Reckless With Their Hearts (21 page)

Alone with him at his beautiful house? Could she? Should she? “Okay.” She met his lips once more, loving his taste on her tongue. “Pick me up at seven?”

“Or you could just come with me now.”

It sounded like the best idea that she had ever heard. But she couldn’t. Spending that much time with him could prove to be addictive, just as his kisses were becoming. Plus she had to take her medications. She didn’t want to spend the evening in pain. “I have to take care of a few things.” She told him, not wanting to tell him about the pain that she was already experiencing. “But seven…Okay?”

“Seven.” And he kissed her again.

It was just a little after six. Alexis had already showered and changed into a pair of jeans that even size two were too big on her. She had lost a considerable amount of weight since her accident. Really she had loved the curves that had gone along with her size eight and now she felt as if she were skin and bones.

Grimacing she finished putting on her makeup, something that she hadn’t been bothering that much with lately. Once she was done she made her way downstairs slowly. Melissa had assured her at breakfast that her room downstairs would be finished soon, and she couldn’t say that she wasn’t looking forward to not having to climb all those stairs.

“Lex, dinner will be ready in about half an hour.” Melissa told her as she entered the kitchen were her stepmother was putting together a salad to go along with the spaghetti she was slaving over. Alexis inhaled the heavenly aromas and her mouth started to water. Melissa rocked in the kitchen.

“Um…I won’t be here for dinner.” She told Melissa, hating to miss out on one of her favorite dishes.

Melissa turned from stirring the sauce with her brows raised. “Why not? I thought you loved my spaghetti.”

Alexis bit her lip, reluctant to tell her stepmother or anyone really about her dinner date with Jared Giordano. “Jared is taking me out.” She murmured.

The older woman’s eyes grew wide with surprise and then a smile curved her lips. “Wow. He is smitten, huh? I suspected something last week when he offered to bring you home from therapy.”

Alexis shrugged, not wanting to talk about Jared. She wanted to stay in a bubble where he was concerned. “I like him.” She told her stepmother.

“Who wouldn’t?” Melissa’s eyes took on a dreamy glaze. “If I wasn’t madly in love with your father, and I was a decade younger I would so go after that one myself.” She fanned herself with her free hand, grinning. “Can we say sexy?”

“Oh, we can. And we will.” Alexis sighed as she took a seat at the kitchen table. “Is Daddy working late?”

“No, he should be home soon.” Melissa gave the sauce one more stir and then dropped down beside of Alexis at the table, reaching for her glass of wine. “I’m glad you are getting out. Jared could be good for you.”

Or he could be my downfall…

But she kept those thoughts to herself as she told Melissa about her physical therapy session. Vince came home while they were talking but went upstairs for a shower after stopping to grab an apple from the fruit bowl. Max walked into the kitchen with only a few minutes until seven.

“I could have sworn I saw Jared Giordano sitting in his car out front.” Max commented as he dropped his briefcase on the kitchen island. Melissa stood to embrace her husband. “I wonder if I should
go out and see if he needs to speak with me…Although I would have thought he would just call rather than stop by…How in the world he knew where we live I don’t know.”

Alexis got slowly to her feet, securing her braces on her forearms as she took a step toward her father. “He’s picking me up, actually.” When Max just blinked at her as if he hadn’t understood what she was saying she grimaced. “Jared is taking me to dinner, Daddy.”

His dazed expression turned stony. “Are you sure about this, Lex? Jared…He isn’t the type of guy that could be good for you right now.”

She froze. “What do you mean?”

“Yes, Max. What do you mean?” Melissa put her hands on her hips as she turned a glare on her husband. “Is there something we should know about this guy?”

“Giordano just got out of a serious relationship. Any woman he sees now is going to be a rebound thing.” Max shook his handsome head, not intimidated by his wife in the least. “Lex doesn’t need that kind of drama right now.”

Alexis gave her father an award winning fake smile. In the last six months she had gotten enough practice to have perfected it. “Relax Daddy. I don’t plan on getting serious about Giordano, or anyone else. I think that he has more to worry about with my drama than his.” She kissed her father’s cheek and Max seemed to relax somewhat.

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt more than you already have been, Lex.” Max murmured as he pulled her close for a hug. “Be careful.”

“I will be. Promise.” His arms tightened for a moment then he stepped back, releasing her.

She called goodbye to them over her shoulder as she made her way through the house. It was just turning seven when she reached the door. She grabbed her keys and opened the door to find Jared walking up the path, a dark expression on his face. “Hey.” She smiled up at him, pushing her father’s words to the back of her mind so that the bubble she was building around her emotions for this man would remain safe.

The fierce expression eased and he dropped a quick kiss on her lips. “Ready,
dolcezza
?”

The drive back to his house was relaxed as they listened to a classical channel on the satellite radio. One of Gabriella’s earlier violin solos came on and it made her smile. Gabriella had only been fourteen when she had recorded her first collection of classical works.

Jared picked up Chinese on their way to his house and they sat in front of his television watching one of her favorite black and white movies on DVD and eating Lo Mein chicken and beef broccoli with chopsticks. When the movie was over they simply sat and talked for hours.

When midnight came she didn’t want to go home. Jared seemed more than a little reluctant to take her. “I have a big bed upstairs calling our name, Lexis.” He murmured
, kissing her neck and making her shiver deliciously. “Stay and let me hold you all night. I swear I won’t seduce you. Just let me hold you, love.”

She was tempted.
So, so, so tempted. But she knew that her father would freak out, plus she had to take her pain meds. If it weren’t for the pain in her back screaming at her, she might have followed him upstairs and been the one seducing him. “I have to get home, Jared.” She arched her neck to give him better access to the sensitive spot where neck met shoulder. “I…Please don’t make this harder than it already is.”

“It doesn’t get harder than I already am.” He whispered wickedly at her ear.

She wanted to explore and see for herself just how hard he was… “Jared.” She moaned when her questing hand came into contact with the steel like erection pressed against his jeans. He let her stroke him for a minute before capturing her hand and pulling her away.

“That is incredibly dangerous, love.” He stood, breathing hard. “Do you really want to go home, Lexis?”

Alexis sighed. “I don’t know what I want right now.” She admitted. “My mind is clouded with desire. But I know that I should go home. I just met you.” She held up her hand when he started to protest. “I don’t remember you, Jared. So to me you are a stranger…Even if my heart and body recognize you, my head is still confused by it all.”

Jared helped her to her feet and then pulled her close. His lips trailing down her jaw to her shoulder leaving a path so hot she thought her skin was sizzling. “I hate being away from you, dolcezza. My heart aches.” His words made her heart hurt, she felt as if she couldn’t breathe because of the emotions swelling inside of her chest. “Already I have wasted too much time.”

“We could do this again tomorrow night.” She offered, leaning into him as they began to sway to the music that was softly playing in the background. “I had a really wonderful time tonight.”

“Can I pick you up from therapy and spend the rest of the day with you?” He practically pleaded. It made her chest all that more painful.

Alexis smiled. “Don’t you think you should get some work done on that merger?” She felt horrible for taking him away from work, even though he had assured her earlier that day that she wasn’t.

“I could care less about the fucking merger.” His teeth sunk into her shoulder and she cried out in pleasure.
“
Tutto ciò che le questioni
.” He muttered in Italian. You are all that matters.

“Jared!” She clung to him, wanting…NO! “Take me home, Jared.” She begged.

“Lexis…Stay with me.”

“I can’t.” She whispered, tears of frustration clogging her throat. “I can’t.”

Therapy went well the next morning. Alexis didn’t spasm as badly as she had the day before. But Dragon Man still wanted to include massage in their weekly routine. She had to admit that it wasn’t all that horrible of an idea. In fact by the time the hour was up she was nearly asleep from how relaxed her muscles were after the way Dragon had worked her over.

She was still
laying on the massage table, completely naked except for the towel draped over her backside. Dragon had told her to take her time getting up while he busied himself cleaning up the oils and hot stones that he had used. Alexis was glad for the extra time, because she was sure she had drool all over her face.

“Lexis!”

There was a pounding on the door and it opened even before Dragon Man could turn around. Jared stormed in and stopped when he saw her. “What the fuck!” He exploded.

“Dude, you can’t just come in here.” Dragon got between Jared and Alexis, acting as a shield for her. “Get out until she gets dressed.”

Those molasses eyes turned dark with rage. “You get the fuck out! No way are you seeing her like that! She’s mine.”

As quickly as she could Alexis sat up, using the towel she had been laying on to cover her nakedness. She was more worried about Jared seeing her disgustingly scared back than she was either man seeing her naked front. “Jared, what are you doing?” She demanded once she was sure that she was covered.

“I came to pick you up. But I couldn’t find you! Why are you in here?” He was trying to get around the beast of a man standing between them, but Dragon Man wasn’t allowing it.

She grimaced. “I guess I forgot to tell you that Chad wanted to add massage therapy twice a week. I should have told you that I was going to be an extra hour today. Sorry.”

“Massage?”

“Yes.
Massage. I’ve been having spasms.” She offered him a small smile, hoping to ease some of the tension filling the room to the point of choking her. “I hate the muscle relaxers that have to be injected into my back. So I only take them when I can’t stand it anymore. But massage will help with some of that.”

“Then I will give you a massage every day.” He pointed at Dragon Man with a threatening glare. “Not him. I don’t want his hands on you!”

Chad didn’t even blink at him. Obviously he was use to boyfriends reacting like this and was unfazed by Jared. “This is to help Lexi. You have no say in it. I’m just doing my job here man.”

“Isn’t there a woman who could do this?” He demanded, still trying to get around the other man.
“Why does it have to be you?!”

“No, there isn’t a woman who could do it. Lexi is my patient.” Chad turned his back on Jared. His eyes didn’t stray south once as he offered her a small smile. “Go ahead and get dressed. I’ll come back and take care of this mess. See you tomorrow.” And he turned and left the room, closing the door securely behind him.

When she heard the distinct click of the door clicking into place Alexis realized that she was very naked. Her fingers tightened on the towel. “Can you stand outside while I get dressed? I won’t be long.”

He frowned. “Why do I have to leave? I have seen every inch of your glorious body hundreds of times.”

Panic almost suffocated her. “No! Please. Just go.”

“Lexis?”
He caught her hands in his own. “What’s the matter?”

“I don’t want you in here!” She nearly screamed. “Get out!”

His face noticeably paled, but he turned and left without another word. Tears stung the back of her eyes and she rushed to get dressed, fighting hard not to sob. She didn’t want him to see her naked body. Not the scars on her back that had made her throw up the first time she had seen them. Not the scar that went across her lower abdomen. Not the horribly embarrassing scars on her thighs from where she had supposedly cut herself repeatedly.

Several minutes later she opened the door and stepped out. She didn’t even look at Jared who was leaning against the opposite wall. Alexis said nothing as she turned toward the elevators. When he pressed the call button for the elevator she turned her head away, refusing to meet his eyes.

“Lexis?” He murmured, sounding unsure.

“Please, just take me home.” She whispered.

He blew out a frustrated sigh but didn’t speak as they took the elevator down. Once she was in the Lexus she turned her gaze out the passenger window and didn’t glance his way when he got behind the wheel and pulled out of the parking lot.