Alluring (3 page)

Pulled was a treat for the senses.  The music was loud but not so loud that you couldn't hear the person beside you talking.  The lighting was muted with certain sections (like the bar, the dance floor, and the VIP sections) spotlighted.  Everything in the place was either black, red or gold.

Alexis started giggling. When Steph turned to her with a questioning frown marring her brow, she explained, "We match the decor."

Steph looked around, then laughed, "Wow, we really do."

They made their way to the VIP section and found a booth to sit at.  Alexis put her small clutch (that held her phone, lipstick, credit card, and ID) on the table.  As soon as they sat, a waiter appeared.

"What can I get you ladies?"  The very cute waiter asked, with a smile and a wink.

Steph giggled (giggled!).  "I'll have a Cosmo and your phone number."

Alexis rolled her eyes and ordered a white wine.  After the waiter walked away she hissed, "He's way to young for you."

"I want to sleep with him, not marry him."

Alexis wished she had the same casual regard about sex that Steph had.  If she were more laid back, she could have gone home with Jack.

Just thinking about him made her stomach flutter.  What would it be like to have his lips and hands all over her body?  What would the stubble on his cheeks feel like scraping across her skin?  How soft would his hair feel, running through her fingers?  Alexis squirmed in her seat.  Thoughts of  Jack were making certain private places tingle.

"You okay over there?"  Steph asked, with a lift of her brow.

Alexis's face flushed.  "Yes, these seats are a tad uncomfortable.  Just trying to find a comfortable position."

"Reverse cowgirl is a pretty comfortable position," she said, letting Alexis know she didn't get anything by her.

"Ha, Ha, very funny.  Let's finish these drinks then hit the dance floor."

"Sounds like a plan," Steph said, picking up her glass and downing the contents in two long swallows.

With wide eyes, Alexis followed suit.  Only, it took her four swallows to finish her wine.

An hour later, Alexis was done dancing.  It was more work keeping the guys from getting too handsy than it was actually dancing.  She was hot, thirsty, and in desperate need of some water. 

She signaled to Steph that she needed something to drink.  Steph nodded and signaled back that she wanted to keep dancing.

She made her way to the bar and stood a few minutes until a small opening  appeared.  She wedged herself in and waited for the bartender to make his way over to her.  

While she waited, the guy standing next to her asked, "Can I buy you a drink?"

"No thanks, I'm only getting water."  The bartender stepped in front of her and wiped a white towel over the bar.  "Water please," she said.  He gave her a nod, reached under the counter, and pulled out a bottled water.  "Thank you."  She slid the bartender her credit card.

He shook his head.  "Water's on the house."

"Thanks again,"  she smiled, slipping the card back into her bag and uncapping the bottle. 

After taking a long drink, she heard the guy next to her say, "Don't I know you?  You look familiar.  Although I can't imagine I'd ever forget a face like yours."

Alexis rolled her eyes.  As a pickup line, it sucked.  He could have at least tried to be a little more creative. She turned her head to look at him.  He wasn't bad looking, a bit on the older side, late thirties maybe.  He had light-brown hair, thinning at the top, and brown eyes.  He wore a pair of dark jeans paired with a black blazer, and a white, button-down shirt.  "No."  She kept it short and sweet.  Maybe he would take the hint and leave her alone.

Nope, he was Mr. Never Say Die.  "You sure I can't buy you a drink?  You look really thirsty."

"The lady said no."

CHAPTER THREE

Alexis jumped, startled by the voice coming from so close behind her.  She set her bottle of water down on the bar-top and turned.  Standing before her was Jack.  He wore a form fitting (obviously custom-tailored), black suit with a dark gray, almost black shirt unbuttoned at the throat and no tie.  His hair was slicked back away from his clean-shaven face.  She stared, her eyes devouring his features.  He was even more stunning than she remembered, and she remembered being pretty stunned.

She looked into his eyes, but he was looking at the guy behind her. 

"I don't see how this is any of your business," the guy (stupidly Alexis thought) behind her said.

Alexis watched Jack's jaw harden.  "When a lady says no and some asshole doesn't take the hint, I make it my business."

"Did you just call me an asshole?"

Alexis had to stop this before things got out of hand.  She placed her hand on Jack's chest to capture his attention. 

He looked down at her.  "It's okay.  I can take care of myself."  His eyes got hard and his jaw locked again.  Once more, his eyes moved to the guy behind her. 

"Whatever man, I'm leaving.  No piece of ass, no mater how fine is worth this much trouble."

Alexis turned her body toward the bar, but her head turned to watch the man walk off toward the dance floor.

"He's wrong you know."

Alexis turned her head back around.  "About what?"

"You're definitely worth the trouble."  His green eyes scanned her from head to toe then back up again.  "You look beautiful tonight.  I think I might need an updated picture."

Alexis sighed.  "Look Jack, I appreciate you stepping in and taking care of that guy, but that still doesn't change that fact that I'm not interested in what your offering."

Jack looked down at her with a grin.  "Oh, I think you're very interested."

He was right (the arrogant ass), not that she was ever going to admit that to him. 

Alexis was saved from replying when a tall, beautiful, curvy, blond in a tight gold dress, walked up, put her arm through Jack's, and curved her body around his.  "Jack, honey, I was looking all over for you."

Jack tried to extract himself from her, but the quarters were too tight, and she was having none of it.  He looked down at her and gave her a very unhappy,
very
annoyed-looking look.  "Sabrina, I'm in the middle of something." 

"With
her
?"  Sabrina sneered.  Once again, Alexis was given a head to toe scan, but by the look on Sabrina's face, this time she came up lacking.  "Please tell me your joking."

"Sabrina,"  Jack half-spoke half-growled.

"No worries," Alexis said, grabbing her water from the bar and putting the cap back on it before picking up her bag, "we're done here."  She looked once more at Jack.  He tried to tell her something with his eyes.  What?  She didn't know, but she wasn't going to stick around to find out.  She turned her back on them and started walking away.

"Wait!"  she heard Jack call from behind her, but she didn't stop.  "Alexis, I need to talk to you."

Yeah, like that was gonna happen.  Not.  What a jerk.  Hitting on her while he already had a date for the evening.  Although, she thought he didn't date.  Maybe she was just his romp for the night.  Still didn't make it right, hitting on her when he was out with someone else, even if they weren't an item.  If Jack were hers for the evening, she would want his eyes only on her, not straying to any available female.  Something she didn't think Jack was capable of.  Alexis sighed, she was better off with Fantasy Jack.  She had a feeling Real Jack would be a
real
disappointment.

She took a swig of her water as she reached the edge of the dance floor.  She looked over the sea of people, looking for Steph.  She was ready to go home.  Her eyes fell on the guy from the bar.  He smiled at her but kept dancing.  At least she didn't have to worry about him now. 

She decided to go back to their table in the VIP section.  Maybe Steph waited for her there. She felt warm.  She lifted a hand to her forehead, it came away damp.  Too many bodies in one room raised the heat factor, no matter how large the room was.  She took another long swallow of her water.  Their table was empty, so she sat, pulled out her cell, and texted Steph her location for when she was ready to leave. 

The waiter came by, and she ordered another water, still thirsty even though she finished the last one.  She started feeling slightly dizzy.  She pulled her phone out of her bag and checked the screen.  Still no word from Steph. 

As she struggled with the cap on her new water bottle (which she thought was strange in a distant sort of way), a shadow fell across the table.  She looked up and saw bar guy.

"Are you okay?"  His voice sounded distant as though talking through a tunnel.

Alexis covered her cheeks with her hands.  She was so hot.

"Come on," bar guy said, pulling her up by the arm, "let's go outside and get some fresh air."

Fresh air sounded good.  She staggered as she reached for her bag.  Then she giggled.  For what?  She had no idea but something was damn funny.  Bar guy laughed with her has he put his arm around her waist and steered her toward the exit.

* * * * *

Jack downed a shot of whiskey before stepping away from the bar.  He was pissed.  Sabrina was getting on his last nerve.  She had known the score before he fucked her.  He'd made it perfectly clear.  One time and one time only.  He never went back for seconds. 

His eyes did a scan of the club, looking for Alexis
.
  He couldn't believe it, when he saw her standing at the bar almost as if his thoughts had conjured her up.  He'd been thinking about her all week.  He didn't understand why he couldn't get her out of his head.  He stayed away from the casino this past week but couldn't stop himself from setting her photo as the screen saver on his phone.  He was constantly hitting the power button, so he could see her face. He knew his actions were boarder-line crazy.  She was under his skin, and he needed to sleep with her to get her out of his system.  Now, he just needed to convince Alexis, that fucking him was a good idea.  He smiled at the prospect of that conversation.

He did a scan of the club again, still looking for her.  There she was, sitting in the VIP section.  As he made his way to her, he saw that asshole from the bar approach her table.  What the fuck?  He had his hands on her, and she was laughing.  Something wasn't right.  She was staggering as if drunk, but she only drank water earlier and (his eyes scanned the table she was at) there was only a water bottle on her table now.

Jack moved swiftly through the club.  He was only a step away, when he lunged, grabbing the asshole's arm and pulling him to a stop.  "What the hell?"  He tried to extract himself from Jack's grip.

"I was gonna ask you the same thing.  Where do you think you're taking her?"  Jack squeezed tighter on the guy's arm, barely holding onto his anger.

"That's none of your damn business.  The lady wants to come with me.  Fuck off."  He tried pulling at his arm again, but Jack wasn't letting go.

Jack reached into his coat pocket and pulled out his phone.  He tapped a button then held it to his ear.  "I have trashed that needs to be removed,"  he said, into the phone.  "In front of the VIP section.  Good."  Jack slipped his phone back into his pocket.  "What did you give her?"

Jack held onto the guy's arm tighter has he tried to pull away again.  "I didn't give her nothing, man.  Let go of my fucking arm." 

During the scuffle, the asshole lost his hold on Alexis.  Jack grabbed her arm to keep her upright.  She tipped her head back and looked at him.

"Hey Jack," she smiled, before swallowing, hard.  "I'm not feeling so well."

"I know, sweetheart, I'll take care of you in a minute," Jack said, rubbing his thumb along the soft skin of her arm.

"Like hell, you will.  She's coming home with me."

Four security guards walked up to them.  "What seems to be the problem, Mr. Cole?"

"This guy drugged her drink.  I want him taken to the security office and the cops called.  I'm taking her upstairs.  I'll have a doctor check her out and have blood drawn for evidence."

By the time Jack finished speaking, the guy started to panic. Realizing how much trouble he was in, he ripped himself away from Jack.  Jack pulled Alexis closer and tucked her to his side as the four security guards encircled the asshole to haul him away.

Jack noticed a crowd forming.  The last thing he wanted was for this to be in the tabloids.  He quickly walked to the exit, Alexis tucked securely at his side, half-supporting half-guiding her. 

As he made his way through the hotel to the penthouse elevator, he again pulled out his phone.  He dialed his personal assistant, Becky.  "Track down Dr. Stevens and send him to my penthouse ASAP." 

Alexis moaned and he took more of her weight.  "We're almost there, sweetheart.  Just hang on a few more minutes."

They reached the elevator, and once in, out of the prying eyes of the public, he scooped her into his arms.  Her eyes were closed, and her head rested on his chest.  Her breathing was slow and steady.  Her disheveled curls tickled the bottom of his chin as his eyes traveled over her delicate features.  Her dark lashes looked incredibly long and thick as they rested against her pale cheeks, and her full lips, shiny and slightly parted, looked damn kissable.