Freeing Alex (2 page)

“I’m Roger,” he growls, “security. I’ve been asked to walk
you through to Mr Aconi‘s office.” He’s very matter of fact and his
introduction, well, that’s chucked my theory about him being Aconi right out!
“Follow me, please.” He looks me up and down, his dark blue eyes taking
everything in, the rugged face, the rugged
handsome
face clearly making
a mental note of his surroundings, of me. This guy
has
to be
ex-military, his posture, the way he holds himself. 

He waits for me to collect my bag, once I’m sorted and stood
behind this towering man he walks quickly to the back of the foyer I follow him
to a door marked
Staff Only
, which leads us to a corridor and a
staircase leading up and down. 

“We need to go up,” he grumps. He’s huge. Security,
yes
,
this guy is every inch a security man, I wouldn’t like to mess with him – or
maybe I would?

I’m starting to feel a little like my old self. Being away
from Lewis for these last few weeks, not feeling like I’m walking on eggshells
all of the time, is doing me good. I always said that no man would ever want
me, that I’d never, ever get involved with another man. Hell, who’d have me
anyway with my monstrous scars, but – well, I can dream, can’t I?

“Did you find us okay?” he asks as I follow him, presumably
trying to make polite conversation and drawing me from my thoughts.

“Umm, not too bad. Although I dislike driving in London, too
busy for me.”

He laughs. “Not from around here then?”

I huff my way up the stairs. “No, we’ve relocated from Staffordshire,
a small village, so this is completely different.”

“You’ll get used to us, I’m sure,” he mumbles.

“I wouldn’t put money on it,” I laugh. “Where is Mr Aconi's
office?” I ask as we seem to climb endless stairs.

“He’s on the fourth floor, there’s a lift but I prefer to
use the stairs.” His deep voice almost echoes as we climb the narrow dark
staircase.

“Well, I suppose they are healthier,” I add, catching my
breath as we climb more and more stairs.

We finally stop climbing at what I guess
must
be the
fourth floor, although we seem to have been going on forever. Action Man pushes
a door open and we walk further along a dimly lit corridor. This is most
definitely a staff only area and not at all like the luxurious surroundings I
have just been sitting in. “He’s just along here,” he mumbles, and eventually
we stop at a door signed
General Manager
. He stops and knocks on the
door a couple of times – firm, loud knocks – and walks in, he doesn’t wait to
be called.

“James, this is Mrs Drake,” he announces.

“Just a moment,” the man behind the desk says. He has his
head down, I see a mass of unruly dark curls, yes, this guy looks as though
he’s just had the most amazing time, lucky woman! He looks up. “Hello,” the
stunningly handsome man at the other side of the desk says.

Well, if this is Aconi he’s totally and utterly different to
anything and everything that I was expecting. Lord, how any woman wouldn’t just
melt at the looks is, well, just not possible – and judging by the conversation
I heard downstairs, they do! This guy is stunning! Maybe being away from Lewis
has
changed me.

“Hi, I’m Alex Drake,” I pant, out of breath, I think,
although I’m possibly also aroused for the first time in years! I know I used
to visit the gym regularly and consider myself reasonably fit, but this
security person, whoever he is… well, it feels like I’ve just run 10K up those
stairs, he certainly keeps an accelerated pace. I’m about to collapse on the
floor when the handsome bloke at the other side of the desk stands up.

“James Aconi. Pleased to meet you, Mrs Drake. Please – take
a seat.” He gestures towards the battered leather chair before sitting back
down in his swivel chair.

I look at the chair in front of his desk, it looks well
used. Glancing around his office, I wonder where he and that girl—
Alex,
stop it!
I reprimand myself before collapsing into the leather, aware that
I now have Action Man behind me and a movie star in front of me. Holy
shit,
Maggie worked with these two, no wonder she never came home. I mean, who in
their right mind would leave this pair for a quiet little village in
Staffordshire where nothing ever happens and the highlight of the year was Mrs
Watson’s garden party! I struggle to get my breath back without making too much
of a fuss. My mind’s whizzing at a hundred miles an hour, two fit blokes and
me! Wow!
Alex, keep your thoughts to yourself and your mouth zipped, no
loose lips in here. Oh Lord above – take me now! Either one of you – both of
you!

I try to mentally calm myself and glance around his office.
It’s not plush but comfortable, with a large dark desk which looks quite old
and battered and, well, I suppose well used! There’s a high-back swivel chair
which Aconi sits in. He must be all of thirty-five at the most, I’m still
stunned, he really is not what I was expecting. He’s built, not like Action Man
behind me, but not far off. Through his white shirt I can see thick arms and
the open neck shows how well developed he really is. I have no doubt that what
I see at that neck leads to exceptional pectorals and abs. No, I’m speechless
at this James Aconi, the one with the beautiful, handsome face, the olive skin,
that dark curly hair and… wow, the eyes, whoa! 

He smiles and that just about does it, I’m officially an
exhausted quivering heap. He sits, just looking at me, weighing me up, I think.
He gazes at my Marks & Spencer dress and handbag, no doubt aware that my
floral dress came from the mid-range store. “So you’re my new boss?” he states
with an almost sarcastic tone.
Oh shit,
the tone of his voice
–
he’s
going to give me trouble, and not just in a work way!

“Yes, I suppose I am. I’m so pleased to meet you at last,
I’ve heard such good things about you, James. I can call you James?” I’m still
trying to catch my breath.

“Sure, everyone else does, ‘cause that’s my name.” His voice
is husky and he sounds cock sure of himself.

Action Man coughs to cover a laugh from behind me. “Anything
else?” he mutters, addressing Aconi.

Aconi looks at the security man. “No, Rog, that’ll be all.”

The big guy leaves. I sense that James is not happy about me
being here, but I’ve no intention of stepping on his toes, I don’t want to run
the place. Hell, I don’t really know
what
I want to do just yet other
than just to know what goes on.

“So,” I say brightly, now that I’ve finally got an audience
with Aconi, the King of Sex, “I wanted to come along today and introduce
myself. I’m not sure how much Maggie had to do with this place, although I
don’t think she got involved with the day-to-day running of it, and everyone
speaks highly of you.”

He picks a pen up off his desk, rolling it between his long
fingers. “Do they? Well, I suppose that’s good. What do you intend to do with
Reid’s?” he asks, straight to the point, his tone brittle to say the least. I
really get the impression that this stunning bloke is not happy with me being
here, not happy at all, although I don’t know why, maybe he just feels
threatened? Maybe his next girl is lined up, waiting for his ministrations?

I watch him for a moment or two, taking more of him in.
“Nothing, for the time being. I intend to leave it as it is,” I say firmly,
looking around the dark but tidy office. “You’re the General Manager, if there
are any problems I expect that you will put them right. If something is wrong
and you can’t fix it, I expect that when Maggie owned the place you would have
told her, so I would like to think you’ll do the same with me,” I say calmly.

“So are you saying you’ll operate the same as Maggie?” He
sounds a little brighter, I’m starting to think that maybe he felt a bit
threatened.

“I suppose so.” I sigh. “Look, James, I’ve no idea how
Maggie looked after her affairs, I’m just learning. I don’t know how she ran
this place, if
she
ran it at all, and I certainly don’t want to tread on
any toes.
You
run this place, everyone speaks so highly of you. I just
feel that I need to know who works for me, what they do, and in that respect I
will be a little more involved than Maggie was.” I try to explain my rationale
for being here today.

There’s a moment’s silence, maybe he’s processing what I’ve
said. “Really? So you’re not going to take over anything?” he questions,
frowning, his tone just a little more at ease. He leans forward, placing his
forearms on his desk, and as each second passes he looks a little more relaxed.

I shrug my shoulders, looking at him, that stunning face. He
still looks confused. “No. Why would I want to take over? I have no idea what
to do. Frankly I don’t
need
to work, but I want to, I need to keep
myself occupied, that’s all.” 

I open my hands. “You have my assurance, James,” I
reiterate. “Look, I’ve no bloody idea how to run a hotel, a bed and breakfast
or any kind of hospitality business. I used to teach primary school kids,
that’s my background. I’m here today to learn about
you
,”
shit, that
came out wrong
, “…not take over from you.”

I see him visibly relax. “I don’t think we got off to a
particularly good start, did we?” I say. I don’t mean to sound patronising but
it comes out like it. “Shall we start again?”

He smiles. Oh Lord, that smile. I swoon. Gosh, I haven’t
felt like this for… how long? Lewis and I haven’t been intimate since, oh I
don’t know when, must be fifteen years ago, and even when he did come near me
it was only for his own benefit. I never had feelings like this since – well,
not since I married, apart from the odd bloke in the supermarket that
disappeared around an aisle before I could get a second look. I was always too
busy worrying about whether I was in trouble for anything at home to think
about sex. But now, as I sit in this battered old chair in front of this man
with movie-star looks, all those feelings I remember from my youth come
flooding back. He’s watching me, weighing me up, I’m struggling to keep it
together. Shit, I’d forgotten what it felt like to feel horny!

“I’d like to start again,” he says, showing me that smile
again.

Oh God, I need to get out of here.
But you can’t,
Alex, I think to myself,
pull yourself together.

“Right. So…” I laugh.

“Well, it’s good to meet you, Mrs Drake,” he says. His voice
is
so
deep, so sexy, the brittle tone gone. I don’t know if I
can
work with him, I’m already feeling completely aroused.

“Well, I have to say I’ve been excited and dreading coming
here, mixed emotions.” I’m sure my voice trembles.

“Have you?” He raises an eyebrow. “
Excited…
And
why’s
that?” He smiles again and stands. Oh God, he’s tall, and he walks around to
the front of his desk, parking his arse on the end, his long legs stretched out
before him, they look muscled as well! 

“Because it’s real. Maggie was silent in so many businesses,
businesses that I have no interest in, no desire to even get to know. Because
she was silent in those concerns it’s almost as if they don’t exist, they’re
not tangible, but this is real… I can touch it, come into it, feel it. Does
that make sense?” I try to explain as best as I can but all the time I’m
mesmerized by this gorgeous man.

“Yes, I suppose so. I assume you’d like to have a look
around?” he offers, standing up from the corner of his desk.

Only if you’re showing me.
“Please, although I’d love
a cup of tea first.” I’m parched and Action Man’s workout has just about
finished me off.

“We can stop in the bar area.” He opens his door, very
polite a gentleman too, and gestures for me to follow. “Shall we?”

“Hmm, you lead, I’ll follow.” I wait for him to walk out
into the corridor before following.

He looks at me, continuing to weigh me up, I think. It
occurs to me that maybe he had an image of what
I
might be like. I
wonder if he was expecting someone older or younger?

I follow him out of his office and along the corridor, the
stairs and into the public areas, as he guides me around the hotel pointing out
various things, some obvious, some not. His pace is quick. I wonder if everyone
here goes at a hundred miles an hour. His strides are purposeful and as I
follow I can’t take my eyes off that bloody arse and those long, long legs.

He points out the reception,
as if I didn’t know
.
“Can you introduce me to the girls?” I ask. “I’ve spoken to them a couple of
times today, but at your request I didn’t tell them who I was. Perhaps now is
the appropriate time, I’d like to say ‘hello’.” I like the feeling that I’m in
control. This is how I used to be before Lewis.

He gestures towards reception and we walk over. Standing at
the marble counter, the one I spoke to last, Monica, makes her way over towards
us. “Mr Aconi.” She smiles, looking longingly at him, looking flustered as the
man she was discussing with her colleague stands before her.

“Monica, just get the other two girls please. I’d like to
introduce you to Mrs Drake.” He’s firm. Good – I’m glad he’s keeping the little
miss and her colleagues in check.

Within seconds all three girls are stood before him, all
with their bright white smiles, all looking like they’re willing him to devour
them instantly and he clearly has their attention.

“Girls, I’d like to introduce you to…”

As he starts to speak, I interrupt him, placing my hand on
his arm. “Can I introduce myself?” I look up at him, and I do have to look
up
– he’s so much taller than me. The girls all look at me, not with daggers, more
like pins!

“Oh, yes, of course.” He smiles.

I look at the three girls behind the counter, smiling
sweetly, particularly at Monica. “Hello, I’m Alex Drake. I’m the new owner of
this hotel,” I tell them with just a little smile. I’m enjoying this.