Angel After Dark (32 page)

“Well, maybe I don’t want to get into this at all!” She felt like a little brat having a tantrum, but goddamn him! Who did he think he was? She jumped up from the table and started to storm out of the bar.

Alex followed right behind, amused at the looks being shot in their direction. He didn’t give a shit. The end result was what he wanted—her on the fucking sidewalk. Charles was there waiting in the valet lane, the back door to the black limo open and waiting for them, but Angel walked past it, put two fingers between her lips, and whistled loudly, clearly hailing a cab. Alex quickly grabbed her arm, and she reacted by smacking him hard with her purse.

He smiled slyly, her show of anger somehow comforting him. “Come on. Get in the limo, Angel.” His amusement only infuriated her further.

“Fuck you, Alex!”

“Okay, if that’s what you want.” He said the same words that he did on the day he met her, his tone softening, his anger fading. She was so beautiful in her rage; it almost hurt. Hair flying in the breeze, her cheeks were flushed, breasts heaving, and eyes glistening in angry frustration. “But you have to come first.”

“Oh, shut up!”

He sighed, his mouth returning back into an angry line. “I know you want to be with me tonight, so stop fighting it. Get in the goddamned car, Angel!” He waited ten seconds before taking matters into his own hands.

“You are the most infuriating man I’ve ever—oof!” She lost her breath as Alex hoisted her over his shoulder in the middle of the busy Chicago night and moved effortlessly toward the car.

“Lover’s spat.” He flashed a smile at a group of people on the sidewalk who stopped to gawk, acting like it was nothing out of the ordinary as he deposited her in the car like a sack of potatoes and followed her inside.

Angel scrambled away from him as he closed the door, and Martin pulled the car from the curb. Alex sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Go to the house, please, Martin.”

“Alex, please take me back to my apartment.”

“No.” The night before proved she wasn’t safe there; at least not until he had more information, and certainly not without him.

“Poor Alex. Who knew you’d be such a jealous weakling? Maybe I should have gone home with Kenneth like he asked.”

“Like hell! We both know you’re where you want to be, so who are you trying to convince?”

“You are such a conceited bastard. Do you think you’re the only one who wants me?”

Alex didn’t speak as the limo moved onto the interstate and out toward the suburbs, but he pushed a button to close the partition so the driver wouldn’t hear them.

“Do you think I’m a bitch in heat and your dick is the only thing that can offer salvation?” she spat.

Alex moved like lightening to tumble her backwards and pin her to the seat beneath him, his hands around her wrists beside her head. Angel stared up at him, gasping for breath in her surprise.

“Stop! Just fucking stop.
What I think
is that whatever
this
is
eats at my guts. When I saw Kenneth’s hands on you tonight, you kissing him, it took all I had to restrain myself. Now, as far as
my dick
—that’s up to you, but I wager, you
want it
.”

Her legs went around his waist as they both panted in each other’s faces, hearts pounding together; blood rushing. Angel wasn’t sure what she was struggling against as his nose brushed hers and her chin lifted involuntarily. Probably, it was fear he’d steal her soul. He made her hungry even in this madness, even in anger there was still this immeasurable lust. This man had power. Too much power and he knew it.

Alex’s hands loosened on her wrists as he nudged her upper lip with his lower one, teasing a response she was unable to deny him. The fingers on both of his hands entwined with hers as he pressed into her. Angel moaned into his mouth at the pleasure, and he became even more aroused as his hardness met her heat.

His words rushed out in a whisper just before his mouth staked its ownership over hers. “You are
mine
.”

12

Too Good to be True

Angel’s mouth was alive underneath Alex’s, even though her brain searched for the will to struggle, pull away, or keep her traitorous body from responding. God, he tasted good, so perfect in his seduction.

With her chest heaving, she finally managed to break the kiss by turning her head to one side. Alex was not deterred, letting his mouth—still hungry for her flesh—move over her cheek and down her chin before leaving a hot, moist trail on her neck as the fingers of one hand worked at the buttons of her blouse.

“I fucking hate you,” she whispered ardently, her voice trembling right along with everywhere he touched, unsure if she was speaking to him or herself. She squeezed her eyes shut as they began to burn, and her fingers wound in his hair. “I really hate you. I hate feeling so out of control.”

“I hate you, too,” he murmured against her breast before pushing her cream lace bra out of the path of his mouth with his chin and tongue, “for making me want you this much.”

Angel drew her breath in a hiss as his hot mouth closed around her rosebud nipple, already hard in anticipation. Alex’s lower body surged into hers and made her flush with damp warmth, leaving a delicious ache she knew only he could alleviate.

“Uh… God,” she moaned as her body rose up to meet his, and she pushed her hands underneath the hem of his shirt, raking her nails down his back, amazed at the way the muscles flexed as he moved over her. The cool, silk knit was a stark contrast to the fire of his flesh. “Alex, what about the driver? Can he hear us?”

“Don’t know. Don’t care.” Alex brought his head up to look into her face. She was breathtaking: a heated blush on her cheekbones and her hair splayed in a halo around her head on the light grey leather, her dark eyes glittering in the reflection of the lights filtering in from the night racing past the limo. He pushed her hair back as once again, their bodies surged together.

“Christ, you feel so good.” Their eyes locked. “Do you want me to stop?” he asked, but he knew the answer.

The back of his fingers brushed over her flat stomach as his eyes searched for the answer in her face. Angel bit her lip and shook her head ever so slightly, but it was all the answer Alex needed. His fingers popped the button on her jeans and slid the zipper down.

*****

Angel was quiet and pensive, after the sex in the back of the limo, and had still not spoken when Alex held his hand out to assist her when they’d reached his gated estate on the north side of the city. Her eyes widened as she took in the large, natural stone, two-story house, elegantly lit in the front and surrounded by lavish landscaping and a curved drive.

The large trees told of either longevity or great expense to create the ambiance, and the hot breeze felt amazingly cool as it evaporated the soft sheen of perspiration on her skin, leftover from the passionate scene that had just concluded. Alex ran his free hand through his hair as he gently and silently tugged her toward the large mahogany door under the chandelier in the front entry. His eyes watched her closely, wondering what she was thinking. He was left unsettled by his own lack of control where she was concerned yet determined to get her to relax around him. Judging from the phone call they’d shared earlier, it would have been a great night if seeing her with Kenneth Gant hadn’t caused his insides to explode.

His thumb brushed the top of her hand as he unlocked the door. The house was dimly illuminated from a few lamps that his housekeeper had left on, as was her custom, not knowing when or if the master of the house would show up. He had barely disarmed the electronic security system when Max bounded down the large staircase toward them, barking madly. Angel started at his side.

“He’s harmless,” Alex said softly, but the woman at his side had already let go of his hand and was moving toward the large dog, kneeling down and ruffling him enthusiastically with both hands.

“Hey! You’re gorgeous, aren’t you? Such a sweet baby!”

Max whined and licked her face, nudging her chin over and over with his nose.

“Alex, he’s beautiful! What’s his name?”

Alex threw his keys on the antique table at the foot of the stairs. “Max. He’s a good boy.” He watched as she continued to stroke the dog, whose tail was wagging madly. “Max, leave her be.” He ran a hand over the animal’s head as he passed, making his way into the great room and to the wet bar along one wall. Angel followed with Max at her heels. “Can I get you a drink?”

“Sure, whatever you’re having, but I shouldn’t stay long. Will your driver take me back into the city?”

In the process of adding ice to two tumblers, Alex tensed and lifted his head. He considered his words and then shrugged. “No.”

“No?” Her eyebrows shot up and the skin on her arms bristled.

Alex filled the two glasses halfway with scotch, held one out to her, and motioned for her to precede him to the large leather furniture in front of the fireplace. He found himself wishing it were November or December so the fire could be blazing. There was a large antique grand piano near the window, one of his most loved possessions.

Angel reached for the glass but didn’t move. Alex rolled his eyes and moved around her. “Come on in.”

“Are you planning to keep me here against my will?” One eyebrow shot up. She hated that she couldn’t be mad at this man for long.

“Never. I’ll simply convince you to stay. Max will help me, won’t you, boy?” he said with a soft laugh as the dog nudged his hand for attention.

“How? By starving me into submission?”

Alex motioned for her to sit down. “Oh, sorry, I owe you dinner. Unfortunately, I was planning on being home later, so my housekeeper has the night off. What would you like? I’ll send Martin out to pick something up.”

Angel was curled up in the corner of one of the big brown couches, her head resting on her hand, looking up at him. “Or, you could just take me home.” His green eyes roamed her face in the low light. He liked the intimacy of the moment and didn’t turn on more lights.

The dog jumped up on the couch and settled next to her, and soon she was stroking the thick golden coat.

“I’m not taking you home.”

Alex grabbed a remote and soon soft music was filtering in from some hidden speakers around the room. Angel flushed, not liking where her thoughts were headed.

“Nice. Will there be a huge round bed dropping from above and a spring-loaded champagne bucket popping up from some hidden hole in the floor?”

Alex laughed. “No, Angel. I like music. I have it piped all over the house. I’m not one of
those
.”

“Hmmph!” She let out her breath, her expression clearly doubting his words. “Yeah, sure. If I explore the house, will I find ten other sex slaves, bound in chains, locked up in the basement?”

Alex huffed, sinking down in the chair facing her and downing the rest of his drink before placing it on the end table nearest him. “Hardly. I only have one sex slave at a time,” he joked; his beautiful mouth quirked up at one side and Angel had to laugh. He was gorgeous; her breath hitched even though she should be pissed at being held prisoner.

“So, why are we here?” she asked softly, wanting to know his intentions.

His green eyes bored into hers and his finger and thumb tugged on his lower lip as he considered his answer. “Well, because we made plans to be together tonight, and you pissed me off going to that meat market alone. You should know better than that.”

“I wasn’t alone.” Max put his head in her lap and whimpered for Angel to continue stroking his coat. “Kenneth was there.”

“He was late. If you can’t count on him then get more responsible, uh,
friends
.” A new wave of anger rushed up in his chest, heating his skin. He rose and walked slowly to refill his glass. His movements were relaxed, but his tone spoke of agitation.

Angel smirked, unable to hold back the glimmer of hope that this amazing man cared enough to be jealous. “What is all this? We agreed we’d be monogamous when it comes to sex, but otherwise, we’d live our lives. Besides, we had plans later, and you knew it. I don’t get why your panties are all in a bunch. I wasn’t fucking him under the table, so I wasn’t violating our understanding,” Angel goaded softly. She bit her lip to hide a smile when he turned back to her from the bar.

Jealousy burned him alive, but it was more worry over her safety and he needed her to understand that. “I feel sure he’d like to be doing some violating.”

“So what? He knows where things stand,” she said, nonplussed.

Alex tried to read her expression, wondering if she was telling the truth. “All I’m saying is that if the guy can’t keep his word, then make concessions to compensate.”

“Like what?”

“Like use your goddamned head, Angel! It’s not just him! You know what I’m talking about!” he blurted loudly, startling Max, who jumped down to go to him.

Alex moved to sit on the floor in front of Angel when she didn’t answer, feeling her eyes burn into him and her perfume wafting around him. After a minute, he turned to her.

“Look, I’m not ignorant or immune to what’s going on with you. Last night at the station, there were hoods messing with your car while I waited; I chased them away.” Angel’s heart thumped in her chest and he reached out for her hand, kissing the tender flesh on the inside of her wrist, his eyes holding hers. “What if I wasn’t there?” he asked against her skin.

Angel sighed softly, unable to help softening toward him, and her hand moved to the side of his face. “Nothing, Alex.” She shrugged slightly. “If you weren’t there, I would have been fine; like I’m always fine. They were probably just some neighborhood kids messing around in the parking lot.”

“I won’t take chances with you.” Alex struggled. Should he tell her about his car and the note? He didn’t want to scare her, but he wanted to protect her. The undeniable emotion that moved him to take care of her both enthralled and terrified him. He worried; he wanted to protect, to touch, to taste, and to own like never before.

His fingers closed around the wrist near his chin, and he pulled her toward him until his mouth found hers and his arms encircled, pulling her down onto his lap. He was gentle, the kiss coaxing; not like the passionate assault in the limousine.

“Just give me some peace of mind and be more careful,” he pleaded as his lips left hers and she curled into him, his fingers sliding into the silky strands on the side of her head as his thumb brushed her jaw. “What should we order for dinner? You’ll need energy later.”

Angel chuckled and nodded, her forehead coming into contact with his jaw. She felt safe here in the arms of a man she barely knew. It was nuts but undeniable. Their intense physical connection and his tenderness were at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. That told her that there was more about him she wanted to know—and know well—despite the fact that her heart would bleed when it ended. Her emotions ruled her mind for the first time and it felt too good to fight. She smiled into him. “So will you.”

His chest rumbled underneath her cheek as he laughed. “I like the sound of that. Okay, something with a lot of carbs, then.” He pulled out his phone. “Martin, please run down to Giovanni’s for some pizza and spaghetti. Hold on.” He moved the phone away. “Angel, what kind of pizza do you want?”

“Pepperoni and cream cheese.”

Alex grimaced. He’d never heard of that combination. “Pepperoni and, uh, cream cheese. Yes, me either. Yeah, I know, it sounds gross to me, too!” Angel punched him playfully in the stomach and he grunted. “Get a large supreme and whatever you’d like, also. Don’t forget the hot peppers and parmesan.”

Angel was nibbling on his lower jaw when he threw the phone aside. “It’s delicious, asshole. You’ll be eating your words.”

“Mmmm…” Soon, Angel found herself pinned beneath him, his hot mouth on her neck, hands pushing her blouse open, teasing the sensitive flesh under her lace bra. “I’ll be eating something, that’s for sure. If I’m lucky.” He smiled against her skin and she let out a breathy moan that went straight to his cock. “You’re delicious.”

*****

Alex and Angel sat in the middle of his huge, over-sized bed, in the middle of the disheveled sheets, finally eating the pizza, now cold, that Martin had left on the counter in the large marble and mahogany kitchen.

Alex’s eyes widened. “Holy shit! This is…
fucking… amazing
!” he mumbled with his mouth full. It was three AM and they were both starving and exhausted. Angel giggled as she picked up a slice and tried to situate herself back into the pile of bedding. She tried desperately not to spill it in the dark, the only light coming from the moon shining in through the cracked blinds. Alex’s bedroom was like the rest of the house: stone, massive furniture, dark wood, and all man.

“Told ya,” she said, shoving the pizza into her mouth, laughing.

He watched her with amusement as he enjoyed the satiated glow of her expression and her waves of dark curls falling softly across her cheek as she concentrated on her pizza. He delighted in having her with him; their evening spent teasing and exploring each other’s bodies to the height of heights. She was the most exciting creature he’d ever known, but yet, so easy to be with.