Chasing You (Thirsty Hearts Book 4) (22 page)

“I know. That’s the point. This,” he switched his index finger between them, then tapped the divot at the top of her breastbone, “is too much to ignore.”

“I know, but that doesn’t mean it’s enough.”

“How do you know if you don’t try?”

“I’m trying now. With Adam. It’s so easy for me to run away. That’s what this would be. Running away to you. I have to finish whatever it is with him. I have to see where it goes. For once.”

Graham stuffed his hands in the pockets of his trousers. His chin dropped to his chest for a minute before he lifted his head and looked at her through the tops of his lashes.

“Then you finish it. I hope it works out. But I bet it won’t. Because of this.” He drew a curve around the corner of her mouth with his thumb. “Any time he touches you from now on, it won’t feel the same to you. I hope I’ve ruined you for him as much as you’ve ruined me for any other woman.”

He leaned into her, his breath whispering on her lips. “You think about that when he kisses you.”

He took a step back, still staring at her, then turned and walked away.

Bereft in his absence, she struggled to find the strength to put one foot in front of the other and leave their moment in the past.

“
I
want
to make you dinner.”

Adam called Alexa early, knowing that was the only way to catch her before her five a.m. workout after which she plunged into her daily routine.

Over the past several weeks, he’d learned to make his claim on her time as soon as possible before her work, her friends, and myriad distractions could take her away from him.

“That sounds perfect. Do you want to come to my place? I have a slightly better kitchen than the one at your corporate apartment.”

“How would you know? You hardly cook.” Adam laughed, delighted to tease her about her lack of domesticity. His mother would be appalled when they met. He’d been raised to consider a woman’s homemaking skills of the utmost importance. He had no such qualms, but then a mother would never see the other charms a woman brings to a relationship.

“Why waste all that time and energy shopping and cooking when there are so many restaurants with takeout? I’m a believer in efficiency and convenience.”

“The consultant in me is very impressed. I’ll be at your place around eight.”

“See you then.”

“Goodbye, my lovely.”

The faint sigh of pleasure Adam received after his sign-off gave him a charge that lasted until he rang her doorbell hours later. She welcomed him inside, and he lugged his bags of groceries into her immaculate and hardly used kitchen.

“How was your day?” Adam unloaded chicken and vegetables from the paper bags and glanced around for Alexa’s knife set. It was usually on the counter next to the stove.

“Good,” she replied. “What are you looking for?”

“Knives, so I can prepare the vegetables for the stir fry.”

“Over here. The housekeeper must have moved them.” She hefted the wood block of cutlery from the counter on the other side of the refrigerator.

It amazed him that she bothered to have help for her small house where she lived alone, but he knew that also fell into the category of why should she waste time on that when she had a business to run. She possessed a single-minded focus and eliminated any activities that didn’t contribute to her bottom line.

He pulled the largest chef’s knife from the block and began breaking down heads of broccoli, carrots, and onions. She peered over his shoulder, arms folded.

“Can I help with anything?”

“You can make yourself useful making rice.”

“Did you buy some?” Alexa twisted her face in thought, glancing at her pantry.

“I did. I know not to make assumptions regarding your provisions.”

“I know. I’m a sad case when it comes to homemaking. My high school home ec teacher would give me an ‘F’ for sure.”

Adam snorted. “So, you did receive some instruction along the way?”

“Believe or not, I have. My mother is a regular Martha Stewart, too. She tried her best. I can cook pretty well when I try.” Alexa thrust out her chin.

Could she? Adam let her confidence quell his doubt. “If you can cook, you might be perfect.” He bumped her with his hip. “Next time, you’ll make dinner, then.”

“Maybe next weekend. Once the benefit is over.”

“And if you’re a disaster, we can order pizza. Fanelli’s to the rescue. ”

Her face lit up with laughter, then froze, and she looked away.

“What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I...had a long couple of days.”

“Anything you want to talk about?”

“Nope. The usual.” The brightness in her tone strove to fend off his question. She put her arm around his waist. Adam reflexively tensed. She was hiding something and covering it with affection.

He had a nose for subterfuge.

“Construction is coming along, right? You resolved that permit issue.”

“The management company put a rush on it.”

Alexa pulled away from him and began picking at the vegetables on the counter.

“I guess being friendly with one of the partners has its advantages.”

As the words flew out of his mouth, regret scourged him. He’d vowed not to bring up Graham, no matter how much the man’s involvement with his girlfriend vexed him. Talking about the guy always made Alexa defensive, which only angered him more.

“Graham wanted to be helpful.”

Adam sliced a carrot with such force, a few of the pieces propelled off the cutting board to the floor. He hated hearing the jerk’s name on her lips. It reminded him that she’d probably whispered it as the man made love to her. Or maybe she screamed. The syllable echoed in Adam’s head.

He shouldn’t have to contemplate Graham’s presence in her life. She should have ceased all communication when he’d asked her to. Maybe she didn’t hang out with him anymore, but there was still contact.

Graham owned part of her life as long as his company owned her building. That wouldn’t change unless she moved her business elsewhere, which she wouldn’t do unless he gave her a reason to move herself.

The thought occurred to him repeatedly that he’d love to have Alexa come back to London with him. He knew the impracticality of the idea. She was intractably independent and focused on her business. In many ways, her gym was as much a competitor as Graham Ryan.

He wondered what it would take to be number one in her life.

“What does it matter? I have a business to run.” She snaked an arm around his waist. “You don’t have to worry.”

Adam glanced over to the stove. “Put a lid on the rice. It’s boiling.”

“Oh.” She whirled around and grabbed the lid to the pot.

“It’s a good thing I’m watching.” He grinned at her.

She gave him a slanted smile in return.

* * *

A
lexa kept
herself smiling throughout dinner and trained her mind on her dinner companion. Letting her attraction to Graham’s charm cloud her thinking was too easy. Adam had his own charm, and she vowed to let him win her over.

“It’s so sweet of you to cook me dinner. Your skills in the kitchen outshine mine by a mile.”

“Or a kilometer.”

She chuckled. “Sure.”

Alexa gathered up the dishes and pans and began rinsing everything for the dishwasher. What she couldn’t put in the dishwasher would wait until the housekeeper came in the morning.

“It doesn’t bother you to leave them in the sink overnight?”

“Nope. What are they going to sprout fangs and kill me in my sleep?” She hissed and showed her teeth like a vampire, laughing.

“No,” Adam answered sharply. “I just thought we’d go ahead and wash them tonight.”

“Uh uh. I’ve had a long day, week, month. I’m going to sit on the couch and clear off some programs from the DVR. Or we can watch a movie.”

“A movie. I don’t know that I could stand to sit through…What’s that show you watch? True housewives in wherever.”

His tart tone dripped with contempt, so when he moved closer, slipping an arm around her waist, she stiffened.

“I can’t defend it, so I won’t try. I just like them. Sue me.”

“They’re outrageous.”

“I know. That’s the point. We don’t have to watch that.” Alexa pulled out of his arms and headed for the sofa. “We’ll pick a movie.”

She plucked the remote from the coffee table and sat down. Adam hovered in the archway between the kitchen and the living room. “What kind of movie?”

“I don’t know. Let’s see.” She flicked on the TV and paged through the guide to her movie channels. “If we don’t find one here, then we can look on Netflix. Come sit down.”

She patted the cushion next to her.

“I’ll be in shortly.”

He disappeared, and moments later, the clang of pots and pans blended with the sound of running water. Seriously? They’d get cleaned and put away in the morning. Alexa flipped to her DVR, figuring she might as well watch something else before the movie since Adam insisted on playing housemaid.

Half-way through an episode of
Days of Our Lives
, Adam sauntered in and sat down. He edged closer. Alexa fought off irritation and let him.

“Is this a soap opera?”

“It is.”

“I think I’ve seen this on in England.”

“Probably.”

She pulled out her iPad and opened the Netflix app, waiting to see if he had more commentary. “What do you want to watch?” she asked, handing him the tablet.

He swiped and swiped before grinning. “How about
Basquiat
?”

A wrenching pain pulsed between her eyes. “I was hoping to watch something light. Something funny.”

“It’s a beautiful movie.”

“He lived in a cardboard box, then descended into drug-addicted madness and died before he was thirty.”

“That’s a rabidly unfair summary of his life. His art was transcendent.”

“I know, but I don’t want to be depressed. Not tonight.”

She took the tablet back and began scrolling through the comedic options for something intelligent enough for Adam, but that wouldn’t leave her searching for cyanide capsules. “What about some stand-up? They have lots of comedy specials. Look, this guy is British.”

“He’s a…” Adam waved his hands. “Okay.”

Alexa smoothed her tone. “If you don’t want to watch him, just say so. I’ve seen this guy before, and he’s hilarious. You’ll like him.”

“Whatever you want to watch is fine. Honestly, I know what a hard time you’ve had. We should see something fun.”

She relaxed into Adam’s side. “Thank you.”

The comedian managed to pull some laugh-out-loud moments from Adam, erasing Alexa’s headache with the closeness of shared jokes. Her head tipped on his shoulder, and she dug her bare feet between the sofa cushions to warm them.

“Do you want to watch something else?” He muttered the question into her hair.

“No.”

His stubble scraped her forehead as she turned into his neck and took in his strong, warm scent—cedar and something floral. Woody and slightly cloying. The memory of Graham’s clean scent sprang up, and she pulled back to see Adam’s face. Adam.

He locked the ebony depths of his eyes on her, and he dipped his head. Alexa kept her eyes open as their lips met. The long fringe of his lashes fluttered. He moaned into her mouth. The insistence of the kiss passed the point of passion, and she pushed on his chest to give herself more air.

Lifting the hem of her shirt, Adam fluttered his fingers down her belly and began to work the button on her jeans. Her heaving breath froze in her chest. All the heat in her body escaped through her pores, standing every hair on end.

“What?”

Alexa’s eyes snapped open. He hovered over her with the glow of the TV screen saver flickering over the side of his face. His dark eyes smoldered, but left her chilled.

“I can’t do this right now.”

“Whatever you need. I l—” He snapped his mouth shut for a second, then continued. “I care about you.”

Alexa’s cheeks burned, and an itch crawled up her legs. She crawled backward on the sofa and swung her legs to the floor. He hadn’t said it, so she could move past it. Sweet Jesus. He’d only been in the U.S. a few weeks.

She found her sweater and pulled it over head. “My brain is so tired.”

“It’s okay.”

He moved to her again, wrapping her in an embrace. As he kissed her on the forehead, his hand slid behind her neck, squeezing it between his fingers. The massage should have worked out the tension, but the unspoken word lingered in her shoulders, robbing her of relief.

She put her hand on his chest and pressed him back. She silently cursed her reaction. Adam wanted her. Entirely. He sent flowers. He cooked for her. He kissed her with an unquenchable desire.

Thoughts of Graham stalked her, but she had to erase them. He said he wanted her now, but how long might that last? Now, for the first time, Alexa wanted something lasting. It’s what she needed. Knowing it and feeling it, however, didn’t go hand in hand.

T
he ballroom sparkled
under a canopy of lights draped like a circus tent toward a twinkling ball in the center. Graham walked in with his last minute date, Candace, and smiled. He loved that they’d given Poppy her disco ball.

Candace was Walker Carmichael’s idea. Or Walker’s wife’s idea. Mrs. Carmichael might be the only person on the planet to bring Walker to heel. Graham admired her—and feared her as would anyone with an ounce of sense.

“My wife has been hounding me to find prospects for her friend’s daughter—namely you. I told her I wasn’t sure what your status was, and I didn’t want to pry. But if you’re single and available, how about I give you the girl’s number?”

Why hadn’t he just told Walker no when he threw his wife’s friend’s daughter at him? Scrounging up another date hadn’t been on Graham’s to-do list, and lately, his roster of regular date options had thinned. That suited him fine.

“I’ve met her, and she is a lovely girl,” Walker urged. “Or woman, I suppose. I have to cure myself of calling every woman under forty a girl. Helena swears you’ll find her delightful.”

“It’s a nice offer, but I wouldn’t want any misplaced expectations to cause issues with your wife.” Graham had exhaled, proud of his carefully crafted diplomacy.

“No pressure at all. Just a date, and only if you want to. I find these events more tolerable with a companion. Don’t you?”

Walker had a gift for making a suggestion sound like a command. Graham had nodded and shrugged.

“Her name is Candace Levitt. Her mother, Ginny, and Helena were sorority sisters at Texas years ago.”

“I’ll take her number. We can meet for drinks, and then see about the benefit.”

So, he had drinks with the woman. As it turned out, they had met before. He’d dated one of her old friends. Their mini-date went well enough, but he knew this wasn’t the woman for him. He knew who he wanted. She was tall, with a halo of curly hair.

Candace had too much makeup and too much Texas flash packed into her five-foot-four ex-cheerleader body. She was more Dallas than Austin. He wouldn’t have invited her except that Walker’s wife had already mentioned it to her.

“I’m so glad you asked me to go with you.”

He hadn’t, but he didn’t want to hurt her feelings.

Now, they made their way shoulder-to-shoulder through the wide hotel hallway. Candace shimmied in her gown and gave him a predatory look poorly disguised as coy. Graham ignored it.

“I feel bad that I have to leave you as soon as we get here. Before everything kicks off, we have to run through the show one more time.”

Candace placed an understanding hand on his forearm. “It’s okay. Seriously. I talked a friend into buying a ticket, and she’s meeting me here early for a drink in the bar. You’ll find that I don’t need a lot of babysitting.”

Glittering butterflies secured Candace’s up-do, catching the light as she swiveled her head to take in the room. The sunny blonde hair lifted off her shoulders showed off her elegant neck and drew his eyes to the cleavage-enhancing sweetheart neckline of her shimmery red gown. He flung his gaze back up to her eyes, but not before she noticed his attention and swayed toward him.

He swallowed his sigh. A pair of meticulously presented, distractingly large breasts was hard to ignore, and he was afraid Candace took it as a greater indicator of his interest than he’d intended.

She craned her neck to look up at him through a fan of long eyelashes that Graham thought might be fake. He wasn’t an expert, but they looked even longer than when they had drinks a couple of days ago.

“Where should I come find you when the doors open?” She looped her arm around Graham’s.

Over her head, Graham saw Alexa gliding toward them in a gilded sheath that draped from every curve. She was alone. A tug on his arm reminded him that Candace had asked him a question.

“Meet me at the front left table right in front of the stage. I’ll be there at seven-thirty sharp.”

“Perfect. See you then.”

The blonde spun around and walked away, shaking everything her mama gave her—which wasn’t much from behind.

Alexa passed Candace and glanced sideways at her without turning her head. Graham braced himself for her commentary.

“You ready? The show runner texted me that they’re ready for us. Toby and Sarah are on their way. They just parked.”

She slipped her cell phone back in a bronze satin clutch. Her eyes leveled with his without any visible irritation or curiosity.

“Great. Where’s Adam?”

“I didn’t think there was any point in having him here this early. He’s coming later. Was that your date?” Her sweet smile betrayed nothing.

“Yes.”

“I thought you said you didn’t have one.”

“I didn’t. My business partner’s wife wanted to fix us up.”

“What happened to Sierra?”

“I’m not dating Sierra. Never was. I thought this would be more fun with a date. Walker—you’ll meet him tonight—suggested that I ask Candace. As it turns out, we’d met before through a friend of hers.”

Alexa blinked rapidly, and her nostrils twitched briefly into a flare. He pulled his shoulders back and pursed his lips to stop a grin.

“She’s lovely.”

Graham couldn’t hold back a cackle.

“What’s so funny?” Alexa’s question snapped.

“‘Lovely?’”

“She is, in fact, a lovely woman. You don’t think so?”

“She’s not as cute as her friend was,” Graham joked and then grimaced. “That’s just a joke.”

Alexa blew out a disgusted air.

“I’m only kidding. I joke about this stuff, and maybe I shouldn’t.”

Alexa only brushed past him and stalked toward the stage.

Her fury told him he wasn’t out of the running by a long shot, but he’d have to control his mouth. Drawing attention to his previous exploits wasn’t helping his case.

* * *

O
nce the attendants flung
open the doors and their guests streamed into the ballroom, Alexa went into full-on charm mode, glad-handing and coaxing the dollars out of their patrons. But getting into the spirit proved harder than she anticipated.

Over the course of the evening, Candace rubbed Graham’s shoulders, squeezed his arm, and wiped non-existent crumbs from the corner of his mouth. The effusion of intimate touches didn’t let up. Alexa half-expected her to stuff her hand down his pants and get it over with.

To think that she spent the previous few days wondering if she’d made a mistake.

“She’s attentive,” Sarah sipped her champagne. The two women exchanged mocking glances.

“That she is. I’m sure he enjoys it.”

“Really? It looks to me like he’s enduring her. He stiffens every time she goes near him.”

“I’ll bet.”

Sarah laughed into her champagne flute. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I don’t like her,” a young, high voice declared behind them.

Alexa and Sarah jerked around to see Poppy standing there.

“She seems nice,” Alexa lied.

“I like you and Graham,” Poppy insisted.

“I have a boyfriend. Adam. He’s nice. He went to get us more refreshments.”

Or booze.
Adam went to get Alexa a much-needed double vodka soda with lime.

“He’s weird.”

“Poppy!” Sarah exclaimed. “That’s not nice. Apologize.”

“Sorry, Miss Alexa.” The little girl’s voice sang.

Alexa smiled at Poppy. “That’s okay. I’m sure he seems different because he’s from another country, and you don’t know him very well. Besides, you don’t have to like anyone you don’t want to.”

“We should invite you and Adam over for dinner,” Sarah suggested.

“He’d love that. He feels like he doesn’t know my friends very well. Having us all get to know each other would be great. Maybe I’ll host.”

Sarah giggled. “You’re cooking? I’m busy that night.”

“I’ll surprise all of you with my kitchen skills. I’ll invite Melissa and Kyle, too. Trista has a new boyfriend. Maybe she can come over.”

“Are you going to invite Graham and Candace?” Poppy asked.

“I don’t know. That’s a lot of people. My house isn’t that big.”

Sarah poked her in the shoulder as Toby leaned over and kissed his wife on the cheek. “Everything looks great, Alexa. You guys did such a great job.”

“Thanks.”

“They make a great team,” Sarah remarked.

“Stop it.”

Toby laughed. “I’m not here to start trouble. I wanted to ask my baby girl to dance.”

Poppy jumped up and grabbed her father’s hand. “Let’s go.”

She pulled her father toward the dance floor. Alexa turned back to her friend.

“Look, I like Graham. He’s a great guy in a lot of ways. But as much as he says he’s interested in me, every time I see him, there’s a new woman in the mix. It only proves why I’m making the right decision.”

“If that’s how you see it, then I’m happy for you.” Sarah couldn’t sound less convinced.

“It is. I hope Adam comes back soon. I’m supposed to meet Graham in a few minutes to start tallying up the take.”

Sarah circled her eyes around to the dance floor, watching Toby twirl Poppy. “I’m going to go dance with my peeps.”

Alexa waved her on and reminded herself why they were there. Tonight was about Poppy, not her drama.