Chapter Twenty

“So, you’ve found yourself a new body?” Gran had blurted out the question the second she’d opened the door. Eve had known Gran would notice. She’d known right away that Alex was the soul resting inside Cade’s body. But did she have to be so snippy about it?

“Gran,” she sighed, marching past the older women and into the house.

“There’s my wee girl. Come give your Gran a kiss.” Eve turned back in time to see Noelle fly into Gran’s open arms.

“Come in, come in.” Eve watched as she ushered in Noelle, then glared up at Alex with narrowed eyes. “You too.” And walked inside turning her glare on Eve when she passed. “You should know better.”

Eve shrugged at Alex as he closed the door and was about to apologise, but there seemed to be no need. Alex was chuckling, clearly enjoying Gran’s rude behaviour.

Eve walked into the main sitting area that normally felt like a nice sized room but suddenly decreased in size when Alex entered behind her. He sat next to her on the old pink Victorian chaise longue and watched nervously as he scanned the room.

“Mom says I get to stay here for a few days,” Noelle said excitedly.

“Yes. Your mum told me when she called at the last minute.” Gran’s sarcasm was lost on Noelle but not Eve. She shook her head. Alex grinned. “Come with me and we’ll have tea and cookies before your mum and Alex have to leave.”

Noelle skipped ahead into the kitchen but Gran looked back and pointed at Alex. “That blond hair and those eyes don’t fool me. I can see through that mask you’re wearing.” Alex chuckled again as Gran left the room to find Noelle.

He examined the room again. He knew something was different about Gran’s house, how could he not tell. Coming into this room was like travelling back to the 1880’s. Eve’s heart started to race but froze in mid beat when he finally commented. “Your Grandmother has a lot of antiques. Why do I have the feeling these are all originals?”

Eve looked around the room, anywhere but at him. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“Let me put it this way.” He leaned into her side, his arm resting behind her. His breath was warm against her ear. “Is your Grandmother the origin—?”

“Tea’s ready,” Noelle called from the kitchen.

Holy cow that was close! Smiling at Noelle as she came back in the room, Eve could feel Alex grip the back of her neck. Not tight, just enough pressure to let her know that their conversation wasn’t over.

Damn it! Why does he have to be so persistent? His grip changed and he ran his fingers lightly along the base of her neck. The tender touch didn’t fool her—he wouldn’t just let it go. He was going to find out eventually.

Noelle placed a plate of cookies in the centre of the table. Alex stood when Gran entered carrying a tray—he took it from her and gently positioned it next to the cookies.

“Well, at least you have proper manners,” Gran said approvingly. Sitting back down, Eve saw that he was studying the cups and saucers, a white china teapot with delicate pink flowers and matching cream and sugar bowls. And to top it all off he picked up a silver spoon and twirled it in his fingers.

Alex raised a dark blond brow, giving her a sideways glance. “You know we should probably get going,” Eve blurted out.

“No.” Alex clamped his hand around her arm and pulled her back down. “We have time for tea.”

“Good.” Gran sat across from them in one of two identical Victorian parlour chairs. The material on both was in great shape, considering Gran had bought them brand new. Sitting forward, Gran began pouring the tea. The movement made her Sinclair medallion swing foreword. Eve felt her eyes grow wide when the sun caught the pure silver and brought it to life.

Please don't let him notice. She silently prayed.

“That’s an interesting charm on your necklace, Dawn,” Alex commented as Gran handed him a cup and saucer. Eve shifted her gaze to Gran. Oh no!

“Thank you. It’s been in my family a long time.” Gran passed her a cup and gave her a confused look. She must have seen how panicked she was. She took a slow breath and tried to calm down.

“I have one just like it,” Noelle said proudly, showing Alex. He held it in his fingers and lightly stroked the handcrafted silver medallion. “It used to be Mummy’s, but she gave it to me to wear. I have to wear it every day.”

Eve groaned inward.

Alex smiled at Noelle. “Is it for luck?”

Noelle gave him an honest answer, “It protects me.”

Gran looked at Eve, asking without words if Alex knew about the Sinclair secret. She shook her head, hoping Alex wouldn’t notice.

Thankfully, Gran stepped in, offering Alex a cookie and changing the subject. “So how long will I have Noelle here for?”

Alex sat back with his very girlie cup and saucer and eyed both women suspiciously. He might not know what her family’s secret was right now, but she had a feeling he would know shortly.

* * * *

Sitting four cars back Miles watched as the cop, Cade Taylor and Eve Sinclair weaved their way through the city. Keeping his distance wasn’t a difficult task although he was certain Taylor knew he was there. He dropped back another two car lengths and watched as they took another right. He followed them for another ten minutes until they entered an area he was quite familiar with.

They turned into the underground parking garage of The Platinum Galley—a modern glass and silver building on the expensive side of the city, where playboy hockey players and mistresses of the well-to-do lived. Every apartment claimed to have the same luxuries as a penthouse and were said to be twice the size. It was for the very stylish, and the very elite.

There was only one person that lived in this building that wasn’t a millionaire and he’d blended in perfectly with the rich, which had most likely been due to his upbringing. You learnt to work the rich when you had wealthy parents. So he’d never had to fool the other tenants into believing he was one of them, because really he was one of them.

Pulling a U-turn, Miles parked on the main road in front of the building. He had a clear view of the lobby and waited to see if Taylor and Eve would come and ask for help. They would have to. There was no other way to get up to the apartments unless you had a pass code for the elevators.

Waiting, he looked at the giant building. He had always been jealous that this identity had been assigned to Ace. He’d wanted to live the good life, even if it had been for appearances. But he would never have been able to pull it off. The rich always seemed to know he wasn’t one of them.

Five minutes had passed since they’d driven into the underground parking lot and he still hadn’t seen them in the lobby. How in the hell did this cop get a pass code? He mumbled to himself as he switched off his engine. “And what do you want in Ace’s apartment?”

Eve didn’t get a chance to get a good look at the building, but it seemed very upscale. Her suspicions were confirmed when they entered the garage. There were high end cars in every stall. BMWs, Mercedes, Porsche, a few old muscle cars in pristine condition and a couple of new sports cars as well. If the cars were any indication about the people that lived in Alex’s building, he had some very wealthy neighbours. He pulled into a numbered stall, shut off the engine, and got out. Eve followed, not knowing what else to do. He hadn’t talked to her much on the way here. He was stewing over something, she could tell by the annoyed look he kept giving her. She hoped it wasn’t about the medallions. Yet what else could it be? He’d recognised Gran’s medallion, then studied the one she had given to Noelle, running his finger over it like he had on the tattoo version on her hip. Now he was probably trying to figure out what was special about them.

She opened the back door and reached for her bag.

“Leave it, we’re not staying.”

“Oh. Okay.” She shut the door. “Should I stay here then?” she asked with her hand on the car.

“No.” He shook his head. “I want you with me, I’ll need your help.”

She nodded and joined him at the end of the car. He turned from her and began walking towards a set of elevators. She saw him punch a code into a pin pad and the doors slid open.

Holding the door, he waited for her to enter and stepped in behind her. He hit the button for the fourteenth floor and leant back against the mirrored wall. Eve moved to the other side and tucked herself into the corner. She felt him staring at her, but couldn’t face him and focused on the floor numbers. There was a strange vibe between them right now and it unnerved her. Was it going to be this way until he asked her about the medallions or was he waiting for her to tell him? The idea of both made her nervous.

The doors slid open on the fourteenth floor and she followed him down the hall where they passed only one other apartment, before rounding a corner where a single door stood. Eve looked back down the hall, judging the distance between the doors. Wow! These apartments were huge.

As she turned back to Alex she noticed the fire exit was opposite his door. “That’s handy,” she commented.

Alex looked over his shoulder and then at the fire exit where Eve was pointing. “That was on purpose.”

Of course, someone like Alex would need multiple exits.

After entering a code into a second number pad, the door to the apartment opened. Alex stood to the side waiting for her to enter. Her jaw dropped open when she walked in. A wall of windows, floor to ceiling, covered the entire outside wall of his apartment.

She slipped out of her shoes and asked, “May I…?”

“Go ahead.”

She walked over to the windows and blinked, surprised. “What a beautiful view.” She could see the canal and the paths that ran beside it, the fall colours spreading through the trees. The low lying mountains and ski hills were visible in the distance. “I would love to see this every day.”

“It’s okay.” He stood beside her, inspecting the view. “The novelty wears off after a while and you begin to take it for granted.”

“I wouldn’t. My view is old Mr Moyer’s house. He sometimes comes out only wearing his boxers.” She looked up at him. “He’s seventy-five. It’s not a nice view.”

Alex shook his head fighting to hide his smile. He was trying to stay pissed at her. She was hiding something important from him, something that had to do with the tattoo on her hip. But it was nearly impossible to remain angry when she looked at him or talked to him… Talk. He narrowed his eyes, scanning her face. Was she trying to use her voice to ease the tension between them? He took a breath. No. He didn't feel that seductive pull which normally accompanied her words. There were no tricks this time. It was just Eve.

She moved away from the windows and walked around, inspecting the apartment. “This is really nice. Very sleek and modern. Why all the grey?”

“It came this way.”

“You bought it like this?”

“No.” He followed her through the long galley kitchen—watching as she ran her fingers along the polished cement counters. “It was issued to me.”

She glanced back over her shoulder as she found the hall to the bathroom and bedroom. She stopped and turned to face an oversized mirror that hung on the wall opposite the bedroom door studying it. “Issued? What does that mean?”

“When you join the military you’re issued kit,” he explained, watching her. She knew there was something odd about the mirror. Would she guess what it was? He watched her closely. “Boots, clothes, guns. Once my service is over, this apartment will be re-issued to another serving member.”

Shaking her head, she turned to the bathroom and peeked inside mumbling, “Guess I should have taken the recruiting guy that came to my school more seriously.”

He followed her to the bedroom watching the sway of her hips and stopped behind her in the doorway.

“Wow! This is quite the boring room.”

“It’s used for sleeping. I don’t want it exciting.”

She walked over to the long black dresser and picked up a business card with a pair of lips created out of bright red lipstick smeared on it. She held it up and waved it at him. “Not only sleeping I see.” She flicked the card with her fingers. “One of many conquests I assume.” Then dropped the card back on the dresser.

“Not so many.”

He grinned when he heard her snort, “I doubt that.”

She sighed and went to move past him. He shifted his body blocking her escape. “Well then you would be wrong. The women I date want exactly what I want…sex. Nothing more, nothing less.” He kept pace with her when she backed away.

“I’ve made certain of it or I wouldn’t have been with them. I can’t be with a woman that has a family or wants a family, so that limits the playing field.”

By the time Eve was done backing up, he had followed her clear across the room and pinned her against the window. He placed a hand on either side of her head. “I have a family,” she pointed out.

“Yes.” He stared at her lush mouth. “I’ve met them.”

“Why did we have sex, if you don’t want to be near women that have or want families?” She tried move under his arm, but he caught her by the waist and held her against the window.

“I don’t know.” He glared down at her, trying to figure out that very reason. “You’re different.”

She scowled up at him. “Different how?”

He scanned her face, touched her bottom lip with the pad of his thumb, enjoying that familiar tingle. “I don’t know,” he sighed. “It’s hard to describe this feeling I have.” He focused on her hazel eyes, loving the green slivers in them. “It’s almost as if I’m drawn to you. As if you have some power over me.”

She shook her head, eyes wide. “I haven’t done anything to draw you to me. Not my voice, nothing. I didn’t do anything, and I didn’t ask for this, so just leave me alone if you want.”

“That’s the problem.” He lowered his face, his nose an inch away from hers. “I just can’t leave you alone. I can do it with any other woman. But not you.” His words turned hard. “I hate that you have lied to me and I hate that you are hiding something from me. Normally, I would just leave, but I can’t. I want you, but I don’t want to want you.”

Tears shimmered to the surface of her eyes. An earthy mix of hurt and anger. “Yah.” She inhaled a choppy breath. “You’ve mentioned that.” She pushed hard at his shoulders, forcing him to back up, then marched out of the room. He stared out the window until he heard the bathroom door shut. “Fuck,” he swore under his breath.

They needed to get moving. Staying in the apartment Miles knew about was not the best scenario and, if his gut feeling was right, Miles was out there right now, watching the building. He needed to get his bug-out pack and get Eve the hell away from here.

He stopped outside the bathroom door, heard splashes of water and the faint sound of a sniff. He sighed again. He hadn’t meant to say those things to her, hadn’t meant to hurt her. She stirred things around in him, made him want things he would never allow himself to have. Made him crave the things he’d lost.

Another sniff. His chest constricted.

“Fuck,” he swore again and opened the door.

Eve’s red eyes grew angry. “Go away,” she said, slapping at his hands. Nothing was going to deter him, he’d caused this hurt and he was responsible for healing it.

Pulling her into his arms, he pressed his lips to her ear and gave her the same answer he had every other time she had given him that command, “No.” He tightened his hold, moulding her body to his. “I don’t understand what is happening to me or why I lose focus and all I can think about is you.” He cupped the side of her face as he looked into her watery eyes. “I’m trying to do the right thing. Jillian is out there waiting for me to save her and all I can think about is how good it feels when you wrap yourself around me. How sweet your mouth tastes.” He sighed, lowering his head. “How much I want to be in you right now.” He pressed his mouth to hers, gently at first, to heal the pain he’d caused. When she exhaled and hooked her hands around his neck, he kissed her with the full force of his need.

With their mouths fastened together, Alex lifted her off the floor, her legs dangling as he carried her into his bedroom. Once they reached the side of the bed they began pulling at each other’s clothes. Eve tugged on his shirt and, with his help, pulled it over his head. Eve lost her sweater and pants seconds later, then he forced her back on the bed. Standing between her bent legs he unbuckled his belt, then jeans, stopping when he saw her shift her hips and run her hands over her thighs. A low groan escaped his throat as he covered her body.

Eve moaned when Alex drove his tongue deep, sliding over hers in heart-stopping slow strokes. His touch caused her belly to tighten and her insides to ache. Never had kissing got her this hot. This only happened with Alex, his lips and mouth alone accomplished the task.

She broke away from his mouth and licked the outer edge of his ear, followed by sucking his earlobe between her teeth. He moaned into the side of her neck, thrusting against her wet folds. Next, she kissed his neck, breathing in his potent scent of sweat and desire. Wow, he smelt so good. She nipped at his shoulder, tasted his skin. He groaned and began tugging at her damp panties. She chuckled when he tried to get them down her legs without breaking contact with her body.

He pushed up onto his arms and glared down at her. “It’s not funny,” he growled. “I need you Eve.”

Running her hands down the sides of his neck, she stroked the solid muscles of his shoulders and pushed. He didn’t move. Clinging to his neck she pulled herself up and kissed him hard, then broke the contact and very carefully, added a soothing lilt to her words, so that he would do as she asked but not notice her influence. “Please stand up,” she asked, her lips stroking his.

His exhale was full of frustration but he complied with her request.

Once he was standing in front of her, she knelt on the bed, touched his chest, stroked the tense muscles. She ran her fingers over the small bullet holes that now appeared on Cade’s body. Alex’s soul was so strong that he had imprinted himself onto the body he now resided in, every important feature that was Alex was now also part of Cade’s body. A hand clamped down over hers the instant she touched the scar. She met Alex’s intense stare. Her heart raced as his dark slashing brows gave him a menacing appearance. He shook his head in warning. It was then that Eve realised his wounds were still fresh and tender and very much a part of him, regardless of them now belonging to a different body.

The need to heal his body as well as his soul rose quickly. But how? She would normally talk to him, help heal him from the soul out, except she would need to put a great amount of force behind her words in order to help him, a slight push wouldn’t do it, he was too aware of her abilities. Plus, he had already warned her not to use them on him. She looked up at him, then his bare chest. Before the idea came into full view, she had placed her lips over the scars and lightly kissed them, letting her mouth linger on his skin. Pulling away, she looked up at him feeling a little embarrassed. She had no time to dwell on it because he cupped the side of her face, and with a dazed expression, gently pulled her back to his chest. Eve closed her eyes. She kissed his chest again, ran her tongue over the small scars tasting his skin. As she continued to press her lips to his skin she skimmed her hands over his hard chest muscles and sculpted shoulders, down his arms, over his belly and every place she touched she could feel the muscle beneath his skin tighten.

Kissing her way to his stomach, she stopped and slid his zipper down. She locked her eyes on his as she lowered his jeans and boxers over his hips and thighs. She couldn’t look away from him as she clasped the hard length of him in her hand. The look he was giving her was mesmerising, even a little dark, but what kept her entranced was the tenderness she saw.

Alex felt his legs shake when Eve closed her mouth around his cock. The heat from her mouth had him melting, but that was minor in comparison to when she moved her warm tongue over the tip, sending excruciating pleasure though his groin and down his legs. He reached out. Touching her face, he felt his fingertips tingle. He brushed his hand over her soft curls.

Once again, the muscles in his chest tightened and his stomach felt heavy. It was the same feeling he’d had when she kissed the scars on his chest. He thought it was a one-time thing. Yet here it was again, making his body and soul crave her.

What the hell was she doing to him? How…why was he allowing this to happen? He had to stop. This wasn’t fair to her, giving hope where there wasn’t any. It wasn’t fair for him either. What if something happened to her? He honestly didn't know how he would handle losing another person he cared for. Eve’s mouth pulled hard, the suction driving away all thought.

Tangling his fingers in her hair he allowed another few seconds then pulled at her. Her eyes were heavy with lust when he picked her up and stood her on the bed in front of him. He pulled her mouth down to his. He kissed her hard, he knew, but couldn’t help it, she was just…she made him feel…he ran his thumbs over her smooth cheeks. She made him feel.

Her breasts brushed his chest, teasing him. He unclipped her bra and bent, capturing a rosy tip in his mouth, sucking it to a swollen peak. She moaned when he repeated the torment and wrapped her arms around his head, forcing more of her into his mouth. Her hips rocked against him. His cock swelled with her desire. He loved how uninhibited she was, if she liked something he was doing to her, she told him, not with words but with her body.

Tugging on the sides of the lacy material he pulled her moist panties down her legs. She stepped out of them and he tossed them away. Lifting her against him, he forced her to wrap her legs around his waist and lowered her onto the bed. Once again, he was face to face with her beautiful breasts. He cupped and squeezed, licked and nibbled until she was pulling at his shoulders. Then, holding her hands at her sides he moved down her body, kissing every inch of her smooth skin. He circled her tattoo with his tongue and grinned when her body tensed. She tried desperately to tug her hands away but he laced their fingers tightly together, stroking his thumbs over the backs of her hands until she stopped fighting him. He dipped lower and kissed her inner thigh, watching as goose bumps appeared on her skin after the second kiss.

Taking a deep breath, he drew her sweet scent, felt his cock throb, his muscles stiffen. Her hips rolled in anticipation when he blew warm air over her moist folds. Watching her hips move enticingly became too much. He pressed his mouth to her glistening lips and groaned when he tasted her.

Many times, Alex brought her to the height of a climax only to take it away and begin again. And every time Eve sucked in a breath and shivered. He sucked on her clit and moaned, the vibration had her hips squirming against his face. “Alex,” she panted. “I can’t…it’s too much.” She gripped his hands and tried to pull him up. He was torturing her with his mouth. She pleaded, begged for him to finish her. “Alex please.” Her breath caught when he slipped two fingers deep and quickly made her come. It was like nothing she had ever felt. The sensation was so intense, she cried out, her hips bucking of their own accord.

Eve ran her hand over her face. She was shaking. Alex had tormented her for the longest time. Yet each time he did, the sensation grew to the point, that when she finally came, it almost shattered her into tiny pieces.

She was vaguely aware of the rustling of clothes, then heard the tearing of a wrapper. Alex joined her back on the bed and nudged her legs apart. She opened them for him without hesitation. He braced his arms on either side of her head, looking down at her with a satisfied grin.

“What?” A blush flushed her cheeks.

He lowered his head, his mouth hovering above hers. “You taste good.”

“I do?” She sighed, feeling his heat seep into her skin.

“Mmm. Like sex and honey, but better.” He kissed her. Long and slow until her body was aching for more. “How about a ride?” he asked, nibbling on her lip while she tried to catch her breath. “Ride?”

The only warning he gave was a deep chuckle before he rolled onto his back. Seated now on top of him Eve pouted down at him, doing her best to play innocent. “I’m not sure what to do.”

Alex raised a dark eyebrow. He gripped her hips in his big hands, raising her just above him.

She slowly lowered herself over him stopping just before he entered her, then pulling away. “Oops. I missed,” she teased. He grabbed her hips again forcing her down onto him but she held firm. “Let me try again.” This time she took a little more of him in and pulled away. “This is harder than it looks.” She gave him a wicked smile.

She knew she had pushed him too far when his nostrils flared and his hands gripped her hips painfully. He thrust deep inside her. The sensation was so overpowering her head rolled back at his delicious invasion and she groaned in ecstasy. He tugged her down and nipped at her ear. “Don’t tease me Eve, fuck me.”

Her heart jumped at the passion in his voice and her body trembled. Without any hesitation she did as he asked, moving hard and fast, bracing herself against his chest and shoulders. He slid his hand into her hair and pulling her face to his, he kissed her hard, his lips bruising hers.

Panting, she had to pull away, she couldn’t breathe. She sat back and closed her eyes, rocking her hips and covering his hands with her own when he touched her breasts. The steady movement of their bodies grinding together was all-consuming. His hands on her, stroking and cupping, their bodies joined as one. His lips pressed firmly against her. She never wanted it to end.

She locked eyes with him, his look dark and full of need. He tugged her forwards brushing his lips tenderly against hers. At that moment, little wings brushed the inside of her stomach.

“Now,” he growled out. “Give it to me now.” He clamped down on her hips and forced her to move fast. When her body began to throb, Alex was there, rolling her onto her back, forcing her thighs apart, driving into her harder and harder.

“That’s it,” he groaned with satisfaction. “I love how tight you are.”

She cried out this time as he continued to plunge into her, pushing her body far beyond it’s normal limits and she loved it, she wanted more. She wanted him to move faster, harder. She raised her hips meeting his every time he drove into her, wanting, no…needing him deeper. When she didn’t think she could stand another minute of his passionate onslaught, Alex’s sweat covered body stiffened as he covered her mouth in one more heart-stopping kiss before he called out her name, his entire body shaking.