The Seduction of Alex Parker(39)

“Come on. Give me a little help here, Parker. I may be strong, but I’m not strong enough to hold up your dumb drunk ass.”

“I’m going to be sick.”

“Not on me you’re not. You are to wait until we get into the house. If you throw up on me, you’re buying me all new clothes and I’ll make sure they’re high end designer and cost you thousands of dollars. No, make that millions.”

I stumbled through the door and she took me to the bathroom off the foyer.

“There. Now you can throw up, you stupid man.”

Once I was done, I sat up against the wall as she wiped my mouth with a wash cloth.

“Can you get up the stairs?” she asked in irritation.

I moaned as I fell over.

“I guess that’s a no.”

She helped me up and took me to her room, stripped me naked, and helped me into bed. As she climbed in next to me, the last words I remember her saying were, “Throw up on me and I’ll stab you in your sleep.” I silently smiled because her mouth never stopped and I loved it.





Chapter 27


Emerson

It was the end of the week and Adam was due home today. Alex and I never talked about that night he got drunk. He wouldn’t talk about it and had been irritable all week long. We didn’t have sex and I barely saw him. He reverted back to staying late at the office and when I would text him and ask when he was coming home, he would just reply “soon.”

I pulled out my map and laid it across my bed to make my plan for my next move. With Alex’s behavior, he was making it easier for me to leave. What happened to the man back in Napa and Seattle? Something went seriously wrong and I wanted to know what it was. The night he left and told me he was going to the office, nothing had happened, and I thought things were good between us. He was shutting me out again and it hurt me. It hurt me right down to the very core of my soul. I thought a lot about things and needed to put my mind to rest and concentrate on where I was going to go next. I still couldn’t help but be bothered that my money was almost gone. Something wasn’t right because I didn’t live to the extreme. I was very careful with what I spent.

As I was looking over my map, I glanced at my phone and it was seven p.m. Just as I diverted my eyes back to the map, my phone rang and it was Adam.

“Hey, Adam.”

“Hey, Em. I wanted to let you know that I’m on my way over. I should be there in about ten minutes. I can’t wait to see you, sis.”

“I can’t wait to see you either.”

I took in a deep breath and folded up my map. As I was on my way to the kitchen, the front door opened and Alex walked in.

“Impeccable timing, Parker,” I spoke as I continued walking.

“What do you mean?” He followed me into the kitchen and set his brief case down.

“Adam should be here in about ten minutes. Make sure to have a bottle of wine ready to pour for me. You and he will have to get your own.”

****

Alex

I’d been a real bastard to Emerson all week. The reason? I couldn’t stand the thought of her leaving. If I distanced myself from her and put everything we had done and been through behind us, it would be easier on me when she left. It was wrong, I know. But it was the way I dealt with things. I loved her so damn much and it was killing me to know that she wouldn’t be around much longer. I wanted to talk to her about that night, but I couldn’t. It was a lost cause. I would have confessed my feelings to her and been left there standing like an idiot. If she loved me, she would stay. Now, Adam was on his way over and I wasn’t sure how that was going to go. Since he never talked about his family, I would bet my life that his views were completely different from Emerson’s and there was going be a lot of arguing. I was glad I came home from the office early. This reunion was going to be interesting.

I went down to the wine cellar, grabbed a bottle of Pinot, and brought it upstairs.

“Here’s your bottle.”

“Thanks.” She smiled.

She took out the corkscrew and attempted to open the bottle. I noticed her hands were shaking. Placing my hands around hers, I spoke, “Let me open that for you.”

She let go of the bottle and reached up and grabbed a glass from the cabinet, dropping it to the floor.

“Fuck!” she yelled.

This wasn’t like her. “Emerson, don’t touch the glass. You’ll cut yourself.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll buy you another glass.”

“Fuck the glass. What is wrong with you?” I asked as I walked over to her. “Are you that nervous to talk to your brother?”

“I don’t know. Maybe I am. These conversations never go well with him. It’s the same thing over and over again, like a vicious, never-ending cycle.”

“Maybe this time will be different,” I spoke as I bent down to clean up the glass.

“Doubt it.”

The doorbell rang and she stiffened up. I couldn’t help myself. I kissed her head and gave her a hug before sending her into the war zone.

****

Emerson

I was happy to see my brother, but I was not looking forward to our conversation. The moment I saw him, I stood there for a moment as tears filled my eyes. It had been a long time.

“Hey, sis.” He smiled as he held out his arms.