“What is it?” Alexander says in a tone so low and growly that I think only I—and possibly dogs—can hear him.
I step off the sidewalk, hoping to hide in the shadow of his big body as they walk by us.
“Alone at last,” Courtney says. “I thought she’d never leave.”
I tuck further behind Alexander.
Lincoln agrees with a chuckle. “I wish she’d never come back.”
My lungs seize. “What the fuck?” I step out of my hiding place.
Lincoln and Courtney slam to a stop and jump apart as if they’d been shocked by an electrical current. “Shit, Jo,” Lincoln mumbles. “You scared me.”
“Jordan… hey…” Courtney says lightheartedly. Her gaze slides to Alexander, who stands like a giant, looking wholly furious.
“You wish I’d never come back?” A burning need wells up inside me, but I can’t tell if I want to punch him or dissolve into tears. “What did I ever do to you?”
He stutters, stumbles, and falls all over his words. “That’s not what I—”
“I heard what you said!” I lunge forward to shove him or smack him, hurt him in any way possible, but a band of muscled forearm wraps around me from behind and hauls me back against a wall of tension.
Lincoln has to tilt his head back to look at Alexander’s face. “Hey, get your hands off her.”
I find myself holding tight to Alexander, silently begging him not to let me go.
Alexander moves me to his side, keeping his arm snug around my middle. A hint of an evil smirk tilts his lips. “The promise maker,” he growls.
Lincoln looks between Alexander and me. “You two know each other?”
“Yes, this is Alexander North,” I say, feeling a little smug by the female appreciation that shines in Courtney’s eyes as she looks at him. “He’s the man who saved me.”
Lincoln’s eyes widen, and he takes in Alexander’s full height and breadth. “No shit…” he breathes. He holds out his hand. “Well, I owe you a debt of gratitude for bringing my girl back safely.”
“Your girl.” Alexander scowls at Lincoln’s hand and then looks at Courtney.
Her eyes fill with tears, and I wish I could warn her against falling in love with Lincoln. By the look of her, I’d say it’s too late.
“I think we both know things between us ended on that mountain.” When I see Lincoln and Courtney aren’t catching my subtle drift, I wait a few more seconds, hoping they don’t make me say it.
“Come on, Jo.” Lincoln holds out his hand for me to take. “Let’s get you home.”
The air crackles with tension, and Alexander releases me to step forward. I grab his bicep, and the hardened muscle twitches under my palm. “Don’t. He’s not worth it.”
He turns his head and a war wages in his eyes.
Another car door opens and closes, and Murphy walks calmly around the hood of the SUV. “Mr. North, sir, is there a problem?” He eyes Lincoln with deadly precision that makes me wonder if the guy has military training on top of his pilot’s license.
“No. We’re done here.” Alexander takes my upper arm and ushers me into the backseat.
I climb inside, happy to be removed from the awkward foursome. Alexander slides in behind me, and Murphy closes the door. I watch Lincoln and Courtney through the tinted windows as they argue on the sidewalk while we pull away.
Alexander hits a few buttons on the back of the center console, and soon I feel heat seeping into the backs of my thighs and butt. I’d make a comment about the seat heater, but I’m too worn out to work up the enthusiasm.
“I hate the name Jo,” he says roughly, his jaw hard. “I hate that ridiculous restaurant. And I hate that you have to work in what amounts to your underwear to tease money out of desperate men!”
Is he seriously yelling at me? “You do not get to be the one who is mad right now!”
His head swivels slowly toward me, his eyes glittering with rage. “Don’t I?”
I lean forward and put my face in his. “No! You don’t!
His hand flies out so fast I don’t realize he’s moved until his fingers wrap around my throat. “You don’t belong to him.” He doesn’t squeeze enough to hurt, but only to hold me in place, close.
“I don’t belong to anyone!” I smack at his wrist, and he releases his hold on my neck, his brows pinched as he stares at his hand.
I turn to the window, giving him my back while I try to sort out the emotional tornado swirling inside me. Like, why the hell when I saw him was my first instinct to cling to him as if he’d disappear if I didn’t hold on tight enough? We had sex, and the next day he treated me as if I meant nothing to him. He sent his brother to try and buy me off, to have me sign away our time together, bribe me into never speaking of it again. He thinks just because he’s rich he can purchase away people’s feelings?
My train of thought continues along this track until we pull up to his high rise, and then I’m well and truly pissed.
“Why are we here? I thought you were taking me home.”
He opens the door, and I dig my fists into the heated leather, refusing to move. He sighs, reaches inside, grips my arm, and tugs me easily to him.
I smack at his hand, but it’s useless as he pulls me out of the car. “If you don’t take me home, I’ll just get a cab,” I hiss.
“Over my dead body.”
“Keep manhandling me, and that can be arranged.” I shove at him with two hands and wince. “Ow—dammit!”
He pulls me to his chest and wraps his arms around me. “Shit. Are you okay?”
“My stupid ribs.”
“Stop fighting me, and they won’t hurt.”
“Stop dragging me around, and I’ll stop fighting you!”
He releases me and backs away. “Okay.”
The only people outside are Murphy, a valet guy, and the doorman. All of them keep their eyes averted.
Alexander’s jaw flexes, and his lips peel back from his teeth. “Come inside with me… please.” That last word sounds like it was smacked from his lips.
“Fine, but only because I really don’t want to walk in on my ex-boyfriend and my ex-friend banging in my ex-bed.”
Alexander
Jordan storms through the lobby ahead of me. She slipped her hoodie off in the car, and with her hair pulled into a ponytail, I had a full view of her slender throat. The memory of what she felt like against my lips slammed into me with a force I wasn’t expecting and only worked to make me angry. Angry that she’s exposing herself to people who don’t appreciate her or have her best interests in mind. Angry that she doesn’t have her best interests in mind.
Mostly angry that I let myself go an entire week without her.
The elevator doors close, and I put my back to the door to face her.
“What are you doing? Turn around.”
“I don’t want to.”
“Nobody rides an elevator like that. It’s uncomfortable. Stop staring at me.” She turns around to face the wall of windows that overlooks the city.
I hit the stop button.
She startles and tries to turn around, but I’m already at her back, my right hand on her hip and my left hand flat against the glass, pinning her in place. She sucks in a breath, and I dip my nose to her hair and breathe her in.