandra was flattered by all the attention. Cane wondered how come the party seemed to be crawling with music stars till he remembered that Malia’s boyfriend had a job in the industry.

Cane knew because of all the background checks done on Alexandra’s bosom friends and anyone close to them. Her father’s orders, especially since Malia was having this big birthday party that seemed to have the whole club shut down. There was even the tiered cake as well as the specially reserved VIP tables with raised leather banquettes which seemed perfect for watching the scene and of course, getting to be seen.

A part of him was glad that Alexandra seemed to be having the time of her life, dancing with every man there and being the center of attention – but soon he’d just about had enough of it. Just then, he could see a tall, well-built African-American guy with a clean-shaven head suddenly grip her arm and spin her round. She looked up in recognition at the darkly handsome man who was dressed in a fashionable purplish suit and black shirt that set off his equally dusky skin tone. He was smiling cockily as he ground against her, saying something in her ear that made Alexandra’s eyes snap. Cane watched from across the room and felt his control almost crack as he ground his teeth. Dumping the mocktail he’d been nursing on a nearby surface, he strode across the room with purposeful steps.

***

“Let me go, Lamar,” Alexandra gritted out as she tried to twist round to look into her ex-boyfriend’s face. She hadn’t even noticed he was there at the party. She’d been dancing and had suddenly felt someone come up behind her, much too close for comfort. And then he’d pinned his arms around her waist and for a split second she’d hoped it was Cane, only for the last voice she’d ever hoped to hear again whisper in her ear that she looked good enough to eat as always.

“What, and lose hold of the finest female in the room? Not a chance,” Lamar drawled in his deep, arrogant voice that set her teeth on edge. His tall, muscular body mashed against her, his pelvis bumping her ass as he swayed her to the sensual R n B mixes the DJ was spinning.

“You can bet my body missed yours like you wouldn’t believe,” he crooned in her ear, adding softly, “They’re playing what used to be our song, baby. ‘Your body is my party’…remember how I used to roll my tongue all around that sweet pussy of yours to the rhythm of that song till I made you speak a different language. Remember that, sugar baby?”

“Oh, I remember,” Alexandra snarled, stiffening up against his unwelcome touch, words and tone. “I remember most of all what a thieving cad you turned out to be, trying to swindle me out of several million dollars in some fake scheme or other.”

She felt him pause and smiled angrily to herself. He never really knew why she’d broken up with him. At first when they’d started dating, she hadn’t minded that he felt much too comfortable spending her cash. Alexandra saw no harm in being generous but for a boyfriend, he liked to mooch much too much. But she’d believed herself in love – that was until he started to talk about a certain business deal he was interested in and if her father would want to invest some cash in the scheme.

Alexandra had been all for helping out her lover and had taken the effort to ask the help of one of her father’s financial advisors. Turned out the man was sharp as a tack and did a few investigations of his own. He wasted no time in telling Alexandra that her boyfriend was trying to involve her in some kind of scam. Alexandra hadn’t known how to act upon that information, not until a week later when she’d paid a surprise visit to Lamar’s apartment and overheard him telling the girl curled up in his lap how he had zero feelings for Alexandra but was only in a relationship with her for her money.

That was a year ago and Alexandra had quietly left the apartment, not bothering to confront Lamar that day or later when she calmly called him on the phone and told him they were through.

And now here he was, grinding up against her at her best friend’s party like nothing had happened. She could see Malia had noticed them and was rushing up, her eyes a mixture of confusion and anger.

“I didn’t invite him, Alex, I swear,” Malia gasped, before turning on Lamar with a scowl. “What the hell are you doing at my party? I think you should leave.”

He merely smirked. “Ah, the chubby best friend sticking up for her innocent little pal. Why don’t you go stuff your face with some birthday cake, hmm Malia sweetie? And by the way this is a fucking nightclub and I happen to have a VIP table here tonight.”

“But not in my section hired for the party,” Malia snapped, looking furious about his cake comments.

Alexandra was sighing angrily as she tried to push out of Lamar’s strong grasp without causing too much of a scene. “Malia, you just let me handle this…”

“Is this man bothering you?”

Alexandra stiffened, just as Malia’s eyes pinned to somewhere beyond Alexandra’s shoulder. She turned to the sound of the unmistakable steel of Cane’s voice. Lamar turned, his expression twisting in quizzical anger as he came face to face with the white guy standing next to them.

“Cane! There you are,” Alexandra said in relief, finally able to shove the surprised Lamar aside before sliding up to Cane and wrapping her arms around his neck. She sighed inaudibly with delight when his hands instinctively fell on her hips, holding her to him.

She turned slightly to see Lamar’s face which held a mocking smile. “Oh, so it’s like that?” he said, looking pointedly from Alexandra to Cane. “Didn’t know you were the type to dig white meat, sugar boo. I guess that’s why you always felt you were too good for the likes of me.”

“You’re wrong,” Alexandra muttered angrily. “I simply felt too good for a gold-digging loser who thought it was cool to play the gigolo, running up bills on my card and sponging off me when in truth, he knew there were ‘zero feelings’ involved.”

She saw realization dawn on his face as she quoted the exact words he’d said to his floozy that day in his apartment almost a year ago. And then his confusion faded as he merely smiled. “Yeah well; you were always a great piece of ass so I guess a brother should at least thank you for the memories huh?”

Alexandra felt Cane’s muscles contract in his neck and shoulders where she’d linked her arms, and felt him actually make to lunge for Lamar. But she held on tight to his neck, using her body as a kind of shield as she looked up at Cane’s furious face with pleading eyes. From the corner of her eye, she saw Malia was walking back to them, followed by three hefty men whom Alexandra recognized as a few of the bouncers from the entrance.

Lamar turned, saw them approaching, and smirked. “Looks like I’ll just roll off back to my side of the playground, kiddies. See you around, sweet cheeks,” he added cockily to the seething Alexandra.

“If you value the use of your limbs, stay the fuck away from her,” Cane said coldly through the tightest clenched teeth Alexandra had ever seen. She shivered at the icy tone in his voice and actually felt fearful for Lamar.  She knew Cane was ex-military which meant he must have some bad-ass skills when it came to hand combat. And then of course, he was a freaking bodyguard. The last thing Alexandra wanted was to ruin Malia’s party by letting Cane smash the smug Lamar’s handsome face in, not to mention probably breaking one or any of his limbs as Cane had promised.

But Lamar’s response was merely that cool smile, before turning smartly around and making for his table across the club just when the bouncers reached them. Malia apologized deeply to Alexandra who waved her words off.

“There was no way you’d have known he’d be here. He must have heard about the party from some old mutual friends of ours and decided to show up just to aggravate me. I’m fine,” Alexandra sighed, before adding with a sultry smile meant for the man whom she still had latched against her, “Or I will be if I convince this dashing gentleman to join my for a twirl. I’ve been dreaming of getting at least one dance with him tonight.”

Cane’s expression softened at her hopeful tone, his body finally easing from the coiled spring his muscles had felt like beneath her fingers. Malia grinned, looking hot in her sapphire blue studded peplum dress as she winked at her best friend encouragingly. “I’ll go tell the DJ to fire up something sweet and sexy; maybe a little bit of Bruno Mars or better yet, some Trey Songz.”

Alexandra playfully swooned. “You know how to speak my language, girl. Step to it,” Alexandra urged, while Malia chuckled at Cane’s long-suffering expression which he replaced with a wry smile.

Once Malia was gone, Alexandra turned to Cane, her smile suddenly shy as she met his gaze. She closed the gap between them, reveling in the way he felt like he fitted perfectly against her now trembling frame. Thoughts of Lamar’s unexpected appearance, or his annoying antics, fled from her mind as she gazed up into Cane’s smoldering eyes.

Suddenly, the music was replaced by the familiar crooning of one of Trey Songz sexy slow hit tracks, and Alexandra hummed in appreciation. Suddenly, everything felt perfect, especially since Cane didn’t look like he’d be flinging her out of his arms soon.

“I should have decked that asshole for the way he was speaking to you,” Cane growled, and Alexandra felt his fingers tighten on her hips.

She sighed heavily, shaking her head in negation. “Thank you…for not losing your cool,” she said quietly as she settled her cheek against his chest. She inhaled the warm, fresh scent of his woodsy cologne that lingered there and felt the butterflies in her belly surge. She lifted her face to gaze up into his tender-looking eyes. “Even I know you could easily have brought Lamar a whole lot of pain for the crazy shit he was starting.”

It was Cane’s turn to sigh deeply. “I sensed you wouldn’t want to break up Malia’s party. I know enough about clubs to realize that a few punches get thrown and the next thing, people are flinging bottles and chairs at each other. But trust me, that Lamar would have been the last person to be joining up in any fights because I’d have flattened his lights out in seconds.”

“Not that I don’t think he’d have deserved it, but I’m glad you didn’t,” Alexandra said with a soft smile. Her hands skimmed down to rest against his chest and she could feel the dull thud of his heartbeat beneath her searching palms. His chest expanded with his sharply indrawn breath as her breasts crushed against him tantalizingly. “This feels so good,” Alexandra sighed, closing her eyes and just reveling. Cane, holding her close, his chest beating against hers. That was a little bit of paradise right there; and she never wanted to let it go.

“Alexandra…”

“Please,” she breathed softly, once again looking up at him, her eyes wide and soft. “Don’t tell me I can’t have this. Just this once, to feel like I’m treasured, appreciated.”

His breath rushed raggedly from his chest. “You are treasured. And I do appreciate you, Alexandra,” he said, holding her gaze soberly. “You’re smart, fun, hardworking especially when it comes to your designing as well as your charity projects. I’ve watched you all these weeks and I know you have every right to act the spoiled little rich girl but despite the luxury and pampering you’ve been accustomed to, you don’t let yourself shirk any responsibility that comes your way. And I’ve seen your designs and I know you’re gifted. I also know you’re beautiful and kind-hearted and will make some lucky man very happy one day.”

Alexandra’s eyes widened with amazed delight. “Well! And there I was thinking I’d never be able to impress you with my charms.”

His lips slanted in a gorgeous smile that ripped her heart apart. Lord, this man was lethal. Just one smile and he had her panties scorching. His hands rode up her back and then lower, making her whimper as he settled back to holding her hips as they swayed to the sound of Trey Songz’ tender crooning.

“Now, I don’t mean to be crass but this is one panty-droppin’ song,” Cane said approvingly, and Alexandra gasped in delight at his words which made her laugh.

“Don’t tempt me, Hutchinson,” she purred, batting her eyelashes up at him as her hips swayed more seductively against his. A cut-off groan spilled from his throat as her intimate V rubbed up against his burgeoning trouser front. “You wouldn’t like to see me turn the she-wolf. Not unless you really want me to let her out.”

“Oh God,” he rasped, tugging her hard against him for a moment. His head lowered to nuzzle at her neck, and Alexandra’s eyes rolled back in bliss at the sensation of his lips grazing the base of her arched throat. She lost all sense of time and place when he kissed and sucked on her neck with a famished groan rumbling in his chest.

“When you walked in that first time and I saw you in that white mini dress…damn. I wanted to fuck you where you stood,” he groaned against her fevered skin. “I couldn’t stand the thought of coming out here and seeing other men see you looking like that. Desiring you, thinking of touching you the way I wanted to. They’d have been crawling over you like beasts in the wild stalking after a tasty looking bunny. It did occur to me that a few might then try to make their move on you…which would be too bad because then I’d have to kill them.”

Alexandra choked on a giggle, hiding her warmed face against his chest as her fingers closed around the lapels of his suit.

“Hmm, so I guess you did like that dress, didn’t you?” she said sweetly, looking up at him through her lashes.

“Too much,” he growled, his arms tightening around her. “I’ve got this vision of you dressed in it, doing a little striptease right before you give me a sexy lap dance. Just the thought of that’s enough to get a man’s blood pumping, in case you were wondering.”

“I guess now I know,” she said softly, staring straight up at him. The moments ticked by in a bubble of bliss as they swayed to the compellingly sensual music.

Shivering deep in her belly, Alexandra couldn’t help adding quietly, “Aren’t you even curious, just a little bit? About how good it could be between us? It could be just that one time…and at least we’ll know. But if we keep fighting it, it’s only going to be even more disruptive. I haven’t been able to sleep, or eat…or think without seeing you in my mind, touching me the way I need to be touched, claiming me with all your body and soul.”

Cane held her gaze unwaveringly for a few seconds.

There was no way to guess what he was thinking. Just hoping that he was considering what she said was making her inner thighs quivering with desire. But then his next, tonelessly spoken words put paid to any wishful thinking.

“My boss called me today – Noah. To tell me there’s a new assignment up next week that’s just my kind of thing. To work on the security team handling a group of engineers being transported through some Middle Eastern desert to a multinational energy plant. There’s a high kidnapping rate of expatriate workers down there and Noah feels I’d be more of use heading the expedition. And that he’d easily get one of the other guys who handles celeb protection to take over as your bodyguard.”

Alexandra gulped, her heart stilling as his soft words sank in. “And what did you tell him?” She was almost afraid to ask, now hating herself for practically flinging herself at him every chance she got especially in the past few weeks. She wouldn’t be surprised if he told her he’d decided to finally get off the tiresome task of ‘babysitting’ a horny ass female.

“I told him…that some motherfucker broke in on my watch and I’m duty bound to stick around and make sure I get to the bottom of it,” Cane said simply, and Alexandra couldn’t keep the huge grin of relief from breaking out on her face. His answering lop-sided smile had the effect of making her feel like she was rocking on her feet as suddenly, she had a startling realization – one that was now so glaring to see when before it had been so obscure.

Damn it all to hell! She’d fallen in love with Cane.

Chapter Nine

Alexandra couldn’t decide which was more frustrating: when Cane had been ignoring her, or now when he treated her like a buddy. After Malia’s party, there wasn’t any more of that tension between them – well, except for all that sizzling chemistry which was never going to just disappear, Alexandra figured.

Now, they shared meals when at the house; they talked, they even watched movies together. It was all camaraderie, never more no matter the undercurrents of sparks that only erupted from a man and woman who found each other intensely attractive.

He never touched her in a way that would seem inappropriate. They’d never even kissed. But like she told him, it only made things all the more turbulent, for her at least. Being close to him, but never getting the chance to give expression to the hunger raging within her for just a taste of his lips, a caress from his fingers…

Each time she got too close, he pulled away. Gently but firmly. Alexandra knew she could only push so hard before she started to look too desperate. She hated to be that woman; so she tried not to be. Cane had a job to do and she had to respect that. She kept asking herself what her father would think if he knew how she felt about the bodyguard he’d hired for her. Will he call her foolish and irresponsible? Or would he tell her to grab at a great chance at being happy?

Cane could make me happy, Alexandra told herself without a pinch of doubt. It wasn’t just because he was working in a capacity where he had to watch out for her as part of his job. There was just something about him that spelled reliable, considerate, tender and compassionate. He was a good man, Alexandra knew and she wondered why some smart girl hadn’t snatched him up yet.

The thought of Cane being with someone but her made Alexandra feel almost ill. But then she knew it was wise to remind herself that this was just a job to him. Once her father decided she was no more in any real danger, or once Cane found he was bored playing chaperone to the flighty young daughter of a billionaire, would he walk off the scene to something more exciting and challenging?

Oh lord, no, Alexandra thought achingly. Not before she’d got even one chance to taste of true passion with him; to know if the flames that licked within her core for him could burn beyond just her fantasies.

As the days ticked by, Alexandra could see her chance slipping away.

***

She’d gone to see her father and from the way he was talking, he was having no more problems from the Vincent end. The bidding war had been won by an unexpected third party whose unanticipated entry had caught both Duke and Vincent blindsided with the new party’s highly competitive bid. Duke hadn’t been willing to compromise his standards of negotiation and to his surprise, neither had Vincent, who also backed out from the highly aggressive corporate bidding contest for the lucrative franchise.

“So what does that mean? You guys are buddy-buddy now?” Alexandra asked, her heart clutching with perverse dread. What if her father now felt she didn’t need to be so closely watched? There were the other two operatives handling her general security but who didn’t live in the house with her. Would her father decide that was enough and release Cane from his close protection detail?

Alexandra felt ready to faint. And then the thought suddenly struck her…if Cane was no longer her bodyguard, then that would mean he’d have no excuse to not give them a chance. It was some seriously far-fetched logic; after all she wasn’t sure what he really felt about her. Sure, there was all that primal sexual attraction, but what else did she have to keep him with her? He could get released from his bodyguard duties and decide he didn’t want to start something up with her after all.

All that close proximity, having to be pushed together day and night would be enough to create any kind of physical awareness between a man and woman. But once they were no longer forced to be around each other, there was no guarantee that Cane’s interest could stand the test once he was free.

So where did that leave her?

Confused, and maybe a little desperate, thought Alexandra when Cane was driving them away after the customary dinner she’d just had alone with her father at his home; something they did whenever he got back from one of his long business trips and felt they needed to spend ‘quality’ time.

To her relief, the only thing her father had decided to do was relieve the other two security agents, Marcus and Kirk from their post at her gates. But Cane drove them back to her place, Alexandra wondered when the time would come that her father would feel she didn’t need a personal bodyguard, either.

Even Cane seemed a little preoccupied, thought Alexandra as she shot him a sideways glance from beneath her lashes. She felt such raw attraction for him that just looking at him was such a freaking turn on. He had those edgy, dark good looks of those heartthrobs that seemed so popular on the covers of all those romance novels Malia seemed to devour by the dozen. Much like a leading man kind of hotness you’d find in some soul-wrenching romcom or other where the heroine just can’t resist being swept off her feet.

Alexandra had her own version of screen-god sexiness right here but he was in no way interested in sweeping her off her feet.  This was just a job he had to do and chances were, the moment it ended, Cane Hutchinson the bodyguard would be gone and Alexandra would never even be able to say she got to have a piece of Cane, the man, just once. Enough to make memories that would keep her warm in the lonely nights that would follow after her gorgeous leading man walked off into the sunset – without her.

Cane said her name softly, and she turned to look at him and found a worried frown on his face. “You’re all quiet. You okay?”

“I’m fine,” she said hollowly, shaking her head and looking away, out of her window. She’d never felt more alone than in this moment. Being an only child and motherless long before she reached adulthood, Alexandra had never really felt she was lacking that much when it came to the emotional aspect of life. After all her father loved her and she had friends, so she couldn’t say she’d been so affection-deprived or that she’d never had a support system. But now, being with Cane and yet not with him; it was ripping her in half. She’d been so used growing up and getting everything she wanted. Now, for the first time here was something she needed but too bad, she could never have it.

“No you’re not fine,” Cane told her in a tone so gruff it had her looking his way again sharply. His hands clenched tightly on the wheel, his driving slowing down only slightly on the night-cloaked road as he stared straight ahead. “I know what’s biting you, Alexandra. And only because it’s the same thing sending me right round the bend. This thing. Between us.”

“Which in essence is nothing, since you’ve been adamant about keeping the whole bodyguard-client thing strictly ‘on the level’ from the start. And trust me, I get it. I’m probably not really your type anyway. I mean, just because we’ve been thrown together this past month or so doesn’t mean it has to go beyond the…”

Alexandra’s flippant words were cut off as with a smothered curse, Cane brought the car to an abrupt halt. She gulped, hiding her surprise as she glanced his way to find his eyes gleaming with anger at her. The confines of the car felt like they were closing in tight. Cane was mostly always mild-mannered, cool headed, at best genteel. But when he was mad…oh boy, it got the core of each cell in her body pulsing. All at once it was thrilling, scary and arousing. Seeing his green eyes blaze, his face turn into a mask of pissed-off male was the sexiest and most frightening thing ever. She felt breathless, electrified. And yet a strange rebelliousness sprung up from beneath her fear as she lifted her chin defiantly.

“Why are we stopping?” she asked commandingly.

He didn’t seem to hear her question, or more probably, chose to ignore it, instead asking her in a deceptively calm voice, “Did you just say something about not being my type? Is that what you think?”

Alexandra shrugged, surprised that it was that one comment that had stood out for him. “Oh, I dunno. I mean, well, yeah,” she said defensively. “I just keep having the funny feeling that if we hadn’t met the way we had, you’d never even consider being interested in someone like me. And then being around someone for more than a month and still being able to keep yourself aloof…hmm. For all I know, you probably aren’t into black girls. But then with having to work so close by me all the time, it’s just all about the situation and how it’s forced you to be aware of me the way you say you are.”

“I see,” he said in that same dangerously soft tone. “And is that how it is for you, Ms. Duke? Is it just all about the ‘situation’? After all, your father is this corporate mogul and only one of the two African-American billionaires in the state. You’ve been more or less raised like a princess all your life; the beautiful only daughter and heiress to the Duke fortune. You’d never have looked twice at some ex-Marine bodyguard who also happens to be white and from a questionable background since hell, I was a fucking orphan and never even knew my real parents before I got adopted. A girl like you would be slumming it by having anything to do with someone like me. Right? Because I’m nowhere as rich or well-placed as the kind of man you’d want to introduce to your friends or even your father as the man you’re with.”

“You’re so fucking off it’s disgraceful,” Alexandra snapped. “I don’t date just rich guys. After all, I dated Lamar, and he was just some guy I met at a fashion show where he just happened to be working as a waiter while he claimed to be just out of business school and looking for real work. I was dumb enough to fall for his two-faced crap but at least, you can’t dare accuse me of only being interested in men who are on the same social or economic level as me.”

“Fair enough. But that doesn’t erase the possibility that you’re simply romanticizing the forced-proximity situation you just happen to find yourself in. You know, the proverbial Bodyguard crush. Don’t you think this is all just a little bit too much of a cliché? Because chances are you’ll be regretting it within weeks – no make that minutes – that you finally give in to it. So why even try?”

“Oh my God you’re such a bastard,” Alexandra breathed, staring at him. “I hate you.”

“I know,” he said thinly, looking totally unperturbed and just as furious as she did. “And you’ll hate me even more if I cross the line and you end up wishing it didn’t happen. I’m a professional, Alexandra. I was trained not just as a Marine, but in private personal protection. I’ve been in these situations enough times to know how easy it is for the client to feel she’s made a connection. But trust me, daddy’s little princess; maybe you should think a little harder before you decide categorically to fornicate with the help.”

Smack!

Without thinking, Alexandra slapped him hard on one cheek. Smack! And then the other. A kind of double face palm where her two hands just worked in tandem long before her brain did.