Touched by a Phoenix (3 page)

“She’s an
Acura NSX,
the only one…at least for now.”

“Oh, then how did you get one?”

“I have connections,” Brad grinned at her mischievously.

Alexis didn’t know what to say. Brad seemed to have connections everywhere. “So how fast will it go?”

“It…is a she,” he said tersely.

“Oh. Well excuse me, I had no idea,” she frowned at the seriousness in his tone. For heaven’s sake, it was just a car.

As Brad entered I-495, he said, “I haven’t had time to check her out but if you’d like, we can find out right now.”

“Sure!”

Journey’s “Anyway You Want It” was playing on the radio. Brad reached over and cranked the volume up, then floored the gas. He thought Alexandria might show a little fear as he swiftly crossed to the far left lane, but no, her eyes glinted with excitement instead. Was this woman afraid of nothing? He was thankful the early morning traffic was light as he zipped down the highway. After checking the mirror for police, Brad put the pedal to the floor.

Alexis was delighted as Brad quickly shifted through the gears in what appeared to be one smooth motion. She did not have time to gather her wits before he buried the needle on the speedometer at 130mph.

The car engine purred like a kitten, sleek and fast. Brad never slowed down as he caressed the wheel with expert hands. He and the car became one; Alexis was in awe. Within minutes, they arrived at the airport and parked.

“So, what do you think?” he asked as he retrieved the luggage from the trunk.

The metallic flakes sparkled like diamonds under the brightly lit parking deck. “Nice…very nice.” She marveled as she ran a single fingertip across the smooth charcoal finish.

All else paled in comparison to the lights dancing in her eyes. They sparkled with exhilaration, revealing her appreciation for the sleek design. Brad could not hide the immense pleasure at her reaction. A boyish grin spread across his face. Lord, what he wouldn’t give for her to run her hands over his body the way she ran it across his car.
Damn,
what made him think that? She is the boss’s daughter and a haughty little thing to boot. Nevertheless, he had been trying to break through her defenses for months and apparently, all it took was a ride in a sleek little sports car.
I wish I had gotten the car months
ago!

The look Alexandria shot him suggested she could read his mind. She turned on her heel and began to stride in the other direction with a huff. Her sundress fell softly over the curves of her hips, giving him the perfect view of her delicious round ass setting high above those lusciously long legs of hers as she walked away. His little devil nudged him—what would her long legs feel like wrapped around his waist?

Brad mentally shook his head. He had better get a hold to himself
.
Those thoughts would get him fired! Besides, he had a plane to catch.

He picked up his bag and followed behind her, trying to settle parts of himself that had gone unchecked.

“Ms. Saunders, you are in the North Tower. Room 781, overlooking the bay as requested,” the concierge informed Alexandria with a cool smile.

“Mr. Scott, it’s so good to see you again,” she drawled and fluttered her dark lashes at him before checking the computer for his reservation.

“Good morning, Britney,” he responded all too warmly.

“Oh my, there must be some mistake. Mr. Scott, you’re not registered in your usual suite. Hold on a moment and let me find out what’s going on.”

“Britney, I’m not staying in the executive suite this trip.”

Relief washed over her sun kissed face. “Well then, you are in the North Tower as well, room 442. If there’s anything I can do for you during your stay, please let me know.”

Alexis felt her temperature rise at the little nymph’s behavior. How dare she play the part of a strumpet. The way she was batting those eyelashes and flaunting herself in front of Brad was disgusting.

Doesn’t she have any dignity about her? Women do not throw themselves at men!

Alexis could not put her finger on why this conversation angered her so but she had had enough.

She continued to study the silly banter between Brad and Britney. She didn’t see what all the fuss was about. Yes, Brad was dark and devastatingly handsome, but still, it was just wrong. He stood an inch or two above six feet. Coal black hair set off the richest blue eyes. She still could not describe them accurately, a deep sapphire or perhaps a dark ink with long, dark lashes. A straight aristocratic nose fit his chiseled features perfectly. His strong jaw line set-off the most boyishly charming dimples when he smiled.

Alexis felt herself shiver at her thoughts. OMG, what was she thinking! Her pulse quickened. She had managed to put any thoughts of Brad aside since their first meeting, yet a single thought sent her senses into a whirlwind. She mentally shook her head. Regardless of how handsome Brad was, she didn’t have to throw herself at his feet.

“Ugh, I’m heading to my room,” she stated flatly, as she spun on her heel and walked towards the elevator. She entered the elevator with Brad right on her heels. He turned and pressed the 4th and 7th floor buttons.

Dead silence filled the small space until Alexis blurted out. “Do you enjoy having women fall at your feet wherever you go?” she asked sarcastically.

The elevator ding announced that they had reached the 4th floor. Brad picked up his bag and started to exit. “Not particularly. I like my women strong and confident.” He paused in the doorway. Not looking back, he added over his shoulder, “Much like you,” as he stepped out of the elevator and walked away.

The doors closed, leaving Alexis standing in stunned disbelief. Her mouth formed a perfect
O.
There it was again, the feeling that wouldn’t allow her to breathe, to think. My God, what just happened? A flurry of thoughts whirled in her brain, all at once, none of which made sense. She had been so lost in thought that she missed her floor and was back at the hotel lobby.
Damn,
she groaned. What was the matter with her?

Let’s try this again, she thought as she tried to shake off the feelings—feelings she was neither prepared for nor understood. As she walked to her room, she chided herself. Today was not the day to allow her thoughts to linger on Brad. It was Sunday and she had the rest of the day to herself, time for her research. She decided to unpack and settle in before heading to the pool for the afternoon.

Tablet and full stack of papers in hand, Alexis headed down to the pool. She soon found a quiet area and a comfortable lounge chair to settle in for the afternoon.

A young man approached and asked, “Ma’am, may I get you something to drink?”

“Would you happen to have Saracco Moscato d’Asti?”

“Not at the bar ma’am but if you give me a few minutes, I’ll see if one of the restaurants has it on-hand.”

“Oh no, please don’t go to any trouble, any semi-dry Moscato will be just fine if you have it,” she smiled.

“It’s no trouble, ma’am. I’ll be right back with your wine.”

The young man returned shortly, grinning from ear to ear. “Here you go.”

“That is so sweet, thank you,” she said warmly.

“You’re welcome, ma’am,” he said somewhat shyly as he departed, leaving her to her own devices.

First things first, let’s review the contracts and get them out-of-the-way, she thought. Then the rest of the afternoon would be hers to research. Alexis started flipping through the documents. Her brows began to furrow—what the heck is he doing? What does he need fiber optics for? She picked up another document and scanned through it…electrodes. Really, what the hell is he doing? She scanned a few more documents, nitrogen and…
Oh hell no,
he is not getting a 500MW generator.

Individually the purchase agreements meant nothing but together, well that was a different story. She sat puzzled for a minute. What the hell was he up to? Then it hit her.

No, it’s not possible.
She rummaged through more documents….

Damn…he is!
As she continued to look through the stack of purchase agreements—he wants how much total? Oh no, before I approve these purchase requests, we are going to have a serious conversation. Alexis banded the folder and tossed it to the side. She had more important things to do today.

She initiated the power on the tablet and began researching how to go about adopting a child. As an attorney, she could handle the legalities,
check.
She had a good job that paid her well; therefore, supporting herself and the child would not be a problem,
check.
She had a delightful life, would be able to offer a child a wonderful home, and so she didn’t think the approval process would be an issue,
check.
She had checked all the blocks, not too shabby for an afternoon’s work, she thought.

Alexis then laid her head back and closed her eyes. Her mind wandered to her childhood dreams. Her heart saddened at how drastic life can change in a split second. Her mind shut down, refusing to think about that now. She tried to banish the ugly thoughts from her mind; I cannot change the past, but I can change the future.

She had buried the painful memories of her past deep within herself, sharing them with no one. Alexis had learned from experience that love—even wishing for love—only led to heartbreak and pain. She had spent the last ten years building a wall around her heart protecting herself from hurt, and dammit, she was not about to let anyone hurt her again!

She went back to reading.
Grrr!
She growled. This wasn’t going to be as easy as she thought. It could take two years or more to adopt an infant. Would she be able to wait that long? Did she even want to wait that long? Now that she had made up her mind, she wanted to make it happen now. A child would complete her life, or at least as much as she could handle.

Out of sheer frustration, she typed in ‘what are the alternatives to having a child’ and selected the third website—Alternative Means of Reproduction. The words
Artificial Insemination
screamed at her. She nearly closed the site down, but something grabbed her heart and tugged. She might be able to experience the joy of pregnancy and bringing a child—her child into this world. Alexis was overcome with excitement.

I could have a baby without a husband.

The plan began to form. She could pretend she had met someone special, have the procedure and voila, her problem would be solved. The special someone would simply disappear, leaving her to raise the child alone. She’d have her little family without the husband and no one would ever be the wiser! What an absolutely brilliant idea, she thought.

Her excitement waned as she read the pages and pages of information. Before the afternoon was over, she knew she had to be out of her mind. She closed the site, it was too much to think about. Sperm donor? You have got to be kidding! It all sounded too good to be true and she had serious doubts.

If she didn’t have a mate, how would she obtain the sperm without using a sperm bank? Oh, the banks guaranteed that you would receive the desired sperm but she wanted an intellect, someone who was healthy and physically fit, with a pleasant personality. She didn’t see how a sperm bank would be able to guarantee those things—what about hair and eye color? She’d need the baby to have some resemblance to either her or her mysterious boyfriend. More importantly, what about testing for diseases and family genetics? What if the donor lied? What if they found out and wanted to share in the child’s life later on?

Alexis’s protective nature kicked in.

He or she would be my child; I’d never allow that to happen.

Her distrustful nature was overshadowed by longing and determination. Alexis closed her eyes. She simply had to figure this out, had to make at least some of her dreams come true.