Against the Odds (12 page)

His hands slid into her hair. “I need you, Sabrina.” Cupping
her face, he claimed her lips in another ravaging kiss. “I need you so damned
much.”

Deep, wet kisses followed. She was breathless and trembling,
her hands running all over him, reaching for his zipper, sliding it down.

“Christ,” he said. Turning away from her long enough to deal
with protection, he reached for her, drew her back into his arms. Sabrina gasped
as his fingers curled around the black lace thong. Alex ripped it away, found
her soft folds wet and ready and began to stroke her. Another deep kiss and he
lifted her up, wrapped her legs around his waist.

“I know I should go slow, but I’ve waited too long to have
you.” Rina felt his erection at her core, made a low keening sound as he buried
himself to the hilt.

For several long moments, he held himself in check, his
forehead bent against hers. “You feel so damned good.”

Her eyes burned. “Alex...” She wanted to remember this moment,
tuck it away for when this night was over.

Alex began to move, his heavy strokes filling her, deep and
penetrating, drawing out the pleasure. He felt thick and hard, his body
rock-solid as he moved against her, and heat burned through every cell in her
body. Emotion surged through her, and hot, driving need. This was Alex and she
had wanted him for so long.

Clinging to his neck, her body responded to the rhythm of his
thrusts, the saturating pleasure, and a powerful climax began to build. It hit
with hurricane force and rippled like shock waves through her body. She cried
out Alex’s name, her head falling back, sensation rolling up from deep inside.
She hung on, rode through another fierce climax before he allowed himself to
reach his own release.

Minutes ticked past and neither of them moved. Limp and sated,
Sabrina rested her head against his shoulder, her throat aching and tears
burning her eyes. She had never felt anything so wonderful, so intense. She had
known Alex would be a skillful lover, but this was far more than that.

She squeezed her eyes shut, blocking the tears and the emotion
that pressed down on her chest. Alex’s lips moved softly against the top of her
head as he carried her over to the bed and settled her in the middle.

She thought he would make some excuse to leave, but he only
climbed onto the bed beside her and pulled her into his arms.

She told herself to send him home, that it was too risky to let
him stay, but soft heat still hummed through her, remnants of the pleasure they
had shared. When he leaned down and kissed her, she reached for him, responding
as she always did, and let him sweep her away.

Thirteen

T
hey made love three more times before
morning, once in the soft dawn light coming in through the window. Afterward,
they fell into a deep, contented sleep. Alex awakened first, looked down at the
petite redhead curled against him, and a sweet longing welled inside.

It was new for him, this wanting that wouldn’t seem to go away.
He wished it were only the sex, but he knew it was more. Knew he felt something
for Sabrina he had never felt for a woman before.

She stirred on the bed beside him and her eyes cracked open. In
an instant, she was fully awake, shoving herself back against the antique
rosewood headboard, pulling the sheet up to cover her pretty breasts.

She stared at him with such a mixture of horror and regret, he
wanted to laugh and shake her at the same time. And kiss her and make love to
her all over again.

“Oh, my God, Alex, what have we done?”

He shoved himself back until he was propped up beside her, the
sheet covering his lap and the hardening in his lower body that seemed out of
place at the moment.

“We’ve done exactly what we wanted to, love. We’re mature
adults and we’ve been fighting this for a long time.”

“We’ve...we’ve ruined our friendship.”

One of his eyebrows went up. “Have we?”

“You know it’ll never be the same again.”

God, he hoped not. He’d suffered enough of wanting and not
having. “We’ll be fine.”

She just shook her head. Reaching down, she grabbed his tuxedo
shirt off the floor and pulled it on, slipped out of bed. The shirt came well
past her knees and her soft red curls were mussed around her face. She looked
adorable.

“I have...I have to go,” she said.

His mouth edged up. “In case you’ve forgotten, this is your
house. I’m the one who has to leave.”

“Oh. Yes, well, I have some...umm...errands to run. I need to
shower and get ready.”

He wanted to join her under the fine, warm spray, run his soapy
hands all over her sweet little body. He knew better than to push his luck. He
started to say he’d leave, but she was already in the bathroom with the door
closed. He pulled on his wrinkled black slacks and went in to make coffee,
prowled her sunny yellow kitchen looking for something to eat that was more
substantial than flax bran or turkey bacon.

He’d make do with what he had. By the time Sabrina came out of
the bedroom dressed in navy blue slacks and a no-nonsense white cotton blouse,
he had coffee made and turkey bacon set out on the counter next to a jug of
orange juice, a carton of Egg Beaters and a loaf of twelve-grain bread.

“Oh. You’re still here.”

Irritation trickled through him. This was the first time in his
life a woman had wanted him out the morning after. “It’s Sunday. I’ll make us
something to eat, then I’ll head home.”

She bit her lip, glanced away. “I...umm...really have to
go.”

“Is that so? Where to?”

Her shoulders straightened. “Look, Alex, we both know what’s
going on here. Last night was a mistake for both of us. It was fun, but it’s not
going to happen again.”

“Why not?”

“Because we just don’t fit. You know that as well as I do. By
tomorrow you’ll be interested in someone else. I’m fine with that—really, I am.
I mean, I know the way you are. I knew it before we...before we...”

“Had sex?”

“Yes. But I’m not interested in getting involved in any sort of
relationship and neither are you.”

He frowned. Those were the kind of words he was usually saying.
“Maybe we should let things play out, see where they lead.”

She started shaking her head. “It’s better if we end things now
before they get too complicated.”

His temper was building. How could she be talking about
complications? About ending things after the incredible night they’d just had?
There was no way she was faking all those orgasms. No way in hell.

“You’re sure that’s the way you want it.”

She swallowed, glanced away. “I’m sure.”

“Fine.” Turning, he strode back to the bedroom to retrieve his
shirt and finish getting dressed. By the time he walked back into the kitchen,
the food on the counter had all been put away. Hell, he hadn’t even had a cup of
coffee.

“Thanks for the favor,” he said as he walked past.

Sabrina flushed, which made him mad all over again. “Dammit,
not that kind of favor. Thanks for going with me last night.”

“Oh. You’re welcome.”

When Sabrina said nothing more, he jerked open the door and
stormed out of the apartment.

Women! Who the hell needed
them.

But there was one particular female he was afraid he was
beginning to need way too much.

* * *

Sabrina stood in the kitchen, staring at the place Alex
had been. She felt drained and ridiculously depressed. She told herself ending
things now was for the best. Neither of them wanted entanglements. Not when it
was so completely clear it wouldn’t last.

Now that he was gone, there was no need for her to leave. Since
she needed to get ready for her meeting with Arturo Hernandez tomorrow night,
she sat down at the computer in her study. There was a lot more research that
needed to be done on molybdenum. She set to work, but quickly discovered
concentrating wasn’t that easy.

Not when her mind kept sliding back to Alex and the passionate
night they’d shared. She hoped he was right and making love hadn’t completely
destroyed their friendship. Alex had come to mean a great deal to her, more than
she ever should have allowed. She should have controlled the attraction she felt
for him, kept things on an even keel.

On the other hand, going to bed with Alex Justice had been one
of the most incredible experiences of her life. There was no way she was going
to regret it.

She looked down at the keyboard, at her fingers that sat
unmoving on the keys. For the tenth time, she fought to shove thoughts of last
night away, along with visions of hot, sweat-slick flesh, burning kisses and a
string of orgasms more plentiful than she had believed it was possible to
have.

Instead she focused on the business she hoped to start—mining
the Sabrina Belle. She looked up
moly
on Google,
checking the costs of mining the ore, and its fluctuating value, which was
currently thirty-four thousand dollars a ton, but in 2005, had reached a high of
over a hundred thousand.

If Uncle Walter was right, the mine could be worth a
fortune.

Sunday was a long day and restless night of remembering the
night before, so on Monday she decided to give herself a break and go shopping.
She would find something new to wear for her dinner with Arturo Hernandez,
something that made her look smart and professional yet still feminine and
attractive.

Climbing into her blue Toyota Corolla, biting back a wistful
sigh that it wasn’t her Mercedes convertible and wondering if the mine might one
day buy her another one, Sabrina headed for the freeway and the short hop down
the 605 to the Galleria.

She had just pulled into traffic, eased over a lane and started
to pick up speed when she noticed something odd going on with the steering.

She turned the wheel to adjust the distance between the Toyota
and the big 18-wheeler rolling up beside her in the right lane, but her car kept
moving in that direction. Her pulse shot up. She cranked the wheel harder,
trying to make more of an adjustment, but the Toyota continued at the same angle
as before—still drifting into the path of the truck.

She tried to slow, saw a silver Porsche rushing up fast behind
her. It all happened in an instant. She heard the truck driver blasting his
horn, but the steering wheel no longer controlled the front end of the car. The
truck was jammed between two other cars with nowhere to go but on top of
her.

The driver of the silver Porsche was talking on his cell phone,
oblivious and way too close. The truck was a death sentence. With no other
choice, Rina slammed on the brakes. The truck horn blared as the heavy vehicle
shot past just inches away, but even with her foot off the brake to lessen the
impact, the tailgating Porsche smashed into her with devastating force.

She heard the screech of metal, the crack and shatter of glass.
Carried by the car behind, the Toyota slammed into the vehicle in front of her.
The wheels of the Toyota skidded over the pavement, the air bags deployed and
Rina’s head snapped back at a tremendous force that jarred every bone in her
body. Then everything went black.

* * *

Alex heard the bell ring above the door and looked up to
see his sister, Becca, walking into the office. She was wearing jeans and a tank
top, her blond hair pulled up in a ponytail. She was grinning as she approached
his desk.

“You’re in a good mood this afternoon,” Alex said. “Where’s
Ginny?”

She slid into the chair beside him. “Playdate with a
friend.”

“Why are you grinning?”

“I just heard the gossip. You at the country club Saturday
night. Your little tiff with Ryan Gosford. Were you playing white knight again,
big brother?”

Irritation trickled through him. “Who the hell told you
that?”

“Ilsa Carras. She’s on the committee, remember? She was there
at the gala that night.”

Ilsa was involved in fundraising for cancer research. Since
Becca had received the same inheritance from their grandfather Alex had gotten,
she was a generous donor.

Which was how she’d met Ilsa, the gossipmonger.

“Apparently Ilsa heard it from Connie Gartner. Connie saw you
punch Ryan in the stomach to keep him from harassing his ex-girlfriend, who
happened to be your date.”

Alex raked a hand through his hair. “I’ve already taken a
ration of crap from Sage and Jake. I’d prefer not to hear it from you.”

Rebecca just laughed. “So who is she?”

Alex didn’t answer. His attention had shifted, focused on Jake,
who had shoved through the front door and was striding toward him with a grim
look on his face.

Alex came up out of his chair. “What is it?”

“Rina. She was in a car accident. She’s at Houston Memorial
Hospital.”

The words hit him like a fist in the stomach. “How bad is
she?”

“They don’t know yet. She’s in the emergency room. Sage is with
her.” The knot in his stomach twisted. “Something happened, Alex. She’s asking
for you.”

“I’m already on my way.” Brushing past Jake, he started for the
door.

Becca must have sensed his fear and his desperate need to reach
her. “I’m going with you,” she said as she fell in step beside him. Since he
knew that tone of voice, Alex didn’t argue.

“I’ll meet you there,” Jake called after them, heading for his
Jeep. Alex shoved open the door and they hurried out to his car. Becca climbed
in on the passenger side; Alex slid into the driver’s seat and started the
engine. His stomach was churning. Worry had his hands sweating on the wheel.

“I have a feeling this is the girl you took to the benefit
Saturday night,” Becca said.

“That’s right.”

“The way you’re driving, she must really be something.”

He slowed because he wouldn’t do Sabrina any good if he got
pulled over for speeding or was in an accident himself.

“She’s a very good friend.” He squealed around a corner, shoved
the accelerator down again.

“A friend. Yes, I can see that.”

He flicked her a sideways glance but made no comment.

“What’s her name?”

“Sabrina Eckhart.”

“Sage’s friend?”

“Yes.”

“I thought you said she was a pain in the ass.”

“She is a pain in the ass.”

“But she’s your pain in the ass and she’s in trouble,
right?”

“Close enough.” He just hoped to God she was going to be
okay.

Houston Memorial Hospital was in the Medical Center area, not
that far away. The complex was a city in itself, with a half-dozen high-rise
buildings and thousands of employees. He knew his way to the hospital, having
been there a couple of times before. Wheeling into one of the visitor parking
spaces, he got out of the car and crossed the lot, Becca beside him, her long
legs working to keep pace with his.

As he slammed through the heavy glass doors, acrid hospital
smells hit him, but for once didn’t slow him down. He strode down the corridor
to the emergency room and spotted Sage hurrying toward him.

Alex caught her shoulders. “Is she going to be all right? What
do the doctor’s say?”

“It was a bad wreck, Alex. The car was totaled, but it could
have been a whole lot worse. God must have been riding with her. By some
miracle, it looks like she’s going to be okay.”

Relief made him shaky. He felt his sister’s fingers wrap around
his arm and was glad she had come with him.

“You okay?” she asked softly.

He took a deep breath, slowly released it. “Just worried, is
all.” He turned to Sage. “Tell me what happened.”

“I don’t know the whole story. I know the wreck occurred on the
605 Freeway southbound not far from her apartment. Rina said she was on her way
to the Galleria, but that’s about all I got.”

“Jake said she was asking for me.”

“That’s right. She’s awake. She’s battered and bruised. She’s
got whiplash from being rear-ended, but the air bags did their job and she
doesn’t have any broken bones. They did X-rays to see if there were any chest
injuries from the bag, but everything looks okay. They’re keeping her overnight
for observation.”

“That’s it?”

“She asked me not to call her mom. She doesn’t want Florence
driving all the way down here from Uvalde again.”

“I’ll go get her, fly her down.”

Sage laid a hand on his shoulder. “Let’s wait, Alex, see what
Rina wants to do.”

He nodded. He wanted to see her. He’d waited long enough.
“Where is she?”

“One of the emergency bays. They made me leave. I don’t know if
they’ll let you see her or not.”