The Lawson Boys: Alex (5 page)

Tonight.

~*~

She’d felt his
gaze on her regularly during the evening and it was giving her the
heebie-jeebies. As a teenager he’d been pleasant to her, kind
enough to always ensure that he chose her amongst the first for
team games, even knowing she was more of a hindrance than a help in
physical games. That she’d never forgotten, but then one evening
everything had changed. It had started a downward spiral that had
had explosive consequences for her.

And he’d never
known, of that she made sure.

But something
was off. Alex wasn’t a kind teenager anymore, blinded by his own
hormones and emotions. The Alex sitting at the opposite end of the
table was honed by life and conflict, and he was watching her,
assessing her, and she felt it keenly even though no one else at
the table noticed.

Alex had become
an excellent predator. He could assess his prey without anyone
being the wiser. Except for the prey.

With a shiver,
Harly glanced down the length of the table and yes, their gazes
clashed instantly, his blue eyes catching the light and almost
reflecting with a predator’s glint.

Damn her
imagination. She smiled a little at him before looking hurriedly
away.
Did he know? How could he know? No one knows but me.
Breathe hitching a little, she felt a flutter of panic.
I’m
being an idiot. He’s just changed, being in a place like
Afghanistan would change a man or woman, seeing what he’s seen and
experiencing what he’s experienced. He’s just learned to be wary,
that’s all. That has to be it.

Regardless, she
wanted to go home, back to her sanctuary, but leaving now was too
suspicious, she’d worry Becky and Paul and her friends. No, she had
to brazen it out, smile and nod, laugh and chatter, and make her
escape when she saw it.

The evening
seemed to stretch onwards indefinitely, but finally - sweet mother
mercy, finally - people started to say their goodbyes and
leave.

While Paul,
Becky and Alex were seeing off the guests, she quickly placed the
leftovers in containers and covered them with cling wrap before
stowing them in the ‘fridge. The paper plates and plastic cups and
cutlery were already in the bins and it was easy to simply tie the
tops of the bags closed.

By the time she
was washing the few dishes, Becky had returned and picked up the
tea towel, enthusing as she did so, “What a lovely evening.”

“Absolutely.”
Harly silently thanked God it was over and she could soon make her
escape.

“Alex is still
the same in some ways,” Becky continued. “Laughing and joking,
though he’s a little quieter than he used to be.”

“Yep.”

“He studies
people a lot.” Becky picked up a bowl from the draining tray. “I
noticed that. He thinks before he speaks now, too.”

“I guess he’s
learned to be careful.”

“I guess.”
Becky sighed. “It’s sad that war continues. Religion, politics and
greed, babe, the main causes of war. I hope Alex is careful over
there.”

“I think he’s
learned to be,” Harly returned dryly.

Becky gave her
an affectionate shove.

“Learned to be
what?” Paul walked into the kitchen with Alex right behind him.

Alex’s gaze
touched briefly on Becky before sliding across to study Harly.

Harly turned
back to the sink and pulled the plug, watching the water surge down
while more than conscious of him watching her.

“Be useful.”
Becky handed the bowl to her husband. “Put this away for me, would
you, honey?”

“Honey.” Paul
sighed as he weighed the bowl in his hand. “I only get called honey
when you want me to do something.”

“It’s your
reward.”

“I thought I
was rewarded in other ways?”

“That’s how I
ended up in this condition.” Becky patted her belly
affectionately.

Paul leered.
“No need to be careful now, is there?”

“You just put
that bowl away.” Turning back to the sink, Becky shook her head,
though she was grinning widely. “And be a good boy.”

Alex moved
across to lean against the counter, his jean-clad hip right in
Harly’s peripheral vision. He moved, his arms crossing, the flannel
shirt brushing the tops of his thighs.

Once Alex had
been gawky, all arms and legs with lean muscle, but those muscles
were a lot bigger now. She swallowed, wringing out the cloth and
placing it over the draining board.

“Alex was
always the good boy,” Paul protested. “I was the bad boy.”

“The desperate
one, you mean.” Becky flicked him on the chest with the tea towel.
“Alex always had the girls chasing him. You had to chase the
girls.”

“Not my fault
they liked gawky, awkward Alex.” Slinging an arm around Becky’s
neck, he kissed her cheek. With a wink at Harly, he added, “And the
bullies all ran from his famous temper and habit of backing the
under dog.”

“Oh, I don’t
know about that,” Alex drawled.

Harly turned
around and looked at him, seeing the amusement in his face as he
watched his friend tease Becky.

“I remember
quite a few times I was staggering around, hardly able to see out
of my black eyes.” Alex grinned.

“But you
refused to go down.” Paul laughed. “Remember that big bastard,
Howard?”

“Howie the
Unmerciful?” Alex laughed as well, the rich depths of it sliding
through Harly like warm satin. “Jesus, how could I forget? Had me
flat on my back one time, I couldn’t see a thing, but there I was,
flaying about with my fists and yelling threats. I couldn’t even
get up!”

“But you
weren’t going to give in.” Paul shook his head. “I waded in to
rescue you and got a thumping for my efforts.”

“Yeah. Only the
arrival of your older brother and his friends stopped it.” Alex’s
eyes crinkled at the corners. “But we got Howie back.”

“Jumped him on
his way home a couple of days later. Made him scream for his mummy.
We were heroes to the town kids forever after.”

“Man, he was a
monster of a kid.” Alex angled his head to one side. “Whatever
happened to him?”

“Joined the
Police Service.”

“You are
shitting me.”

“Nope. Went off
to university to get a law degree, saw his fiancée killed in a hit
and run, and turned over a new leaf. He’s a cop now, top bloke,
too.” Paul sobered. “Life has a way of sorting out people.”

“Yeah.” Alex’s
gaze cut to Harly. “It sure does.”

Caught up in
memories of Alex with the teenage girls vying for his attention,
flirting and giggling, taken in by his charm and good humour, his
intense gaze made Harly blink.

Paul, catching
her startled expression, chuckled. “Memories. Right Harly?”

“Memories,” she
agreed, pushing away from where she’d been leaning back against the
sink listening to them reminisce. “Anyway, I have to get home.”

“Let’s go.”
Alex straightened.

Her heart
almost flipped right out of her chest as she stared up at him.
“Huh?”

Pulling a set
of keys from his pocket, he held it up in the air. “I’m your ride
home.”

“Oh.” Alarmed
at the thought of being alone with him, she looked at Paul. “Alex
only just got here after a long trip. Surely you could-”

“It’s no
problem.” He was right beside her, that damnably warm palm at the
small of her back as he propelled her forwards. “Let’s go.”

Obviously
seeing the reluctance in Harly’s eyes, Becky frowned in concern.
“Harly? Are you all right?”

Instantly Alex
stopped moving but his hand remained in place, seeming to burn
through the thin material of her shirt. He was so close to her, the
front of his thigh brushing her bottom, his body heat and male
fragrance seeping into her, making her hands tremble a little.

How could she
be so affected by him?

More than
conscious of Paul watching her closely, his expression suddenly
unreadable as he transferred his gaze to Alex partially behind her,
Harly took a steadying breath and forced a smile. “I’m fine,
honestly. Just worried about Alex putting himself out to take me
home.”

“It’s not
putting me out,” he replied. “Actually, I’m looking forward to
it.”

That had
Becky’s eyes brightening, Paul’s eyebrows rising, and Harly’s jaw
dropping in surprise.

“It’s been
years since I’ve seen you, Harly,” Alex continued in a pleasant
tone, smoothly manoeuvring her across the kitchen and through into
the hallway. “We’ve a lot to catch up on, and I didn’t get a chance
to talk to you much during the evening.”

Somehow that
didn’t reassure her, but it seemed to relieve her friends of their
concerns, so what could she do but smile and keep walking as though
everything was fine? Her guilty feelings were starting to surface,
and the old prophetic phrase,
be sure your sins will find you
out,
was tumbling around inside her head. But there was no hint
of anything in Alex’s voice as he assured Becky he’d travel
carefully and that no, he wasn’t tired. He laughed at a joke Paul
cracked and then they were outside in the cool night air.
Alone.

The house door
clicked shut behind Alex as he steered Harly over to his Jeep and
she stood silently as he unlocked and opened it, making sure she
was settled in the seat before shutting the door with a firm
move.

Watching him
walk around the front of the Jeep, she bit her lip. This could all
be nothing, she was fretting herself into a state over something he
couldn’t know. He was simply Alex, a man she hadn’t met for sixteen
years, a man changed and hardened by the life he’d chosen, that was
all. He was being polite, taking her home and giving his friend a
little time alone with his wife. Nothing more. She had to stop
reading things into his actions that weren’t possible.

The driver’s
door opened, Alex climbed in, fastened his seat belt and started
the engine. Putting the Jeep in reverse, he backed out of the drive
before putting it into gear and driving down the street. Flicking
the heater on low, he settled back and drove with quiet
efficiency.

The warmth
relaxed her, but it also made her intensely aware of the man beside
her. The warm air seemed to intensify his faint aftershave, and
that clean male scent that was so uniquely his filtered through her
senses.

Making her
remember another time, that same unique male scent, those blue eyes
filled with concern and warmth when he’d found her crying behind
the PCYC. She’d refused to go back inside, refused to tell him why
she’d been crying, and he’d taken her home, refusing in turn to
allow her to walk by herself. Calling a taxi, he’d sat beside her
as the cab wove its way through the streets. The warmth in the
taxi, the silence between them, had been so similar. At home it had
been empty and dark, her parents still out at the movies and not
expected home for several hours.

Ever the
gentleman, Alex had unlocked the door and gone in ahead of her,
turning on the lights. He’d followed her into the kitchen and
plugged in the kettle while she’d gone to the bathroom to wash her
face, wiping off the make-up and smeared mascara.

Embarrassed to
face him, she’d nevertheless pulled her shoulders back and returned
to the kitchen to find him standing by the counter with two mugs of
hot Milo. He’d looked at her, handed her a mug, taken the other one
and slinging an arm around her shoulders, he’d steered her into the
lounge to sit on the sofa.

And he’d waited
in silence.

That same
silence filled the car, and she now realised that Alex was good at
using the silence to make a person finally blurt out things they
normally wouldn’t reveal to anyone.

A predator
waiting for the prey to reveal itself? Maybe. Or maybe just a bloke
smart enough to know that patience revealed a lot of things.
Whatever, she wasn’t going to fall for it. Imagination or not, her
gut instinct was rearing its head again and it was warning her to
keep her mouth shut, to reveal nothing, for silence was also
safe.

However, that
silence seemed to stretch forever, making her shift uncomfortably
in the seat and shuffle her feet.

“All right?”
Alex asked quietly.

“What?” She
glanced across at him, unable to make out his features properly in
the darkness.

“You’re
restless.”

“Oh. No, I’m
fine.”

“Sure about
that?”

“Yes.”

He turned his
head briefly and the passing street light picked out the blue
glitters of his irises. “Absolutely sure?”

Uh-oh
.
“Yes. Why?”

“Just
thinking.”

“About
what?”

“A lot of
things, but one thing in particular that has bothered me for
awhile.”

“Oh?” Linking
her fingers together, she raised her eyebrows.

“Yep.”

When he didn’t
say anything further, she probed a little. “Care to share?”

“Not right now.
I pick my times.”

Shit, that
didn’t sound reassuring. “Pick your times?”

He didn’t
answer, so she didn’t ask anything more, but her nerves were
starting to jangle. Alex was speaking in riddles, revealing little
things, but she hadn’t a clue what he was going to go for -
something normal, or her jugular. She had to get out of the car and
away from him.

“You can drop
me off here,” she said casually.

He didn’t move
a muscle, his gaze staying on the road. “We’re nowhere near your
house.”

“I like to
walk.”

“Not at night,
and not on your own.”

“I’ve done it
before.”

He didn’t
hesitate. “No you haven’t.”

A little
flicker of anger burned to life. “How do you know?”

“Because you’re
not stupid.” This time he did glance at her again, one look from
eyes that were narrowed, that much she saw in another passing
street light. One brief, hard glance before he returned his gaze to
the road again. “In some things, anyway.”