Chapter 5 | Alexis
Alexis
The next few days passed uneventfully as I tried like hell to be nicer to Nick. He still had the propensity to utter orders at me with that deep voice, which bothered me on two levels.
One: he needed to learn that I didn’t take orders.
Two: his voice was sexy as hell.
For number one, I’d become adept at gently reminding him to ask me instead of demanding. He would usually look contrite and nod, and I understood that he was genuinely trying.
The second issue was tougher to combat though. Something about that grumble in his voice did all sorts of things to my insides. Even if I wouldn’t admit it, I think a part of me wanted him to use that voice to command things of me...if we were in the right circumstances.
And surprisingly, in my secret visions, those circumstances involved him looming over me in bed as he softly demanded my submission...
With my limited sexual experience and feisty personality, I hadn’t pegged myself as someone who was into submission, but...with Nick? Well, let’s just say I could definitely get on board.
“Daydreaming again?” Nick asked, stepping into the kitchen from the cold. It was late October, and the days had turned crisper as they’d grown shorter.
“Yeah, about being sandwiched between Shane and Ilya from Heated Rivalry,” I said, joking to cover the fact I’d been fantasizing about him.
“What’s that?” he asked, placing his coat on the island chair before striding over and sitting beside me.
“Sexy gay hockey show,” I said, pulling up the security feed from the last twenty-four hours on my laptop. “You wouldn’t get it.”
“Definitely not,” he droned, arching an eyebrow. Leaning forward, he studied the screen. “Anything suspicious?”
“Nothing so far.” I scrolled through the footage at 3X speed, thankful the street surrounding the house was quiet. “How long are we going to have to stay here? Is Michael making progress?”
“Several of your father’s lower-ranked men have joined Michael’s operation, but the higher-ranking ones aren’t budging. Still, it’s a good sign.”
I gnawed my lip as I pondered. “John and Simon are stubborn sons of bitches, and creepy as fuck too. John used to stare at me when he was at the house, and it made me cringe. He’s not a good guy. I honestly don’t know if Michael should take him into his organization.”
Nick’s fist clenched as a muscle in his jaw ticked. “Did he ever touch you? Because I’ll fucking kill him for laying a finger on you.”
Smiling, I patted his bicep. “My own personal bodyguard. No, he didn’t. But thanks for having my back.”
Nick’s dark eyes swam with anger as he studied me. “Michael wants to make a good faith gesture to allow anyone to pledge their allegiance to him. But the time will come soon when that door will close.”
I shivered, thinking of the imminent turf war ahead. “This is going to get worse, isn’t it?”
Nick’s chest expanded as he inhaled a deep breath. “Probably, princess. I wish it wouldn’t, but we need to be realistic.”
I grinned as realization crossed his face.
“Shit, I’m sorry.” He scrubbed his hand over his face. “It’s a fucking habit now.”
“I kind of like it,” I said softly. “A nickname just between us. I guess it’s going to stick, so let’s just roll with it.”
His full lips curved slightly as he gazed at me, and I wondered what secrets hid behind those dark eyes. He was extremely handsome, with his angular nose and thick hair, and I wondered if he’d ever been in love.
“Do you have...anyone else besides Michael?” I asked, returning to scrolling on the laptop so he didn’t see the burning curiosity in my expression.
“No,” he said, leaning forward and watching the screen as the footage rolled.
“My parents died when I was twelve and he took me in. I’d already had a hard time at school, and he was a stabilizing force who believed in me.
It was...” He rubbed his palms together as he searched for the words, “nice for a kid like me to have someone who thought I was worth something.”
My heart constricted as I imagined how devastating losing both parents would be for someone so young. “Why did you have a tough time in school?”
His gaze met mine, and I had the feeling he was deciding how much to confide in me.
“I mean, I already told you I was a bit of an outcast. I was always a weird, quirky, kind of difficult girl who was more comfortable with a computer than a boyfriend.”
“How many boyfriends?” he asked, his voice husky.
Laughing, I lifted a shoulder. “One, in junior year. And then he came out as gay a year later, so I’ve got a pretty terrible track record.”
His eyes slowly roved over my face, as if he were memorizing every feature.
“And you?”
He exhaled a short breath. “I was diagnosed with dyslexia and developmental language disorder as a kid. That made it hard to learn or do well in school, and kids made fun of me for being dumb—”
“That doesn’t mean you’re dumb,” I interjected. “It just means you need to learn differently from everyone else.”
He grinned. “That’s true. Michael was the first person who understood that about me. He made sure I had private tutors and urged me to go to college. He gave me a choice once I graduated, and I chose to join his organization. It was important for me to support him as he’d supported me.”
“That makes sense. You chose this life while I desperately want to get away from it.”
“I get why,” he said with a nod. “It’s a tough life filled with danger. I hope I can protect you long enough that you can eventually live the life you want.”
Tears stung my eyes at the poignant sentiment. “Thank you,” I whispered. “You’re really not a jerk at all, are you? I wanted so badly to hate you.”
“I have my moments,” he muttered, flashing a grin. “Well, it looks like the footage is clear. We’ll monitor it again tomorrow.”
Rising, he stretched his arms above his head. “I’m going to work out. Want to join me?”
“Thanks, but I’d rather swallow a live snake,” I said, batting my eyelashes. “I’m just not an exerciser. Mom runs every day, bless her heart. I’m going to pull up the East Coast port logs. There’s some strange activity in the Miami area. Any idea why?”
Frowning, he nodded. “John reached out to Marco Nunez. It’s possible they’re forming an alliance, but Marco is dodgy. Be careful, Alexis. I don’t want you implicated in anything they’re doing.”
“Super-awesome hacker, remember?” I said, pointing to myself. “I’ve got this.”
His gaze was wary. “Okay. See you in an hour.”
He disappeared to his bedroom and I pulled up the port logs, searching for patterns.
I’d heard rumblings of Marco Nunez, a narco-terrorist who profited from trafficking girls and drugs through his cartel.
Stories of torture and murder about him were rampant, and it seemed he had loyalty to no one.
My father had been heartless, but even he had retained some loyalty to his capos.
Shivering at the thought of Marco Nunez infiltrating the Northeast or Mid-Atlantic corridors, I combed through the port logs, determined to do some small part to help prevent that at all costs.
If I discovered anything suspicious, I would make sure the information got to Leo Stabler, an FBI agent who’d worked with my father, and who also worked with Michael.
Now that Mom was married to Michael, she would become a top target for Nunez if he began operations on Michael’s turf.
Determined to prevent that, I dove into the logs and got to work.
Later that evening, after a low-key pasta dinner with Nick, I worked on my laptop a bit more before closing it and yawning. Glancing at my phone, I realized how late it was. Walking down the hallway, I noticed that Nick’s door was slightly open.
“You still awake?” I asked, knocking.
“Yeah.”
Pushing open the door, I almost swallowed my tongue. Nick sat on the bed, covers up to his waist below his bare chest as the lamp shone on the nightstand. He was reading a book and glasses sat perched on his angular nose.
My heart rocketed down to my knees, causing them to buckle as I took in the scene. Holy hell, the glasses were so fucking sexy. Images of him looming above me as he wore them—and only them—caused my breath to catch in my throat.
“I like to read every night,” he said, looking up at me as he held the book. “Helps with my dyslexia. Keeps the mind fresh.” He tapped his temple.
“Uh, yeah.” Wiping my damp palms on my thighs, I grinned. “The glasses are cute.”
“Oh,” he said, taking them off. “Yeah, they’re for reading. That happens when you get old.”
I breathed a laugh. “You’re not old.”
His eyebrow arched, so sexy above his bare chest that I felt my pulse literally pounding in my neck. “Much older than you.”
“Okay, old man. I just wanted to tell you that I found some weird stuff again at the Miami ports today. I logged it and I think you should send it to Michael.”
Nick nodded. “All right. He’s going to be pissed you’re monitoring it, but we won’t turn down helpful info.”
“No one’s going to know it’s me.” I allowed my eyes to rove over him once more, because damn, I was only human and my body was vibrating like a live wire. “Okay, well, I’m turning in. Night.”
“Night.”
I pulled the door closed and headed to bed. After settling in, I slid my hand down my body, in between my legs, feeling the wetness that gathered there.
“God, he’s so hot...” I rasped, gliding my fingers over my flesh. “Why is he so hot?”
I drew my fingers to my clit, gritting my teeth as I circled the engorged nub. “Nick...” I whispered, closing my eyes as I imagined him fucking me in long, smooth strokes...
I’d never even had sex. It just seemed too awkward to do with anyone I didn’t feel a connection with, and I just hadn’t had time to make that connection yet.
But with Nick...today we’d shared a moment and gotten personal. I felt like I was slowly coming to know him, even if we were vastly different people.
What if he were the one I lost my virginity to? I moaned as I envisioned it in my head, my fingers working on my core. I knew with every fiber of my being that he would take care of me and whisper words of desire in that deep, growly voice...
“Oh, Nick...yes!” I whispered, bringing myself to orgasm as I imagined him coming with me...picturing him losing control as he emptied himself deep inside me...
Afterward, I sighed and settled into the soft mattress, wondering when in the hell I’d gone from hating my bodyguard to wanting him to ravage me.
Smiling with sated pleasure, I fell into dreams of sleeping in his warm embrace as he whispered, “Princess...” in my ear...