Stand Close 2 (Stand Close New Adult Romance Series) Read online

  I nod, but he doesn’t release me. He’s waiting for me to say more. To make him believe me. “I won’t do it again. I won’t kiss anyone, if you don’t want me to. But Alec, is that really fair?”

  He blinks away his anger, knowing it’s crazy, that he’s got no right. Taking my hand again, he races me across another street. I almost fall, my heel lodging itself awkwardly between the centuries-old stones. “Oh!” He grabs me by the waist quickly and bends to retrieve my shoe. Slipping it onto my foot, he rises and looks into my adoring gaze. I try to hide it, but he just put my shoe on for me! The fairytale has slammed into my mind again; how am I supposed to feel?

  Frowning, he grunts and wraps his arm around my waist, quickly guiding me to a nearby building. At a nondescript door, he pulls out a key, shoving it into the lock. I glance up and see we’re between two clothing stores, at a door that seems to lead up to apartments. There is no signage or even names on the security keypad. Just blank spaces next to five sets of numbers.

  Once inside, I’m swept up the stairs, pulled again by my hand. My heart is racing fast. Where is he taking me? On the second floor, he pulls out another key and lets us into a beautiful sparsely decorated loft. It’s obviously a bachelor pad of the grandest fashion. There are hundreds of black and white photographs framed and hung on the long wall to our right. He locks the door and quickly goes to close the curtains, street-side. One after another, he pulls them closed, making his way rapidly down the immense room all the way to the other end.

  Suddenly Sean’s warning is screaming in my ears. I’m setting myself up for a crushing fall. Oh God… what am I doing? Is this Alec’s stud-apartment he keeps in the city? There’s a king-size bed at the end with masculine bedding; dark colors and few pillows. How many women has he made scream on that bed? How many teeth have bitten those pillows as he’s… I gulp and my eyes widen as Alec turns to me with the most sexual look I’ve ever seen.

  With eyes glowing with possessive hunger, he starts the long return back. All warnings now go unheeded. As I watch his purposeful strides, the look in his eyes, the way his hands are tense because they want to grip onto my hips, I now know that before tonight, I’ve only been with boys. Never men. Alec is only twenty-five, but with all the places he’s been, the people he’s known, the lovers he’s had, he is a man. And my body is responding to him as only a woman’s would. I’m stripped bare of the girl in me and of fear. I’ve no time for it. For him I feel only naked lust. He can see it in my eyes.

  I will give him whatever he wants.

  I run at him like I did in my house three thousand miles away, but this time we won’t be interrupted and the knowledge is an aphrodisiac. He catches me in his arms and we grope each other, mashing our lips together furiously, crushing everything. My feet find the floor as he sets me down to unleash my breast, bending down to tongue and tease my nipple, the pink skin tightening against his warm lips. He suckles it and I moan, “Alec, that feels so good.” He grinds his erection into me, and rises up to strip his jacket off, tearing the fabric of his tie in his haste to remove it. I slip my hands inside his shirt before it’s fully unbuttoned, so I can slide my fingers down his abs and over the taut V. The warm tightening of my belly as my panties moisten is agony. I want him inside me. I need it.

  He’s watching me with parted lips, his breathing hoarse as he finishes unbuttoning his shirt.

  “Alright. Alright. That’s enough” Jack steps out of the bathroom with his hands barely over his eyes, pretending to not be looking, but green eyes lock with mine and I scream.

  Alec covers my naked breasts with his body, his arms flying around me in a protective embrace. “Jack,” he says, shaking his head. “You scared the shit out of me! Look away!”

  “Stop stop stop. Isn’t she covered?” Jack smirks, still peeking through his fingers. “You wouldn’t be trying to fuck my sister now, would you, friend?” He’s amused, not like Sean would be, but I want to claw his eyes out anyway.

  “Turn around!” Alec orders him angrily. “Give her a second.”

  “Looks like that’s all the time she needs.” My mouth slackens as Jack throws me a look that says slut. Alec must have seen it, but he doesn’t acknowledge it as he watches Jack turn around with maddening slowness.

  Furious at both of them, I slip my dress back into place, stepping away from Alec as he adjusts himself, cupping his package, and exchanges a quick look with me. I shake my head, not happy with this. Not happy at all.

  “Let’s go,” Jack says without further ado, strolling to the door. No one addresses what just happened and I’m waiting for Alec to say something. I guess he must know that Jack has the key, and Jack must have known Alec would bring me here. Which is not good. If he knew that, that means it’s a habit for Alec to bring girls to this hidden apartment. I already suspected that, but this confirms my fears.

  Or worse, maybe Alec knew Jack would find us here and that’s why he brought me. Betrayed, I’m staring at Alec with my arms crossed around my chest, wondering why he doesn’t tell Jack off! He meets my angry stare and motions for me to walk out the door first. Gentleman, my ass.

  All the way down the stairs, I keep my arms crossed around me. Jack’s happily bounding down the stairs, and silent Alec is holding up the rear a couple steps behind me. Jacks walks out, not holding the door for me. I catch it right before it slams in my face, and push it open to feel the cool night air hit me. It’s a lot colder than it was when we got here, that’s for damn sure.

  Chapter Eight

  Alec

  When Rue stormed into the waiting cab, Jack said under his breath, “Well done.” I cut my eyes to him but said nothing. I agreed to help him with his newest problem hoping to find out more about her. I didn’t expect to like what I found. How to tell him that… I’m still trying to figure that out. This is a tricky situation, especially since Jack has taken a competitive stance with her, a sibling rivalry I didn’t anticipate. Especially since she’s just as hotheaded as he is.

  I know he feels like he just won a round, but his showing up at the apartment was uncool. I had no idea he was going to be there. I thought I had some time alone with her, and regardless of my disclosure that I don’t want anything from her and can’t get attached, I’m finding that declaration hollow and without any validity. She doesn’t know it. I’m trying to deny it to myself. But it’s there. And it will be our undoing.

  I want her.

  How I can want her this badly so quickly is a mystery. She’s intriguing on many levels, yes. But to have me considering my best friend as a foe rather than a brother? How did that happen?

  The greatest fascination I have with her is she’s unpredictable. One minute she’s dignified, the next a child throwing a tantrum. One minute she’s looking at me with virginal adoration, the next she’s a she-wolf going to eat me alive. And she stands up to us. She doesn’t seem to care if we never talk to her again. It’s not normal. In our lives, people bow backwards to be around us. The only people we’re close to are people like us, because we don’t have anything they can’t get for themselves. Rue acts like that, and I know it’s not because she has the inheritance. She would be like that if she had two pennies.

  It makes the fact that she wants me matter more.

  Jack spreads his legs out, sitting in between us. Rue’s silent, but she moves her leg away from his and keeps staring out the window. He ushered her in and sat down before I had the chance to object, but I should have anyway.

  I cut a harsh look to him, but he just smirks at me, proud of himself for besting his sister and throwing a wrench into her fun. As I stare out the window, I know he thinks I don’t really like her, that it’s an act I’m playing to get close to her, just like he asked me to.

  Of course he thinks that. I’ve known Jack and Sean since we were kids. My dad, John Gabriel, was the drummer for Max’s favorite band. They hit it off when he went backstage to meet them way back when. I think I was like three at the time. They stayed out all night, the
whole lot of them, but Dad and Max stayed friends longer than that; their whole lives, in fact. They were close. Well, as close as they could be with my dad’s drinking and absence.

  My dad’s still out there somewhere, but fuck if I know where. He lives a bohemian lifestyle, traveling from one place to the next, living off the royalties that still come in from their songs even though they haven’t played together in years. Sometimes I hear from him when I’m in a city about to do a show. He says he’ll come, but he’s never in the audience when I look. Only once was he backstage after. We had a good time that night, but I doubt if he remembers any of it.

  Jack and Sean are brothers to me, as far as it can go without blood tying us. We’re always together. It’s a reliable bond that doesn’t need words. I’m more like Jack than even Sean is, and Sean knows it. He doesn’t resent me for it; he and I are close, too. But Sean’s a quiet one. Not just talking but his vibe. He’s got things in his head he doesn’t tell anyone–an artist’s isolating personality. I get it. But he’s a good guy. That’s never been in question.

  Me and Jack? I can’t say the same for us.

  Jack glances to me like he knows I’m thinking about him. I keep my eyes averted out the window as we drive into the back of the airport. I don’t want to see his smug face right now. He’s got me all wrong, and I don’t want to clarify reality for him just yet.

  Highly alert to her body shifting in the seat, I struggle not to look over. I can only see her in my periphery. She’s tapping her fingers on her dress, her coat bunched up around her waist. I can’t look at her face without giving myself away, so I lean closer to the window.

  I want nothing more that to shove my best friend out of the way so I can be next to his sister.

  “Where are we?” she asks, her voice echoing off the window.

  “Airport, genius.” Jack hands the cabbie some cash as the car comes to a stop, and we all slide out. Walking ahead of me, Rue starts to put it together; we’re in the section where private planes take off. The jet we’re approaching is silver with a graceful “S” curving up the back, painted in white. Her steps slow as we approach the stairs rolled out in front. Realizing this is their plane, her eyes travel up the stairs and land on the waiting darkness of the open door.

  I slide my hands in my pockets to stop myself from taking her hand and causing more trouble. I don’t think she wants me touching her right now, and I don’t blame her. But the look of awe on her face is kind of hilarious because she’s trying so hard to act like she’s not impressed. She’s still really pissed off, and wondering where Jenna is, too, I’m sure. I’m about to clue her in, but it’s Jack she turns to. I shut my mouth as I see her look to him for answers. Maybe this is where they get over their bullshit.

  But Jack’s tongue is sharper than a Japanese blade. “Yeah. It’s a private jet. Pick your jaw up.”

  Rue glances down to the asphalt and blushes deep red. I jog up to her, angrily throwing Jack a warning look. His eyes flicker a second, searching my motive, but he smirks to me, and starts up the stairs. He thinks I’m acting all of this. That’s fine. For now.

  I explain to Rue, “Your bags and your friends are going to be there. They’ll have taken care of that.”

  Her eyelashes slowly rise up and she looks at me, embarrassed at Jack’s treatment of her. She looks lost, and anger sparks inside my gut. She bites her lip, afraid of sounding stupid as she says, “But Susan lives here…in New York.”

  “Then they’ll have made sure she’s gotten home safely. I promise.”

  “Oh.” She gazes up at me. Something happens inside my chest that feels like pain. It hurts me to look at her. She’s frowning, too, not wanting to forgive me for abandoning her back there. She turns to the mobile staircase, but I stop her by grabbing her hand.

  Jack scowls down at us from the top, waiting. “Come on!”

  I growl over the airport noise, “Give me a second!” He hesitates, surprised at my tone, but goes inside. Rue’s got anger vibrating on her body, but she listens to me as I tell her with conviction, “I’m sorry for what happened back there. I didn’t know he was going to be there. I didn’t set you up. Okay?” I grit myself against the future, saying hoarsely, “I know you feel you’re alone in this and there’s no one to protect you. But I’m here. I need you to know I’m here. I will protect you. I was silent back there at the loft. I won’t do that again. You understand?”

  Surprised, she stares at me. Reaches up. Touches my chest. I swear I can feel it all the way through to my spine. “It would be horrible to lie to me, Alec. You understand?”

  I wrap my hand over hers. Press it into my chest. I don’t want to let it go, but I know I have to. I know Sean will never let this happen without a fight. Jack wants it to happen for all the wrong reasons. I want nothing more than to run. “Yes.”

  Reluctant and guarded, she searches my eyes and the veil of anger fades away from hers. She smiles just a little. We release each other and turn to board the plane. After she’s walked up a couple stairs above me I go to grab her hand but stop just short. She doesn’t know and keeps walking up, gracefully pulling up the bottom of her gown so she doesn’t trip. The wind lifts her hair, and she glances back to me and smiles hopefully. I return the smile, but inside I’m wondering how we’re going to make it through this in one piece. I’ve been around too many bad things, too much abandonment and heartbreak to believe it’s even possible.

  Everyone knows there are no happy endings.

  Chapter Nine

  Rue

  Jenna and I exchange a look promising details later as I take the plush expanse of gray leather next to hers, feeling hope after what Alec just said. I glance to Sean, wondering if he’s still mad. He nods a curt welcome from where he quietly sits with his ankle over his knee, his handsome elegance looking like he belongs in a plane like this. But my fears are realized because his soft, warm eyes are now hard, icy blue. I’m going to have to win him over again. That is, if I want to. The jury is still out on that. Both of my new brothers have thorns I couldn’t see at first.

  Where normal planes have seats all facing the cockpit, this one’s like a long living room Chris Martin and all of Coldplay would be kicking it in, each holding a glass of five thousand dollar Scotch. Everything is gray and silver. Three round, shiny tables with mirrored glass tops are bolted to the floor. By the front of the plane is a projection screen for a movie from what I’m imagining is an extensive library to rival AMC’s collection. Our luxurious chairs swivel, or lock into place, depending on what’s going on with the plane. Along one side is an elegant bar with dark tinted-glass, the shelves designed to hold bottles in place regardless of turbulence. I stare at Jack’s back as he helps himself to a whiskey. Realizing there must be venom in my stare, I glance at Sean, and find him watching me. No expression. No sign of how he feels. Dear God, what am I going to do with these two? Jack plunks one ice cube into the glass and side-eyeballs me over his shoulder before taking a seat. I sigh and meet his glare. “Couldn’t find a bigger plane?” Jenna looks like she wants to kick me under a table. “What? I’m just joking.” I take off my coat and lay it over the arm of my chair just as the pilot opens the door to the cockpit.

  “We’re ready for takeoff, sir,” he says to Jack, though we’re all looking at him. Then he locks eyes with me with a curt tip of his head, the top of his pilot’s cap briefly becoming visible. Behind him, his co-pilot’s back is to us as he pushes a zillion little buttons and nobs.

  There’s no way they know how to work all of those things.

  That terrifying thought launches into my brain. Suddenly, I’m positive we’re all going to go down in flames. My hands clutch the armrests and I sit very straight.

  “Great. Let’s go,” Jack says casually, as if we’re not about to die a horrible death. He glances to me and knits his eyebrows. “What’s up with you?”

  “Nothing. I’m fine. What? Don’t I look fine?”

  “No. But that’s normal.”

&
nbsp; “Shut up, Jack,” I mutter, buckling my seatbelt too tightly. It’s got a silver, fuzzy cozy on it, and I look at it, and then to Sean, feeling the fire boil in my blood again. “Why does the pilot talk to Jack over you? Is it because Jack might punch him if he doesn’t get the respect he thinks he deserves… but doesn’t?”

  Sean’s eyes don’t even twitch. He just watches me.

  Jenna buckles herself in, mumbling, “Rue, you’re really enjoying stirring things up tonight.”

  I ignore her, still staring at Sean. He inhales deeply, like answering this question is the last thing he wants to do. “Jack hired him. He sees him more as the boss.”

  “Well, that’s a joke,” I say, rolling my eyes.

  “You know what’s a joke?” Jack growls, downing his whiskey and setting it on the round table near his right leg.

  Sean puts up his hands, but it’s Alec who speaks up first. “Okay. That’s enough. You guys are acting like kids.”

  “They’re acting like brother and sister,” Sean says, evenly.

  Both Jack and I snort at the same time, and glare at each other.

  I cut my chin cockeyed and raise my eyebrows. “I guess I’m just thinking about the pilot and the driver and the waiter all having to do what the great Jack says, and that makes you…” I point at him. “…think that I have to do as you say, too. I’ve been living on my own for a long time. And yet here I am, carted back to the West Coast as though you’re my keeper!” I lean forward, my eyes holding his as I slide in the knife. “All because you wanna run home to Momma.”

  His jaw clenches and his lips tighten. Sean drops both feet squarely on the floor, glancing to his brother for the eruption that’s about to come. Alec sighs and gets out of his chair, walking to the bar, the tense air too much for him. Jack and I are in yet another staring contest and I’m not letting the asshole win. His eyes glint green fury and after a moment of deciding how he’s going to make me pay, he pushes a button on his chair.