Alicia's Folly (8 page)

“Are you okay?” he asked. His voice was a low rumble and the true concern she heard in it was like a warm blanket wrapping around her. She swallowed hard and shook her head. Like some over-emotional teenager, she felt her nose turn red as a fresh wave of tears filled her eyes. He groaned helplessly and whispered, “Don’t cry. Please, don’t cry.” As he spoke, he brushed soft kisses all over her face.
 

“I – I’m good,” she whispered, gently pushing on his chest. He searched her face. When he saw she was slowly regaining control of herself, he exhaled a sigh of relief. “I – ah – wanted to kiss you so bad. That should have been warning enough. You – ” Something flashed in Nate’s eyes, stopping her short. Alicia’s heart gave a little skip as she recognized the need and gratitude in his expression.
 

All of a sudden, she was angry. It ticked her off to see such a handsome, attractive, vital man so unsure of his own appeal. She wanted nothing more than scratch out the eyes of the person who’d kicked the crap out of his self-esteem. Seeing her mood shift, he pulled away, surprised.
 

Alicia turned onto her side, pushing Nate onto his back as she went. Then, without saying a word, not even when he asked her what was wrong, she climbed over him and straddled his hips. She wasn’t sure how she’d do it, but she was going to show him exactly how sexy and desirable he was.
 

“Did I do something?” he asked, frowning. She shook her head. “Then what is it? For a few seconds there, you looked like you wanted to punch someone out.”
 

“I do,” she answered without thinking. When she realized what she’d said, she blushed hotly. “Not you,” she reassured quickly.
 

“Then who?” His frown deepened. A hint of frustration darkened his amazing chocolate eyes.
 

In for a penny, in for a pound
, she thought, sucking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “The person who made you think you’re not desirable, that’s who. That person obviously doesn’t know a real man when she sees one.”
 

“Really?” he asked. A frown creased his forehead. “And what exactly constitutes a “real man”?” His tone as he asked this last question was wary, like he wasn’t sure he’d like her answer. She swallowed past a lump of nervousness and told him what her version of a ‘real man’ was.
 

“In no specific order, he, i.e. you, is kind and considerate of others’ feelings while not kowtowing to them at every turn. He’s strong yet gentle and can make a woman feel safe and cherished with just a look or the smallest of touches. He – Nate?” she asked, stopping mid-rant. His eyes had slid shut on the word “cherished” and he was clenching his jaw. Alicia wondered if she’d gone overboard. What if she was sounding too clingy and lovey? She bit her lip worriedly as she waited for him to speak.
 

“You didn’t mention looks or sex appeal,” he rasped, opening his eyes. They were bright with raw emotion and damn near took her breath away. Relief washed through her as she realized he wasn’t angry or put off. She shrugged.
 

“Looks are a bonus,” she said simply, avoiding for the moment the “sex appeal” part of his statement. His jaw dropped slightly before he snapped it shut and scowled up at her. She couldn’t help the grin that spread slowly across her face. “And don’t worry. You’ve got them in spades.” This last was said in a whisper a mere inch or two from his mouth. When his scowl deepened, she giggled. It really was fun to tease him. Especially since letting him off the hook looked like it was going to be a
lot
of fun.
 

“And sex appeal is automatic when the man in question, i.e. you, has all of the above,” she said, hoping like hell her voice sounded seductive and not at all corny. The frown eased and became a slow, somewhat smug grin. It was her turn to arch an eyebrow at him. Only hers was a challenge, as if to say, “What are you going to do about it?” To add fuel to the fire, she added, “You, Nate Langston, are sex on a stick.”
 

Alicia shrieked as she found herself suddenly flipped onto her back. Nate growled low in her ear as he ground his hips against her. She moaned as the contact created a low burn in the pit of her stomach.
 

“I’ll show you a stick,” he said playfully before capturing her mouth in a slow, sweet kiss that made her heart swell and beat erratically in her chest. She did her best to ignore the “swelling” part, given it meant her feelings for him were deepening, and concentrated on the lust-driven, irregular pounding instead. In an effort to crush any and all things sentimental, she tried to take control of the kiss.
 

“Oh no you don’t,” Nate rasped, breaking away. “We’re doing things my way this time.” Before she could answer, he bit gently down on her lower lip. Alicia moaned helplessly as pleasure made her breasts tingle and the muscles in her sex clench. He kissed her chin, then licked and nipped at her neck. Her breathing sawed in and out of her lungs as the need for the feel of his hands on her body reached a critical level. When he did finally touch her, she cried out in frustration. There were too many clothes in the way. She wanted skin-on-skin.
 

“I’m with you, babe,” Nate said, rising up to kneel. He pulled her with him so she was sitting. Alicia didn’t know whether to pull her own t-shirt over her head or tear his off for him. They were in such a rush to undress, their movements clashed and became a mess of arms accomplishing nothing. With a growl of frustration, he took hold of her hands. “Stop,” he ordered. “Let me.”
 

Alicia nodded mutely in agreement and raised her arms up, crossing them loosely over her head. Nate made an appreciative noise and took hold of the hem of her t-shirt. He lifted it excruciatingly slowly upward, tormenting her. Then, just as the fabric reached her breasts and the lacy bra she was wearing started to show, there was a loud, insistent pounding on the door. The noise was as effective as a bucket of ice water. All of a sudden, Alicia found herself feeling suddenly guilty for being where she was.
 

“Son of a – ” Nate swore. “Expecting someone?” She shook her head and tried to adjust her shirt. He still had a hold of it and refused to let go. “Then we’ll wait whoever it is out. When you don’t answer, they’ll leave.”
 

A guilty blush stole up into her face as she actually considered doing this. Unfortunately, it didn’t sound like the person on the other side of the door would be giving up any time soon. As though reading her thoughts, her unexpected visitor called out.
 

“Alicia! Answer the door. I know you’re in there.” Nate’s expression turned dark as her eyes widened and her jaw dropped.
 

“Phillip?” she squeaked incredulously. Confusion reigned as she wracked her brain for a plausible reason for him to be in Trinidad, let alone hammering on her door so angrily. There was none. Furious now herself, she glared at the door and didn’t budge. She was just about to tell Nate she’d be more than happy to wait her former boss out when there was a deep groan, followed by a loud crash. The instant before these sounds occurred, the pounding stopped.
 

“Oh my God! Movemovemove!” she yelled, practically shoving Nate away. She barely remembered to fix her shirt before throwing open the door and dropping to the floor beside Phillip.
 

Alicia fought the empty feeling washing over her as she watched Nate’s retreating back. He’d barely said a handful words as she explained who Phillip was. She didn’t know what was more upsetting, having her former boss show up at the hotel he’d booked for her, along with everything his sudden appearance implied, or seeing the look of disapproval on Nate’s face when he learned she was unemployed. She knew he was bothered by this fact when he said incredulously, “Unemployed and on vacation on a tropical island? That makes perfect sense.”
 

“He’s a piece of work,” Phillip offered sarcastically. “What the hell business is it of his if you’re taking a quick break before finding yourself another job?” Alicia turned on him, her hackles up. At that exact moment, she didn’t give a rat’s ass how sick he was. She wanted answers and was damn well going to get them.
 

“What the hell are you doing here, Phillip? And just who the hell do you think you are, coming to my hotel room, pounding on the door and yelling like you own me?” she seethed.
 

“Glad to hear you’re thinking clearly after what you were doing. He’s obviously not a very good lover if you can be so rational so soon after being with him. Exactly how far did he get, by the way, your new toy?” Phillip’s face was a mask of hatred as he spoke. When all she could do was stare down at him in shock, his expression faltered and he began to fidget.
 

Alicia had half a mind to throw insults herself. Luckily, the other half of her mind, the slightly more rational one, realized doing so would get her absolutely nowhere. She eyed him over from head to feet, seeing exactly how pale and haggard he looked. The accusation that he’d not been taking care of himself nearly flew from her mouth. Only the gleam in his eyes kept it locked behind her teeth. That little, snarky light told her everything from his comments to his appearance were tactics to either throw her off or garner sympathy. He was handling her.
 

“Why are you here?” she asked, repeating herself. This time, there were no follow-up questions. She’d wait to see if he answered first. If he didn’t, she would throw him the hell out, regardless of his condition.
 

“To see you,” Phillip said simply. The corners of his mouth went up ever so slightly, telling her he was proud of himself. He knew damn well his non-answer would force her to ask more questions, which would invariably throw her off. When severely stressed as she was now, she wasn’t very good at staying focused. Not unless she had a very specific task to accomplish. To that end, she was a hell of a researcher, but couldn’t follow a simple line of questioning without letting her emotions and worries get the better of her. Her former boss was well aware of this.
 

“Get out,” Alicia seethed, changing her mind. Suddenly it sufficed knowing his appearance and attitude were all kinds of creepy. She didn’t need to hear his justifications. She was content to think he’d booked the trip for her with the intent of crashing it and attempting to seduce her. The thought made her shudder and feel queasy, but at least now she could avoid being strung along.
 

“I’m weak, Alicia. You can’t kick me out,” he countered. His voice miraculously lost its power as he drooped in the chair she’d helped him to.
 

“I will pick you up and throw you bodily from this room, so help me God! Get. The. Hell. Out,” she yelled. For emphasis, she stormed toward the door and threw it open. The unexpected sight of someone standing on the other side made her scream and stumble backward several steps. Phillip, suddenly recovered, was up like a shot.
 

“I warned you to stay away,” the newcomer barked, stopping him in his tracks. He was holding the door open and glowering at Phillip. It took several moments for Alicia to realize it was James, the oily detective. When she did, she looked back and forth between them, feeling trapped.
 

“You two know each other?” she asked, struggling to keep the panic from her voice. Phillip simply crossed his arms over his chest and refused to move. His behavior was so counter to his character, she screamed at him. “Get the hell out. And talk to the front desk about getting your money back because I’m changing hotels. I can pay for my own damned vacation!”
 

“You heard the lady,” James said, gesturing for Phillip to leave. After a very pregnant pause, her former employer and friend finally moved. Without saying a word, he left her room and headed down the hallway. He didn’t even look back. Alicia was shaking from her head to her feet as she asked James how in the hell they knew each other.
 

“We went to school together, back in the day. He’s decided he’s been in love with you all along and wants to make sure you’re taken care of when he’s gone. His plan was to have us meet and, eventually, fall madly in love. I’m – ”
 

“And you just went along with it?” She could barely ask the question for the lower half of her jaw being so close to the floor. He shook his head.
 

“I thought it wouldn’t hurt to meet you. When I did, I realized you are far too lovely a bird to be caged by such an extremely possessive and controlling man as myself. You deserve to fly freely,” he answered quietly. “I am very sorry you had to witness that scene the other morning. It really was for show. It also had the desired effect on the men my partner and I were after. They were apprehended this morning. You can read about it in the paper later this evening or tomorrow morning.”
 

Alicia’s shaking slowly eased as James spoke. His tone was soothing to her frazzled nerves. When he was done, she couldn’t help but feel guilty for all of the horrible things she’d thought about him. There must have been something in her expression because he shook his head and chuckled.
 

“Don’t worry your beautiful self,” he said, grinning. Then he grew serious and looked her square in the eyes. “Do change hotels, regardless of the outcome of my case. Phillip hasn’t been taking his medication and the pain… It has to be what’s causing him to be so – not himself.”
 

Even though she knew James was right, she couldn’t help but think she should stay put. She was worried about Phillip. Yes, he’d freaked her out completely by showing up and being so nasty and manipulative, but they were friends and it was hard to let that go.
 

“I will pack you up myself, Alicia,” James warned, showing her his controlling side.
 

“Why does she need to pack? Where is she going?” a voice asked. A shiver of awareness worked its way through her as Nate stepped around James and into the room. Even though he was scowling ferociously, she didn’t think she’d seen a more handsome or welcome sight.