Captured by the Bodyguard (6 page)

Quickly changing the topic, Alexandra had reminded Malia about her birthday coming up in a week. Malia loved birthday parties, especially hers, and the topic distracted her enough to shift her attention from Cane.

Now here I am, thought Alexandra; waking up from another dream with her bodyguard in the starring role. Cane…doing things to her body that would actually be illegal in some countries.

Knowing he was right in the next room was making it even worse. Because there was nothing she could do about the big fat ache coiling in her belly.

Or maybe there was.

Food. That was it. She couldn’t sleep, it was the middle of the freaking night – but one thing she knew could mellow her down from her sexually charged high, was hustling a bite. There had to be
something
in that fridge that could take her mind off sex.

Alexandra padded barefoot into the unlit kitchen and it wasn’t until she opened the refrigerator that she first noticed the figure sitting at the kitchen bar in total darkness. She almost jumped a foot till she realized it was Cane.

Alexandra cursed underneath her breath. “You almost scared the shit out of me!” She heaved a breath, her hand on her throat.

“Sorry,” he murmured. “I guess I couldn’t sleep. Looks like you have the same problem.”

Man, you have no idea, thought Alexandra, reaching into the fridge and trying to distract herself from the fact that there was a bare-chested Cane seated in semi-darkness in her kitchen. She’d caught a glimpse of those rippling abs of his that folded almost in half as he sat hunched over the table, his lower half dressed in loose gym pants. Alexandra poured out a glass of milk and contemplated firing up the stove for some eggs or maybe fixing a cold sandwich. Suddenly though, all interest in food fled as she swept her gaze to Cane. Suddenly, she thought of Malia’s words and the next thing she knew, she was sitting at the table.

“So why don’t you tell me why you couldn’t sleep,” she ventured, knowing she surprised him when he cocked an eyebrow at her.

“Maybe I’m just keeping watch,” he replied, and Alexandra quelled the urge to press her knees together as she felt him slide his gaze over her. Even in the dimness, his jewel-like eyes pierced just as intensely.

“Yeah. Maybe you need to lighten up with that. The security system has this place on lockdown,” Alexandra said with a teasing smile, before she added lightly, “Do you ever relax? I mean, enough to actually have fun?”

Cane huffed. “Tell you the truth, I’m not a firm believer in ‘fun’, Alexandra. Work is my play. It’s all I know. I’ve been in combat situations since before I turned twenty. And after I left active service, I went straight into the line of work where I knew my skills would be of best use.”

Alexandra had liked hearing her name on his lips. It gave her a squishy feeling deep where she lived. She also liked that they were talking one on one for the first time. She’d ponder the wisdom of that much, much later. Right now though, she was curious about him; wanted to know what made him tick. “I still think there’s a part of you that’s not all about the live action. There’s got to be other ways you can get that…adrenalin rush you seem to enjoy so much.”

Cane’s eyes grew hooded; he watched her take a gulp of her milk and then place the glass down before she carefully licked off her white moustache. Shocked by the way his eyes turned almost black just then, Alexandra drew in a sharp breath, which caused her breasts to tilt forward as the nipples hardened to coins beneath her tank top. She could almost swear her pussy buzzed in response to the laser-beam gleam from his steady, penetrating gaze.

Suddenly, Alexandra felt so breathless with want that soft, short pants escaped her lips. Just like that, the atmosphere in the kitchen crackled, giving off sparks she was sure he couldn’t pretend to ignore.

“Oh, there are other ways,” Cane finally murmured. “I’m sure you can imagine the kinds of things that’ll get a man’s blood pumping just that much faster. But then there’s always the issue of the right time and place.”

A thrill shot down her spine as she held his darkened gaze. “Is that an invitation, Mr. Hutchinson?” Alexandra tried not to think Cane was flirting with her. He
never
flirted. Nevertheless, she felt her body react to the possibility with alarmingly joyous expectation.

“No, Alexandra,” he said softly. Her head shot up when he rose to his feet, and then he leaned over her. Now their faces were so close their foreheads almost touched. Alexandra stared into his gorgeous eyes and couldn’t look away, mesmerized.  She bit on her bottom lip, telling herself she could already taste their first kiss…

Her eyelids involuntarily fluttered down, her heart rate increasingly disturbingly. The spring in her belly tightened, sending a spiral of longing in between her thighs. If he so much as touched her now, she’d ignite.

His lips were close…so close. Alexandra could feel his warm breath fan her face, and her own lips parted in helpless anticipation.

But nothing happened. Suddenly, he was pulling away. Alexandra’s eyes popped open and she stared into his inscrutable face as he straightened, shaking his head.

“Not an invitation,” he added with a calm tone. “More like a warning. Girls like you need a diversion once in a while…something to spice things up when everyday life gets tiresome. And much as I’m tempted, I’d rather not be used for sport. I’m not here for your amusement, Alexandra. I’m sure there’ll be other willing candidates waiting for you to give them the time of day. As for me; I’m not quite ready to be some billionaire’s daughter’s pastime.”

“You flatter yourself,” Alexandra said coldly, jumping to her feet with blazing eyes.

“Do I?” he murmured, his eyes growing hooded. Not touching her, he moved in close enough so that his cheek brushed hers. Alexandra stiffened, sensing the way he inhaled deeply, as if savoring her scent.

“I know that smell, Alexandra,” Cane said softly in her ear, making the tiny hairs on her lobe tingle as her breasts grew heavy with arousal. “It’s always on you now; and it’s maddening. Driving me crazy. It calls to me every time I’m near you, making me so hard I could explode. I want to give you what you need. God, I want to. But I can’t.”

He hadn’t even put a hand on her, but Alexandra was melting. Literally forming a puddle deep in her core. The tortured sound of his voice in her ear made her senses swim as she thought of what
could
be. If only they took it to the next level.

“Stay away from me, Alexandra. Please.” His harsh words slashed her through the middle, baring her to the torment that rasped in his tone. “You don’t even want to
know
the things I wish I could do to you. But I can’t let my desires override my duty. That’s not how I operate. So just do what I say, and keep your distance. And maybe one day, you’ll thank me for having enough self-restraint to stop us both from making the biggest mistake.”

“I’m not sure that’s solely your decision to make,” Alexandra said huskily, torn by the attraction she felt for him, and also by the fact that he might be right.

“Well, I’ve made it. Now, unless you want me to walk away from this assignment – which believe me, is just as tempting as my desire to stay and see this through, then don’t start something we’ll both regret,” he told her in that low, warning tone.

“You know, for a tough guy, you really surprise me. Whatever happened to the sense of adventure?” Alexandra couldn’t help taunting, inwardly filled with the fury of a woman scorned and all that. It burned in her eyes as she spun around with a toss of her messed-up curls. Throwing over her shoulder, she added, “I should have known you couldn’t handle all this jelly.”

She paused at the doorway to glance at him and could feel her heart skip a beat at the darkly feral glint in his eyes. Despite herself, she couldn’t hide the sudden consternation that snatched at her heart. She wasn’t sure then if he wanted to wring her neck, or freaking violate her where she stood. Either way, she was going to be served up a load of pain and Alexandra knew she would more than deserve it.

“Run really fast to your room, little girl,” Cane said in a voice dangerously low and thick. He took a step forward in her direction, and Alexandra involuntarily jumped.

Sending him a furious glare, she however chose to listen this time. Resisting the urge to make a childish face at him and poke out her tongue, she dashed up to her room, not forgetting to carefully lock the door. Alexandra wasn’t sure she felt safe enough, not even when she lay huddled deep beneath her covers. She felt exhausted from her emotional rollercoaster ride where she couldn’t decide if she loathed Cane Hutchinson or was becoming infatuated by him. Either way, she couldn’t win, was the last thought before she drifted into sleep.

Chapter Seven

Her father wasn’t happy about the idea of her going to Malia’s birthday party.

“It’s going to be at some crowded nightclub,” Donel Duke said disapprovingly on the phone. “There’ll be lots of unsavory characters. I don’t like it.”

Alexandra was glad her father couldn’t see her exasperated eye roll. “Dad, you got me this fancy bodyguard just for occasions like this one. I’ll be in public; I’ll be safe. Even Vincent or his goons wouldn’t be so dumb as to make a move on me there.”

“I still wish you wouldn’t go,” her father said with an angry sigh. “Just yesterday I was in another round of negotiations with him regarding the company we’re both bidding after. He had the gall to ask how my family was doing.”

“Maybe he was just being courteous,” Alexandra said drily.

“No, baby, he was yanking my chain,” Donel Duke said angrily. “If and when I find out he was behind that intruder of three weeks ago, I’m going to…”

“Dad, please,” Alexandra cut into her father’s furious words. “We have to figure out a safe and sane way to handle whatever threat I may be under. In the meantime, I want to still be able to feel like I’m living a normal life. Meaning there’s no way I’m missing my best girl’s birthday party, okay?”

It took several minutes of emotionally wrangling, but she did remind him once again that he’d hired the ‘top man’ to handle her personal safety, which made him sigh in defeat as he finally told her to have a good time.

Oh, I intend to, though Alexandra with a devious smile on her lips as she tossed her cell phone aside. She had just a few hours to prepare and she felt filled with bubbling excitement which had nothing to do with the upcoming festivity.

After the most luxurious of soaks in her bathtub, she headed for her closet and tossed open the walk-in doors. She’d never felt so good about going to a party in a long while. Apart from the fact that she’d helped Malia organize it, she felt like for once she could really let her hair down. She’d been so wrapped up in her classes and of course, this whole new agenda with having a bodyguard and being in danger. Well, she wasn’t going to let that get in the way of her fun tonight.

It was a week since that night in the kitchen when Cane had given just a glimpse of what went on inside his head. So, the guy was a workaholic who didn’t care much for hanging loose.
I don’t believe in fun
, she mimicked to herself as she made fun of his comment. He was stiff-necked, infuriating, and detestably sexy.

All this while she’d been determined to put him in his place the first chance she got, only to be taken down a peg herself when he told her they could never be lovers. Not like she’d even made him an offer, fumed Alexandra as she plucked her designer dress from its hanger and tossed it on the bed. She stared critically over the lines of shoes in her closet. She’d spent a long time considering what to wear tonight to get the desired effect.

In the past several days, Alexandra knew she’d gone out of her way to look her alluring best. Just to let Mr. Self-controlled know exactly what he was missing.

Needless to say, the past week had been hell. Not that they’d ever been the type to chatter, but besides giving orders, Cane said little else to her. Spending so much time around him, especially when she was at home was putting more of a strain on her than she expected. Why was she so obsessed with him anyway? He never seemed interested in breaking the ice wall he’d placed between them. It would have been nice if they could have been able to talk – if not about fashion which was her favorite topic, then about literature or politics or whatever he liked to talk about. Couldn’t they at least be civil with each other?

Apparently not, Alexandra thought with a smirk as she pulled on her panties over her garter belt hooked to sheer black tights. The last time they happened to be in the same room – the living room – there’d been a silly sitcom on TV and she’d tried to draw him into at least having a laugh with her. But he seemed to have no wish for any ‘bonding’. The moment she started up a conversation, he decided he had something he needed to see to in some other part of the house and excused himself.

Alexandra thought he was taking his professional stance too far. What did he think she was going to do if he just got a little bit closer to her? Ravish him? Or maybe he didn’t want to risk her falling for him. Like she’d ever be dumb enough to do that. He might be the most desirable man she’d ever met, and he might be the reason she was having the hottest fantasies on a nightly basis, but there was no chance of her growing any real feelings for him. Heck, she didn’t even know him. And just as quickly as he’d surfaced into her life, he could vanish from it without a trace.