CHAPTER THREE
Alisa
The idea of going out of town with Zek left my nerves on edge. I couldn’t stop thinking through the possibilities of us ending up in bed together. I berated myself so many times that I had finally given up the idea of being chaste by the time the next day rolled around. After packing the appropriate clothing for the overnight trip, I walked down to the front of the apartment to find my brother waiting for me.
Zek had offered to pick me up, and I had no doubt that if the man wanted to know where I lived, he would find out, but I wasn’t giving out the information easily. Besides, a little bit of time with my brother before heading out of town would do me good. He had a funny way of centering me.
“Hey you.” He turned to look at me as I got into the car after throwing my small suitcase into the back.
“Hey yourself. Thanks for the help, butt-nugget.” I got in and buckled up as he chuckled.
“You know that nickname makes you sound less refined. Be careful who you share the real you with, okay? I don’t want you to hurt your career or anything.” He winked and pulled out into the busy side street.
“Don’t worry. That name is reserved just for you. No one else can quite live up to its grandeur.” I smirked and turned to let my eyes move across the city as Clark drove us to my favorite breakfast place.
“Are you nervous?” He reached out and pressed his hand to my knee, which was bouncing uncontrollably.
“No. Why? Should I be?” I pushed his hand away. “It’s a nervous habit. I’ve done it my whole life.”
“Don’t I know it?” He rolled his eyes and turned on the radio. “You actually haven’t ever been the nervous type, but God forbid, dreamy Zek Kellington shows up, and you turn into a regular nervous ninny.”
“I think it’s nervous Nelly, but whatever.”
“Who the hell is Nelly?” He lifted his eyebrow.
“Good Lord. Why did I agree to this? I’m already a bundle of nerves.” I pointed as he pulled into the busy parking lot. “Right up front. It must be my lucky day.”
“You don’t need to be nervous. It’s Zek. You’re his lawyer, and he should be damn lucky to have you. Just do what you do best, and tear up whoever is after him.” My brother smiled, seeming quite proud of himself for quite possibly the worst pep talk I’d ever endured.
“Right. You pay for the pancakes and we’ll call this date even.” I got out of the car and smiled at him as he gave me a look.
“I was just trying to make you feel better.” He pulled open the door and held it back as I walked into the delicious smell of maple syrup and bacon. Breathing in deeply, I rubbed my growling stomach and followed the waitress to the one available booth in the whole place. “Lucky again.”
He chuckled and picked up his menu after sliding in across from me. “If anyone’s going to be lucky, it’s going to be you.”
“You think so?” I didn’t need to look at the menu. There was no way to pass up a triple stack of chocolate chip pancakes and two sides of bacon. I’d been eating the same thing for the last twenty years of haunting the place.
“Yep. Cat was telling me last night that it’s about time for your luck to change. I told her you’ve always been lucky... well, in most areas of your life.” He turned and greeted the waitress with a little too much gusto. He was grateful to be saved by the proverbial bell, no doubt.
After we ordered, he turned his attention back to me. “What else do you need help with regarding your divorce? All your stuff is really moved from the house to your new apartment?”
“I don’t need anything. I moved the stuff because you and Cathy have your own lives, Clark. I’m thirty-one. I can take care of silly things like that. Besides, I didn’t move the stuff.” I smiled, trying to reassure him, and by him, I really meant my sister-in-law. “I hired someone to do it.”
“Oh good. That’s much better.” He let out a long sigh and moved his coffee cup to the edge of the table as the waitress approached.
“Zek is picking me up at the office. Are you okay taking me downtown? I know you hate the traffic down there.” I smiled up at the waitress and pulled my coffee mug toward me, starting the process of turning it into more of a treat than a wake-up call.
“It’s fine. I need to go down there anyway. Cat ordered something from one of those silly girlie stores that you guys love to go to. I have to go pick it up. Earrings or something.” He waved his hands about, as if girls were the biggest pain in the rear.
“I should video you being so dramatic and show her. She thinks she knows you after all these years, but I’d lay my bet that she’s not seen you act like you just did.”
He visibly paled. “I’d rather you not and just say you did.”
I laughed, unable to help myself. After taking a tentative sip of my coffee, I settled back and studied my brother. He was quite handsome, and such a good guy. I was grateful for Cathy and the life they’d built together with the boys. A part of me wanted to be jealous, but I wouldn’t allow myself to think about it. My time was coming. It had to be.
“I’m glad things have turned out the way they have.” I shrugged. “The situation with Ben sucked, and still sucks, but I’m going to get past it, and probably grow from it.”
“You’re the only one I know that can turn rotten, beat up lemons into a sparkling, refreshing lemonade.” He smiled and reached across the table, squeezing my arm softly. “You just need to give yourself time to heal, and then get back on the horse.”
“Are you trying to subtly tell me to go slow with Zek, because there is nothing to worry about. Really.” I adverted my gaze, and was rather thrilled when the food showed up.
Clark let out a soft growl and picked up his fork. “Do whatever you want with Zek. My food’s here, and I lost my train of thought anyway.”
I laughed, shook my head and dug into my favorite guilty pleasure. Well, one of them at least.
***
My brother parked just beside Dellup & Brown and turned to me as a dark Lexus moved up behind us. I got out of the car, knowing it was Zek. His Lexus was sexy; it fit his persona perfectly.
He got out of the car as I turned, and he awarded me with a sexy smile as he walked toward us. He went to Clark first and pulled him into a hug, the two of them acting like they hadn’t spoken in years.
“Alright, well, have fun, and keep my sister safe. Got it?” Clark gave us both a look that said he was far more aggressive than he really was.
“Of course, brother. She’s safe with me.” Zek waved and turned to me, reaching out to take my bag. “How are you? Sleep well? No more visits from anyone, right?” His brow lifted sharply.
His chestnut hair and blue eyes combined with his broad shoulders and strong arms left my stomach tightening, my knees growing a tab bit weak. No other man had ever had such a hold on me. I could only hope that none would again. It was disturbing on too many levels.
“I slept great. I’m good, and no more of your old friends came a’calling.” I winked at him and got in the car, breathing in deeply the smell of new leather.
He opened the door and got in, pausing briefly to look over me. “Good. Very funny, by the way. She’s not a friend, at least not one I would claim.”
I ignored his comment. There was no way I was diving into what Melissa was to him. I was jealous as it were. Dwelling on it would only make things worse.
“This should be an interesting trip. I’ve been involved in a lot of cases, but never one directly with the SEC.” I ran my hand down my hair and tried to not focus on how good it felt to have him next to me in the car.
“I’m not sure that interesting is the wording I would use, but I’ll go with the flow here.” He pulled away from the curb and headed toward the airport. “You okay about what happened between us last night?”
I glanced over at him as a smirk lifted my lips. He was one of the only men ballsy enough to bring up the most uncomfortable topics as if he were simply wanting to talk about the weather. He almost seemed to thrive in the midst of the tense, the uncomfortable, the strained.
No wonder he’s a brilliant investor.
“I’m not sure.” I would have to meet him head on with my own high level of comfort and unshakable confidence. It was almost a game between us. “I enjoyed it. Maybe a bit too much, but there’s a line that has to be maintained between us. You know that.”
“I do, and yet I can’t stop thinking of what would have happened if you’d stayed the night.” His eyes moved down me, but I ignored him, watching out the front window with an intensity that most likely made it obvious that I was avoiding him. “We could have told old stories and roasted marshmallows.” I glanced over at him as his lips lifted in a smile. “It would have been fun. Something to write in the old journal about?”
“You’d be surprised how many times you show up in my old journals.” He shrugged and turned to get on the freeway.
“You do not have a journal.” I turned toward him, loosening the tight grip I had on my professionalism. I kept thinking that if I could just maintain a very professional front with him, then he might find that he wasn’t at all attracted to me, but it was like trying to hold onto the wind. It wasn’t happening.
“I did too. I still do. I’m not telling you where it is though. It would be embarrassing to know that you read it.” He gave me a sideways glance, and I swear my heart started to melt.
“Am I really in it?” I sat back in my seat as a smug feeling lifted up inside of me. Zek Kellington, the hottest man in the universe was interested in me? Was in love with me? Had me in his journal?
“Yep. You remember that time we dared you to eat a bug, and you did?” He chuckled. “That’s in there. I don’t know of another girl who would have done that. You were crazy tough. Adventurous. Brave.”
Of course it’s an entry on eating a bug. My ego deflated as quickly as it had puffed up.
“You guys were such chickens when we were younger, and so damn cocky when you got older.”
“And you were rebellious, wild and horny as hell. I remember thinking if I could find a woman like you when I got older... life would be intense.” He licked his lips and reached for my hand.
I tugged it away and chuckled. “Hands to yourself, sir. I’m working for you. We’ve discussed it, and I was not wild. I was a free spirit.”
He laughed loudly, and the sound filled my insides with a warmth that I’d almost forgotten could exist. “You were too wild. I’m surprised you didn’t say you weren’t horny. I was going to get you good for that one.”
I crossed my arms over my chest and glanced over at him, giving him a look. “Why would I say something like that? I could lie to anyone else, but you’re the guy I wanted to sleep with. Of course you know how horny I was. Jeez.”
“And were you still that way after I left?” His enthusiasm dimmed just a little.
“No. It wasn’t about sex. It was about you.” I tugged at my seatbelt and sat up a little straighter as we pulled into the airport parking lot. Something about sharing too much with him left me feeling open and raw. It was exciting and yet terrifying.
“And then the next guy was your ex?” He pulled into the parking lot, turned off the car and turned toward me.
“Why are we playing twenty questions?” I gave him a sideways look and reached for the handle as he grabbed my other hand.
“Just answer the question. I’ll answer any that you want to ask me.” He squeezed my fingers softly and waited until I put my full attention on him to speak again. “Please?”
“There were plenty of guys, Zek. I was a young girl with too much energy and not enough focus. I realized my junior year of college that none of them were going to measure up. None of them were going to matter or be enough. None of them could be...”
“Be what?” He released my hand as I let out a painful sigh and turned my face away from him.
I opened the door and got out, not sure why he had so much power over me, but it was useless to over think it. He simply did.
“Be what, Alisa?” He moved to the back of the car and popped the trunk. His stare was intense, but not in a way that made me feel the need to answer him. He knew the answer, and he was baiting me. I wanted him to feel the rush of knowing that every man in my life had somehow been compared to him. He needed a bright light in the middle of the darkness he was trudging through, but I couldn’t tell him. Not yet.
“Why did you let go of Lindsay, or why did she leave you?” I asked, not even thinking twice about why I was asking.
“Because she was a bitch after my money. I wanted her to love me, and she didn’t. It’s simple really. I haven’t found anyone willing to love me for the man I am. It’s always about my wealth. The story isn’t going to change. It’s the truth.” He pulled my bag out and sat it on the ground beside his.
I reached for it, but he carefully pushed my hand away and pulled them both as we walked toward the large airport terminal.
“I’m sorry to hear that. I can’t imagine someone not caring about you.”
“Yeah, well, it’s a reoccurring theme. It’s all good though. The right woman is out there. I just need to circumvent going to jail twice, rebuild my company, fix the tarnish on my good name, and then I’ll look for her.” There was no sarcasm in his voice, but I could feel the heaviness sitting on him.
We stopped to let the cars pass in front of us, and I turned to face him. “None of the guys in my life could be you. That’s what I was going to say, but it seemed like a bit too much. You were a boy, and I was a young girl. We’re different people now, and no matter how many times I imagined us being more than you let us be... we weren’t. We aren’t.”
“We could be.” He winked and moved across the walkway. “Another conversation for another time.”
Somehow I wasn’t looking forward to diving into that discussion anytime soon.