Page 4 of The Redemption of Alex Cade
“The suit. And the fact you’re still wearing your shirt.”
I laughed, the tension easing from my shoulders. “You’ve still got yours on.”
“I’m just about the only one who has.” He glanced down at his plain T-shirt and jeans. “And I plan to keep it that way.”
I followed his gaze. His T-shirt hugged his torso but wasn’t painted on, as were the close fitting jeans that still managed to be on the looser side of skin tight. “Do you think he’s gone now?” He tilted his head towards the exit, uncertainty lacing his words.
“Yes, so don’t worry.” Either that or lying semi-conscious between the big industrial bins in the alley that ran behind the back of the club.
The guy’s face visibly relaxed. “Which means I should be going, too. It’s not exactly been the best of nights, and I don’t only mean with what happened with that tosser. Thanks for stepping in, I appreciate it. Okay, time to face the horrors ofthe night bus.” He pushed his fingers through his blond hair as he gazed up at me. There was nothing contrived about the gesture, nothing remotely flirtatious, and I doubted he was even aware of what he was doing. He was out of place in Euphoria, a lamb amongst the wolves, and the urge to get him away from the pulsating dance floor pressed in on me.
“Let me get you a drink,” I said quickly, “to apologise for your less than satisfactory experience this evening. Just so you don’t give us a poor review on Trip Advisor.”
“Don’t worry, I won’t screw up your ratings,” he said, laughing, the sound making me smile. “But, really, you don’t have to do that, and I should be going. Not used to being out so late on a school night.”
“It’ll fortify you against the night bus.” It’d been years since I’d been on a bus, whether night or day. The guy was wavering and with a sinking heart I was sure he was going to refuse.
“Well… all right,” he said, surprising me. “Just the one, though. The night bus weirdos get more weird as the night goes on. Plus, it’s a full moon so they’re going to be extra lively. I’m Kit. Kit Anderson.”
He held out his hand. It was an oddly formal thing to do, in a club full of half-naked men. I took it, my fingers closing around his, feeling the warmth of his skin, the fine bones, and the long and slender fingers, verging on this side of being feminine, yet dispelled by his firm grasp.
“Alex Cade.”
He smiled up at me, and I led the way towards the glassed off VIP area, the temptation of the dark-haired guy on the dance floor discarded and forgotten.
CHAPTER THREE
KIT
I hated Euphoria from the moment I arrived. All I’d wanted was to turn around and walk the other way, as far and fast as I could. What was supposed to have been drinks in a bar had turned into the loud, sweaty chaos of the club, which was as far from my scene as it was possible to get. But my friend Brendan had insisted, noisily adamant he was going to find a guy to fuck, and maybe more than one. Instead, he’d got himself thrown out, leaving me alone in a place I didn’t want to be. Yet now, instead of heading home like any sensible person would, I found myself sitting in the VIP area, the music and flashing lights of the dance floor muted behind glass partitions.
And across from me was Alex Cade.
I shifted uncomfortably in my seat, the smooth leather cool against the backs of my thighs, even through my jeans. Taking another sip of my imported beer, I tried to settle the jittery tension in my chest. Perhaps the encounter with theguy who wouldn’t take no for an answer had got to me more than I realised. Alex, by contrast, looked calm and self possessed as he leant back in his chair, on the other side of the small table that separated us.
I hadn’t missed the way the staff treated Alex. Deferential nods, the quick glances, the way the barman who’d brought the drinks had practically tripped over himself to pour Alex’s. Even the security guys hanging about in the shadows seemed to move in orbit around him. The man was magnetic, and it was impossible not to feel the pull of him. A man with power and authority, a man who was older than me, a man who was cool and in command of himself. A man who was pressing all my buttons.
Yet, now that we were out of the crush of the club, and kind of alone, I had no idea what to say. I didn’t know why, because I always saw myself as confident, yet there was something about Alex that made me feel shy.
My eyes darted from my beer bottle to Alex, then to the table when I caught myself staring. I was too aware of all the details of the man sitting opposite me and making my mouth dry, which even the pricy beer couldn’t relieve. The sharp cut of his obviously bespoke suit, the crisp white shirt, the perfectly knotted tie, and the faint and expensive scent of a cologne that was a mix of oranges and lemons. Alex’s long fingers curled loosely around his glass of mineral water. He was relaxed and confident, in charge of himself and the situation, everything I wasn’t as I sat across from him yet close enough to see the cool assessment in his green eyes.
“It must be hard work, managing a place like this.” My voice was too loud, too damn chirpy, as it broke the silence. I immediately regretted it. Why had I even said that?
Alex tilted his head slightly, as though in thought. “Yes, Iimagine it is.” He took a measured sip of his water, his gaze steady. “Maybe you should ask him.”
“Sorry?” I frowned, caught off guard. Wasn’t he the manager? Sharp, composed, and radiating authority, he more than looked the part.
“I’m not the manager, I’m the owner. Or part-owner, I should say. My business partner and I have a few places.”
“Oh.” My stomach sank. I’d called the club sleazy not so long before.Perfect.My fingers tightened around my bottle, and a nervous laugh escaped me. “The owner. Or part-owner. Seems like I might have put my foot in it.”
Alex chuckled, the sound rich and warm. “Euphoria’s not everybody’s cup of tea, I suppose, if that makes you feel any better,” he said lightly. “But it has its charms. And a loyal clientele.” His gaze, both amused and teasing, rested on mine. “That said, if you think it’s sleazy…”
I winced. Places like Euphoria were nothing more than meat markets and I did my best to avoid them. Yet, Alex had not only come to my rescue just when I needed him, I’d accepted an invite to have a drink with him. I needed to pick my words carefully.
“You’re right, Euphoria isn’t my kind of place. I find clubs too much, I suppose. Plus, I think I was just… angry. And embarrassed. That guy earlier…” I gestured loosely toward the dance floor, my cheeks burning. “He wasn’t the first one who’d been trying to crawl all over me, but he was the most insistent.” The guy had been forcing himself on me and I’d gone from pissed off to uneasy to scared, despite my show of defiance.
Alex’s expression shifted, his smile fading. For a moment, his eyes sharpened, and I felt the weight of his attention like a physical thing. “He won’t be bothering you again.” The quiet authority in his voice was an arm wrapping aroundme, strong and protective. It sent a shiver down my spine, because it was the kind of voice that made you believe every word. But the words weren’t just reassurance, there was something else there, too. A threat, or maybe a promise. I wasn’t sure which.
