The Alpha's Pursuit

Chapter 4- Parker's P.O.V.

“Aaahhh!” I screamed, jumping up as the papers I retrieved flew out of my hands. Thank the Lord the staples kept most of the mess organized and not strewn about out of order.

My palm pressed to my chest as my eyes landed on a wall of a man. Four years have passed, but the haunting thought of repeated trauma left me feeling panicked. This can't be happening again.

A whirlwind of emotion surged through me as I took in the sight of this man, who was undoubtedly the most handsome person I had ever laid eyes on. My mouth dried, and I swallowed hard. It felt like history was repeating itself, and my palms grew sweaty with the vivid memory of Nick.

My brother, Jake, and the stranger both seemed to be about the same age. The stranger had black, shiny hair that was tousled on top of his head and rested just above his ears. His sparkling green eyes, framed by long black lashes, seemed to penetrate me, burning into my soul.

My gaze traveled to his straight nose and sharp jaw, which sported a cleft chin. The panty-dropping finale was his full, dusky rose-tinted lips, against which I wanted to press my own.

Wait, what? How can I be attracted to a man who might be a rapist, a murderer, or a burglar? Why is my body reacting this way? Would I feel afraid if I didn’t find him attractive? How shallow am I?

My mouth opened, and I held my breath for a moment. This specimen in front of me made Nick seem plain by comparison. He also had a few inches on Nick in height.

He wore a shirt that tightly stretched across his muscular chest, straining the buttons to their limits. Tattoos peeked out from beneath the unbuttoned collar, and the sleeves of his white dress shirt were rolled up to his elbows. A tribal tattoo could be seen peeking out from the bottom of the sleeve on his right forearm.

He had tucked the fitted shirt into black trousers. Those pants seemed to challenge the zipper's strength with their snug tailoring. Stop it, Parker. Take your eyes off his c**k, for f**k’s sake!

Color flooded my cheeks. Doing my best to divert my gaze, I failed miserably as my eyes remained locked in place. I attributed my lack of discretion to a four-year dry spell.

As I lifted my gaze to his face, I noticed his green eyes fixed on my blue ones. His soft lips, which I longed to kiss, curled into a smirk, almost as if he were saying, "Caught you!" My facial expressions never concealed much, which meant he had definitely noticed my complete appraisal of his physique and my desire was clear.

Can I die of embarrassment now? Can I crawl back under my comforter and never come out? Keep it in your pants, Parker—stranger danger.

Controlling my emotions, I scanned the exits, a tight knot forming in my stomach.

Alone with this strange man, who still hadn't said a word, I felt increasingly intimidated. Restless and fidgeting, I recognized the potential threat he posed, regardless of whether he was attractive. He had retreated into the copy room of the locked building, hovering there and staring at me, heat radiating off him.

His mouth moved, whispering something I couldn’t make out, and I tilted my head in curiosity. Then I noticed that his body was stirring as well. He took a step closer, and the trance-like expression on his beautiful face was unsettling. My pulse raced. Intrigue mingled with alarm, causing my brow to furrow in confusion at these contradictory emotions.

“What?” I asked. The faint tone of his voice made the word imperceptible. A fuzziness clouded my mind for a moment, and I shook my head to shake it off.

Determining what he said was less important than why and how I found him in the room with me, so I asked better questions.

“What are you doing in here? How did you unlock the door?” The questions tumbled out without my taking a breath.

Stealthily inching toward my office door, I prepared for a potential escape, my voice unwavering as I pressed him for answers.

“Oh, my apologies,” his gravelly voice sent a chill racing down my spine, yet the intensity of his gaze gradually softened.

“I’m Al... Beau Adler. My company has an appointment today. I’m sorry for being early; my associates and I live a few hours away, so I miscalculated the drive time.”

Fumbling with his words, he rubbed the back of his neck. His intense gaze bore down on me, making me tremble. I glanced toward the door again and took another step closer to it.

My eyes widened, and I froze in place when he mirrored my movements. The name he introduced felt genuine, but I remained cautious. From my own entry through the back, I knew that the front door should still be locked.

Surrendering with his arms raised, I imagined him waving a white flag or approaching a timid animal about to flee. Not far from the truth.

“I don’t want to alarm you. Mr. Braxton is expecting me for the bidding meeting today for Adler LLC, my company.”

This guy is the owner. Isn’t he too young? Interesting. He must be older than he appears.

The smoothness of his words nearly made me forget that he never answered my question about how he accessed the building, but I suspect that Mr. Braxton gave him a key. I hope that's the reason.

“I truly didn’t mean to startle you. Let me help you,” he said, motioning toward the papers scattered on the floor. Taking slow, deliberate steps, he approached. I pushed aside my fear and gathered the papers closest to the nearest exit while he reached for some as well.

As I squatted down to collect the documents, I suddenly jerked my head up when a bizarre sound tickled the hairs on my neck.

Closer than I had expected, my breathing quickened, and I felt a rush throughout my entire body. Beau's hooded eyes focused on my lips as he took a deep breath, inhaling the air around us. I blinked in disbelief when I saw his eyes darken for a brief moment. Oh s**t. Just like Nick.

This close to him, his hulking size became apparent, and the scent of him was intoxicating. His clothes strained further due to his bent frame, showcasing his amazing form.

Did my coffee say 'Drink Me' on it, and I shrank? What the f**k? The man is enormous! Man? Hardly. A true Adonis is more fitting.

The green returned along with his smirk. The urge to either smack him or kiss him drove me insane, and heat pooled in my lower belly. His eyes squeezed shut with a low groan.

No, no, no, no! This is reminiscent of Nick in so many ways, except I’m drawn to him in a way I can’t comprehend.

Instinctively, I sprang to my feet, grasping what I could from the floor, distancing myself further from him and my treacherous body.

“Thank you for your help. The conference room is behind you. Please make yourself comfortable, and I can pour you some coffee. There are also restaurants and fast food options down the road. If you're hungry, I can get you something to eat.”

Forced laughter escaped my lips, and nervousness crept in as I rambled. Racking my brain for reasons to break free from his intense aura, memories of how Nick used to cause a similar reaction flooded through my system.

The difference was that the intensity of those emotions surged tenfold when I was just a foot away from Mr. Adler. Along with the other sensations, anxiety joined the mix as I realized the effect he had on me. He took a slow breath and opened his eyes again.

“Yes, coffee is fine. I don’t need anything else, any food that is.” The tension filled the room again. Wait, what did he say? I took another step back and bumped into the doorframe.

“What’s your name?” Mr. Adler asked as he stood and closed the distance between us to hand me the items he held. Reaching out, I took the papers from him and answered, “Parker.”

Our fingers brushed briefly, and the dry autumn air caused him to give me a small shock. I jerked my arm back and chuckled at my reflex, but I swallowed hard when another growl echoed in the small room. This time, the growl simmered into a soft moan.

Frowning, I looked around for an animal hiding in a corner, which I already sensed wouldn’t be there. Unbothered, he lingered silently—another reminder of my ex.

My eyes widened; awareness struck me. The noise emitted from his throat. Is this a new thing men are doing? Why is it so much hotter when it came from rather than my ex? Oh yeah, abusive psycho. Got it.

My entire core pulsed to the rhythm of his murmurs. Heat spread at the apex of my thighs. I need to examine my head.

Clearing my throat, I waited for him to make a move to leave while clutching the stack of paperwork in my arms. He stood rigidly, clenching his fists and flaring his nostrils. Dumbfounded, I furrowed my brow as he sniffed the air again. What in the world is going on?

“Is there anything else you need, Mr. Adler?” What I really needed was space. My hormones were in overdrive, and my thoughts were scattered. The resemblance between my encounter with Nick and this moment with Mr. Adler overwhelmed me, and a strong urge to find an exit took control.

My boss entered the room at the perfect moment. The sight of Mr. Braxton nearly brought me to relieved sobs, and for a moment, my entire body relaxed.

“Mr. Adler, I received your message. I apologize for the delay,” he said, grasping Mr. Adler's hand in a firm handshake while lowering his head at the same time. This peculiar action was noteworthy.

Moving to the cities seems like the best idea. This town is becoming increasingly strange. Jake has offered numerous times to take me in. While this may be an overreaction, this morning has really tested my sanity.

“Oh, so you’ve met Parker Rose, our accountant. She joined us several months ago, correct, Ms. Rose? I have to say, she’s the best hire I’ve made in a long time. Parker is really helping to bring this old man into the modern age of technology,” he laughed.

As I observed my boss, Mr. Braxton, I realized that I had never truly examined him. He often referred to himself as old, but it struck me how youthful he looked for someone in his fifties. While he is certainly handsome and well-built, I never felt any personal attraction to him.

Appraising him now, I realized he competed with ease with Nick and Mr. Adler. His short blond hair, with some grey, lay messy on his head, complimenting his chocolate brown eyes.

As I studied his face more closely, I noticed that he had very few wrinkles. With his tanned complexion and tall stature, he presented an attractive image for someone my father's age. Mr. Adler was at least 6 feet 5 inches tall, while Mr. Braxton was a few inches shorter.

Dragging myself out of my thoughts, I realized that Mr. Adler had returned his attention to me. I nodded in acknowledgment of Mr. Braxton’s introduction and shifted my bare feet. Our client's relentless gaze never wavered from me.

Do I have something on my face?

At this moment, irritation replaced my fear. My glare turned into a scowl. Mr. Braxton’s presence gave me courage.

In an exaggerated manner, I glanced back as if to ask, 'What on earth are you looking at?' Unfazed by my sarcastic gesture, he smiled smugly in response to my clear annoyance.

The urge to flip him off bubbled beneath the surface, but I had to remain professional. Sort of. Huffing in exasperation, I stopped just short of rolling my eyes.

Mr. Braxton was able to regain Mr. Adler's attention and signaled toward the conference room. They both walked toward the exit of the copier room, with my boss following Mr. Adler. However, Mr. Braxton looked back over his shoulder at the doorway and gave me a curious glance.

Mouthing the word "what?" at him, he shrugged in response with a smirk of his own, and this time, I actually rolled my eyes. Awesome.



As he left the room, I was left to finish the last of my work. I groaned at the thought of being trapped in a room with the attractive Beau Adler in just a few minutes. My shoulders sagged in defeat. Awkwardness, here I come.