Lockout (The Alpha Group 2)

I raised my eyebrows and gestured for him to continue.

"That picture; it was from Hannah." I started to object, but he cut me off. "I ended things with her just like I said I had. I swear it. I had her transferred to someone else in the company, to avoid any professional conflict. I even blocked her old phone number. I did everything in my power to cut her off."

I snorted. "And so her revenge is to send you erotic photos of herself?"

He licked his lips. "She didn't take the news very well. To be honest, I've got several of those messages over the last few weeks. Judging by some of the things she's written, she thinks she can win me back, but I promise you that won't happen."

I stared at him, unsure what to think. It did make sense. I'd seen the way she looked at him. And at me, for that matter. But the best lies were always based on the truth.

"What about the girl on your wallpaper?" I asked.

He froze. For a brief moment, a look of pain crossed his face. It was gone almost as soon as it arrived, but there was no doubt I'd touched a nerve. "I didn't realise you'd seen that." He gave a small shake of his head. "She's an old flame. I'd rather not go into detail, but she's not in the picture anymore, I promise. The photo is just something to remember her by."

So he hadn't always been the uncompromising player he was now. Someone had gotten through those walls once. Interesting.

I weighed his defence. It sounded genuine, but that was no guarantee. I'd been lied to in the past, lied to by men with sincere eyes and silver tongues. "I'm not sure if I believe you."

He began pacing. "Why would I lie? You think I'm so hard up I need to trick girls into coming to bed with me? You think I stand on porches for hours on end on the off chance it might get me laid?"

He had a point. If he was trying to deceive me, he was going to an inordinate amount of effort. "I don't know what I think anymore." I closed my eyes and shook my head. "Why me? I mean, why go to all this effort for me? You just said it yourself, you're not exactly lacking feminine attention. Hell, if what you're saying is true, Hannah would basically do anything you asked."

He exhaled heavily. "I don't know. There's something about you Sophia. I can't explain it, but the moment I saw you at our party I knew I had to have you. And after last night..." He paused, as if gathering his thoughts. "The way you taste, the way you smell, the feeling of your body underneath mine; I'm not ready to give that up."

Swallowing suddenly became difficult. In spite of all my emotional turmoil, once again he'd managed to flick that switch inside me. I swear I felt the space between us crackle to life.

"I just don't kno—" I began, but the words died on my tongue as he took two big strides towards me and seized my hands in his. With our chests just inches from each other, I was once again reminded of how big he was. His towering frame dwarfed mine, that potent magnetism washing over me like a warm breeze.

"Sophia, listen to me. Last night, the things we did, the ropes, the blindfold; that takes an immense level of trust. You put yourself totally in my hands. Why can't you extend me the same trust now?"

And although I hadn't thought of it that way at the time, I realised he was right. I couldn't have done those things if I didn't trust him. Sure, I'd been afraid, but it was fear of pain, fear of the unknown, and in spite of that fear, I'd given myself to him anyway, trusting that he'd take care of me.

I realised then that I was afraid of something else too. I was afraid that Sebastian would get in his car and drive off and I'd never see him again. I didn't know why, but that fear was worse than anything I'd felt last night.

"Okay," I said quietly.

"You believe me?" The relief on his face was almost palpable.

I nodded slowly. I felt like an idiot. "I'm sorry. I should have given you a chance to explain. I don't have the best history when it comes to judging men. These days I tend to err on the side of caution... or possibly paranoia."

He looked like he wanted more details, but thankfully he didn't ask. I didn't want to have that conversation now. Later maybe, but not now. I'd already exposed him to enough of my crazy for one week. "There's nothing wrong with a little paranoia," he said instead, shooting me a smile. "It'll help keep me on my toes."

"Thanks, but I still feel stupid."

He took my hand. "Don't. I understand I'm not the easiest man to trust. I can't promise you much, Sophia, but I promise I'll never lie to you."

"That's all I can ask."

For a few seconds, I simply stood staring up into his eyes. I still didn't really understand what had transpired between us. For someone so intent on keeping his distance, the lengths he'd gone to seemed excessive. He was a puzzle, and despite my best efforts, it looked like I'd get a little more time to solve him after all.

"You want to come in for a drink?" I asked, flashing my best provocative smile. I could feel the makings of a killer makeup sex session brewing inside me. "Maybe I can find a way to make it up to you."

He grimaced. "I wish I could, but I actually have a trip to take. Something unfortunate has happened with one of our projects, and I'm being sent down to Melbourne to sort it out."

"You can't even spare twenty minutes?" I asked, running my hand slowly down his chest.

He closed his eyes and drew a slow breath. I could almost feel the battle that was being waged inside him. "Sorry, but the plane is sitting waiting on the tarmac right now."

I rocked back in disbelief. "You held up a plane to come and talk to me?"

He shrugged. "It's our company plane, and it was only for a few hours. I didn't like the thought of leaving knowing you were upset with me."

"Well, you sure know how to make a girl feel special," I said with a laugh. "When will you be back?"

"I'm not sure. Could be a few days, could be a few weeks."

I tried my best to hide my disappointment. "Okay. Stay safe."

"I'll try." He turned and began to make his way down to the waiting car. "And Sophia, don't worry. I have a few ideas about how you can make it up to me. I'll be in touch."

There was something wicked in his smile that made the muscles between my legs clench. I had the sneaking suspicion that even from across the country, the sexy games would continue.

CHAPTER TWO

The rest of the week passed in a familiar rhythm. It turned out that Monday's flurry of work was a sign of things to come. The phone just wouldn't stop ringing. I tried my best to get my other jobs done quickly, hoping some Wrights work would come my way, but the deluge of menial tasks simply wouldn't let up. It was frustrating. Other associates were across the hall doing something really meaningful, and I was stuck drafting settlement agreements for petty insurance claims and cleaning up my colleagues' contracts.