Chapter Four
Alexander’s phone rang, wrenching him from a disturbed snooze. He couldn’t remember when he’d last had a deep, restorative sleep. These days he considered himself lucky if he got two solid hours. The rest of the time he dozed, in between nightmares.
Chase’s ringtone persisted like Chinese water torture. He fumbled for his mobile on the nightstand and stared at it with bleary eyes. Six a.m. Fuck me.
Chase wouldn’t ring him that early unless something major had gone down.
Fuck.
He scrubbed a hand over his face, pressed the green call-answer button and held the phone to his ear. “What’s up?”
“I need your help.”
Shit. “For what?”
Chase let out a long, stressed-sounding breath. “Sage’s place got broken into last night while she was at home in bed.”
Alexander jackknifed into sitting. “Is she okay? Anything taken?”
“She’s still wired but physically fine, thankfully, and apparently nothing is missing. She locked herself in her bedroom. Why she even installed a bolt on her bedroom door in the first place, I have no idea.”
That was unusual. “Did you ask her?”
“Not yet.”
“Did she mention anything else? Any strange people or cars hanging around in recent days, months?”
“No. Not a thing. But I didn’t press her. She took a while to stop trembling, to somewhat relax, so I decided she needed rest more than an interrogation.”
“Good call.” Alexander would add the question to his grill list. From the small amount of intel he’d been privy to, things didn’t add up. Sage had definitely omitted essential information, hadn’t been totally forthcoming. A woman like her, who prided herself on her independence, wouldn’t want to put others out or, heaven forbid, worry them.
“Agreed.”
“So how can I help?”
“I’m leaving this afternoon to attend an interstate conference for a couple of days. I’ve tried to convince Sage to stay somewhere else, at least while I’m gone, but she refuses.”
“I’m moving in to her place.” Alexander didn’t even have to think about it. And no matter how much she protested, how much she argued—because she would—he’d be staying.
“That’s what I’d hoped.”
“Easy. Text me her address, and I’ll meet you there soon.”
“Thank you.” A relieved sigh echoed down the phone line. “Knowing you’ll be with her gives me peace of mind.”
Alexander, too. He wouldn’t be able to relax unless she had protection. Her safety was paramount. It ranked over and above whether she liked him, whether they got along, whether she gave him the silent treatment.
He wouldn’t leave her hanging. Not this time. Not now that he’d matured. Spending precious hours together, one-on-one, meant they’d either hate each other or it’d bring them closer. He hoped for the latter.
They still had that spark, so he’d planned to take it slow, woo her, win her over, once he got settled. However, the situation had changed. Their circumstances may not be ideal, were somewhat out of his control, however, he needed to be flexible, adaptable.
His stint in the military had drummed into him that life is short. And he didn’t want to live his remaining years with regrets. He already had a back catalog of those, especially regarding Sage, and he refused to add to the pile of missed opportunities.
Initially he’d berated himself for not fully unpacking and settling into his return to civilian society. Now it had its positives. His large duffel bag sat at the foot of his bed, full of clean casual clothes and toiletries. That would do. He didn’t have to impress Sage, just keep her safe.
However, impressing her would be a really great side benefit. Cause yeah, he wanted the stunning woman. She epitomized beautiful, inside and out. A bit of a cliché, but the absolute, God’s honest truth.
From the moment she’d turned sixteen, every time she’d sashayed past, he’d wanted to haul her into his arms and kiss her until she moaned.
That craving had never stopped. For a while he’d deluded himself into believing he’d moved on but, the second he’d seen her, the overwhelming desire had come crashing back.
What was he thinking? He dropped his head into his hands and forced himself to face facts. Sage deserved the best, not some headcase, ex-military dude, plagued by night terrors and barely able to function. She needed stability, support, safety—someone who could thoroughly satisfy her needs.
And give her love. Yeah, she needed someone capable of it. He had lived in self-protection mode for so long, he’d become a master at numbing his emotions. Had he permanently lost the ability to feel?
Fuck, he hoped not. She’d come the closest to cracking open the protective wall he’d built around his heart. However, he’d retreated into a pattern of day-to-day survival, trying to cope without burdening anyone else with his issues.
Until seeing Sage yesterday, he’d declined help. He’d self sabotaged—regularly, consistently.
It’d become his default behavior—something familiar, something that relieved the tension, something that made him still feel like a somewhat-competent, strong-willed man.
In the short term.
Nothing to be proud of. He fell way short of fixing his compounding issues. Rationally it made sense, but knowing what he should do and implementing that had been two very different things.
Chances were he’d done irreparable damage to his relationship with Sage, preventing her from thinking him worthy of true friendship, let alone romantic interest. That didn’t stop his inner caveman from wanting her, though, doing everything in his power to claim the bewitching woman.
His phone chimed with Sage’s address. Not far. Given the early hour, he should get to her house in under fifteen minutes.
Alexander showered, grabbed his keys and duffel bag and headed out, ensuring he shored up his emotional battle armor…because he’d need it.
He threw his gear in the front passenger seat, buckled himself in and arrived at her house in twelve minutes. Alexander slung the duffel bag strap over his shoulder and walked to her front door, subtly scoping out the street, every sense on full alert.
All casual-like, he took his time, scanning the surroundings for any suspicious parked or idling cars and listened for any people-moving sounds—twigs snapping, dogs barking, the scuff of shoes.
Nothing seemed unusual…so far.
He reached the patio, still sweeping the area for anything odd, when shouts penetrated her front door.
“He’s coming here right now?” Snippy Sage. Alexander knew that side of her too well. Not that he’d helped by his piss-poor behavior in the past.
“Yeah. I wanted to make sure he arrived before either of us left.” Chase used his lawyerly, calm-down voice.
“For fuck’s sake!” Alexander could imagine her huffing and ramming her fingers through her long, lustrous, cinnamon hair—hair he wanted to wind around his hand and tug, hair he wanted to sink his fingers into, controlling the movement of her head while she sucked his cock.
In his dreams.
Alexander tried to compose himself, adjusted the crotch of his cargo pants and rang the doorbell. He stood tall and confident, a bit like a referee taking charge of a fight.
Inside went quiet.
Fast, heavy footfalls grew louder, and the door swung open.
Chase stood in the front foyer, his cheeks covered in stubble, his face creased with concern. His messy hair looked like he’d shoved his hands through it every few minutes, and he wore a tattered old T-shirt and track pants.
He couldn’t remember the last time he’d seen his best friend so dressed-down, almost disheveled, and out of a pristine suit.
“Hey, Alex, thanks for doing this. Come on in.” He waved him inside, looking totally spent.
Sage sat in a single lounge chair, in her dressing gown, her arms crossed, staring at her lap, pouting…clearly unimpressed.
“Aren’t you going to say hello to Alex?” Chase used his brotherly taunting tone as though daring her to push past her apprehension, her annoyance, and participate.
“Hello.” She didn’t move, didn’t look up, her tone less than friendly, as he’d expected.
Chase slapped his hand onto Alexander’s shoulder, his eyes full of remorse. “Sorry to leave you with Miss Sooky. I’ve got to get home and pack. I need to be at the airport before midday.”
“It’s fine, man. Do what you gotta do.” He aimed to do the same.
“Bye, Sage. See you in a few days, and don’t forget…”
“Forget what?” she snapped, giving her brother the death glare.
“To behave.” He flashed his signature, older brother, smart-ass smile.
She flipped him off, and Chase laughed. “I’ll miss you too, Sis.” And with that, he closed the door behind him and drove off, leaving Alexander to deal with Miss Grumpy-Bum.
“Have you eaten?”
She went right back into sulking mode. “What’s it to you?”
“I’m here to make sure you’re okay.”
“Well, there’s no need. I can look after myself.”
“Really? What’s your plan?”
“Go to work, see my clients, come home.” She still refused to make eye contact. Always defiant, tenacious, yet adorable.
He dropped his bag, kneeled in front of her and angled his head, forcing her to look at him. “How’s that a plan? If you’re here alone, what’s to stop the person from breaking in again, assaulting you when you step outside, waiting for you in your car, attacking you when you’re alone at work?”
A shudder rolled through her body, and she hugged herself tighter. “I can manage. I’m cautious, careful. After last night, even more so.”
“You don’t have to take on this burden by yourself. Do you understand that? Let me help you. It’s my specialty.”
She speared him with a scowl. “How are you going to help me when you’re still recovering yourself?”
Fair point but… “This is different. This allows me to focus on something else, something meaningful.” Like he’d done for years. His protection work had become a part of him, utilizing his natural instincts, especially where Sage was concerned.
“So, I’m a pleasant distraction.”
“Something like that.” And so much more.
She rolled her eyes. “Great.”
Sage shifted away from him and stood. “Seeing I have no choice about you being here, about who’s in my own home, hopefully I still have some control of my schedule.”
He went to reassure her that he’d keep out of her way, even though he didn’t want to, but she stuck up her hand and did a zipper-closing gesture across her lips.
Right. No more grilling, no more well-meaning suggestions…for now. As per the lady’s request, he would shut the fuck up and give her some space. The woman had had her place violated by a stranger last night and by an unwanted guest this morning.
“There’s a spare bedroom upstairs. Go make yourself at home. I need a shower.”
Fuck. Now all he could think about was her naked, the warm water sluicing over her bare skin. And how fucking wrong and inappropriate? He needed to focus on the task at hand and get his over-eager mind out of the grimy gutter.
Before he could respond, she ascended the internal stairs and disappeared. Not even a couple of minutes later, the jolty sound of water pressure in the pipes had his thoughts detouring down that pervy forbidden path again.
Alexander scrubbed his face with his hands to try to re-center himself, slung his bag over his shoulder and headed upstairs. A door clunked into place close by, followed by what sounded like a moan of pleasure. His imagination went wild.
So much for trying to assert some much-needed control over himself. Images of her bombarded his brain—standing under the high-powered water spray, soaping her naked body, rinsing herself off, rubbing her clit to climax.
His dick thrust against his fly, painfully confined. And going by her reaction to him, it would remain that way. With great effort, he forced himself to keep walking and find his solitary quarters.
A small, neat guest room with a double bed, en suite and window overlooking the front street more than met his needs. He’d slept in far worse. In many respects, this was a luxury. The room allowed self-reflection and provided the possibility of spending a couple days in Sage’s company.
Even though she’d make it her mission to be difficult, argumentative and essentially cock-block him, it didn’t stop her from being thoroughly endearing and sexy as fuck. Once he’d escorted her to work—because no fucking way would he let her drive alone—he’d return to her place and jack off.
Fuck, if he had the time, he’d do it now, ease some of the pent-up tension. But he couldn’t risk her catching him mid-tug. He had to try to win her respect, her romantic attention, not push her farther away.
Over and above all else, he prioritized her safety. And he had to keep reminding himself of that, no matter what his dick craved. His feelings, his lust, could shoot the lights out, however, he couldn’t do a damn thing unless she wanted him to—and it should be that way. Mutual attraction, mutual desire, mutual consent.
More moans.
Fuck me.
Patience. Given his commando tour experience, he should be an expert at waiting. Impulsiveness could get a man—often several men—killed.
The water stopped, and he pictured her drying her smooth skin, wrapping her silky cinnamon hair in a towel, and getting dressed. Had she allowed herself a little self-pleasure? Enabling her to scrub away the anxiety of the last few hours? It certainly sounded like she’d gone solo. Either that or it highlighted his horny-as-fuck state.
Maybe some hands-on stress relief formed part of her regular morning routine. How he’d love to see her masturbate, with her knowing and approving of his presence, wanting him there, watching. Voyeurism had its benefits, but only if his lady got off on it, too.
Sage had tried to act all indifferent, yet she’d raked her gaze appreciatively over his body, licked her lips when she thought he didn’t notice. And it wasn’t arrogance, more an indisputable observation—one of the things that made certain he’d survived his time in the commandos. If not his personality, she appreciated his fit, muscular physique.
“Alexander?” No one else, except her, referred to him by his full first name…never Alex. And he liked it, liked the sound of each syllable on her lips.
“Yeah, babe.” He strode out of the spare room.
“Don’t call me ‘babe’.”
He reached her closed bedroom door, pushed it open and, oh fuck. She stood there in a sheer black bra and panties that didn’t leave much to the imagination. In seconds he’d discovered she either waxed, shaved or lasered, because not one hair was visible on her legs or pussy. His mouth watered and his dick… He attempted to discreetly adjust himself.
“Alexander!” Her wide-eyed stare locked on his, and her cheeks turned bright pink. One arm thrust across her beautiful breasts and the other covered her pussy.
Thank fuck she averted her gaze and rushed to the wardrobe, too distracted to notice his overt attraction.
“Don’t you believe in knocking?” She acted all affronted, but her body language—flushed skin, quickened breathing, erect nipples—didn’t lie, suggesting she liked his attention. Not that he’d take advantage. If anything happened between them, it had to be because that’s what they both wanted.
His mouth had gone as dry as the Great Sandy Desert, and he struggled to speak.
She attempted to yank a black and floral sundress off a hanger, her hands quivering. “Don’t just stand there. Can’t you give a girl some privacy? Can’t you see I’m half naked?”
Oh yeah, he hadn’t missed that. Fuck me. He wanted to lick every inch of her. His brain tried to make him move but he couldn’t budge from the doorway, amused and aroused. “You called me. I had to make sure you were okay.”
She slipped on the dress, rolled her eyes and huffed, her face and chest still a cock-stirring crimson. “I wanted to check whether you’d found the spare room.”
“I did.”
“And you’re still here because?” She raised her eyebrows and did up the zip.
You’re sexy, smart, and so fucking beautiful, and I want to show you how much I mean every single word. “Sorry.” He turned, reluctantly, descended the stairs into the living area and waited.
He’d just made himself a coffee—the good stuff—when her footsteps sounded on the staircase, and she walked into view. “Like one?” He raised his steaming hot mug.
“I wish. No time.” She raced into the hallway and grabbed her bag off the side table.
“Where are you going?”
“Work.” She glanced at her watch as in, ‘stop hassling me and let me go’.
“I’m driving.”
“What? No. I told you. You don’t need to.”
“Yeah, I do.”
“Fuck, Alexander. People have break-ins all the time. It’s a random event. Take it easy. No matter what my brother says, there’s no need to go all overprotective-police-sergeant on me.”
“I thought you said you hadn’t contacted the police.”
“I haven’t because, like I explained to Chase, they won’t take it seriously. Nothing is missing, and I wasn’t hurt.”
He crowded right into her personal space. “Well, I take it seriously, and I don’t want you to get hurt, so I’m driving whether you like it or not.”
She rolled her eyes and sighed. “Fine. Whatever. But hurry or else I’ll be late.”
Alexander considered that a win. He sculled the rest of his smooth black coffee and followed her outside, ensuring she handed over her spare key, and locked the house.
She slumped into the front passenger seat of her black SUV and crossed her arms over her breasts, her rebellious pout returning. How he wanted to kiss it off her lips and hear her crying out his name with red-hot desire.
In his fucking dreams.
During his call of duty, he’d wished scratching a purely sexual itch would enable him to forget Sage, cope with stress. So, for a while he’d indulged in a sort of sex oblivion.
It didn’t help.
Sadly, even alleviating his sexual frustration didn’t stop the nightmares.
Or regrets.
Finally, he got the message and stopped the meaningless casual hook-ups, replacing them with meditation. Far from the panacea he’d hoped for, the practice still assisted in grounding him and settled his heightened emotions…somewhat.
He sat behind the wheel, adjusted his seat and mirrors and thrust the key into the ignition.
“Are we going?” Her voice sounded impatient and irritable and his hand twitched, eager to bend her over his knee and spank her hard for her insolence.
Instead of replying, he started the car and took off down the street. “You’ll need to direct me, babe.”
“I told you, I’m not your ‘babe’. It’s Sage. Nothing else. No pet names. No arrogant, condescending, chauvinistic ‘endearments’. Understand?”
Oh yeah, she’d made herself beyond crystal clear. He knew she’d be pissed with the whole situation, but he’d hoped she’d see the sense of him being her bodyguard and settle down.
Not the case.
It seemed she needed to take it out on someone, and he’d be the lucky recipient.
Her tense silence was like a mini warzone. Luckily for him, he specialized in negotiation, problem solving on the fly and navigating difficult circumstances.
Alexander had to keep focused on the end goal—her safety. He’d rather she didn’t hate him, but he’d do whatever it took to ensure she stayed well out of harm’s way.
She issued directions through gritted teeth, and he almost chuckled—but he knew better. It would only aggravate her further, and he didn’t want to anger her to a point where she couldn’t assess a presenting threat.
Anger had a way of shutting down the rational mind, making a person’s thinking pinpoint-narrow and blocking out a broader perspective. He’d learned that pretty bloody quickly. A commando had to get control of his emotions or die—or put others at significant risk.
“Pull over here, please.”
He parked out front of a stylish, high-rise building and turned to her. “What time do you finish?”
“Fuck, Alexander.”
If only. “So I know when to come and get you.”
“I can make my own way home.”
“No.”
“Alexander, please.” She stared at him, her expression bordering on begging. Fuck, how he’d love her to plead in other more enjoyable, sensual ways.
“I won’t apologize for putting your safety first, and if that pisses you off, tough.”
Her eyes turned surprisingly soft. Had she really believed he’d agreed to do this purely to appease her brother?
Did she have a history of guys taking her for granted? Feeding her bullshit. Promising things and not following through unless the potential outcome aligned with their own selfish needs? He didn’t even want to fucking think about that. Any guy who’d fucked her over, he’d have no qualms making him pay.
She slung her handbag over her shoulder and glanced at him. “Five p.m. on the dot. You’re not here, and I’ll find another way home.”
“I’ll be here. You can count on me.”