Promises After Dark (After Dark #3) (33 page)

Joe looked at Alex seriously and placed a hand on his heart. “You’re an honorable man, Alex. That’s all I could ask for my little girl. Of course, I’ll give my permission.”

William was grinning from ear to ear. “This calls for something stronger than goddamned beer!” he said happily. “What’s your poison?”

“Anything is fine.” Alex sighed, and any apprehension he had left his chest.
Thank God.

William got up and went into the house.

“When were you going to propose?”

“I have the ring, and I was hoping on my birthday. I’m going to take her to the restaurant where we had our first date.”

“You’re a class act, son. Welcome to the family.” Joe reached out, and Alex gave him his hand. “I can’t hug you or Angel will think something up.” He nodded behind him to the pasture where the girls were riding two horses. Angel was riding a black stallion, and Becca was on a gray mare. Jillian sat in front of Angel, and she started to gallop. Jillian squealed happily. Alex watched the woman he loved; mesmerized at the many sides to her. She was magnificent, and she was his.

“Hey, Zander!” Angel called from the big pasture across the road. “Wanna come with us? We’re going into the woods!”

“Go ahead, son,” Joe said.

William brought out a bottle of Jack Daniels.

“Will, I’ll have a drink when we get back,” he told the older man then answered Angel. “Okay, babe!”

“Yay, Zander,” Jillian hollered. “Zander! I want to ride wit Zander, Anga!”

“Meet me in the barn, Alex!” Angel called, turned her horse around, and took off at a run.

Alex looked at Joe apologetically, not sure the other man was finished with their conversation.

“When a woman asks you to meet her in the barn, you go.” Joe winked at Alex.

Alex laughed and got up from the picnic table and started to leave.

“By the looks of things, you’ve got quite a way with the little one.”

“She’s a doll. I adore her.”

“Then I’ll expect some babies in the not-too-distant future.”

“Yes, sir. That’s the plan.” Alex flashed a brilliant smiled.

“Good plan.”

19
The Man Who Has Everything

The time with Angel’s dad had been amazing. Things had gotten back to normal; they were both back to work, and Angel was doing her Friday night stint at the station. Kyle had contacted them both a couple of times and reiterated his wish that she come back to Archangel. Alex had to admit, he liked the idea more than her involvement with criminals on a day-to-day basis, but Angel wasn’t so easy to convince. Besides, when they were married, would he want her traveling? He traveled enough for the two of them combined, and they’d never see each other. That was something they’d have to work out.

Cole was recovering nicely and would soon be back to work. For the time being, Alex would have him take Bancroft’s place, with Wayne and Sid in place with him. Eventually, one of them would take over local security, and Cole would oversee it for Avery Enterprises as a whole. Charles couldn’t be happier to have both his sons involved with the business. Alex was the right one to be at the helm, though, when it came to the money and longevity of the company.

Alex had brought a suit with him and had changed into it. It was his birthday; Angel was meeting him at his office, and they’d go to Tru together.

It was a Thursday night. He would have preferred it to be Friday, but that goddamned radio thing was in the way. Oh, well. It wouldn’t be the first time he’d had to live on coffee and Excedrin after a late night with Angel. Tonight would be a late night. He planned on making love to her all night.

He’d showered and changed in the en-suite bathroom in his office, taking particular care with every detail. His mother and father knew of his plans. He inhaled deeply as he combed his hair, added a little gel, splashed on cologne, and brushed his perfect teeth. His jaw was newly shaved, and his hair newly cut. He buttoned up the very light lavender shirt he would wear with his black Armani suit. He’d chosen a silk tie with a subtle pattern in silver, black, and dark purple and a silk pocket square that exactly matched his shirt.

He slid on the tie and tied it after securing his cuffs with the engraved double “A” cuff links. He sucked in his breath again. He felt nervous. Things were good with Angel, though he still hadn’t convinced her to move in with him. He’d even played the “we can donate your rent to charity” card, but that hadn’t worked either. She was so independent, but they spent practically every night together, and it was bothersome. Both of them had some clothes now in residence at each other’s apartments, and she had some things at his house. They spent most of the weekends there, and it was paradise. Only one thing would make it better. Well, maybe a couple of things. And he was hoping to get that ball rolling tonight.

The intercom buzzed on his desk. He glanced at his Rolex. It was only 5:30, and Angel wasn’t due until 6 PM. He walked to his desk and pressed the intercom button.

“Yes, Mrs. Dane?”

“Sir, you have a visitor.”

He pressed it again. “Send her in.” He walked around the desk, and pulled the hand-carved mahogany ring box out of the drawer, and shoved it in his pants pocket. Fuck, he hoped Angel wouldn’t see the bump in his pocket. He needed his jacket.

It buzzed again. His brow furrowed quizzically. “Yes?”

“It’s not Dr. Hemming, sir.”

He frowned harder. Maybe it was his mother or Allison, and maybe they wanted to surprise him. “It’s okay, Mrs. Dane. Send whoever it is in.”

“Yes, sir.”

When Mrs. Dane opened the door, Alex was still standing behind his desk. He looked up, and his heart fell to his stomach. What the fuck was Whitney doing here?

She was all made up and carrying a gift wrapped in dark brown paper and a blue bow. She was dressed in a long black coat and leather gloves. He didn’t register much else, other than her hair was around her face. She looked apprehensive, and he was fucking speechless.

“Alex! I didn’t want to forget your birthday,” she said, taking a few hesitant steps into his office.

“Uh…” He had a moment of panic. Angel was due any moment, and tonight of all nights, he didn’t need this. “You’re supposed to forget my birthday; we’re not together anymore.” He knew he sounded like a rude asshole, but goddamn it! This was the biggest night of his life, and she was about to fuck it up.

She looked taken aback, and her face fell. “I was just trying to be nice.”

“Whitney, I don’t know what I have to do to make you understand, but, to be blunt; I’m with someone else now. You and I will never happen again.”

Her chin trembled as she walked the rest of the way in. “I brought you this.” She set it on the desk. “I’ll always care about you, Alex. Do you have to be such a prick to me? I’m trying to make peace between us.”

He leaned, half-sitting, on the front edge of his desk and looked at her. “I’m not being a prick. You showed up here without calling, and I have plans tonight. To be clear, we
have
peace. I have closure. I’m sorry if you don’t, but I’m not sure what else to do to help facilitate that for you. I wish you the best, but it’s over between us. For good.”

A tear fell on her cheek and rolled down. He sighed. He felt bad for her, but he had to get her out of there before Angel showed up.

“I can’t accept the gift.”

“It’s nothing huge.”

“It doesn’t matter, Whitney. I don’t want it.”

“Alex, please—” she began, her voice breaking. She came forward, until just a couple of feet separated him. She was closer to him than the fucking chairs in front of his desk. “Don’t you remember?”

He shook his head. “Whitney. Enough. I’m sorry, but it wouldn’t be right for me to accept it. I’m expecting someone; I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask you to leave.”

The buzzer on the intercom blasted, and he closed his eyes.

“You have to leave, Whitney. I’m sorry.” The last thing he wanted was Angel to have visions in her head that involved him fucking anyone else tonight.

“Yes, Mrs. Dane?”

“Uh, I’m sorry to interrupt, but Dr. Hemming just arrived.”

Shit!
“I don’t want to keep hurting you. You have to stop. I’ve moved on.”

He had no choice. He couldn’t keep Angel waiting, so he had to trust that she could handle seeing Whitney, and maybe if Whitney could see him with Angel, she’d get the fucking message once and for all. Words sure as hell hadn’t worked. He walked behind his desk and leaned in to the intercom. “Send her in.”

“Yes, sir.”

The mahogany door opened, and Angel walked in. She was breathtaking, and he wished with all of his heart Whitney wasn’t standing between. Angel had on a softly sparkling, black cocktail dress, black silk stockings, and stiletto pumps. She carried a small, beaded clutch and a short cashmere coat over her arm.

“Hi, babe,” Alex greeted her. “You look stunning.”

He walked around and past Whitney, and took her in his arms, placing a brief kiss on her mouth. She was a bit shocked, and her eyes stayed open when he kissed her. Alex’s eyes met them when he drew back. “She was just leaving,” he said softly, his arm sliding around her waist to draw her into the office with him.

Angel’s heart began pounding at finding Alex’s ex standing in his office on his birthday. She stopped a few feet in, but when Alex came to her and kissed her, it became apparent he didn’t invite the woman.

“Hello, Whitney,” Angel said graciously. “I hope you’ve been well.”

“Yes. I just wanted to bring Alex a birthday gift.”

Angel nodded. “I understand,” she said gently. She could see the other woman’s pain, and she could afford to be compassionate. Alex was committed to her; of that, she had no doubt. His arm tightened around her waist.

“Whitney.” Alex was becoming exasperated. “I’ve already said I can’t accept it.”

The blonde woman nodded, her head dropping to look at the floor. Angel could see the tears welling in her eyes and put a hand to Alex’s chest. “It’s okay, Alex.” She met his eyes and nodded almost imperceptibly.

He was amazed by Angel’s graciousness, but he still didn’t want the gift.

“Well, then, thank you.”

Whitney nodded and turned to leave. “Happy birthday, Alex.”

Angel could see her heart was broken, and she felt a sudden deep sadness for the other woman. To have loved and lost this man was a great tragedy. To love him and not have his love in return would be worse than the deepest hell.

The psychologist in her had the urge to tell the Whitney she could certainly recommend a counselor for her to talk to, to help deal with this, but she knew it would sound condescending and bitchy. She decided it was better just to say nothing.

Once the door closed, Alex pulled Angel closer. “You’re incredible. If Kyle brought you a gift on your birthday, I probably would want to beat him senseless.”

Her hand ran down his tie, then she nuzzled his jaw with her nose. “I can afford to be understanding. I’m the one in your arms. You smell amazing. Happy birthday, lover.”

His hands reached up, and he cupped her face, both thumbs rubbing softly along her cheekbones as he kissed her gently. They’d made love early that morning when Angel woke him up with soft kisses all over his body. She’d ended with taking him deep in her mouth and giving him more pleasure than he could take. He’d stopped her, pulled her on top of him, and they made love for an hour. They were both late for work, but neither of them regretted it.

His body stirred at the memory and at her nearness. He loved her beyond words. Tonight, he would pleasure her until she couldn’t take any more. He pressed his erection into her hip, showing her, in no uncertain terms, what she did to him. His mouth ghosted over her lips, nudging, licking, and sucking gently.

“Mmmmm, Alex. Please don’t start something we can’t finish. I’m starving. I didn’t eat lunch today so we could have that amazing cake tonight.”

He smiled against her lips. “I want you. Every second when you’re with me or when you’re not; it doesn’t matter.”

“Me, too.” She touched his jaw. “But, I don’t have to walk around with a big old problem. Poor thing.”

He remembered the ring box in his pocket, and the last thing he wanted was for her to feel two hard things pressing into her. He released her. “I’ll get my jacket, and we can go.”

Angel fingered the package’s blue bow, curious about what was inside. “Are you going to open this?”

“No. I have no desire to even know what’s inside,” he called from the other room. “Donate it somewhere.”

“You don’t know what it is; so how can we donate it?”

“How the hell should I know? I’ll have Mrs. Dane get rid of it.”

“You should have seen her face when I walked in. She looked like a deer in the headlights. I wondered what was up.”

Alex came back in, buttoning up his jacket as he walked toward her. “Mrs. Dane? She’d never met Whitney before. She wasn’t allowed at my offices.”

Angel cocked her head as Alex took her coat from her and held it for her to slide her arms into it. Her dress was a simple sheath, covered in an unobtrusive floral pattern made entirely out of clear sequins and crystals; understated elegance and class, as always. It shimmered softly.

“Hmmm. No women in your apartment or your office.”

“Not before you.”

Alex moved the curtain of her hair out of her collar once the coat was on and placed a hot, opened-mouth kiss on the cord of her neck, ending with a little soft sucking. It felt delicious and sent a shiver running through her. “You smell so wonderful. I want to eat you.”

“Later,” she said softly, smiling. She was so happy it threatened to burst from her.

“Count on it.”

“Mmmm. So no offices, no apartment… no wonder she was brokenhearted.”

“Forget about Whitney,” Alex said as he shrugged into his own long, black overcoat on. Like Angel’s, it was made of cashmere, and it was perfectly tailored to his tall, broad-shouldered frame. “I have.”

“Alex,” Angel admonished. “She’s hurting. I’ve seen it a hundred times, and in this case, I have an intolerable case of empathy.”

“Remember she called you and tried to fuck with your head. Did you forget that?”

Angel shook her head. “No, but love makes you do crazy, desperate things sometimes, doesn’t it,” she pointed out.

Alex couldn’t argue. She was right; he’d been pushed to the limit when Mark Swanson took Angel, and yes, he would do it all over again. He’d do more. He nodded. “Yes, it’s a recent revelation, but she needs to move on. I just want to concentrate on us tonight, okay? I have something important to discuss with you over dinner.”

“Really?” Angel figured she knew what it was about, and so she feigned ignorance. She’d see what he had to say.

He guided her from the office with a hand on her lower back. Angel felt it comforting. They’d always been all over each other, but since the episode in Missouri, whenever they were together, he was constantly touching her, his possession of her screaming of all of those around. She loved it more than she cared to admit.

Angel was curious when Alex pressed the button for the lobby and not the garage. The elevator whizzed down to the black marble lobby level and dinged when the stainless steel doors opened. “Where are we going?” she asked in surprise. “Are we walking? I should have worn a longer coat.”

“No, I love the short coat,” Alex said suggestively. It was the same length as her dress, which was about four inches above her knees and left her long, black silk-covered legs, open to his view. He knew she’d dressed for his pleasure, not the weather.

Alex took her gloved hand in his and began the walk across the ornate, large courtyard that sat between the front of the skyscraper and the street. There was a long, black limo waiting at the curb.

“I should have guessed.”

Alex smiled. The uniformed driver saw them coming and was waiting with the back door open. “Good evening, Mr. Avery. Doctor Hemming,” he greeted them. Alex allowed Angel to slide in ahead of him, and when he joined her, the door closed behind him.

It was the epitome of luxury, an expensive bottle of champagne waited with two Waterford crystal flutes, the leather seats were comfortable and plush, warmed from underneath, and the partition between the driver and the back was discreetly closed.