Enjoy being with him while you can. The honeymoon would come to an end soon. The guy Brooks hired had told him he was nailing down a list of the top three employees who could have been involved with Pamela’s disappearance, but didn’t want to share his findings unless he knew for sure. So he’d asked for more time, and Brooks had reluctantly allowed it.
Jackie sat across from her. “But they expect to see you. No one knows me.”
“Then they will,” Alexa said. Why not? Tall and slim, with her pixie blond hair and bright green eyes, Jackie carried herself with professionalism and flair. She had a veneer of pragmatism about her that potential buyers would appreciate.
A flutter spiked Alexa’s pulse. Jackie would be a fine successor when Alexa left the business. Everything would fall into place.
Jackie took a sip of her coffee, then put it on the desk. “I hate to be nosy, but that man, Brooks Taylor… I’m worried about him.”
“Why?” Alexa asked. She’d noticed the way Jackie responded, with guarded indifference, whenever she mentioned Brooks. Amusement tickled her. Her assistant probably thought she was crazy to get involved with a man whose sister had almost been at the auction. A lump of apprehension thickened in her throat. I am crazy, but I can’t stop seeing Brooks.
A measure of concern washed over Jackie’s expression. “I’ve never seen you with anyone. If this story with his sister leaks, your name will be implicated. Who knows what this guy’s motives are?”
Alexa swallowed. “He wants to do right by his late sister.”
“Yeah, that’s what he says. But Brooks having this kind of sensitive information worries me. He could use it against you. What if he goes to the newspapers and tells them someone allegedly disappeared at an auction?”
Alexa clutched the arms of her chair. “He won’t. He doesn’t want to bring his family into this until he’s sure about what happened. He has an elderly mother with delicate health.” Of course, at some point, the truth would come out, but she hoped it’d be when the real culprit behind Pamela’s death had been found—therefore shrinking the role that House of Alexa had in the story.
“Okay. So he’s your boyfriend now?”
She squared her shoulders. God. She’d never had a boyfriend before, and doubted she ever would. They were just fucking each other. A lot. And yeah. She wished there could be more, but she was a realist. He’d never bring someone like her home to meet his mother. “Jackie, why are you so riled about my personal life?”
“I’m sorry,” Jackie said in a small voice, rubbing her chest. “Ever since I broke up with my boyfriend last year, I think all men suck.” She shrugged. “I’m looking out for you.”
“I know,” Alexa whispered. “I’ll be fine. I know my liaison with Brooks is temporary, which is why I’m enjoying our time together without many worries.”
“How can you tell? He seems to be into you.”
“He’s from an old money Texan family. I’m definitely not wife material, and even if I were, I’m not ready for that kind of commitment.” I wouldn’t know the first thing about being in a healthy long-term relationship. Why fool myself? Disappointment lumped in her throat, and she had to swallow twice to unstick her tongue from the roof of her dry mouth. “So let’s talk about you replacing me. You can totally do it. Besides, the men come to bid for a virgin, not for me,” Alexa said, ignoring her own common sense. Throughout the years, people whispered her name during events, and the enigma surrounding her persona enticed people to google her or even attend the event without the real goal of purchasing someone’s virginity.
Jackie drummed her fingers on the tablet, her gaze darting around the office. “I’ll give it a try.”
“I’ve been giving you more and more responsibilities to prepare you for this moment. I know you can do this.”
Hours later, she met Brooks at the restaurant he’d mentioned. They usually ate at her place or ordered in, but he’d suggested they grab something to eat, so she acquiesced. When she saw the hostess, the young woman in sky-high heels greeted her with enthusiasm. “Hi, Ms. Alexa, such a pleasure to have you here.”
“I’m waiting for someone.”
“Yes, your company is already seated. Please come this way.”
She stared at the wall, looking nowhere in particular, and followed the hostess with long, purposeful steps. She could feel eyes on her as she walked, and barely registered the piano bar or the tasteful decoration. Maybe a few people recognized her from a couple of the rare interviews she’d given. Or men who had attended her auction regarded her with curiosity, wondering if she was meeting a man for pleasure or business.
When she reached the corner booth, where he texted someone on his cell, something inside her melted, softening her stance. “Mr. Taylor, your date has arrived,” the hostess said.
Brooks’s gaze lifted to her, and specks of warm gold glinted in the depths of his irises, as if something inside of him lit up just by seeing her. A girl can dream.
“She’s arrived indeed,” he said to the hostess, his eyes still trained on Alexa.
The hostess excused herself, and Alexa slid into the seat, positioning herself in front of him. “A date with a rich Texan. I guess I could do worse.”
“I hope you won’t,” he said, scooting closer to plant an intimate kiss on her cheek that gave her all kinds of thrills. She shivered, loving how her body reacted to his. “I’ve missed you,” he said in a low voice.
They had last seen
