drank, smoked, experimented with drugs and
sex. The other kids were doing it too, but she didn’t even try to hide it. Got herself expelled from a lot of fancy boarding schools
throughout Europe.”
He grinned. “That’s baby stuff. You
should hear about my past.”
Another blush crept up Ronnie’s neck.
Hunt looked equally embarrassed. “Right. I forgot you already have.” He readjusted his weight
in the chair. “Her father was an idiot for not caring. How in the hell could he
have ignored Alexa , especially when she was a little
kid? She was adorable in those glasses.”
Ronnie blurted, “You’ve seen
pictures of her in them?”
“Yeah. Not anything personal,” he added quickly. “Just school photos.” He sighed. “She looked lonely.”
“She was. That’s why she likes to be
surrounded now.”
Hunt stared, and then understanding
swept his features, telling Ronnie he finally recognized what she’d figured out
long ago.
Alexa chose to do this because she was the one in charge, the one
being sought out, the one who was adored. The men approached the agency and
ultimately her. She didn’t make the first move. And if one of them didn’t prove
attentive enough, there was always another on hand, at times several, to fill
the void her father had left behind.
Not that it lasted. Alexa was still that lonely little girl who wanted a man to
cherish her.
“How do I stop her evening with my
friends?” Hunt asked. “I don’t want them with her. I’ll pay to stop it.”
“Won’t work.” She fingered the edge of the seafoam -green
scarf she wore. “You can’t tell Alexa what to do anymore than you can your friends.”
He pushed out of his chair, his
hands fisted. “I swear, if they touch her, I’ll have to kill them.”
Ronnie lifted her brows.
“I’ll hurt them badly,” he amended, then sighed. “I can’t just let this happen.”
“I’m not saying you have to. There
is a way to control the situation. One Alexa can’t
argue with.”
“How?”
“Stand up to her,” Ronnie said.
“Challenge her. Win her to your side.”
Chapter Seven
At quarter past ten, Wallace pulled
up to the house, another of Ronnie’s holdings in the District. This one she
rented out to keep the curious or self-righteous from asking too many
inconvenient questions. Tonight, the building’s residents were in Europe at the
halfway mark of their three-month vacation, leaving the place free for an
assignation.
For which Alexa was thirty minutes late.
Usually, she arrived well ahead of
the men to make certain everything was in order, including herself. This
evening, she hadn’t been able to get moving. Showering had been a monumental
effort. No matter how many times she’d reapplied her mascara and lipstick, it
didn’t look right. Her hair wouldn’t behave. She couldn’t decide what to wear.
“Ms. Marsh?” Wallace glanced in the
rearview mirror as he waited for her to depart the sedan.
Alexa stayed put, regarding the three-story white brick house.
Of a Federal design, the Palladian
windows on the second floor glowed with peach-colored light. Tim and David were
already here, no doubt wondering when…or if…she was going to show up.
“Is everything all right?” Wallace
asked.
Alexa wrung her hands, wanting to run, something that had never
happened to her before. In the past, she’d looked forward to these nights,
feeling a surge of confidence and power at what she would orchestrate, how
she’d make the men notice and want her.
Without warning, intense loneliness
replaced her dread. She longed for Ronnie’s embrace…or Hunt’s.
Yeah, right. As if he’d be there for
her. He wanted her as many men did, but it was only about sex and winning the
game she’d started by refusing to see him again, then giving in to desire at
the restaurant. No wonder he was confused at her mixed messages. They were
driving her nuts.
This had to stop. Her melancholy was
foolish. Like a stupid little girl. She
sex. The other kids were doing it too, but she didn’t even try to hide it. Got herself expelled from a lot of fancy boarding schools
throughout Europe.”
He grinned. “That’s baby stuff. You
should hear about my past.”
Another blush crept up Ronnie’s neck.
Hunt looked equally embarrassed. “Right. I forgot you already have.” He readjusted his weight
in the chair. “Her father was an idiot for not caring. How in the hell could he
have ignored Alexa , especially when she was a little
kid? She was adorable in those glasses.”
Ronnie blurted, “You’ve seen
pictures of her in them?”
“Yeah. Not anything personal,” he added quickly. “Just school photos.” He sighed. “She looked lonely.”
“She was. That’s why she likes to be
surrounded now.”
Hunt stared, and then understanding
swept his features, telling Ronnie he finally recognized what she’d figured out
long ago.
Alexa chose to do this because she was the one in charge, the one
being sought out, the one who was adored. The men approached the agency and
ultimately her. She didn’t make the first move. And if one of them didn’t prove
attentive enough, there was always another on hand, at times several, to fill
the void her father had left behind.
Not that it lasted. Alexa was still that lonely little girl who wanted a man to
cherish her.
“How do I stop her evening with my
friends?” Hunt asked. “I don’t want them with her. I’ll pay to stop it.”
“Won’t work.” She fingered the edge of the seafoam -green
scarf she wore. “You can’t tell Alexa what to do anymore than you can your friends.”
He pushed out of his chair, his
hands fisted. “I swear, if they touch her, I’ll have to kill them.”
Ronnie lifted her brows.
“I’ll hurt them badly,” he amended, then sighed. “I can’t just let this happen.”
“I’m not saying you have to. There
is a way to control the situation. One Alexa can’t
argue with.”
“How?”
“Stand up to her,” Ronnie said.
“Challenge her. Win her to your side.”
Chapter Seven
At quarter past ten, Wallace pulled
up to the house, another of Ronnie’s holdings in the District. This one she
rented out to keep the curious or self-righteous from asking too many
inconvenient questions. Tonight, the building’s residents were in Europe at the
halfway mark of their three-month vacation, leaving the place free for an
assignation.
For which Alexa was thirty minutes late.
Usually, she arrived well ahead of
the men to make certain everything was in order, including herself. This
evening, she hadn’t been able to get moving. Showering had been a monumental
effort. No matter how many times she’d reapplied her mascara and lipstick, it
didn’t look right. Her hair wouldn’t behave. She couldn’t decide what to wear.
“Ms. Marsh?” Wallace glanced in the
rearview mirror as he waited for her to depart the sedan.
Alexa stayed put, regarding the three-story white brick house.
Of a Federal design, the Palladian
windows on the second floor glowed with peach-colored light. Tim and David were
already here, no doubt wondering when…or if…she was going to show up.
“Is everything all right?” Wallace
asked.
Alexa wrung her hands, wanting to run, something that had never
happened to her before. In the past, she’d looked forward to these nights,
feeling a surge of confidence and power at what she would orchestrate, how
she’d make the men notice and want her.
Without warning, intense loneliness
replaced her dread. She longed for Ronnie’s embrace…or Hunt’s.
Yeah, right. As if he’d be there for
her. He wanted her as many men did, but it was only about sex and winning the
game she’d started by refusing to see him again, then giving in to desire at
the restaurant. No wonder he was confused at her mixed messages. They were
driving her nuts.
This had to stop. Her melancholy was
foolish. Like a stupid little girl. She
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