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Chapter one
Jasmine
“Jas, hey.” Riley peeks into the kitchen, a tentative grin on his face. “I forgot to tell you that Alec is in town and will join us for dinner.”
The napkin falls from my hand as my heart slams into my chest with anxiety. “What?”
“I don’t know how I forgot,” Riley says, scratching his head. “Do we have enough food? Or do I have to order some more?”
I blink, my mind muddling up any coherent thoughts. It’s not about the food being enough; it’s about Alec being here. It’s Alec. Alec Lionheart, the man I am madly, irrevocably in love with, and my brother’s best friend.
“Jas, are you okay?” Riley walks into the kitchen, and I nod, hurrying to the door. “I’m okay.”
“What about the food?” Riley asks as I run up the stairs. “Should I order some more or…?”
“No!” I yell. “We have enough.”
Inside my room, I hurry to my closet and sift through the clothes on the rack for the perfect outfit for the night. I want something demure because Riley will be at the table, but also something seductive enough to grab Alec’s attention. I’ve been trying to get him to look my way for a year, but nothing seems to work. I may have found something that will though.
I choose a black, short-sleeved ribbed dress that hugs my gentle curves and highlights my bust, hoping it’ll be enough for Alec to look at me twice. I’m a beautiful girl, but that doesn’t seem to crack Alec because I have never caught him looking in my direction. Riley introduced me to him about 5 years ago, but they’ve been best friends for eight years. The story is they ran into each other in the admissions office in college and have been close ever since.
I don’t really care about the intricacies; all I knew was that since the first day Alec and I were introduced, I’ve been unable to stop thinking about him. I fell for him hard, and he didn’t seem to notice. Whenever there was a link-up, which was rare, Alec would talk to me casually, like a friend. It had never gone beyond that.
I haven’t seen Alec in seven months, and now that I’ve overcome my nervousness, I’m excited to see him again. I rush into the bathroom, ensuring I use my best-smelling shower gel so that I can layer the scent with my perfume. When fully dressed twenty minutes later, I hear the doorbell ring, followed by raucous laughter. He’s here!
I hurry to the mirror and take a deep breath, trying to still my heart. I can hear the deep timbre of Alec’s voice as he talks to Riley, and as I walk down the stairs, it gets louder. Riley sees me first, and his eyes light up with brotherly affection.
“Damn, Jas. You look great,” he says, then he glances at Alec. “I just realized you haven’t seen Jas since the Christmas party; that’s about seven months?”
“No. It’s seven months, three weeks, and five days.” He whirls gracefully toward me, and my breath hitches in my throat when his blue eyes sweep sensuously over my body. “Hello, Jasmine.”
My plan was to seduce Alec, but now that I’m in his presence, I’m suddenly at a loss for words. Alec is the embodiment of gorgeousness. I always joked with my best friend that the god of beauty and desire, Adonis, molded Alec in his image because there is something exotic and ethereal about him.
“Jas?” Riley frowns at me. “Are you okay?”
A blush creeps up my face at being caught blatantly staring at Alec, and I wish I could disintegrate into dust. “Hi, Alec.” I wave at him and walk into the kitchen to save face.
Alone in the kitchen, I lean my head against the fridge and suck in a deep breath.
Seven months. Three weeks. Five days. Alec is correct about how long it’s been since we saw each other, but why was he counting? It’s not like he’s attracted to me or anything. I hear footsteps approaching the kitchen and perk up, pretending to grab a water bottle from the fridge.
“Can we eat now?” It’s Riley. “I’ve been starving for hours.”
“You’re always starving.” I roll my eyes. “You can make the table; I’ll bring the food.”
“You’re the best.” He kisses my cheek, and I playfully push him away.
Ten minutes later, we’re all seated at the table, ready to start dinner. I’m struggling to focus on my food, but my gaze won’t stop sliding to the man seated beside me. He has discarded his suit jacket and now has only a white dress shirt on. The sleeves are rolled up his forearm, revealing a sexy network of veins and muscles. I didn’t know it would be this hard seeing Alec again after all this time. It’s like my crush on him has exploded into something more powerful. I’m intensely aware of him and every move he makes.
A loud shrill rings through the air, and I flinch before realizing its Riley’s phone. “Sorry, it’s so loud,” Riley says, taking the call.
“Hi, Mr. Wickham.” He pauses, eyes widening like saucers. “Right now?” I cannot hear what the caller says, but Riley isn’t too happy about it. “Okay, sir. I’m on my way.”
“What’s up?” Alec asks when Riley hangs up with a groan.
“There’s an issue with the products being delivered at our facility,” Riley explains. “I have to sort it out.” He leaves the table.
“You’re leaving right now?” I ask, dreading being left alone with Alec.
