Layers: Book One (21 page)

“I’ve made plenty for everyone. So Lex, you can have your very own pie.”

“That’s so sweet Lester, but a whole pie?”
Thanks Lester.
I’d rather pour honey all over me and then lay on top of a Fire-Ant hill!

Jaxson’s phone rings. Thank fuck. Meatless Shepherd’s pie—holy crap. There is no freakin’ way I’m going there.

Jaxson looks at the screen of his phone and frowns. “Sorry,” he says. ”I’ve got to take this.”

Lane tilts his chin and gives Jaxson a knowing look.

Jaxson glares back at him.

Okay, somethin’s up.

As soon as he’s out of sight, the shouting begins. Then something hits the wall—muddled words—then silence.

We sit and look at each other for an awkward minute. I clear my throat. “So Lanie, I heard you had a hot date last night, or should I say this morning.”

He turns and growls at his mother. “Mom? Really?”

“Hey. I wasn’t the one that kept you up all morning while some woman was screaming my name.”

“All morning huh? Good thing I made Jaxson replace your stockpile of condoms.”

For the rest of the afternoon Jaxson holes up in his office—so much for taking an afternoon off. I’m in my room responding to my e-mail when there’s a knock on my door.

“Lex?” It’s Lane.

“Come in.”

He steps in. “Am I interrupting?”

“Always dude,” I answer with a phony scowl.

Lane hands me a large FedEx envelope.“Special delivery.” He smirks and gifts me with a dimpled grin.

“So you think you’re special?”

“It is what it is.” He plops down into a chair.

I place my laptop on a side table, and then inspect the envelope. It’s from Zane.
Dickwad.
I knew I’d be hearing from him soon. I was expecting an e-mail or a phone call. Is he trying to make a point by sending it in hard copy? Who the hell knows?

I put it down over my closed laptop, stand and walk over to a nightstand that I’ve turned into a mini bar. I grab a bottle of Scotch and two tumblers. I return, pour two shots and hand one to Lane.

He looks at his watch.

“It’s four—close enough” I say and tap his glass to mine then sink down onto my chair. “You have potential, Lanie.”

“For what?”

“For me turning you into a scotch man. Drinking fine Scotch before five on a weekday.”

“I’m all for it, but no haggis!”

“God, no. Why do you think I’m a vegetarian?”

We laugh.

“Aren’t you curious?” He nods toward the envelope.

“I know what it is.”

“And…you’re going to keep me hanging?”

“You’re dying from curiosity. So, yeah I’m going to let you hang for a bit.”

“You bitch.”

I laugh. “Okay, I’ll make you a deal, Lanie. I’ll show you what’s in the envelope and you tell me what went down with Jaxson today at lunch.”

“You’re a clever bitch. Jaxson should be the one to tell you what’s up.”

“I agree, but it’s not going to happen. He’s not disclosing much these days.”

He exhales “Mia.”

“Ex-wife Mia. Tinker Hell.”

“The one and only.”

“They’re not…?” I lift a brow. Please God let him say ‘no’ like a million times.

“No. Fuck. God, no,” he huffs out.

I exhale. “Thank fuck.”

Lane gives me a curious nod. “He loves you, Lex. No, he fucking worships you. He’d have to be the biggest dickhead ever, to cheat on you.”

“I agree.” I sigh. “Present company excluded—men can be big dickheads.

Love doesn’t stop them from doing stupid things.”

“I’ll have to take your word on that. I’ve never been in love.”

“Never?”

“Never,” he confirms and nods.

I give him a curious smile.

“What?” he asks.

“You wear your emotions on your sleeve Lanie. I would have thought you’d been in love multiple times.”

“Maybe that’s why I never have.”

“You’re deeper than you look, Lanie.”

He smirks. “Is that a compliment or a jab?”

“I guess it’s what you want it to be.”

“Then I’ll take it as a compliment,” he says and tilts his glass.

“Cheers.” I raise my glass.

Okay, here’s the thing about exes—damned if you do— damned if you don’t. You want to know about them—but not. Not knowing is light—knowing is dark. So what forces you to cross over to the dark side? When the man you love is withholding information and when you’re dealing with a
true
bitch. I really don’t know a lot about their relationship, but I know a bitch in heat when I see one.

“ What’s she up to?”

“I don’t know the whole story, only parts. Has Jaxson mentioned that he has been trying to regain control of Ryan?”

“Yeah, he’s been trying to buy back shares. And no one is selling.”

“Well…they’re selling, just not to him.”

“Tinker Hell?”

He nods.

“Wow. No wonder he’s pissed.”

“Yup.”

“So what’s her game?”

“I have no idea. But it can’t be good.”

“Oh,” I whisper.

“Nothing to worry about Lex. He’s so not going there, once was one time too many.”

“Anything else going on?”

“Just the embezzlement and Will Harris crap.”

Lane eyes the envelope.

“It’s killing you—isn’t it?”

I throw back the last of my Scotch, then pick up the envelope. I open it and take out a packet of documents. I scan over them.

Lane sits forwards in his chair. “So? Good or bad news?”

I hand him one of the documents and smile. “Lanie, the best. I just got out of jail.” I scan the rest of the documents and hand the pertinent ones over for Lane to look at.

“Oh my, God,” he says. “It was Harris.”

“I’m afraid so. He and three outside audit firms.”

“So how did this…” He scans over the cover letter. “Zane Black manage to get this information?”

“Let’s just say Zane has connections.” I lift a brow.

“Criminal connections?” Lane asks.

“Something like that.”

“Wow. Does Jaxson know about him?”

“He knows that Zane was helping to clear my name, but not that I was digging into the outside audits.”

“Don’t get me wrong, Lex, I think this shit is great. You’re free to go home. But crap, some of these documents are labeled ‘confidential.’ Did you know this Zane would be hacking into these records?”

I sigh. “I knew. I gave him the okay.”

He lifts a brow. “He’s obviously more than a business associate.”

Lane picks up the cover letter and reads it aloud.

My Beautiful, Lexia,

I’m sure you’ll find the enclosed documents an interesting read. I’ve enclosed, as you requested, information on firewalls, etc.

I miss ye luv, you promised a visit across the pond. Had a run in with Gram, no worry, luv, I told her nothing in regards to your situation. Visit soon my luv or I’ll be fueling up the jet.

Bloody Sincere Luv

Z

“Well, luv?” Lane lifts a brow.

“It’s not what your thinking, Zane’s an old…friend.”

“Okay, if you say so” he says.

“This
luv
shit stays between us Lanie. Jaxson doesn’t need any more shit to deal with. He’s going to be bloody mad as it is.”

“I won’t say anything.”

“Thanks Lane.”

“So it looks like you’ll be leaving us soon,
luv.”

“Smart ass”

“Things won’t be the same around here without you.”

“I know. I’m going to miss you all.”

Lane leaves and I throw back one more shot, then another and another. Now don’t be judging me. I’m about to tell the man I love that a close associate has been screwing him for years.

And when he gets his mind around that, then he’ll see that his confidential records have been hacked into, and yours truly gave the okay. I promised him I’d stay out of his investigation. He’s going to be pissed. Maybe years from now he’ll forgive me, or at least understand why it was necessary.

When I reach Jaxson’s office I knock on the half closed door. After several hello-hellos I enter and find it Jaxson-free. I walk to his desk and put the FedEx envelope next to his opened laptop. I’m about to abandon ship and go look for him when I notice a file on the screen with my name on it.

Hello, my name is Cat—meow. My curiosity has killed me hundreds—thousands of times—one more death—piece of cake. Now I’m just going to chase this little gray mouse over a mat, then click on its tail.

“Alexia.”

I jump up and away from the desk. “Jaxson! You scared the crap out of me. Holy hell—all but pissed my pants.”

“Sorry.” He walks over and pulls me into his chest. I breathe him in. God, he smells so good—citrus and spice, and Jaxson.

“You smell like heaven, babe.”

“I was just thinking the same thing.”

“I was hoping you’d stop by,” he says while trailing his lips down my neck.

“Alexia.”

“Mmm” I moan.

“Do you like when I do this…and…this to your neck?”

I tilt my head back giving him better access. Does he even have to ask? Really? “Yes,” I whimper. “I like everywhere you kiss and …”

He bites the lobe of my ear then sucks on it.

“You like that, babe?”

“Oh yeah.”

I feel a warm hand slide under the back of my tee and glide up my spine. I moan. Up and down my spine, up then down—oh yeah.

Down it goes over that…over that spot…that spot due south of my hipbone. Up and over my hip…my belly then my…oh yeah. “Jax” I moan.

“What, babe?”

“I think…”

He cups a lace-clad breast, and then rubs his thumb over my hard nipple. I hate bras.

“What do you think Lex?” he whispers as he cups my other breast.

“Nothing” I groan. “Nothing at all.”

I feel him smile against my neck. Cheeky bastard!

“Babe,” he says as his other hand slips into the back of my yoga pants and runs down…down my ass. Oh yeah, the non–jiggling ass.

I glide my hand up the back of his button down. “Jax” I moan because that’s all I can muster.

I lean into him. He’s big and hard, and beating… oh yeah…throbbing against my thigh. There goes my ass… up and onto his desk. He pushes me down and I…crap, have to remove my hands from his body to brace myself. Dammit.

Then I feel it under my right hand. I know what it is, but I look at it anyway.

The envelope. Dammit. I hate FedEx. I push against his chest. “Jax, we need to stop.”

“No.”

I try to push up onto my elbows. “Yes…we need to talk.”

I’m scooped off his desk. I feel a hand reach behind me. He picks up his laptop and places it on his chair.

Kick. It rolls back and crashes into the wall.

Oh my. Talk later. Play now.

Reaching behind me again—crash. This man knows how to clear his desk.

Tug. Pull. My tee falls to the floor.

Snap—my bra is flung.

Ass slides to center of the desk.

Tug.

Jerk.

Ankles up.

Legs up.

Falling back onto my elbows.

High tops—socks—fly over my head.

Yoga pants. Panties. Tossed somewhere. Who cares?

Pop. Pop. Pop. I love those button flies.

Oh yeah. Commando. There is a God.

Oh my—is that for me?

Tug.

Glide.

Legs up.

Knees up and over broad shirt clad shoulders. What? No. Can’t have that.

“Shirt.” I mumble.

“What.”

“Shirt. Go.”

He gives me a sexy knowing grin. “You want to see skin babe.”

“Skin. Yes.”

“I don’t know babe? Not sure you can handle it.”

“Shirt off! Cheeky, arrogant asshat.”

“There’s my girl.”

Rip. Buttons fly. Everywhere.

Skin. Oh yeah—much better.

Then ahhhh.

I moan.