Alphas on the Prowl (36 page)

by Phoenix Johnson

Chapter One

The early morning sun gently warmed her soft skin, leaving a tingly glow. Krissy stretched her long limbs, eyes still closed as the heat soaked down to her bones. Ever since she had returned from her Hawaiian vacation six months ago, she came up to the rooftop of her apartment building every morning around seven and sunbathed nude. There was no way she would willingly give up this beautiful, golden tan, and she didn’t enjoy the chemicals from spray booths, so a fake tan was out of the question.

She knew she wouldn’t be disturbed since all her neighbors were busy getting ready for work or getting their kids ready for school. No one came up here until later in the day, if at all. This was the perfect time for her to do what was necessary to keep this beautiful glow. That was the beauty of being a full time author. She worked her own hours.

A shuffled footstep and a deep, yet quiet “ahem” shook her out of her reverie and she immediately sat up, looking for her robe. An unusual wind gust earlier had blown it out of reach and as its fluttering caught her eye, she finally saw the gorgeous body that belonged to the voice responsible for interrupting her routine. Her glance traveled up his long legs draped in faded denim, paused at the bulge behind the zipper and kept crawling up his torso, enjoying the sight of the defined muscles stretching his black tee shirt provocatively. His large, tanned hand held out her robe, the sun making the red satin shine.

“I’m sorry. His deep voice rumbled across the rooftop. “I didn’t mean to startle you. I’ve just moved in and wanted to check out the view.”

Krissy couldn’t quite determine his accent. It seemed to flow between a Texan drawl and a classy, clipped British brogue; two contrasting cadences she did not expect to hear intermingled. It was very attractive and she found herself wanting to know what kind of life brought them together in such a handsome and muscular package.

As he stepped in her direction, waving the robe to catch her attention, she remembered that she was standing in front of a total stranger wearing nothing but a smile, a tan, and a growing blush. Krissy noticed he glanced appreciatively at her ample breasts, flat, toned stomach, and long, lean legs as she stepped toward him and took her robe. They both fought to hide childish grins as they checked the other person out.

Krissy snatched the red, satin gown, whipped it around her body and tied the sash before approaching the handsome stranger, hand out to introduce herself. “Hi, I’m Krissy. I live in 5A.”

He took her hand, and she reveled in the warmth and deceptive softness of his palm. “Derek, 5C. I guess I’m your new neighbor.” He flashed her a bright, genuine smile. There wasn’t an ounce of overconfidence in him, she could tell. Derek was comfortable seeing her naked but wasn’t expecting anything to come of it. As much as she appreciated his apparent honor, Krissy thought she would definitely appreciate running her hands over that muscular torso poorly hidden by the tight shirt.

She realized her thoughts must have been written across her face as he started to blush in turn. Krissy shifted her weight and brought her mind back to the present.

“So, what brings you to Manhattan?” she asked, tilting her head. This was a quirk that had attracted most of her ex’s. It always led to hot and heavy sex in the beginning, until they realized she was an independent and intelligent woman who wasn’t afraid to speak her mind. At that point, the sex was no longer enough of a pull and the men turned on their heels and fled, seeking a bimbo who didn’t challenge their intelligence. She’d since refrained from the head tilt, but something about Derek had her unconsciously reverting to old habits. Krissy quickly straightened her head and crossed her arms, not wanting to get hurt again. Until she knew what Derek was like, she was not about to let him get too close.

“Well, it’s a long story that’s probably better told somewhere not so exposed. Maybe we could go grab some coffee? I was going to explore the town a little, anyway, once I’d checked out the view. I could use a guide, if you don’t mind?”

She watched the gaze of his deep, brown eyes search her face at her hesitation. She quickly pulled herself together, mentally chastising herself for letting the past affect her like this. She knew nothing about this man and shouldn’t let past mistakes ruin what would probably be just a new friendship – nothing more. “I’d be happy to show you around. There’s a quaint little diner just down the street we can grab some coffee from. They have the best apple crumble pies. Just let me get dressed first.”

Derek opened the fire door and stood to the side, allowing Krissy to lead the way. She had the feeling it was mostly an opportunity to perve on her ass, but as long as he only looked and didn’t touch, she didn’t mind. She was used to the attention, although she didn’t seek it out.

Once they were downstairs, Krissy invited Derek into her apartment and left him in the lounge room as she ducked into the privacy of her bedroom. She quickly threw her satin robe onto the queen-sized bed and grabbed a pair of jeans, a bra, and a gold colored tank bought specifically to compliment her tan. As she slipped the clothes on, she congratulated herself on not stumbling and making a complete fool of herself. No one had interrupted her naked sunbathing before and she had expected that, should it ever happen, she would just turn beet red and dash back to her apartment to hide for a week in utter shame.

Krissy quickly ran a brush through her long, honey-blonde hair, pulled on her favorite pair of teal pumps and walked out to the lounge where she’d left Derek. He was looking at her book collection and didn’t hear her approach, the carpet muffling her steps. She leaned against the doorframe watching him flip through her favorite erotica novel, well worn from countless readings.

Since her apartment was very quiet, she heard him mumble, “What a fascinating woman you are,” which made her heart miss a beat and her lips twitch to a smirk. Most men found her sexual comfort unnerving. This man was handsome, intriguing, and not at all put off by her choice in literature. It all seemed too good to be true. There had to be a catch. Well, that is what this coffee date is about. I have to find out more about this Adonis. No one is perfect.

Now it was her turn to clear her throat to catch his attention. She admired that he didn’t fumble and act ashamed. After all, there wasn’t anything wrong with perusing a bookshelf and looking through a book, as long as he put it back. To her astonishment, he put it back exactly where he’d picked it up from, right down to how far out the spine had sat. This only increased her intrigue. She was determined to find out all there was to know about this man.

Krissy grabbed her keys and cell, throwing them into her small black bag along with her wallet. “Ready?” She tapped her heels together.

“Sure, just let me leave a note for the movers. They haven’t brought all my furniture and boxes in yet.”

As Krissy closed and locked her door, Derek quickly jotted a note for the movers, making sure he put his cell number down. Sticking it to his door with a bit of packing tape, he locked his door before joining her in the hall, explaining the movers had the spare key. They walked down the stairs to street level, Krissy waving at Eddie the doorman as they exited.

Chapter Two

They walked to the diner in silence, gazing around at the people going about their daily business. It was a cool day, and most of the sidewalks were under the shade of large, bushy trees, which were a nice break from all the concrete and steel of the suburban townhouses and apartment buildings.

When they arrived at the diner, Derek held the door open for Krissy. She chose a booth that gave them privacy to talk, and yet was in clear view of Darla, the waitress at the counter. Darla nodded in acknowledgement while she took a businessman’s order.

Once the suit was out the door with his load of cups in trays, Darla sashayed over to their booth. “What’ll it be, darlin’? The usual – pie and coffee?” She smiled at Krissy, who simply smiled and nodded in reply. That order confirmed, she then turned to Derek. “And how ’bout you, handsome? What will you have?”

With a glance at the menu, Derek decided he would try the apple crumble pie that Krissy had bragged about, and a black coffee with two sugars. As Darla went back to the counter to get their orders, they awkwardly glanced out the window, giggling when their eyes eventually met.

“I’m sorry, Derek. I’m not normally this quiet. I can normally figure a person out within minutes, but you, sir, are an enigma. You have me stumped and my curiosity is piqued.” She leaned forward and Derek couldn’t resist a quick glance at her ample cleavage. And you’ve yet to answer my question. What brings you to Manhattan?” Her question brought his attention back to her face, and his voice got stuck in his throat.

He glanced up at Darla as their orders arrived while Krissy kept a steady gaze, watching as he decided where to start. He took a bite of the pie to bide some more time, his eyes closing as he savored the morsel. She tipped her head again, eyebrow raised and a smile tweaking the side of her luscious lips.

Derek swallowed and wiped his mouth. Heaving a sigh, he glanced at Krissy, realizing she was not about to drop the subject, which he didn’t mind. He wanted to get to know her and if offering up this information meant he got that chance, it was something he was more than willing to do. It wasn’t as if it was something that was his fault.

“Well, I grew up in a small town in Texas with my brother Ken, raised only by our mother since our father died in a flight training exercise. See, he was a naval aviator and was on duty at sea.” He raised his hands in supplication, silently begging Krissy to listen not only to what he said, but also to what the words he didn’t say. “The deck can’t have any debris or it can cause a lot of trouble when jets come in to land.” He paused to run his hands through his hair. “One tiny little screw had been missed by the clean up crew. Long story short, he lost control and crashed into the bridge. The only thing that consoled my mother was that he would have died instantly.” He took a deep breath and looked at his hands, now resting on the table in front of him.

“I was five when he died. Ken was two. We didn’t truly understand that Daddy wouldn’t come home. We just knew that Mom was upset and cried a lot. We stayed at the house he had built for my mother when they first got married. She said that she still felt his presence.” A slight smile twinged the corners of his mouth. “The whole town was very supportive, and the kids at school treated my brother and me fairly. Most of the families were military, so we looked out for each other, you know?” Derek smiled and uttered a slight chuckle.

“There was one girl who was particularly nice to me – Sondra. We were neighbors, so we always hung out after school. She was my best friend up until junior high when, naturally, she became my girlfriend.” He noticed a slight frown on Krissy’s face, as if she were envious. He bit back a grin.

“All through high school we were together, and when she decided to move to England to meet some new-found relatives, I went with. We both attended university over there and were well on the way to starting our life together. We were even going to be married when we graduated from Wolverhampton.

“That was, until I came to pick her up after the final term classes ended and caught her with her roommate and sorority sister, Linda. Turns out she wasn’t all that into men after all.”

***

Derek chuckled softly, and Krissy’s heart went out to him. She doubted she would be able to act so cavalier about finding out the person she intended to wed was attracted to another person, let alone find out their sexual tendencies were completely different. Not that she had a problem with same sex couples. She believed everyone deserved happiness.

As Derek continued talking, Krissy listened intently, slowly chewing her apple crumble pie, contemplating his story.

“Sondra and I remained friends but were never as close as when we were growing up. Since we’d already leased an apartment in Birmingham, we kept to our original plans. Thankfully, it was a two bedroom apartment, and so Linda also moved in with us. I know,” he held his hands up, “sounds crazy, right? Living with my ex-fiancée and her new girlfriend – seeing them every day? The fact that it didn’t hurt all that much just meant we weren’t supposed to be more than friends.”

Derek paused to take a sip of coffee and sighed, clearly relishing the hot drink. Krissy indulged herself in watching the delight on his face. As he slowly chewed another bite of pie, she took in what she had just heard. She’d had her own share of past relationship problems but certainly nothing like this. There was no way she could remain friends with any of her ex’s. He was turning out to be a sweet guy but there had to be more than that. No one was perfect, so what were his flaws? She was determined to find out, but couldn’t just outright ask. Krissy had to listen to his full story, which she didn’t mind. He was a fascinating man.

“So, you just moved on and lived under the same roof as your ex and her girlfriend? That’s more than I could handle. Surely, it must have bothered you.”

He smiled, having obviously been asked the same thing before. “Well, it wasn’t the easiest in the beginning, of course. However, after a few months we had all adjusted and I started dating. Just because it hadn’t worked out with Sondra didn’t mean I wanted to give up on England. I’d found part-time work as a veterinary apprentice while I was studying veterinary science, and once I graduated, I became a full-time assistant so I didn’t want to just leave.”

Krissy could imagine how popular the new vet assistant would have been, and she’d bet her pumps the little old ladies would bring their poodles in with any excuse to talk to the young man and get a smile out of him. Hell, she would have done the same if she had a pet of some sort.

“So, you went back to dating?”

“Yeah, one of my buddies from university and I started going to the pubs every Friday night and we always had several women checking us out. After a few weeks, one of the regular girls gathered the nerve to approach me and we hit it off. We sat at the bar and talked for hours until the bar closed. By that stage, both of us had had a few too many drinks and we ended up back at her place, all hot and heavy.

“The next morning, I woke up to the smell of bacon and eggs and the sound of a kettle boiling. As I tried to remember what had happened the night before, I glanced around the room trying to get an idea of what this woman was like, hoping this wasn’t just going to be a one-night stand. I know, that’s all most guys want, right? Well, I was brought up in a loving home, taught to respect women, and I wanted to hold on to that feeling. I didn’t want to be just another sleaze ball.

“A few minutes later, this beautiful woman brought in a tray of breakfast: bacon, eggs, muffins, and a teapot. She placed it on my lap, her eyes twinkling. My confusion was obviously written on my face. She introduced herself as Aubree, and proceeded to explain that she didn’t expect anything more. Getting to know me would just be a bonus. I told her that I’m not the type to just sleep with a woman and move on, but we didn’t really know each other enough to suddenly be in a relationship. Aubree was quick to suggest going to lunch that day, more casual than dinner but still time to talk and get to know one another.” His smile was soft, but the slight frown across his forehead dropped his eyebrows to hang over his eyes, hinting at more pain.

“That one drunken night led to seven years of a wonderful relationship. Aubree loved being involved with someone who helped animals and, after moving in together, we adopted quite a few pets who couldn’t be looked after by their owners anymore. We became a mini animal shelter. It was fantastic. My work with the animals inspired Aubree to go back to university to study vet science as well, and she soon became my apprentice, then assistant. We had everything, including a successful practice, and things were going so well. Until the phone call.” All humor left his face, replaced with a sorrow-filled droop to his lips. Krissy’s heart leapt to her throat, and she bit her lip as anxiety filled her.

“I’d kept in touch with Ken and my mother obviously, so I knew Mom wasn’t in the best of health anymore, but since it was a gradual decline, I hadn’t really worried just yet. I was giving a litter of wolfhound pups their first vaccinations when Ken called up, saying that Mom had taken a severe turn for the worse and I needed to come home. I told Aubree what was happening and asked her if she’d join me back in the States. There would be plenty of work there; we would have no trouble settling in.” Derek shrugged. “Unfortunately, she didn’t want to leave. We had a successful practice, had another apprentice who was about to graduate, and we had a life. Aubree understood my need to leave but she really didn’t want to join me. So, I came back home to be with my mother and brother, and she stayed in England. I think she expected me to return, so why bother uprooting everything?” He heaved a large, shuddering sigh and shook his head. Even though his head was down, she saw a tear drop from his face.

“It turns out Mom’s diagnosis was terminal lung cancer. Mesothelioma, to be exact. The house had been built before the dangers of asbestos were realized. Ken and I are lucky that we haven’t been affected.

“I’d only been home for six months when Mom passed away. The whole town helped with the funeral, as a few other people had also died of asbestos related illnesses. It was yet another tragedy to bring the neighborhood closer together.

“The house had been left to Ken and me equally, but I couldn’t bring myself to stay there for long once the funeral was over. I just felt too guilty for being away so long and missing the last years of Mom’s life. I’d always wanted to see New York, the Big Apple, and even in the city, people have pets. So, Ken stayed and here I am a month later. I have some interviews with local veterinarians and animal shelters lined up already, and I’m ready to start a new life.”

As Derek heaved a sigh, his burden lightened, Krissy was left wondering, why stay in the States? She chewed her lip for a few minutes until she couldn’t hold it in anymore. She didn’t care if it was rude, she needed to know. “But, why stay in America? You have the chance to move back to England and go back to Aubree.”

“That was my first thought, so I called her up to see how she was doing. Turns out, our seven years together didn’t leave as big of a hole in her heart as it did in mine. She’s already moved on – with the new vet apprentice, no less.” He shrugged. “What can I say? Aubree is a beautiful, intelligent, young woman. She shouldn’t be expected to wait around for goodness knows how long until I came back, so she didn’t wait. That’s ok, though, I guess. I was getting a little sick of all the tea and biscuits.”

Krissy laughed, trying not to spit coffee everywhere and failing. Derek snorted, and they both started laughing as they grabbed napkins, wiped their faces and cleaned the liquid off the table .

“I’m sorry, I wasn’t expecting that,” Krissy chuckled as she wiped the table.

Derek just flashed a grin and continued wiping coffee splatters from his arms. “Don’t worry about it. You were starting to look too serious about what I was saying. Most of the endings have been bad, but if they hadn’t happened I wouldn’t have moved to Manhattan and met you, so I don’t mind.” Her shy glance up had Derek clearing his throat. “Sorry, I can be a bit presumptuous at times.” He glanced at his watch. “Listen, I should go see if my furniture has arrived yet. I’ll walk you back?”

“Yeah, that’s fine. I need to have a shower, I think. If you want some help unpacking let me know, and I’ll buy you dinner tonight.” As Derek opened his mouth to protest, Krissy continued. “I insist. My way of making up for spraying you with coffee. Besides, no one likes to have to cook after a day of unpacking.”

With the mess mostly cleaned up, they gathered their belongings and left money on the table for Darla. Walking back to the apartment building, Krissy pointed out a few key locations for Derek, such as the corner store for milk and bread, the video store that specialized in less popular movies, and a cute little bistro where she often ordered take out. A few minutes later, they walked up the front steps and into the lobby of their building. Deep in conversation, they just waved at Eddie and went upstairs to the fifth floor. As they approached their apartments, two men in movers’ uniforms walked toward them, introducing themselves. Derek opened his door as the men went back downstairs to bring up the rest of the furniture and boxes, while Krissy went to her apartment to shower and put on something more suitable.