“I’m not taking you home.”

Alex grabbed a remote and soon soft music was filtering in from some hidden speakers around the room. Angel flushed, not liking where her thoughts were headed.

“Nice. Will there be a huge round bed dropping from above and a spring-loaded champagne bucket popping up from some hidden hole in the floor?”

Alex laughed. “No, Angel. I like music. I have it piped all over the house. I’m not one of those.”

“Hmmph!” She let out her breath, her expression clearly doubting his words. “Yeah, sure. If I explore the house, will I find ten other sex slaves, bound in chains, locked up in the basement?”

Alex huffed, sinking down in the chair facing her and downing the rest of his drink before placing it on the end table nearest him. “Hardly. I only have one sex slave at a time,” he joked; his beautiful mouth quirked up at one side and Angel had to laugh. He was gorgeous; her breath hitched even though she should be pissed at being held prisoner.

“So, why are we here?” she asked softly, wanting to know his intentions.

His green eyes bored into hers and his finger and thumb tugged on his lower lip as he considered his answer. “Well, because we made plans to be together tonight, and you pissed me off going to that meat market alone. You should know better than that.”

“I wasn’t alone.” Max put his head in her lap and whimpered for Angel to continue stroking his coat. “Kenneth was there.”

“He was late. If you can’t count on him then get more responsible, uh, friends.” A new wave of anger rushed up in his chest, heating his skin. He rose and walked slowly to refill his glass. His movements were relaxed, but his tone spoke of agitation.

Angel smirked, unable to hold back the glimmer of hope that this amazing man cared enough to be jealous. “What is all this? We agreed we’d be monogamous when it comes to sex, but otherwise, we’d live our lives. Besides, we had plans later, and you knew it. I don’t get why your panties are all in a bunch. I wasn’t fucking him under the table, so I wasn’t violating our understanding,” Angel goaded softly. She bit her lip to hide a smile when he turned back to her from the bar.

Jealousy burned him alive, but it was more worry over her safety and he needed her to understand that. “I feel sure he’d like to be doing some violating.”

“So what? He knows where things stand,” she said, nonplussed.

Alex tried to read her expression, wondering if she was telling the truth. “All I’m saying is that if the guy can’t keep his word, then make concessions to compensate.”

“Like what?”

“Like use your goddamned head, Angel! It’s not just him! You know what I’m talking about!” he blurted loudly, startling Max, who jumped down to go to him.

Alex moved to sit on the floor in front of Angel when she didn’t answer, feeling her eyes burn into him and her perfume wafting around him. After a minute, he turned to her.

“Look, I’m not ignorant or immune to what’s going on with you. Last night at the station, there were hoods messing with your car while I waited; I chased them away.” Angel’s heart thumped in her chest and he reached out for her hand, kissing the tender flesh on the inside of her wrist, his eyes holding hers. “What if I wasn’t there?” he asked against her skin.

Angel sighed softly, unable to help softening toward him, and her hand moved to the side of his face. “Nothing, Alex.” She shrugged slightly. “If you weren’t there, I would have been fine; like I’m always fine. They were probably just some neighborhood kids messing around in the parking lot.”

“I won’t take chances with you.” Alex struggled. Should he tell her about his car and the note? He didn’t want to scare her, but he wanted to protect her. The undeniable emotion that moved him to take care of her both enthralled and terrified him. He worried; he wanted to protect, to touch, to taste, and to own like never before.

His fingers closed around the wrist near his chin, and he pulled her toward him until his mouth found hers and his arms encircled, pulling her down onto his lap. He was gentle, the kiss coaxing; not like the passionate assault in the limousine.

“Just give me some peace of mind and be more careful,” he pleaded as his lips left hers and she curled into him, his fingers sliding into the silky strands on the side of her head as his thumb brushed her jaw. “What should we order for dinner? You’ll need energy later.”

Angel chuckled and nodded, her forehead coming into contact with his jaw. She felt safe here in the arms of a man she barely knew. It was nuts but undeniable. Their intense physical connection and his tenderness were at complete opposite ends of the spectrum. That told her that there was more about him she wanted to know—and know well—despite the fact that her heart would bleed when it ended. Her emotions ruled her mind for the first time and it felt too good to fight. She smiled into him. “So will you.”

His chest rumbled underneath her cheek as he laughed. “I like the sound of that. Okay, something with a lot of carbs, then.” He pulled out his phone. “Martin, please run down to Giovanni’s for some pizza and spaghetti. Hold on.” He moved the phone away. “Angel, what kind of pizza do you want?”

“Pepperoni and cream cheese.”

Alex grimaced. He’d never heard of that combination. “Pepperoni and, uh, cream cheese. Yes, me either. Yeah, I know, it sounds gross to me, too!” Angel punched him playfully in the stomach and he grunted. “Get a large supreme and whatever you’d like, also. Don’t forget the hot peppers and parmesan.”

Angel was nibbling on his lower jaw when he threw the phone aside. “It’s delicious, asshole. You’ll be eating your words.”

“Mmmm…” Soon, Angel found herself pinned beneath him, his hot mouth on her neck, hands pushing her blouse open, teasing the sensitive flesh under her lace bra. “I’ll be eating something, that’s for sure. If I’m lucky.” He smiled against her skin and she let out a breathy moan that went straight to his cock. “You’re delicious.”

* * *

Alex and Angel sat in the middle of his huge, over-sized bed, in the middle of the disheveled sheets, finally eating the pizza, now cold, that Martin had left on the counter in the large marble and mahogany kitchen.

Alex’s eyes widened. “Holy shit! This is… fucking… amazing!” he mumbled with his mouth full. It was three AM and they were both starving and exhausted. Angel giggled as she picked up a slice and tried to situate herself back into the pile of bedding. She tried desperately not to spill it in the dark, the only light coming from the moon shining in through the cracked blinds. Alex’s bedroom was like the rest of the house: stone, massive furniture, dark wood, and all man.

“Told ya,” she said, shoving the pizza into her mouth, laughing.

He watched her with amusement as he enjoyed the satiated glow of her expression and her waves of dark curls falling softly across her cheek as she concentrated on her pizza. He delighted in having her with him; their evening spent teasing and exploring each other’s bodies to the height of heights. She was the most exciting creature he’d ever known, but yet, so easy to be with.

“Yes, you did.” He stopped to take a pull from a long neck Heineken before holding it out to her. “It doesn’t hurt that I’m hungrier than I think I’ve ever been, though.”

“Whatever. Just admit it, Alex. I’m right and you’re wrong,” she teased, taking the beer from him, her face lighting up in a big smile, her hair in a big mess around her face. “Nana nana boo-boo!” she sing-songed.

Alex burst out laughing, almost choking on his pizza. It was so simple; sitting in his bed, in the middle of the night, with an amazingly sexy, naked woman, eating pizza and laughing with her unabashedly. It was good to let go of the structure and just be. “Don’t get too cocky, Dr. Hemming.” He leaned up against the headboard and watched her munch away.

“Are you gonna let me go home tomorrow? Even sex slaves need a reprieve and fresh clothes,” she said with a grin.

“The jury is still out. I like having you here.” The words were out before he thought about it, but it was the truth. “I’m really enjoying this.”

Her face sobered as she handed him back the beer, which he set on the table by the expensive lamp his mother had brought back from Cairo. “Yeah. It’s been fun, although your methods are unconventional. You could’ve just asked me to come over. Just sayin’.”

“That was the plan, originally.” He threw what was left of his pizza back in the box and moved it to the floor beside the bed.

“The housekeeper is gonna shit herself in the morning. Left over pizza, beer bottles, and used rubbers scattering the floor… classic,” Angel quipped, crawling up next to Alex, and draping over him in a half-assed way. “Unless… she’s used to it,” she probed, looking up into his face, her chin in her clasped hands.

“Uh, I think I’ll pick up the rubbers, and no, she’s not used to it. She doesn’t need to see that side of me.”

“Believe me; every living thing with a vagina sees that side of you.”

Alex let his breath out in a surprise and then chuckled. “Angel, that’s crazy. She’s sixty-something!”

“So?” Her voice was hesitant but a smile danced around her luscious mouth. “Does she have a vagina?”

He laughed again. “I don’t know and it’s not something I want to think about. Besides, she’s like my mother. Only much more accommodating because she’s on my payroll,” he reasoned.

“Go ahead. Bury your head in the sand. Bet her vibrator and fantasies of you are best friends.”