Текст книги "The Seduction of Alex Parker"

Автор книги: Sandi Lynn

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Chapter 4

Emerson

Jenna walked into the kitchen as I was cleaning up.

“Good morning, Emerson. How was your first night here?”

“Good morning. It was great. I slept like a baby in that bed.”

She laughed. “Good. Any problems with Mr. Parker?”

I twisted my face at her. “No. Why?”

“Just wondering. He can sometimes be a little, how do I say this, rude and insensitive.”

“Oh. So far, he seems okay.”

“Good. Have a nice day, Emerson.” She smiled as she left the kitchen.

Now that I was back in California, it was time to reconnect with some old friends. Friends I hadn’t seen in over eight years, but I kept in contact with here and there over Facebook. Best friends I deserted when I left and never looked back. I went to my room and opened up my laptop, pulling up the page of Christine Howl, my best friend back in high school. She was married now with a kid and living her life as a stay-at-home mom.

“Hi, Christine. I’m back in California for a while and I was hoping we could meet for lunch and catch up.”

It was a matter of minutes before she replied back.

“OH MY GOD! I can’t believe you’re back. Yes! Can you meet for lunch today? I’ll call Bayli and see if she’s available. I know she’d love to see you.”

“Today will be great. How about we meet at one o’clock at the Polo Lounge? We used to love that place.”

“Sounds great. I can’t wait to see you.”

“I can’t wait to see you too.”

Now I was going to have to call a cab. Walking into the kitchen, I saw a man talking to Jenna.

“Emerson, this is Phillip, Mr. Parker’s personal driver.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Emerson. I actually came here to introduce myself to you. Mr. Parker told me that I’m to drive you wherever you may need to go.”

“Really?”

“Yes, really. Just as long as he doesn’t need me.”

“You have perfect timing, Phillip, because I need to be at the Polo Lounge at one o’clock to meet a friend for lunch.”

“All right, the Polo Lounge it is.” He smiled. “We should leave around noon, so I’ll be back to pick you up.”

“Thank you. I appreciate it.”

He gave a nod and left. He was a handsome-looking gentleman with his dark brown hair, green eyes, and a light beard. I pegged him to be in his late forties, maybe at the most, fifty. I couldn’t believe that Alex had asked him to drive me around. Maybe Alex Parker wasn’t such a bad guy after all.

I hopped in the shower, got dressed, and waited for Phillip to pick me up. When he arrived, he opened the door to the Bentley and I slid inside.

“So how long have you been driving for Alex?” I asked.

“About three years.” He smiled. “What brings you to California?”

“My brother, Adam. I really didn’t have a choice but to come back for a while.”

“Come back? Have you lived here previously?”

“Yeah. I grew up in LA.”

“Why did you leave?” he asked as he looked at me through his rearview mirror.

“It’s a long and boring story.”

We finally made it to the Polo Lounge and, as I climbed out of the car, Phillip handed me his phone number.

“Put my number in your phone and either call me or text me when you need to go somewhere. The latest I can pick you up is four o’clock.”

“That’s fine. If I’m going to be later, I’ll just catch a cab back.”

“Have a nice lunch with your friends, Emerson.”

“Thanks, Phillip.”

Before I reached the doors to the restaurant, I heard my name being called from the patio area. When I looked over, I saw Christine and Bayli waving me over to their table.

“Look at you,” Christine said as she hugged me. “You look amazing.”

“Thanks. So do you.”

“Long time no see, friend.” Bayli smiled as we hugged. It was like we were the Three Musketeers all over again.

As we were catching up, I glanced over and saw Alex being seated at a table across from us. He was with a beautiful, tall woman. He looked over, and when he saw me, an expression of shock overtook his face. I gave a small smile and continued my conversation with Christine and Bayli. After my second glass of wine, I excused myself to the restroom. When I came out, Alex was standing there waiting for me.

“Umm. Hi. Why are you waiting here in the hallway?”

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

I raised my eyebrow. “Having lunch with my friends.”

“What are you doing here?”

“The same thing you are.”

This was weird and it was making me uncomfortable.

“I didn’t know you had friends in LA.”

“Well, now you do. So if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get back to them.”

He glared at me for a moment. “Enjoy the rest of your lunch.”

“You too.” I patted his rock-hard chest.

Not too long after I got back to the table, Alex returned to his and continued his conversation with the tall, beautiful woman. I wondered if that was his girlfriend. As the two of them got up from their table to leave, Alex glanced over at me one last time. I pretended not to notice.

****

Alex

When I arrived home later that night around eleven o’clock, I saw Emerson in the pool. I stepped out on the patio and waited for her to finish her laps.

“Going for a late-night swim?” I asked.

“Yeah. It’s a beautiful night out.”

As she climbed out of the pool, I couldn’t help but notice her amazing body in her black bikini. Fuck. I grabbed the towel from the chair and handed it to her.

“Are you going to bed anytime soon?” I asked.

“Why? Do you want to join me?”

“Excuse me?” I spoke in shock.

“Relax, Alex. I was kidding.” She laughed. “You should have seen your face.”

“Very funny, Emerson. Sleep well.”

“I intend to. You do the same.”

“I will.”

“Good.” She smiled.

Chapter 5

Emerson

I was thrashing around in my bed. Calling out for help. I couldn’t breathe and my skin was heated. Before I knew it, someone was calling my name and shaking me.

“Emerson, wake up. You’re having a bad dream.”

I opened my eyes and froze when I saw Alex standing over me. I couldn’t catch my breath.

“I’m fine.” I sat up.

“You don’t look fine. You were having a nightmare. I could hear you screaming all the way upstairs.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to wake you.”

He sat down on the edge of the bed and the only thing I could focus on was his six-pack, or was it an eight-pack? I couldn’t tell because my eyes were still trying to focus on reality.

“Don’t worry about that. What was your nightmare about?”

“I don’t remember,” I lied. “I’m okay now. Please just go back to bed. This is awkward for you to be in here in nothing but your pajama pants and me in my nightshirt.”

“Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I promise you I’m fine.”

He got up from the bed and I gulped as I watched his lean, muscular body walk towards the door. “Sleep well.”

“I will. Thank you.”

He walked out and shut the door. I reached over and turned off the light, climbing back under the covers. This was the first time I had that nightmare in almost eight years.

The next morning, I got up before the sun rose and went for a run along the beach. The cool morning air awoke my senses and I was feeling good, despite last night’s nightmare. As I ran along the beach, I watched the sun rise and thanked God for another beautiful day. When I got back to the house, Alex was in the kitchen, sitting at the island and drinking his coffee. He looked at me in shock as I walked through the door wall.

“I thought you were still asleep.”

“Nah. I decided to go for a run and watch the sun rise.”

“Oh, well, there’s coffee over there if you want some.”

I reached in the cupboard and took out a cup. Suddenly, a man walked in the kitchen and went into the refrigerator. I arched my brow as I looked at him and then at Alex.

“Robert, I would like you to meet Emerson James. She’s my houseguest for the next three months. Emerson, meet Robert, my chef.”

He extended his hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Emerson.”

“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too.”

“I’ll be making omelets today. Would you like one?” he asked.

“No thanks. I can make my own.” I winked.

Looking over at Alex, he narrowed his eyes at me.

“Robert doesn’t like anyone in his kitchen.”

“Really? I thought this was your kitchen. And if I recall, I made dinner for me the other night and breakfast yesterday morning. In this kitchen. Your kitchen.” I pointed my finger at him.

He studied me, giving me a look that my brother always gave me when he was debating whether or not to say something.

“You will wait until Robert is done making breakfast before starting yours. You are not to be in his way. Do you understand, heartbreaker?”

How dare him. I strutted over to him and whispered in his ear, “Yes, I understand. Call me ‘heartbreaker’ again and it’s your heart I won’t be breaking. It’ll be your balls. Do you understand?” I walked away and went to my room.

****

Alex

Who the hell did she think she was talking to me like that? I got up from the island and followed her into her bedroom.

“Excuse me, Emerson. How dare you speak to me that way. Do you know who you’re talking to?”

“Yes. I’m talking to you, Alex Parker. A regular guy with the same shit going on in his head like any other ordinary guy. Just because you have mega millions, it doesn’t give you the right to order people around like that.”

Now she really had me mad. “And you have no right speaking to me that way.”

“And you have no right calling me ‘heartbreaker.’”

I sighed. “I apologize for calling you that.”

“And I apologize for saying that I’d break your balls.”

“Fine. Apology accepted. But don’t ever speak to me that way again.”

“You can guarantee I will if you call me something other than ‘Emerson’ again.”

The longer I stayed in her room and argued with her, the angrier I became. I started to walk out and stopped when I reached the door. I turned around and put my finger up.

“You—” I was so angry that I couldn’t finish my sentence. She stood there with her arms folded and stared at me. I walked out and went to the dining room to have breakfast.

As I was eating, Robert stepped into the room and asked to speak with me.

“My mother has taken ill and I need to go to see her in Florida. I really don’t know how long I’ll be gone,” he spoke.

“I’m sorry to hear that. When are you leaving?”

“As soon as possible.”

“I understand, Robert. Have a safe trip and I hope your mother feels better soon.”

“Thank you, sir.” He gave a small nod and went back into the kitchen.

Could this day get any worse? As I tried to eat my breakfast, I couldn’t get over the fact that Emerson had spoken to me the way she did. No woman had ever spoken to me that way and it would never happen again.

Chapter 6

Emerson

I take back what I said about Alex Parker not being such a bad guy. He was a complete asshole the way he spoke to me in his commanding voice, like I was some sort of child. Maybe I shouldn’t have told him what I did, but my defenses had gone up. The only people who had a right to talk to me like that were my parents. I couldn’t stop thinking about how he came into my room last night to check on me. As weird as it was having him hover over me in bed, it was a nice gesture on his part. I got the feeling there were two sides of Alex Parker. I just hadn’t figured out yet which side was more dominant. I was only here for three months and it wouldn’t be difficult to have as little contact with him as possible.

After putting on my bathing suit, and as I was walking out the patio door, I heard Alex call my name.

“Emerson. I need to speak with you for a moment.”

I rolled my eyes and turned around to face him.

“Yes, Alex.”

“Robert’s mother has taken ill and he is leaving for Florida. So I will need you to step in and take his place.”

I raised my eyebrow at him. “Take his place? What exactly do you mean?”

“You’ll be his replacement chef. Mainly cooking my breakfast in the morning and an occasional dinner.”

I laughed uncontrollably. “You’re kidding, right? You expect me to cook for you?”

“No and yes. Since you apparently have these mad cooking skills, it will save me from having to hire another personal chef. After all, I am letting you stay here,” he spoke with seriousness.

Cocking my head, I stared at him, becoming distracted by his overall sexiness in his tailored business suit and his scent that lingered in the air. Damn him.

“Fine. Since you were kind enough to open up your home to me while my brother is away, the least I could do is repay you by cooking your meals.” I pretty much had to choke out the words.

“Very good. You’ll start tomorrow morning. Breakfast is at 7:30 sharp.”

“And if I don’t have it ready until 7:31 or perhaps 7:32?”

He took in a sharp inhale. “7:30, Miss James.” He walked away without even cracking a smile. I didn’t see him the rest of the day or night, which was fine with me. I wasn’t particularly liking his attitude.

****

I made sure to wake up nice and early to serve His Majesty his breakfast on time. Just as Alex walked into the kitchen, I plated his quiche with a side of fresh fruit and a homemade banana-nut muffin.

“Good morning,” he mumbled.

“Morning. Your breakfast is ready.”

“It smells delicious in here. Did you make homemade muffins?”

“Yes. Banana-nut. I hope you like them.”

“They aren’t my first choice, but I don’t mind them.”

I rolled my eyes as I set his plate on the table.

“Are you joining me?” he asked as he sat down.

I cocked my head. “Does Robert ever join you?”

“No.”

“Then why would I?”

I walked out of the dining room and into the kitchen with a small smile on my face. I poured myself another cup of coffee and took a muffin from the cooling rack. Banana-nut might not have been his first choice, but they sure were mine. As I was cleaning up, Alex brought his plate to the kitchen.

“That was an excellent breakfast.”

“It must be those mad cooking skills I supposedly have,” I replied as I stood over the sink, washing a pan.

Suddenly, I felt a wave of hot breath over my neck as he came up from behind and leaned close to my ear.

“You have very mad cooking skills and I can’t wait to see what you cook up next.”

I gulped. His scent was infiltrating my space and it was driving me crazy, not to mention the fabric of his suit that lightly brushed up against my skin.

“Guess you’ll have to wait and find out,” I spoke without turning around.

My phone, which was sitting on the counter, beeped with a voicemail message. Strange that I hadn’t heard it ring. Alex backed up and I reached over and pressed play and hit the speaker button because my hands were wet. It was from a number I didn’t recognize.

“Hey, Em, it’s Ryan. I got a new number and want you to have it if you change your mind about us and come back to Connecticut. I sure do miss you, baby. I miss the great sex we had and I miss holding you in my arms.”

I immediately stopped the message and sighed. Shit. I couldn’t believe Alex heard that.

“Ryan? Great sex? Another heart you broke?” He snickered.

I took in a deep breath. “The sex wasn’t all that great and, yes, another heart I broke. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have to finish cleaning up before I head down to the beach.”

“Enjoy your day and thank you for breakfast.”

“No problem. After all, you are letting me stay in your castle.” I gave a small smile.

He walked out of the kitchen and I placed my hands against the counter, pushing myself back. Why the hell would Ryan be calling me after all this time?

****

Alex

Sitting in the car on the way to the office, the only thing on my mind was Emerson, the breakfast she made me, and the two hearts she broke. Why the fuck was I thinking about her so much? She was certainly a beautiful woman. Probably, no, definitely one of the most beautiful women I’d ever laid eyes on, but she was mouthy and disrespectful. Even though I despised those two things about women, she had me curious about her. Something was going on with her and I was going to find out what her story was, whether she wanted to tell me or not. I would give her the opportunity to tell me herself and if she didn’t, then I would hire someone to find out for me. She was a woman about whom I shouldn’t give a damn. She was my friend’s sister. But there was something about her that made me want to know more and my mind wouldn’t rest until I found out everything about her.

Chapter 7

Emerson

I couldn’t shake the feeling I’d had all day after feeling Alex’s hot breath sweep across my neck. The only way to describe it was riveting. Feeling him so close to me, I froze up, almost as if he had cast a spell on me. I was unable to move and take in a breath. When I googled him, the only information that came up was business related. There was nothing that told me about his personal life, except for all the pictures of him with different women. But even those seemed businesslike. They were photos of him attending charities, events, premieres, and the opening of whatever new business he took on. The type of woman he was photographed with was classy, rich, and uptight, just like him. How could I tell? It was easy to spot a bitch. But of course he would be into that type of woman. I wouldn’t expect anything less from him. It made me wonder if those women put up with his condescending bullshit and attitude. Too much thinking about Alex Parker was dangerous and a waste of time. I had other things to think about, like when Adam got back and we had our talk, where I was going to venture off to next.

As I was relaxing on the beach, soaking up the sun, and plotting my next move, I heard Jenna calling my name.

“Emerson, Mr. Parker just called and said that he needs you to cook dinner tonight for him and a guest. He’ll be home around seven o’clock.”

I sighed. “Would this guest be of the female species?”

She laughed. “I would say probably.”

“Okay, then. It looks like my time down here on the beach is done for the day. I’ll have to call Phillip and have him take me to the grocery store.”

I grabbed my towel and my water and headed back up to the house. As I walked to my room to change, I dialed Phillip.

“Hello.”

“Phillip, it’s Emerson James. I’m going to need a ride to the grocery store. Mr. Parker is having me cook dinner tonight for him and a guest.”

“Very well, Emerson. When would you like to go?”

“How fast can you be here?”

“About thirty minutes.”

“Okay. I’ll be waiting for you.”

After changing into my clothes, I went to the kitchen and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen from the drawer. As I sat on the stool next to the island, I began to jot down some items I would need. Just as I was completing my list, Phillip walked in.

“Are you ready to go, Emerson?”

“Yes. I just finished my list.”

I climbed into the back of the Bentley and Phillip drove me to the store.

“Are you coming?” I asked him as he held the door open for me and I climbed out.

“Where?” he asked with confusion.

“Into the store. I’ll give you half the list and we can split up. The sooner we get what I need, the sooner we can get out of here.”

“But, Emerson—”

“No buts, Phil. Let’s go.”

I heard him sigh as he walked behind me and into the store. I ripped the list in half and handed it to him.

“If you have any questions about these items, just ask.” I smiled.

****

I set the table with Alex’s fine china and placed two beautiful crystal candlestick holders in the center with red candles to create a romantic ambiance. After all, if he was bringing home his date for dinner, I wanted to make it as romantic as possible for them. Not really. I just did it to see what kind of reaction I’d get out of him. I didn’t know what the hell the matter with me was, but the thought of him bringing home a woman for a romantic dinner bothered me. Shit. I wasn’t even fond of Alex Parker.

It was 6:55. The candles were lit and the fresh red rose petals were laid perfectly around the table. I really went all out. As I was pouring two glasses of chardonnay, I heard the front door open, and my jaw dropped when Alex walked in with a guy.

Shit. Shit. Shit. His dinner guest wasn’t a woman!

I stood there nervously, thinking about the dining room table I’d set.

“Emerson, this is Greyson Adair, CEO of Adair Holdings and Securities.

Greyson, this is my houseguest and chef, Emerson James.”

Greyson looked at me as he took my hand and brought it up to his lips. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Thank you. It’s nice to meet you.”

“Is dinner ready?” Alex asked.

“Yes. I just have to plate it. Why don’t the two of you go sit in the living room and have a drink? I’ll call you when dinner is served. All I need is a few minutes,” I spoke in a panic.

“There are two glasses of wine right there,” Alex said as he reached for a glass.

“No!” I voiced as I took both glasses from the counter. “I mean, these are for dinner and must only be drunk with your meal. It’s all about the pairing, Alex.”

He gave me a strange look. A look that told me he knew I was up to something. But I didn’t care. My only concern was getting the candles and rose petals off the table.

“Go on.” I smiled as I waved my hands. “Go enjoy a pre-dinner drink.”

He continued to stare at me as he led Greyson to the living room. When they were out of sight, I ran to the dining room, blew out the candles, grabbed them, and scooped up the rose petals, tossing them into the trash and hiding the candles in the cabinet. As I was plating their dinner, Alex and Greyson walked into the dining room and took a seat.

“Tonight’s dinner is chicken scallopini with a shitake sake sauce over udon noodle cakes, steamed broccoli, and homemade dinner rolls, paired with a chardonnay.” I smiled as I set down their plates in front of them.

“It smells like candles were blown out in here,” Alex spoke as he raised his eyebrow at me. He leaned over his chair and picked up a single rose petal that must have fallen from my hands. “What’s this?”

“It looks like a rose petal.”

“I know what it looks like, Emerson. Where did it come from?”

I shrugged. “I don’t know. Do you have roses around here somewhere?”

“No.”

“Weird.”

As I turned and began to walk away, Greyson called my name.

“Why don’t you join us for dinner, Emerson?”

“Thank you. But I have to clean up and I’ve already eaten.”

“Alex, tell your chef that she is required to join us.”

I watched as Alex gave Greyson an odd look.

“Emerson, go get yourself a plate and sit down and join us for dinner,” he spoke in an authoritative tone.

Flashing a fake smile, I went to the kitchen, made myself a plate, and sat down across from Alex.

“This chicken is amazing. May I ask where you learned to cook like this?” Greyson asked.

“I studied in Tuscany.”

Alex’s eyes focused on me when I said that.

“Under whom?” Greyson asked.

“Under Mario Ricci and his wife, Vanessa.”

“Interesting,” Alex spoke as he glared at me.

“Tuscany is a beautiful place. How long were you there?” Greyson continued with his questions.

“A little over six months.”

“Well, this is extremely delicious and I must say I’ve never had udon noodle cakes before, but it’s quickly becoming one of my favorites.”

“Thank you.” I smiled.

I sat and ate my dinner as the two of them talked business. I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t turned on by Alex’s business talk. I needed a smack upside the head.