Alex Reid (Rich & Single #1) (7 page)

“Close?”

“Fuck. Yeah. Alex.”

He stroked his tongue over her nipple, and then again reached down between them to press a thumb over her clit. She came, shuddering around him, and this time Alex let himself fall.

Chapter 8

When the world settled back into its proper alignment, Alex was on his elbows over Amanda, his heart beating loudly in his ears. He could hear her breathing coming as fast as his own. The warm length of Danni’s body was pressed against his side.

“Okay,” Amanda said after comfortable moment of afterglow. “Get off.”

Alex laughed, but he obligingly pulled out and rolled over, letting her drop her leg to the bed.

“In a minute, I’m going to get up and take a shower.” Danni sounded like she was trying to convince herself as much as she was them.

“I have a big shower,” Alex said.

Which was how they all ended up in the shower together, running hands over the curves of each other’s bodies on the pretense of helping each other wash. Alex did have to hand it to the girls; they weren’t shy about having fun. Or about second rounds. Or third rounds.

When they all finally collapsed to the bed for the last time, no one suggested a shower. Alex wasn’t sure any of them actually had the energy to get up, let alone initiate any further sexy times. Which was fine with him. Sleep sounded really good right about then.

The girls cuddled against his sides, and he pulled the blankets up over them. He was bound to wake up too hot partway through the night, but for the moment the arrangement was satisfactory, all that warm skin pressed up against his own. Just because he wasn’t interested in a fourth set of sex acts didn’t mean he couldn’t enjoy that particular sensation. And he fucking enjoyed it quite thoroughly.

Alex didn’t wake in the middle of the night. He woke, instead, to the girls scrambling around the room for their clothing, which they’d brought up with them the night before. He lifted himself up on one elbow and watched them dress.

“In a hurry?”

“Our flight leaves in three hours. We’ve still got to get back to the airport and go through international security, and no way am I missing it like we did the last time we tried to fly out of the country,” Amanda answered.

“Not that we wouldn’t mind staying here for a week again,” Danni said, smiling at him as she ran a brush through her hair. “Even if you’re never home. But we’ve planning this trip for way too long to get derailed on it.”

The last time, Alex remembered, they had missed their flight for reasons entirely unrelated to him. But he’d invited them to come stay for a while instead of hanging around at the airport for the next one. A day had turned into three. Then a week. When he’d finally sent them home, they’d spent the vacation time they’d intended to spend very much elsewhere in his mansion. Mostly the bedroom.

“I have to get up for work anyway,” Alex said, flipping the blankets back and rising from the bed despite his body’s protest that he hadn’t had enough sleep. He often went without enough sleep for business reasons. At least the culprit of this fatigue was something much more pleasant. “I’ve got meetings all day.”

“See what I mean about you never being home?”

He had, he remembered, the meeting with the trainer – Parker – about the gym. Among other things.

“A CEO’s work is never done.”

“I thought that was a mother’s work?”

“Mother. CEO. Sometimes I’m not sure I’m not raising this company the same way someone else might raise a child.”

Both girls laughed.

“Is it really that bad?” Danni asked.

Alex turned to look at her for a moment, and then he shook his head. “No. It’s not that bad. Honestly? It’s not bad at all. There are a lot of people who would be thrilled to have a job where they’re making the kind of money I’m making. I’m my own boss. I get the satisfaction of knowing that I brought something as successful as Reid Enterprises into the world…” He smiled. “No. It’s not bad.”

“That was actually kind of impressive,” Amanda said. “I mean, that ability to pull an uplifting speech completely out of your ass like that.”

“It’s why I make the big bucks.”

He was dressed and in the kitchen, pouring a cup of coffee, by the time the girls came down with their hair done and their makeup on. Alex looked up as they entered.

“I’ve already called the taxi to take you to the airport. It should be here any minute now.” He nodded to the coffee machine. “Would you like a cup?”

“I think we’ll just grab Starbucks at the airport,” Amanda said. “But thanks anyway. And thanks for the taxi, too.”

“And for the spectacular night,” Danni added.

“Oh, believe me. It was my pleasure.”

They giggled.

“We could tell,” Amanda said, giving him a look that was an invitation he would have thoroughly taken advantage of if she hadn’t been in a rush for the airport and he hadn’t been ready to walk out the door for work.

He glanced down at his phone where it sat on the counter, checking the time, and finished the last of his coffee in two long swallows.

“I have to get going. You two are welcome to any food you find in the fridge if you want something to eat. There’s—”

The taxi honking outside cut him off, and he grinned. He hadn’t heard the gate open, but that wasn’t unexpected.

“Or you can go get in the taxi.”

He walked to the door with them and opened it to let them out. Both women paused to give him a tight hug before they stepped through. Alex allowed it, even wrapping an arm around them in return. Both hugs, unsurprisingly, turned into kisses that weren’t exactly chaste. When they pulled back, all three of them were breathing a little faster.

“Enjoy your trip. You’ll have to come back and tell me all about it when you’re stateside again.”

“We will,” Amanda said.

They turned then and walked out to the taxi, loading their carry-ons in and waving before they slid onto the seat and closed the door. Alex lifted one hand in an answering wave, then headed back inside to get his phone and go out through the garage to his own car.

*  *

His phone reminded him again about the meeting with Parker at three. Alex arrived home at ten ‘til to find a car he didn’t recognize sitting in his driveway. He was prompt, then; Alex liked that. He pulled into the garage, then went to open the door.

Parker was waiting on the other side.

Alex caught himself staring, and forced the polite smile he used when he met with business associates. “Good afternoon. Parker, yes?”

“That’s my name. And a good afternoon to you, too, Mr. Reid.”

“Please, come in.” Alex stepped back to let the man pass.

He was huge. Alex was fit, but not like that, all bulging muscle even under the t-shirt he was wearing, which had the logo of his company, Fitness and Health Sports Club, blazoned across the front. He was also tattooed. Liberally. Alex supposed he should have expected it. What else was someone who made their living whipping other people into shape supposed to look like?

It was intimidating in a way that most of the high-powered businessmen Alex met with weren’t. Not, of course, that he was intimidated. There was no one who intimidated him.

“Would you like anything before we get started? A drink of water?”

Parker shook his head. “I’m good, thanks. Let’s take a look at the room you want to renovate, if you’re ready?”

“Quite ready.”

Alex led Parker down the hall to the end of the house. It was a rather long walk. As they went, he could almost feel the man’s eyes moving over everything. Surely he’d seen houses like this before with his clientele?

“Okay,” Alex said as he led him down the stairs and opened the door to the unused room. It was spacious, with windows that let in plenty of light. “This is the room I want renovated. As you can see, there isn’t too much that needs to be done to it. I’ve already had the furniture moved out.”

Parker was already pacing the edges of the room, nodding to himself as he went. “You’ll need to have the carpet ripped up, of course. Hardwood will be good flooring for the room if you’re going for appearances, although you’ll need to be careful moving gym machines around so you don’t scratch it. We’ll put mirrors in on all the walls.” He gestured as he spoke, sweeping one large hand out to indicate the room. “Unless you’d rather not?”

“Oh no. I have no objection. If that’s what’s usual, we’ll go with that. The only time the machines should be moved is when they’re moved in, so that doesn’t concern me.”

“What kind of machines are you wanting to look at?”

“I’ll need weights. Probably a chest press. Leg press. Plenty of machines for working the upper body and lower body both. I couldn’t tell you most of them by name, though. Plus cardio stuff as well. New, high-tech stuff. Big screen TV somewhere so I can take care of business if I have to and catch a few hockey games and sports while I’m running.”

Parker listened, nodding again.

“We can do all that. We’ll add a treadmill or two, of course. Do you think you’ll have more than one person in here at a time?”

“Right now I’m the only one who lives in the house, but I may be installing apartments for a personal assistant. So let’s assume there might be at least two people working out in the room at once.”

“There usually are. That’s easy enough to set up.” He turned to look at Alex. “A basic gym set up is, well, basic. So there’s nothing really complicated we’re doing in here. I would say we can have the equipment picked out and ready within a week, assuming that you want us to pick the equipment?”

“You know more about it than I do.” Alex stood just inside the frame of the door, arms crossed over his chest. “I’m an expert in plenty of areas but this isn’t one of them, so I’ll defer to your knowledge here.”

“You’ll need to take care of the flooring, and any other structural changes you want made.”

“I assumed as much. I have contractors already picked.”

“Sounds like you’re pretty well prepared, then. Anything else you wanted to discuss for the space?”

Alex shook his head.

“I think we’re covered.”

“How about your workout routine?” Parker grinned at him with very straight white teeth. “Not that you don’t look good, but we could take you to the next level if you’re looking to get there.”

Alex laughed. “Not at this time, no. I’ve got other things on my mind, and a company to run. Maybe when things slow down.”

As though things would ever slow down. Besides, he was plenty fit, and more than content with his looks. He’d never met a woman who had any complaints to make about the state of his body.

“Fair enough,” Parker answered, lifting both hands palm out in a gesture of surrender, though the smile hadn’t left his face. “I promise not to suggest it again. At least not before the gym is done.”

He would find a personal trainer with a sense of humor.

“If we’re otherwise done here, I’ll need to get some pictures and measurements of the space so that I know how much we can fit and where.”

“Of course. Please carry on.”

Alex didn’t move from his place. He stood instead and watched as Parker pulled an iPhone out of his pocket and began snapping images of the room.

“What made you get into this sort of business, if you don’t mind my asking?” he ventured after a moment.

“Not at all.” Parker turned to get pictures from another angle, but he glanced up from his phone for a moment to acknowledge Alex before he looked back at the screen. “It’s really not anything that special. You know, I like working out. Wanted to share that passion with the world. All that good stuff. And I discovered I have a pretty strong talent for it. I’ve had a lot of success. Made good money. Bigger clientele. It just keeps growing. It’s great.” He pulled a tape measure from his back pocket and started measuring, recording the results on his phone. “You seem you’re pretty successful yourself.”

“You could say that,” Alex said, letting the smile on his face be audible in his voice. “I know what I want, and I’ve made a point of getting it.”

“Lawyer?” Parker guessed. “Doctor?”

“Neither. Investment company CEO.”

The trainer whistled. “That’s some pretty legitimate stuff. Not that being a doctor or a lawyer isn’t. I wouldn’t have sat through eight years of college for anything. But you really have to know your markets for the kind of work you do. I’ve done some basic investing of my own, you know, getting back a little more than just the interest from the bank, but nothing like anywhere near on that scale.”

“It’s a talent,” Alex said. “Like helping people get fit.”

“Talent’s only part of it, though. What’s that saying… Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” He straightened up and tucked the measuring tape back into its place, grinning at Alex. “I’ve got a whole library of those things in my head. I think I know more motivational quotes than anyone could ever use.”

“Is that part of the job? Knowing motivational quotes?”

Parker shrugged. “Depends on the person. Some people yell at their clients. Some people just say whatever comes into their heads. I did a lot of research when I started out. You know, what makes people take, what makes them want to push through when they feel like giving up. So sometimes I pull out stuff like that. Sometimes I just base what I want to say on something clever someone else said once. Not many people actually like being berated, but there are a few. I’ve done that, too.”