Alex (Striking Back #4) Read online

  Everyone is in a lip lock except for me and Ian. Arthur even gives Ms. Den a peck on the cheek. Maybe it was the alcohol, or Ian’s earlier silly antics, but I have an urge and go with it. The look of surprise on Ian’s face when I grab him and drop a kiss on his lips is priceless. It was quick and light, not much more than a peck, really. After a second, he laughs and hugs me, slapping my back.

  “Happy New Year, asshole.”

  The party begins to break up about an hour later. “It’s past my bedtime, boys,” Ms. Den says.

  Arthur fetches her coat and escorts her to the door. “I’ll walk you out.”

  Cameron and Teddy leave with the nipple twins to get “breakfast” with Jensen and Janet right behind them. I realize I haven’t seen Macy or Parker for a while, and find them passed out in my bed. Shit. Ian’s date is in the guest room, so I fall into Ian’s bed. He can sleep with the drunk chick or ride the couch.

  Planting one foot on the floor helps minimize the room rotation, and I welcome the darkness. At least I’m not going to cry myself to sleep like I did on Thanksgiving and Christmas. I think I’m slowly getting better, learning to live without him. It’s taken me so long to get past the anger, the unfairness of it all. We just wanted a nice weekend getaway in Vermont, but we didn’t make it far. The fog made the curve so hard to see and we went off the road, slamming into a ditch. I walked away with a few scratches, but Cooper hit his head on the steering wheel and died instantly.

  For once, the memories of Cooper don’t follow me into my dreams. My last thought is of Ian’s soft lips and how they parted in surprise beneath mine.

  Ian

  Christ, the chick draped across my body is hot, and not in a good way. Her body gives off heat like a brick oven. I kick off the covers and the cool air is heaven on my skin. Dragging my sticky eyes open, I see a mass of blond curls just below my chin. The events of the night before come rushing back through my hangover.

  Ivy was passed out in the guest bed, and I didn’t want to get puked on. Plus, I was a little worried all that orange might rub off. Parker and Macy stole Alex’s bed, so I found him in mine. Too tired to give a shit, I shoved Alex over to the other side of the bed and crashed hard, all the alcohol finally catching up with me.

  Now, Alex’s head rests on my chest and his arm is slung across my waist. Stifling a laugh, I try to slip away without waking him. Turns out escaping from under a heavy muscled guy is a bit more challenging than sneaking away from a woman.

  Alex groans, and I throw his arm off of me. “Dude, I let the kiss last night slide, but you’re pushing it.”

  “Wha?” He sits up and his cheeks flush. “Shit. Sorry.”

  Before I can reply, my door pops open and a wide smile cracks Parker’s face as he takes in the scene. “I knew it,” he taunts, and grabs Macy as she walks by. “Doll, you owe me twenty bucks.”

  “Parker! Stop. We took his bed.” If Alex’s face heats up any more he’ll burst into flames.

  Grabbing his hand, I shout, “Don’t judge our love.”

  Macy cracks up and pulls Parker from the room. “Sorry, Alex. I was too drunk to realize it was your room.”

  “No big deal,” Alex calls as Macy drags Parker down the hall. Flopping back on the bed, he tucks his arms under his head and asks, “So, you going to give me a morning blowjob or what?” I’m pretty sure everyone could hear the thump when he crashed to the floor.

  Macy and Ev stand at the stove, making breakfast for everyone. I’m relieved to see Ivy has already left. “Where did you sleep?” Alex asks, joining the rest of us at the dining table.

  “Couch,” Ev replies, at the same time Mason growls, “Floor.”

  “What are you doing today?” Ev asks, placing a platter of biscuits on the table. Snatching one, I dip it in the big bowl of sausage gravy and take a bite.

  “Don’t be a pig!” She nudges an empty plate toward me.

  I should’ve waited since I think I’ve burned blisters on my tongue. “No work, so I have a date with a drill, then my Playstation.”

  “No drill,” Alex groans. “My head will explode.”

  “Fine. I’ll just shoot zombies, then.”

  “Call of Duty?” Mason asks. “I’ll kick your ass a time or two before we go.”

  “Pfft.” I rinse my plate and put it in the dishwasher. “Prepare to be owned.”

  Ev smiles at Alex. “What are your plans?”

  “Tylenol, Gatorade, and sleep. If the slave driver is taking the day off, I am too.” He hasn’t even looked at the food spread out before us.

  “Well.” Parker gets up and takes his and Macy’s plates to the sink. “I’m going to get Macy home. We have plans today.” He winks at her.

  As we’re seeing them out, Arthur’s door opens and he and Ms. Den emerge. She freezes in place at the sight of me, Alex, Parker, and Macy standing on the porch. “Not one word,” she warns, pointing at Parker. He pretends to run a zipper across his lips, but can’t control his smirk. When Ms. Den drives away, Arthur gives us a wink. Sly old dog.

  Taking in Alex’s pale face he says, “Boy, ya look like ya done been ate by a wolf and shit over a cliff.”

  “Sounds about right,” Alex replies. “I’m going to crash. Chess later?”

  “I ain’t going nowhere. Come on over anytime.” Alex retreats inside while Macy and Parker head to their car. Art turns to me. “He doin all right?”

  “Seems a little better lately. It’ll be easier now the holidays are over.”

  “Ayuh, it’ll sneak up on him from time to time, though. That’s how it was when I lost my wife.” Arthur shakes his nearly bald head. A small smile blooms and he asks, “Your date still here?”

  “Snuck out early.”

  “Think you dodged a bullet there,” he laughs.

  “An orange one,” I agree. The icy wind picks up and we say a quick goodbye to head back inside.

  Since New Year’s Day fell on a Friday, I enjoy a long weekend of video games, with occasional big tittied visitors.

  * * * *

  Arctic wind wraps around me, finding every space and crevice, cutting through my clothes as if I’m wearing paper. The walk from my car to my office has never seemed so long. Why the hell do I continue to live in a state where it drops to below zero every winter? “Ian! Great party, man,” Teddy calls from his cubicle, and Cam falls in step beside me as we pass the water cooler.

  “Dude, I owe you. Anything you want. Just name it.”

  His gratitude makes me chuckle. “I take it you and nipples had a good night?”

  “Good weekend! So many blow jobs I lost count. Her name is Layla, by the way. But, seriously, we fucked in every room of my house. I think I’m in love.”

  I can’t control the snort that escapes. “You love getting laid.”

  “That too.”

  A container of pens falls at our feet, and we look up at one very flustered receptionist who has definitely overheard our conversation. “Sorry, Tess,” I apologize, gathering the scattered pens and returning them to her desk.

  Tess blushes firehouse red and mumbles, “No need to apologize. I’m just…um, clumsy. Thank you.” Her hands fumble the container while she tries to find a place to point her eyes.

  She’s always nervous around me, and I’ve caught her watching me more than once. Not my usual type, but she’s a cute little thing. I’m tempted to drag her to my bed and see how far down that blush extends, but it’ll never happen.

  Rule number one: Don’t shit where you eat. Women tend to get pissed when they realize sex is as far as I’m willing to go, and I don’t relish the thought of her glaring at me at work all day.

  “She was watching your ass when you bent over,” Cam informs me after we walk away, shaking his head and grinning.

  “It’s a curse, man.”

  “Fuck off. See you at lunch. I’ve got a ton of paperwork to catch up on.”

  He’s not the only one. I’ve been told more than once I don’t look like an accountant. Peo
ple picture intellectual looking guys like Teddy and Cam, but I enjoy my work. Most people only think of accountants when it comes time to file their taxes, but I do so much more than that. Money management, investing, financial advising. I have a gift for picking obscure stocks just before they skyrocket. I’m good at what I do and my clients love me. Not to mention, I’m set to become a millionaire before I’m thirty.

  Shutting the door to my office, I dock my iPod and play the new Disturbed album, drowning out the chatter and noise of the agency. Ah, that’s better. Now I can get some work done.

  With so much to do, the day sprints by. It’s dark out when I climb into my truck, though it’s only five o’clock. I hate this time of year. My stomach decides where I’m heading next, cramping and giving a loud growl. Guess I forgot to eat lunch.

  My car has finally warmed up enough to blast the heat after I make a quick stop at a burger joint. Warm, with a burger and fries in my stomach, I feel like a new man. A horny man. My finger skims over my contact list while I debate what I want tonight. Brunette? Blonde? Thin? Curvy? Ah, Linda. Small and athletic with tits till Tuesday and she never wants to sleep over. Perfect.

  “Ian.” Her sexy drawl makes my balls tighten. “How you doing, sugar?”

  “I’d be doing a lot better if you come visit me tonight.”

  “Oh yeah, why should I do that?” she teases.

  “So I can make you scream my name, baby.”

  “Nine o’clock?”

  “See you then, sexy.” Yep. It’s just that easy. Don’t hate me. My looks are what I have. My only leg up in life and I damn sure take advantage of it.

  I’d better get moving if I have company coming tonight. I still have a couple of stops to make. Thirty minutes later, I’m at one of my favorite places, The Wagging Tails Animal Shelter. This place is my secret, no one here really knows me and no one who knows me is aware I volunteer here.

  “Hi, Ian,” Thomas, the shelter manager greets me. “Come to exercise the pups?”

  “Yep. There are a couple of fifty pound bags of dog food in the lobby. It was on sale.”

  He shoves my shoulder and chuckles. “You always say that.”

  “I’m a money saving genius, what can I say? Okay if I use the gym today? It’s colder than a polar bear’s ass outside.”

  “Gym’s fine.”

  I make my way back to the kennels where I’m greeted by Nat, another employee. She smiles at me. “Did you come to play?”

  “As usual. Anyone in the gym?” The shelter is actually an old converted elementary school. When the weather is inclement, they use the gymnasium to let the dogs run and play.

  “Nope. All yours. Want to take the lab and her pups? They’ve been cooped up today.”

  The chocolate lab the shelter has dubbed Molly, nearly knocks me down when I unlock her cage. She darts to the gym door and sits in front of it, her wriggling rump barely touching the floor. “Smart girl,” I praise. “Wait for us.”

  Nat opens the door while I balance four squirming puppies in my arms. The next hour is spent running around the gym with five hyper animals. I’m not sure who has more fun, me or them.

  My lungs burn as I collapse against the gym wall and watch the puppies wrestle and play. Molly flops beside me, her head in my lap. My fingers find their way to the scruff of her neck, where she loves to be scratched. It’s good to see her so healthy. When she was found, she was emaciated and pregnant. Someone probably dumped her to avoid dealing with the litter. It’s amazing that not only did she survive, all four of her pups did too. This shelter saved her life.

  The sigh she emits is eerily human, and I can almost hear her thoughts. “I know, girl. Life sucks when no one wants you. Maybe it’ll be different for you and someone will choose you to be a part of their family. I hope they do. You’re a good girl.”

  The pups are falling asleep on their feet, so I scoop them up and Molly follows me back to her cage. With a low whine, she walks inside. “I’ll be back girl. I promise.”

  “She’s going to be adopted,” Nat says, coming up behind me. “A young woman and her six year old son will be coming for her tomorrow.”

  The revelation warms my chest. Maybe she does have a chance. “That’s fantastic. The pups are ready?”

  “Yes sir, fully weaned and they’ll get scooped up in no time.”

  “Good luck, girl,” I tell Molly, letting her lick my fingers through the bars of the cage. I hate leaving this place. I can never do enough to really help them. I’ve considered rescuing one of them, but I’m rarely home and it wouldn’t have much of a life with me. Plus, how the hell would I choose?

  It’s so cruel. Eeny meeny miny mo, you get a family and the rest of you will grow up in an orphanage. A shelter, I mean. A kennel. I need to go.

  I’m surprised to see Alex wearing his workout clothes and dripping sweat when I get home. He doesn’t usually do much if he doesn’t have to. “Have you been to the gym?”

  “Yeah,” he replies, rummaging through the fridge. “Don’t want to get all soft and flabby like you.”

  “You wish you had this body.” He scoffs when I push him aside to grab a bottle of water. “Don’t use all the hot water!” I shout as he heads to the bathroom.

  “Shower with me and we can conserve!”

  His flirty taunt makes me smile. He and Cooper used to love to screw with me like that, try to embarrass me, but that ended with Cooper’s death. I’ve watched Alex go through the motions of daily life without his usual mirth and humor. It looks like he’s finally returning. The world is getting the real Alex back.

  I have just enough time to shower before Linda shows up wearing a heavy coat that hangs to her knees. Alex is sitting on the couch, inhaling a bag of chips when she sashays in. “Let me take your coat, baby.”

  A sly grin lifts her lips and she sheds her outerwear to reveal she’s nearly naked underneath. A blue lace bra leaves little to the imagination and her tiny thong even less. Thigh high stockings make her legs look a mile long and I can’t wait to remove the garter with my teeth.

  Instead of becoming alarmed at the sight of Alex, she bats her lashes at him and licks her lips. He shakes his head at her not too subtle invitation. “Don’t take it personal, baby. You don’t have the right genitalia to pique his interest.”

  “Too bad. He’s a cutie.”

  “I’ll show you cute.”

  After a couple of hours of bed acrobatics—damn the girl is flexible—Linda drops a kiss on my lips and proceeds to get dressed. “I’m out of town for a few weeks, but we could hook up when I get back if you want.”

  “Are you going to do that thing with your tongue again?”

  “If you do that thing with your cock again.”

  “Deal, baby.”

  Alex grins at me when I plop onto the couch beside him. “No screeching from that one.”

  “Nope, she’s quiet and kinky. Awesome combination.” Leaning back, I open my laptop and sort through my personal emails. It’s mostly spam and crap, but my heart constricts at the sight of a message from Noah Winters.

  On a whim a few months ago, I hired Mr. Winters to locate my birth parents. I know nothing about my biological family. I can’t imagine they are the best people since they abandoned me. All the state would tell me was I was left at a fire station when I was four years old along with my birth certificate and a ratty stuffed turtle.

  My birth certificate lists only a mother named Lola Turner. I don’t know why after all these years I want to know who she is. Maybe curiosity is just getting the best of me, but I want to know who she is and whether I have siblings she did deem worth keeping.

  “Ian? What is it?” Alex asks, as my fingers hover over the keyboard, debating whether to open the email. “You look like someone grabbed your nuts.”

  It kind of feels that way. “The P.I. must’ve found something.”

  “About your parents? What does it say?”

  “I haven’t read it yet.”

  Alex’
s expression is compassionate. “Do you still want to know?” I nod, and he says, “Then open it. Pull off the Band-Aid.”

  He’s right. I have to read the message three times before the words set in. “My mother died a month before I was abandoned. Car accident. He’s sent the address of her mother…my grandmother. She lives in Hawaii.”

  Alex lays a hand on my arm. “I’m sorry about your mother.”

  “Don’t be. I didn’t know her,” I snap, getting to my feet.

  “Well, I’m sorry you won’t get the chance. Would you like to meet your grandmother?”

  Good question. “I don’t know. I guess I need to think about it.”

  “She may know who your father is.”

  “Yeah.” I scrub my face with my palms. “I’m going to crash.”

  “Shower first. You smell like perfume and ass,” Alex taunts, changing the subject.

  “I will, after I wallow in your bed.”

  Chapter Two

  Alex

  Every inch of my body aches when I drag myself out of bed. First workout in three months kicked my ass and I need a hot shower before I head back today. I promised Mason I’d teach an extra children’s class at our MMA gym today since the schools are still out for the holidays.

  Ian barely grunts at me before leaving for work. He must’ve missed out on some beauty sleep. He’s always a grouch when he’s tired. I’ve been sleeping better the past few nights, ever since Cooper came to visit.

  I don’t mean I was visited by his ghost or anything crazy like that. It was a dream, one I was so damn disappointed to wake up from.

  “That’s enough, now, Alex,” Cooper said, tugging me into his lap. God, I loved it when he held me. For the first minute all I could do was burrow into him and breathe in his scent. When I looked around, we were back in his apartment, like that horrible day never happened. “That’s enough now, Alex,” he repeated.

  “Enough what, Coop? I missed you so much.” Tears dripped down my face as his eyes met mine.

  “Enough mourning. I know you loved me, but it’s time to move on. Let me go.”