Kiss Me Forever (Bachelors & Bridesmaids #1) (8 page)

The doorbell rang again, reminding her that there was no time for second thoughts. With one arm holding the back of her dress together, she stalked to the front door and threw it open, glaring at the man in the hallway.

"You're early," she said.

Alex raised one eyebrow and then consulted his Rolex watch. "Two minutes late, actually."

She let out a heavy sigh and stood back. "You might as well come in."

"Thank you. What's wrong?"

"My zipper is stuck."

"Let me help."

She reluctantly turned around, knowing he was going to catch a good view of her lacy bra and bare back.

"Nice," he murmured.

Her nerves tingled at the husky word.

"Just focus on the zipper."

"Not as easy as you might think," he said dryly. "You have a beautiful body, what I can see of it—"

"I'd rather you see less of it—so zipper, please."

She stared straight ahead, trying to concentrate on the long crack of plaster on the wall and not on Alex's warm fingers as they grazed her back. But the wall didn't do it for her, so she looked around the living room of her small apartment, suddenly aware of the overflowing laundry basket she'd set on the chair when she'd come up from the laundry room earlier, and the bridal magazines her sister had left on the coffee table, and the half-filled mug of coffee she'd drunk the night before while doing her research on Alex. She wasn't a complete slob, but her apartment was nowhere near as pristine clean as Alex's house. Then again, she didn't have a cleaning staff.

"This is really stuck," Alex said.

"Maybe I'll just wear something else."

"Give me a second. Don't give up so easily."

She normally didn't give up easily at all, but with Alex so close, her nerves were jumping, and she felt a reckless yearning take over her mind and body. She wanted to lean back against him, to feel his arms slide all the way around her waist. He would lower his head and his lips would touch the side of her neck, but he wouldn't stop there. He'd keep on kissing her. He'd pull the dress off her shoulders, and his mouth would drop to her breasts. He would call her beautiful and sexy in that deep, baritone voice. Then she would—

Stop
! She would stop, she told herself, searching desperately for another distraction.

She turned her head to look at the opposite wall where her father's award-winning press clippings were framed and displayed. They reminded her of what was important. Her father's work had always been her inspiration. She had to stop acting like a woman around Alex and start acting like a reporter.

"I've got it." With a sigh of satisfaction, Alex pulled the zipper up the length of her back. "You're all set."

Andrea immediately stepped away from him, eager to get some breathing space. She fled into her bedroom, mumbling that she would be with him in a few minutes. When she got into the privacy of her room, she took several deep, calming breaths.

She was not going to be able to do her job if she let herself get turned on by the simple touch of his hand on her back. Walking to her dressing table, she picked up her brush and ran it briskly through her hair. Then she looked for some pins. She'd pull her hair into a knot, a business-like knot.

Her hand paused when a knock came at her door.

"Andrea? Don't put up your hair, okay?"

She didn't answer, caught between wanting to please him and wanting to feel more like a reporter than a date. She didn't usually let men dictate how she dressed or wore her hair, but there was something about his plea that got to her. So she gave in. They were going to a cocktail party, after all. Since she already had the dress on, she might as well go the rest of the way.

When she returned to the living room, Alex was standing in front of her bookshelves, examining the titles with open curiosity. He pulled out a thick volume that dissected World War II in fifty-six chapters. "Do you have insomnia? Because if so I can think of better ways to relax."

"It's a very interesting book."

"You've read all one-thousand pages?" he asked doubtfully.

"Actually I've never gotten past chapter four. The book belonged to my father. He was a history fanatic."

Alex waved his hand toward the bookshelf. "And the other military books?"

"All his. He loved spy stories. If he hadn't been such a good journalist, I think he might have joined the CIA. As it was, he was quite a legend in the news business. I'm not sure I can ever reach his level." Her voice cracked with emotion. "Sorry. I get a little carried away when I think about him. He died a long time ago. You'd think I'd be over it by now."

"Some things you never get over,'' Alex said, as a strong current of understanding flowed between them. "It looks like you're following in his footsteps. I'm sure he'd be proud."

"I hope so."

"Tell me about the rest of your family. Are you close to your mother?"

"We talk quite often, but we're very, very different. She does not get me, and I do not get her."

"What about your sister?"

"We're quite close. We're fraternal twins, and we're nothing alike, either, but there's a strong bond between us. I would do anything for her, and she would do anything for me." Andrea paused. "Laurel is getting married in a few weeks. I love her husband, and I'm super happy for her, but I do wonder sometimes how it will change our relationship."

"I guess that depends on how hard you work to keep your bond strong."

"I should probably work harder even now I tend to get obsessed with work and let everything else go. I'm Laurel's maid of honor, and I've been a huge slacker when it comes to the wedding plans. Thankfully, Laurel has a big wedding party so our other friends have been picking up the slack."

"I've never understood the big wedding party. Why does anyone need a dozen bridesmaids and groomsmen to get them down the aisle?"

"It's a celebratory send-off. And Laurel had to have seven bridesmaids because of a pact we made in college. I told you that we were part of a really tight group of friends. The day before we graduated we all went out together and swore that even if we drifted apart or ended up on opposite sides of the country, we would commit to coming back for each of our weddings, and we wouldn't let any excuses get in the way."

"That sounds—optimistic," Alex said with a dry smile.

She nodded. "Our promise didn't even make it two months. Jessica got married in a courthouse wedding with no bridesmaids because she found out she was pregnant. We were all really pissed off at her. But she also got divorced two years later, so after that we decided it was even more important that we keep our promise.

Laurel is the first to marry with all of us in the wedding, and I can't wait. Some of us live in the Bay Area, but it's been a long time since we were all together."

"You're lucky to have a close family and good friends."

"I am," she agreed. "And once again I am doing all the talking. We're going to have to switch that up sometime."

"Well, not right this second. We should get on the road."

"There's always a time issue when it's your turn to speak."

He shrugged. "We'll have to manage the clock a bit better."

"Oh, I think you're managing it quite well," she said dryly.

He gave her a smile. "There will be time for us to talk later."

"I hope you're right."

Chapter Six

While there was plenty of food at the party, there was absolutely no chance for them to speak privately. Andrea sipped her champagne and gazed around the crowded party, which was being held in a private dining room on the fiftieth floor of the Sterling Hotel. Floor to ceiling windows offered magnificent sweeping views of the city and the bay, and as with their dinner the previous night, the food was first class.

Alex was in the middle of a crowd of people, who seemed to hover intently on his every word. She knew it wasn't just his money and power that called them over, it was also his charisma. When he was in the room, everyone knew it. He was a magnet, and she could feel the pull from across the room. She had a feeling that even if he'd still been dirt poor, he would have been the center of attention.

She finished her champagne, set the glass down on an empty tray and moved towards him. It was about time she reminded Alex that she was there, too. When she reached the group surrounding him, she squeezed to the front of the circle, managing to dislodge a clingy redhead from his side.

She put a hand on Alex's arm and stood on tiptoe to whisper in his ear, "I'm back."

Alex didn't acknowledge the comment, but a small smile played across his lips. She moved a little farther forward, so she could see exactly who he was talking to. The crowd shifted at her movement, and suddenly she was face-to-face with a man she had hoped she would never see again, her ex-boyfriend, Douglas Wilmington.

She blinked in shock, hoping the horrible image would disappear, but Doug was gazing back at her with his perfect white teeth, his sky blue eyes, and his sun-streaked blond hair, and her stomach took a nosedive. She grabbed on to Alex's arm as if he were a buoy and she was about to drown.

"Andrea?" Doug said her name with surprise.

Of course he would be surprised to see her here. This kind of party was his world, not hers. "Hello, Doug," she managed to get out.

"You two know each other?" Alex asked.

Andrea nodded. "Yes."

"We were together for over a year," Doug added. "It's been a while though."

"Congratulations on your baby. Is your wife here?" she asked, even though it turned her stomach to make conversation with the man.

"No, she's at home with our child."

She didn't know what to say to that or what to say to him. Their relationship had ended badly. He'd been an asshole to her, and she'd been stupid enough not to see his bad traits a lot earlier in the relationship. But very few people would believe that Doug was anything but a great guy. Like Alex, he had a lot of charm.

"Maybe you and Wilmington can catch up later, Andrea," Alex said. "Why don't we get something to eat?"

"That sounds great."

"You're here with Alex?" Doug asked, more amazement in his voice.

Before she could answer, Alex said, "She is. I'm a lucky guy." Alex took her hand and led her across the room.

She blew out a grateful breath as she put some space between Doug and herself. "You know people are going to think I actually am your date," she said to Alex.

"You looked like you needed a save."

"Very perceptive. I did. Thank you."

"And I don't care if anyone thinks you're my date." He paused as they reached the end of the buffet line. "So you dated Doug Wilmington?"

She sighed. "I did—for far too long. It took me some time to realize that Doug liked my press connections more than he cared about me. As you may know, he's a lawyer who wants to be in politics. I was able to provide him with some good connections."

"I think he liked more about you than your connections."

She shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe. It doesn't matter. He used me, and not just for press; he also cheated on me."

"You're better off without him."

"I know that. He's the kind of man who looks good on paper, but in reality, not so much. My mother could never see that though. She really wanted us to get married. I disappointed her when we broke up."

"Did you tell her he cheated on you?"

"No," she admitted. "It was embarrassing. I don't know why I just told you."

"I'm a good listener."

He actually was a good listener, which she hadn't expected.

"Maybe you can't blame your mother for her opinion if you didn't tell her the truth," he added.

"My sister said the exact same thing, but my mother and I have a difficult relationship. She's very judgmental and critical, and I often fall short, so if I don't have to admit to a stupid mistake like picking a loser to date, I usually don't."

"But then you're protecting Doug and throwing yourself under the bus. You're letting her blame you for the breakup. How does that improve your relationship?"

"It doesn't. But I can't seem to act more rationally around her. By the way, you're very good at analyzing people."

"I've always been interested in psychology."

"And you use that interest in your games, don't you?"

"It helps to know what drives people to do certain things, yes." He shifted his weight. "Do you want to get out of here and find some food elsewhere?"

"Absolutely."

"Do you like Thai?"

"I eat it at least once a week."

"There's a good takeout place down the street from here. It's a hole-in-the-wall, but you won't find better Thai food in the city."

"Lead the way."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, after picking up green curried chicken and Pad Thai, Alex drove Andrea toward the freeway leading out of the city.

"We're not going to your house?" she asked.

"I have a better idea. You keep saying you want to know more about me, so I'm going to take you to one of my favorite places."

"I like the sound of that."

"I thought you would. And, no, I'm not going to tell you where we're going until we get there."

"I wasn't even going to ask," she said dryly. "But I hope it's not too far, because the food smells delicious, and my mouth is watering."

"There's no traffic, so we should be there in about ten minutes."

She sat back in her seat to enjoy the ride, silently trying to guess where they might end up. But none of her guesses came close to their destination.

Alex turned off the freeway, driving down a frontage road that moved past the bay and the airport. Then he pulled onto a dirt strip facing the southernmost runway and shut off the engine. It was a dark and isolated spot, and it was definitely not somewhere she would have expected him to take her.

"I know we're at the airport, but why are we here?"

"You'll see," he said. There was just enough light coming from the adjacent runway to show the smile in his eyes. "Watch."

A moment later, a jumbo jet turned and sped down the runway in front of them, launching into the sky with a roar and a rumble that shook the car, and then there was nothing but silence.