Fearless Maverick (13 page)

 
          
Alex’s
gaze pierced hers as a different light flashed in his eyes. ‘Are you seeing
someone else?’

 
          
As if
.

 
          
‘The
point is, Alex, I didn’t sign up for this.’

 
          
‘Sometimes
life throws us a curve ball.’

 
          
She
coughed out a humourless laugh. ‘Thanks for the tip.’

 
          
He
studied her and finally blew out a long defeated breath. He even slid a foot
back. ‘Look, what if we calm down and give each other a break?’

 
          
‘I
like that idea. On one condition.’ She implored him with her eyes. ‘You don’t
ever try to touch me again.’

 
          
As
Libby walked out, Alex’s every muscle clenched, ready to leap and drag her
back. Because he didn’t believe her. She
wanted
him to hold her again. Kiss her again. What the hell was stopping her?

 
          
He
tried to put himself in her shoes. Seemed her job meant everything to her, as
much as his career meant to him. She didn’t want to jeopardise her reputation
or professional integrity by becoming intimately involved with a client who had
made no secret of his need to attain an early checkmark for his shoulder.

 
          
But
her need to avoid him went deeper than that.

 
          
Imagining
her marching out his front door, Alex strode in the opposite direction, down
toward the rowers, then he strode back and, fuelled by frustration, kicked a
treadmill, and kicked it again. He hadn’t felt this keyed up since he was a kid
with no good way to expend his energy. But huffing around and fracturing his
foot wouldn’t help. Learning more about Libby might.

 
          
His
mobile sat on the ledge outside the sauna. He snapped it up. When Eli answered,
he got to the point. ‘What else do you know about Libby Henderson?’

 
          
Silence
echoed down the line before Eli replied, ‘What’s wrong? She’s not doing her
job?’

 
          
‘Eli,
I’ll give you three seconds. What else do you know?’

 
          
Eli
blew out a long breath before he began to talk, and as he explained and the
pieces fell into place, Alex sank lower and lower until he was sitting,
gobsmacked, on the floor. He cursed under his breath. Tried to shake off the
tingles racing over his skin. He’d had no idea. Not a bloody clue. But now when
he thought about Libby’s cool facade, about the way she’d literally jumped out
of her skin today when he’d reached for her leg …

 
          
His
gut twisted and his head dropped to his knees.

 
          
How
did you tell someone something like that? He’d never told anyone about
his
deepest wounds … the hurts, and
shame, he pushed aside every day.

 
          
‘Alex?
You there?’

 
          
His
stomach churning, Alex lifted his head. He felt wrung out, as if he’d spent a
day behind the wheel navigating the toughest track on the circuit.

 
          
‘Yeah,’
he groaned, holding his brow. ‘I’m here.’

 
          
‘I’ll
come over.’

 
          
‘
No
. I’m fine.’

 
          
‘It
shouldn’t make a difference—’

 
          
‘You’re
wrong, Eli,’ he cut in. ‘It makes a difference.’ Then he asked the obvious. ‘Why
didn’t you tell me?’

 
          
‘Because
you didn’t need to know.’

 
          
Alex
let go the breath he’d been holding. His friend was right. He hadn’t needed to
know about Libby’s accident. When he’d hired her, those kinds of personal
details were none of his business. Now …

 
          
He
pushed to his feet.

 
          
That
detail changed everything.

 
          
AFTER
a very unsettling day that had started in the most unsettling way, Libby let
herself into her apartment. Dropping everything, she filled the tub, peeled off
her clothes, then sank into the wonderful warm suds. Her head resting against a
vinyl pillow, she closed her eyes and sighed. She felt drained. Confused.

 
          
What
was she supposed to do now?

 
          
This
morning, despite her best efforts to avoid another incident, Alex had kissed
her soundly again, and for a second time she’d kissed him back. Even now her
cheeks burned remembering how easily she’d succumbed. Worse, despite ultimately
turning her back and walking away, a silly self-destructive part of her couldn’t
help but wish he would take her in his arms again. One dose of Alex Wolfe had
been bad enough. Now that she’d tasted him twice, she was in grave danger of
becoming addicted.

 
          
After
Scott, she’d let herself get close to only one man. Leo Tamms had gone to her
university, majored in civil engineering and had asked her out three times. She
thought they’d got on well. On their last date, they’d even kissed goodnight.
One day in the cafeteria he’d asked why she walked with a limp—she hadn’t
perfected her gait back then. In his eyes she could see Leo suspected anyway,
so she’d garnered her strength and told him her story. Leo had seemed
interested, sympathetic, but he hadn’t asked her out again. In fact, whenever
he saw her coming, he slipped a one-eighty and streaked the other way.

 
          
That
episode had hurt almost as much as Scott’s rejection. It confirmed the doubt
that had lurked at the back of her mind since the accident—that many people
were shallow enough to judge others by their wrapping rather than what they
really offered, which was underneath. Was Alex Wolfe one of those people?

 
          
Twenty
minutes later, feeling more relaxed, Libby dried off. Tying the ribbon sash of
her floor-length negligee, she moved into the kitchen, opened the fridge and
eyed some leftover chicken stir-fry. But her appetite had been MIA all day. Her
stomach was too full of butterflies with her wondering what would come next in
this ill-fated game Alex seemed intent on playing. So she poured a glass of
milk to line her stomach and, sipping, crossed into the living room.

 
          
She
could work on that speech, she supposed, or put on a movie, read a book. Or sit
here all night wishing life weren’t so complicated. She’d been content before
Alex Wolfe had inserted himself into her life. She’d been at peace with herself
and what she’d accomplished. Now it seemed she was weighed down with questions.
Sometimes, like at lunch yesterday, she could almost convince herself that Alex
was sincerely interested in her. But common sense said he was far more
interested in how he could use her … what she could give: a free pass to China.

 
          
When
the building entrance buzzer sounded, Libby stiffened. But then she siphoned
down some air and got a grip. Her imagination would be the death of her. Of
course it wasn’t Alex Wolfe buzzing. It was a friend dropped by. Or a delivery
of some kind.

 
          
Chiding
herself, she headed for the intercom, thumbed a button and said hello. The
voice that resonated back was deep and hauntingly familiar.

 
          
‘I
hoped I’d find you home.’

 
          
Libby
held her stomach as her midsection double clutched and a lump of anxiety lodged
in her throat. She took one shaky step back and clapped shut her hanging jaw.
Then she got her thoughts and courage together and, resolute, leaned toward the
speaker.

 
          
‘What
are you doing here?’

 
          
‘I
brought you something.’

 
          
She
frowned. Brought her what exactly? But she didn’t want to know. He needed to
leave.

 
          
He
needed to leave
now
.

 
          
‘You
can give me whatever it is on Monday.’

 
          
‘It
might be dead by then.’

 
          
She
stopped to think. Did he say
dead
?

 
          
His
voice lowered. ‘Please, Libby, let me up.’

 
          
She
hugged herself as her stomach looped again and her thoughts scurried on. She
ought to tell him to get in his limo, if that’s how he’d got here, and cruise
straight back to his palatial home. God knows she didn’t need this aggravation.

 
          
The
intercom crackled. ‘Libby, I need to apologise for today.’

 
          
Her
chest twisted and she screwed her eyes shut. She raised her voice. ‘Go away.’

 
          
‘Five
minutes, then I promise to leave.’

 
          
Feeling
ill, she bowed over. She didn’t want to let him in. But then she wanted to so
much. More to the point, Alex’s mind seemed set. He wanted to apologise in
person for his behaviour this morning and instinct warned her that he wouldn’t
leave until he did. That kind of one-eyed determination was a big part of the
reason he was a World Number One.

 
          
Groaning,
she hit the entry button, then retrieved a wrap from her wardrobe to cover her
negligee. By the time she made it back, a knock was sounding on her door. After
driving her damp palms down her sides, for better or worse, she reached for the
handle and prepared to open up.

 
          
Alex
waited outside the apartment door, clearing his throat, rocking on his heels,
more nervous than he’d been in a long time. Since Eli had revealed Libby’s secret
earlier today, he’d thought of nothing but. The fact he’d seen her only in
those long white pants, the way she wove away if ever he got too close … now it
all made sense.

 
          
His
interest in her had started out as purely mercenary. He’d been determined to do
what was necessary to keep his pretty physio onside and willing to sign off
early on his injury. But even before this week’s lunch date, he’d begun to see
Libby Henderson differently. After that first kiss—the way she’d cut him off
and strode away—he’d told himself no matter how much she intrigued him, it
would be wiser to play the attraction down and forget that caress had ever
happened.

 
          
Not
possible.

 
          
This
morning he’d kissed her again. After the initial merging of mouths and climbing
of heat, she had broken away and served up an even frostier dismissal.
Don’t ever try to touch me again
.

 
          
He
couldn’t do that.

 
          
Shifting
his weight, he told his jangling nerves to quieten at the same time he looked
down to inspect what he’d brought. A way to break the ice, get them talking.
Hopefully get beyond this impasse.

 
          
God,
he hoped she liked it.

 
          
Libby
fanned open the door to find Alex standing on her threshold, looking as amazing
as he had the other day when he’d appeared at her office out of nowhere. But
tonight the sight of his tall broad-shouldered frame was beyond overwhelming.
That slanted smile became more alluring—more tempting—every time they met.

 
          
Stepping
closer, he held out his gift. ‘This is for you.’

 
          
Her
gaze dropped and, perplexed, she lifted one shoulder and let it drop. ‘You’re
giving me a stick of bamboo?’

 
          
‘It’s
a peace offering.’