Alluring (34 page)

The front door banged open and the room was soon overrun with law enforcement.  A blur of activity surrounded her.  The sound of walkie-talkies squawking.  Feet thumping on the wooden floor.  Raised voices shouting out commands.  And through it all, Alexis and Jack stared at each other lost in their own little world.  He took a single step toward her, then was on his knees right in front of her, cradling her face in his hand.

Time was disjointed, and she had difficulty keeping focus.  She would learn later, she was in shock and had a mild concussion, but for now she just felt weird and slightly out-of-body. 

She didn't realize she still cried until she heard Jack whisper lovingly, "Shh ... baby, it's okay.  I'm okay.  We're okay."  He was caressing her face and neck soothingly, trying to calm her.  But her emotions couldn't be contained.  From the time she was taken until now, she had blocked the possibility of her death.  Later she would be happy it was all over, but for now, she needed to deal with the fact they were both alive.

Seeing Jack, lying there so still after hearing the gun go off would haunt her for a long time to come.  She had never been so scared.  Not even the thought of her own death scared her half as much as Jack's.

"Baby please, calm down.  You're gonna make yourself sick."

Alexis took a deep shuddering breath and let it out slowly.  The next breath was easier to take, and then the next was even easier.  When she'd gotten herself under control, she said, "I love you.  Don't scare me like that again."

Jack lightly brushed away her tears.  "Ditto, sweetheart."

The next hour was a bustle of people coming and going.  Someone had produced a knife, cutting the tape that bound Alexis to the chair.  Right as she was freed, she threw herself in Jack's arms and wouldn't let go.  Jack had taken off his blood soaked dress shirt and an officer had found a T-shirt for him to put on under his suit jacket.

The police had wanted to separate them during the questioning of the events, but Alexis had clutched so tightly at Jack's suit, there was no prying her loose.  Officer Blake had finally relented and let them make their statements together.

Alexis had found her eyes traveling to Sabrina's lifeless body several times during the interview.  She had a difficult time believing this madness was truly over.  She didn't have to be scared any longer, but she felt more fear now that it was over.  For those few seconds that Jack was motionless after the gun had gone off, and she didn't know whether he was alive or dead, those feelings would haunt her.  The anguish she had felt, she knew she would never survive if she lost Jack.  And that was scarier than a thousand Sabrinas.

After the interview with officer Blake, they were told they could leave.  Jack carried her to the helicopter and they were flown to the hospital.  All the while, she never let go of Jack.  He was like her lifeline and the thought of letting go filled her with unnatural anxiety.  She knew that wasn't healthy behavior, but she couldn't bring herself to care.

Jack still carried her as they traveled through the hospital to the emergency room, and still refusing to let him go, sat on his lap as they waited for her name to be called.

She was cold, her body shaking.  She looked down at herself, not remembering what she had been dressed in this morning before her mad dash out of the house.  She wore a pink T-shirt, cutoff jean shorts and flip flops.  No wonder she was cold.  Hospitals were notorious for their air-conditioning.  Something about keeping the germs away.  Jack must have felt her shivering, he leaned her forward and removed his suit jacket.  He draped it over her body and she snuggled into its warmth.  She was suddenly so tired. 

She closed her eyes, and Jack gave her a little shake.  "I'm not sure you should sleep, after that nasty blow to your head."

She was so warm, covered in his jacket, pressed close to his chest.  His scent surrounding her.  Her eyelids were so heavy.  "Just a few minutes," she mumbled.  She felt his chest rumble with a chuckle followed by a light kiss on her forehead.

"I'll watch over you, sweetheart, don't worry."

She wasn't worried.  As long as Jack was holding her, she knew she was safe.

Alexis awoke and opened her eyes.  Jack carried her down a brightly lit hall and into an exam room.  Steph was at his side, chattering away.

Steph noticed her eyes were open.  "Sleeping beauty is awake," she told Jack.  "How are you feeling?" She asked Alexis.

"I'm okay," she said, snuggling closer to Jack as he sat on the exam table.

He kissed her forehead again.  "The doctor should be here soon."

"I just want to go home."

"Need to get your head looked at first.  Then we can go home.  We'll take a long hot bath, then sleep for a week."

"Sounds perfect."

Steph spoke up.  "You guys might want to make that two weeks.  You're all over the media right now."

Alexis groaned.  Jack just sighed.

The doctor walked in, all jolly smiles and cheer.  He looked to be in his mid-fifties, short, portly, he kind of resembled Santa Claus.  Alexis couldn't stop the giggle.

He was holding a chart in his hand.  "Well, young lady, what seems to be the trouble?"

Jack spoke.  "She was hit in the head ..."  He paused, not knowing how she got hurt.

Alexis filled in the blank.  "With a gun."  Jack gave her squeeze, then once again kissed her on the forehead.

The doctor seemed to take this news in stride.  As an ER doc, Alexis was sure he's seen worse on a daily basis.  "Let's take a look, shall we."  If he found it strange that she was cradled in Jacks lap, he didn't say anything. 

He parted her hair and Alexis winced when he brushed over the injured spot.  "Got a nice goose egg with a small laceration.  Head wounds bleed a lot.  Doesn't look like you need stitches.  We'll just clean it up."  He pulled out an ophthalmoscope.  "Let's take a look at those beautiful brown eyes."

Alexis turned her head to give him better access.  He looked at her eyes from all angles.  "Looks like a mild concussion.  Nothing to be worried about.  Just wake her every few hours tonight.  Ask her a simple question, she would know the answer to.  If she gives the right answer and she's acting normally, let her go back to sleep.  If she starts vomiting, gets a severe headache or starts acting funny bring her back in."

Jack held out his hand to the doctor.  "Thanks, Doc."

The doctor shook his hand.  "The nurse will be in, in a minute, to clean the wound."

The doctor closed the door on the way out.  Alexis looked over at Steph.  She didn't see any signs of physical injury.  "How are you doing Steph?  I'm sorry, with all the drama, I forgot to ask."

Steph waved her hand at Alexis.  "I'm fine.  It takes more than being tied to a chair and gagged to bring me down."

Alexis shuddered.  She didn't like being tied to a chair. 
At all.
 

The nurse came, cleaned Alexis's wound and told them they could go.  She handed Jack a paper with a list of complications to watch for in regards to her concussion.

Steph dropped them at the hotel and Jack carried her all the way to the penthouse.  As promised, he ran them a hot bath, setting her on the toilet, so he was within touching distance as he filled the tub. 

He removed their clothes, throwing everything in the trash.  "I don't know about you, but I don't ever want to wear that suit again."

Alexis knew exactly what he meant.  She felt dirty and couldn't wait to climb into the tub.  She sat in front of him, relaxed against his chest while he washed every inch of her.

They climbed into bed, and Alexis was so exhausted, she fell instantly asleep.

She was awakened by little, nibbling kisses on her shoulder.  "Time for your question,"  Jack murmured between pecks.

"Okay,"  she said stretching under the covers.

"What do you see with?"

"That's a strange question."

Jack lightly bit her shoulder.  "Just answer it."

Alexis giggled.  "Eyes."

"Good.  Now, go back to sleep."

He woke her the next time by nibbling on her neck.  "Time for your next question."

Alexis groaned.  "I'm tired."

"You can go back to sleep in a minute, but first you need to answer my question."

Alexis sighed, "Okay, what is it."

Jack attached her neck.  "Don't sound so excited."

Alexis laughed.  "Okay, okay, what is it?"

"What rhymes with dove?"

Alexis went through the alphabet in her head until she came to a word that rhymed with dove.  "Glove?"

Jack chuckled.  "Wrong answer."

Alexis thought a few seconds more.  "Love!"

Jack kissed her neck.  "Good."  He pulled her in close.  "Go back to sleep."

The next time she woke up, Jack was nibbling on her ear.  "I'm detecting a theme here."

"I'm working my way to your lips."

"And when will you get there?"

"Next time.  This is the last question.  It's almost morning."

"Okay, fire away."

"Who's the sexiest man in the world?"

Alexis giggled.  "Wow, the whole world, huh?  Let me think about this a minute."

He bit her shoulder, hard.  "Ow."

"That was for not answering the question correctly."

"I haven't answered it at all yet," she laughed.

"My point exactly.  My name should have popped from your mouth without delay."

"The doctor said to ask me easy questions.  Not ones I would have to think about."

Jack growled, then gave her a searing kiss that had her toes curling.  "Well, after that kiss, I would have to say you are the sexiest man in the world."

"Damn straight.  Now, go back to sleep."

She happily complied, snuggling against his chest, stealing his warmth.

Jack kept his promise by waking her with feather-light kisses on her lips.  She wrapped her arms around him, bring him closer to deepen the kiss.  "I want to wake up every morning like this,"  she said, stretching lazily beside him. 

"I think that could be arranged,"  he said, with a sleepy, sexy grin.  "Do you remember all the questions I asked you last night?"

Alexis laughed, "It would be hard to forget them."

"Okay then, I want you to recite, only the answers, back to me."

"You're acting weird."

Jack gave her a frown.  "You'll pay for that later, but for now, humor me."

Alexis thought for a moment.  His first question was
what do you see with
and her answer was
eyes.
  Then the next question was
what rhymes with dove
and the answer was
love
.  The last question was
who's the sexiest man alive
and her answer was
you.  Eyes love you.

Alex smiled.  "I love you, too."

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Steph was right, the media were brutal.  They stayed locked in the penthouse for a week, waiting for the fuss to die down.  Jack worked in his home office, rescheduling meetings, and pretty much driving Becky insane.  Mase and Gage each came for a visit.  Gage brought Cassie.  Alexis still wasn't sure whether they were dating, but it certainly seemed so.  She'd have to call Cassie and get the whole story from her. 

She'd talked to her sister.  She was understandably upset that she had to discover from the media that her sister had a stalker.  Alexis tried to explain her reasoning, for her not wanting Emily to worry when there was nothing she could have done.  Yeah, that didn't fly.  Emily was pissed and didn't speak to her for a week. 

Steph came by every day after her shift.  At first it was to check on Alexis, to make sure she was okay, later in the week it was to relieve Alexis of her boredom while Jack was working. 

After a couple of days, she got over her need of having Jack within touching distance 24/7, but she still wanted him near.  She liked knowing he was a shout away.  She didn't know whether that would change in the future, but for now it worked.  Jack didn't seem to mind.  In fact, he seemed to like it as much as she did.  If they were in separate rooms, he would text her every so often, to make sure she was okay and if they were in the same room, he was constantly touching her.

So, they might still be a little clingy, but after the trauma they both endured, it was understandable.  Maybe they would get over it in time, maybe they wouldn't, but seeing as they were both happy with it, who's to say that it was wrong. 

Life slowly got back to normal.  The media backed off when new and more sensational news hit the scene.  Jack went back to work, but Alexis didn't go back to the dealership.  She decided to remain Jack's
personal
personal assistant.  The thought of being away from him all day was too much to bear.