Falling Fast Page 10

  “I’m sure you’ll have a great time,” he said and walked over to Brigit and Shelby. “Now if you two will come with me, I’ll fill you in on the travel details for your dates.” He turned to Alexa. “The limo will pick you up at 5pm. Have fun tonight.”

  Alexa dropped back onto the couch on wobbly legs. She couldn’t believe her run of bad luck. First she got assigned to infiltrate the most asinine show on TV, then she actually started falling for the incredibly hot leading man, and now she had to deal with her mother and sister fawning and drooling all over him.

  Vowing to stop feeling sorry for herself, she dragged herself up off of the couch. She had less than one hour to get ready. Plus, she desperately needed to figure out a way to convince them not say a word about her job with ROAR, without spilling the beans about her undercover assignment.

  Maybe, she thought, she’d tell them that she didn’t want to scare him off by telling him that she was a feminist. Oh yes, she thought, that was a line of reasoning they would definitely understand.

  Alexa reached for the most outrageous dress in the closet without hesitation. She’d be damned if she’d let Sophie or Mel outshine her tonight.

  *

  Brandon had been trying, rather unsuccessfully, to calm down during the ten minute limo ride to meet Alexa’s family. He wasn’t worried about making a good impression – he had never had any trouble charming the families of his girlfriend – but he was anxious to see Alexa again.

  He wanted to reassure her, to tell her that even though he’d had to choose three women in the last heart ceremony, she was the only woman he wanted.

  Thinking about how much he wanted her didn’t do a damn thing to calm him down, though, so he turned his thoughts away from Alexa’s luscious body and concentrated on his plan for dealing with Brigit and Shelby. He figured Brigit’s family would be sweet and unassuming like her, but if Shelby was anything to go by, her family was going to tear him to shreds and cook him up in a casserole.

  Alexa appeared at the door of her mother’s house looking even more beautiful than ever.

  Brandon forgot all about Brigit and Shelby. He had assumed there was no way she could outshine their Napa Valley date, but he was wrong. Really wrong.

  She stepped out onto the porch and spun around for him in a slow pirouette. A pale rose silk sheath, her dress hardly covered more skin than a slip from Victoria Secret. Small straps from the deeply plunging neckline crisscrossed her taut shoulders, slid across her completely bare back, finally meeting more silk at the very top of her rear end.

  Brandon finally got control of himself and strode up to her. Not bothering to say hello, he threaded his hands into her unbound hair, and kissed her. Instinctively, she wrapped her arms around his back and pulled him closer.

  “I think we’re going to need to turn on the air conditioning Sophie, because it’s really hot out here!”

  Their sensual spell now broken into a million shards, Brandon let Alexa disentangle herself from his embrace. Her cheeks were burning as she whirled around. “I can’t believe how rude you are, Mel!”

  Brandon moved to smooth things over. “Hi there. I’m Brandon. You must be Alexa’s sister, Melanie,” he said with an outstretched hand. No doubt about it, Alexa’s sister was definitely a looker. Long blonde hair, even longer, tanned legs, and large breasts. But Brandon didn’t think there were any grounds for comparison.

  Her sister caught him off guard by ignoring his outstretched hand, instead throwing herself around him in an exuberant hug. “Call me Mel.”

  Out of the corner of his eye, Brandon noted that Alexa was getting more and more upset by the second. But instead of saying anything more to her sister, the woman of his dreams stalked inside the house and slammed the door. Suddenly, he was alone with Mel, who reminded him of a barracuda.

  Kind of like all of the women he had ever dated before Alexa.

  “I just have to know,” Mel said conspiratorially, linking her arm in his, “what kind of spell have you put on her?”

  “Spell?”

  Mel shrugged. “We always sort of assumed she was a lesbian.”

  Brandon stopped dead in his tracks. “A lesbian?” he said, utterly disbelieving that anyone would think Alexa was gay. If her response to his kisses was anything to go by, she unquestionably preferred men.

  Mel laughed. “Oops. I mean, never mind. She’s obviously completely hetero around you. What girl wouldn’t be?”

  The door opened and a very well-preserved woman stepped out onto the porch. Alexa’s mother had to be in her mid to late forties, but she didn’t look a day over thirty-five. Practically a carbon copy of Melanie, the only difference was a slightly more elegant polish to her blonde coif. Her outfit – a gold sheath dress that brushed the tops of her kneecaps – was, likewise, just a bit more stylish than the tight black piece of stretchy fabric that Mel was wearing in place of a dress.

  “You must be Brandon.” Her gold bangles clinked on her extended hand. “It is such a delight to finally meet one of Alexa’s boyfriends. Please, call me Sophie.”

  Brandon shook Sophie’s hand. “It’s great to meet you. I’ve really been looking forward to meeting Alexa’s family.” He grinned and added, “You know, looking through the family photo albums. Seeing how cute she was in first grade.”

  Sophie ignored his comments about family photo albums, saying, “We’ve been dying to meet you too.” He felt slightly uncomfortable as Sophie devoured him with a long, slow perusal.

  Her inspection started at the tips of his shoes, lingered around his midsection, and finally ended at the top of his head.

  Alexa poked her head out of the door. “Stop torturing him,” she said. “Brandon, come inside and let’s eat. I’m starved.”

  Sophie rolled her eyes. “Some things never change. I’ve always told her, boys don’t like a girl who eats so much. But does she listen? No.” With a sigh, she complained, “But I’m just her mother, so what do I know?”

  Brandon leapt to Alexa’s defense. “Personally, I’d rather be with a woman who eats, than one who’s always on a diet.”

  Sophie narrowed her eyes. “I see,” she said through tight lips.

  I can’t believe I just pissed off the mother of the woman I’m going to marry, he thought to himself. Nice move, chump.

  Brandon looked up at Alexa to see if she was angry with him for arguing with her mother, but instead she beamed at him with gratitude. He slipped in the door behind her, and she reached for his hand. Giving it a quick squeeze, she whispered, “Thanks. I owe you one.”

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  “Tell us,” Sophie said, as she took a small bite of her salad, “what do you do for a living, Brandon?”

  Brandon swallowed then said, “I own a company called the Idea Factory.”

  “Oooo,” Melanie breathed. “I’ll bet you make lots of money.”

  Alexa dropped her head onto her chest, clearly embarrassed by her sister’s comments.

  Brandon just laughed and said, “I do all right.”

  “Alexa’s father was an entrepreneur,” Sophie said, a new glow in her eyes, as she assessed him even more thoroughly than she had in front of the house. Brandon felt like he should show her his report cards from elementary school. No doubt about it, Alexa’s mother was one tough cookie. Must be where she gets it from, he thought fondly as he glanced over at Alexa.

  But Alexa was oblivious to his admiration. “You never told me that my father was an entrepreneur,” Alexa said in a stunned voice.

  Sophie tossed her blonde hair back over her shoulder. “The Atkison women can’t help but be drawn to successful businessmen.”

  “We can’t?” Alexa’s face was a mass of confusion. “But you and Mel are always saying how you like a man with a small brain and a big-“

  Sophie cut Alexa off, saying, “Nonsense,” while giving Brandon an exasperated look that said, It’s so difficult to be a mother. Do you see the kind of attitude I have to put up with? And at my own dinner tabl
e? “My darling Alexa is so fanciful. Must be why she’s such a wonderful writer.”

  “I am?”

  Mel nodded her agreement. “That story you did about the high school kids who cut class and were caught making out in the cemetery by the railroad tracks was hot.”

  Alexa’s face turned another shade of red and she looked back and forth between Brandon and Mel with alarm. “I wrote that when I was fifteen!”

  Mel’s eyes got wide. “Don’t get your thong all in a wad, or anything, Alex. All I’m saying is that it was a pretty steamy story. Who would have thought you had it in you? Anyway, it was way better than all of those femin-“

  “I doubt Brandon wants to hear all about my little stories.” Alexa turned to him in a panic. “Tell them about your mom’s quilting business.”

  Brandon didn’t think Sophie or Mel were going to be the least bit interested in quilting, but he would have done anything to ease Alexa’s obvious anxiety – even bore her mother and sister half to death.

  Even though Brandon knew Sophie and Mel were sizing him up for the kill – his money, his looks, how much of a bang he packed in his slacks – it was obvious to him just how much they loved Alexa. If they were tough on him, it was because they wanted Alexa to be happy. He got the feeling that it would take a truly great man to measure up.

  He wondered, briefly, if Alexa knew how special she was to her family. Certainly their method of showing their love was a little off kilter, but they were charming in their own special way.

  He reached under the table for her hand and begun to stroke his thumb rhythmically back and forth across her palm. He tried to keep his mind off of his racing libido, but as Alexa pressed her thigh closer against his, he realized he had lost the battle.

  He just couldn’t control his feelings – sexual and emotional – where Alexa was involved.

  So when she said, “I’ll clear the plates and get dessert,” and ran into the kitchen with a stack of them, he quickly said, “I’ll help,” and followed close behind her.

  By the time the kitchen door had closed behind him, Alexa was standing in front of the kitchen sink, propping herself up with both hands. He stepped behind her, brushed her hair aside to bare her back to his eager gaze, and began to knead the tight muscles in her neck and shoulders.

  “Ooh, that feels so good.”

  “I know,” he murmured in a low voice.

  Slowly, Alexa turned around in his arms, coming face to face with him, her gaze slightly unfocused with budding desire. He had hoped that she would let her guard down again with him tonight, of her own volition, without the aid of alcohol. Unfortunately, her shoulders went stiff beneath his fingers.

  “As much as I’m enjoying this, we’d better bring dessert out or they’ll wonder what happened to us.”

  Brandon pulled her closer to him, trying to draw her innate sensuality back up to the surface. “I already know what I want for dessert,” he said and then lightly flicked his tongue into the corner of her mouth.

  Reaching for him, she pressed her lips against his and kissed him passionately. But then, she abruptly pushed away from him. “The cameras will be coming in any second, I just know it,” she muttered unhappily.

  Reluctantly, Brandon stepped away from her alluring body heat, and poked his head out of the kitchen. “Looks like we’ve got some time off.”

  Alexa peeked into the living room and was amazed by what she saw. Sophie and Mel were cuddled up to the two cameramen in the living room in front of a roaring fire, and the ever present cameras were sitting in a heap on the dining room floor.

  Silently closing the door behind her, Alexa faced Brandon, who was leaning against the sink, the tension in his body palpable from across the room. She had never felt so uncertain about anything before. Ever since she was a little girl, she had always known exactly what she believed, and what she wanted out of life. But now, having met Brandon, she felt lost.

  More than anything, she wished she could give into her feelings for him. But how could she explain her behavior in her cover story? The readers of ROAR would think she was just another pathetic woman, unable to resist a man.

  But didn’t feminist literature preach that women should be in control of their own sexuality? Wouldn’t Alexa be justified in indulging her attraction to Brandon?

  She decided she wasn’t going to worry about society’s opinion of whether or not she should have sex with a man she just met on a TV show.

  Alexa was going to take what she wanted. And she was going to take it right now.

  “I never thought I’d see the day when I was so glad that Sophie and Mel can wrap men around their fingers. Come with me,” she said as they tiptoed out of the kitchen and down the hall to her bedroom.

  “Do you know how much I want you?” he whispered against her lips.

  She boldly replied, “Not nearly as much as I want you. Now, shut-up and love me,” she said and then pulled his face down to hers.

  *

  A while later, Alexa looked into his beautiful blue eyes and wondered what she should say to him. Would, “That was mind-blowing,” be okay? Or what about, “Could we do that again right now?” Or even, “I think I love you. Do you love me too?”

  But before she made a complete fool of herself, a knock sounded on the door. “Honey,”

  Sophie called. “The cameramen will be filming again in five minutes.”

  It took a few long moments for Alexa to find her voice as she lay sweaty and sated under Brandon’s perfectly muscled body. She finally called out, “Thanks mom. We’ll be right out. I was just showing Brandon, uh, a few things in my old room.”

  Alarm welled up inside of Alexa. What had she done? She hadn’t actually justified to herself that it was okay to have mind-blowing, earth-shattering sex with the star of her undercover story, had she?

  Jane is going to kill me, she thought as she scooted away from Brandon, trying to act calm and collected as she stood naked before him.

  “Alexa,” he said, as he handed her the red silk thong, “we should talk about this.”

  Turning away from Brandon in a small effort at modesty, she slipped on her panties and reached for her dress by the door. Quickly pulling it over her head, she said, “What’s there to talk about?”

  Brandon stood up and slid on his boxers. “Everything. We need to talk about what this means. About us, our relationship.”

  Alexa thought frantically about how to deflect his questions. The last thing she wanted to talk about was their relationship. What was she going to say? I’m doing an undercover assignment for a national magazine to expose you as a misogynistic jerk. But hey, thanks for the mind blowing orgasms.

  For a moment she was afraid she was going to do something really pathetic like throw up, but she was saved, yet again, by the loud voice of her mother, obviously trying to warn them that the cameramen were on their way.

  “Quick,” Sophie hissed from the hallway, “they’re coming.”

  Brandon shot Alexa a disgruntled look as he quickly finished dressing. Alexa remade the tangled sheets on her bed, and then slipped on her heels while surveying the room to make sure everything was in order. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror above her childhood dresser, she was thankful for the small stash of makeup her mother kept in every room for unexpected touch-ups. Reaching into the top drawer, she pulled out a brush and a tube of lipstick. While Brandon stood behind her, his expression unusually grim, she quickly ran the brush through her hair, and reapplied some lipstick.

  “Ready?” he said.

  She nodded and he unlocked the door.

  “Take a deep breath,” he counseled her. “It’s back to being under the microscope.”

  She put her hand in his outstretched palm. “Let’s do it,” she said, and they stepped out of her bedroom and headed down the hall to rejoin her family and the cameramen.

  Alexa was impressed by not only how normal and poised she acted after their secret sexual interlude, but also by how good Brando
n was at acting as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened.

  Which was when it struck her: Maybe having mind-blowing sex on the second date was perfectly normal for a guy like Brandon. What if he was planning on repeating his performance with Brigit and Shelby during their family dates?

  Suddenly, Alexa knew she was indeed going to throw up. Without a word of warning to anyone, she fled the room and barely made it to the bathroom in time.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  A week later, Brandon was still wondering how everything with Alexa could have gone so wrong, so damn fast.

  After he and Alexa had made love, when she was lying in his arms trying to catch her breath, he had all the proof he needed that they were destined to be together forever. Their intense lovemaking only confirmed what he already knew: Alexa was his one-and-only soul mate, the woman of his dreams that he had been waiting for his whole life.

  Real life – worse, reality TV – had intruded upon what should have been the best night of his life. As soon as they reemerged from her bedroom, Alexa had become ill. Brandon had wanted to check on her, but Sophie had forced him and the cameramen to leave, insisting that her daughter must have come down with food poisoning and needed her mother to take care of her.

  Privately.

  But Brandon knew better. Or at least, he thought he did. It was the damn TV show getting in between them. Instead of being able to savor each other in private, their every move was broadcast to millions throughout the world.

  Worst of all, Brandon hadn’t been allowed to see or speak to Alexa for nearly a week. He felt like a clod, guilty of loving her and leaving her. If it were up to him, he never would have behaved so inattentively. As it was, he missed everything about her – her smile, her laugh, her sharp mind. He even missed her ever-changing moods.

  His other two dates, which were thankfully over and done with, had gone pretty much as he had expected. Brigit’s parents, in Oregon, were sweet and welcoming. Her older brother was protective. Hanging out with Brigit was, as always, fun, but not earth shattering. The closest they had ever come to a kiss was a brotherly peck on her cheek at the end of the night before he headed back to his hotel.