Chapter Twenty-Two
Instead of going into the office the next day, Alex brought the office to her. Well, Dee.
The security staff rotated. Nick left by eight with the promise of returning with half a closet’s worth of winter clothing by the evening.
As a personal shopper, Nick was the best. A skill Alex had tapped into many times since taking over the company. Shopping used to be a pleasure, but lately it proved to be a chore. And even more so when you couldn’t leave the house without a babysitter.
Perhaps if Alex stopped calling the security team that, it would be easier. But it still felt as if her wings had been clipped.
Dee arrived at the estate at nine sharp.
It was obvious by the expression on her face that she’d never been there before.
In apparent awe, she looked at the ceiling and beyond Alex when they met in the foyer.
“This is . . . this is . . .” Nothing articulated beyond that.
“Yes, it is,” Alex agreed. “I’m setting us up in the dining room for the day. Thank you again for coming here and not the office.”
Dee took up pace behind Alex as she led the nervous woman through the rooms until they reached the dining room, which was actually the breakfast room. The formal dining room was almost never used.
“It’s okay. I mean, it’s not a problem. I’m ... you’re the boss.”
Alex smiled and encouraged Dee to put her belongings down. She pointed out the closest bathroom and encouraged Dee to help herself to anything in the kitchen.
With her second cup of coffee in hand, Alex sat across from Dee and told her the plan.
“We need to shuffle my schedule. I’m going to take some time off, and I don’t want anyone in the office knowing about it. It’s why I asked you to come here.”
Dee opened her laptop slowly. “Is there a reason?”
“For the time off?” Alex asked and then quickly answered. “I need it.”
Dee shook her head. “For the secrecy. I supposed it doesn’t matter, but—”
Alex tapped her finger on the table, wondering just how much to disclose.
Dee was about as harmless as they came, and she didn’t appear to socialize much with the office staff.
Alex decided a half story was the best she could do.
“The authorities haven’t gotten any closer to the person behind the fake bomb and threat at the office.
The timing of this, my vacation, might appear that I’m abandoning my post while I’ve asked everyone else to come in.
Which isn’t the truth. Chase will be back next week, and Piper plans on being available a couple hours a day.
Remotely, at first. If no one knows I plan on being gone for a week and a half, we can avoid any talk of a double standard. ”
Dee nodded. “That makes sense, I guess.”
Alex pulled her laptop computer in front of her. “Let’s get you logged in to the house Wi-Fi and recognize the printer. We’ll start by printing everything for the next three weeks.”
Dee avoided Alex’s gaze and started typing.
Movement from the other side of the room caught Alex’s eye.
Hawk.
He wore a dress shirt, slacks, a coat draped over his arm, and a holster at his side. It was the second time in a week that she saw his gun. Had the man gotten larger since the day before? Or was Alex’s opinion of him just greater?
His eyes drifted to Dee, then back to Alex.
“Good morning,” she said.
“Morning.”
Dee swiveled her head, looked at him, and stiffened.
Was it the sight of the man or the weapon?
Alex went with the latter.
“Do you have a minute?” he asked.
Alex slid out from the table.
She caught Dee’s attention and pointed across the room. “Down that hall, second door on the right, there’s an office where the printer is located. I’ll be back.”
“Yes, Ms. Stone.”
Alex walked past Hawk and well into the living room, where they couldn’t be overheard without seeing who was listening.
Hawk nodded behind him when they stopped. “What’s she doing here?”
“It was either that or go into the office. I thought this was the better choice.”
He peeked over his shoulder.
“She’s harmless, Hawk. I’m having her clear my schedule.”
“Oh?”
“I’m taking everyone up on their suggestions.
I’m going on vacation as soon as Chase and Piper return.
” She took a breath. “If I don’t leave, I’m likely to repeat what happened yesterday.
And I realize that was the wrong thing for me to do.
As Stevie reminded me, just because things have been quiet, that doesn’t mean there isn’t a threat. ”
A corner of his mouth turned up. “ Stevie reminded you?”
It was Alex’s turn to smile. “Somebody else did, too. But he gave me something else to think about.”
She saw his Adam’s apple bob in his throat. “About that.”
Their eyes locked.
Alex stayed silent, her smile fell. She was not going to play her cards on what that kiss meant to her until she heard what it meant to him.
Shit, she had no idea what it meant.
“It was very unprofessional of me.”
What did that mean?
“You regret it?” she asked.
“That’s not what I said.”
Alex crossed her arms over her chest and instantly scolded herself for the defensive body language. “Is this where you tell me it won’t happen again?”
Hawk paused then.
Alex uncrossed her arms.
“I should.”
That put a small grin on her lips. “Good,” she said. “That was the most spontaneous moment I’ve had in over a year. Too much information, I’m certain.”
Hawk brushed at the side of his face, his eyes roamed hers. “Alex, I—”
She placed a hand on his arm, felt a jolt of electricity with their connection. “Let’s just leave this here for now. I already have enough to chew on while I’m trying to focus today. Any more, and I won’t be able to function.”
He placed a hand over the one she held to his arm. “Okay.”
She smiled up at him and forced herself to step away or risk pushing into his arms and repeating their life-changing kiss. “Normally I’d have Dee arrange my travel accommodations. But since security is still needed ...”
“I’ll see it’s taken care of.”
“Chase and Piper will return on Monday. I want to leave on Tuesday, unless that doesn’t work for you ... or. That’s presumptuous.” She stopped herself. “ Whoever is going to come with me.”
Hawk lifted an eyebrow. “Do you want it to be someone else?”
It was her turn to throw his words back at him. “I didn’t say that.”
Their eyes locked.
He smiled and slowly said, “Where are we going?”
Her heart filled and heat rushed to her face. “Aspen. Ski masks and slopes. No one will recognize me. There’s a service that will open the house up, bring everything we need in, and clean up when we leave. No need for anyone to know I’m there.”
“You have a house in Aspen?” His question was more awe than inquiry.
“Aaron had a house in Aspen. I’ve never been there. I heard it was secluded and next to a stream.”
“Cozy.”
Alex shook her head. “Knowing my father, cozy won’t be the theme. He didn’t do anything small.”
“Who can give me the information about the house?”
“Piper, but we’re not interrupting them.” Alex could dig through the family trust, but that would take hours to uncover. “My father’s attorney. I’ll forward you his contact information.”
“Trusted?”
“Yes. If you tell him we need to be off the grid, he won’t tell his own wife.” Alex felt lighter just planning this. “And you already know Carson.”
“I’ll take care of everything, Ms. Stone,” he smirked.
That made her laugh. “Thank you, Mr. Bronson.”
She started to walk away.
“Unless something unexpected happens, I’ll be away for the next two days. My brother is here from out of town. We haven’t spent much time together.”
For some reason the thought of Hawk taking time for his family warmed her heart. “I look forward to hearing about him. Should I call Stevie if I need to leave?”
“Yes.”
Alex stepped to pass him.
Hawk placed a hand on her shoulder.
His dark eyes took her in. “You can always call me, Alexandrea.” He lifted his fingers and stroked the side of her jaw.
She shivered.
Hawk dropped his hand, turned, and walked away.
She was forgetting something.
Alex hadn’t slept in two days, the reality of leaving had hit her twenty-four hours before Chase and Piper arrived home.
They’d stopped in Texas and picked up Hailey, and the estate was once again filled with all of them.
Ten days away would hopefully bring some clarity. Upon her return, there would be another board meeting, this one via Zoom on the off chance their wannabe bomber had a preference.
That was a thought for another time. Right now, Alex stood in the foyer, her bags were already in the car. And she knew, was absolutely positive, she was forgetting to tell Chase something. They’d gone over the schedule three times.
“It’s going to come to me at thirty-two thousand feet,” Alex said, shaking her head.
“And you’ll text me. It’s going to be fine, Alex.”
“I’ll go through my notes on the plane—”
“You absolutely will not!” Piper exclaimed. “Your vacation starts the minute you walk out that door.”
Alex lifted the bag in her hand that held her laptop. “I’ll have plenty of time for vacation. I’m sure my notes will—”
Piper reached for the computer bag. “This stays here.”
“Piper.” Alex tried to grab her bag back.
“Help me out here, Chase.”
Chase put a hand in front of Piper as if blocking Alex from grabbing the bag back. “She’s right, Alex. No work.”
“But—”
“Did you need me to check in when we were gone?” he asked.
“No. But . . .”
“You don’t trust me to take care of whatever comes up?”
That wasn’t fighting fair. “I trust you.”
“Then you won’t need your computer,” he said.
“What’s all the yelling about?” Sarah asked as she walked down the stairs.
“Alex is trying to take her computer on vacation.”
“I’m pretty sure that’s against the law.”
Piper laughed.
Alex felt sweat bead on her neck. “I want to be available.”
Sarah grasped Alex by her shoulders, turned her toward the front door, and started walking her out. “The only thing you need to be available for is snowball fights and hot tubs in the snow.”
Hawk and Max were at the top of the front steps when they made it outside.
“What’s the matter?” Hawk asked the moment he saw her.
“I’m being ganged up on.”
“We told her she can’t work,” Chase explained.
Hawk tilted his head back. “Ah, that would explain the sheer panic on your face.”
“I’m not panicked.”
For a moment, everyone was quiet, then they all laughed.
Sarah hugged her. “Have a great time.”
Piper was next. “When you get back, everything will be running so smoothly, you’ll plan another vacation by the end of spring.”
Chase handed the laptop case to Piper and hugged Alex next. “We’re in this together. Trust me.”
I can do this. I can do this. “Okay.” Her palms were literally sweating. How was it that everyone else was calm, and she was an inch away from losing her shit with worry?
Max was last. “Look on the bright side, you’re not leaving everything in my hands. All those lazy fucks would be fired by the time you got back.”
That made her grin.
“Don’t let her work,” Sarah told Hawk.
Hawk shook both her brothers’ hands and assured them she’d be relaxed and refueled when she flew home.
Alex made it three steps down before she attempted one more time to plead for her computer. “What if there’s a storm and we can’t leave and the board meeting—”
Hawk’s arm snaked around her waist and directed her attention to him.
“Alexandrea. Get in the car.”
Her brows pulled together. “You’re bossy.”
His arm pulled her closer, his touch much more familiar than it had been before their kiss. “Do I need to pull out the Viking card, toss you over my shoulder, and show you just how bossy I can be?”
His words zapped the work worry away, feeling more like a promise than a punishment.
His fingers squeezed into her hip, his grin held a hint of wicked.
She put a little room between them. “I’m going. I’m going.”
Alex marched to the car and climbed inside.
Chase held Piper’s hand as they all stood on the steps, watching the car pull out of the driveway. “A hundred dollars says she is on the phone before they reach altitude.”
No one took him up on his bet.
“She was so busy worrying about work, I bet she didn’t check the weather conditions,” Piper said.
“Is it bad?” Sarah asked.
“There’s a big front coming in. Internet will not be a thing, and electricity will be sketchy.”
“Hawk will keep her safe,” Chase said. From what he just witnessed, he’d keep her warm, too.
“Two hundred says they join the mile-high club by the time they’re back,” Max said.
Piper laughed. “Glad I’m not the only one who noticed.”
Sarah huffed. “I’ve been pushing that,” she waved at the departing car, “since Hawk showed up.”
Chase looked at Max and lifted a fist in the air.
Max met his fist bump while Piper and Sarah looked on.